Report: Harman/Kardon Drive+Play

DH got me the Drive+Play for Christmas this year and we finally got a chance to test it out. So I'll report my experiences and weigh in on it here.

Installation:
Not bad, if you're familiar with taking the dash apart and audio wiring and such. It was a pain for him, because he had to do it in 3 or 4 separate parts so that I didn't find out before the time was right.

The head unit went in right behind the clock, and the hard-wired FM modulator went in behind the Power button. The wiring was pretty easy to set up, but required removal of the MFD and stereo head unit.

Our FM modulator came with a bad fuse so we had to take it apart yet another time to get that sorted out. Not too thrilled about that part. He got the modulator from Best Buy.

He wired everything up so that the little display unit sits in the box below the stereo head unit (required some cutting and pasting for that) and we can see the display through the clear plastic, which makes for a stealth installation. The iPod itself goes in the little box underneath the center console that noone notices at first, and the controller went in the center console itself for lack of a better concealed location (didn't want to give up cupholders.)

Initial impressions:
Nice! Very intuitive, just like the iPod in the way the controller behaves and the screens you see on the display unit. It took no time at all for me to have everything set up with my preferences.

Sound is good, definitely better than a wireless FM modulator (which this player is also set up to do); although as discussed in other threads, DH is still thinking of hardwiring through the tape player. Another project for another day, though. I can't say I'm a sound expert, all that time spent in front of the speakers at various hard rock concerts has not improved my hearing. It's definitely clear though, and that's what I wanted.

So it's easy to use, it sounds nice, pretty much all around very good. My only complaint is that it's got a lag to it. You select a song and it does take a while to process. But I'll pay that price to be able to listen to my huge quantity of music without burning all of it to CD. I already have about 20 CDs in the car...

Still a couple quirks we're working out, but other than that I like it. I don't mind having a separate controller for the music, although steering wheel controls are handy I have lived without them before

I'll give a long-term report if I find anything else of note, but the tinkering around has given me a good impression so far.

Price: 199, plus 49 for the wired modulator.

 

couple more observations:

DH used the clock in the dash to power the head unit, so it should be on at all times when the clock is on... but when i flip on the headlights, the damned thing turns off every now and then. not every time. strange.

you do hear static from the FM transmitter when the sound level is really cranked up. particularly when you hear a word that has a strong letter S in it... like "sing" or "listen."

yeah, eventually we'll have to try another way in. but everything else is good so far.

oh yea, and lag has suddenly disappeared. now it responds immediately, unless you are skipping through songs all the time. but the ipod has a lag if you skip through a few songs too, so i deem that normal. of course, 'normal' is arbitrary at the moment

 

install pics:

complete stealth installation, no trace of it when all storage boxes are closed! wires were fished under the carpet, all components are in storage boxes. which is probably best in this particular town... lots of car break-ins.

[attachmentid=1647]

[attachmentid=1648]

[attachmentid=1649]