Soundstream VRN-DD7HB Double DIN Bluetooth In-Dash Car Stereo Receiver

There are a lot of 1 star reviews on here and a lot of misinformation around. I knew this going in and I love this radio. First off, be aware of these things:1) Phonelink will not and will never work with Iphone.2) Phonelink is only compatible up to Android 7 (not 8 or now 9). BUT Soundstream has confirmed that they have developers working on an update for both of these OS. Be aware that they will not provide a timeline. When available it will be on their website.3) Steering wheel controls will be surrendered on some cars (maybe true?). I have a 2010 Silverado and had the radio professionally installed. Previously had a JVC radio with working Steering Wheel controls. With this radio the controls do not work. According to the installer, who has a silverado shop truck and the same radio. There is no way to make it happen FOR THIS CAR. According to Soundstream, it does work but you need a specific adapter (Axxcess module model ASWC-1 wired to the Kenwood option). Mileage may vary, I cannot speak to other cars just my own.5) Having trouble connecting to bluetooth? Look in the instruction manual, the password to connect is in there. I think it is "1111" but not sure.6) should have come with an HDMI port and at least one extra USB port.That is all I have for cons. Now a work-around for phonelink issue:1) Use the RCA/AV cables and an adapter (Beuler BU-HDMIV)2) you will need to also hardwire power for this adapter, I bought a usb to hardwire (Beuler USBC-5VUSBF)3) Next, get an HDMI to USB-C (For Android) or an HDMI and Lighting Adapter (for iphone), plug this into the adapter.4) You will need to ground or bypass the parking break so the AV feature works while driving.5) Once all this is done, you can select AV on the radio and your screen will be mirrored. This will allow the radio to show exactly what is on your phone. Unlike phonelink, your radio wont control your phone, you still need to use your phone for all touchscreen/changing of screens. Audio and Visual passes to the radio though. Really cool. Moreover, this option does not charge your phone, FYI. I bought a wireless charger for this reason that I keep in my car. Last point, when this is connected, it uses the audio from your phone, so you cannot listen to the radio while mirroring your phone. if you want to listen to music while your phone is mirroring, be sure to be using a music app from your phone.I use the above as a stop gap until the phonelink update is made available for Android 8/9 for my Galaxy Note 9.Now that you know the above, I can get to my general review:I love the radio, the dual screen is such a fun and helpful feature. I can control the radio/bluetooth while also using the navigation. The mechanism for the screen is straightforward and reliable. The sound the radio produces far exceeds my JVC radio. Everything sounds a lot better (especially the radio). The workaround for phone link is really cool as well, I can watch netflix (not while driving), view spotify and really do anything. the picture isnt amazing when using this option, but again, it is a stop gap and not a long term solution.Knowing the kinks ahead of time and seeing how unique this radio is (only dual screen out there) I simply could not pass on it. I am blown away by all the features, EQ, CD player, built in nav, bra cup size converter, etc. All for a very reasonable price.Once the phonelink updates are live, this radio will truly be a home run. In its current state, understanding where it falls short, I still recommend it 10/10

I was looking forward to this head unit more than any electronic device I've ever wanted. It was the biggest let down of anything I've ever bought. So many cons and not many pros.Cons:Screen resolution isn't as good as other head units with same resolution. Sound quality is lacking. My 5+ year old JVC was worlds better. Equalizer is crap. Menus are basic, ugly and lacking features. The screen mirroring is horrible. It's so bad it cuts letters out of words. Built in navigation is old and ugly and very slow. There is only 1 usb and that basically defeats the purpose of two screens. There is Not a 3.5mm jack. I personally didn't care but the specs say it has one but it does not. The top screen is very loose and moves every time you touch it. When it comes in and out it has grease all over it from the gears and you can see the track imprints. Matter of time before the grease runs out and the gears stop, not to mention scratches on the screen. The bottom screen has no ability to angle down, only able to angle up. In my car this was unacceptable as I couldn't even see the bottom screen while driving. The sun would actually glare into my eyes. I had to ride with only one screen which again defeats the purpose of two screens. The wire harness is labeled wrong and done features wouldn't work like steering wheel controls, illumination, and backup camera. Last head unit I had worked and the one I installed right after this worked fine. It said it would have 2 amp fast charge from usb but is Not fast charge. I'd say 1 amp at best. Soundstream said only aptiX units have fast charge... Well that's funny cause the boot image says this unit is an aptiX unit. The engineers and marketing group obviously did not communicate internally during the development and release of this unit. There's probably more cons I'm forgetting but that's all I can remember since I sent this thing back immediately after installing.Pros:Bluetooth works well. Responsive touch screen. The looks of the unit are nice, it looks really cool but remember screen resolution is not included in this.Look at the pictures for proof. Also otice the two identical pictures, one is of my phone(the good one) and the other is of the screen mirroring resolution on the unit(the bad one). Sad thing about the screen mirroring picture is that isn't even the worst example. Go ahead and ask questions about this unit and I will answer with the truth.Edit: Notice how the verified purchases are the negative ones and the positive ones aren't....Yeah well that's because those positive reviews aren't the truth.

I usually would never buy a head unit from an off brand. I know Soundstream has been around for a bit, but I'm an Alpine guy myself. I was looking for a unit for my truck and they were in the $1,000-1,300 range from Alpine. I wasn't going to pay that much since it's not even a daily driver.I randomly came across this somewhere and thought it was so cool, I couldn't pass it up. It had twice the features at half the price. Not to mention dual screens. Most YouTube reviews were great as well.Long story short, I installed it into my truck and it exceeded my expectations. The phonelink works great after setup, navigation seems to work pretty well, and so does everything else. So far, I love this thing. Just keep in mind this thing was made for Android. Not sure if any IPhones will work, but most Androids will.

The UI on this device is in great need of improvement. It is difficult to navigate and hard to understand. However, the GPS navigation worked wonderfully out of the box. The build quality is very good. The twin screen function works well and is nicely integrated, though vehicles with a shift-lever that is close to the center-stack might have issues. Sound quality is decent, but not audiophile quality. The embedded MP3 player works well, though again the UI leaves much to be desired. A worthwhile upgrade for budget-conscious drivers.

Love it its almost perfect! All it needs as a phonelink update to pair my phone with so I can use my phone on the head unit. Also a HDMI port! Other than that I love it so much definitely worth getting if u wanna show off your sound system or show off your ride! It really stands out and it's one of a kind no other brand make a dual screen double Din. Picture quality is decent for 2017 like clear no 4k but I'm not complaining!