Compatible OEM head units

jcargile · Feb 27, 2014

Hi all. Just picked up a 2012 Sport, and made the (incorrect) assumption that the "Sirius" button on the head unit meant that it already had a sat radio receiver installed. Once I figured out just how wrong I was I asked the dealership service guys how much it'd cost to add the receiver. Their quote of around $540 installed does not appeal to me, to put it mildly. So now I'm wondering if any other Mazda OEM units (3 or CX-9 maybe) are direct drop in replacements? I've seen some pulls on eBay for relatively cheap. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks.

tuanies · Feb 27, 2014

Nope. I think its exclusive to the 5. You can install an aftermarket unit easily though.

foxhound1979 · Feb 27, 2014

for the price they ask,i'm sure you can get a good aftermarket H.U ! maybe even one with navigation.

torquelover · Feb 27, 2014

Go aftermarket. The sound quality on the OEM Sirius is terrible. FM, Bluetooth, MP3 all sound significantly better in comparison.

jcargile · Feb 28, 2014

torquelover said:
Go aftermarket. The sound quality on the OEM Sirius is terrible. FM, Bluetooth, MP3 all sound significantly better in comparison.

That bad huh? In that case what AM setup do you suggest in order to get Sirius without losing the steering wheel controls and dash display? Or is that simply not possible?

torquelover · Feb 28, 2014

jcargile said:
That bad huh? In that case what AM setup do you suggest in order to get Sirius without losing the steering wheel controls and dash display? Or is that simply not possible?

I was disappointed by it. There have been a few installs on here that retained the steering wheel controls, but I have not seen any yet that retained the upper dash readout.

sac02 · Feb 28, 2014

torquelover, have you compared the OEM unit to other Sirius units? I haven't heard the Mazda OEM unit, but I do have a Sportster5 mobile unit that I plug into my AUX ports in my vehicles, and the sound quality is not great in any of them. The sound is like a very low bitrate mp3, which makes me think that the issue is more with the compression and quality of the Sirius source, than the unit itself. But I'm not sure.

FYI if OP is interested: I have for sale an OEM Sirius tuner and wiring kit (you need both parts) that is intended for a 2012 Sport. It is an install you can do yourself with basic tools, even though it may look intimidating b/c you have to pull apart a good amount of the center console (instructions are included). I tried to install it in my 2013 Sport but the dash wiring harness was different. It is the unit you can buy here:

http://mazdagear.com/satelliteradioreceiverkit-mazda5.aspx

jcargile · Feb 28, 2014

sac02 said:
FYI if OP is interested: I have for sale an OEM Sirius tuner and wiring kit (you need both parts) that is intended for a 2012 Sport. It is an install you can do yourself with basic tools, even though it may look intimidating b/c you have to pull apart a good amount of the center console (instructions are included). I tried to install it in my 2013 Sport but the dash wiring harness was different. It is the unit you can buy here:

http://mazdagear.com/satelliteradioreceiverkit-mazda5.aspx

That might just work. Not terribly worried about the installation, and we're not audiophiles so I doubt we'll even notice the lack of sound quality. It's mostly for the wife anyway. PM me with how much you'd charge plus shipping to 30039 and we'll go from there. Thanks!

torquelover · Mar 2, 2014

sac02 said:
torquelover, have you compared the OEM unit to other Sirius units? I haven't heard the Mazda OEM unit, but I do have a Sportster5 mobile unit that I plug into my AUX ports in my vehicles, and the sound quality is not great in any of them. The sound is like a very low bitrate mp3, which makes me think that the issue is more with the compression and quality of the Sirius source, than the unit itself. But I'm not sure.

It sounds worse than the following OEM units:
2014 Honda Accord EX
2014 Chevy Impala 2LT
2012 Ford Focus SE
2010 Ford Explorer XLT
2008 Chevy Impala LT
But better than this one:
2013 Mini Cooper S Convertible.
These are all more expensive cars than the MZ5, and some of these cars had upgraded audio (Bose, H-K) so I realize it's not a fair comparison. Oddly the 2008 Chevy Impala LT/Bose had the best sound quality with satellite. This was replaced by the 2014 with the Bose Centerpoint audio which doesn't sound as good with all sources.

Compatible OEM head units

jcargile

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tuanies

foxhound1979

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torquelover

jcargile

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torquelover

sac02

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jcargile

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torquelover

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