Goodby --- hello Kenwood

[nissanfrontier]

All this talking bad about the AVICs has me really worried when I get my 90bt on Friday.

[pete3025]

I did have problem with my time staying correct as well on my 90 BT but I set it to atlantic time and it worked, I also get those frozen screens here and there from dropped calls or hang ups on the other parties end I would have to say it is annoying. I really dont think the start up time is bad, I like that fact that this unit is very customizable, and easy to navigate around the menus. The reason I strayed away from Kenwood is because my Ex's DNX 7100 kept having problems with the cd ejecting, it was sent in 5 times then that was it.... pulled and sold. Now my best friend has the DNX 8120 and its having random rebooting issues and his G1 sounds like really bad when using the BT. Personally I do not like the menu setup on that unit. I dont know, I guess some of those Kenwoods are not problem free...

[spta97]

I do get a little annoyed by the sluggish response at times of my F90BT and how the voice recognition does not recognize anything I say, but over all I am happy with the unit.

 

I seem to have been spared from many of the problems that others have but I feel that a 3.0 firmware update from Pioneer would make this unit perfect provided it addressed some of these issues.

[1fastrsx]

2 other issues come to mind now about my 90bt. 1) The sound quality is not that great, there is a constant hiss from the system at low volume or no source. This isn't a grounding issue since the noise doesn't change intensity or pitch when I rev the engine.

 

2) The touch screens sensitivity is horrible, even after many calibrations. I always found it hard to get the XM presets to change you had to hold your finger perfectly still while driving at 80mph to get the damn thing to change. You could see the button light up when you touched it but still you have to hold it there just a little longer which makes no sense.

 

There are just so many little things that have now added up to me getting something else. Better or worse I just need something different before this deck finds its self being tossed out my window at 80mph.

[colnago]

I do get a little annoyed by the sluggish response at times of my F90BT...

 

If you haven't already, try chaning the memory allocation so that more RAM is used for "programs" vs. "storage". I have RAM allocated ~ 90% for programs, ~10% for storage. My 700 shipped with the 2.0 firmware, with RAM allocated at ~ programs ~30%, storage ~70%.

 

I've noticed about a 75% increase on button reation and screen transition times. Basically the unit is much more responsive switching between screens. Aside from switching to/navigating SD card, it takes a second or less to move between screens.

[spta97]

I do get a little annoyed by the sluggish response at times of my F90BT...

 

If you haven't already, try chaning the memory allocation so that more RAM is used for "programs" vs. "storage". I have RAM allocated ~ 90% for programs, ~10% for storage. My 700 shipped with the 2.0 firmware, with RAM allocated at ~ programs ~30%, storage ~70%.

 

I've noticed about a 75% increase on button reation and screen transition times. Basically the unit is much more responsive switching between screens. Aside from switching to/navigating SD card, it takes a second or less to move between screens.

 

Are there instructions on how to do this? Is this in the AVIC software or in Windows CE?

 

Thanks for the info.

[gruvncubn]

2 other issues come to mind now about my 90bt. 1) The sound quality is not that great, there is a constant hiss from the system at low volume or no source. This isn't a grounding issue since the noise doesn't change intensity or pitch when I rev the engine.

I agree with you, I even went to store I bought mine at and swapped it out to test it and the new unit made even more of his. I can hear even more because I have after market amps and you can hear the hiss when when you switch from source to source and when you pause any source CD, iPod, SD etc. the only source it doesn't his is FM & HD radio, I don't have XM so I can't say if it does it on it. Again it is not an grounding issue or power wires crossing the RCAs, it is the head unit it's self. I called Pioneer and they said to send it in. Right then I am stuck without a radio for however long it takes to get it back... no thanks.

 

Other than that this unit has been ok... I used to get the long pause after a call but I lowered the Master Volume down to 0 and now the unit doesn't pause any more, well if it does it is short pause. Just an FYI when you lower the Master Volume it does not give you turn by turn directions... in other words it doesn't interrupt the music when it need to tell you to turn.

 

I feel for the money I paid I can't really complain because my F90BT came with everything I wanted it to do outside of Backup Camera and HD Radio. I have noticed that lately the bootup time has become shorter around 20 sec and music plays almost as soon as I turn on the car... maybe 10 sec.

[spta97]

2 other issues come to mind now about my 90bt. 1) The sound quality is not that great, there is a constant hiss from the system at low volume or no source. This isn't a grounding issue since the noise doesn't change intensity or pitch when I rev the engine.

I agree with you, I even went to store I bought mine at and swapped it out to test it and the new unit made even more of his. I can hear even more because I have after market amps and you can hear the hiss when when you switch from source to source and when you pause any source CD, iPod, SD etc. the only source it doesn't his is FM & HD radio, I don't have XM so I can't say if it does it on it. Again it is not an grounding issue or power wires crossing the RCAs, it is the head unit it's self. I called Pioneer and they said to send it in. Right then I am stuck without a radio for however long it takes to get it back... no thanks.

 

Other than that this unit has been ok... I used to get the long pause after a call but I lowered the Master Volume down to 0 and now the unit doesn't pause any more, well if it does it is short pause. Just an FYI when you lower the Master Volume it does not give you turn by turn directions... in other words it doesn't interrupt the music when it need to tell you to turn.

 

I feel for the money I paid I can't really complain because my F90BT came with everything I wanted it to do outside of Backup Camera and HD Radio. I have noticed that lately the bootup time has become shorter around 20 sec and music plays almost as soon as I turn on the car... maybe 10 sec.

 

Hiss is usually a result of volume or gain being set too high. What type of amps do you have? I wonder if the gain is not set high enough on them causing you to increase the volume on the avic or if the gain is set too high on the amps you are introducing the noise from them.

[colnago]

To change memory settings:

 

- Boot into WindowsCE (well documented on this board)

- Go to "Start"

- Go to "Settings"

- Open "Control Panel"

- Open "System"

- Under the "Memory" tab, set memory allocaton accordingly

[gruvncubn]

I actually lowered my gains because of the hissing. I used to have a Alpine CDA-9886 and I never got the hissing I get from my F90BT. Each amp is ground separately as well. It is not the AMPs or the speakers its the head unit. I just read the manual again you can adjust the SLA for each source but you are only talking +-4 so I can't see that doing much but I will give it a try. BTW I went this weekend and bought ground isolating filters and still getting the hissing.

[another gsxr 1k]

There are just so many little things that have now added up to me getting something else. Better or worse I just need something different before this deck finds its self being tossed out my window at 80mph.

 

 

I'll give you $50 + shipping for it since you're planing on tossing it out the window....

[CatchMeIfYouCan631]

I'll give you $50 + shipping for it since you're planing on tossing it out the window....

 

$60. Do i hear $70?

[S4]

Relating to the hissing issues you guys have, that's not unit's fault. Or at least not if it's a working unit. I have no hiss. It's actually dead silent where my OEM stereo was hissing pretty bad and Audi called that normal.

Also, touchscreen works just fine on mine.

 

I'm not denying that the unit doesn't have it's faults but seems like a lot of these are issues that are related to how your system is setup and what aftermarket stuff you are using. Can't blame Pioneer for that.

[gruvncubn]

Relating to the hissing issues you guys have, that's not unit's fault. Or at least not if it's a working unit. I have no hiss. It's actually dead silent where my OEM stereo was hissing pretty bad and Audi called that normal.

Also, touchscreen works just fine on mine.

 

I'm not denying that the unit doesn't have it's faults but seems like a lot of these are issues that are related to how your system is setup and what aftermarket stuff you are using. Can't blame Pioneer for that.

 

No it is the head unit... you can hear the hiss more when you select a different source then it quiets down a little. I think because you are listening to the unit un-amplified you can't hear the hiss, also most stock speakers don't have a separate tweeter and crossover for proper sound staging. The very best factory stereo can not compete with after market equipment period. Most manufactures outsource their audio to aftermarket companies like Pioneer, Alpine etc. and what you get is there bottom of the barrel gear. Case in point my Honda Element came with Alpine factory gear but didn't have separates mid's & high's, the cones are made from paper and was grossly under powered and the sub was not tight. Thats one example... I also have 06 SAAB 93 that Pioneer was contracted for the audio and the same issues are found with that setup. Listening to the radio in your car just using the radio to power your sound may not produce the hissing we are getting.

[BorisM]

No it is the head unit... you can hear the hiss more when you select a different source then it quiets down a little. I think because you are listening to the unit un-amplified you can't hear the hiss, also most stock speakers don't have a separate tweeter and crossover for proper sound staging. The very best factory stereo can not compete with after market equipment period. Most manufactures outsource their audio to aftermarket companies like Pioneer, Alpine etc. and what you get is there bottom of the barrel gear. Case in point my Honda Element came with Alpine factory gear but didn't have separates mid's & high's, the cones are made from paper and was grossly under powered and the sub was not tight. Thats one example... I also have 06 SAAB 93 that Pioneer was contracted for the audio and the same issues are found with that setup. Listening to the radio in your car just using the radio to power your sound may not produce the hissing we are getting.

 

Well, my car had a higher-end sounв system (Personally I would not call Bose anything higher-end, but Audi does) that has separate tweeters, crossovers, the works... There's no hiss from AVIC here...