Qualir (autodvdgps.com) review

I posted a bit about this in the 2010 Subaru forum but thought I'd do a more complete review here. This may take a few posts but I'll start here and get as far as I can.

 

I should disclose I am NOT a car guy. This is the first stereo project I've done in 20 years.

 

Ordering and Installation:

 

The unit I ordered is specifically designed for a 2010 Subaru Legacy. The wiring, external finish, and internal mechanicals fit almost perfectly. You can see the mechanical results. They were achieved simply by using the stock brackets off the stock radio screwed onto the Qualir unit.

 

Everything fit as shown, first try.

 

The ONLY modification I made was to splice the chassis ground wires instead of screw mounting the Qualir unit someplace I wasn't certain was Chassis ground. I just cut the connector off the stock ground wire and spliced it with the Qualir ground wire.

 

Main Feature Screen (Picture #1):

 

There are 10 listed features on the main screen. I have seven installed in my unit (some are upgrades I didn't buy, some are options I chose not to install) they are:

 

DVD -- Installed and reviewed

V-CDC -- Video/Audio CD, not used yet

USB connection -- Option I chose not to install

SD Card -- Two SD cards in the unit, one for GPS maps, one for user content. I use and will review both.

HDTV -- Upgrade I didn't purchase

Radio -- AM/FM Tuner. Will review

BlueTooth -- I will review linked to a BlackBerry Curve

IPOD -- I-pod dock reviewed linked to an Apple I-pod NANO

AUX Input/Output -- I chose not to install these cables, they are included with the base unit.

Navi -- GPS system

 

On the top control bar there is a Setup button which allows the user to program everything from Units, to steering wheel controls, set the clock, calibrate the LCD touchscreen, etc.

 

On the bottom control bar there is an obvious power button, the next button turns the LCD backlight on and off, next is a volume button, the "four squares" button changes the LED colors on the side buttons (mine are now blue unlike the red shown in the pic).

 

The next button is an LCD brightness button. There are three settings. But the brightest setting is really the only practical one for daylight. Fortunately the unit is aware of the auto headlights and automatically dims when the headlights come on or ambient light falls below a certain threshold.

 

So you don't have to constantly be playing with the dimmer for day and night. I was pleasantly surprised by that.

 

Steering Wheel Controls:

 

I included a picture of my Steering wheel controls for reference. The volume and select buttons worked out of the box with the Radio, I-pod, and DVD. With some programming in the SETUP section of the Qualir unit, I made the MUTE button work as a MUTE button and the MODE button bring me back to the Feature Select screen.

 

Various pictures of feature screens:

 

I'll conclude my first post with some screen shots of various features. The "Mustangs" picture is from a video being played off the SD card slot, Several pictures included are from the Bluetooth link, and a couple of the Radio controls, and one of the I-pod controls

Here are a few more physical install pictures.

 

You can see the finish matches the "brushed aluminum" of the stock Legacy. And the fit is fantastic.

 

Fortunately there was a stock hole in the compartment below the NAV unit that I used to route the I-POD dock and BlueTooth external Mic wires though.

 

I chose to use the external mic because I wanted to ensure Bluetooth quality as I use the integrated phone often for business.

 

I could have routed the USB wires through if I had made the hole slightly larger. But because it didn't fit, I chose not to install it at this time. (And I really couldn't think why I'd want it there when there's a nice hidden SD card slot already)

 

The physical install was very easy once a Subaru mechanic showed me how to pop the front molding off to access the insides. (The Qualir guys even included a tool to do it). I wanted to be sure I didn't scratch it up so I got help with that.

 

But other than that, I did everything following the included instructions... which were simple and mostly accurate.

That fit and finish looks really good. Good to see someone pulled the trigger on this.

DVD Player

 

First of all, PLEASE of the love of all life sharing the road with you, DO NOT watch movies while driving. It's dangerous and in many places illegal.

 

There, that said, I love the DVD player. Having a few kids around, I drive to malls, sports, music lessons, etc... and waiting in the car is now a chance to catch up on some movies.

 

The DVD player works very well. DVD's insert above the LCD, and can be controlled via the touch screen. Just touch the menu item on the DVD (as shown in pic #1) to access the DVD's features.

 

The picture quality is better than my digital camera can capture (the last picture being closest to actual visual experience). There is some video quality degradation particularly in some color pallets. But the video does not jump or "pixellate" due to lack of processing power.

 

The stereo sound from the stock speakers is very good but not great -- but that's probably a function of the speakers not the unit.

 

One quality item I am concerned about is the mechanical DVD eject and load. It doesn't seem overly smooth. If I had to bet which part of the unit will fail first, it'll be the DVD loader.

 

Picture in Picture:

 

One very cool feature of the Qualir is the PIP. You can embed any function inside another and view both. In this sample case in Photo #3, I'm watching "Battle of Britian" while checking my NAV.

 

Note: the photo is of the GPS unit in "night" mode... the background is black and the streets are dark green and barely visible in the picture. I'll talk a lot about GPS later, but you can see the unit displays house numbers on each side of the street at its location, current speed, and speed limit.

 

Lots more about GPS later.

As someone who swaps audio often let me just say, this is the best looking head unit that I have seen. I mean as far as factory integration. I know a lot of people feel that I only do high end, but that is not true. There are several pieces that I have purchased and installed that few have heard of. The reason I do this is to keep my feet wet so to say and never forget that useable doesn't always equate to price. This with the addition of dsp would be the start of a great sounding system. Great write up and thank you for sharing this with us.

Glad to do it Coppertone... much more to come as I get to it.

 

What drove me to this one is budget constraints moving me from a Lexus GS to a Subaru. I really like the Subaru but the infotainment system was almost non-existent... and integrated hands-free bluetooth is a MUST for me.

 

I have a buddy who got me a great deal on a 2010 Subaru... so I'm dumping some money into it. (Next up is some real wheels!)

 

 

Since I forgot to add this in the original post, here's a link to the unit I purchased:

 

http://www.autodvdgps.com/7-inch-hd-touchscreen-dvd-gps-navigation-player-with-pip-rds-ipod-vcdc-for-20092012-subaru-legacy-p-1354.html

Great write up dhintze! I enjoyed it very much.. Good enough to be a cnet review..

SD Card Operation:

 

The "User" SD card slot is behind the top right "button" as shown in the first picture. I'm currently using a 4Gig card.

 

The SD reader is capable of displaying digital pictures (very well) and playing compressed video (good to marginal depending on the format and resolution). You can also tell the unit to use background and loading pictures on the SD card instead of those in memory.

 

The default loading screen, for example, is the Subaru Logo. I really like that because it adds to the feel that the unit belongs in and was built into the car.

 

But my transition and wait screens I've changed to the "airplane in the desert" picture featured below.

 

The "Menu" for the SD card is accessed by tapping the outer edge of the touch screen. This is how most "main menus" are accessed. From the menu screen you can chose videos, pictures, and slideshow modes.

 

The pictures below are of the SD card area

The SD Card Menu Screen

SD Card Picture Preview

A picture of a playing video (the video isn't blurry, my camera trying to stop it is)

A Digital picture being displayed

And finally, the DVD-Loading screen using a background off the SD Card.

The AM/FM radio feature of the Qualir module has a very nice interface, but due to the weak hardware of the receiver, it is the one aspect of the unit that is a downgrade from even the low-end stock radio.

 

The pictures below show the interface with some presets. There is one AM bank for 8 presets, and 3 FM banks for presets.

 

Setting a station is easy. It can be scanned or typed in. Once tuned in, just press and hold a finger over the desired preset location and it will store. The "hold" time to program is about 3 seconds, which is more than enough time to keep from accidentally re-programming.

 

The Unit will also "auto-program" using the magnifying glass feature. The unit will scan through the frequency range and program every station it finds until full.

 

I don't use radio too much, but the times I have used it, the receiver is definitely weak. FM stations have about half the normal range. And AM stations are barely usable even close to their source in the city.

 

Bottom line, if you are a frequent radio user, this probably isn't for you.

Very nice review! What was the cost of the unit? I've seen almost a similar unit for my '10 Mazda 3, and the price was ~$500-600 if I remember correctly. Wondering what this unit ran you. Great write up!

Post #6 contains a link to the unit including the sales price of $360. It was $400 delivered to my door.

 

The best parts of the unit and review are still to come. The GPS, Bluetooth, and I-POD stuff are awesome.

Pls include costs of subscriptions to map updates if applicable. TIA!

The maps come free and there is no subscription cost. I'm not sure what it would cost to "upgrade" the map software. I'll ask.

Very cool. Thanks much-

This looks awesome, but I have a few concerns. I have a sub in my car, and I see no RCA's! Please post some more pics if you can!

Great question. The AUX in/out cables are all RCA's. I didn't install them on mine but they come standard with the unit (I don't have anything to connect all the wires to).

 

The RCA harness includes six audio out jacks (3 ea left and right). Two are reserved for multiple zones, but I would imagine any of the others would work for a DSP or SUB.

 

I do plan to add a sub to my car at some point.

 

There are also two video outputs and an input for the rear camera in the RCA harness.

Perhaps the strongest feature of the Qualir unit is the Bluetooth.

 

It has all the expected goodies: Address book, integration with the multi-media system, simple binding instructions, outgoing/incoming call log, clear and easy to access pick-up and hang-up buttons.

 

I was surprised by how good the sound quality is both outgoing and incoming. I am used to the system in a Lexus, and this rivaled it and in some ways beats it.

 

The steering wheel volume and mute buttons also work in bluetooth mode.

 

The link also supports Audio... which for me means streaming Pandora or Spotify to my Blackberry and playing it over my stereo. Given how I expect technology to evolve over the next 3-5 years, I expect to get most of my driving entertainment content through this link.

 

The audio interface is smart enough to "skip" songs on spotify or Pandora using the "forward" button. The "gain" buttons are also a nice extra to ensure the audio quality is as high as it can be.

Just a note on this since it has been several months.

 

The only issue I've had since installation is the included external microphone for the bluetooth has deteriorated. It is a standard PC-type microphone. I will be buying a better one -- but before I do that I will be trying the integrated mic for a while.

 

I'm also about ready to upgrade my NAV maps for the first time.

 

The system works very well. The GPS I like better than most models I've used.

 

And the unit is still brighter and touchscreen is still working as it did when new.

Sweet review! Unfortunately I had the complete opposite experience with this company. They stuffed me around so much & I have many MANY emails that exploit the bad service I received. Promises they made to me personally, & also the promises they have made on their site were far from kept. I'm not writing this to give them a bad name, but to make others aware before purchasing things from autodvdgps.com that they could have an equally as bad experience that I had. I've read much elsewhere that have experienced what I did. Very disappointed!!!!

I haven't had any experience with this company or their products, but for those of you who are looking for a similar unit (stock look), look at Myron and Davis, they have some units on sale on Ebay, currently going for 329. M&D is a reputable company and have been in business for a long time. They also have a phone number with a live person on the other end....very rare these days.

A few more notes on my experience with this unit as it has now been several years since I installed it.

 

I still haven't updated the maps software. With Phone navigation now so easy, the car navigation barely gets used, although it is handy in areas without cell service. But not handy enough to upgrade particularly since rural roads tend not to change much.

 

The BT audio and phone features remain the most useful part of the unit for me. Controlling my Spotify skip features with the big touchscreen keys keeps management of music safe while driving.

 

My GPS antenna went out last winter. I ordered a replacement that was $8 shipped to my door. That is the only real issue I've had with the unit.

 

I was curious about the Myron and Davis units mentioned above... I was wondering if they were from the same factory as many things are these days. But I couldn't find a listing for a Subaru on Ebay.

The AM/FM reception problem could be due to the HU not supplying a full 12V to your car's antenna booster amplifier. Worth investigating.

 

Also, for anyone who wants an OEM-style USB socket, you can swap in an OEM aux+USB "pod" (in place of the aux-only pod). See this thread, and the one I link to at the end. One downside is that Subaru jacked up the price on that alternate OEM pod. Another solution is to add an aftermarket panel-mount USB jack next to the factory 3.5mm jack. See eBay and Amazon for many.