Just wondering if anyone has had firsthand experience with one of the several CarPlay headunits on the market now. I've got a Kenwood DDX-470, but am thinking about an upgrade to the Alpine iLX-700.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500ILX0...&awmt=p&awnw=g

There are also 2 Kenwood CarPlay units, and while I've been very happy with the 2 Kenwoods I've had in the past, these have a lot of extra features I don't want/need, and I prefer the simplicity of the Alpine.

 

I've been considering this purchase for almost three months now, the only thread I could find on here was this one from last month: https://my350z.com/forum/audio-and-v...7-carplay.html

I've also looked at the Kenwood and Pioneer CarPlay systems, however, I'm more inclined to go with the Alpine since it is a dedicated unit for my iPhone, and the simplicity of it. It essentially mirrors the layout on my phone. The rest of my system is Alpine, so that's another plus. haha

 

Thanks, I missed that thread. Some negative reviews on Crutchfield, but as on Amazon, there are clearly a lot of idiots writing them.

 

i have it in my pioneer but Im on android so not sure if I am getting full use. Theres applink,carplay ect but you have to find apps that support it. Names have changed a few times and its really a pain.

I just do bluetooth, pandora and use built in GPS. Thats all i really need.

 

No problem. Yeah, a majority of the complaints I've read were over small issues.

 

That's is the main thing holding me back from purchasing the Alpine unit. The system I currently have is more than enough for my needs, and I don't drive the car enough to even enjoy or need the features associated with the Alpine CarPlay it; it just looks nice haha.

 

I'm going to call Crutchfield next week with some questions.

1) If the HU doesn't have Bluetooth, how does the phone work? I know it comes with a mic.

2) Are there native Alpine apps, such as a Pandpra inteface, and a SiriusXM interface like my current Kenwood has? Those are the two functions I use 95% of the time now, with the iPhone as a source.

3) Does the TuneIt app have provision for controlling the multiple low-level outputs, including subwoofer levels and crossover point?

 

From what I've read, the phone syncs with the HU via the lightning connector, which enables the CarPlay features. The mic is for Siri, which I believe allows the driver to respond to texts, have Siri read new messages, etc. There appears to be an Alpine app on the HU, but I couldn't tell you exactly what it's purpose is. I don't believe it has an XM radio function, however, you can use Spotify. The TuneIt app does allow you to adjust control your audio settings, not sure how in depth you can go though. In the article I read this afternoon, it said that you can also save various settings under your TuneIt profile based on the music you listen to, or use default settings from Alpine.

 

My Kenwood has a native Pandora app, so the screen shows the album cover, the thumbs up/down buttons, etc. For me to buy the Alpine, it has to have that.

Listening to SiriusXM on the Kenwood is a bit different, as it works thru the native iPod app. It doesn't have any screen controls, since the actual SiriusXM app is on my iPhone 5S. To change channels, I have to touch the iPhone screen, which I don't do very often, so that's OK. My concern is that the CarPlay Music app won't take the audio from the SiriusXM iPhone app, since it's probably only looking for music stored on the phone's Music app. If the Alpine doesn't have that capability, no chance I'll get it, as SiriusXM is what I listen to the most, by far. I don't want/need a HU with a native SiriusXM app, because that would require a separate subscription, while with the iPhone app I can use it in any of my cars.

 

I'm not aware of any native pandora apps on the Alpine HU, or what options there might be for installing third party apps on the HU. You might be able to make use of your XM subscription via an AUX option. Your local Best Buy might have the Alpine unit on display for you to check out, mine did.

 

If you're thinking of unloading the kenwood, lmk. Im in the market for one.

 

I've been looking into CarPlay as well. In fact was gonna go shopping around a few places that had them on display to see if they worked well

 

No CD player? Ouch.