Bluepower replacement Head Unit

[chrisv50t5]

Yeah getting on with it really well, I'm still waiting for a antenna lead but I've been using my iPod & my phone on Bluetooth which is fine. Customer support has always been excellent replying to emails quickly.

[The Thong]

How good is the sound quality?

[Swissly]

@Missing Lincs: this damn system does not allow me to reply to PMs!
I am not using the BLP-990 FM tuner, only the stock tuner.
Final solution will be DAB+ and no more FM...

[Missing Lincs]

A quick update.

One year after I placed the order I received a replacement 'DVD' box, the main unit of the BLP-990. Bluepower said this will dramatically improve radio reception and the good news is, it does. The first unit also had a duff audio channel, the volume on the rear left channel was almost non-existent.

There are still a couple of niggles, one is when the radio is set to retune for weak signals, when this is turned on, it re-tunes or rather de-tunes constantly. Bluepower say this will be fixed with a software/firmware update.

I noticed a design change in the new black box, it now has a heatsink on the back. Not sure why, maybe they've had overheating problems with the first version.

In general, the BLP-990 works well, it integrates well with the car. Sound quality is good, especially as it's firing on all four channels now.

[iainmd]

I've been sorely tempted by buying one for some time but have been waiting for the feedback from the early adopters. Thanks very much for taking the time to update us all on your experience.

In time I may opt for one. I'm about to pick up our new campervan in a few weeks which will be fitted with a Pioneer AVIC head unit with Android Auto allowing Spotify streaming, DAB, Hands free calling, Google Maps etc. I fear that following this I may be finding our Volvo built-in systems a little old-skool.

[PhilRW]

Anyone tried the 2016 ARM BLP-840?

Thinking of getting one, reviews of the earlier version seem mixed.

[oneilldom]

Anyone got any more updates on the BP units? Keep getting targeted ads on instagram for them and it is getting me tempted again...

[Missing Lincs]

So far so good.

No software/firmware updates yet so still has a problem with FM stations when set to use alternative frequencies, the function doesn't work.

It looks like they now ship with a different sat nav. I've asked about changing as the new one, Des Nav looks better to operate. They also say you can use TomTom or Garmin, has anyone tried this and how did you go about it?

[Mickydafish]

I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a Bluepower head unit! In my case a BLP-840 to go in an XC70 MY07 SE lux. Pleased to say I do not regret it, it is a great bit of kit that looks and sounds the part. The only downside, as far as i can see, is the very poor support from Bluepower. Installation instructions or wiring diagrams were non existent but it wasn't rocket science to fit though, all the plugs and connectors were pretty obvious. I emailed Bluepower on a number of occasions and their response is seriously lacking! I still haven't received a NAV SD card yet despite several emails to them.

I removed a perfectly good HU850 and i'm well pleased with the 840, only looked in to it because the useless RTI nav system had died and I wanted to update the look of the dash and this was, pretty much, the only solution.

Installation took me about 5 hours and it's a fiddle getting all the extra wires positioned to allow the console to fit properly, I found that removing the glovebox resolved this, you can get a hand in behind the unit and guide it in. The housing colour match is pretty good although my car has the wood effect surround so maybe less of an issue. There was also a bit of judicious dremel work needed to the rear of the original housing as some of the plugs are in different positions but, again easily done.

It's an expensive bit of kit but everything worked first time, the steering wheel controls, radio, disk, BlueTooth connection to a Sony phone, even the reverse camera installed at the time. I have seen a lot of bad reviews about the BP unit but, apart from the lack of comms from Bluepower, I personally think this a great upgrade to my venerable old XC! Still waiting for the NAV card though!!

[PhilRW]

BLP-840 does have bluetooth, usb (needs an adapter), sd card, AUX and SatNav which all work and the original unit didn’t have.

BLP-840 does have more features but isn’t as well built as the original. BLP can be sluggish, especially Bluetooth paring which can take 5 minutes or more.

Sat nav is ok, can struggled to get a signal at times. Maps are via a download link which was email to me after requesting it.

Auto-rip of CDs misses end of tracks, so I don’t use it.

Sound quality is hard to judge without a side by side comparison. From memory I’d say sound quality is comparable, at best. BLP-840 has more EQ options but struggles with the top end which can get a bit harsh. Stereo separation isn’t as wide as the original and vocals aren’t as good either. Front centre speaker works.

It cannot keep time, use the option to set from SatNav satellites. SatNav has separate day light saving settings, so +/- 1 hr needs changing in two places if you regally use the SatNav.

Reversing sensor audio is a bit harsh and does not indicate which side an obstacle is. It is usable but not as friendly as original. Because the unit is sluggish and a bit slow to boot, wait a minute after starting engine before selecting reversing, otherwise the revising sensor won’t be ready.

If you are not bothered about the centre front speaker being used (Dolby 5.1) or having a head unit that matches the Volvo dash, a mainstream 2 din head unit with a mounting adaptor is a similar price and probably a better buy. If it has the features you want.