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Old 12-04-2020, 08:33 PM   #1
nerd rage
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Default 2015 WRX head unit upgrade suggestions in 2020

Sorry, tried to search but when most of the results I'm getting are at least 2 years old I feel like it's worthy of a new thread.

My brother has a 2015 WRX he bought new and plans to keep for infinity years, and this Christmas I want to help get him on his way to having a decent sounding stereo in his car he spends at least an hour in every day. He has a base stereo, non-navigation and I shouldn't have to tell anyone here it is CRAP.

I just spent about an hour researching, and I see there's a couple different routes I could go with a head unit; I could get a whole ass android tablet, including the surrounding trim like this one here: https://www.seicane.com/2014-2015-20...YaAkZFEALw_wcB

Or I could get a nice classic head unit upgrade with CarPlay and Android Auto (he has an Android phone) like this one here:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-FU6soU...IaApqKEALw_wcB

Is there a consensus on which option is definitively better? If so, is the link I provided for each one a good pick or are there better options than the Seicane and Alpine, respectively?

I feel like a head unit will be the best bang for the buck even though he'll be retaining the factory speakers, but if upgrading the speakers first makes more sense, I'm open to that as well.

Overall my budget is ~$300 and I want the install to be as painless as possible.

TIA!
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Old 12-04-2020, 11:08 PM   #2
THX0849
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Sound quality and stability the Alpine wins hands down. It will also but up faster than the other one. Now the Seicane will look really nice in there and it's a bigger screen too. Also it's more of a plug and play unit, with the Alpine you'll need the wiring harness, radio replacement kit and module for steering wheel controls etc. Neither one will retain the stock microphone or usb port.


Both are good options but for me for stabilities sake i would go with the Alpine (or similar unit). If you're intent on the bigger screen look at the Joying units, seem to have better sound quality, and to be sure you get the right one, send them a picture of the stock radio to their support email, respond in 1 day for me.
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Old 12-06-2020, 06:03 PM   #3
su_ba_roooo
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Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you're not going to get what you are looking for with that budget. Not installed properly anyways. The Pioneer DMH-2660NEX seems to be fairly popular since it supports idatalink maestro (this makes all the factory steering wheel controls and factory backup camera work as it should) and is a budget friendly option but at 300-350 by itself. The Maestro kit will cost 100 to 300 depending on if you get a Maestro RR or you can get the SU2 harness and some other harnesses and do a bare minimum install. You're still into those items for at least 100 bucks. Add dask kit(50 bucks for the factory matching scosche one), antenna harness, other smaller items.... maybe on a 500 dollar budget you'd get it done.

I know this because our 17 WRX is having the DMH-W4660NEX installed with Maestro RR (adds TPMS, OBDII code scanning, digital gauges) , SU2, all the correct stuff and that was almost $1000 installed. That is a fairly involved install, lots of wiring. Unfortunately there's no inexpensive way to swap out the head unit and do it right while keeping all factory features working.
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Old 12-06-2020, 09:34 PM   #4
nerd rage
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Quote:
Originally Posted by su_ba_roooo View Post
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you're not going to get what you are looking for with that budget. Not installed properly anyways. The Pioneer DMH-2660NEX seems to be fairly popular since it supports idatalink maestro (this makes all the factory steering wheel controls and factory backup camera work as it should) and is a budget friendly option but at 300-350 by itself. The Maestro kit will cost 100 to 300 depending on if you get a Maestro RR or you can get the SU2 harness and some other harnesses and do a bare minimum install. You're still into those items for at least 100 bucks. Add dask kit(50 bucks for the factory matching scosche one), antenna harness, other smaller items.... maybe on a 500 dollar budget you'd get it done.

I know this because our 17 WRX is having the DMH-W4660NEX installed with Maestro RR (adds TPMS, OBDII code scanning, digital gauges) , SU2, all the correct stuff and that was almost $1000 installed. That is a fairly involved install, lots of wiring. Unfortunately there's no inexpensive way to swap out the head unit and do it right while keeping all factory features working.
I'm seeing some disparity with the numbers you're tossing around. Maybe you got a great deal, but the DMH-W4660NEX is about $500-550 from what I can see at Crutchfield and Best Buy, and the 2015 base, no-nav is a totally different situation from the 16 and up and much more simplistic to upgrade the head unit, at least according to this article and several YT videos I've watched:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-3TMx4p...ubaru-wrx.html

I ended up going with a DMH-1500NEX, it was on sale at Best Buy with "free" installation. "Free" isn't exactly free, because I'm still on the hook for about $70 worth of harness adapters and a dash kit, but at least my brother doesn't need to install it himself. All in looking at around $360. So no, not quite at the $300 mark but I expected that including install gear. The 1500 appears to have all the features of the 4660 aside from a shallow depth and HD radio. The HD radio is significant I'll admit but he almost exclusively listens to his phone over BT so I think he'll be fine. No need for backup camera, the 2015 at least has it integrated above the radio.

With all the units out there it's easy to overthink, and overspend. I still come in around my budget and he gets to use waze/google maps for navigation and hopefully a substantial sound upgrade to boot.

I still think the Seicane would have been a decent option too but as I was poking around Best Buy it occurred to me I could have him drop it off and installed and he won't have to deal with it himself. No brainer.
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Old 12-06-2020, 09:55 PM   #5
THX0849
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Awesome, congrats and enjoy. Sometimes K.I.S.S. is simply the best option.
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Old 12-07-2020, 09:28 AM   #6
su_ba_roooo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nerd rage View Post
I'm seeing some disparity with the numbers you're tossing around. Maybe you got a great deal, but the DMH-W4660NEX is about $500-550 from what I can see at Crutchfield and Best Buy, and the 2015 base, no-nav is a totally different situation from the 16 and up and much more simplistic to upgrade the head unit, at least according to this article and several YT videos I've watched:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-3TMx4p...ubaru-wrx.html

I ended up going with a DMH-1500NEX, it was on sale at Best Buy with "free" installation. "Free" isn't exactly free, because I'm still on the hook for about $70 worth of harness adapters and a dash kit, but at least my brother doesn't need to install it himself. All in looking at around $360. So no, not quite at the $300 mark but I expected that including install gear. The 1500 appears to have all the features of the 4660 aside from a shallow depth and HD radio. The HD radio is significant I'll admit but he almost exclusively listens to his phone over BT so I think he'll be fine. No need for backup camera, the 2015 at least has it integrated above the radio.

With all the units out there it's easy to overthink, and overspend. I still come in around my budget and he gets to use waze/google maps for navigation and hopefully a substantial sound upgrade to boot.

I still think the Seicane would have been a decent option too but as I was poking around Best Buy it occurred to me I could have him drop it off and installed and he won't have to deal with it himself. No brainer.
There's actually several differences between the 1500 and 4660 but like I said the deciding factor for us was wireless Android auto/carplay. One big reason for upgrading was not needing to have the phone in a mount plugged in to use for navigation or audio. This way you can leave the phone in a pocket or in the console and leave it plugged into a fast charger while it automatically connects wirelessly to the head unit.

I'm sure he will be very happy at any rate! Enjoy!
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Old 02-25-2021, 06:26 PM   #7
dvs.wrx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nerd rage View Post
I'm seeing some disparity with the numbers you're tossing around. Maybe you got a great deal, but the DMH-W4660NEX is about $500-550 from what I can see at Crutchfield and Best Buy, and the 2015 base, no-nav is a totally different situation from the 16 and up and much more simplistic to upgrade the head unit, at least according to this article and several YT videos I've watched:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-3TMx4p...ubaru-wrx.html

I ended up going with a DMH-1500NEX, it was on sale at Best Buy with "free" installation. "Free" isn't exactly free, because I'm still on the hook for about $70 worth of harness adapters and a dash kit, but at least my brother doesn't need to install it himself. All in looking at around $360. So no, not quite at the $300 mark but I expected that including install gear. The 1500 appears to have all the features of the 4660 aside from a shallow depth and HD radio. The HD radio is significant I'll admit but he almost exclusively listens to his phone over BT so I think he'll be fine. No need for backup camera, the 2015 at least has it integrated above the radio.

With all the units out there it's easy to overthink, and overspend. I still come in around my budget and he gets to use waze/google maps for navigation and hopefully a substantial sound upgrade to boot.

I still think the Seicane would have been a decent option too but as I was poking around Best Buy it occurred to me I could have him drop it off and installed and he won't have to deal with it himself. No brainer.
It's been a couple of months now, how does he like the DMH-1500? That unit was on my shortlist of HU upgrades, but ended up with the mentioned Alpine unit (also with the same experience of addons to make the install as close to OEM - Maestro SW for steering wheel controls, USB adapter to retain stock USB port use, and parking brake bypass)

I ordered from Crutchfield, and self installed. So cost about the same between parts and labor.
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Old 02-25-2021, 08:19 PM   #8
THX0849
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Old 03-07-2021, 05:25 PM   #9
Cab0oze
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Bit late to this thread, but I'm actually considering selling my base 2015 WRX because I wasn't finding anything that met all of my criteria for a HU upgrade. I want something that looks like it was meant to be there. To make things even more difficult, I've wrapped my interior trim piano black (looks fantastic) and matches the stock HU. Unfortunately, most aftermarket HUs I've seen with volume knobs are matte black. One possible exception is the DDX376BT, and this is what I'm considering for now. Unfortunately it doesn't have GPS, but sacrifices must be made I suppose.

My biggest concern with pulling the trigger on it right now is the wiring... sounds like it may be a royal PITA to get everything working with the steering wheel controls, USB port, backup camera, etc.

Has anyone installed a similar Kenwood HU? That general design has been around for a while under tons of different model #s.

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