Harman joins aftermarket CarPlay arena with JBL Legend CP100

Posted:
in iPhone
Harman at CES announced the JBL Legend CP100, its first receiver to support Apple's CarPlay standard, and the first such upgrade beyond a so-far limited number of aftermarket CarPlay partners.




The CP100 sports a 6.75-inch capacitive touchscreen, and offers not only touch and steering wheel interaction but its own "push to talk" button as a backup for triggering Siri. Similar functions are available for Google's Android Auto.

The hardware is otherwise deliberately basic, with features like a single rear USB input, Bluetooth 3.0, AM/FM functions, two pre-amp outputs, and a rear camera input.

The CP100 has yet to receive a release date, but will cost $399.95, making it one of the least expensive CarPlay upgrade options. Some alternatives can easily cost several hundred dollars more, or well over $1,000 for high-end receivers.

Until now aftermarket CarPlay partners have included only Alpine, Kenwood, and Pioneer. Indeed, even automakers only began seriously supporting the platform last year with their first 2016 models. More companies should join the fray in the near future, including Ford but not Toyota.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    whaaaa.... this is what i've been waiting for! $299 seems more reasonable to be, but i might take this one over pioneer's ever so confusing line of carplay models.
    cornchip
  • Reply 2 of 15
    Bluetooth "3.0"?
    cornchipjay-t
  • Reply 3 of 15
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    This could be what I've been waiting for. I have a 2015 Subaru Forester XT Touring that includes a Harmon-Kardon upgraded sound system. Up until now I have been afraid to mess with it, but with Harmon's own head unit, I may finally do it. Subaru would be smart to offer the upgrade at their dealerships. 
  • Reply 4 of 15
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    This could be what I've been waiting for. I have a 2015 Subaru Forester XT Touring that includes a Harmon-Kardon upgraded sound system. Up until now I have been afraid to mess with it, but with Harmon's own head unit, I may finally do it. Subaru would be smart to offer the upgrade at their dealerships. 
    I'm right behind you. I have a 2011 Legacy without the navigation unit and probably without the HK system but I'm hoping all the steering wheel inputs along with the weird, separate handsfree system inputs will be able to be plugged in without any extra adapters.  
  • Reply 5 of 15
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,945member
    egrass said:
    Bluetooth "3.0"?
    First thing I thought. Sounds like the sweet spot for me though. BT 4 would be nice though. Hopefully it's a typo:)
  • Reply 6 of 15
    We'll see what the reviews are for the audio quality. I have a Pioneer App Radio 4 and the sound quality is high end.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    I got Carplay for Free on my 2004 Infinity G35.  Using my iPhone 6 I just tell Siri to navigate and then drape the phone over the dash, it works great (except it covers the fan speed buttons). 
  • Reply 8 of 15
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,032member
    I don't care too much about the sound quality since I'd be going from the stock audio in a Honda Civic. it needs to be reasonably good but I'm not planning to swap out the stock speakers.   I don't know a lot about these Carplay devices.  Should I expect to be able to use Waze on it or just the apps built-in?  If it's relying on my phone, won't I still need my phone charging somewhere nearby?
  • Reply 9 of 15
    linkmanlinkman Posts: 1,035member
    With a car receiver I need more real buttons! The four tactile buttons on this model are not sufficient. To keep everything eyes free I need a small number of buttons for volume (prefer a knob for this) and radio presets. The rest can be touchscreen. If the manufacturer wants to make the presets multi function or configurable that's fine too. I can't stand cycling through presets using a steering wheel control either.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    linkmanlinkman Posts: 1,035member
    I got Carplay for Free on my 2004 Infinity G35.  Using my iPhone 6 I just tell Siri to navigate and then drape the phone over the dash, it works great (except it covers the fan speed buttons). 
    Oooh, free Infinity G35's. Where can I get one?
  • Reply 11 of 15
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    linkman said:
    With a car receiver I need more real buttons! The four tactile buttons on this model are not sufficient. To keep everything eyes free I need a small number of buttons for volume (prefer a knob for this) and radio presets. The rest can be touchscreen. If the manufacturer wants to make the presets multi function or configurable that's fine too. I can't stand cycling through presets using a steering wheel control either.
    good luck. ive had a few of these head units (Pioneer AppRadios) and youre lucky to get a physical home button and power button. a dial would be nice but theyve fallen out of fashion.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,897member
    bdkennedy said:
    We'll see what the reviews are for the audio quality. I have a Pioneer App Radio 4 and the sound quality is high end.
    I have considered the Pioneer App Radio, but there seems to be way too many bad reviews of it all over the Internet.  My hope is that this unit from Harman will work better. 
  • Reply 13 of 15
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    welshdog said:
    bdkennedy said:
    We'll see what the reviews are for the audio quality. I have a Pioneer App Radio 4 and the sound quality is high end.
    I have considered the Pioneer App Radio, but there seems to be way too many bad reviews of it all over the Internet.  My hope is that this unit from Harman will work better. 
    the AppRadios were a nice idea, but ultimately sucked. the unit's native iPod/MP3 modes were so awful (no swiping thru lists, having to use page up/down buttons, etc), that they eventually released separate media-player apps to do the same thing but w/ better UI. uh...what? apps to fix the built-in app? and then their mini-app-store, curation, third-rate apps, shrinking-screen bug, lag, bogus Lightning support requiring both Lighting + HDMI for audio, etc.. sucked. and the lack of support for Apple Maps...deal breaker. classic case of CE company that doesnt get software. I'm on AppRadio 3 (had the 1 first) and i dont use it anymore as anything other than an FM radio.

    i won't get another Pioneer. i will try this one tho if the reviews are positive, since it got a CES award and the price is right.

    http://www.jbl.com/connected-car/CP100+LEGEND.html



  • Reply 14 of 15
    vmarksvmarks Posts: 762editor
    rob53 said:
    This could be what I've been waiting for. I have a 2015 Subaru Forester XT Touring that includes a Harmon-Kardon upgraded sound system. Up until now I have been afraid to mess with it, but with Harmon's own head unit, I may finally do it. Subaru would be smart to offer the upgrade at their dealerships. 
    I'm right behind you. I have a 2011 Legacy without the navigation unit and probably without the HK system but I'm hoping all the steering wheel inputs along with the weird, separate handsfree system inputs will be able to be plugged in without any extra adapters.  
    Here's what you can expect: You're going to need the adapters. When Harman makes a system as an OEM for a car company, they make it work with the car company's existing wiring harness and steering wheel inputs. When they make one for aftermarket, they use a consistent generic wiring harness that you adapt to the car you have, and a generic steering wheel input, which you use with an adapter which has to be programmed to your steering wheel signals. It's not hard, and it's not a hack job, it's just the way car audio has always worked. Sure, there's an ISO standard for car radio connections, which they use in Europe, but the standard lacks a lot of features radios provide now, like backup cameras, the parking brake signal, reverse signal (a part of triggering the backup camera), subwoofer, and more. It makes more sense for a radio manufacturer to not use the ISO connectors and just make their own.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    noivadnoivad Posts: 186member
    I would consider this, but considering it took me a week of emails and well over an hour on the phone to order a replacement part direct from the company, I really do not want to have to deal with their horrible customer service reps. The price is decent but I will hold off because I have lost confidence that the company cares a thing about after-sales support.
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