Oh9C6

I'm new here, and have enjoyed searching the forum...it's like a bottomless well.

I have ordered an O9 1LT Coupe, standard radio. I wanted NAV, but that required options I did not want. I am looking for a "factory look" with bluetooth, XM or Sirus, works with the steering wheel controls and will load the Corvette wallpaper I've seen posted.

1) Is this a DIY job. I enjoy challenges, but am not an electrical engineer.
2) Cost: As noted, 1LT, not a 4LT. I'm not one who needs the newest toy, just one that works good.
3) Want On-Star to work and Bluetooth, plus good sound from CD (single OK) and more importantly, the ability to load IPOD data.

THANKS

pentavolvo

Kenwood is where it is at. The navi is top notch and they are great units. This is deff an install you should be able to tackle on your own, the bluetooth and ipod work good on the kenwood as well keeping onstar isnt a problem

Oh9C6

So, a Kenwood 7120 or 8120 series would be a good bet. I like the looks of these. What other recommendations do you have? I noticed you seem to be the electronic guru, so I appreciate your input.

Another critical question is "where to buy." Crutchfield is expensive, but my experience with bait/swith electronic stores causes me to know a price too good to be true is.

pentavolvo

IMO the kenwood is the only way to go. The new pioneers are way too buggy at this point plus Im not a fan of there navi. The kenwood uses garmin navi which is the only way to go IMO. Personally I use sonicelectronics all the time. About 6 mths ago a buddy of mine got a dnx7100 on ebay and no issues. the one thing if you dont buy from like crutchfield is check and see how the warranty works. i know with sonic you send it to them for warranty which I had to do once on an amp and they took care of it.

Oh9C6

Some great deals on 7100 series units are out there. What others "assessories" are needed to install. Does it make a difference that I do not have the Bose system. I will have steering wheel controls...can the 7100 handle those (I have been unable to find any info). I have about six weeks to get the parts together. Once I take delievery, I want to install the nav and exhaust (the two things the car lacks, IMHO). Thanks again for your help

neveroffline

I too am interested in this. Been looking at the 71xx and 8120's. I know the 8120 is fairly new, maybe a month or 2. Is it that better than the 7120?

My biggest problem is I don't know what I need exactly for the install in addition to the deck. I won't be doing it this month, but in a few. I have no problem installing it myself vs paying someone $300, I just want to make sure it works and all the Bose speakers work, as well as the amp, so I need to know what else to order in addition to the deck.

Thanks.
Dustin

TheKomoman

At this point, even never having laid hands on the Kenwoods I gotta agree with Penta. I have become disillusioned with the Blackbird navigation section of my Alpine 205. I love the head but the nav is a recipe for frustration. Other than the interface being somewhat clunky, my issue with it is that the display it provides for turns is very vague, whereas with the Garmn Nuvi I've used it's very, very clear what you need to do. I like to take my car on trips and use roads-less-travelled so this is important. "Hmm, I wonder what this road is like."

Go to Crutchfield and you can do a heads-up comparison of the 7120 vs 8120. Basically the 8120 has built-in bluetooth, an extra USB port and 5V outputs instead of the standard 2V.

As far as the parts needed:

Head unit of choice
Peripheral GMCO if no Onstar or GMAH24(GMAH24B with Bose) AND the GMAHCM if you have Onstar
Dash kit
Antenna adapter

All of the various part numbers are listed in the C6 Audio FAQ, linked in my sig below.

Oh9C6

I am leaning towards the Kenwood 7100 or 8120. My car will have the steering wheel controls, which I would like to keep functional. It will have on-star, which I guess I should keep functional, although I doubt if I will use it after (or even during) the year subscription period.

Also, I am going to ask a beginners question...what do some of these items do, "Data Interface" and "Chime Module?"

So, does this sound about right:
Head Unit (HU): Kenwood DNX 7100/7120/8120
Bluetooth adapter (except for 8120)
Data Interface: Peripheral GMAH24
Chime Module: Peripheral GMAHCM
Steering Wheel Adapter: Swi-jack
Dash Kit: Metra 95-3304 (is this the only one? I read it has to be bead blasted. Are there others out there that are ready to use?)

Do these units come with an antenna? Will the factory XM antenna work?

KenHorse

I"ve had a Kenwood 7120 in my '02 Z06 with the Bluetooth adapter for a few months now and couldn't be happier. I opted to use the existing Bose speakers (which I happen to think sound great) and a Pac Audio Bose adapter. The sound is great and I LOVE being able to play MP3's directly off a USB "stick". No disks needed anymore!

Not the greatest pic but here's how it looks (this pic was taken before the console was properly centered but it gives you an idea how things will turn out):

TheKomoman

The Metra dash kit will work as-is, it just doesn't match the factory dash perfectly. If you have it sanded & bead-blasted you can make it an almost perfect match to the gray of the other factory dash components.

GMAH24 is for Delco systems, GMAH24B would be for Bose. The GMAHCM is required for chimes with either one of those.

The XM tuners of all the aftermarket heads are add-ons. When you buy them they do come with antennas, but you can also use the factory antenna. You CANNOT use the factory XM module with any of the aftermarket radios.

Oh9C6

I really appreciate the help. As I noted in a PM to another member, I am pretty sure I will go with the Kenwood DNX8210, since it is the "current state of the art" unit and has intergrated bluetooth, and add a backup camera while I am at it.

Another question: Are XM and Sirius antennas different. Since I can not use the factory unit, what is the advantage of Sirius over XM? Any?

KenHorse

One correction. You do NOT need the Chime adapter, just the Pac Audio OEM Interface. As for the Data Interface, I've been told it is needed to retain the RAP but I don't know for sure (I do wish RAP still worked on my 7120 though!)

neveroffline

Is there one place to order the GMAH24B, Antenna Adapter, and Metra kit all at once at a great price?

TIA.
Dustin

pentavolvo

per our emails i forgot to tell u u need a standard gm antenna adapter
xm or sirius doesnt matter for antenna
idk why the poster above said u dont need the chime adapter u need both the gmah24 (24b if bose) and the gmahcm

Oh9C6

It's been almost two months...however, I finally purchased the Kenwood DNX 7120 along with the followingL
Data Interface: Peripheral GMAH24
Chime Module: Peripheral GMAHCM
Antenna Adaptor
Dash Kit: Metra 95-3304

I still need to get the steering wheel control (SWI-Jack). I hope to install this week and post the results.

Devil Dog

Pioneer Z series.

I like the Kenwood and the Eclipse also.