I’ve just removed my Alpine iLX705D and replaced it with a Chinese Joying unit and I’m very pleased with it. I’ll provide a few reasons why I swapped.
1. Alpine screen is small by current standards and it never quite looked factory fitted using the Connects2 fascia
2. Several unexplained crashes.
3. Navigation on wireless CarPlay was useless, Alpine is one of the few manufacturers that require the speed sensor wire to be connected and I couldn’t find where to connect it, trawled the internet for weeks on end & got nowhere. Without that connected GPS signal was frequently being lost and made the navigation useless.
By contrast the Joying unit was better in many ways.
1. Cheaper, much less than your £500
2. Easy to fit, totally plug & play, no soldering or cutting wires.
3. Bigger & better screen
4. Better looking and ‘more factory’
5. Better integration with the car.
6. Navigation works flawlessly when using wireless CarPlay, no need for speed sensor.
7. Native Android system, so more versatile.
Takes about an 1-2 hours to remove the existing radio and install the new one if you don’t need a reverse camera.
Ordered via AliExpress on a weekend after discussing my requirements by messages, unit was dispatched from China on the following Tuesday after they configured it to my car and incredibly after a journey from China via, India and Dubai to Heathrow, delivered to me in Lancashire on Friday of the same week via FedEx and delivery was free, incredible! I have contacted them a couple of times with questions after purchase and they reply quickly.
The only disadvantage is no onboard DAB but that sounds rubbish anyway so I wasn’t bothered. If you want DAB you can add a USB version for £20 or so.
I found adapters for the Honda GPS antenna, which was factory fitted even though I don’t have NAV. The unit comes with built in FM aerial and USB adapters to pick up the factory loom.
If you are near me I’d gladly fit it for you or if you want further details let me know.
