Cheap 2 Din Head Unit

[passatgt]

Hi!

I want to replace my old aftermarket cd player with a 2 din unit and i found this on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Standard-6-2-Car-DVD-Player-In-Dash-2-DIN-Touchscreen-GPS-Navigation-Europe-/271250374556?pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP&hash=item3f27c83f9c

What do you think? The price is awesome and the unit looks really simple, only a couple of buttons without any weird design and it looks pretty sleek, so its not coming out from the dashboard, maybe 0.5-1 cm or so. Free shipping with GPS maps, runs on Windows CE just like any other GPS.

Edited August 1, 2013 by passatgt

[stator]

Seems too good to be true to be honest. The vast majority of those screenshots are almost certainly fake, the ones with the pretty ladies and fast cars showing on the screen. I doubt it has anything like that resolution. The satnav shots are probably real though. You might find that the specifications meet the advert but in the end the software is slow or unreliable and crashy. It could be unlicenced software so no updates etc.

Having said that, it could be fine. What I would do is trawl the internet and try and find a review of another unit that looks exactly the same.

[Spartan535]

Looks exceptional value - so the old saying "if it looks to good to be true it probably is". However, it's from a UK seller so unlike ones shipped direct from China you'll have some recourse through trading standards if it's a dud and also via EBay/PayPal if not as advertised - not to mention negative feedback. Feedback for the seller is good at 99%+ - trawl through it and see if anybody else has bought one and see if you can get feedback after it's installed and been running for a few days/weeks/months?

[Skezza]

I have two of these 'China 2Dins' as they're most commonly referred to. Both of which I've been very happy with and are still working today.

The only thing with the advert is there are no screenshots of the user interface, so you have no idea what it's going to look like. Other China 2Dins for sale usually have a screenshot of every screen so you know what it's going to look like.

The resolution on all these devices is usually 800x480 which looks very sharp on a 6.2 inch screen, not so good on a 7 inch screen. I recommend a 6.2 inch solid device over a 7 inch flip down. I have both styles and as nice as the 7 inch is, I can't get over the fact it sticks out of the dash so intrusively. So my daily has the 6.2 inch in.

The sound quality is usually good but not exceptional, however for someone who just uses their car and isn't interested in subs etc it's fine. You can usually do a little bit of EQ'ing to boost the bass etc. I don't think the hardware is much different to the main brands, I think the software is where they get the better sound quality.

The satnav will definitely be unlicensed but that doesn't mean you can't update it. You just have to do it manually. It takes all of 10 minutes and I prefer it to major branded satnavs which hold you at ransom for map updates.

[passatgt]

Thanks everyone!

Looks like its coming from china anyway, based on a couple of reviews and also note the little red text at the top of the description:

This is fine though, i receive stuff regularly from dx.com. I tried to use the reverse image search to find more info about the unit without any luck sadly. Runs on Wince which is a pretty usual system for these, you can find this on GPS systems and so on, so i think the software is not really a problem here.

Edit:

I found it on the chinese ebay: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.146.iosxh0&id=19030733071 & http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.130.iosxh0&id=15120329727 The only difference i can see is the top left power button

One more with different interface: http://www.dhgate.com/product/double-din-universal-2-din-car-dvd-with-gps/159840492.html#s1-22-1%7C3375502730

Looks like many brands sells the same unit with different interface

Edited August 4, 2013 by passatgt

[passatgt]

I have two of these 'China 2Dins' as they're most commonly referred to. Both of which I've been very happy with and are still working today.

Whats your experience with the GPS? Do i need to put the antenna outside of the car?

[jordon123200063]

the gps works well on the china units and the antenna is mounted inside the car

[Skezza]

Whats your experience with the GPS? Do i need to put the antenna outside of the car?

No lol. Certainly not.

The GPS on both of them is very good. It's probably the stand out feature in truth. When first plugged in to power they take roughly 2 minutes to get a lock. From then on they take seconds... by the time the sat nav software has loaded it'll have a lock.

Mounting it in a good position is very important though

[passatgt]

Thanks everyone, i bought one, will post pictures once its arrived

[Skezza]

Cool. If you want a neat OEM look, get yourself a FP-17-00. You might need to file the lip off (i did) but once you do, it looks sweet!!

[passatgt]

"All items are shipped from our agency in Portsmouth,UK.There's no tracking NO provided."

Looks like its coming from UK, not china, so it should arrive in the next couple of days

[Skezza]

"All items are shipped from our agency in Portsmouth,UK.There's no tracking NO provided."

Looks like its coming from UK, not china, so it should arrive in the next couple of days

Keep us updated. I imagine you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results. I'm not saying these devices blow the main brands away, but this myth that they all break hours after you first plug them in is utter ****, at least in my experience. Part of the problem is people expect them to break, so when you get the odd person who buys a duffer, they write a huge abusive rant on the Internet. When a Pioneer or Alpine breaks (which they do) it must have been installed badly, or just a one off...

There's a rather racist description on eBay suggesting that China 2Dins are all non-functional cheap nasty heaps of **** that usually cost the buyer upwards of £700 after they've been installed, removed, repaired etc.... oh and that their product manufactured in the UK (a lie, I've found out it's manufactured in China ) is far superior and that people who buy China 2Din's are morons and blah blah blah some other racist references to do with Dim Sum.

Yep, I've just attached a 3G dongle to my 'Cheap Nasty (Supposedly) Non-Functional' China 2Din and now have Live Traffic and Google Search for Sat Nav Might get myself a Build Thread because can't be many genuinely 3G enabled Lupo's about, unless you consider those with a mobile phone

Edited August 12, 2013 by Skezza

[passatgt]

Exactly, i'm not worried about the product itself, i'll get what i paid for:) I really hope that i can access the regular Win CE 6.0 interface, so i can change the design a little, because probably it will have these usual ugly icons, and i try to make it to look like an OEM player:)

[Skezza]

Exactly, i'm not worried about the product itself, i'll get what i paid for:) I really hope that i can access the regular Win CE 6.0 interface, so i can change the design a little, because probably it will have these usual ugly icons, and i try to make it to look like an OEM player:)

I've found this varies from device to device. On my first China 2Din, you could basically kill the entire main interface and use it like a normal Windows CE device. I actually wrote my own interface in C++ to allow me to switch between Sat Nav software. It worked very well in fact.

My current one is not so flexible. They've somehow protected the executable for the interface (mainly because it calls the radio API) so closing it is not possible. You can run my application on top and it works, ish, but it's not quite as smooth as on the old one. Either way, I've grown to like the new interface. It's very smooth, 3D and kind of cool

[passatgt]

Update: The package was shipped yesterday, from Hong Kong, so they lied, because they said this on ebay:

"Thank you for shopping with us. Your item has been sent on 2013-08-05." and "All items are shipped from our agency in Portsmouth,UK.There's no tracking NO provided."

I know this, because DHL contacted me to pay some taxes and VAT, and they give me a tracking number:

So far, not the best experience I've had on eBay:D

Now we'll see how much extra i need to pay...

[Skezza]

Interesting, so after telling you it was dispatched from the UK they've actually dispatched it from Hong Kong, which means potentially you're not covered by any protection programme... if I was you, I'd accept the item, pay the tax+VAT, then immediately open a case in the resolution center. Ask for the reimbursement of import tax+VAT.

Once you have the item, there isn't anything to worry about because eBay won't expect you to send it back. They know it's unreasonable to expect anything larger than a pencil to be sent back so they'll usually just reimburse anything themselves and cherry pick it out the sellers account. They're also very skewed in favour of UK buyers when it comes to Chinese sellers. They know how 'shifty' some of them are (not that UK sellers aren't dodgy too, but we're governed by stricter laws). I had an issue with a Chinese seller after an MP3 player he was selling only had 1/4 storage promised and a terribly poor battery life (about 2 hours at most)... after the seller only offered 50% refund, eBay happily refunded the full amount and told me not to send it back.

I guess they don't have the man the in the middle scheme going. When buying larger items from HK and China, I've found what the sellers have done, is sent the item directly to a warehouse (as promised in your advert strangely) this way they/you avoid tax and VAT then the item is sent directly from them. All in all it takes a few weeks for an item to arrive but it's usually tax free.

I'd set up a case as soon as the item arrives. They lied and they didn't describe the item accurately.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Skezza

[Koop]

Pioneer appradios are getting pretty cheap and are dead s****y*, I'd have just got one of them tbh.

[edit]

*S W A N K Y

**** you ****ing auto censorship ****face cuntbag

[further edit]

So I can't say s****y but I can say cuntbag? Ok then...

Edited August 19, 2013 by Koop

[passatgt]

I'll contact the seller first, because they said in the product description, that they can cover a portion or the total amount of the additional costs (see the 5th comment here), so maybe they pay me back or they can give me a "coupon" with the same value:)

My best guess it that somehow they missed the shipping from UK(or the item was not in stock) and by the time they realised this, they started running out of time, so they shipped it with DHL directly from the source so it will arrive in time. Also, i found like 4 companies so far that related to this order:D First, the paypal invoice say this:

Business Contact Information

Customer Service Email: sales@1topstore.com

They say on 1topstore.com, that they'll become Eachbuyer.com, where i found the same item: http://www.eachbuyer.com/Standard-6-2-Car-DVD-Player-In-Dash-2-DIN-Touchscreen-GPS-Navigation-Europe-currency-USD_p35179.html

Then, on paypal, it also says this: Bestselling Trading Limited, which is a Hong Kong company, located in "ROOMS 601-2 CHUK ON BLDG 23 MERCER ST Hong Kong"

But, the 1topstore.com and the eachbuyer.com domain owner is a totally different company, not the Bestselling Trading Ltd...

Sender on the package is "C&F lead creation international holdings limited", but the actual package is coming from "Meybem Trade CO LTD", in Hong Kong.

Some interesting business is going on here...

[stator]

They are probably "dropship"ing the item straight from the manufacturer hence it's a different sender.

[Skezza]

Pioneer appradios are getting pretty cheap and are dead s****y*, I'd have just got one of them tbh.

[edit]

*S W A N K Y

**** you ****ing auto censorship ****face cuntbag

[further edit]

So I can't say s****y but I can say cuntbag? Ok then...

I assume by AppRadio you mean the infamous AppRadio 2 which supports Android (as opposed to AppRadio 1 which was Apple iPhone only) ? The one that Pioneer now refuse to update and has developed the usual compatibility problems with the latest version of Android (snow screen, updated apps not working, sound latency issues). As far as I'm aware, the only people keeping it updated (just about - with great difficulty) are the guys maintaining a project called ARLiberator but even that is not perfect and is very device dependent and costs £20 to download... yeah good luck with that let me know how it goes They also lack a CD/DVD player, have notorious GPS antenna problems when moving (work that one out - something to do with 'GPS Handoff'), and miss the usual high quality sound you get from a Pioneer... the last point might be due to the probable use of low quality MP3's but there is a fairly universal opinion that the AppRadio 3 (which isn't cheap) is far better sound quality than the AppRadio 2. Just thought I'd throw that in there Koop, sorry

to me, China 2Din's are a no brainer, especially when you get so much for so little. When I get my build thread up, I intend to demonstrate how my 'shitty non-functional' China 2Din gives me instant access to Live Traffic and BBC News Online... not bad eh?

If you are satisfied with good quality audio, rather than exceptional quality audio for a great price, then China 2Dins are a genuine bargain buy. You just have to be careful to buy the right ones How many other devices offer you:

• CD/DVD Player
• FM/AM Radio
• Excellent, very reliable sat nav
• Bluetooth A2DP phone, music, whatever
• SD Card support with mp3, wma, divx, mp4 etc...
• AUX-In with video too. (I have 3.5mm AV cable for this)
• Front Camera Support
• Reversing Camera Support
• WiFi
• 3G
• Internet Browser for those above
• Illumi Wire Support (not wired in lol)
• Some shitty games I've never played lol!!
• and more that I'm sure I've not listed...

For £150?

Not saying they're for everyone, but I certainly can't knock the two I've installed, although I prefer the one fitted currently.

[passatgt]

Finally arrived, everything looks & works just like in the product description. Here is a photo, sorry about the bad quality:

The interface looks pretty good, i'll create a video tomorrow. One thing is missing, i can see a Logo option in the settings, but i can't seem to click on it, so looks like this feature is disabled.

Already installed in the car, a frame was included, so it fits without a cage, but its kinda loose. Any idea how to make it more stable? Or i should just buy a cage mentioned above(FP-17-00).

Btw, it looks awesome in the car, really just like an OEM unit. Gps works fine, Europe map was included with a 4gb micro-sd.

[Jinx61]

Would love to see a vid of this. Always been tempted with one of these but I do like good sound quality.

[stator]

Has it got anywhere to attach the rear knobs? On the VW unit it has a sticky out knob on the back that you can detach and it screwed into the centre hole on the back of my JVC unit.

It looks something like this:

http://images.bidorbuy.co.za/user_images/674/147674_090704115859_002.jpg

The knobs fits into a hole at the back of the audio chamber and holds it relatively still. There's one hole for each DIN slot, so two for a double din

Edited August 22, 2013 by stator

[passatgt]

sadly, theres no knob on the back. But theres a hole in the unit, so maybe i can find a knob or something that fits in the hole, thanks for the tip

also, i was able to select the vw logo, the Logo button is a wide button at the very bottom, i just pushed everywhere and i was able to enter the logo selector somehow:D

[Skezza]

Finally arrived, everything looks & works just like in the product description. Here is a photo, sorry about the bad quality:

photo

The interface looks pretty good, i'll create a video tomorrow. One thing is missing, i can see a Logo option in the settings, but i can't seem to click on it, so looks like this feature is disabled.

Already installed in the car, a frame was included, so it fits without a cage, but its kinda loose. Any idea how to make it more stable? Or i should just buy a cage mentioned above(FP-17-00).

Btw, it looks awesome in the car, really just like an OEM unit. Gps works fine, Europe map was included with a 4gb micro-sd.

Almost certain that the logo will be able to be selected somehow.... they all do it, you might just have to mail the seller and ask. One some units, you have to do something stupid like use the remote. Did you setup a resolution case as I suggested earlier to resolve the funds that you had to pay?

FP-17-00 absolutely no question. The only way you'll ever get a real nice OEM finish is with a FP-17-00. You might have to file the lip off though. I did because it stopped the CD going into the tray. Terrible design fault, but looks sweet when finished.

Here: