A brand-new head unit for a hundred dollars with a flip-up screen! Exciting if in the 2000s, boring in the now…
While I struggle to find solid ground internally to switch out the failing headunit in Elanmi, I have less reason to keep the Pioneer DEH-155MP in Feriko.
I’ve long been interested in the swivel-screen headunits that Pioneer and KENWOOD released years ago, but they are many things scarce, collector pieces and expensive in international markets when they are listed.
I have gotten lucky with double-din players thus far, but yet to be with the single-din. I was a day late to getting an ultra-rare Honda Navigation System unit that urks me and will for the next few years, but right now, I think I would like to change to something temporary, or permanent.
From a few Instagram videos, I chanced upon very plastic-ky and cheap-looking headunits with all manners of RGB and shiny bits. They looked like the object of lust for hip Chinese uncles, but way too flashy for a semi-conservative feller like myself.
It took looking into Taobao to find the right one, as there were so many designs that went from looking cheap to looking outdated – I found the latter, finally.
The manufacturer brand is called 守卫龙 (something like Guardian Dragon), and this model is the 9610W. There are a few variants but this with the “W” has wireless Apple Carplay. There are also options for the swivel screen to be manual operation or with a built-in motor. With shipping to Malaysia was a hundred dollars SGD total (~RM300).
It comes with supported wiring, a remote and instructions. Of all the designs I saw, this is literally the only one that didn’t scream cheap knock-off with its Pioneer-esque button layout. The “MP5 Player” thing still confuses me – its present on all models. I get to feel the music, I guess.
As for living with it, its… a radio player.
Not watering it down – it is just a radio player. The unit is not an Android Player with built-in Google Maps or app support – it has a calender and calculator. Cool for the house but not the car…
Maybe its for the old-school ah beng scooting around from place to place calculating interest rates, but the UI itself is at least ten years too late for them.
The 9610W that is here is the most expensive option with those connectivity beforementioned. Its good quality-of-life for me since all I do in my car is wire in via aux – these systems are a development I can get behind and support.
But fundamentally, it is quite barebones even if it has a screen, but I prefer having 2000s problems than 2020s headaches. The user interface is surprisingly not that laggy, but the wireless connections have a three-second auditory delay – not good. Screen brightness can be adjusted, but the RGB illumination is impossible to. The lighting patterns can be adjusted at a basic level, but its too bright.
With some DIY-ing with less budget than Chinese labor, the unit now looks… cheaper.
This brushed aluminum finish was to mirror the Pioneer AVH-P6550DVD – I know, its not even close. The adhesive is poor as is the cutting, so I will likely redo it in the future.
I did want to cover up the dot matrix screen but given it shows the media being played rather than guessing, its only fair I keep it present. At least the chrome surrounds for the buttons can match the brushed aluminum.
As a whole, although I don’t like the quality that I’ve downgraded it to, I’m happy to try – perhaps that’s what matters.
Should you want it, its linked abnove but also linked here. Happy shopping.
~Efini
Read more: Feriko: She looks ok
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