MD13 532 Report post Posted March 26 It's been a while since I've done any in car audio stuff. Pioneer used to be my go to for cheap and reliable. What are people using these days for their 90's BMW's? Just looking for bluetooth, usb and somewhat fitting to the dash look (amber etc). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 677 Report post Posted March 27 JVC/Kenwood seem to good value for basic single din fitment and Bluetooth/usb/amber lighting (on certain models) functionality. Their mech-less ones also save on space fitting wise. I have an Alpine single fin (UTE-XXbt or something like that) unit in one of mine, which I’m impressed with. It doesn’t look out of place and the amber lighting is pretty close too. Plus get BT and front USB charging/playback. Nothing flash but does the trick. HTH 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3401 Report post Posted March 27 (edited) Kenwood KMM-BT408 mechless. It's the updated version of the 305 I have in my e30. Small, clean look, tons of integration with your phone, three sets of pre-outs and all sorts of configs for time delay, eq etc etc. Even configure what the pre-outs are doing. Amber lighting: check. Configure your own preferred shade. Plays your carefully ripped WAV files from USB too. Or just play Spotify from your phone if you favour convenience. Install the included mic, set up bluetooth with your phone - bingo full handsfree. It'll even take a second phone at the same time. I bought one for my e46, not yet installed. If you want steering wheel integration you'll need a babelfish to take the canbus and talk to the Kenwood. https://www.qualitycaraudio.co.nz/kenwood-kmm-bt408-bluetooth-usb-nz-tuners-3x-pre-outs-car-stereo?search=KMM-BT408 Edited March 27 by Olaf 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 677 Report post Posted March 27 ^^ that’s a bargain! Think I might get me one 😎 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neal 560 Report post Posted March 28 There’s also the odd single din unit with carplay / android auto. At the pricey there is the Porsche high end single din , at the other end there are a number of headless CP AA units on AliExpress Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulo 78 Report post Posted March 28 On 3/27/2025 at 12:45 PM, MD13 said: It's been a while since I've done any in car audio stuff. Pioneer used to be my go to for cheap and reliable. What are people using these days for their 90's BMW's? Just looking for bluetooth, usb and somewhat fitting to the dash look (amber etc). Here's my pick: https://blaupunkt.com/product/frankfurt-rcm-82-dab/ I am guessing that they are reasonably pricey in NZ, though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deedub 83 Report post Posted March 28 2 hours ago, paulo said: Here's my pick: https://blaupunkt.com/product/frankfurt-rcm-82-dab/ I am guessing that they are reasonably pricey in NZ, though Yea for me it's going to be either the blaupunkt or get the bluetooth module added to the originals like what this guy does: https://bmw-radios.com/ There are meant to be some tutorials out there for adding bluetooth to the OG radios. I might go down that path as the blaupunkt and the bluetooth service offered by the BMW radios guy aren't cheap. Cheapest option would be to get a bluetooth tape (get bluetooth and keep the OE player). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1749 Report post Posted March 28 VDO\Continental make a few different ones, not as cheap as they used to be though.I put a TR7412UB in my old Mercedes which matched quite well. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil McCauley 428 Report post Posted March 29 Jeez 3.5v triple pre-outs for sub $200 is bloody hard to beat! The Blaupunkts are great in theory but it sounds like quality isn't nearly as good as it was / for how much they are. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MD13 532 Report post Posted March 30 On 3/28/2025 at 5:55 PM, paulo said: Here's my pick: https://blaupunkt.com/product/frankfurt-rcm-82-dab/ I am guessing that they are reasonably pricey in NZ, though Quick looks shows $900 odd for one of those - can't justify that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3401 Report post Posted April 17 (edited) Come on guys. back in the mid-80's when an Alpine Cassette head unit was king, they were running around NZD750 before you added a graphic and an amp or two. A Nakamichi was more like a grand or $1200 - and god did they sound good. Here's a 7273 from 1985 - if you had this, some amps and decent speakers you were - worried every time you parked your car! (stolen without permission - tried to link. Thanks to http://magnitola.org/attachments/golovnye-ustroistva/1272233d1553761180-Magnitola-Avtozvuk-img_0086.jpg ... And in '89/90 and a good CD deck was a grand - yes A Thousand Dollars with an amp, installed... and it skipped on bumps on the way to the mountain, needed an external amp just like yer Nak tape deck did. The TD1200 - OMG. $900 for a Blaupunkt in today's dollars? Not a lot, really. The phone in your pocket is probably worth more than two grand. Then there's the KMM-BT408. The Kenwood mechless decks actually sounds good if you feed em WAV files. Cost buttons, really, to boot. Just a thought @deedub - those guys doing bluetooth conversions on old gear probably charge more than you're expecting because they need to make sure it works for you for a good while. Edited April 17 by Olaf added pics 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaz 1067 Report post Posted April 29 On 3/27/2025 at 5:51 PM, Olaf said: Kenwood KMM-BT408 mechless. It's the updated version of the 305 I have in my e30. Small, clean look, tons of integration with your phone, three sets of pre-outs and all sorts of configs for time delay, eq etc etc. Even configure what the pre-outs are doing. Amber lighting: check. Configure your own preferred shade. Plays your carefully ripped WAV files from USB too. Or just play Spotify from your phone if you favour convenience. Install the included mic, set up bluetooth with your phone - bingo full handsfree. It'll even take a second phone at the same time. I bought one for my e46, not yet installed. If you want steering wheel integration you'll need a babelfish to take the canbus and talk to the Kenwood. https://www.qualitycaraudio.co.nz/kenwood-kmm-bt408-bluetooth-usb-nz-tuners-3x-pre-outs-car-stereo?search=KMM-BT408 $138 until midnight tomorrow. I dont have a car that needs one and its almost worth buying at that price Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MD13 532 Report post Posted April 30 (edited) I bought a Kenwood as recommended by Olaf (thanks dude). Got one with a cd player in the end - for my son's birthday. We installed it in his z3 the other week 🙂 In the good old days I used to visit Paul Money's showroom off Dominion road and lust after an Alpine cdr-7998r (at least I think that was the model...). First mechanised Alpine headunit at the time - when off it retracked back into the unit. Alas student allowance didn't wasn't sufficent to buy it. Bought a cheap clarion unit instead for my rusty mk3 spitfire! Take a look at some vintage stuff here Edited April 30 by MD13 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deedub 83 Report post Posted April 30 3 hours ago, MD13 said: Take a look at some vintage stuff here Classic. I had the Pioneer DEH-7600MP. I thought the dolphin graphics were pretty cool. There was a F1 screensaver option as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MD13 532 Report post Posted Friday at 03:41 AM (edited) On 4/30/2025 at 6:32 PM, deedub said: Classic. I had the Pioneer DEH-7600MP. I thought the dolphin graphics were pretty cool. There was a F1 screensaver option as well. ^ Nice! Later on I got a Sony CDX-M9900 (shown in the article I linked above).Bought it from a place in Mt Smart road that had a mocked up car interior in the showroom. Big english guy ran it - had gym equipment in the workshop. Installed in my white 1995 Celica gt4. Had rca inputs on the back and you could take screen grabs from movies etc. Edited Friday at 03:41 AM by MD13 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3401 Report post Posted Sunday at 06:04 PM Ahhh, memories. Back in 1990 I needed a stereo for my Datsun wagon. Paul Money Car Stereo advertised in the Herald, I think I bought with a couple of phone calls, a fax and a cheque, and they sent to Wellington. Purchasing is so much easier these days with the web! I chose a Sanyo compact digital radio cassette that fit into the dasboard (twin spindles - volume and tuning) and something like 25 watts per channel, along with two way Alpine 6 inch speakers that were destined for the front doors. When it all arrived they'd sent me Alpine 6x9" 3-ways, so the plan changed and they went into the tailgate on a 10mm particle board baffle that I knocked-up. I ran decent power and earth cables to the unit, it sounded really good for what it was. I couldn't find anything to fit my constraints (the dashboard moulding) in Wellington (other than low-fi models), and nobody down here was doing the stack it high, sell it cheap model like Paul Money did. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palazzo 493 Report post Posted Sunday at 11:17 PM Memories indeed. In the late ‘80s I bought a pair of Alpine 6385 (maybe at Paul Money, maybe some place in Newmarket) speakers and paired them with an Alpine 3525 amp in my mighty Laser Ghia. With a Phillips head unit and Sony 10 disc in the boot. At 120km/h, a bass note would make the rear vision mirror vibrate so I couldn’t see. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neal 560 Report post Posted 5 hours ago Speaking of 80s still have some Alpine gear. Few amps and equalisers from my e21 install circa 88. And have this set which is NIB from early 80s 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil McCauley 428 Report post Posted 3 hours ago That 3214… omg. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
