Anyone installed the new Kenwood DAX1050XR yet?

[xrecar]

Curious if anyone else has installed this unit in a Wrangler as of yet? If so, what are your thoughts about it?

I have one installed, but have been having issues with the GPS when using any of the map applications through Apple CarPlay. I have tried all the troubleshooting I can come up with (moving the GPS antenna around to different locations, resetting the unit, tried a different phone. I even double checked the connections and made sure I didn't damage the cable during the wire run, etc.).

Its odd because sometimes it will work ok. Then you stop the vehicle, go inside somewhere, come back out and start moving and it is all over the place. It almost seems like it doesn't know how fast the vehicle is going, so it will try to lock into the road you are on, but it thinks you are much further up the road. Then it will seem to pickup its location and bounce back to where you are, only to do it all over again. If you go through a significant curve, it will think you are still going straight and shows you off the road entirely.

At this point, I am outside the return window but the retailer has agreed to let me return it (with a slight restocking fee) or they will send me another one if I want to chance that its just a bad unit. I am trying to decide if I should return it and just go back to the Alpine.

Anyone have one of these units installed and have any CarPlay experiencing either way?

Thanks,
Rob

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[PuddleJumper]

Thats a conflict with adding the wireless carplay function. once you walk out of wifi range with the unit, your Phone will use its own GPS function. When you walk back and it automatically connects it appears the phone and headunit can't agree on which device gets GPS priority. Whereas the old unit would disable the phone GPS upon plugging in. The newer uconnect system in the 2024 and on has greater functionality range as its designed to work with all these new phones that have much greater GPS capability. I'm not sure but I'd bet the newer uconnect unit runs both GPSs at the same time for increased accuracy. Whereas the Kenwood appears to running an older microsoft based software. It is also noted in the manual that the apple Carplay function does not meet Apple's full functionality requirements. You have essentially added less compatible and older functioning link in the chain of connections. Which sucks cus this is a pretty new kenwood model. You'd think it'd have the bee's knees of an operating system. Like Linux with piggy back Android OS and Apple OS. Instead it has Apple and Android added as apps, not standalone capable. I'd personally just go to the Uconnect 4 11in OE alpine unit. I've never found it lacking.

 

[xrecar]

This Kenwood unit is brand new, it just released a few months ago, so I completely agree. I would expect it to be the latest and greatest in software. My gladiator is a 2021, so I don’t have an 11 inch option from the OEM, nor an option for wireless CarPlay. Hence one of the reasons for the upgrade.

The sound quality and audio customization with the Kenwood is phenomenal. Much better than any of the Gladiator OEM audio systems. It’s really a shame that this one issue is going to prevent me from keeping it. I’m just going to go back to the Alpine Restyle unit. I know the navigation works with that system as that is what I had prior to buying the Kenwood. I think the Kenwood is better in practically every other way but not having a work around for the gps is a deal breaker.

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