[navin]

Hi,

I am looking for a reliable iPhone blue tooth compatible Head Unit for a Honda City.

I tried the Sony 612BT but it refused to sync my phone contacts. I then tried the Kenwood 6016BT and it takes several minutes (15-20 minutes) to sync my iPhone's contacts and it's iPod Navigation (Playlist/Artist/Album is even worse than the Sony's) and when it does it often automatically disconnects the phone so I never know if my phone is connected via BT or not until I get a call and instead of my HU ringing, my phone rings.

Can anyone recommend a good HU for say under Rs. 20,000 that is truly iPhone friendly. My Camry's OEM is really fast in syncing my iPhone's contact list and caller list. Why cant 3rd party HUs be equally good?

Thanks.

[2500cc]

I have used the previous version of pioneer on my scorpio I dont remember the model number I used since I sold my car. The one I used was working flawlessly with Iphone 5 and Iphone 6. No issues with contacts syncing, AUX, USB and Bluetooth calling.

https://www.snapdeal.com/product/pio...umbLabelId:311

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by navin

Hi,

I am looking for a reliable iPhone blue tooth compatible Head Unit for a Honda City.

I tried the Sony 612BT but it refused to sync my phone contacts. I then tried the Kenwood 6016BT and it takes several minutes (15-20 minutes) to sync my iPhone's contacts and it's iPod Navigation (Playlist/Artist/Album is even worse than the Sony's).

Can anyone recommend a good HU for say under Rs. 20,000 that is truly iPhone friendly. My Camry's OEM is really fast in syncing my iPhone's contact list and caller list. Why cant 3rd party HUs be equally good?

Thanks.

Why not get an Apple CarPlay supporting HU? It brings in the same UI as the phone and you can just use Siri to find contacts!
The best option is the Sony XAV-100 at 26k mrp, though you can find it at about 24k. I think its worth the extra for its added functionality

[navin]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

The one I used was working flawlessly with Iphone 5 and Iphone 6. No issues with contacts syncing, AUX, USB and Bluetooth calling.

The 299BT was also on my list when I got the 6016BT now I wish I had gone with my first instinct.

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Why not get an Apple CarPlay supporting HU? It brings in the same UI as the phone and you can just use Siri to find contacts!
The best option is the Sony XAV-100 at 26k mrp, though you can find it at about 24k. I think its worth the extra for its added functionality

Agambhandari, I am not very tech savvy (which is why I use an Apple phone instead of Android, which everyone under 40 tells me is better than Apple but just too complicated).

All I want is to receive phone calls on the car HU+speakers while I am driving (when I am driving). Are you sure this XAV-100 will work? Have you tried it with an iPhone 7? Has anyone tried here got real world experience with this device?

When I got the Kenwood 6016 I expressly (since I was changing from the Sony 612) asked about iPhone compatibility and the dealer said yes.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by navin

Has anyone tried here got real world experience with this device?

aagambhandari's suggestion is absolute spot on. While I personally don't have experience with this particular unit, I have used Apple Carplay and its just what you need.

Here is a video review of this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSCn5BWnCRA

[Jaggu]

I use a basic Alpine single din unit and it works well with iOS and Android. This one would be an old model now https://www.crutchfield.com/S-85eBIU...CDE-103BT.html.

But you should get a newer model like this, quiet reasonable also.
http://www.amazon.in/gp/offer-listin...&condition=new

[navin]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I use a basic Alpine single dine unit and it works well with iOS and Android. http://www.amazon.in/gp/offer-listin...&condition=new

I saw this one. No Album Art for my iPod.

Originally Posted by autorahul

I have used Apple Carplay and its just what you need. Here is a video review of this.

Thanks. I am already sitting on 2 HUs that don't work as I expect them to, so you can understand my concern. I don't want to be sitting on 3 of them.

Will see if I can get the XAV-100 to use for a day or something.

Edit: Just called the Sony dealer. The XAV-100 has only 1 USB input so if I use that for my iPhone (Car Play only works over USB) I cant use the USB input for my iPod. Hence the iPhone would have to use BT (no Car Play).

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by navin

I saw this one. No Album Art for my iPod.

You mentioned basic phone, and also how does album art matter in a car? At the price quoted i think it is a great value for money. Check a demo someplace and decide.

[noopster]

Navin, the JVC 90BT in my Vento could be perfect for this. Ajay had installed it for hardly some 10K (or less) when I upgraded my ICE. Calls are perfectly clear on the speakers & your phonebook and dialling history get captured nicely. The only issue I sometimes face is when both my phones are paired (the call history sometimes gets muddled up). You even have the option on i-phone to take the call on your device without disconnecting the bluetooth (useful if you have someone else riding with you, e.g. driver).

One advantage of the 90BT is that it has a dedicated iPod/iPhone connector cable. I keep my iPod permanently connected and replace it with my iPhone as needed. What I like is the almost perfect replication of the iPod menu on the HU: Playlists, Artists, Songs and what have you. Once your iPod is plugged in, you control it from the HU itself. Ditto iPhone.

Can do a demo when we meet next.

[Ruchir031]

Originally Posted by navin

Edit: Just called the Sony dealer. The XAV-100 has only 1 USB input so if I use that for my iPhone (Car Play only works over USB) I cant use the USB input for my iPod. Hence the iPhone would have to use BT (no Car Play).

I do not have the XAV-100 but a Pioneer one with CarPlay support and CarPlay works perfectly fine over Bluetooth. And I believe so should any other HU with CarPlay.

Attaching a pic for reference. You can confirm the same by going into Settings > General > CarPlay.

Edit : Car should support wireless CarPlay! My bad.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

You mentioned basic phone, and also how does album art matter in a car?

Jaggu, I built my music library before iTunes could automatically retrieve album art work. Each time I ripped an Album I painstakingly downloaded the album art into the same folder as the album and built the MP3 tag using EAC. In effect the album art the MP3s I have ripped might not always have the same artwork as Apple's iTunes.

see my post from Nov 2005
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...tml#post137439

It would be a shame not to have access to this art work.

Originally Posted by noopster

One advantage of the 90BT is that it has a dedicated iPod/iPhone connector cable. I keep my iPod permanently connected and replace it with my iPhone as needed. What I like is the almost perfect replication of the iPod menu on the HU: Playlists, Artists, Songs and what have you. Once your iPod is plugged in, you control it from the HU itself. Ditto iPhone...

Bingo! This is exactly my install. An iPod with music is permanently connected and left in the glove box of the car. The iPhone is used only for voice calls (no music).

I am going to find a JVC dealer today.

Originally Posted by Ruchir031

I do not have the XAV-100 but a Pioneer one with CarPlay support and CarPlay works perfectly fine over Bluetooth.

Thanks. Which Pioneer HU do you use?

The Sony guy was emphatic that the XAV can only Car Play (whatever that is) over USB but I can use BT for Phone functions (which really is all I need).

[Ruchir031]

Originally Posted by navin

Thanks. Which Pioneer HU do you use?

The Sony guy was emphatic that the XAV can only Car Play (whatever that is) over USB but I can use BT for Phone functions (which really is all I need).

I have the AVIC-F80BT in the CLA200 and AVH-X8890BT in my City. The City does not support Wireless Carplay but Bluetooth works well and there is no delay in syncing the contacts. Will have to check for the call logs though.

Supposed to visit the Car market today and there's a big showroom of HU's, I will try to get a demo of the XAV and make a video if possible then I will revert back to you.

[Vid6639]

Wireless apple carplay through BT/Wi-Fi is now coming. Alpine is the first to launch it with the iLX-107.

The assumption is that music is carried on 1 device which is the phone not ipod + phone hence 2 USB ports on a head unit are rare.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Ruchir031

The City does not support Wireless Carplay but Bluetooth works well and there is no delay in syncing the contacts. Will have to check for the call logs though.

Supposed to visit the Car market today and there's a big showroom of HU's, I will try to get a demo of the XAV and make a video if possible then I will revert back to you.

Mucho Gracias Ruchir!

I do not need Car Play. Heck I don't even know what it is and what it does.

My application is rather simple.

a. I have a iPod that I connect the to HU via USB - this is my music source.
b. I have an iPhone that I would like to connect to my HU (via BT) so I can take (and if possible even make) calls while I am driving.

I do NOT drive a lot so I need the HU to be reliable aka once it is set up with my iPhone or/and my wife's iPhone I don't want it to need to connect each time we sit in the car.

The Kenwood 6016BT says it can accept 2 phones. I can even see 2 iPhones in the "paired device list" (see page 38 of the pdf below) but they need to be manually connected each time we sit in the car. And worse, after a few seconds the phone disconnects automatically.
http://manual.kenwood.com/files/B5A-0859-00.pdf

Ideally if I do not need to use the car HU to make/take calls, all I SHOULD need to do is turn the BT on my iPhone off and when I turn it on it should auto connect to the HU. Does this make sense?

Edit: c. sometimes my wife or my chauffer use the Tuner to listen to Radio but I assume every car HU has this. , I could use an optional second USB input (the Sony 612BT has this) for a pen drive but I do NOT need a CD drive.

Edit (Update): Just got a call (about an hour after the above post) from a Mr. Joshi at Kenwood. Apparently the word has gotten out about this challenge I have been having with my Kenwood. They believe it is a software glitch with their Head Unit. Fortunately Kenwood has a service center not far from where I live so they have asked me to wait a day so they can get back to me on when they can service (upgrade the software) the Head Unit. Let's see.

[Ruchir031]

Originally Posted by navin

Mucho Gracias Ruchir!

Really sorry that I couldn't revert back to you on time and I possibly wont for another few weeks as my Father has passed away last Friday.