Boss Audio and sister brands Planet Audio and Sound Storm Laboratories today released a new car stereo head unit with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support for just $400. With a 6.75-inch capacitive screen and supportive vehicle features such as a rearview camera and steering wheel controls, the new system offers solid value for those looking to upgrade older vehicles to more modern head units.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to test the Planet Audio version of the head unit, the PCPA975W, and I’ve been impressed with its performance and simplicity. While you won’t get features like a CD/DVD player or built-in navigation, many users find them unnecessary when most content can be played directly from their phone.
Back in the early days of wireless CarPlay, I was skeptical of its usefulness given that mobile phone batteries can run out and cars were often a good place to recharge them during the day. However, since I could spend a lot of time using this feature, I started to like it. Many car trips are short trips to work or business trips, and it’s very convenient that CarPlay automatically appears on the dashboard without taking your phone out of your pocket.
I won’t waste time going into detail on CarPlay itself, as it’s a pretty standard experience that most people are familiar with these days, and Apple has been steadily improving it over the years with features like the Dashboard, better Apple Maps, better support for 3rd generation. third party apps and EV routing.
The new Boss Audio systems aren’t very flashy, but they get the job done, at least from what I’ve seen in testing. Original and aftermarket infotainment systems have long lagged behind smartphone user interfaces in terms of visual appeal and usability, but they’re starting to make some headway here. You won’t mistake the Boss interface for an iPhone interface, but it’s a lot better than some of the others I’ve used, including the Boss audio system I just tested last year.
However, it’s well worth paying for a significant boost to your driving experience, especially if you’re willing to install it yourself. The latest models contain so many features in their own infotainment systems that replacing them with an aftermarket unit is not possible or practical, but there are still plenty of cars on the roads, some only a few years old. It will certainly benefit from the technological upgrades available in these head units.
Boss Audio is now releasing four new models under different brand names: BOSS Audio BVCP9850W, Planet Audio PCPA975W, Sound Storm Laboratories DD999ACP and BOSS Elite BE950WCPA. All four models cost $400 and branding aside, they are basically the same.
Note: Boss Audio provided MacRumors with the Planet Audio PCPA975W and installation services for this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an Amazon affiliate partner. When you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment to help us keep the site running.
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Post time: Apr-03-2023