"Budget" BOSS Audio Dbl DIN h/u review & impressions

So I bought this for my rig back in early November and after driving around and dealing with a few things that have popped up (my install issues, not with the actual unit), I decided to write a little review of my honest impressions of the unit.

Note: I'm not much of an audiophile and had a meager budget for this and the other stuff I put in to replace my OEM stereo system in my '06 DCSB TRD OR.

$131 BOSS Audio Systems BVB9364RC Car Stereo - Double Din, 6.2" Touchscreen, Bluetooth, CD DVD Player, AM/FM Radio Receiver, Backup Camera, USB, SD, Wireless Remote Control

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017B80WI8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Okay, here's my impression of the BOSS AUDIO BVB9364RC Double DIN h/u:

The initial install is something that initially I did super quick... but have since had to go back and fix things because of my own impatience/lack of experience.
The h/u has an monster of a wiring harness/bundle that comes out the back that is conveniently all individually labeled. You should absolutely buy an adapter to plug into the OE connector ($5 on Amazon as a "add-on" and suggested when you input the vehicle you have) and you should absolutely do what I just finished last night and SOLDER the wires and properly heat shrink them. Maybe that's one of the reasons the unit was cheap? Using electrical tape is not recommended because the connections will jiggle/wiggle loose.
I also went with a Metra double DIN dash adapter kit which was 20 bucks. I like the matte black and actually am going to black out the rest of my stereo surround, HVAC controls and probably the center console to match.

Putting everything together (minus soldering wires) is a pretty simple affair and you only need a 10mm socket, philips screw driver and maybe a plastic paint scraper to make sure you don't scratch anything when prying the HVAC controls off.

The extra stuff it came with? Pretty much junk. The "hands free" mic was useless unless you want to clip it to your shirt and have a wire running back through to the back of the unit.
I installed the mic and after using it twice took it out. The people I called said they could barely hear me at all. I just put my phone (Galaxy s7) on speaker and it works great. There is a plug where I could put a better quality mic but for the immediate future I'm just going to leave it.

I'm not even sure I want to make the effort to put in the back up camera... although I really want one. Maybe I'll plug the thing in when I've got the h/u pulled out and see if it works.
For 3 extra dollars I figured it was worth a shot. It came with it's own 15 foot cable with RCA plug that goes to a dedicated input on the back. Also came with a little hole saw, but not sure what I'd try to use it on in the back... Hey, free hole saw drill attachment, though!

The DVD player is only supposed to work when in park, which I think is bullshit but I get it. I'm sure there's a work-around but I honestly haven't taken the time to try to figure it out. More time googling will probably solve that.
The same thing works for CDs which I like having as a back up in case my phone is low on juice or something. CDs are going the way of the dinosaur but I'm old and still have a bunch of discs so GET OFF MY LAWN, PUNK.

There are a few wires that I can't figure out what they are for on the back or why I need them. There's not much explanation in the instructions that came with the unit. Everything's labelled but why do I need one that's marked "brake"...? *shrug*
There are a BUNCH of additional inputs for speakers and dedicated sub which I'm not using... yet. We'll see because I don't have an external amp or sub yet.

The main reason I got it was because it's got more power (80Watts, compared to the stock h/u which is only 17 supposedly), bluetooth (works even better than my old Ford Fusion SYNC system which was crap) and a 6" touch screen.
It came with a remote, which I didn't think I'd be using at all but honestly it comes in handy. Much better to skip a song holding it than trying to reach over and tap the screen. Not sure how durable it is but we'll see.

As far as the interface and controls go, the physical power/volume knob is good and does the job. The touch screen is... meh? Not the most responsive but I mainly use the remote now so that's not an issue.
The EQ has full customization ability and presets for sound. There's a "loud" setting which is basically everything turned to 11 but that's stupid and I don't use it.
I will complain that the jump from quiet to LOUD is pretty severe but I can tune down using my phones media volume if I have to. Probably more an issue with using songs with different bit rates saved on my phone's SD card (some are quieter/louder than others).
Speaking of external storage, I haven't tried to use the SD card slot yet so no idea on that. I tried to see if I could load a custom image using the USB but it didn't work and I haven't futzed around with it since I was at work the only time I tried it.

The radio... well, let's just say this is one area that the BOSS is not a BOSS. The Tacoma stock h/u got way better reception and I've basically given up on trying to use the radio in the truck
Doesn't help that I hacksawed my antenna to make it shorter so it wouldn't scrap when I pulled into my garage but I don't really care about that. It's basically a gauge for if I'm going under something too low at this point. My kids are the only ones who every want to listen to the radio anyways but they need to be educate in Too $hort and Motorhead, so it's a learning experience with them. Enjoy the ride kiddos, I'm the DJ, HAHAHAHA!

For just over 100 bucks, I'll say that it works. Would I rather have a bitchin' Pioneer or Kenwood or something else for 3 times the cost? Donations are payable to: orezonaneedsabetterstereo.com (or paypal).

Note: I've got it hooked up using the OE wiring to a pair of Fosgate 6x9s in the front, stock tweeters and a pair of Fosgate 6.5s in the back. The sound is "okay" but a huge improvement over the paper speakers from before. The RF 6.5s came with 1" tweeters with built in crossovers which I may take on as a project to install somehow in the back some day.


"OMG, what am I getting into!?!"


OEM wires/connectors


Initially in and working. Had to take it back out twice to permanently fix the wires from the h/u to the connector.


This is how the unit came out of the box.
A brazillion wires. Better to have them and not need them, right?



Pretty much what I did last night. 4wheeling can find the loose wires pretty quick!

 

Thanks for the writeup and reply man. I really hesitated when I looked at the price and appreciate the opinion. I'll probably just shell out the extra $$$ for a better Pioneer or Kenwood.

 

Yeah, it's what I would call a significant upgrade over the stock h/u but by no means near as good as some of the options out there closer to $200.

It is serving it's purpose for me right now but some time down the line I'll probably go for the next step up. Baby steps!