Soundstream VRN-DD7HB Double DIN Bluetooth In-Dash Car Stereo Receiver

There are a lot of 1 star reviews on here and a lot of misinformation around. I knew this going in and I love this radio. First off, be aware of these things: 1) Phonelink will not and will never work with Iphone. 2) Phonelink is only compatible up to Android 7 (not 8 or now 9). BUT Soundstream has confirmed that they have developers working on an update for both of these OS. Be aware that they will not provide a timeline. When available it will be on their website. 3) Steering wheel controls will be surrendered on some cars (maybe true?). I have a 2010 Silverado and had the radio professionally installed. Previously had a JVC radio with working Steering Wheel controls. With this radio the controls do not work. According to the installer, who has a silverado shop truck and the same radio. There is no way to make it happen FOR THIS CAR. According to Soundstream, it does work but you need a specific adapter (Axxcess module model ASWC-1 wired to the Kenwood option). Mileage may vary, I cannot speak to other cars just my own. 5) Having trouble connecting to bluetooth? Look in the instruction manual, the password to connect is in there. I think it is "1111" but not sure. 6) should have come with an HDMI port and at least one extra USB port. That is all I have for cons. Now a work-around for phonelink issue: 1) Use the RCA/AV cables and an adapter (Beuler BU-HDMIV) 2) you will need to also hardwire power for this adapter, I bought a usb to hardwire (Beuler USBC-5VUSBF) 3) Next, get an HDMI to USB-C (For Android) or an HDMI and Lighting Adapter (for iphone), plug this into the adapter. 4) You will need to ground or bypass the parking break so the AV feature works while driving. 5) Once all this is done, you can select AV on the radio and your screen will be mirrored. This will allow the radio to show exactly what is on your phone. Unlike phonelink, your radio wont control your phone, you still need to use your phone for all touchscreen/changing of screens. Audio and Visual passes to the radio though. Really cool. Moreover, this option does not charge your phone, FYI. I bought a wireless charger for this reason that I keep in my car. Last point, when this is connected, it uses the audio from your phone, so you cannot listen to the radio while mirroring your phone. if you want to listen to music while your phone is mirroring, be sure to be using a music app from your phone. I use the above as a stop gap until the phonelink update is made available for Android 8/9 for my Galaxy Note 9. Now that you know the above, I can get to my general review: I love the radio, the dual screen is such a fun and helpful feature. I can control the radio/bluetooth while also using the navigation. The mechanism for the screen is straightforward and reliable. The sound the radio produces far exceeds my JVC radio. Everything sounds a lot better (especially the radio). The workaround for phone link is really cool as well, I can watch netflix (not while driving), view spotify and really do anything. the picture isnt amazing when using this option, but again, it is a stop gap and not a long term solution. Knowing the kinks ahead of time and seeing how unique this radio is (only dual screen out there) I simply could not pass on it. I am blown away by all the features, EQ, CD player, built in nav, bra cup size converter, etc. All for a very reasonable price. Once the phonelink updates are live, this radio will truly be a home run. In its current state, understanding where it falls short, I still recommend it 10/10

Prior to purchasing this unit, do your research. While the unit itself isn't bad, if something goes wrong, Soundstream will NOT support any product that is purchased through an unauthorized seller. I purchased the unit on October 24, 2018. I installed it 2 weeks later. The unit worked fine after doing an update for the Android Software. The 3rd time that I drove the vehicle, it lost GPS signal after about 10 minutes. I disassembled the dash thinking that a wire was broken for the GPS receiver. The wire was fine, so I tightened the connection, put it back into the dash, and it worked fine. The next time that I used it, it lost GPS signal again. I went into my destination, came out 3 hours later, and it made connection, and then lost it again after about 10 minutes. Once I was through the Holiday period, I had time to check the GPS wire again, and it was fine. I spent two days starting the vehicle, checking the signal, and then watching it lose signal after about 10-15 minutes. I put another unit into the dash with the same GPS receiver, it worked flawlessly. I put the Soundstream back in, and it lost signal again after 10 minutes. At this point I determined that the unit was defective. I contacted Amazon for a return. I explained everything to the person I talked to. I was told that the unit could be replaced or returned. While I had high hopes for the model, I had already spent countless hours on it and was pretty sour on the idea of installing another one. I opted for the return. I was shocked to hear that Amazon wanted a "Restocking Fee" for a defective unit. It was explained that it was because it was beyond 30 days. If I had purchased it from the Walmart market place, they would have accepted the return of the defective unit with no restocking fee. If I had purchased it from Best Buy, they would have accepted the return of the unit with no restocking fee. AND, had I purchased it from an authorized seller, Soundstream would have authorized the return. Hopefully this information is helpful. If you are set on purchasing this unit, I recommend purchasing it from someone other than Amazon. Oh, and if I failed to mention it, I pay them annually to be a PRIME member. Two thumbs down to Amazon.

I usually would never buy a head unit from an off brand. I know Soundstream has been around for a bit, but I'm an Alpine guy myself. I was looking for a unit for my truck and they were in the $1,000-1,300 range from Alpine. I wasn't going to pay that much since it's not even a daily driver. I randomly came across this somewhere and thought it was so cool, I couldn't pass it up. It had twice the features at half the price. Not to mention dual screens. Most YouTube reviews were great as well. Long story short, I installed it into my truck and it exceeded my expectations. The phonelink works great after setup, navigation seems to work pretty well, and so does everything else. So far, I love this thing. Just keep in mind this thing was made for Android. Not sure if any IPhones will work, but most Androids will.

Freezes up all the time also resets its self all the time. Very disappointed in this product

No se conecta el gps ya se hiso todo lo que dice el manual y no funciona lastima que no funcione es un producto innovador por las dos pantallas