Subaru WRX Forum banner

2011 WRX Head Unit

16K views 28 replies 11 participants last post by  zacshot13 
#1 ·
I am a noob when it comes to swapping head units, however I have gathered information from this site as well as Crutchfield.

I have a 2011 with the standard HU and I am looking to upgrade to a GPS, touch screen unit. I have discovered that I can use either single or double din. My objective is great functionality as well as nice fit and finish without breaking the bank. I would also really like to maintain factory blue tooth buttons if only so that the buttons on the wheels aren't both ugly and useless.

Single DIN would give me a flip out touch screen, so for anti-theft purposes might be less appealing to thieves...i guess? However I am not sure how it would look in the dash. I am nervous it will look out of place.

The double DIN HU look as though they will look more like a stock unit and I won't have to worry the flip out screen. However they are usually more expensive, and from what I have read you can get a single DIN flip out for half the cost of a double DIN, and the single's are usually reviewed better.

ANY input is welcome. I apologize if this has been discussed ad nauseam and I just haven't found it.

Thanks in advance!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I would personally be hesitant about the single DIN units. I just feel they are prone to breaking. That is my own personal opinion, and due to it I haven't bought one, so I wouldn't know first hand.

I've heard nothing but great reviews about any double din pioneer unit. They normally have a nice gradient of them from bank busting to not so bad. Generally good quality as well.

As far as head units go, I wouldn't cheap out on them. You will use a head unit on every drive probably, so it can either be a pleasure or a curse in my experience. Also, its normally your best upgrade for a sound system.
 
#4 ·
Haven't decided yet. I have a friend who installed a single DIN on his s2k and is willing to help me, he says it was a breeze.

Can you post model numbers to the HU you have? I usually grab the list Crutchfield has and go over to amazon for pricing.
 
#5 ·
This was a while ago.They have better models now.Its the Pioneer AVIC-U310BT.I'm not too happy with the navigation but the sound is great.
If you are planning the install yourself,determine what controls you want to leave(like BT & stereo),and get the appropriate adapters & harnesses.When I did my install at the very end I realized I needed an adapter for the antenna(this was in my suv)and I had to put the whole thing back & wait a week for the adapter to show up,and do everything all over again.
I love my steering controls which is why I've decided to leave everything as it is and get a JL Cleabsweep & an underseat amp/sub to clean up the sound.I hear it does wonders.For gps nothing beats a garmin.
 
#6 ·
I am getting a proclip, should arrive in the mail today, for my Droid X, which has a large enough screen to keep me happy until I can make a decision. I think about getting a HU with nav, and then I realize how often I check traffic on my phone and think "just use your phone dummy." I am just not thrilled with the HU, like the inability to pause streaming BT music and the limited amount of text.

Perhaps I should just get a new HU without navigation but one that has the ability to add it later...hmmm
 
#9 · (Edited)
single din head units look terrible and are for hondas :). get a double DIN.

with nearly all double din units, you will need a harness adapter, possibly an antenna adapter for the GPS, as well as an adapter to be able to use your steering wheel controls if your car is equipped with them. you may also need a new bezel to go around the aftermarket unit b/c the stock one usually doesnt fit.

i priced out a Pioneer AVIC-Z120BT ($1000 :whoa:) at bestbuy with all the adapters and bells and whistles and it was $1600 with their geek-squad installation.

pricy, but that head unit is SICK.
 
#11 ·
You need to decide what you want in a H/U. The three main choices are Alpine, Pioneer, and Kenwood.

My take...
Alpine has by the best audio, especially when paired with the Imprint add-on, but many people don't like the navigation it employs.
Kenwood uses Garmin for their navigation, and if I were to choose a H/U based on navigation, it would be one of their variants.
Pioneer is a middle-of-the-road option.

I ended up buying a Droid phone while I was looking for a H/U, so navigation was no longer a deciding factor (I'm perfectly happy with the Droid navigation). I got a Pioneer AVH-P4200DVD for $350 around Christmas time.
 
#12 ·
Your line of thinking is basically the exact same as mine. I just got my proclip today, and have realized I use my nav just as much to check traffic as to get directions, so I am going to stick with my Droid X Nav. Thanks for the input.
 
#13 ·
So, my proclip arrived and I installed it, and for some reason when the phone is in the cradle my Bluetooth signal is choppy. As soon as I remove the phone from the clip...poof...perfect signal. My thought is that the phone is having trouble broadcasting the signal through all of the thick plastic on the clip. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

This is beyond frustrating.

Part of me thinks a new HU might be able to receive the signal better but that is probably just me trying to convince myself to get another new toy lol.
 
#15 ·
Yeap, pulled it out today (along with some trim paint) and moved it around. It seems that it is just in front of the vents that there is a problem. I tried the phone there without the clip as well and it was indeed a suspect connection. So I am returning the Clip, keeping the mount and getting this mount by Panavise.

http://panavise.com/pages_addons/indashFimage.html?modelID=11934149865521288&partn=75134-208

I have tested the phone in this location, and shockingly moving it around 6" to the passenger side makes all the difference.
 
#21 ·
I just replaced my HU with Kenwood KDC-x993 I ripped out of my TT before I sold it. It's a single DIN, looks decent and even though I would have preferred a 2DIN I didn't feel like dumping $600++ on a decent unit. I use my phone as a GPS and backup for Sirius/XM and other streaming stuff so larger screen wasn't much of a consideration either. My biggest thing was that I wanted to load 40+GB of music and Kenwood has no problems seeing it and playing it in any in any order I like. Color and screens for eXcelon line are highly customizable so you can match Subie color scheme nicely.
 
#29 ·
I got the 2011 WRX 5-Door. I replaced the head unit with a Kenwood LCD unit which fits in beautifully and an easy install. I suggest the Kenwood stuff. The interface is pretty good but what I love is the Garmin system built in.
The other thing which I suggest to do which I did is a Subwoofer cuz these stock systems dont give up much bass. I first tried a 12" by Hertz. It was sick but it was too big so now I went for an 8" Hertz that puts out 600W and fits nicely.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top