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Head Units

Car, Truck, Marine and Power-Sport Head Units

Also known as a receiver, or most often referred to as the stereo, the Head Unit in any vehicle is the source of all media to be played over the speaker or video system of your car stereo. Todays head units can play a multitude of media from many different sources while offering you hands free connectivity to your wireless devices for making calls and connecting with your apps so you can keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road and both off of your phone.

Todays receivers can play audio and video from sources like a USB thumb drive, a CD, an 1/8″ auxiliary input and even connecting wirelessly over Bluetooth or (BT) from your phone. Select head units can display GPS through built in navigation or through the Google Maps app from your smart phone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. Backup cameras, sideview cameras, and even frontal cameras can now be added to vehicles and viewed on select car stereo units. Options like HD radio, Sirius/XM, and DVD playback integration are available in todays head units along with capabilities like displaying crucial vehicle information such as low tire pressures and other vehicle warning messages when vehicles are equipped to communicate with iDatalink Maestro devices. Some car stereos are even able to connect a CB style mic for communication between the driver and the passengers of larger size vehicles like busses.

DIN or DDIN?

DIN and DDIN refer to the spacing of a head unit. A DIN size receiver is half of the height of a DDIN. A DDIN size unit would be just about any touch screen size head unit on the market today. A DIN unit is typically just a radio and typically does not have a touch screen. A DIN head unit may still play a DVD and if available may provide a storage pocket built into the dash kit under your new stereo unit after replacement. 

Todays vehicles are moving away from the typical standard DIN and DDIN size openings. New vehicles today have just an infotainment screen or their head units are  designed to integrate into the dash sometimes with the vents and the HVAC controls all integrated as one unit.

Replacing your Head Unit?

Did your head unit finally bite the dust? Do you want to level up on your car stereo game? Do you just require an upgraded unit for added functionality? Whatever your reason may be Jackson Tint and Sound can help you pick out the right head unit with your desired accessories and provide you with simply the best professional installation within your budget.

Dash Kits: Most vehicles will need a dash kit that will allow your head unit to adapt to the footprint in the dash that your factory stereo currently fills. Some dash kits will provide the addition of a storage pocket to fill the space leaving a nice clean look.

Wiring Harness: As todays vehicles continue to progress in the advancement of their car stereo designs it is necessary to use a wiring harness to safely connect to the pigtail harness of your new car stereo. These wiring harnesses are typically colored to match the wiring of your new receiver. Some vehicles require the head unit to communicate with the factory amplifier and a special wiring harness is necessary for this communication. Some vehicles have no accessory power and instead send a digital accessory signal to tell the factory radio to turn on. Some cars will even require an antenna adapter to convert the factory antenna connection to a standard Motorola style FM Connector. We stock many common wiring harnesses, dash kit adapters and antenna adapters for car stereo replacements.

Steering Wheel Controls: If you have radio controls on your steering wheel and you would like to retain these controls for operation of your head unit than a steering wheel control interface module will have to be added to the car when replacing the stereo. Even if you don’t use these controls much you can still benefit from the resale value of your vehicles car stereo being in 100% working condition. These control modules must be connected and pre-programmed before completing the head unit installation. The receiver will also require an input for the steering wheel control module.

Sirius X/M: If your vehicle is currently equipped with Sirius X/M, or if you’ve had it added on before to your existing stereo, or if you would like to add Sirius X/M service to your new or existing head unit, you may require a Sirius X/M tuner added on.

In some cases we can add an extension from the factory Sirius X/M system in your vehicle but most times we cannot. Some head units will retain the factory Sirius X/M function through connectivity with iDatalink Maestro modules but you might not find the service available under the source media page of the stereo. Instead you might have to navigate to a satellite menu page within the unit to get to your Sirius X/M service which our President has found to be a nuisance of extra steps when driving while regularly changing media sources. If you purchase a Sirius X/M Ready stereo and would like to add the Sirius X/M service, then adding a Sirius X/M tuner to your head unit would be necessary. We have in-dash tuner and dash mountable tuners that can be moved between vehicles and your home with the addition of other Sirius X/M docking stations.

So Many Choices, Where Do I Begin?

Spacing: Can you fit a DDIN or do you need to find a DIN size head unit? Do you need a custom fit stereo from the Restyle line at Alpine? Is there enough depth behind the factory stereo to accommodate a larger DDIN size head unit? Is there enough space to accommodate the connections of all the accessory wiring? Jackson Tint and Sound can help you narrow down what automotive receivers are your best options and what obstacles might be found. We have decades of A/V installation and car stereo experience to help you select the right unit.

Accessory Functions and Capabilities: Why are you replacing your head unit and what kind of functionality do want to integrate into it? Most customers will find that it is time to replace their car stereo because their current make and model has ran it’s life span. Others are looking for BT hands free calling and connectivity with their phone to stream music media directly from their phone storage or through apps like Pandora and Spotify. Perhaps you would like a backup camera image to show up on a larger screen from a DDIN head unit. Perhaps you would like to watch a DVD while camping. All this is possible and the right receiver depends on your specific needs and budget.

Most head units will work with Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto offering you the ability for easy streaming of music and in some cases certain apps like Maps, Spotify, and Pandora. Most head units that work in this way require your phone to be connected directly to the stereo with a wire. However every phone can play music media from any app over BT audio when connected to the unit with a wireless BT connection. Some stereos are even offering WiFi connectivity now for faster transfer times of information.

Will your head unit be exposed to water, dust, salt? Marine Grade head units for these applications one might find in a boat, convertible or an ATV are specially designed to be water resistant and host corrosive resistant components and added protection from salt water, dust and debris.

Your car and truck AV receiver is the brain of your car stereo. It can simply tune your favorite radio station and get you down the road or your it can be a full infotainment system with HDMI inputs for the addition of external video inputs like DVD players and video game consoles. Some receivers come with full tuning capabilities like time correction and 9 band parametric equalizers and can distribute multiple video outputs to other TV’s!

The head unit is the first and only device in your car stereo that reproduces your media. Essentially, no matter what speakers, amplifiers, or subwoofers you have in your car, those devices only sound as good as the signal they get from your stereo receiver. Pairing a full set of JL Audio speakers and subwoofers for instance with a Pioneer head unit is a waste of your JL Audio speaker’s potential. With that said, your head unit will only sound as good as your media type. Compressed audio from an MP3 streaming over BT will never sound as good as a 16bit 48kHz audio file as you would find on a CD or a high resolution 32bit 128kHz streaming audio file from the Tidal app. Now you can put everything onto a USB thumb drive as a media option and just plug it into your car!

1 product

  • Fusion MS-RA70NSX : DIN 2-Zone Marine Radio Fusion MS-RA70NSX : DIN 2-Zone Marine Radio, front side.

    Fusion RA70NSX : DIN 2-Zone Marine Radio

    Pre-Order Today!

    Dual-Zone DIN-Size Marine-Grade Head-Unit Introducing the MS-RA70NSX, Fusion’s sleekest value-packed marine stereo now with SiriusXM capability, designed to deliver a quality on-water entertainment experience by incorporating some of the latest marine technologies. The MS-RA70NSX is engineered to seamlessly replace any standard DIN sized non-marinized stereo without the need to reconfigure dash space. Clever styling gives the installer the option of either mounting the stereo with a conventional flush finish or integrating it flat into a glass helm, ensuring a high-end finish to the installation. Features: SiriusXM-Ready™ with advanced features (USA only) - SiriusXM satellite radio is available, along with a selection of advanced features: Instant Replay, where you can replay songs from up to 1 hour past playing, making sure you never have to miss another beat of your favorite tunes. TuneStart, where you will always hear the song playing on each of your favorite stations from the start, no matter how far along it is when you change the channel. TuneMix, where you can create your own channel from a mix of your favorites to create your very own custom channel. TuneMix also gives you the ability to skip songs back to the last hour you have been listening across all channels in your mix. SportsFlash, where you’ll receive key plays and updates from your favorite teams during live games, ensuring you never have to miss the best moments. Artist, Song and Game Alerts, where you can choose to receive alerts whenever your favorite artists, songs or sports teams start playing. Note: A SiriusXM Connect vehicle tuner and subscription are required to access SiriusXM satellite radio (available in USA only). A2DP Bluetooth wireless technology with Fusion-Link app remote control available - Stream your favorite soundtrack from any compatible device with control* available from the stereo or your connected Apple or Android device via the Fusion-Link Bluetooth app. Simply download the free Apple® or Android™ Fusion-Link remote control app for Bluetooth from the Apple App Store® or Google Play™ store and enjoy localized zone control, source navigation, track selection and the freedom of wireless control. Multiple sources available including USB MP3 playback and AM/FM radio - Listen to USB MP3 audio, connect your supported smartphone or even relax to your local AM/FM station; the MS-RA70NSX delivers marine grade entertainment to those who would normally have to resort to installing rust prone car audio stereos. Rest easy, let Fusion entertain you on the water. IPX7 water resistant front face with optically bonded LCD - The MS-RA70NSX is designed and engineered specifically for the marine environment, with an IPX7 front panel (when mounted correctly) to withstand the environment like none other, perfectly paired with an optically bonded LCD for crystal clear display on the water. Flat or flush mounting installation options - Two options are available for installation, giving you the option of a conventional flush mount or seamless integration into a glass helm with a flat finish for high-end aesthetics. Multi-Zone control (2 zone system) - With two independent audio zones available, each with advanced localized menu controls, including zone naming, you can easily customize and control your listening experience in each zone. Note: Line Out/Sub Out requires additional amplification. FUSION-Link NMEA 2000 ready for connection and control from any supported Multi-Function Display - The MS-RA70NSX is a Fusion-Link Wired NMEA 2000 certified product and is compatible with a range of the world’s leading Multi-Function Displays for on-screen audio control. When pairing the MS-RA70NSX with a supported chartplotter or fish finder, you bring your music to the big screen, allowing you to keep an eye on the charts or the fish while skipping tracks or adjusting the volume at the same time. In addition to MFD control, the MS-RA70NSX will connect to any Fusion NRX series remote control attached to the same powered NMEA 2000 network for localized control of the audio zones. (Note: the NRX remote must be incorporated onto a powered network. If you are planning on using the MS-RA70NSX and a NRX series remote on a standalone network, additional cabling is required to power the network). *Play, pause and skip tracks. The MS-RA70NSX is protected by a 12 month worldwide consumer warranty. Specifications Tuner AM/FM with RDS (where available) Tuner Region USA, Australasia, Europe and Japan Multi-Language User Interface English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Italian Audio Zones 2 on-board amplified zones Nameable Zones Up to 10 characters Line Out 2 (1 x L + R per zone. Requires amplification) Subwoofer Out 1 (Zone 1. Requires amplification) Auxiliary Inputs 1 x stereo RCA input (AUX) iPod/iPhone Made for iPod and iPhone - supports IAP2 protocol only. Check device compatibility. Android Open Accessory (AOA) Android support is limited to devices which support AOA protocol. Check list of supported devices for details. SiriusXM-Ready™ Yes - a SiriusXM Connect Vehicle Tuner and subscription are required. Available in USA only. Display 128x64 monochrome optically bonded LCD Garmin Watch Compatibility via ANT with Fusion-Link Lite VivoActive/HR, Fenix 3/HR, Fenix 5/S/X, Quatix 3, D2 Bravo/Titanium, Fenix Chronos, Forerunner 935 - FUSION-Link App via Garmin Connect IQ Fusion-Link Wireless Available via Bluetooth with the Fusion-Link remote control app, available for download from the Apple App Store® or Google Play™. The Fusion-Link Lite app is available from the Garmin Connect IQ store to enable wireless control from a compatible Gamin watch. Fusion-Link Wired Compatible with a Fusion marine NMEA 2000 wired remote control and any Fusion-Link supported MFD. NMEA 2000 Certified LEN:1 Bluetooth Wireless Technology A2DP Bluetooth Audio Streaming with AVRCP USB 1 x USB connector at the rear of the unit. Supports 1 amp charging. USB Audio Format MP3 Water Resistance (IP Rating) IPX7 water resistant front panel when installed correctly Chassis Electrically isolated glass-filled composite chassis with an aluminium side-fin heat sink with VCT Amplifier Class-AB 4 x 50W (@ 4 Ohms) Dimensions: Length x Height x Depth (Front Panel incl. Volume Encoder) 188mm x 60mm x 23.5mm [7-7/16" x 2-3/8" x 15/16"] Mounting Dimensions: Height x Depth 50mm x 100mm [2" x 3-15/16"] Fusion RA70NSX Manual

    Pre-Order Today!

    $299.99

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