Just be carefull when shopping you are getting a KDC-W7027 and not a KDC-7027.

They are the same units but the "W" means it plays MP3's and WMA's. The older KDC-7027 will not.

Cheers

Lee

"Limited button and smaller display" are the two main reasons I went for the 77MP. I try to watch the road when im driving rather than my headunit..lol.

Fits nice, looks good sounds great, and for just over

Just be carefull when shopping you are getting a KDC-W7027 and not a KDC-7027.

They are the same units but the "W" means it plays MP3's and WMA's. The older KDC-7027 will not.

Cheers

Lee

Thanks, I'll double check that. And as it's the main reason for getting a replacement HU when I get a Furby, I'd be a bit p*ssed if it didn't play MP3 discs :P

Steve

"Limited button and smaller display" are the two main reasons I went for the 77MP. I try to watch the road when im driving rather than my headunit..lol.

Fits nice, looks good sounds great, and for just over

Steve,

I havent found it difficult navigating around the MP3 CD's ive recorded, but then I kinda remember where things are so ont search for specific tracks. Also one thing that does annoy people is that it doesnt automatically scroll text, you have to hold down a button and it will scroll through once. yes the display is a limiting factor. But having a all singing and dancing pretty display aint all that either as Jason pointed out, they break down.

I had an Alpine 7876RB headunit in my Astra before the Fabia, top headunit at the time full of features and graphics etc, just wanted something a little more classy this time.

Cheers for that. Might take an MP3 disc down to my local ICE place and see how I get on.

Thanks, Steve

one nice feature of the alpine is you have 3 extra buttons so you can flick through your mp3's without actually changing track. very annoying when the passenger keeps changing track every 5 secs, now they can scroll through the list of names till they find one they want. alpine is worth the extra money fo shizzle my nizzle

i know its a higher level but the alpine i have has absolutely everything except and actual screen(tft etc), the detail of the cross-over control is extremely good, you can even set it up how you want on the computer for the timings of the speakers(to change the sound centre of the car) and put it onto a cd-r and then slap it into the H/U and there you have it, all the settings easily put into your car

best one i've had by far, just want to get a screen again now so i can use my sat-nav again

I'm torn between the Pioneer and Alpine now. As ever, both have their plusses and minuses. On a related topic, how easy is it to remove the standard Fabia CD player? Any special removal tools needed? Do I need a separate facia adaptor or anything if I'm fitting the Pioneer/Alpine?

Thanks, Steve

The standard HU needs two flat blade tools to be removed, if you can't think of anything to use Kenwood tools fit OK. If your not buying Kenwood then Halfords sell them cheaply.

You will need a smalll adaptor plate but don't by the from Halfords or an ICE shop, you will pay

Thanks again Lee. I'll probably end up getting the removal tools from Halfords, which ones am I looking for? Would they sell Skoda specific ones, or can I use ones for VW/Audi etc?

And I'll pop into a dealer for the plate, thanks for the tip

Steve

You will be able to buy the Kenwood removal tools at Halfords and these will fit the Skoda HU.

If you feel confident enough to e-mail or PM me your address I'll post you a set over. I have three sets of Kenwood keys in my tool box.

Cheers

Lee

And PM me your address and i send you a spare facia plate I have

Cheers guys, very nice of you. I'll send you PMs and sort it out.

Steve

Well cheers for all the info/advice guys, I plumped for the Pioneer P77 in the end. Should be here sometime next week. Better get on with creating some MP3 discs then!

Steve

Well cheers for all the info/advice guys, I plumped for the Pioneer P77 in the end.

I think you will be happy with that. It has excellent build quality and sounds great. My only criticisms are the small display and fiddly controls. A particular nuisance as I have the sliding tray underneath is that I accidentally change channel when I scrabble around in the tray. (I keep loose coins in it for parking, tolls etc)

Small display especially came into consideration for me. And I went and tested the controls out, and thought they'd be OK. I don't have the sliding tray so I should be OK (well I was thinking of buying the slide-out, but the price seems very hefty??)

But it won the day due to looking stylish and still being quite in-keeping with the Fabia dash. The other contenders either lost out on styling or price!

Steve

But it won the day due to looking stylish and still being quite in-keeping with the Fabia dash. The other contenders either lost out on styling or price!

Steve

I like the simplicity of this HU. So many modern HUs have totally unecessary visual effects. It would be better if they spent the money on robust metallic fascias, like the P77. Regarding styling, though, the whiteness of the lighting on the display doesn't match that well. I have been experimenting on bits of plastic, staining them with green paints and inks to see if I can achieve a similar colour to the dashboard lighting. So far I have not been successful.

Yep, you're right about the simplicity, that's what caught my eye in the first place. And I see what you mean about the white lighting but never mind - I can't have everything

Steve

Edit, never mind, he's already got one, that'll teach me to read the whole thread in future

LOL, thanks anyway Paul! I discounted the Kenwoods quite quickly, after doing a bit of research. As you say, they don't exactly get good praise on some of the ICE forums.

Steve

I like the simplicity of this HU. So many modern HUs have totally unecessary visual effects. It would be better if they spent the money on robust metallic fascias, like the P77. Regarding styling, though, the whiteness of the lighting on the display doesn't match that well. I have been experimenting on bits of plastic, staining them with green paints and inks to see if I can achieve a similar colour to the dashboard lighting. So far I have not been successful.

Yes, Mike I agree with the lighting.

My main criticism with the HU is the brightness. It's just dazzling. You're driving along at night, constantly distracted by the pair of halos below to your left

I did take the fascia adapter to bits and covered the F-off bright LEDs with some masking tape. Took the brightness right down. I may experiment with green film now to match the rest of the dash...

There's no dimmer setting then I take it?! Oh well, something else I'll have to get used to

good luck with it when you get it but i can't get on with it myself(swmbo has one) and my alpine is lurvely but my opinion only

There's no dimmer setting then I take it?! Oh well, something else I'll have to get used to

There is a dimmer setting, but it only dims the LCD display and not the illumination of the knobs and buttons.

Ah right, I see. That's a little annoying, bit of an oversight I think...

I'll just have to see how I get on with it when it arrives

Steve