going to upgrade my 90 trans am to double din, prefer wireless carplay but want a unit that has performance first and features second. looking at the kenwood excelon series but back when i was young kenwood was not really top tier. so whats a top tier unit nowdays. looking at the dmx958xr or the ilx507 any advice or something better?

thanks

U will probably be replacing speakers. If u have original speakers, check the ohm ratings. My 1984 T/A has 8 ohm in front & 4 ohm in rear. Do not know if your car could have all 4 ohm.

Following... Wouldn't mind someone with back up cam as well if possible..

The setup from screaming chicken is great. It has the brackets/bezel and a head unit. The Kenwood is pretty good. It fits w no cutting. Has a back up cam that's easy to hook up. Carplay is wired but has Bluetooth and that plays music/calls wirelessly. The whole setup is pretty awesome.

Awesome. I thought the camera was optional with that unit. Does it come with it?

It's an additional $50

We just added a bezel/bracket kit for 1985-92 Firebirds to our website. On the new Kenwoods the really high end radios have a lot of features that don't apply to 3rd gens, you need a Idata Maestro interface for engine/car data which they don't make for 2002 and older. The new Kenwood DMX4710S also has a lot of features, the biggest advantage is a much easier install since you can remove the top half of the radio's backside. Links below to products above.

1985-92 Firebird Double DIN Install Kit (Bezel & Brackets)
Kenwood DMX5710S Double DIN Radio – Screaming Chicken
Kenwood DMX4710S Double DIN Radio – Screaming Chicken

the install kit i have is the above kit, but im looking for a stereo with wireless carplay, right now looking at the alpine ilx-507 or the kenwood dmx958xr

the alpine has a much smaller back so it would fit the hole better according to the above poster.

the car has a sony system in it from 95 or so the speakers have all been replaced with infinity kappas in the dash and sail panels, i have kick panels modified for components i picked up here years ago i also have some component Kappas installed in but not in the car yet.

i will have some extra room in the rear lockable storage area once the 6 disk changer is removed but i think i could fit 2 of the small alpine 50 w rms compact amps up front in the dash if i remember things correctly

I used this in my truck when I wanted wireless CarPlay. Works good for a fraction of the cost.

CarlinkIt 4.0 (The best wireless carplay / android auto adaptor?)

Funny, I was thinking same thing. I think a lot of the manufacturers have consolidated and are using the same parts, so over all quality has improved, especially for a brand like Kenwood. Back in the day, an after market radio was essential, but now car man's are installing very good ones. I wonder if the total market has shrunk because of this and that is why we see the consolidation and parts sharing. I'm assuming this, because I've read it occuring in home stereo's, so I'm assuming its the same with car stereo's. I almost don't like the look of the double din, its not quite retro enough. The single din still looks at least a bit retro. Like it belongs in a 1990 car.

mine is currently rocking a sony in dash disc player and 6 changer along with a couple compact amplifiers. but i want to upgrade and not really concerned about the retro look. but i dont want to go backward in sound quality.

I used to be a manager of a car audio store in that era and the bottom end radios of today have a lot more technology and features than the top-of-the-line radios from 20 years ago. I think the amps are not as powerful as back then but might be my memories are better than reality. A $230 Kenwood has a 13 band EQ built in and other sound correction and improvement features, most of the radios over $300 have higher output voltage on the amp output which would help if you already have a good system and just need a new head unit. In the last 20 years radios have improved a lot, features that didn't even exist are now standard at a cheaper price point, lot of really nice radios in the $300-$450 range that have useable features for 3rd gens. Speakers have also improved a lot, much more compact and efficient than speakers of 20 years ago. Factory audio systems have improved a lot so the aftermarket audio has also had to improve to give people a reason to upgrade. Overall, the car audio industry has gotten better but there is now less demand which has caused the car audio companies to get more life out of a product line and some consolidation in the market (shared parts).

I finally have the Kenwood all wired up. The back up camera worked awesome. The car play works well as well. The sound and EQ adjustments are great. I agree, the head units now are far beyond what they were 20 years ago. I also agree w the statement on the old amps. Thats why I'm using this!

i will also love that aswell.

what camera did you use?

The one from the screaming chicken website. It's barely noticeable and the picture on the screen is really good. It has the ability to get power from the reverse lights by the back of the car or the reverse light circuit up in the center console.

Is there any specs? It doesn’t really look any different than those on Amazon.

I honestly don't know the specs. I went w it because of its confirmed fit w the kenwood unit.

Cool. I got a good deal on that Kerwood unit near me. I’m going to buy his bezel likely, but debating on the camera.

I totally would use his bezel. It fits quite a bit better than the other 2 double din bezels I have. The camera I was iffy on. Not really needed but I'm done w running wires in this car, so it was now or never. It was an extra 20 min to instal. Also, the car just came back from paint and I'm completely out of control worried about scratches/dents!

After reading this thread I went out and bought the Kenwood DMX4710S. I mated it to a Pioneer GM-D9705
amp and did new speakers and a sub. It was as easy to install as was said below. The Apple car play sounds great
with music from my Iphone. The problem I need help with is that there's no output on either AM of FM. All I get is amplified
static. It changes volume with the volume control on the Kenwood, but no other sound. I have the amp signal wire
hooked up correctly as the amp does come on as it should. I tried the stock antenna and a new antenna as well, but
no change. I don't see anything in the Kenwood manual that helps, and no joy with internet searches. Any ideas on
what I should look for, or is it possible I got a bad unit?