BMW X5 E53 Full Android GPS Navigation System
 

I've been searching for a good clean replacement radio for awhile but havent found any good alternative that is close to the factory appearance until today.

Any of you guys have experience with this company? It is more expensive then some of the other stuff I've seen on eBay. I wanted to get some of your opinion and read some reviews before deciding to spend money on this.

BMW E39 5 Series M5 and X5 E53 Full Android GPS Navigation System

http://avinusa.com/media/catalog/pro...60_radio_1.jpg

Specs are impressive...

however, two very important things:

ease of installation

and reliability over period of time...

I noticed on the picture that the OE connector had round pins, E53 has gone from round pins on earlier models to flat pins (radio connector), so that could be one issue...

also, on the models with factory Nav, most of the audio routing is done in the trunk, and the front display is just that, a display, so one would need to somehow route the cables back to the trunk... On the ones without the factory Nav, the radio is already at the front of the car but there is a metal bar that separates the radio from the MID, which needs to be hacked away in order to fit a solid display module... those are just couple of installation moments...

on the reliability - it is rather more often than not, that a Chinese no name barnd item has a lot of promises but fails to deliver on a long run - i've had cell phones, chargers, mp3 players, SD cards that were good deals on the paper and the specs but the item either fell apart after a week of use, or was slightly different in size (a battery was 1/2 mm too big), or just stopped performing altogether...

the only way to see if this system is good, is to buy it, test drive it and hope that the seller will take it back if the thing falls through...

Thanks for the reply. I got a little concerned after reading your reply so I went back to their website and you are right in the photo it does show the round pin. In the section "What's Included in The Box" they do state that it has the Flat pin and Round pin included so maybe this might not be an issue.

There are some positive user reviews of their E46 model that is actually available now. So far this still looks promising.

Looks sweet! Beats spending $$$ on a used replacement nav head unit…plus frees up some space in the boot!

here is my answer to this -

http://www.xoutpost.com/electronics/...av-screen.html

I went ahead and purchased this (as mentioned in the other thread "Bavarian Autosport..."

Instead of going back and forth between the two threads, its best to keep all info one thread, this thread. Therefore I will officially close the other one.

I also received word from Tommy that these units should start to ship this weekend. Also these ARE NOT compatible with DSP. (Thank God I do not have DSP)

I do however have factory NAV so I had to purchase the extension cable set to route the radio and nav cables to the front of the car. This is not as hard as it sounds. I have a bass knob in the front of my car which required me to route two RCA cables from the trunk to the front. When do my install i will take pictures showing how I routed my cables.

Finished installing this head unit today. I am very impressed with it so far. Haven't had time to tinker with it. Will post photos and videos soon.

Hi,

I'm interested in those pictures, is the android upgradeable on this device? I is only 2.3.4 and after a while a lot of apps will not support that version... Any other restrictions on this unit?

Thanks

This head unit is sick! The reason why the version is only 2.3.4 is because its a stable version? But what apps are you looking for? I have Pandora, Spotify, Torque so far. Waiting to get Sygic for NAVI. I would need to be connected to wifi to download the maps since its about 2 GB and I don't want to eat my data plan. Audio quality surpasses OEM. Memory can be upgraded by creating a SWAP partition in a micro SD card (Just did that last night). Pictures as promised: (Video coming soon):

Installed:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps22567486.jpg

Boot Screen Loading:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbb7ad339.jpg

http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps410ff060.jpg

Home View:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5f95efd9.jpg

Additional Screens:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps07eb5e48.jpg

Radio:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9fab1d60.jpg

Spotify:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8c06b8d7.jpg

http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps696c2418.jpg

Google Maps:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3bea5716.jpg

Torque (Free):
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...sd3c0243a.jpeg

Google Play Store:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...pseafac0c6.jpg

Bluetooth:
http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps1d585fc8.jpg

This unit looks incredibly factory! It also looks like Dynavin but not quite- it seems its face is curved (convex) whereas pictures of Dynavin on X5 I've seen are flat. The convex face makes it perfectly match the shape of the dash.

How is its radio reception compared to OEM radio? Is it always clear and solid even for the weak stations or when you're in low laying areas?

I love the look of it, there are other better head units like pioneer, but you will have a huge plastic bezel which kills the stock look. To answer your question, it seems like radio reception is a tad bit better. Although I wouldn't expect it to be since it connects to the factory antenna from the radio tuner. Its all about how you secure that cable so it doesn't move a lot during travel. Audio quality has definitely improved, which in effect makes the radio sound better. Obviously you will still get static when in a garage or other obstructed areas. Max volume is also increased, I have yet to turn it all the way up, too loud for me. But there is no distortion with loud volume. I also have had the BSW speakers installed about 6 years ago. I bet aftermarket speakers would sound amazing with this head unit.

Feel free to ask me any questions about this head unit and I will try to answer as soon as possible. I am not a vendor, promoter, sponsor etc... Just a happy customer.

Did the OEM radio also get static in a garage and obstructed areas? It seems this unit has dual radio tuner like OEM radio. Can the start up logo be changed to BMW logo? How is the Bluetooth? Does Bluetooth automatically connect to the phone once setup or do you have to do it every time you want to use it?

If I drove through an underground or multi-story parking garage my radio would be 100% static, that was for the OEM radio. Haven't been in one since my new unit, but I imagine it would be the same. I am not sure if you can change the boot logo, this is a pure android device, so I imagine if you are good with android you might be able to. Bluetooth is good, the other day I was walking to my car while talking on the phone, once I started the engine the phone call transferred to my car speakers. I was amazed by how fast this happened. So yes, it automatically connects. The thing is you have to manually sync your contacts every time. I spoke to the seller/developer, Tommy, and he said this was due to privacy reasons so kids/wife/valet etc.. would not see your contacts. So what I do is the first thing after I turn the engine on is I go to Bluetooth and sync contacts then exit to home screen. That way when you get a call or call someone minutes later, the names will show up. If you don't do this, then when you get a call the number will show with "unknown" as the name.

You can also stream audio via Bluetooth. I tested this by playing spotify on my phone then going to BT Music and started playing right away. Quality is good and there was no/minimal skips.

So far still pleased with this unit, there def. is a learning curve when using an android head unit such as how many apps to keep open etc... Still loving it and glad I bought it!

I am selling the old factory equipment if anyone is interested, (see signature), I am taking offers. Please no low ballers

aren't FOR SALE ads reserved for "fare paying" passengers?:nanana:

Yes they are, which I will be paying for in the next day or two. I'd figure I mention it here since it's relevant to the topic. I've been a premium member for 2 or 3 years, not like I'm trying to take advantage of the forum

no biggy dude...

:thumbup:

So you've had the AVIN unit now for over a month - any followup commentary? I'm terribly interested in it - actually just waiting until monday to submit the order.

How's the glare?
Bugs issues?
BT streaming work?
Pandora and other android apps work ok?

Anything else to share?

Thanks!

The glare is a little bit better than OE Navigation - Contrast and brightness is improved, however the angle of the screen makes it susceptible to glare. Closing the sunroof shade helps a lot.

Bug issues: This is the number one problem, there are bugs! Mine had an issue where sometimes the volume could not be changed (even after rebooting). Usually a factory reboot (resets everything and erases all apps and settings) solves this, but it did not for the most recent occurence. They have never heard of this problem so they agreed to send me a brand new head unit after I send the defected one back. They have just received my head unit and will ship the new one out tomorrow! Sometimes when you have a lot of apps open the unit will lag or crash. Installing a SWAP memory partition improves this by giving the system some more RAM to use.

BT Streaming: I can confirm that BT streaming works quite well when streaming spotify through my iPhone 5.

Audio Apps: I have not tried Pandora but Spotify works well. This is based off your internet connection. The optional 3G Modem sucks, I couldn't stream one song without it buffering every 5 seconds. When I upgraded to an AT&T 4G LTE personal hotspot (AT&T Unite), the buffering stopped and I was able to stream music flawlessly. Its actually fast enough to stream Netflix!

Torque: I purchased the OBD2 Bluetooth adapter from AVIN and it worked fine. However I came across a problem a week later where the unit would not recognize the OBD2. I tried a friends OBD2 and AVIN recognized it. The owner was nice enough to let me return it for a refund. I decided to buy the OBDLink LX which is a higher quality OBD2 bluetooth unit. The cheap ones such as provided from AVIN are of the ELM327 module. If you go to torque's website they will claim that some of these cheap Chinese knock-offs will not work with Torque. I believe I was a culprit to that claim. I like the OBDLink LX because you can keep it plugged in without draining your battery, it has an auto off feature. The only downside with the AVIN regarding OBD2 functionality is that you must pair the OBD2 everytime you turn on the car!

Navigation: I have only tried Google Navigation and Waze. For some reason Google Navigation always crashes (other users have reported this) the developers are currently working on a solution. Waze has worked for me, although I believe it crashed one time. I still haven't used it a lot so I can't give an honest review on it. I tried installing Sygic but it had bugs and the screen would keep blinking, so I am sticking with Waze.

Other Issues:

I noticed that the weather on the home screen does not automatically update. You have to go and refresh everytime (ANNOYING).

Bluetooth phone connection works well, audio quality and connectivity are good. To give you an idea, I was on the phone with my friend while walking to the car, as I turned the engine on while talking, the call went instantly to car speakers (I was amazed by how fast this happened). The downside is you have to sync phonebook everytime you turn the car on, if not, any incoming call will register as unknown. I try to make a habit of syncing right when I turn the car on as it will sync in the background while using navigation or listening to radio/music. The developers said that it was designed this way for privacy reasons

To be honest, you may be upset at first as there is a learning curve with this unit. You have to change some settings and get used to the interface. I would highly recommend buying a high speed microsd card and create a 512 MB SWAP partition. This will reduce the lag but only up to a minute. You also have to understand that you should not run many apps at once. Make a habit of closing apps instead of going to home screen. A rule of thumb for me is I will not run Torque simultaneosly with Waze. But I will run Spotify with Waze or Spotify with Torque. Just not all three together or Waze with Torque. I don't mind this as if I need directions to drive somewhere I am not really going to be messing with Torque.

Audio quality is excellent, some people said they have interference but that could be related to the install. I will update my review when I get my new replacement unit. If this volume issue completely goes away with the new unit, I will be satisfied with this head unit.

About the support, Tommy (developer/owner) is very helpful and responds fast to any question you may have. If you ever need troubleshooting help or just general questions, he will be able to help you.

Check out the forum on e46fanatics.com There is a thread that is about 20 pages or so. (My user name on that forum is Dr3wX5) Tommy pointed out that there may be a software update coming soon to address the bugs in the head unit.

Great write-up - thanks very much for that. :thumbup:

Surprised that you mentioned the glare being less of an issue on the AVIN than stock (if I read that right). The stock has a completely different LCD screen that actually benefits from sunlight - I have the same thing in my e46 m3 vert - which is why i'm so curious about it. But glad that it isn't a huge issue - that's great.

The bugs really have me concerned. I'm a techofile and fearless, but I can't stand the hassle of figidy stuff that is never fully working. I sent AVIN (tommy i'm assuming) a note with some questions, but I'll check out the e46 thread asap.

Thanks again.

Cheers,
Pete

Great looking install Andrew!

Hi Guys I am Tommy from avinusa.com

I just wanted to share with you guys a feature that we have recently tested with the AVIN unit and the Valentine One radar detector.

ANDROID-V1connection

The current AVIN unit supports connection with the Valentine One Radar detector and displays the radar information on the AVIN touchscreen. Now you can install the Valentine One radar in places where potential thieves can not see it and still have access to the radar indicators and bogey count. You would need the V1Connection Bluetooth module and then pair it with the AVIN unit. We tested it with the YaV1 app available for download from the Google Play store and it works great.

If anyone has questions about this feature or anything about the AVIN unit feel free to live chat with us directly from our site.

http://avinusa.com/bmw-5-series-e39-...on-system.html

Here are a few photos of the AVIN units with the Valentine One Radar detector.

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/...ps58d66fb6.jpg

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/...ps31f75669.jpg

Description of the YaV1 free app:

YaV1 (Yet Another V1 application) enhances the capabilities of your Valentine One Radar Locator when used in conjunction with the V1Connection Bluetooth adapter, and allows you to tailor its performance to fit your driving style.
Improve your Situational Awareness with:
* 3 View types - a classic V1 style, a detailed frequency Alerts view, and a Filtered view that allows you to set your own criteria
* Onscreen speed and bearing display
* SAVVY emulation to automatically silence any alerts below a specified speed limit
* GPS-based lockouts to permanently ignore known falses
* Drift adjustable dynamically while running
* Define your own "In The Box" frequency ranges for high-priority alerts, display filters, or automute parameters
* Voice alerts enabled per defined box
* Set your own sounds for audio alerts on your phone
* Background mode can display an overlay view with alert on top of other foreground applications
* Log your alerts and export them into Google Maps for later review or to match them up with footage from a dashcam
Fine-tune your Valentine One:
* Create and manage Profiles of V1 settings that can be pushed to the V1 with the tap of a button
* Enable European mode and configure Custom Sweeps to maximize your reactivity to threats specific to your region

Here is a link to the YaV1 Android app if you guys want to check out what it can do.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....franckyl.yav1

I wish the aftermarket HU makers would come up with a way to hook up with DSP systems!

That all looks great Andrew, there is a caveat, the V1 has to be the most recent unit software. Mine is one behind and I'd need to send it to Valentine to be upgraded which costs almost 200.00 (shipped, both directions)

g300d, I have my APPRADIO3, running through the DSP system, it was pretty simple, I used a BMW radio harness to attach the AR3 & moved the MID to teh glove & the CD from the dash to back by the DSP amp & wired in three wires. I have steering wheel volume control & it sounds very good.

Hey E30, thanks, I had seen a post somewhere detailing something like that.

I have factory nav as well though so I have the double din in-dash monitor. Is that workaround still applicable in my case?

My understanding is if you have OEM NAV it is harder. I think I read somewhere it was possible to get a MID and add it to not lose that functionality (time & date setting, MPG computer, etc) Which I would not want to lose but as it was nit an issue for me I can't say for certain.

Hmm, that looks like it will drive the costs up significantly lol.

Off to do more research!

Anyone notice with the AVIN unit...
1) when using onboard navigation programs Sygic, Navigon, or Copilot (all USA or North American versions from Google Play) other audio is disabled?
--For example, if listening to the radio during GPS-navigation, the radio (or BT or USB) audio will cease as soon as the text-to-speech directions are broadcasted by either Navigation program listed above. Vice versa, if the radio audio dominates, then the navigation audio ceases (perplexing). The audio of thes Nav programs work well my phone Android 4.x. Note: these programs no longer have option to adjust their audio separately, even though the instructions on their respective websites indicate such. Navigon, simply states adjust the navigation audio using the separate media volume control on your phone--this is not an option for the AVIN headunit.

I have not tested with WIFI-dependent Google maps. I want to use this unit without paying extra for WiFi streaming through my phone, since I know of other NAV head units that don't require paying extra for superb onboard navigation. See Pioneer unit options below:

AVIC Pioneer options:
Touchscreen Display; Onboard Navigation
Built-in Bluetooth; Disc/SD/USB Playback
iPod/iPhone Control; Android Connectivity
HD+Internet+SiriusXM Radio; Audio Section
AV Connections; OEM/Remote Control

2) occasionally, upon close observation, Chinese characters appear on USA AVIN unit in radio broadcast identification?:dunno:
--I took a picture of this phenomenon and will post it if interests dictates.

3) Ipod song loading is slow (Ipod Classic 160 GB with 9000+ songs). One song loads over 30 minutes and that one song will cycle over-and-over. MP3 media on USB drive is workaround with default media player or Google Play app, but the caveat is this audio will cease if running a Nav app with maps loaded to the memory card. If your IPOD device loads songs quickly, please kindly inform on the type of Ipod unit you are using, its capacity, and estimate number of songs loaded...Thanks.

4) while the warm bootup is seconds fast, it only lasts for 2 days (if that option is user-selected, shorter times are available. I am not sure why "infinity" time or "never cold-boot" option is not available). Thereafter, the next start up is a cold boot (the cold boot time (30-45 sec) is on par with big name competitor 2-DIN units. However, the reverse camera software does not work during the cold boot). NOTE: the warm boots will again last for 2 days; the cycle is repeated when I use my car each weekend. What's your opinion on this feature? Probably none, if you use your car everyday.

5) large phonebooks (500+ contacts) upload slowly in the bluetooth function? Has anyone used this function, or is your phonebook relatively small? The built-in microphone works great and external mic option is great for conversation, but playing music via bluetooth only shows the BluetoothTM symbol; no title nor artist is displayed.

6) the stylus works consistently better than the finger, especially when scrolling through menus.

The unit looks great in the 2-DIN space in the car and the visual eye candy is excellent. There are cool accessories, such as OBD 2 readouts and the Radar detector interface:thumbup: But the slow IPOD interface and the audio bug with the onboard navigation virtually negates the "navigation" feature of the AVIN:thumbdown: I might imagine users who use their phones to stream data to the AVIN may experience better navigation.:dunno:??? Any feedback from those who stream data through your phone would be invaluable. Photos or videos by users in 2014 in the US showing a tethered phone device (on the highway) serviced by one of the BIG providers (ATT, Sprint, Verizon etc) would be helpful to some members on the XOUTPOST community.

For me, I give it one :thumbup: for the decent visual radio UI, and one :thumbdown: for the limited EQ function and the other non-existent audio tweaks for the audiophile. For casual listener, the audio adjustments, while minimal, are satisfactory--but the OEM unit's sound adjustments were satisfactory.

I give two :thumbdown::thumbdown: for the Onboard Navigation and IPOD interface that does not meet expectation of an $800 stereo that advertises these functions.

I realize that other aftermarket 2-DIN units needing a faceplate to mount the unit removes some of the visual appeal that AVIN unit showcases. But the cohesive programs installed on for example a 2014 Pioneer, Sony, Alpine, Soundstream, Kenwood (particularly those which offer fast Nav, BT, and Ipod interfacing) might outweigh what is lost aesthetically (not saying necessarily these are the best alternatives, but I would definitely explore these as options based on commentary by a company such as Crutchfield).

Would I recommend the E53 Full Android [2.3.4] "GPS" Navigation AVINUSA unit to a friend...? Likely NOT

X5 owner since 2004. Based on some of the posts here bought the AVINUSA for the looks and ANDROID features but regret the purchase.

- Disappointed to note the AM Radio is designed for Europe and the frequency interval jumps in 9KHz. I live in the Chicago area and could not tune to the local frequencies such as AM780, AM890 etc. It will go to the nearest interval of 9. I asked TOMMY from AVINUSA and he mentioned that is how it was designed. There is no setting or switch to change the frequency to USA system. Any one else had this issue?

- The angled display is a hard to read in day light.

- In the night the buttons do not lighted. Tommy mentioned that there is a different wiring needs to be done to get the lights activated.

- There is no install instructions. I thought it was meant to the DYI crowd but the manual says install professionally. Took some time to figure out what needs to be done.

On the positive side the Bluetooth, WIFI all worked as expected.

I am also at the same conclusion. Will probably not recommend to a friend for the high price asked.

Hi

We have a new software update that fixes the AM tuning and now you will be able to tune to 560, 780, 890, or 1000 AM frequency. If anyone needs the new update that fixes the AM tuning please email me at [email protected]

Note: This update only addresses the AM tuning everything else is the same.

I have sent you instruction for the button illumination. If you need further help with it please send me an email and I will happily help you get it working properly.

Can you change the boot screen logo?

On the AVIN Avant 2 you can. Not too sure about the Avant 1. I have upgraded to the Avant 2 about 6 months ago and its great!

Thanks! Is it easy to add a subwoofer to the E53 with this unit? Is the X5 cabled already for a sub?

Another question regarding these new Android headunits... the screen angle. How is the viewing angle reflection compared to the stock nav screen? Does it have reflection issues? What part of the car is reflected in the screen based on the driver's viewing angle?