I originally went the Apline route, with Hawg Wired. First, the HW kit is top notch. The trim ring is amazing quality. I've seen the BT on a bike at the local dealer, and thought it was cheap looking. JMHO.

Anyway, for what it's worth, I switched over to a Sony Marine deck. I am running the Arc BX mini 125.2 amp with the J&M 7.25" speakers. It's loud. Not much bottom end, but that's an entirely different debate.

Referencing the delay you speak of - The Alpine radios require the use of the universal adapter/harness. There are dip switches that need to be set, and all that is easy. But there is a delay.

When I switched over to Sony, I bought the Sony specific adapter/harness. It plugs directly into the stereo and the bike harness. No guess work. Also, no delay. Handlebar controls are just as good as stock.

Ran my USB cord down the spine (I pulled the tank, it's too easy not to) and my iPod rides in a plastic bag that I change every couple weeks, under my seat. An 8gb Nano is plenty space enough for my music.

 

I have had both. I prefer Hawg Wired. I talked to HW and they purposely don't support avc and I agree with their reasoning. At higher volumes you could risk avc pushing output into distortion/clipping. I'm ok turning it up/down myself if it saves my speakers.

 

I was thinking the same thing!

 

You can retain your OEM radio (w/ CB and intercom) and add an amp and new speakers (the speakers should match the amp's impedance; the radio's impedance is irrelevant when the speakers are getting the audio signal from an add-on amp).

When you see fitment information on websites (e.g. Hogtunes, Hawg-wired, etc.) that distinguish between '06 and newer models, and '05 and older models, this is typically with speaker selection due to the 2 ohm impedance of the HK head unit on the newer models, and 8 ohm impedance on the older head unit system. If the distinction is continued with amp selection, that's done because of concerns for fitment of the amp inside the batwing fairing.

Good luck with your research.

Carl

 

BT's interface module comes with a lifetime warranty; HW's doesn't. As for AVC, you can turn it off if you use the BT interface module. I've also read that AVC is patented by BT, so perhaps HW's omission of AVC is due to patent infringment concerns--can't see clipping concerns being a real reason in an installation that doesn't include an add-on amp.

Both units are excellent; I went with BT's because of the lifetime warranty several years ago, and appreciated the AVC feature.

Apart from one having the AVC and the other not having AVC, I have never read of an operational difference between the two brands.

Carl

 

Fish Eye,

Why did you change from Alpine to Sony? From what I have read on this site is sounds like Alpine is a better quality unit.

 

Alpine has a history of being top notch. Not every one of there decks is amazing however (before the bashing starts, that is true for ALL brands). I chose Sony over Alpine recently.

My reasoning was as follows: Big fan of the iPod/iPhone Tune Tray. Simplicity at it's best for me. I'm not against running extra wires all over the place, but I like the convenience of the Tune Tray. Specs were very close to Alpine units I was looking at (Alpines that cost over twice as much as my Sony), and also easy of replacement. If my deck gets wet or craps out, it's a 5 minute drive to Best Buy to get a new one, instead of ordering a new one and waiting. Basically the Sony gave me all the features I wanted, with ease of replacement. Budget was a way distant third place in my reasoning.

Would a high end Alpine sound better? Perhaps. But most likely at 80 mph on the road I wouldn't be able to tell. That said, Alpine makes great products and I am in no way bashing them. They just lost out in this application for me.

 

Personally I am not happy with Hog tunes, Quality for Audio is sub-par. I have been thinking about HW now I have more to think about. I think this summer I am going to go to my nearest bike audio dealer and say do it .... just do it... I want bass, volume and clarity. Maybe I´m dreaming , biut I do not think so, we put man on the moon, I know I can have my tunes ready to hear from across town.

 

Hawg wired makes amps that you can pack in small places and not have to worry about heat. They are not cheap but they are awesome. AND VERY LOUD.