2014 FF Stereo head unit upgrade UK

I just couldn't live with the 2010 Chrysler tech that came standard in the FF so last week had an upgrade installed.I decided to try head unit first before speakers just to see if it made a difference and it did, a big difference.

Understand I'm not an audiophile I really wanted functionality. Mainly DAB Radio and Android Auto.

I'd picked a Pioneer unit initially, all singing, all dancing wireless carplay and AA, Nav, the lot. Top end kit.

After having a chat with the installer I swapped to a Kenwood unit for a number of reasons.

I decided my phone was always going to be more up to date then any hard installed NAV, plus the fact I use Waze anyway that it made little sense to pay for an integrated NAV.

I did still like the idea of wireless, however the owner at the installer had this and said he never used it as he was always ended up pluggin the phone in to charge it anyhow...which made sense.

So unit chosen was a Kenwood DMX7520DABS

Installed by these people who I would happily recommend in Coulsdon, Surrey,

https://briancarsounds.co.uk/

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Here's the install:-

Everything works (including the USB in the passenger cubby hole on the dash - apparrently it has a Renault interface and was plug and play with the Kenwood head unit) bar the info on the right screen.

Once the guys took the dash apart it was clear there had been a previous install which had been removed, everything had just been put back together with no care, so they took it all apart and put it back as it came from the factory - all included in the price.

I am delighted with the functionality and the sound, it is now clearly driving the speakers in a way the factory head unit couldn't and the sound is way better and plenty enough for me.

I did also have the boot and rear seat are covered in Dynamat (but for other reasons) which helped sound also.

The reality is there's so much road, engine and transmission noise I wonder exactly how much benefit you'd get from a full install.

Total cost supplied and fitted £1,250
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Backup camera displays on the right binnacle screen on the dash.

This unit does have camera facilities though if it's something you wanted coded.

 

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I must add here that the Dynamat was done separately (elsewhere) and wasn't part of the £1,250 installation - that was head unit and adapters only.

 

A little bit of an update on this installation having used it for a few weeks.

I had a problem with DAB radio reception, it was OK when not using Android Auto, the moment i plugged the phone in reception went altogether.

We figured out that connecting the factory USB (in the slot where the optional passenger display is) generated so much electrical "noise" that it killed the DAB signal. So we routed the USB connection out of the dash into the centre console and problem solved.

So I can now use Waze/Google maps and listen to DAB radio. Still though reception isn't great, just tollerable.

I was browsing the Eurospares parts diagrams looking at the infotainment system (actually looking at the sub set up) and stumbled across a factory FM2/DAB amplifier module that will be fitted to the facelift FF with the Clarion head unit. See part 2 on the following diagram.

https://www.eurospares.co.uk/Ferrari/FF/FF_(RHD)/PartDiagrams/0136/INFOTAINMENT_SYSTEM

I had a chat with the installer about fitting this and he said it was worth a shot, but he suggested before I do that to download "Radioplayer" app and try that first.

I did download it and I'll probably never use DAB again if the stability is there in the signal. You can get all the usual DAB channels through the app and the sound quality is simply leagues ahead of the broadcast DAB signal even when sat in my garage. It's going to be interesting to see how it works whilst driving around.

I'm in the UK so I'm not sure if this app translates geographically, it's certainly the future of in car radio here.