Dynavin Installed

[NextGen]

I have had my X for 4 1/2 years now. In that time frame I have gone through several audio solutions. Back in 2006 I installed a Pioneer Avic and did a writeup on it. The Avic was a nice system minus the navigation. Another issue with the Avic was that I couldn't find a bezel that worked for me. I decided to pull the Avic and went back to the MID. Well, it turns out I really can't live without navigation. My next try was the Kenwood factory integration. I ended up putting two monitors on the dash. I didn't do a writeup on that system, I wished I did as it was an amazing (challenging) install. I had components hidden in every nook and corner in this trunk. Even though I am much more tolerant of aftermarket items then most on this board, two monitors on the dash was just not working, so I pulled it. Just when I had given up, enter Hualingan and Dynavin.

This was a really tough decision for me. I really wanted the Hualingan but decided to get the Dynavin instead because I refuse to hack my dash for the Hualingan as it does not provide a straightforward way to mount it. Hualingan really needs to provide some type of mounting bracket. When they do that, I will sell my Dynavin and get one. The Dynavin is just plain ugly to me so I ride around with a bag over my head.


Initial impressions

• The external hardware quality is top notch. I was not expecting this. It looks as good as anything BMW puts their name on.
• The rectangle buttons are an exact match to OEM.
• The round knobs are a little too big for me.
• The screen size and the "forehead" at the top is one of those glass half full observations. Some will notice the "forehead" while others will mention the screen size. For me, the "forehead" is not a problem at all as it blends in well with the rest of the dash. It's the screen that is too small. It needs to be bigger or at least centered vertically.
• The manual doesn't do a good job of explaining how to install the unit, however there is enough information on the unit itself (for wiring) and on the forums to help you figure out most of it.
• They really need to explain how to remove the unit once it is installed and how to pull the "removal tools" out of the unit
• They also need to explain what the two boxes are with the speaker colored wires (they are line converters) and how to attach them. I don't see a plug and play way to do this.
• iGo8 that comes with the unit has a 400x240 resolution whereas the unit's resolution is 800x480. Needless to say this does not look as good as it would at native resolution.