Welp, I just this minute bought an Avant-1 system. It was the last Avant-1 that they had and were selling it half price. It seems the big differences are just app and internet capabilities, things which I could care less about. All that I want is bluetooth calling, some form of music play (aux port, USB, bluetooth streaming, etc), in-dash nav (not necessary but cool) and that's about it. So, the Avant-1 seems to do everything that I care about and more. Hopefully I'll fall in-love with it! We'll see.........

Did you buy it off of ebay?????

AVIN 101
 

You obviously did not do your research. Did you even attempt to check out the Avin Website?

I took screenshots of the features from the Avant 1 and Avant 2. I know its sloppy but take a look below:

http://i61.tinypic.com/sbtw5l.jpg

Top three differences in my opinion are:
1.7 GHz vs 800 MHz Processor
Capacitive Touchscreen vs Resistive Touchscreen
Android 4.X vs Android 2.X

App and internet capabilities are the biggest differences... c'mon man!

I had the Avant 1, matter of fact, the picture the OP posted is my unit! But I am upgrading to the Avant 2 as we speak, for the new features. Tommy is the person who created and perfected the ROM for this unit. His support has highly exceeded my expectations. I don't think this guy sleeps, you send him an email and he gets back to you within a day (usually a few hours).

I'm actually waiting until sometime next month because they are getting Avant 2 units with the corners shaved off to fit the e53 interior better. The original Avant 1 and 2 will still fit but you will notice on the bottom the corners are sharp and the insert is round..

I know the Avant 1 real well and I can probably answer any question you throw at me.

On vehicles with DSP the avant2 will require you modifications to the vehicle (installing aftermarket amp or relocation of MID etc), isn't that so? If that is the case, more apps and internet capabilities would naturally more than make up for these hustles in the long run.

Both, the Avant 1 and 2 are NOT designed for DSP systems. For both systems you would need to use an aftermarket amp and connect all your speakers to that amp. Only then can you use the Avant units.

For vehicles with factory NAV, you need to run an extension from the unit to the trunk. No big deal just run it under the carpet, plenty of space down there!

Not rude in the slightest. I did indeed do research (thank you) however, I am not tech savvy in the least so I quite frankly don't understand a lot (but not all) of the differences. I looked at their web site and eMailed them as well.

Yeah I realized that came out pretty rude, my apologies. If you're confused about a certain product, ask on the forum. 90% of the time you will get an answer. Hopefully the Avant 1 will satisfy your needs. Tommy is a great resource, did you purchase from Avin directly?

Thanks, I appreciate that. Yes, I got it from Avin and so far, their service has been very quick and I've been very happy thus far. My needs and desires for such a unit are pretty basic, so I am fairly certain that I will be happy with it. If not, I'll chuck it and try the Avant-2. My gut says that the 1 will be just fine though. :thumbup:

Fingers crossed for you. I skipped Avin and was going to go Dynavin until the Avant 2 came out, which is why I changed my mind. Kit Kat is great if you are used to an android phone.

Tommy's service is definitely top notch. I'm sure if you end up wanting the Avant 2 he will help you out somehow.

To the above saying the Avant will work with DSP... it was my understanding the only one that would do so is the Dynavin. Or maybe that was a typo by hunds02? Neither the 1 or 2 versions of the Avant work with DSP... or at least that has been my understanding.

I love my Avant 2 every time I drive the truck... hope you have the same experience with the Avant 1. :thumbup:

Off topic, but after being a 16yr customer, Sprint cancelled my service w/o question, a second chance, etc because I was tethering as well. I rooted my phone as was running Trev E mod with a nice little WiFi widget, was doing it basically every evening for a better part of two years...then one day I got a letter. They said I was roaming and had gone over 500 min, but I blew it off. It wasn't until they cancelled me that they bundle roaming/tethering into the same thing. Took me about 3 weeks and changing my number before things were back to normal. I can get on my soapbox all day long about having an unlimited plan and yet they feel they can demand $30 extra a month for using the internet I already pay for (it's not like sharing it to other devices makes my signal any faster, uses more, etc) but just a heads-up...don't go over 500min a month and if you get the warning letter, don't ignore it like I did.

Back to the topic :D