POWER ACOUSTIK CP-650 Double DIN Bluetooth In-Dash Digital Media Car Stereo Receiver with Touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, 6.5"

This is the first stereo that I've installed since I was a teenager. It cost me $12.95 for the wiring adaptor, for my car (2010 Chrysler Sebring Convertible) from my local Radio Shack, $6.97 for the mounting kit and $7.23 for the antenna adaptor (both Amazon). I bought the unit for $169.95 so I was still all in, for under $200. It took me about an hour to install (only because my dad can solder and knows how to read a voltage meter). I'm an Apple fan and this was the cheapest way to get CarPlay with the biggest screen. Instructions were good if you can read and research radio installation (for your car) on YouTube.Pros: CarPlay works fantastic and after installing a mounting dock for my phone (no more cable plug in) I just pop my phone into the dock and go ($19.95 Amazon. Ok, it's a bit over $200 if you add this gadget along with my requirements). I really, really, really dig having a real volume knob which I can also press to mute.Cons: It's bright at night which could be a hazard. There may be a way to hook it into my dimmer switch but I haven't figured it out (not sure if really possible). It has 3 settings for brightness. Bright, dimmer than bright but still bright and then off. You must go into their app to adjust this and off is best at night. Your stuff still plays but you gotta tap the screen (causing blindness because it defaults back to bright) to adjust what you are listening to etc. The headphone jack is also illuminated as is the USB port. I have found that setting these to red saves my night vision.Fun Fact: If you notice on the right side below the stereo down before you get to the climate controls (image #2) you can see where I mounted the microphone. I considered moving all the way 'round my front window to the rearview mirror (since it as enough cable length) but this location is out of the way and works great for everyone in the car.Advice: Soldering the wires is best and I'm sure crimpers would have worked just fine but I'm glad that dad was there to solder. Voltage reading was only needed due to my specific wireline hardness. There is no power/accessory (due to my type of car) which asks for a wire to be strung to the fuse box. This was easily overcome by wiring that wire into the lower cigarette lighter with runs off the same accessory fuse.Conclusion: I'm very satisfied with this system. Now I need a backup camera to install and string the parking break function so that I can watch a movie while parked with my lady.

This head unit is terrible and not because it cost $100 and has a lousy UI, that part is actually very well thought out and functional. The dealbreaker is they simply do not work. Period. There’s so much noise and static especially on the usb input I’m inclined to believe there’s no shielding. It literally is nothing but a noise machine. It’s literally unusable. Amazon sent me a replacement and the second unit was marginally better however it was still not acceptable even for just $100. You can’t use it. For those 80’s kids just think back to the early 80’s cordless phones and how much static and interference they had. It’s like that only way worse, but with CarPlay. Literally unusable. Back to Amazon both units go!

...I feel like this unit needs some love. Cheapest dual-din CarPlay unit out there and it works great! I have a much more expensive Pioneer unit in my other car and this connects to CarPlay much faster. Easy to install media player - glad it doesn't have a stupid CD/DVD player.2 August 2019 update: I too, like others, had the unit refuse to power up. I have found that the unit seems to get in a bad state and lock up. At this point, the unit doesn't power up or turn on and appears dead. However, if the Battery line is disconnected and then reconnected, the unit will function fine. I've had to do this twice in the past 6 months.

For the price you can’t beat it. Easy navigation menus and clear sound. I had mine professionally installed and you can’t even tell it was an after market unit. Wired microphone for calls plugs in the back and it works real well clipped up around the sun visor. CarPlay works very well, and has little lag. Only drawback for me was that I use a second phone to just play music, and it’s not posisble to do the music via Bluetooth and the CarPlay at the same time, I would have to use the auxiliary jack, so that adds an extra cord. What I started to do though is just use Apple Music or Spotify via the CarPlay, and now I don’t even need the secondary Bluetooth phone for music. All in allA real good buy for a beginning car play unit. One other side note, the universal steering wheel control harness does not work for this brand of radio, so for me, I’m not able to retain the steering wheel controls (I have a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport)

Overall radio worked great and didn't have any issues installing or after installation. Its been about a month since installed. Yesterday I got in my tuck to go to work and the radio would not come on.After work I checked all the wiring and fuse. Everything was professional and in adequate order. So I'm assuming the radio is just dead.So I would have given 1 star but Amazon did send a replacement so I will try it again. Just keep in mind that you pay for what you get.All the other aspects of the player I like. I solely bought this because of the apple car play. I honestly could care less of the other features. However, the radio and it's functions are basic and simple. I haven't quite figured out how to watch any movies or videos on player. (Not a huge deal, doesn't matter to me.) The bluetooth music is awesome. The brightness is a little annoying. It has 2 settings, bright and not so bright. Nothing in between. All around for the money its a good buy. Hopefully I just received a bad apple out of the bunch, will update accordingly.

Perfect Apple car play radio. Easy installation. Good sound. Perfect for the price