Fitting Touch screen audio upgrade to MX5 NC 3.0

Depending what you want to spend - the FOCAL ISU200 speakers sound very nice and are a very good upgrade from standard.

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I am following this topic with much interest, since I am also thinking of upgrading.

Questions for the owners who have done the upgrade, how is the screen in direct sunlight ? Does it not reflect a lot of sunlight or blind you ?

I have been looking for a Pioneer unit, at Direct Sounds, they have a complete set including unit and connectors faceplate etc. But helas they do not ship to The netherlands,

Anyone experience with InCarTec ? they also have the faceplate with connectors.

The reality is - any flat screen unit - is likely to suffer from direct sunlight issues in a car with the roof down.

For navigation - you can listen to directions.
You can also generally use voice control for setting destinations.

For track jump etc - you still use steering wheel controls.

With the top up - it is no different to any other car.

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I have a Pioneer fitted in my NC. It was there when i bought it. Is it possible to install new apps onto it? And if so, how?

Unfortunately not really, an android type unit is need for that. You may be able to use andoid auto, depending on your unit though

Yes i can use android auto. Didnt realise it wasn’t ana android type though. Im not very " down with the kids" on this sort of thing.

Me also! :slight_smile: I believe you can add apps with that but i think they stream from your phone intead of being actually installed on the car unit…i could be wrong there!
I am also following this thread with interest as i am having a similar upgrade dilemma.
Mines is between a ‘normal’ big brand, lets say pioneer & an android unit. I would like to use apps like Torque to keep an eye on all sorts of car stuff.
I understand it can be integrated into android auto. Then to complicate things , web link 3 comes along :grinning_face: im still researching what & how it actually works & if its for me. Ho hum!
For what its worth I’m liking the pioneer SPH DA77DAB if anyone has an opinion on it.

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I went with an Andriod based head unit.
main reasons being the availability of apps via Google Play and the potential for Andriod system updates when needed.

It was also substantially cheaper to get a well specified unit from the Chinese suppliers.
Atoto, Eonon etc make very nice units now.

My Eonon Q04pro was chosen because in addition to many head units - it has pre-outs to feed the Bose amp already in the car. ( no bodge fitting of resistor packs to feed the amp )

Have the SPH-DA77DAB installed with a Dynamic Sounds fascia and wiring kit (non-Bose). The DA77 is a newer, faster version of the popular DA360 but runs around the same price.

Steering wheel controls work. I use Waze now instead of Google Maps as Waze still shows GPS speedo, where for some inexplicable reason Android Auto Google Maps does not.

Sound quality is improved with stock speakers. The system itself is snappy and connects to my phone either wirelessly or via the included USB extension - I tucked mine under the passenger side of the centre console. You can set the display to Night, Day or Auto mode and it’s simple enough, with plenty settings available to change the colours, brightness etc. Similarly there’s a load of settings to play with speaker and sound setup.

I replaced the stock aerial on the back with a powered Hama DAB aerial and have excellent reception. I replaced the stock GPS unit with the included Pioneer one. I think the total cost was around £550, more than I’ve spent on a phone in a long time so will be a while before I feel I’ve got my moneys worth. It does however really bring up the interior and is a vast improvement on the dated factory Alpine unit it replaced.

Here is all the wiring removed:


And the new aerial:

Happy to answer any questions you may have about it.

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I have a Kenwood unit and haven’t had any issues with it blinding me. I can’t recall any issues with sunlight either, but you could always pop your hand over the top briefly to cover it from the sun :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: Or maybe a 3D printed hood if it becomes an issue? Matte screen protectors may help with glare but reduce brightness.

I tried a matte screen on my motorbike but it just robbed the screen of clarity.

One of the things that i find irritating with my Pioneer is that it never defaults back to the home screen when i turn it on. It’s always on the screen that i last used. But that could just be me being me!

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This is the model I am thinking of getting. The installation is plug and play ? I have a 2011 non bose model.

I sadly can’t order from Direct Sounds, do you know if InCarTec is also a good supplier ?
They also have a complete set of facia, cables etc. ( I haven’t found one in The Netherlands who supplies the complete set.)

To install the DAB antenne, is this just a new stubby ? Or are new cable needed to the stubby antenna ?

I believe Incartec is very similar to the Dynamic Sounds kit.

It is plug and play with the new wiring kit and I found it straightforward. The new aerial has an extra wire for power which I connected to the blue/white wire of the Pioneer. The new aerial I fitted has a new base too which fits well - you need to remove the entire stock unit to fit it. I did not connect the speed sensor wire but did connect/clamp the handbrake wire. You will not receive full DAB without modification to the stock aerial amplifier unit, or by replacing it with a powerered DAB aerial.

I’ve written some more information on the install in this thread.

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Hi Guys (Gals?),
Thanks for all the informative and valuable feedback. Been off the radar and away from the racer for a while. Will attend the SWM monthly meet on Thursday… it will be my first chance to play with the kit. Certainly looks the business. Doing a recce for a SWM non-timed Navigational Scatter Event at the weekend. Have OS Landranger mapping on my phone so the much larger screen should be a massive assist. Will report back thereafter. (Management should be able to report on Celine Dion sound quality!!)
Regards, Sundaydriver