Stay away from Eonon radios

[glassjoe]

Originally Posted by OrangeFurious

No shipping fees, no customs, no sales tax. Total travel time was seven days including a weekend - Hong Kong to Taipei to Tokyo to Anchorage to Memphis (WTF?) to Seattle.

I haven't peeled the screen protector off yet so I'm not sure if it's glass, but I doubt it. It's a matte screen and while I haven't used it yet nothing I'm seeing leaves me worried about glare.

Thanks for the info on shipping. I think I may just go ahead and buy one too for my son, although it is a Christmas present and may not be installed for another month or so. I was going to get the GA6166F but apparently they just discontinued that model and replaced it with the GA6166X that you have. They did tell me the only difference is the X model has the 5.5m extended harness, which I actually don't need, but everything else is identical.

Just a heads up about cutting the OEM radio bracket, AVIN USA posted an install guide for their unit (which appears to be identical to this unit in form/fit) so it may help with your install. Apparently you don't need to cut all the brackets and AVIN spells it out pretty well which to cut and which to leave alone. Here's the link to the pdf AVIN created...

https://avinusa.com/media/mconnect_u...tion_guide.pdf

Sounds great about the screen composition. The angle of the OEM radio/CD player is already tilted a bit upward so a matte screen will help minimize glare.

[semcoinc]

In 2014 I put an Eonon GM5150 into my E46 with factory Nav and connected a backup camera as well. There were a few initial software glitches but the tech rep on the E46 fanatics forum responded quickly with firmware updates and I am a happy camper with the unit for the price I paid.

I rarely listen to the FM radio side of the unit but when I do the reception is fine. The METRA 40-EU55 antenna adapter is what I used per an E46Fanatics.com DIY. Many people using the Eonon supplied adapter reported problems.

Here is my installed unit:

https://youtu.be/gKfVR90aIRY

PS: I changed my factory fuse in the fuse box to a 15 amp from the OE 5 amp to match up with the fuse size of the Eonon head unit.

My E53 Factory Nav screen is still doing well so I have been holding off on replacing it with the D5166XU for $275. I'll buy it via PayPal and if I have any problems I'll return it.

Eonon 7" Car DVD Player Monitor GPS BT Digital O BMW E53 Touch Map DAB+ DVB-T | eBay

Mike

[X5only]

I have the old Enonon D5124f installed in my E39 way back in 2013. It's been working fine and looks very oem. Only complaint I have is that the radio reception is not as good as the ancient factory stuff I threw out.

[glassjoe]

Originally Posted by X5only

I have the old Enonon D5124f installed in my E39 way back in 2013. It's been working fine and looks very oem. Only complaint I have is that the radio is not as good as the ancient factory stuff I threw out.

When you say radio are you talking about the radio reception?

[OrangeFurious]

I received an email from Eonon this morning saying they forgot to include the DSP extension cable in my order and offering to either ship a replacement or give me a $10 refund if I didn't need it.

On the one hand, this is a pain as I'm going to have to delay my install (already delayed due to other issues) until it arrives, but I'm impressed they caught the error and proactively offered to fix it. They had also sent a follow up email about two weeks after my order to see if it was installed, if I needed any help, etc.

I'm impressed with their support operation. My work is in customer experience management (I'm with Xbox) and I can absolutely say this sort of proactive outreach/problem-solving is not easy to pull off. Their presentation isn't always ideal for a western audience - some obvious spelling and wording issues from translation - but so far the spirit and execution of their support has been incredible, even compared to US tech companies I deal with.

[X5only]

Originally Posted by glassjoe

When you say radio are you talking about the radio reception?

Oh pardon me, yes.

[glassjoe]

OrangeFurious,

I got the same email today for my unit which was just delivered yesterday. I actually don't need the long cable because my son's X5 doesn't have DSP, but it was nice to see them own the error, proactively, and offer to promptly fix it.

You mentioned you've had some other issues... may I ask what they were? The GA6166X I just received is a Christmas present for my son so I won't be installing it until after then, so if you have any install issues I would love to get a heads up, if possible.

One question I did just send to Eonon was where to install the two brackets that were supplied with the unit. Mine didn't come with any documentation and while fitting the cables is easy breezy, the mount bracket location is not popping out at me. What are your thoughts?

[glassjoe]

Originally Posted by X5only

Oh pardon me, yes.

Oh, ok. I'm thinking I'll grab an in-line signal booster and try that. Poor radio reception seems to be a theme with the factory radio and the Eonon's. Thanks for the heads up!

[OrangeFurious]

Originally Posted by glassjoe

OrangeFurious,
You mentioned you've had some other issues... may I ask what they were? The GA6166X I just received is a Christmas present for my son so I won't be installing it until after then, so if you have any install issues I would love to get a heads up, if possible.

My other issues were a transmission and alternator replacement - nothing to do with the Eonon. With the X5 in the shop getting mechanical sorted I've had no time, so I'm doing the installation in a week or so.

I'm not 100% sure where those brackets go - my guess is along the area where you cut the bracket to do the install. If you haven't already take a look at this Dynavin thread for an incredibly detailed install of a very similar head unit. Another relevant thread on a Eonon install is here.

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by glassjoe

Oh, ok. I'm thinking I'll grab an in-line signal booster and try that. Poor radio reception seems to be a theme with the factory radio and the Eonon's. Thanks for the heads up!

Given that the OEM antenna system is active (meaning it's powered) maybe removing the OEM radio is affecting the power to the antenna system, although this would likely affect the key-fob remote also, as it uses the same active antenna module.

I'll have a closer look over the wiring diagrams and see if removing the OEM radio would cause a lack of power to the antenna system, although I already know that the active antenna is primarily powered from fuse #86 in the trunk.

*update* There is a connection from OEM radio (module N9) to the antenna module (module N8) that appears to enable or power the antenna module in some way. One of the connectors on the radio (N9) connector X18126 has a pin (Pin #13) labelled "Antenna Supply". This may explain the general poor performance of after-market radios in these cars.

I have not yet been able to determine exactly what signal or voltage is on this wire, so I cannot recommend a possible solution. Yet.