Insane Audio Headunit
JK Freak
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 916
Likes: 3
From: Dallas
Given the fact that you avoided answering my direct question, I'm going to assume the answer is -- no. You have not installed or have any first hand experience with Insane Audio and are instead assuming it's similar to some other product you've seen before. While I appreciate the fact that you do this for a living and may have a ton of experience in the audio world... you're basically making assumptions and not being up front about it. Per the other user's post, you're also bashing a company that you know nothing about. Voice your opinion -- that's cool and productive. But don't state things as facts when they clearly aren't. Also -- why the heck do you seem so darn angry and defensive? The whole reason I joined this forum was to jump in on this thread and just get some information... good or bad. I certainly don't have anything to prove. I just want to separate facts from fiction so I can make an informed decision as a consumer. But I am going to state this as a fact -- if this unit does half of what it advertises then it's going to be friggin' awesome. 
I ordered one this morning and will be happy to report back to the forum after I get it and install it. If it doesn't live up to what I'm expecting, then it'll go right back to 4 Wheel Parts. I'm really hoping this thing is everything I think it will be, though..
I ordered one this morning and will be happy to report back to the forum after I get it and install it. If it doesn't live up to what I'm expecting, then it'll go right back to 4 Wheel Parts. I'm really hoping this thing is everything I think it will be, though..
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
From: coquitlam bc
Calm down. I said in the last three years. That said, I have my old Z2 in my sons car. Still going strong. And yes the Z2 was prone to locking up. Which leads to my other part about not knowing what my customers do to the things when they leave. Mine has been well cared for. And it has been hacked/modded to death by my son.
hacked and modded? now you have my attention.
It locked up on me yaers ago but pioneer sent out the update disc.
this is the whole unit freezes for days LOL.
but comes back so i dont care.
tell me about the mods and hacks...
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Nebraska
I'm always weary about buying head units from fairly unknown vendors, especially ones running Android. I don't want to end up stuck on Android 2.2.3 permanently without any chance of the manufacturer putting out a new version for their units. Plus all the potential for bugs to pop up which may not be addressed. All in all, this is a pretty high price to pay for a unit from a company which may not be around to honor a warranty in a few years.
I have no experience with this company specifically, and the functionality looks neat, but for that price, I'd rather go with a well known brand. At least I know if I run into problems a couple years down the line, they'll still be around to help me work through them.
I have no experience with this company specifically, and the functionality looks neat, but for that price, I'd rather go with a well known brand. At least I know if I run into problems a couple years down the line, they'll still be around to help me work through them.
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
I'm always weary about buying head units from fairly unknown vendors, especially ones running Android. I don't want to end up stuck on Android 2.2.3 permanently without any chance of the manufacturer putting out a new version for their units. Plus all the potential for bugs to pop up which may not be addressed. All in all, this is a pretty high price to pay for a unit from a company which may not be around to honor a warranty in a few years.
I have no experience with this company specifically, and the functionality looks neat, but for that price, I'd rather go with a well known brand. At least I know if I run into problems a couple years down the line, they'll still be around to help me work through them.
I have no experience with this company specifically, and the functionality looks neat, but for that price, I'd rather go with a well known brand. At least I know if I run into problems a couple years down the line, they'll still be around to help me work through them.
JK Freak
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 916
Likes: 3
From: Dallas
Information on these hacks and mods can be found at AVIC411.com.
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Got my Insane Audio head unit installed... two thumbs up!
OK. I promised I’d report back to the forum once I got and installed my JK1001, so here goes…
Firstly, I need to be clear. THIS THING IS FRIGGIN AWESOME!! I absolutely love it. I was a little skeptical at first since there wasn’t much info online about Insane Audio, but make no mistake about it… this is by far the best head unit I’ve ever seen and IMHO it’s by far the best option for a JK.
Here is why:
Installation took about 20min. They give you all kinds of cables and miscellaneous stuff, but the bottom line is that it is entirely plug and play. It fits perfectly in the dash (no mods) and looks great. It plugs right into the stock wiring harness. Steering wheel controls worked right out of the box. Works with my Infinity sound system right out of the box.
Overall, the quality of this unit seems solid. It appears to be well built and in my dash it looks like it came straight from the factory. Sound quality is good (better then my OEM head unit) but I’m planning on really pushing this system to the limit in the very near future and I plan to get a lot more out of it. Right now, I just plugged it into my factory wiring harness and am re-using the existing factory “premium” speakers. I plan on using the pre-amp outputs and having a separate amp for my mains and another for my subs.. .building a custom speaker box behind the rear seats… etc. I have a lot planned, but it’s nice that for now everything works with my stock system and I can upgrade down the road.
Android is 4.2.2 and fully unlocked. Having Android as your head unit is awesome. I will never go back to a non-android head unit. Ever. I’ve already connected to the internet through my phone and installed Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Prime for movies, Google Earth, etc. I’ve used Torque on my smartphone before but it is just plain awesome in my dash on that nice big touch screen. At present, I’m playing around with Google Voice control and trying to figure out how to get it to work offline so I can search for music, when I’m offline and off the beaten path. The point here is that you can customize the system however you want. Being connected is nice, but not necessary. You can do anything. It’s also worth noting that this is a much better solution than just using a tablet in your Jeep because it’s the complete package – not only does it look better in the dash, but you’ve got steering wheel controls, AM/FM radio, etc. Everything is there.
I haven’t had a chance to use the navigation system much yet, but it already looks better than anything I’ve seen. It’s got nice 3D maps showing the hills near my house and… while it may seem a bit silly.. I really, really like the fact that they’ve got a little Jeep icon driving down the road. It’s just plain cool. I’m looking forward to taking this offroad and seeing how much topography is actually shown when I’m out on the trail.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that Insane Audio has an online user forum that is a big plus in my book. I posted a question yesterday evening and had an answer from their support staff first thing this morning. (Insane Audio User Forum • View topic - Removing devices from bluetooth ) So as of now, I’m pretty happy with the support I’m receiving. It’s nice to see users on the forum sharing ideas and such and this is just another example of how this company is thinking differently. The forum is a great resource that I plan on using a lot.
I know this is a long post but there were a lot of folks bashing this product on the forum who may or may not have had the time to really look at it. I have no affiliation with Insane Audio whatsoever and went into this as a skeptic. As of right now, I’ve become a huge fan. If you haven’t seen this head unit in person.. check it out. So far, I’m loving it.
Firstly, I need to be clear. THIS THING IS FRIGGIN AWESOME!! I absolutely love it. I was a little skeptical at first since there wasn’t much info online about Insane Audio, but make no mistake about it… this is by far the best head unit I’ve ever seen and IMHO it’s by far the best option for a JK.
Here is why:
Installation took about 20min. They give you all kinds of cables and miscellaneous stuff, but the bottom line is that it is entirely plug and play. It fits perfectly in the dash (no mods) and looks great. It plugs right into the stock wiring harness. Steering wheel controls worked right out of the box. Works with my Infinity sound system right out of the box.
Overall, the quality of this unit seems solid. It appears to be well built and in my dash it looks like it came straight from the factory. Sound quality is good (better then my OEM head unit) but I’m planning on really pushing this system to the limit in the very near future and I plan to get a lot more out of it. Right now, I just plugged it into my factory wiring harness and am re-using the existing factory “premium” speakers. I plan on using the pre-amp outputs and having a separate amp for my mains and another for my subs.. .building a custom speaker box behind the rear seats… etc. I have a lot planned, but it’s nice that for now everything works with my stock system and I can upgrade down the road.
Android is 4.2.2 and fully unlocked. Having Android as your head unit is awesome. I will never go back to a non-android head unit. Ever. I’ve already connected to the internet through my phone and installed Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Prime for movies, Google Earth, etc. I’ve used Torque on my smartphone before but it is just plain awesome in my dash on that nice big touch screen. At present, I’m playing around with Google Voice control and trying to figure out how to get it to work offline so I can search for music, when I’m offline and off the beaten path. The point here is that you can customize the system however you want. Being connected is nice, but not necessary. You can do anything. It’s also worth noting that this is a much better solution than just using a tablet in your Jeep because it’s the complete package – not only does it look better in the dash, but you’ve got steering wheel controls, AM/FM radio, etc. Everything is there.
I haven’t had a chance to use the navigation system much yet, but it already looks better than anything I’ve seen. It’s got nice 3D maps showing the hills near my house and… while it may seem a bit silly.. I really, really like the fact that they’ve got a little Jeep icon driving down the road. It’s just plain cool. I’m looking forward to taking this offroad and seeing how much topography is actually shown when I’m out on the trail.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that Insane Audio has an online user forum that is a big plus in my book. I posted a question yesterday evening and had an answer from their support staff first thing this morning. (Insane Audio User Forum • View topic - Removing devices from bluetooth ) So as of now, I’m pretty happy with the support I’m receiving. It’s nice to see users on the forum sharing ideas and such and this is just another example of how this company is thinking differently. The forum is a great resource that I plan on using a lot.
I know this is a long post but there were a lot of folks bashing this product on the forum who may or may not have had the time to really look at it. I have no affiliation with Insane Audio whatsoever and went into this as a skeptic. As of right now, I’ve become a huge fan. If you haven’t seen this head unit in person.. check it out. So far, I’m loving it.
JK Freak
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 606
Likes: 6
From: Evergreen, CO
Nice write up.
I visited their site and like that they seem to support this pretty well. It also opened my eyes to various possibilities I had not conjured (view GoPro feed live is cool) and I'd imagine .gpx or .kmz trail files could be viewed in Google Earth on the fly. Seems they're also working on a CB integration.
Currently, I'm going to hold off and monitor, possibly wait for the next "version". Also wondering how subsequent Android upgrades will go. They're on 4.2.2 while my phone is on 4.4.4 and soon to be 5.0
I visited their site and like that they seem to support this pretty well. It also opened my eyes to various possibilities I had not conjured (view GoPro feed live is cool) and I'd imagine .gpx or .kmz trail files could be viewed in Google Earth on the fly. Seems they're also working on a CB integration.
Currently, I'm going to hold off and monitor, possibly wait for the next "version". Also wondering how subsequent Android upgrades will go. They're on 4.2.2 while my phone is on 4.4.4 and soon to be 5.0