Aftermarket stereo...??

[BennyLCFC]

Hello im pretty new to cars but have purchased an '08 Focus tdci that im quite fond of, never been bothered about cars but this drives really nice and now im all about it.

My question to you all is about stereos, i have the FX Travelpilot built in which isnt a bad bit of kit but it is dated i feel and as such i have been researching aftermarket stereos. My budget isnt massive and so im trying to avoid the branded versions even though i know they will be much more reliable. Ive seen absolutley tons of non-branded/chinese HU's that look great and have great features specifically the features i really want (Satnav, bluetooth for playing songs from Apple music and preferably DAB at some point)

Now my facia isnt going to allow for any of these HU's that i want so i at least know i will need a new one of those with the square as opposed to the oval shaped hole for the unit, my worry is this wont be enough, i have read something about cages and installation kits and what not but this is where my head gets muddled as theres so many options but not sure what kind i need.

Has anybody else gone down this route and how difficult was it? Im a complete novice but im willing to try this myself as i was quoted an extortionate amount from a local company before ive even chosen a stereo.

Any help would be a massive help and any specific details would be great, this is my current stero below

[BennyLCFC]

facia removed

[BennyLCFC]

[BennyLCFC]

just some pics of what im dealing with, looks a bit scary back there for me but any info on all this will be great, ive done a lot of youtube/google searches and its like im going round in circles sometimes

[BennyLCFC]

oh and the current dims are about

100*146*179

[Lenny]

33 minutes ago, BennyLCFC said:

oh and the current dims are about

100*146*179

These guides should help mate, 

Guide to Fitting Aftermarket headunit focus Mk2 & Mk2.5 Click Here

Guide To fitting 10" HD Flip Down Monitor Focus Mk2 & Mk2.5 Click Here

Custom 10" Sub enclosure & Amp panel Focus Mk2 & Mk2.5Click Here

Guide Installing Reverse Camera Focus Mk2.5 2008 - 2011Click Here

[Luke4efc]

All you need is a fascia to convert the proprietary dash surround into a double din hole so you can put in any standard double din unit.

I'd avoid the cheap Chinese crap. They're slow to use, the maps take forever to load and update your location, you have to reset them by removing the fuse every now and then because they crash and don't turn on. You can't go wrong with Pioneer, Kenwood or Sony IMO.

You can also get units that are specifically designed for the MK2 Focus where no wiring loom adaptor (or splicing) is required. Just plug and play! These units are generally around the same price as a branded make, but aren't as up to date in terms of specs and software.

[Stoney871]

Eonon or Xtrons radios are pretty much everything you need but look for the latest Android OS rather than the older / slower Win CE versions.
They do oval units that fit the standard Ford Focus fascia pretty cleanly without a cage being needed.
You can download apps that allow compatability with Apple carplay and other iOS based stuff.

Sent from my SM-G965F (S9+)

[BennyLCFC]

2 hours ago, Lenny said:

These guides should help mate, 

Guide to Fitting Aftermarket headunit focus Mk2 & Mk2.5 Click Here

Guide To fitting 10" HD Flip Down Monitor Focus Mk2 & Mk2.5 Click Here

Custom 10" Sub enclosure & Amp panel Focus Mk2 & Mk2.5Click Here

Guide Installing Reverse Camera Focus Mk2.5 2008 - 2011Click Here

thanks for that, i was going to ask about the reverse cam at some point so i appreciate that cheers

[BennyLCFC]

2 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

All you need is a fascia to convert the proprietary dash surround into a double din hole so you can put in any standard double din unit.

I'd avoid the cheap Chinese crap. They're slow to use, the maps take forever to load and update your location, you have to reset them by removing the fuse every now and then because they crash and don't turn on. You can't go wrong with Pioneer, Kenwood or Sony IMO.

You can also get units that are specifically designed for the MK2 Focus where no wiring loom adaptor (or splicing) is required. Just plug and play! These units are generally around the same price as a branded make, but aren't as up to date in terms of specs and software.

i thought this might the case due to lack of reviews and info on these chinese devices but thought they must be okay as theres what seems to be hundreds of them knocking about, is this info of poor quality from personal experience?

[BennyLCFC]

2 hours ago, Stoney871 said:

Eonon or Xtrons radios are pretty much everything you need but look for the latest Android OS rather than the older / slower Win CE versions.
They do oval units that fit the standard Ford Focus fascia pretty cleanly without a cage being needed.
You can download apps that allow compatability with Apple carplay and other iOS based stuff.

Sent from my SM-G965F (S9+)
 

i think i might take you up on these then, i did see them and thought theyd be easiest as its literally the same shape and parts to the one i have currently. my main issue was that i was being greedy i think and i wanted one with a huge screen and basically one that is pretty much a tablet on the dash which i think might be a little too hopeful. have you used one of these eonon or xtrons yourself? and do you know what the latest OS is? im very much an iOS user and have never dabbled in android but can see i have no option in this case

[BennyLCFC]

thank you all for your quick replies and help too 👍

[BennyLCFC]

i have also been looking into these DAB+ aeriels and from what i gather these window antennas are a little temperamental and people elsewhere i have read have suggested getting a rooftop aeriel fitted. does anybody have any experience here or is it not worth the hassle? or have you experienced good quality and signal from window antennas? i defo want DAB

[Stoney871]

i think i might take you up on these then, i did see them and thought theyd be easiest as its literally the same shape and parts to the one i have currently. my main issue was that i was being greedy i think and i wanted one with a huge screen and basically one that is pretty much a tablet on the dash which i think might be a little too hopeful. have you used one of these eonon or xtrons yourself? and do you know what the latest OS is? im very much an iOS user and have never dabbled in android but can see i have no option in this case

Not personally used any but a couple of buddies have with no complaints
Latest os is 9.0 (came out about August 2018) but 8.0 is decent enough and likely more available.

Sent from my SM-G965F (S9+)

[Lenny]

9 hours ago, BennyLCFC said:

i have also been looking into these DAB+ aeriels and from what i gather these window antennas are a little temperamental and people elsewhere i have read have suggested getting a rooftop aeriel fitted. does anybody have any experience here or is it not worth the hassle? or have you experienced good quality and signal from window antennas? i defo want DAB

Best fitting an amplified roof top aerial, 

I have a tv tuner fitted with pause/record in the rear quarter panel and the aerials dont work through the windscreen, had to get a sky mini dish 😂 no an roof aerial 

[Stoney871]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F183536265151

Sent from my SM-G965F (S9+)

[Luke4efc]

Roof aerial is the way to go imo, less cluttery and no glass to go through.

33 minutes ago, BennyLCFC said:

i thought this might the case due to lack of reviews and info on these chinese devices but thought they must be okay as theres what seems to be hundreds of them knocking about, is this info of poor quality from personal experience?

I installed one in my mates car who I car share with to work. I've lost count the amount of times I've gotten in and had no music on the way. I even offered to put a switch in after the fuse to save us pulling the glove box out each time to pull the fuse. Touch screen is about as sensitive/ responsive as a touch screen phone from the mid to late 2000's.

[BennyLCFC]

hello me again, after much deliberation i think i have honed down to:

XTRONS TE103AP http://xtrons.co.uk/te103ap-10-1-android-8-octa-core-4gb-ram-32gb-rom-multimedia-dvd-player-with-adjustable-viewing-angles.html

or

EONON GA2168 https://www.eonon.co.uk/Android-Car-Stereo/2-Din-Car-Stereo/New-Android-7-1-Octa-Core-Bluetooth-Audio-Giant-10-1-Inch-HD-Touchscreen-with-2GB-RAM-32GB-ROM-Universal-Navigation-GPS-Radio.html

or

EONON GA2168k https://www.eonon.co.uk/Android-Car-Stereo/2-Din-Car-Stereo/10-1-Inch-Double-Din-Car-Navigation-HD-Display-with-Android-8-1-2GB-RAM-Quad-Core-Processor-Adjustable-Viewing-Angle.html

The XTRONS is the top spec i can find on a 10" screen which could be overkill for my focus but it looks great in some vids i have seen, its also the only 10" that has 4gb RAM and 32gb ROM with octacore and Android 8.0 which was reccomended above so it has pretty much got me. the screen is detachable although slightly more longwinded to take off than some pumpkin and eonon models of similar size that i found. Also being black friday/cyber monday weekend i could get it with a fair whack off the price (£240ish on their site). My only worry is it doesnt look like it comes with the CANBUS adapter, i also am not too familiar with what that even is, is it just for steering wheel controls (which i dont have) or is it for the stalk aswell?

As for the EONON GA2168, that screen is better detachable and is also octacore however it is only Android 7.1 (is that a major difference?) its also only 2gb RAM and not 4 (again not too sure about this, would a car stereo really benefit from more than 2gb? This also doesnt seem to come with the CANBUS adapter but does come with a free rear cam or dash cam and is £247

And finally the EONON GA2168K which is very simlar obviously but is only 16gb ROM and again 2gb RAM but this time with Android 8.1 but only quadcore processor without CANBUS and also comes with free cam of my choice and is cheaper at £217

Both XTRONS and EONON offer similar spec stereos that will fit right into my hole that are only 7" however but do for some reason come with CANBUS decoder/box (is that the same thing?)

So im swaying toward the XTRONS, better spec and all that but will i need to but this CANBUS thing? Any help would be greatly appreciated, sorry this was a bit longwinded but i have spent many hours now researching/spreadsheeting/doing my missus head in with all this now and want to purchase while these deals and offers are on. Hopefully some of you may have experience here.

Also is it just this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/11-416-Double-Adapter-Installation-Surrounded/dp/B0132TYPQK/ref=pd_sbs_263_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0132TYPQK&pd_rd_r=354f62db-f0d7-11e8-a4f4-c310a7b6afa3&pd_rd_w=OvzhS&pd_rd_wg=Xo8YG&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=XQ7DJZ42DRYDMZ3WKAJA&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=XQ7DJZ42DRYDMZ3WKAJA

that i will need after installing and still use my original facia? The dimentions of these HU's are the same as my factory fitted model.

Thanks in advance for any input

 

[Lenny]

1 hour ago, BennyLCFC said:

hello me again, after much deliberation i think i have honed down to:

So im swaying toward the XTRONS, better spec and all that but will i need to but this CANBUS thing? Any help would be greatly appreciated, sorry this was a bit longwinded but i have spent many hours now researching/spreadsheeting/doing my missus head in with all this now and want to purchase while these deals and offers are on. Hopefully some of you may have experience here.

Hi, 

Xtrons is a better brand compared to Eonon, If I had to pick one; I'd choose it aswell, 

You shouldn't really need the Canbus adapter unless they have included the steering stalk adapter loom in to it; 

The canbus information is more tied in with engine information, heated seat temperatures, climate controls and factory reverse sensors, 

Try it without the additional adaptor first. 

I've got an Xtrons 10.1" roof monitor in the back of my focus aswell as an Xtrons tv tuner with pause&record work very well no issues.

1 hour ago, BennyLCFC said:

Also is it just this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/11-416-Double-Adapter-Installation-Surrounded/dp/B0132TYPQK/ref=pd_sbs_263_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0132TYPQK&pd_rd_r=354f62db-f0d7-11e8-a4f4-c310a7b6afa3&pd_rd_w=OvzhS&pd_rd_wg=Xo8YG&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=XQ7DJZ42DRYDMZ3WKAJA&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=XQ7DJZ42DRYDMZ3WKAJA

that i will need after installing and still use my original facia? The dimentions of these HU's are the same as my factory fitted model.

Thanks in advance for any input

In any normal aftermarket double din install I would only fit the one saw in my guide but in your case fitting a 10" screen you won't see the surround At all 😅

You will need a female to male aerial adaptor 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/shopganzaNET-AERIAL-ADAPTOR-ATENNA-STEREO/dp/B008ZE4WNY/ref=mp_s_a_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1543173020&sr=8-25&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=car+aerial+adapter&dpPl=1&dpID=41Gr7t4kElL&ref=plSrch

The sound quality may not be the greatest on these headunits but you can always fit an amplifier in the boot and upgrade the Speakers in which case; the headunit' s internal amplifier won't be used At all.

[BennyLCFC]

ahh okay i just figured i would need that panel fitted as there wont be anything to screw the head unit into? like in my second pic of my original post i have had to unscrew the four corners to get it out, what will be holding the new one in?

thanks for your help though, definitely steering toward that xtrons

[Lenny]

7 minutes ago, BennyLCFC said:

ahh okay i just figured i would need that panel fitted as there wont be anything to screw the head unit into? like in my second pic of my original post i have had to unscrew the four corners to get it out, what will be holding the new one in?

thanks for your help though, definitely steering toward that xtrons

You will need the aftermarket surround adapter in order to fit the double din opening, I'm just saying I wouldn't usually choose that particular one as it's not the most aesthetically pleasing because its clear to see its replacing somthing different, but you won't see it with the particular headunit you have chosen.

The aftermarket headunit comes with a double din cage which will fit inside the new opening which the plastic insert provides,

Guide to Fitting Aftermarket headunit focus Mk2 & Mk2.5 Click Here 

See my guide for fitting the cage; you just slide in the cage then press out tabs to make it grip to the plastic surround, results are quite sturdy and solid.

 

[BennyLCFC]

brilliant i see what you mean now i think i misread your post slightly, are you refering to this then? http://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/ford-focus-2006-double-din-car-stereo-fitting-kit-fascia-steering-control.html?search=focus double din&utm_source=FordOwnersClub&utm_medium=ForumLinks&utm_campaign=referrals

[Lenny]

12 hours ago, BennyLCFC said:

brilliant i see what you mean now i think i misread your post slightly, are you refering to this then? http://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/ford-focus-2006-double-din-car-stereo-fitting-kit-fascia-steering-control.html?search=focus double din&utm_source=FordOwnersClub&utm_medium=ForumLinks&utm_campaign=referrals

Yes that's the most factory looking aftermarket kit available, 

But in your case the other one you chose will be fine because it won't be saw when the 10" screen is fitted