Kenwood DPX303MBT and Pioneer MVH-600BS Media Receivers?

I've got an old, faulty Alpine double-DIN stereo on the used 2011 Tacoma I picked up recently. The Bluetooth generally refuses to connect, the USB audio works erratically (iTunes starts up automatically for some reason, and always on the same song; Pandora is good for a few songs, and then randomly kicks over to iTunes), and the navigation system won't load up at all. It also has some features that I haven't used in over a decade (CD player) and wouldn't ever use (if I'm going to watch a DVD, I'm going to do it on a couch). I also don't have an XM account, so I don't really ne So, I'm more or less relegated to the stereo, which has considerably worse controls than the OEM radio in my work truck (a 2012 Prerunner), and the aux input which the previous owner for some reason never thought to actually plug in. The one thing I do like about it is that it's hooked up to the steering wheel controls.

So, because of all this, I'm looking into getting a new stereo for the truck. Looking at pricing, it looks like I can save a good amount of money by not getting a deck with navigation (I use the iPhone for this presently, anyway) or a CD/DVD player. The Kenwood DPX303MBT and Pioneer MVH-600BS media receivers look like they would meet my needs, and have pretty good ratings at Crutchfield and Amazon . Does anyone have any experience with either system? If you do, the main questions I have are:

1. Does the deck not suck, or does it suck?
   
2. Is wired and/or Bluetooth iPhone control pretty good (in particular, Pandora not shitting out and randomly switching to iTunes)?
   
3. If receiving a text message while the iPhone is connected, will you hear a ping over the stereo? Obviously, I'm not responding to texts while I'm driving, but it's good to know when I've received one.
4. If using navigation on my iPhone, will it override the stereo or USB/Bluetooth audio temporarily when it gives me directions/notifications?
   
5. Can I use the steering wheel control wiring attached to the current aftermarket deck for this system, or do I need to buy a different set?

Thanks!

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DPX303B/Kenwood-DPX303MBT.html
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130S600BS/Pioneer-MVH-S600BS.html

 

I used a 501BT for about a year and can't think of a bad thing to say about it. For the money it's a great HU. It certainly does not suck. 4 volt output on the Pioneer would be a selling point for me if I were adding amps and maybe a processor, but otherwise I'd probably do the Kenwood again. Actually it would all boil down to a comparsion of features (output voltage being a feature).

Can't answer all the phone questions as I try not to use my phone with the stereo. But you can't go wrong with either - both solid head units.

 

Err, I just recalled that Pioneer was sold recently to a Chinese investment firm (Baring Private Equity Asia). Not sure what that means for Pioneer, but I'd look into it before buying any of their stuff 'till all this is settled.

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, the plan calls for Pioneer to cut its workforce by about 15 percent, or about 2,500 employees, and for Baring to replace most of Pioneer’s board, including 10-year chairman Susumu Kotani, with its own officers. President Koichi Moriya would retain his post, albeit without a salary until the company returns to a growth track.

 

nothing is going to happen to pioneer. companies buy others all the time ( ex... jvc owns kenwood ). as for the pioneer model that you are looking at and that rob used are "current" pioneer models ( not new manufactured ). your splitting hairs between the models because your talking entry level units. the 501 has a small display and has cd where the 600 has a bigger display and no cd. they are both fine units. as for the warranty aspect of a pioneer ( if that was a concern ) pioneer will back it regardless. flip a coin and get whichever you land on. now... if your wanting to get into better screen, apple carplay, better processors, better bt chips then these are not the units to go with. not worth typing because it doesn't look like your going that route.

 

Rob, are you referring to Kenwood's or Pioneer's 501BT? Both companies have one.

Yeah, not really looking for anything fancy.

 

Does anyone have an issue with their headunits automatically turning on music repeat for your bluetooth music?

 

I can't even get the Bluetooth to work properly, but this happens with iTunes with my current stereo when I plug directly in to USB, even if I have Pandora or Youtube already playing something else. Drives me nuts.

edit: Ended up ordering the Pioneer today. I'll post some comments on it once I get it installed.

 

Yep, the Kenwood. Good unit.

 

Pioneer MVH-S600BS 2.5-month review: Good system, although I wish there was a way to force it to not autoplay when it Bluetooth Audio mode. The Crutchfield connection to the steering wheel controls worked sporadically, until I dove in deep and removed as much of the previous owner's radio rat's nest as I felt comfortable doing, and now the steering wheel controls simply don't work. Going to either (A) just deal with no steering wheel controls or (B) talk to a friend who runs a car audio place and get a quote on rewiring that mess.