Avin Navigation System......anyone?
 

I'm considering getting an Avin Avant-2 for my X5. The reviews seem really, really good and I'm intrigued. Do any other E53 owners on here have them? If so, what do you think? Other BMW model owners seem to love them.



Here's a photo of one installed in an E53:

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k6...ps5rye9ryy.png

I fall into the category of other BMW model owners (E46), so can’t comment specifically on the E53, but have been running the AVIN Avant-2 for almost a year now and couldn't speak more highly of Tommy and the unit itself.

Interested, as well, in what other E53 owners have to say. :thumbup:

Curious, how do you compare it to the dynavin n6 which has been discussed much here?

crystalworks has the Avin unit and a very detailed writeup from a recent thread.

I also have the avant2 and am excited because today my package from Jeff at jandt distributing came with the crossover and 5 channel replacement amp came. My goal for tomorrow is to finish installing the avin backup camera and dash cam as well as wire up the crossover network and amp. My vehicle had factory nav but the previous owner hacked up all the wiring in an attempt to add a sub. she then sold it to me with many electronic issues. One of many issues I should have run from but didn't because I wanted a manual x5. I plan to post photos and stuff from work sunday. I can't say enough nice things about the people with all three of these products.

Jon

I plan on doing an update to that thread with a review now that I have lived with the unit for a while.

But, after rooting my phone (stupid Sprint) and tethering the unit... the wife and I absolutely love the Avant 2. We were watching youtube on the way home from Houston the last time we went out of town, and google maps works flawlessly. Have tried out the BMWhat app but not enough to really give any review of it... I can say it works, but what it will allow you to code or read I don't know yet as I am still not sure if I want to pony up the $50+ for the full version.

There are a couple gripes... most of which can be read in the install thread. Needing to trim the front bezel was a big one... and the reverse cam I bought along with the unit was NOT for an e53 even though it is sold as such. I had to do much modification to get that to work. Though it does work very well now.

Anyway, let me know if you have any specific questions and I'd be happy to answer if I can.

I actually don't have any first-hand experience with the Dynavin N6, but one of the main factors for me is that the Avant-2 runs on Android. I'm comfortable with the OS and like that I can write automation scripts with Tasker, as well as integrate it with other apps I'm familiar with. Gives a lot of flexibility to what I can do with it and customization was a big decision factor for me, really more than anything.

is there a difference between the Avin avant 1 and the avin avant 2??:dunno:

Obviously one is newer with more features

I figured one was new. What I was asking what is the differences between the "new" 1 and the "old" 1

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

Crystalworks you are correct, the avant units won't work out of the box for dsp system. what I was trying to get at was that after extensive modification you may get it to work.

Yeah, it's ridiculous. I was pissed when I found out they wanted $30 extra. This is the first time I have rooted my phone and it was for this one purpose. I want to switch to T-Mobile for better service (signal wise) but they make you purchase the phones at full retail and roll payments into the bill. At least Sprint gives you a hefty break on the phones (with 2 yr contract). Been a customer for over a decade as well...

I don't think I'll have a problem though since I only drive the X5 2-3 times a week and don't tether every time. What did you mean 500 mins? Should that be 500mb or something? I'll check my Sprint usage and see if I have any roaming minutes on there.

M5james, it sucks that they got you. There was actually a huge deal with Verizon not that long ago about teathering, data usage, and terminating accounts (as well as limiting apps but those are irrelevant in this case). Turns out Verizon could not limit your usage in anyway provided you pay for X amount of data a month unless you are on the unlimited plan. This is because of the wording in Verisons contract for the airwaves(right word?) they lease. Sucks for unlimited users, but they are a minority any more. I am sure that would also apply to Sprint since they share Verizon's network.

I recently switched from Verizon to AT&T. They also roll your phone cost into your plan. I was shocked that financing a phone was even thing, they just used to be discounted or free with a 2yr contract. But I buy my phones outright anyway and not from the service providers. I usually go through Google, Amazonwireless, or the manufacturer.

Can you elaborate on how that works Josh? I'd like to do that with T-mobile because they are the same price as Sprint for unlimited with our 2 lines and much better 4G service. Sprint sucks much of the time.

Is there a list of supported phones per carrier or something? I did ask the T-mobile rep about buying a new or used phone from another source and they said it was possible with a few exceptions.

LOL let's see how far off topic we can get this thread... though I guess tethering discussions pertain to the Avant... kind of. :thumbup:

Let me start by saying there are exceptions to everything, but this is a very basic run down. Some of my info may be out of date as the cellphone game is evolving rapidly. Verizon and Sprint run off of the CMDA network, AT&T and T-mobile run off of the GSM network. Because of this you typically have two versions of the same phone, CMDA or GSM. Typically the phones can be switched between sister services (AT&T-Tmobile, or Verizon-Sprint), but not across different networks. So if you switch to T-Mobile from Sprint, you will most likely need a new (to you at least) GSM phone. I believe most phones you buy form the network provider are locked to that provider. For example, an Iphone bought at the AT&T store is locked to the AT&T service, but can be unlocked at request to move over to T-Mobile or continued use at AT&T. An Unlocked GSM Iphone purchased online from retailers, or maybe the Apple store, can be used on either, and switched on the fly by swapping SIM cards. CDMA, Verizon and Sprint, are beginning to work similar to their GSM competitors. Recently Verizon has moved to SIM cards, allowing quick and easy swapping of phones. I think Sprint is as well or is not far behind. Some phones also are both GSM and CDMA capable, but I do not know how common those are yet.

But lets stick to GSM as you are looking at T-Mobile. Having an "unlocked" phone will give you more freedom to switch between GSM providers. Here is just an example of non-contract unlocked GSM phones.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_24077...nid=4039087011

Typically any phone you buy from the manufacturer is unlocked. Here is Google's offering straight from the horses mouth.

https://play.google.com/store/device...us_6_blue_32gb

And this is what I use.

https://oneplus.net/


You can buy used phones, but you do need to make sure that;
1) They aren't stolen
2) They are unlocked (as usually the original owner has to unlocked the phone prior to selling to cut down on thefts)
3) They are on the network you wish to use (GSM or CDMA)

You can insure your unlocked-elsewhere purchased-phone through the carrier like in the past, but warranty claims are done through where you purchased or the manufacturer just like your other electronic devices. Sprint has taken to attempting to repair the phones in house rather than sending them back to the manufacturer, so it may be better in the long run anyway. Hope this has helped some.

Great information. Thanks a bunch Josh. We are out of contract already after our last phone purchases (LG Optimus G) and won't get new ones through Sprint in case we want to switch to T-mobile and buy outright. They offer LG phones as well (we prefer those).

Glad to help. Yeah there are a ton of LG offerings. I hear the G3 is all the rage right now but haven't played with one yet myself.

I honestly don't remember the exact verbage she said just because I was still caught up on the whole thing of how they were saying I was roaming for over 500 min...I was like "I'm NOT roaming at all, let alone that much, but even if I was, that sounds like a network issue for you to address" but then after getting passed around to mutiple operators, even in different countries, someone clarified that it was due to tethering. They send the letter, if it doesn't stop after X date, they shut off...no questions asked. I tested them and found out the hardway.

Yeah, I'm by no means a Sprint fanboy...I signed up with them after the military, I DEFINITELY had my growing pains with them (dropped a call to 911 after a car accident one time, been charged $3000+ for a billing misunderstanding that they took out on autopay, etc) but I've stuck with them for the simple fact of my signal for the most part has been good but ultimately I NEED unlimited data because I stream music at work for upwards of 12hrs a day, the drive home is bluetooth paired to my stereo (my X5 and Harley F150 have Erisin car stereos that are Android based), running Waze, watching online movies while on roadtrips, etc etc so I'm a heavy user. I get a 25% Boeing discount, so for what I pay a month, there's no real comparison.

The photo may not be as nice as most on this site but for the first time since buying my x5 the radio works. I bought the German audio solution crossover and 5.1 amp only thing left factory is the speaker wires and speakers.

Jesus Mary and Joseph thats a ton of wiring going on

Hi all, OP here. The system came in a coupe of days ago and I installed it yesterday. They nailed it, it was basically a total 'plug n' play'. You just have to tap a wire for the buttons to illuminate (easy, easy, easy). Everything came right on and looks great! The sound is great, the bluetooth calling functions perfectly (I can hear fine and everyone I called said that they could hear me just fine too), the controls are easy to figure out and everything looks so OEM! The only issue I had is that they forgot to include the WiFi USP plug thingy that enables internet/navigation. I eMailed Tommy and he sent one right out and it should be here in a couple days! So far, I absolutely LOVE it!!

How does the unit physically fit? Did you need to trim the bottom corners?

No trimming required. It slid right in and looks absolutely perfect!

+1 on no trimming required. My Avant 1 bottom corners were not trimmed but it still slides in fine. The bottom corner trimming is more for a cosmetic improvement rather than functionality.

Keep us posted on the performance and any issues you may or may not run into.

Are the corners rounded... or are they 90 degree angles?

If they aren't rounded at all... I'd consider it 100% necessary. I tried to slide my unit in and once it got to the corners would not go in without forcing it in... and it would leave a terrible gap as well. That's something I could not live with... but I have OCD so YMMV.

Glad to hear the Avant 1 worked out for you OP. You'll have to update with your feelings on it after you get the USB wifi adapter and live with it for a few months.

Apologies for the late reply. The Avin 1 does cause a slight gap, but nothing really noticeable.

I just received the Avin 2, with the bottom corners rounded off. Gap is eliminated and so far no issues. I will see if Tommy wants to start an official Avin Avant 2 thread on the electronic forum and I will post my thoughts and experience there.

This thread should also be moved to Mobile Electronics Thread.

After reading some of the replies after my installation, I noticed that there was indeed a very slight overhang. So after tracing the rounded opening, I shaved and rounded the corners just a little bit and it clicked right in. I have no overhang and absolutely no gaps, looks 100% OEM!

The new Avant 2 units have rounded corners. Which is good... I don't know how that was overlooked in the first version. At least it is taken care of now.

After 5 months we are still loving ours but we do have to send it back under warranty because the wifi locked up. Will not let us enable it. We use Google Maps for nav so this killed our nav and audio streaming (Pandora and Spotify). Troubleshooted the issue with Tommy and he said the unit needs to go back. No biggie... he has been great with communication and things happen, so we are not disappointed to have to send it back for replacement.

Ok so just reading through this and was looking into this unit for my wifes X5.
But what is the low down on the DSP integration? Does it work with X's with DSP because my wife's has this option.
Also with us being an iPhone family will this be an issue seeing as the unit is an Android based operation?

It will work with DSP, you just have to let them know that when ordering, as there is some type of an adaptor that they reference.

We've only owned iPhones since they came out and there is no problem with integration. My Bluetooth and everything works terrific between the Avin and my iPhone.

Thanks so much for the quick response Dusty! Much appreciated.

Hold on a sec, Avin works with DSP!!..?? I thought you'd need to remove the DSP amp and replace it with aftermarket? I thought only Dynavin N6 works with DSP.

^^^Me too.

Waiting on definitive confirmation of this for sure, would be nice to have both options.

EDIT: By "working with DSP", x5only and both myself are speaking about plugging and playing with factory DSP compatibility, not an adapter so you can bypass and run a different amp. If it works out of the box without changing the stock system on DSP like the Dynavin does, then I consider that feature the same as Dynavin.

Confirmed with Tommy from Avin that it does NOT work with DSP right out of the box and the factory amp would have to be replaced.
Not totally what I wanted to get into here for this but maybe down the road.

I know this is a Avin thread but does the Dynavin have a good rep with the X's?

Dynavin thread...

xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/98352-dynavin-n6-install-pics.html