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Options for Handsfree Phone and Streaming Music

3K views 30 replies 9 participants last post by  justinmiller930 
#1 ·
We have a 2007 WK CRD with the 6 disc stereo and originally had Sirius, Boston Acoustic I think. This unit has no AUX connection and has no bluetooth or wireless capability.

We were looking at upgrading to a new touchscreen 6.95inch DVD/CD etc with Din2 size. However, when the tech went to install it would not fit without cutting the dash and there are the holes for the knobs that would need to be dealt with. The cost for the equipment and labor was getting ridiculous so we didnt do anything. We were going to try to fit a Kenwood DDX790, but no go.

So Im wondering if there is a stock system that I could maybe find on Ebay that would be plug and play?

The main things we are looking for are handsfree calling, music streaming with android phone, CD player and keeping steering wheel controls. Our cells have navigation so that would not be a deal breaker. The touchscreen stuff looked cool with Kenwood, so that would be nice too but not a deal breaker.

Anybody gone thru this and what would you recommend? I see there is a stereo called Mygig. Is there a way for me to install one of these into my rig?
 
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#2 ·
I bought a single din unit off Crutchfield that came with a faceplate to make it an exact fit. Ran me about $200, and it's got USB, AUX, BluTooth streaming and calling, and a bit more as well. Plus it made an INCREDIBLE difference in the sound quality of my music.
 
#3 ·
After doing some searching here and elsewhere Im finding out what my options are. Here is what it comes down to:

2007 Jeep grand cherokee navigation radio bezel is needed. This part is close to $200!

Once this is purchased, then a Mygig or Aftermarket Din2 system will install.

The Mygig needs to be RER low speed and as far as I can tell it would be plug and play and the steering wheel controls will work.

If using Aftermarket a harness is needed. For Kenwood the harness is about $150 but will allow for steering wheel control and is essentially plug and play.

I wonder if my mirror already has a microphone? The aftermarket rigs come with a mic but it would need to be wired to the mirror somehow.

Does this sound right?

Still looking for other options.
 
#4 ·
Can you post a picture of the Din1 setup? The audio store guys said they could do that, but I wasnt sure about how it would look so I held off.

Do you miss the 6 disc changer? Can you still use steering wheel controls with this stereo?

Also, with Mygig if I connect my android, can I browse my music from the phone using the touchscreen on the mygig? Is there a touchscreen stereo that will do this?
 
#5 ·

A can change the colors to whatever I want. I never use CDs. I store all my music on my phone and use that. Theres plenty of touchscreen units out there that will sync with your phone and allow you to scroll through music, pictures, video, etc. I still have steering wheel controls, and can assign them to whatever I please.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the quick response.

That looks great, much better than I expected. Did it come with a microphone for the handsfree calling and does it work well? Will the phone automatically connect once it has been paired? This is for my wifes Jeep and she is going to want something that is pretty user-friendly.

So it looks like price is 200-300 for a nice din1 setup and closer to 1000 for a double din. Im going to start looking at the single din stereos since the touch screen and nav option aint worth 800 bucks in my opinion.
 
#7 ·
Yes, it comes with a microphone and generous length cord so you can put it where ever you please. Mine is in front of the instrument cluster. So long as your blutooth is on, it automatically pairs it up for you after the initial connection.
 
#8 ·
I ordered a Kenwood system with the installation stuff from Crutchfield. I decided to install myself. Im looking for threads that might show how to remove the old one. A basic search hasnt come up with much. If anyone has some directions or has found a thread that shows how to get the dash apart that would be great.

Cant wait to get this unit installed, it has two usb ports, aux port and will stream music and do handsfree phone. You can scroll thru your music on phone or usb flash etc. 22W per channel.

Does a 2007 WK Jeep with Boston Acoustic stereo come with a subwoofer? Im guessing no since I really dont feel or hear one. I think it came with 4 speakers?
 
#10 ·
If anyone has some directions or has found a thread that shows how to get the dash apart that would be great.
A great site to bookmark if you haven't already: http://www.wkjeeps.com/interior_trim.htm#UPPERBEZEL

Let us know how you like the new head unit. I'm tempted to replace my REC with something bluetooth-friendly, but not sure if anything would work with my rear DVD player.
 
#12 ·
Removal of the old unit is a joke. You just pull the bezel off, and for me all I had to do was unscrew 4 fasteners and unplug the back. Installation isn't bad either. Just crimping some color-matched wires together.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the links and suggestions. If I ever find a Double Din Bezel unit for a low price I might just put this Kenwood single din in our Scout and get a touchscreen unit for the Jeep.

According to directions, since I have the wiring interface I dont need to crimp any wires. Its plug and play. Of course directions could be wrong. I will post some results after I receive the stereo and install it.
 
#14 ·
According to directions, since I have the wiring interface I dont need to crimp any wires. Its plug and play. Of course directions could be wrong. I will post some results after I receive the stereo and install it.
It's plug and play after you crimp the wires.

What you'll have when your stuff arrives:
1. The Kenwood harness, with one end a Kenwood-specific connector and one end bare wires.
2. The adapter harness, with one end a vehicle harness connector and one end bare wires.
3. The vehicle harness, with a connector.

The bare wires on the first two have to be mated together, preferably by soldering, but a well-done crimp will usually work for long enough (especially if you heatshrink it).

And no sub on the WKs, but the 6x9s in the door go surprisingly low.
 
#15 ·
I recently purchased a Kenwood DDX-470 through Crutchfield. I wanted to replace my navigation unit in my 05 WK, but didn't want to spend a lot. I figured I could get a navigation app for my iPhone to supplement not having navigation. The install was really quite simple, the only thing I had problems with was the wiring. I really like the unit. I purchased everything from Crutchfield for under $500.

There technical support is second-to-none.
 
#19 ·
We finally got the stereo and adapters from crutchfield. Took 10 days!

So the instructions for connecting the wiring harness require knowing if the factory system has an amplifier. Im thinking we dont have one? The factory system I have is the 6 CD changer plus Sirius plus AM/FM. It was called Boston Acoustics.

So is there an amp or not?

If not, then I hook up front and rear speakers, if so it says to do things differently and that there would be no FADE control? Im a bit confused about this part. I will call Crutchfield too to be sure.
 
#20 ·
See my post above. According to Crutchfield tech support, the boston acoustics system does have a separate amplifier. This means there will be no fade control. Thats too bad because we use the fade control.

So does this mean my stereo should be louder? I will have the amplifier + kenwoods built in 22w per channel?

The wiring is more involved than I expected. The others who repsonded on this were correct. The wiring harness adapter is not brand specific. So I have to solder a bunch of wires. The instructions are not really that clear but I think it should work out fine.
 
#21 ·
The amplification is not additive. You'll still be using the factory system's amp so it'll be fairly close in loudness to the stock head unit. However, you'll likely have more control with the Kenwood so the apparent loudness may be more depending upon how you tweak your settings. I did more or less the same thing with my JK. I kept the factory Infinity amp and wiring, but upgraded the speakers, baffling in the speaker soffits and put in a Kenwood Nav head unit. The sound was so much better quality, that I didn't need to turn it up as loud as the stock system.
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the info. I didnt like to find out that there will be no fade control the day of install. We use fade quite a bit and will probably miss that.

Since we are only using two speakers output from kenwood, that means only half the kenwood amp is being used. Well if we dont like it, I guess I can put the stock unit back in and put the kenwood in my truck.
 
#23 ·
Since we are only using two speakers output from kenwood, that means only half the kenwood amp is being used. Well if we dont like it, I guess I can put the stock unit back in and put the kenwood in my truck.
Not exactly. You won't be using the Kenwood's built-in amplification at all. Essentially, the interface from Crutchfield is taking the L/R output from the Kenwood and distributing it to all four channels (2L and 2R) of the factory BA amp. So you're still getting 4 channels of amplification, it's just that in the conversion process, you've lost the ability to fade front/rear.

If you wanted to maintain fader control and use the Kenwood's built-in amplification, you'd have to completely wire around the factory BA amp, wiring the Kenwood directly to each speaker using new wire runs.
 
#24 ·
Im not impressed with the aftermarket stereo. Its great except for there is a low hum noise that can be heard whenever the radio is turned on. It does not change with engine off or on. It is not affected by turning volume up or down. Once I play music, I dont really hear it, but its there. I can barely hear it with windows up and engine running. With engine off it is really noticeable. I figured it might be a ground, but Im pretty sure I grounded it correctly using the wiring harness.

I called crutchfield and they said something must be interfering with the control box and I might try moving it or using a power filter. But they gave no indication on where to get or how to use the filter. They said I would get this noise no matter what brand aftermarket stereo I use.

Whats up with this?! I dont want to spend hours chasing this. Is it Kenwood specific or the wiring harness? I followed the wiring directions pretty carefully.
 
#26 ·
Does anyone have an aftermarket radio that doesnt have this hum when using the stock amp and the radiopro rp4-ch11 interface?

The wiring is connected, soldered. The tech support hasnt been too helpful. I ran an extra ground from chasis to the wiring on stereo and that made no difference. I removed the deck and the SWC box out from dash and it still makes an unacceptable hum.



So my options are pretty limited, I could try another brand like alpine or pioneer or I could just send this all back to Crutchfield and reinstall the stock HU. I guess I could rule out the SWC connector and harness by wiring to some external speakers, but that would be a real pain.
 
#27 ·
I did some more trouble shooting. I hooked up another speaker to one of the speakers wires that werent be used. The hiss is still there. Crutchfield agrees that there must be something wrong with the kenwood hu. They are sending a replacement. Hopefully this will solve the problem.
 
#28 ·
Bummer. I've personally never had any issues with Kenwood gear, but SH as always. Crutchfield will take care of you. Provided you have everything wired correctly, there has to be a faulty piece. It should be as quiet, if not quieter, than the stock system.
 
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