what deck would you buy? Pioneer 3300BT/Pioneer 4300DVD or Kenwood DDX418???

[canadian_hustla]

Hey guys,

I am looking to buy a double din deck but am very unsure as to what deck will be the best bang for the buck. THe two pioneers are on sale: save $70 on 3300BT and save $150 on 4300DVD

my considerations:
1) must be less than $500
2) must have very good/excellent sound
3) I REALLY want bluetooth, but can live without

price:
3300bt=$429
4300dvd=$449
Kenwood=$499

Which one would you buy?

Thanks,

$429

Pioneer 3300Bt (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/pioneer-pioneer-5-8-in-dash-double-din-car-video-deck-with-bluetooth-avh-p3300bt-avh-p3300bt/10166606.aspx?path=5556e831636c4f14d2251aeeb0f0a198en02)

http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/Products/300x300/101/10166/10166606.jpg

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$449 however bluetooth upgrade is another $200

pioneer 4300dvd (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/pioneer-pioneer-7-in-dash-double-din-car-video-deck-avh-p4300dvd/10166607.aspx?path=5aab6a683d980dfac118d546ae59c06ben02)

http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/Products/300x300/101/10166/10166607.jpg

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$499

Kenwood DDX418 (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/kenwood-kenwood-bluetooth-dvd-car-deck-ddx418-ddx418/10162866.aspx?path=a8a0958f748446c716fd91340621a291en02)

http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/Products/300x300/101/10162/10162866.jpg

[eglove]

none of the above. it's all about appradio


http://pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio

[canadian_hustla]

ok, i don't have any iphone so appradio wouldnt really help me. cool though,

[97luder]

id go for either pioneer over the kenwood

[kamakurakid]

Originally posted by eglove
none of the above. it's all about appradio


http://pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio

I know what I am getting. Thanks for the link.

[canadian_hustla]

bought Pioneer 4300DVD

Thanks all.

[soupey]

ive got the first deck (the version that has pandora on it). It works amazingly well, one thing u have to get around is the front USB port, doesn't make for a clean look when you're plugging things in like that. A simple workaround is buying the ipod adapter or getting a USB extension cord and hard wiring it into the deck to get usb. Ive got mine hooked up with the ipod cord w/video, can stream netflix, youtube, and other various video sources directly to the deck. it's really nifty!

The 4300 with the addon bluetooth module also doesn't have as comprehensive bluetooth telephony has the 3300bt, but DOES give you bluetooth streaming so you can stream audio from your devices wirelessly, something the 3300 lacks...the price difference is significant though, and i prefer being able to dial and see my phonebook with the touchscreen over being able to stream music.

hope that helps you to decide between those decks.

EDIT: oops, missed ur last message :banghead:

[canadian_hustla]

^

Ah yes, the age old question: bluetooth or no bluetooth? I have spent like hours and hours contemplating which pioneer deck would be a better fit for me. The 3300BT has blue tooth, which is awesome... but the 4300DVD has a bigger screen and really is a whole heck of a lot cleaner. Plus, you save $150 at bestbuy... which is a pretty good deal.

I had such a hard time deciding that inadvertently drove my wife crazy. When I finally picked the 4300, it is not in stock at ANY of the bestbuy locations.... go figure...

Deal maker for me was that I could buy a $35.00 hands free blue tooth headset and could opt out of having to worry if the 4300DVD has bluetooth or not.

[kamakurakid]

The 4300DVD has Bluetooth:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pioneer+-+50W+x+4+MOSFET+Apple%26%23174%3B+iPod%26%23174%3B-/Satellite+Radio-/HD+Radio-Ready+DVD+Deck/2822318.p?id=1218354578428&skuId=2822318

This in-dash DVD deck is ready for a variety of add-on functions, including Bluetooth, GPS navigation, Satellite Radio, HD Radio, iPod and MP3 players for customizable entertainment. The widescreen touch-panel display allows easy viewing and control.

[canadian_hustla]

Originally posted by kamakurakid
The 4300DVD has Bluetooth:

<b>This in-dash DVD deck is ready for a variety of add-on functions, including Bluetooth, GPS navigation, Satellite Radio, HD Radio, iPod and MP3 players for customizable entertainment. The widescreen touch-panel display allows easy viewing and control.<b>

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pioneer+-+50W+x+4+MOSFET+Apple%26%23174%3B+iPod%26%23174%3B-/Satellite+Radio-/HD+Radio-Ready+DVD+Deck/2822318.p?id=1218354578428&skuId=2822318

nope it doesn't... it "has" bluetooth, i.e. you need to buy the pioneer bluetooth box (will set you back around $200) and even then the headunit will not display bluetooth menus etc.

[kamakurakid]

Originally posted by canadian_hustla


nope it doesn't... it "has" bluetooth, i.e. you need to buy the pioneer bluetooth box (will set you back around $200) and even then the headunit will not display bluetooth menus etc.

Wow what a rip-off, I gotta get wise before stepping into an audio store... I always leave my wife at home as she is not into the whole audio thing. Thanks for clearing this up, when you get it all bought and installed post the end result and review. Save me hours of what you are going through. :thumbsup:

[canadian_hustla]

Originally posted by kamakurakid


Wow what a rip-off, I gotta get wise before stepping into an audio store... I always leave my wife at home as she is not into the whole audio thing. Thanks for clearing this up, when you get it all bought and installed post the end result and review. Save me hours of what you are going through. :thumbsup:

yeah, i will..

it also has the ability for:

Bluetooth ($200)
GPS ($200)
Steering wheel controls ($60)
Sirius/XM ready ($100)

So really, if you want a $1000 dollar unit just go buy one haha

[soupey]

^:rofl:

you say the larger screen is "cleaner" but it's the same res as the other smaller screen...effectively making the smaller screen clearer. the only thing thats cleaner about it is the fact that any wiring can be rerouted to leave the front cleaner...that said, you can hard wire it like i mentioned above...

im gonna miss the unit when i get another car...so many nifty features when combined with an itouch that ill never get with another system :(.

[HiSpec]

Not sure which NAV system the Kenwood use, but the newer Kenwood system uses Garmin GPS software, which a lot of people prefer over Pioneer's. Aside from that, Pioneer's GUI is more smoother and user friendly.

[canadian_hustla]

Originally posted by soupey
^:rofl:

you say the larger screen is "cleaner" but it's the same res as the other smaller screen...effectively making the smaller screen clearer. the only thing thats cleaner about it is the fact that any wiring can be rerouted to leave the front cleaner...that said, you can hard wire it like i mentioned above...

im gonna miss the unit when i get another car...so many nifty features when combined with an itouch that ill never get with another system :(.

When I said cleaner I was referring to the astestics of the face plate, positioning of the buttons, etc. You are right about the 5.8" being "clearer" as both screens utilize the same resolution. :)

They are both nice decks, and I have heard/read nothing but positive reviews. Side question, did you need a special cord to connect your ipod touch?

[soupey]

a standard apple usb plugin gives it full control sound only....there's another cable that allows video output that pioneer sells seperately (cheaper ebay versions are available) allow for video output so you can go nuts with itouch/iphone video features like youtube, netflix, etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-CD-IU200V-Interface-Cable-Iphone/dp/B001QJ43RK

I noticed the sound quality get better after getting the proper cable over a regular ipod usb cable too, but that might just be in my head.

[03ozwhip]

i know its not a double din but i just bought an alpine cde-126 with every feature you are looking for for $188...its an awesome deck so far. BT calls come in over the speakers, comes with an ipod connector and mike for the BT to mount and people can hear me perfect without yelling. just a thought.
http://www.stereo-car-radio.com/carradios/manufacturers/pos/alpine_cde-126bt