forcefed4door

With the fiber optic adaptor you don't have to do anything in the trunk. You will have to run a new antenna wire though, back to the audio gateway.

ATL Jack

Aside from the "OEM look" is there a benefit of these units over a Kenwood/Pioneer/JVC etc? I dont really need OBD2 diagnostics in my head unit, but I do want a back-up camera and the ability to stream music. I would love to have an OEM look, but I feel more confident that I would get appropriate customer service from one of the mainstream manufacturers if the unit was faulty. And since I plan on paying someone else to do the install I think I am leaning toward a Kenwood etc.. But is there something that I am not considering?

jumph4x

Keep in mind that OEM look is a huge theft/break-in deterrent.

- Ability to download and cache your local area map for GPS.
- Can connect the phone to it and 'share' the phone screen, though a little buggy
- Very nice EQ
- Watching DVD's/videos is pretty simple
- Customize-able interface
- Good CANBUS support for steering wheel buttons
- Future proofing with custom firmware

Honestly, nothing comes close to the versatility of these things

TPowerdinNY

I've also been looking into a plug and play solution. The stock head unit in this 04 E55 is prehistoric. Although these android OEM-looking units are not the cream of the crop, they are more adequate for today's needs.

So its just the Head Unit I want plus the Fiber Optic Adapter? No extra cables? I've got HK speakers.

JakeMate

I just installed one of the Android head units last weekend. I got mine from AvinUSA. I opted to not use the MOST module. In this case, you lose the subwoofer, center, and rear deck speakers. I ran an RCA from the headunit to the trunk and installed a subwoofer amp. I tapped into the subwoofer speaker wires that used to come out of the OEM amp but now plug into the long cable harness that comes with the headunit. It all worked out very well and sounds great. The subwoofer sounds way better with a different amp. Installation was a bit cryptic while doing it because of the lack of instructions, but once complete, it seems pretty easy. Having someone who has already done it would have been a big help but I figured it out.

The advantages of this headunit were already mentioned. In my opinion, for the price, if it lasts a few years and I have to replace it, so be it. The low price is pretty incredible. Mine is working very well so far. AvinUSA customer service has also been pretty decent via email.

JakeMate

Yes. The headunit should come with the 20 foot cable that runs to your trunk. Just make sure. Oh, and you'll need the 20 foot antennae cable to run from the head unit to the trunk.