At Long Last... Modern head unit!

[Stuart Barnes]

@Stuart Barnes what unit is this one?

https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot...d=8123882132692510&productId=1005001426668730

 

[Stuart Barnes]

If for some reason the link doesn’t work them dm me and I’ll point you in the right direction

there’s a wealth of knowledge on the uk forum about this unit and installation

 

[Deatroyer L319]

@Stuart Barnes i'd like to get myself one as well. I have a 2016 model, but not so sure about the installation process as i want to do it myself. Is it a plug and play system, will all my current features, like reverse camera etc. still work fine and so on?

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

 

[Romanatta]

@Stuart Barnes Which unit is this? What year is your LR4?

 

[jlach993]

It has been 9 years in the making but I finally got a replacement, modern head unit for my 2012 LR4. This is something I have wanted to do, off and on, since owning the vehicle but never seemed to find the right solution.

Strong word of warning - you have to find the right kit and most shops really don’t understand enough about the different versions of LR4s. I was assured they had the right one from a shop in the UK but it wasn’t and they had it mislabeled on their website. A lot of money and hassle later I discovered Spiral Audio in Florida and it could not have been easier - highly recommend them and their LR4 kit.

Kit + head unit of your choice. I went with a Pioneer. You have the choice of bypassing the OEM amp and going with something new or doing what I did and stick with the factory amp.

Screen is light years better than OEM, sound is better, radio options (car play or android auto), Bluetooth all work great (better) and all OEM functions were retained - all of them.

Took some time and $$$ but very happy.

Hey buddy....great job! I attempted this venture about a year ago but figured i ordered the wrong kit. I have a 2011 LR4. I got the aftermarket system to power up, but it wouldn't connect with the factory amp at all. No sound or anything from the speakers. I gave up and returned everything. However now i am deciding to go with spiral audio thanks to you. My question to you is do i have to purchase a steering wheel adapter from crutchfield along with the new headunit or will the steering wheel adapter from spiral audio suffice? Not sure if i need adapters from both place. Please let me know!

OH and also..how does one set the date and time in the truck?? The only way was through the settings option on the factory headunit....Does the clock and truck set the time/date according to the new headunit?

 

[RobRover88]

The photos seem to show that the unit is missing THE MOST important OE feature!!
Where's the CD player???????????
Ha Ha .........Us old guys have huge collections of Americana CD's. They sound sooo much better than
USB's or other drives, especially through the Meridian premium sound system with subbie.
Plus, the 4WD screen is essential if we're using our LR4's as nature intended.

 

[Bogwhoppit]

Mmmm. Interesting project, but I think I'll stick with my 2010 OEM screen. The HK sound is plenty good, I don't subscribe to XM, I navigate using my phone or the Galaxy TAB mounted on the windscreen with a ram mount/suction cup (mainly for my off road mapping software) plus I like my CD collection. Less touch screens wired up to the LR4 the better.

 

[Jim Scott]

this looks pretty cool and worth doing, here's my LR4 (2013) photo. What does doing this retain in the OEM stuff and what does it lose? Cheers Jim

I use the GPS mapping quiet a bit. I use the CD also. I have

 

[magus]

No, the kit from Spiral will have all you need. There is both an option to retain the OEM amp or replace that with something new. The key is make damn sure the year is correct - there is a difference between ‘09 - ‘11 and ‘12+

Good luck!

Hey buddy....great job! I attempted this venture about a year ago but figured i ordered the wrong kit. I have a 2011 LR4. I got the aftermarket system to power up, but it wouldn't connect with the factory amp at all. No sound or anything from the speakers. I gave up and returned everything. However now i am deciding to go with spiral audio thanks to you. My question to you is do i have to purchase a steering wheel adapter from crutchfield along with the new headunit or will the steering wheel adapter from spiral audio suffice? Not sure if i need adapters from both place. Please let me know!

OH and also..how does one set the date and time in the truck?? The only way was through the settings option on the factory headunit....Does the clock and truck set the time/date according to the new headunit?

 

[magus]

Ha! I hear you. I have had the same single cd sitting in that player for years. I loved it but life moves on it was a little sad to eject it before the conversion.

My goal was not an improvement in the audio so much as just having a more responsive and feature-rich head unit.

The photos seem to show that the unit is missing THE MOST important OE feature!!
Where's the CD player???????????
Ha Ha .........Us old guys have huge collections of Americana CD's. They sound sooo much better than
USB's or other drives, especially through the Meridian premium sound system with subbie.
Plus, the 4WD screen is essential if we're using our LR4's as nature intended.