Alternative Headunit - Zenec ZE-NC3131D Review

Hi,

Yes, and Yes (not that i have!).

I know a couple of people (who have PM'd me) have changed there cheaper Chinese units for the Zenec one.

One thing i will say is it is on offer at car communications.co.uk at the moment (£699) instead of £800. It may be a lot of money, but for the added 2 year warranty and the fact you know everything is in the box (of which you get all the extra harness for rear monitors/DAB radio etc) so you just know that you have what you need IMO i think it is worth the extra.

I have had no issues with it at all in all honesty, it locks in correctly, the Sat Nav seems good, the parrot kit is brilliant as parrot kits are and the internal mic on the unit has been brilliant so i have felt no need to put the external one in. Also the DIS display is handy to have with the Sat Nav instructions on it!

Even looks fairly OEM, i have had several people look at it (including new A4 drivers and they have all been very surprised with how nice it is and the functionality over the RNS-E.
 
Thanks for the review Newbieboyy, I'm considering getting one of these. Just wanted to know how you installed the USB in your glovebox? I can't see any obvious way of getting wires through the back to the head unit other than using a hammer ;-)
 
harkers said:
Thanks for the review Newbieboyy, I'm considering getting one of these. Just wanted to know how you installed the USB in your glovebox? I can't see any obvious way of getting wires through the back to the head unit other than using a hammer ;-)
Click to expand...

Drill ;-)

i just oust carefully drilled a hole for the cable in the top left. Then I squirrel my iPod away in there.
 
Hi, reading over this I'm tempted by the xtrons unit. I simply can't afford the zenec unit as I'm a student.
Can anyone think of any reasons not to purchase xtrons ? I'm just a little scared because it's a Chinese unit
 
Choice is yours, however a couple of people who have bought them have returned them to get the Zenec.

Save up a bit longer and get the Zenec if it is the one you want.
 
I have always been told buy cheap buy twice but £700+ is more than I really want to be spending on a head unit. Is there anything that sits somewhere between the xtrons and the zenec?

I've just gone from a 62 plate Polo with a USB/Ipod in the glove box to a Concert 3 (double din) headunit. I'd settle for just being able to play MP3 CDs however I have a feeling that I wont be able to in which case!
 
Tbh the Xtrons would fit the bill for you, it has all the important features of the Zenec and in some cases it actually beats the Zenec (faster boot up, faster Bluetooth connection). I have owned 2 or 3 xtrons headunits in my time and all of them were sold on in fully working order when I changed cars. On one the digitizer failed after 18 months or longer but the replacement was £35. Digitisers do go eventually on most devices so this wasn't necessarily down to it being a 'poor' product. Check out videos on YouTube and make your own choice but if I only had a few hundred quid to spend I'd buy the xtrons again.

Or keep an eye out on eBay for a second hand Zenec, expect to pay £500 or so.
 
AK47UK said:
Tbh the Xtrons would fit the bill for you, it has all the important features of the Zenec and in some cases it actually beats the Zenec (faster boot up, faster Bluetooth connection). I have owned 2 or 3 xtrons headunits in my time and all of them were sold on in fully working order when I changed cars. On one the digitizer failed after 18 months or longer but the replacement was £35. Digitisers do go eventually on most devices so this wasn't necessarily down to it being a 'poor' product. Check out videos on YouTube and make your own choice but if I only had a few hundred quid to spend I'd buy the xtrons again.

Or keep an eye out on eBay for a second hand Zenec, expect to pay £500 or so.
Click to expand...

I don't think I have ever had a top of the range stereo. My last Audi had a Connects2 connected into the back so that I could have an aux input.

I am assuming the xtrons would be better than that?

How is the sound quality?
 
The Xtrons and Zenec have inputs for all kinds of devices as well as playing music wirelessly over Bluetooth from my iPhone. You would be buying either of these units for inbuilt sat nav, Bluetooth hands free etc. Do you have stock speakers? If so then I would imagine the quality would be the same as now, the radio may not be quite as good on the xtrons as that has a single tuner but the Zenec has the dual like on my original audi headunit.
 
I think I have stock speakers. How would I know? My model is the SE which I believe came with a sub woofer but to be honest I have no idea!
 
If you haven't upgraded the speakers with an amp then they will be stock, personally if don't think the source unit makes much difference on stock speakers, you would need high quality after markets to notice imperfections caused by the head unit. The radio sounded fine to me on the xtrons and the Zenec, everything else sounded the same. Zenec allows for higher volume but that may just be a setting.
 
AK47UK said:
If you haven't upgraded the speakers with an amp then they will be stock, personally if don't think the source unit makes much difference on stock speakers, you would need high quality after markets to notice imperfections caused by the head unit. The radio sounded fine to me on the xtrons and the Zenec, everything else sounded the same. Zenec allows for higher volume but that may just be a setting.
Click to expand...

Well happy news is I got an mp3 cd today and tested it on the stock CD player and it worked. So the plan is to buy a re-writeable CD and use it like a usb for the mean time. I am assuming that will work? I figured its a slightly cheaper option than a new head unit!
 
I would just buy a 25 or 100 pack of cd-r because cd-RW degrades over time and are costly. Single write cd-r cost something like 10p each when bought in multipacks on a spindle.
 
AK47UK said:
I would just buy a 25 or 100 pack of cd-r because cd-RW degrades over time and are costly. Single write cd-r cost something like 10p each when bought in multipacks on a spindle.
Click to expand...


I realised after I posted that it made more sense just to go with CD-R.
 
AK47UK said:
I would just buy a 25 or 100 pack of cd-r because cd-RW degrades over time and are costly. Single write cd-r cost something like 10p each when bought in multipacks on a spindle.
Click to expand...

I'm getting a bit interested in an Xtron, I think the Zenec is too dear, I can't justify £700+ for a head unit :)

Have you got any links to good reliable sellers for the Xtron you have?

Also, am I reading right that it is plug an play, I'm no car electric expert, so is it just a matter of pulling the Concert unit out (I have Bose) and plugging in the Xtron? (I get confused by all this Quadlock, harness talk lol)
 
Yes it is plug and play as long as you receive all of the harnesses, whoever you buy from make sure you check it is compatible with Bose (this is just a wiring harness). It sounds like a lot of people didn't receive their wiring harness in the box. The website is the safest place to buy but I have seen them on ebay too.
 
Ace thanks, would you recommend any particular model off their website? I can't seem to see which are Bose compatible...
 
The Governor said:
Ace thanks, would you recommend any particular model off their website? I can't seem to see which are Bose compatible...
Click to expand...

There is only one model made specifically for the Audi A3 and one for the A4. Go to special models, Audi and then you will see them ;)
 
audi upgrades
As a side thought, I wonder if the CanBus integration can be flashed onto the XTrons unit...
 
I still love mine, can't think of any problems I have come across, very happy. I updated all of the devices firmware as soon as I received it so can't comment on differences.
 
AK47UK you again lol, I must admit not sure what software version my replacement unit was shipped with, I will also check later, I still do get interference noise through the unit even with filters / supressors not worked out where its coming from yet
 
Mine makes a whine too but I haven't had time to fit the filters yet or I forgot to so might do it today when I update my firmware.
 
AK47UK said:
Looks like a clone of the Xtrons model I have (or more likely mine is a clone of yours) and mine was £250 brand new iirc with warranty. Mine has GPS, Bluetooth, steering wheel control using my fbmfsw and works with my Bose.

i had looked at yours on caraudiosecurity but decided the saving was worth the risk.
Click to expand...

I have this and think it is utter dog sh!te
 
Updated the firmware today and installed the ground loop isolators and my whining whilst accelerating on low/no volume has now gone :/

He will be talking about the Xtrons but having owned both I disagree. The Zenec is more refined but I paid less than £500 second hand for mine, I wouldn't have paid RRP for the Zenec. The Xtrons offers better sat nav (IMO) than the RNS-e, has loads of features and costs around £300. As long as you expect to compromise on some aspects then you should be fine, if not then save for the Zenec!
 
MattKeating said:
The Zenec unit or the XTrons unit?
Click to expand...

Xtrons bud! Sat nav has just broken this week, comes up with a major error that you cant get rid of

Also the radio signal is crap too
 
Last edited:
Bramley said:
Xtrons bud! Sat nav has just broken this week, comes up with a major error that you cant get rid of
Click to expand...

Whats the error? The sat nav on the xtrons and the zenec is almost identical. Both devices are running Windows CE and both use igo just the zenec rebrands it. In fact I think I could get tomtom running on the xtrons but I prefer igo. I used to modify my cheap sat navs so they could run igo and tomtom instead of the rubbish they came with.
 
AK47UK said:
Whats the error? The sat nav on the xtrons and the zenec is almost identical. Both devices are running Windows CE and both use igo just the zenec rebrands it. In fact I think I could get tomtom running on the xtrons but I prefer igo. I used to modify my cheap sat navs so they could run igo and tomtom instead of the rubbish they came with.
Click to expand...

Makes me think , there must be a way to flash the firmware onto the xtrons, and gain the functionality of the FIS
 
Unit arrived, hoping to put it in on the weekend if I get any time. Few questions tho:
1) what connections does Bose connect to? And does both of those RCA cables connect together, see pic
IMAG1400
2) what loop circuit did you install for the hiss? Keeping in mind I have no clue when it comes to car audio.
3) will I need any special circuits/plugs for the antenna, I currently have a single din radio in my a3.

Thanks!
 
Hi mate, yes the RCAs connect together and you need to install ground loop isolators in between them. What aerial does your car have? The Zenec is a double fakra plug.

Btw, if you weren't using the AV in connection (if you don't want to rewire your quad lock or if you don't have an audio jack port by your handbrake) I would be interested in buying it from you.
 
Cool thanks.
Um, no clue on aerial. Is there any way to check before I start taking things apart?

Will get back to you about the av in, want to take a full look at what I've got first.
 
MattKeating said:
Cool thanks.
Um, no clue on aerial. Is there any way to check before I start taking things apart?

Will get back to you about the av in, want to take a full look at what I've got first.
Click to expand...

If you remove your current headunit and look on the back where the aerial plugs in, or just search your headunit model to find the info.
 
Interesting thread. Thanks AK47UK for all information provided, but I still have a few questions.

I have 2005 S4 convertible (B6) with symphony ii installed in it, so a few questions about compatibility:

1) symphony ii uses ISO connectors not quadlock, so basically I would need a harness (RNS-E adapter)
RNS-E adapter

2) symphony has 1 aerial, zenec has 2 so another adapter is needed

Would this work in theory? I was looking to upgrade to rns-e but it makes no sense since zenec is offering so much more for the same price.

Thanks in advance
 
There is no point using an adapter for the fakra radio as it would serve no purpose. The dual connections are used to filter noise out, in your case you would just hook your aerial up to the primary on the Zenec and it would function correctly. I believe the Zenec will ship with the correct harness for your car, just make sure you get the right Zenec and check on the list of what it is supplied with.
 
audi upgrades
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