[ibasniper]

Little bit of background as to why I arrived at this point. The car started life with the professional bmw stereo but had no Bluetooth connect. BMW add on's were ridiculous in price so I swopped out for a Kenwood double din which I already had.

It had all the normal mod con’s like Sat Nav, Bluetooth, DVD, MP3, Ipod control etc etc but I was never really happy with how it looked. Must say the sound was excellent & far better functionality. I should point out that I linked this to 2 JL Audio Amplifiers and a total MB Quart speaker upgrade.
Needless to say as time passed the looks got to me and so I hunted for the integrated look with touch screen. This brought me to android units like Xtrons & Joying which looked very flimsy, Dynavin & Zenec which are great units but far too much. It’s a big step to take but The Eonon at just over £300 wasn’t that much of a gamble considering the 28 day return.

The Review. First appearances are good, packed well, quality feel and sits in the dashboard very well. Now I can’t say it was plane sailing as it did come with problems. Fitting instructions are none existent, and when you watch the Eonon installation video they completely miss out the metal bracket. See Joying install here showing bracket.

Sorry I didn’t video myself as it was quiet simple and the D5165 install is similar and loads of videos about. The one major thing you need to do is…. Run a live feed from Battery or fuse box to the unit otherwise it loses time, date and other bits. This is due to the BMW power cut off after 30 minutes or so (safety cut-off I think) If you wanted the Time n date could be set via GPS but I prefer a permanent power so memory is retained. Besides the extra power cable the install went smoothly and it’s simply plug n play. The only ongoing install issue is …As seen in figure 1 I have as yet been able to get the heater trim to stop bowing (just beneath the Eonon sign). 3 attempts so far but I will persist.

If you install the reverse Camera, you will need a relay to work properly as there is too much voltage drop in the power. Eonon sent me one out after I pointed out the problem.

Unit Functions:
IPod: Although the older unit 5165 running kit kat 4.4.4 will control an iPod the newer GA6165f does not have full IPod Control. Now to some this is not important but to me it is. Especially when you ask Eonon what the difference is the 5165 & 6165 and they say the 6165 is newer and better?? But neglect to tell you about the iPod control being omitted. The system setup even allows you to tick an IPOD button and the icon comes up on screen but does nothing??
However that does not mean you cannot play your IPod. You can plug it in one of the USB ports and you can play quiet happily, you can skip tracks, pause etc. and it even displays some track information, but what you cannot do is drill down through folder to specific albums or tracks. Very Disappointing and a step backwards for Eonon.

The Radio is great and works very well and cannot fault the reception. I have not had time to test the TA function but I assume that will work like any radio.

DVD is just that, plays CD’s, DVD movies and functions as it should with fast control and a slick picture.

SD card: You can load films or music on these and it plays accordingly. Mp3 files play similar to the iPod in as much that it plays the files but does not show the Album/ song title etc on the card

Screen Layouts and back grounds can be changed along with the illumination colour, which can match the dash colours. You can also change the boot up logo if you wish.

Door/ boot open feature needs some tweaking to work properly in factory setting. See below for settings.

Parking sensor comes up on screen with a nice distance sensor and if linked to a reverse camera it shows the parking lines and distance control on screen. PVR functions look good but not tried as yet.

Bluetooth: Works great on the phone with easy linking and downloaded phonebook with no problem and also Bluetooth music is easy….My kids love it.
Wi-Fi: The unit comes with Wi-Fi built in as standard which linked to my IPhone 5s for Hotspot tethering very easily, but as yet I cannot get it to link to my Samsung S7 edge?? Allows web surfing etc via phone network so you need data to use.

Sat Nav: This function will only work fully if tethered to Wi-Fi & sorting the right software is a separate issue and not quite as simple as Eonon make out. You could buy Eonons Sat Nav SD card and plug in, but I don’t know what I’m buying. The tried the Ego download but a lot of the postcodes seem to be missing, so this will get you close but not always to the door. Kudos just refused to work, Tom Tom works out quite expensive and suffered similar issue to Ego, and google maps although the best mapping in my opinion only works fully when tethered to your phone. Which I assume uses a chunk of your data and relies on Wi-Fi connecting properly or you could tether via USB.
As yet I have not found a perfect Sat Nav solution but if I do I will update accordingly.

To Downloading apps you will need a good Wi-Fi connection (unless you waste your 4G data), and a google account it would seem, so you need to be conversant with this side to make it easy.
The heated seat and blind function I cannot comment on as I do not have these fitted in the car.

Power & Sound quality: Quality of sound is on par with the Kenwood but the power is running through my amps so I cannot comment of the 4 x 45 power, but I would imagine if this is linked to the standard speakers the quality would exceed the standard BMW head unit.
General Speed: Boot up is not the quickest, but general operating speeds are good with very little lag between functions. Only lag I’ve seen is in the Sat Nav loading, which I guess is to be expected.

There is also a useful feature on the file manager which allows you to copy n paste files between SD cards & unit memory. You could also rename all the iPod songs if you so wished…

Almost forgot it has a Steering wheel interface built into the loom so all steering controls work as normal.

There is also a handy remote…which should be kept out of the hands of children.

Reliability: Only time will tell, but Eonon backup via email has been very helpful solving issues, but suffers from 24 hr delays due to time zones.
Conclusion: For the money I think it’s a good piece of kit and better then I was expecting to be honest and a worthwhile purchase for that integrated look. But as pathetic as it may seem I think I should have saved and gone for the Zenec unit as this has integrated sat nav and full iPod control. But you get what you pay for I guess.
Hope this was helpful to someone.

[makkan00]

Kudos to you for taking all that time and writing this.
I am surprised to see icons of 2005 units in 2016 unit.

Whatever you do, but if you come to sell the car then my advice would be to put oem HU back.

I have recently purchased a car and I have ruled out any bmws with aftermarket HUs.

There is white e92 on autotrader which is posted for months and at very reasonably price. IMHO, guy has a lot for chances of selling it if he puts the oem HU back.

[toys4x4boys]

I went with the Joying branded version, they are all made in the same factory, the firmware is even interchangeable.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki...roid_Head_Unit



Good thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=3246370 if you fancy playing about.

Reverse camera, yep, my e93 only supplies 11v to the reverse lights when running, 12v when parked, so a relay is needed.

Dash cam function works well.

I just tether to my 4g bundle and use google maps for navigation.

I've had a generic Joying unit in my Boxster for over a year, pleased with that too, but the BMW version integrates with the car better.

[ibasniper]

Thanks for the link, but i wouldnt know where to start with software modding....i'm likely to balls it all up.

[trbizwiz]

How did you run the power to it?
Which wires on the unit do you power?
I am running a dedicated 15 am line to a relay for my backup cam. I can just splice power from that line before the relay to go up to the head unit. But I do not know where to connect this power source on the Eonon. I hope this question makes sense.
Also, did you get the SOS sword looking error on your dash?

[imy]

If the sat Nav is shit and the apps are a ball ache to install then why not just go with a branded double din unit?

[trbizwiz]

This thread may be dead, so my input may be useless. But I did get another workaround to the radio settings that does not involve a hot wire connected to an always on fuse or the battery.

I contacted Eonon, and they suggested this:

Settings
scroll down to factory settings
password:126
default power status; memory of last status
apply
exit
yes to reboot

now your radio settings will be saved each time you turn off the car. The clock will work as well.
Why it does not come factory preset, IDK, but here is a solution.
Now I just need to figure out why my google map does not work, and why I have the SOS phone error upon start up. Though that does go away.
I have a suspicion on the google map. My Eonon came with two antenna's. A long skinny one, and a short roundish square one. I assume the latter is the GPS, and the former is something else. The Eonon also has two prongs to plug these cables in to. I saw no information as to which is which. So I took a guess. I must have guessed wrong.

[keynote2017]

Thanks for the review and posts on here, ive been looking to get one of these but was put off by the company names. Are they all the same? ive seen some for £300 but others at £480.

[trbizwiz]

Originally Posted by keynote2017

Thanks for the review and posts on here, ive been looking to get one of these but was put off by the company names. Are they all the same? ive seen some for £300 but others at £480.

I have read that they are all made in the same factory, and perhaps different vendors add their own spin to them. I can say I am a less than patient customer, and Eonon has been quite responsive to my inquiries via email. I am in the US and purchased mine directly from Eonon via their eBay store. My cost was $249 US funds. I too was put off by the name, and would probably have preferred a name brand unit form Kenwood or Alpine or something. Sadly those manufacturers don't see a need to build vehicle specific units. I would also greatly an Apple carplay feature, though I do not expect to ever see that in an Android powered machine.
Being a Chinese brand and Anroid powered, you should expect a learning curve and some fiddling to get it setup for your preferences. Just as the memory setting I posted above.
I still do not have access to Google maps. But I will keep digging until I get it to work.
Sorry if this is a thread jack, but I just thought I would expand on the topic. I know when I do a forum search it is nice when you can find all relevant material in one thread.

[trbizwiz]

Eonon link to installation manual

http://i.sbo2.com/page/5165&6165_EN.html

Eonon link to user manual

http://i.sbo2.com/page/GA6166_EN.html

Neither of these come with the unit, but can be found online.

[keynote2017]

Thank you very much, im suprised there are not more threads about these units. I really like how they fit in perfectly. I was considring a double din but was completly put off by the way they look. I think im going to buy one soon, hopefully i dont have many problems.

[trbizwiz]

Originally Posted by keynote2017

Thank you very much, im suprised there are not more threads about these units. I really like how they fit in perfectly. I was considring a double din but was completly put off by the way they look. I think im going to buy one soon, hopefully i dont have many problems.

I think BMW is a premium car, and so for many putting an off brand HU in it, does not make sense. I found the factory HU very lacking in modern features. I found the name brand after market options to be less than aesthetically pleasing (just like the OP).
I still have not solved my SOS issue, but that is pretty much my only outstanding issue. I saw int eh install guide that I have the GPS antenna and the wifi antenna mixed up, so I think that sill solve my google maps problem. It may also solve my SOS issue. Ill update when I switch them. Busy week for me.
If I were ordering the Eonon today I would consider the 7 series unit over the 6165. The 7 series uses the newest Android operating system Marshmallow, and it has more memory and better chips, and the cost is less than $50 more.
I am also intrigued by the HDR front camera option that ties in to this system. i live in FL and many here do not have adequate insurance. I think a built in HD camera provides me with extra protection and security, in case of an accident. Insurance companies are just no fun to deal with, let HD video do you talking.

***I do not work for Eonon, and have no vested interest. I do have a tendency to get excited about things. So I tend to over share, sorry about that. ***

[kylet101]

Originally Posted by trbizwiz

***I do not work for Eonon, and have no vested interest. I do have a tendency to get excited about things. So I tend to over share, sorry about that. ***

It's hard to tell from the photos, but is the bottom of the Eonon face plate sitting flush with the dash? It doesn't look like it from the photos.

Looking at the Dynavin, you can see that the bottom is flush with the dash:

[trbizwiz]

That looks like a better fit than the Eonon 6165. Some eonon models have the climate control bracket attached to the head unit. 6165 does not. Do the trim puece is rather flimsy and bows a little in the middle. Aesthetically that dynavin looks nicer. But I don't know anything else about it. I guess I would see which android OS it runs. The newest models run 6.0. My 6165 only runs 5.1.

[kylet101]

Originally Posted by trbizwiz

That looks like a better fit than the Eonon 6165. Some eonon models have the climate control bracket attached to the head unit. 6165 does not. Do the trim puece is rather flimsy and bows a little in the middle. Aesthetically that dynavin looks nicer. But I don't know anything else about it. I guess I would see which android OS it runs. The newest models run 6.0. My 6165 only runs 5.1.

Dynavin runs their own SW, so it's not as customization as Android based units (which is a good and bad thing). The Eonon is half the price of the Dynavin. I'd be willing to pay the extra and get the Dynavin, but it doesn't have all the features I want.

[keynote2017]

what features is it missing? im considering which one to get, as above poster said bmws are "high end" cars so dont really want to mess up the look with a cheap radio.

[trbizwiz]

This is how it looks in my 2009 E93 cabrio. I like it much more than the stock unit. I wish it fit like the Dynavin, and I wish it did not have the bow in the middle of the climate control bezel. I may be able to fix that with a bit of double stick tape.

[trbizwiz]

http://s359.photobucket.com/user/trb...tml?sort=3&o=2

[trbizwiz]

http://s359.photobucket.com/user/trb...tml?sort=3&o=2

[DEE-83]

Originally Posted by keynote2017

Thank you very much, im suprised there are not more threads about these units. I really like how they fit in perfectly. I was considring a double din but was completly put off by the way they look. I think im going to buy one soon, hopefully i dont have many problems.

if you still considering getting one of these units, you should look at the Xtrons PB7690BAP or the joying unit.

You will get better support and more frequent updates on the ROM's from either of those seller's.

In addition the newer units have Octa-Core 64bit chip's with 32GB memory + 2G RAM, running Android 6.0.

From there connect an external DAC via USB and the sound quality will be on par with the Dynavin unit if not better.

You can take it a step futher and replace the TDA amp with Pioneer PA2030A (4x60W) much better sound & bass or TDA7850 which gives you (4x50W 4ohm or 4x85W 2Ohm):

[trbizwiz]

Originally Posted by DEE-83

if you still considering getting one of these units, you should look at the Xtrons PB7690BAP or the joying unit.

You will get better support and more frequent updates on the ROM's from either of those seller's.

In addition the newer units have Octa-Core 64bit chip's with 32GB memory + 2G RAM, running Android 6.0.

From there connect an external DAC via USB and the sound quality will be on par with the Dynavin unit if not better.

You can take it a step futher and replace the TDA amp with Pioneer PA2030A (4x60W) much better sound & bass or TDA7850 which gives you (4x50W 4ohm or 4x85W 2Ohm):

Thanks for the lead on the Xtrons. I have decided to give up on the Eonon. I do like it. But some little things bug me about it. The Bezel does not fit correctly, and the Google maps only works half the time. The radio reception is pretty weak.
The Xtrons said it has a octacore processor for 10 second faster loading time. It says it has a premium radio chip for better reception. So hopefully it will resolve some of these issues. It looks identical to the Eonon, I assume they are built in the same factory, so the Bezel may not be any better.
I will probably start my own thread about that unit.
It is a little more money, but if its a better unit, I think it will be worth it. Oh, it has 4G capability with the dongle. Eonon only has 3G.

[keynote2017]

These do look good but ive decided to wait and spend more to get a cic retro fit. Just feel its worth the extra £500 if your keeping the car for a few years.