Focus Fanatics Forum banner

2012 Focus - Aftermarket Stereo possibilities.

464K views 397 replies 116 participants last post by  Metalcrack 
#1 ·
Okay, it's still very early and the 2012 model is still brand new..

But, for those of us who have bought a Focus, or who are thinking about buying a Focus, with after market audio in mind.. Here is some research I've done explaining different possibilities.

As we know, today's car electronics and stock stereo systems are becoming increasingly complicated. Gone are the days when the radio, was just the radio, and swapping an aftermarket headunit for vastly improved sound was very easy.

These days, it takes a lot more effort, due to the way radios are integrated into the entire car.

As we also know, having an aftermarket headunit with speakers, amp(s) and a couple of subwoofers in the trunk makes for the best sound. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more of a challenge, however with some trims on the 2012+ Focus, it will be possible.

The Focus has several stock stereo options. I am not going to get into full details, but here are the generalities.

(1) Base radio, no sync.

(2) Base radio, with sync.

(3) Sony radio, with sync.

(4) Sony radio with sync & MFT.

The above four options also come with varying amounts of speakers (4, 6, or 10).

Let me just flat out say this. If you are thinking of putting in an after market stereo, there's really no reason to get option (3) or (4). Especially (4). Why spend the extra money on something you are just going to yank out?

If you get option (4), pretty much forget about it. The level of integration (climate control etc.) is so high that you would lose wayyy too much functionality.

Option (3) will be possible, but again, why buy an upgraded sound system just to yank it out. One could argue that you would like to have the 10 speaker system, and then add trunk subwoofers w/ aftermarket HU to it, but I'd argue that 6 speakers are just fine. Just my opinion.

That leaves us with Options (1) and (2), which are the most viable for aftermarket installations.

We all know to install an aftermarket HU, there needs to be a dash kit available to fit either a single or double DIN unit. It also needs to keep any functionality that may be lost when removing the stock dash area.

Looking at the radio in the focus, this appears to be a nightmare. It is weirdly shaped, with buttons that control items on the screen, in addition to a hazard light and lock light buttons. (The annoyances of modern cars... Why are these things on the radio again?)

In looking at possibilities, I stumbled upon some Ford Fiesta material. The Fiesta radio is essentially the same as the Focus radio. See below photo.



So what is available for the Fiesta? A quick search yielded some promising results.

Metra has released a single-din (NO DOUBLE DIN) dash kit for the Fiesta, that includes all buttons needed to keep the functionality of the LCD screen above the radio.

http://www.metraonline.com/part/99-5825S

Wiring harnesses are also available.

http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=XSVI-5524-NAV



Option (1) does not include Sync, so a good possibility would be to get an aftermarket headunit with bluetooth for phone, and an aftermarket GPS unit to stick on the windshield. It appears double DIN may not fit on our Focii unfortunately, if it turns out being the same as the Fiesta. So we'll be stuck with Single DIN. Not a big deal in my book.

Option (2) includes Sync, which is a little bit more messy, but there are aftermarket Sync "retention modules" that exist. I haven't done my research on this, but I've heard it works decent enough. I ordered my car with Option (1) to avoid these troubles.

Hope this helps for anyone thinking along the same lines as myself.
 
See less See more
1
#334 ·
I just wanted to say I bought a Koolertron stereo for 450 off amazon, it was compatible in every way and worked smoothly except for one thing. I could not get it to play CD's because its a VCD whitch in the booklet stands for Virtual CD im not sure but it annoyed me so i took it out even though i enjoyed the blue tooth and touch screen
 
#335 ·
Android Nexus 7 + Metra Double DIN

Hi, sorry for interjecting, but just want to share how tabet + factory radio + Metra dash kit setup.

This was the best of both words for me. Latest Android + MyFordSync

I actually just sold my Foucs so I'm getting rid of the Double DIN Metra kit on eBay:link here
If anyone is interested, let me know. Price is negotiable. Thanks.











 
#337 ·
Hi, sorry for interjecting, but just want to share how tabet + factory radio + Metra dash kit setup.

This was the best of both words for me. Latest Android + MyFordSync

I actually just sold my Foucs so I'm getting rid of the Double DIN Metra kit on eBay:link here
If anyone is interested, let me know. Price is negotiable. Thanks.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8443002/IMAG0005%20%282%29.jpg

[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8443002/IMAG1086.jpg

[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8443002/IMAG1118.jpg

[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8443002/IMAG1123.jp
[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8443002/IMAG0013.jpg

[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8443002/IMAG0015.jpg[/QUOTE]

i'm interested in how you kept the stock radio functional. where did all the buttons go?
 
#338 ·
Hey guys, I'm trying to replace my focus' speakers with new coax speakers. I purchased 1 set of focal pc165 for the front doors and 1 set of JL c2 650's for the rear door. I just finished removing the door panel and moding the bracket but it seems like no matter how much i cut back the bracket the speakers don't seem to fit! Are these speakers 6-3/4"? is that why? Can I buy an aftermarket bracket that will work??

As well I was trying to use 16GA wire to connect the speaker to the bracket connection points and seem to be having a tough time soldering the wire on, should I be using a lower gauge wire??
 
#339 ·
Anyone tried these so far:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Android-4-2-Car-DVD-Player-for-Ford-Focus-2012-w-GPS-Navi-Radio-BT-WIFI-DVR-/271597569626?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

I have discussed with seller and this unit is made by Klyde, button backlights are "Ford Focus Blue" and set includes cable harness with connectors so no wire cutting is necessary.

I'm about to order one but I would first like to hear if someone else has bought these here. My main concern is 8" display and if it's bright enough to be used in direct sunlight.
 
#342 ·
Coming from a professional mobile electronics installer, I'd avoid that like the plague. FAR too often I see these "factory fit fully integrated" Chinese head units come into my shop, either running a hacked up version of Android or some proprietary OS. Doesn't matter. The build quality is poor and they fail FAR too often. And when they go, you're back to square one. There's no removing just the head unit and replacing it with something higher quality. As you can see, it's all built together. So you'll still have to buy the Metra kit and do the entire installation over again.

Let me also add that I work hourly. I don't make any money off what items my customers buy. I don't care if it's a $50 Pioneer or a $800 Kenwood navi. I've been doing this too long to have any brand loyalty. I'm also pretty darn familiar with Android and having been rooting/hacking for years. I'm the first guy in the pool when it comes to trying new things or tinkering with something. So believe me when I say, I have no man in the race, and I'm still telling you guys to avoid this product.
 
#343 ·
Coming from a professional mobile electronics installer, I'd avoid that like the plague. FAR too often I see these "factory fit fully integrated" Chinese head units come into my shop, either running a hacked up version of Android or some proprietary OS. Doesn't matter. The build quality is poor and they fail FAR too often. And when they go, you're back to square one. There's no removing just the head unit and replacing it with something higher quality. As you can see, it's all built together. So you'll still have to buy the Metra kit and do the entire installation over again.

Let me also add that I work hourly. I don't make any money off what items my customers buy. I don't care if it's a $50 Pioneer or a $800 Kenwood navi. I've been doing this too long to have any brand loyalty. I'm also pretty darn familiar with Android and having been rooting/hacking for years. I'm the first guy in the pool when it comes to trying new things or tinkering with something. So believe me when I say, I have no man in the race, and I'm still telling you guys to avoid this product.
So why wouldn't you in this case? Buy one of these to test like I will do and BLarson did. Perhaps if more people tested and played and guinea pigged we'd find a working solution. I've been in communication for months with another supplier while they fine tuned and built their device and have seen working units in cars.
If you had said "I bought this device and it didn't work." you'd be more helpful to the community than saying essentially, "Why bother they all suck."
 
#344 ·
So anybody has to physically own something before they're allowed to state their opinion on the internet? Though I like to try new things, why would I buy this when I have first-hand experience with extremely similar Chinese designed garbage? Have I installed THIS EXACT UNIT. No. Never said I did. But I have installed, troubleshot, and replaced 100 just like it. Is this particular model guaranteed to fail? Of course not. Buy it. Don't buy it. I don't care. But this is a forum where people come to share stories and opinions. Don't get butt hurt because I talked down on your head unit. A simple "I've had it installed X months and it's been working fine" would have been just as useful. We could sit here and re-word each others comments all day long...
 
#345 ·
So anybody has to physically own something before they're allowed to state their opinion on the internet? Though I like to try new things, why would I buy this when I have first-hand experience with extremely similar Chinese designed garbage? Have I installed THIS EXACT UNIT. No. Never said I did. But I have installed, troubleshot, and replaced 100 just like it. Is this particular model guaranteed to fail? Of course not. Buy it. Don't buy it. I don't care. But this is a forum where people come to share stories and opinions. Don't get butt hurt because I talked down on your head unit. A simple "I've had it installed X months and it's been working fine" would have been just as useful. We could sit here and re-word each others comments all day long...
[rofl] @ Butt hurt

Never said I bought this. I said I have been talking with another (different) supplier for months.
"Have I installed THIS EXACT UNIT. No. Never said I did. But I have installed, troubleshot, and replaced 100 just like it."
I like how this means to you that you know everything about every device. The unit I will be getting is different to this one. Choice is in the market and until people test and not just bash "Similar" units we'll never know. Thanks for your help??
 
#347 ·
Wow so profound [clap]

""There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know. The proverb has been traced back in English to 1546"

Your argument is invalid you have no knowledge about this product.

There would be no progress made in this if everyone went by what you said. If someone that bought a unit and then posted it didn't work like Blarson then they are contributing to the community.

You can sit there and say all these will fail or most will fail or I've had 100's that fail. It doesn't matter because it is not this unit. Simple.
 
#348 ·
Sounds to me like Firebird dude is trying to save the rest of us from getting ripped off and havng to buy the quality parts anyway. He sounds like a professional installer with enough experience to know what works and what doesn't. I, for one, think his opinion has merit. I plan on just splicing in the LOC, adding an amp and sub, and calling it a day.
 
#349 ·
Yeah I want you to be ripped off. [facepalm]

Is it so hard to understand that saying "all" of these are rubbish and wont work is blatantly false.

Do what you want but don't disparage things without any knowledge of the product.

No I don't want to see people ripped off.
 
#350 ·
WTF is your problem man? You're getting so bent out of shape because I stated my opinion. Did I EVER ONCE state that all of "these" are rubbish and won't work? NO. I said that I've seen buckets and buckets of similar units fail far before their time and ADVISED avoiding them. Does that mean the one particular two-bit model you have your eye on will fail? Of course not. I don't give two ishts what you buy.

Take Boss Audio for example. I've watched, installed, and been troubleshooting their equipment for years and years. It's all low-end flea market trash. So do I have to have experience with the exact model amplifier you're looking to buy before I advise you to avoid it? Nope.

But I'm sure you'll continue to attack me for my thoughts. You'd argue with a brick wall. Now it falls on deaf ears. I've said my piece, and then some. I'm out.
 
#351 ·
"I'd avoid that like the plague. FAR too often I see these "factory fit fully integrated" Chinese head units come into my shop, either running a hacked up version of Android or some proprietary OS. Doesn't matter. The build quality is poor and they fail FAR too often"

[wave] Bye bye
 
#352 ·
I had an aftermarket system installed in my 2014ford focus se as soon as i could get an appointment. The guys thought I was crazy for wanting to Install an after market deck, now after reading this all I don't blame them, although i did provide all wiring harnesses and steering wheel retention adapters needed.
 
#355 ·
Hello Everyone,

I want to add to this tread my owe experience, I purchased the Android 4 unit, I setup the unit the same day it arrived. I had a similar unit with another car, and that unit has been working for 2 or 3 years with no real issues, but some defects I could bear with. in the other hand, I can tell the android module of the unit is worthless, everytime you want to access the GPS to have to go to the android and at least launch it once so the button on the dashboard works... until you turn it off.
The sound quality, the bass the radio reception and the bluetooth were awesome.
The screen wasn´t bright enough at day. awesome in the dark. I mostly play videomixes on it.
I would have kept the unit with those defects, only because of the bluetooth, DVD, GPS the USB capabilities and better sound quality than the stock unit. But there was one issue that made me return the unit. The screen got flipped all of the sudden up side down and it remained there for days. It happened to me at least 3 times with no reasons. I had to return the unit and lose some money. there was no feature activated to explain this behavior. I researched on google and I found some android tablets have this defect and it´s hardware related. I am still looking for other options. even try the windows CE 6 version. I really like the look of the units, the metra kit is just too horrible for me to del with, but even that is something I have not made the last call.
 
#363 ·
This happened on the Colby tablets because they installed the screens upside down when putting the tablets together. This is probably what happened and when you installed a different Android ROM on the colby tablets the screen was always upside down. If you somehow could take it apart, and put the screen right side up, it might solve that issue.
 
#360 ·
No, as matter of fact the device is broken into 2 devices, one is the android unit, similar to a tablet and above it, it runs the stereo unit with the radio and bluetooth capabilities, the GPS runs on the android, as matter of fact if you disconnect the stereo cable unit, you still have access to the android unit, but the buttons on the device would stop working. I did notice this since I had an issue with the cable one time so I had to setup the unit from scratch
 
#362 ·
The stereo unit was good not sluggish the android one is similar what you can find on cheap Android 4 tablets, chinesse mostly, I liked the audio improvement coming from the stock unit, the bluetooth was also great, the screen wasn't bright enough at days, at nights it looked awesome, the plastics the unit was made are also good and it looked as the unit that comes with the Ti. Radio reception was also good. I'd kept it if mine didn't have any issue as the one I described before.
 
#364 ·
I have Sync in my car with the basic stereo, 2012 Focus SfE. What would you recommend, I would like to keep my SYNC system and some Chinese head units claim they already have SYNC installed. I have seen some online selling there MyTouch systems from a crashed vehicle, some claim they are NEW. But the prices are ridiculous.

What brands do you recommend to get a nice screen on my car and still be able to use
the VOICE button on the steering wheel. I would like to be able to talk to the car or
maybe even be able to use the VOICE button to activate any Google Now or SIRI features on the units. I know some adaptor boxes let you program the steering wheel
controls on a PC first, so you can assign extra features to each button.
 
#372 ·
Just finished my build



Newbie here but not new to the audio realm. Just usually read for answers and never post.

I just got through with a complete rebuild if anyone cares. Included the Audio Control LCQ, MBQuart OA800, Hifonics 1606D, Image Dynamics Component and coaxial Mids n Highs, Soundqubed HDC3 12, custom built 2.7 cubed box at 33hz I built and coated myself.

Stock unit with OEM intergration and successfully have been able to get a full signal from 25hz (Accubass correction with a 25hz test tone) to about 22khz. I can post pictures if anyone cares to see them.

I plan on making a YouTube tutorial but haven't gotten around to it...
 
#365 ·
Do you have a Youtube video we can watch showing your unit, and if it works with the Voice button and others on the steering wheel? I have seen many pictures of the same looking products and they range from $299 and up. Depends on which Chinese seller you get them from. I am sure some are charging double what others are charging. They never want to give the Product ID number so you can buy it cheaper somewhere else online like Alibaba.
 
#366 ·
Have you tried the systems where it is a box you can connect to any Pioneer or Kenwood head unit and it basically replaces the built in OS with it's own OS? I can not remember the guy but it was a little black box, they showed that it takes over the OS on the head unit and replaces it with there own software. He said any cheap head unit would do, as the box shows there own version of software instead of what you get stuck with on the OEM brand head units. I can't remember the guys company and might have a bookmark saved, if I can find it easy enough. I heard Metras dash kit the buttons are cheap quality even though they claim laser cut, and the backlight is the wrong color. Some have stated at night time driving, the back light is way to bright and is annoying.

If I did replace the small SYNC screen with something else, can I install a head unit touch screen kit without removing a SYNC module anywhere in the car? I think it is under the center console, but I am not sure. It would be nice if the OEM Kenwood and Pioneer head units would have SYNC already installed or at least if we can keep the steering wheel controls and use the VOICE button for something like activating Google Now or SIRI Hands Free.
 
#367 ·
Guys in Germany get these Chinese units and set them up on a table in there house. I have no idea how you would give one power but they do Youtube videos in there house showing the features and usually plug at least one speaker to it so you can hear it as well. I watched Ryan from West Coast customs, he installed a head unit with a name brand I never heard of into a 2012 Fiesta but the dash kit he used made the head unit sit higher on the dash. I would prefer factory look in the center on my 2012 Focus.
 
#368 ·
A dude in Hungary who married a Hungarian woman, he used a Raspberry PI and a LCD screen in his dash kit drawing power from the factory wiring radio harness and he has a whole lot of features on it. His car does not have any steering wheel controls though. If someone would make one of those I know a guy made a VOICE feature for Raspberry Pi where you can talk to it and command it what to do. We need someone to do something like that so we do not have to buy junk from China.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top