Jensen, I cringed when I saw that!

[docmorgan7]

I'm not going out on a limb by saying that Jensen stereo components are terrible. That being said, I really haven't given this one a chance to prove me wrong. Honestly, I'd rather not. First, the alarm is set to go off at 630. I don't have the alarm set. When I press the alarm button to indicate whether or not it's on, it's set to off. Doesn't matter. 630am, beep beep beep. Haha, everybody up!

From the looks of the research, Jensen seems to have a stronghold on the RV stereo game. Has anybody replaced their stock Jensen AWM970 with a standard double din car head unit? I've been looking at a handful of them. Seeing how the "entertainment" is all run through this unit, I was looking at something with an HDMI port so I can plug it into the television. That's the next upgrade. Not worried about that though.

Second, I've never been a fan of Jensen products as a whole. Who remembers walking into the electronics section at Target in like 1985? It was Jensen galore. Target wasn't known for their electronics in the 80's. Not that they've gotten much better but I digress. This post isn't about Target. Side note, I love Target.

What I'm hoping to find on here are some pictures of stereo modifications that others have done. What type of stereo did you upgrade to? Did it fit in the existing hole? Do they even make a mounting kit for rvs similar to the make and model of your vehicle? What did you do to make it work? We have a 2012 Keystone Bullet 31BHPR.

[roadglide]

I have Jensen 2015 . The last few trips the radio would come on for no reason . My Jensen is a junk piece of electronic equipment. The remote is terrible user unfriendly . Sorry I couldn't help hopefully some one has idea.

[docmorgan7]

I have Jensen 2015 . The last few trips the radio would come on for no reason . My Jensen is a junk piece of electronic equipment. The remote is terrible user unfriendly . Sorry I couldn't help hopefully some one has idea.

Pretty sure you said it best. Jensen anything, is a piece of junk.

[sourdough]

At one time I had looked into replacing the receiver (Jensen) and found it was very difficult to find something that would just fit into the hole with minor modifications. I did not want to reconfigure the entire cabinetry so forgot about it. Decided instead to upgrade the speakers. The Jensen units tend to publish their peak wattage per channel vs rms so they can be deceiving...and their outputs are pretty low which makes a more efficient speaker beneficial.

I upgraded the living area speakers to Kenwoods and it made a big difference. It is not an audiophiles dream but much better than original. Didn't worry about the others because none of them have ever been used. Wasn't worried about a sub or monstrous bass because we stay where there are other campers generally and an RV wall just won't slow down the noise and vibration.

I won't get into the quality of Jensen vs home units or even auto units. Most of the higher ends of both types have been really massaged for higher/cleaner outputs - but then again, the number of autos and homes far eclipse the number of RVs. That combined with RVs being constructed with the cheapest components to get by....you get the picture.

I had thought (and it might work for you) about just buying a smaller unit that didn't fit the factory cutout, take a piece of veneer or wood that closely matched the existing cabinetry grain, stain and mount inside the existing hole. Doing that should open the choices to some pretty high end auto head units with better specs. Or, just buy a home receiver and bypass the existing unit. We leave our blu ray player just sitting on the counter under the tv on non skid material and it has never moved; I suppose a receiver would do the same....if you have a counter under your tv.:)

[travelin texans]

Our last 5er had a Jensen tv in the living room & after the 1st month or so at 2:30 am it would come on with volume blaring, scared the sh## out of us the 1st couple nights then got unplugged. I was told to replace with my choice of tv & submit receipt for reimbursement, I did, they paid. So I guess everyone knew a replacement Jensen wasn't the answer.

[Frank G]

You could upgrade to a Furrion unit. They have a HDMI port, and you can output the TV audio through the Furrion unit. Some are Bluetooth capable. Oh, they should fit the same hole. No back access should be required.

[HitFactor]

You could upgrade to a Furrion unit. They have a HDMI port, and you can output the TV audio through the Furrion unit. Some are Bluetooth capable. Oh, they should fit the same hole. No back access should be required.Not all Furrion have hdmi ports. So shop around.

Furrion is not a premium brand, but the price is.

[sourdough]

You could upgrade to a Furrion unit. They have a HDMI port, and you can output the TV audio through the Furrion unit. Some are Bluetooth capable. Oh, they should fit the same hole. No back access should be required.

I used to be neck deep in audio "stuff" and knew various brand/units inside out. I haven't been that involved for decades, but, I'm not sure "Furrion" is on the upscale side of a receiver. In recent years you see their stoves and other appliances etc. in RVs but they seem to be, like most everything else in an RV, a cost cutting measure. I have at least seen Jensen for many years manufacturing stereo systems for different applications. So, JMO but I'm thinking that you're probably running the same level of "quality" as the Jensen RV units.

[JRTJH]

Here's a "bit of history" and then I'll make some comparisons....

If you really think Jensen audio/video products are "sub-par", you should have had the "good fortune" to buy an RV with a Star, Lafayette, Akai, or Lenwood stereo system. That was long before most RV's even had a television and for almost all, the stereo was an extra cost option... Jensen is "light years better" than most of those, so it's an improvement over what we used a few years ago.

Now, as for Furrion. Let's go back a few threads where people were complaining that Keystone buys from the lowest bidder and we wind up with the "cheapest of the cheap" in tires, axles, frame thickness, bumper strength, and on and on..... So, to put Furrion in that perspective, maybe there's a reason why Furrion is being installed in current models. I'd ask, does Keystone really "upgrade to better A/V equipment? Or is Jensen just too expensive in today's market?????

If you're a believer that Keystone bypasses the cheapest to install Furrion because it's more expensive and better, I've got a bridge for sale, really cheap......

[Frank G]

I have no way of determining the quality of the Furrion sound systems except that they work and a old man can figure out how to control them. Our present unit has two of them, one in and one out, they work, they play DVD's, AM and FM. Our previous unit had a Sony and neither one of us could figure out how to operate it, so it never got turned on. Back to the Furrion, they need a better antenna for AM and FM and upgraded speakers would help. I have not looked to see if they could support a sub woofer but doubt that your fellow campers would enjoy one. Do they compare to a finely tuned home sound system, theater room or the JBL in the old mark8 or even the Alpine in the RAM, heck no.

[66joej]

"If you're a believer that Keystone bypasses the cheapest to install Furrion because it's more expensive and better, I've got a bridge for sale, really cheap......"



So John if a person were to go ahead and buy that bridge could one charge a toll to go across it? Just thinking out loud here.:lol::lol::lol:

[docmorgan7]

"If you're a believer that Keystone bypasses the cheapest to install Furrion because it's more expensive and better, I've got a bridge for sale, really cheap......"



So John if a person were to go ahead and buy that bridge could one charge a toll to go across it? Just thinking out loud here.:lol::lol::lol:


I'm wondering if enough people use said bridge and I'm the one collecting the tolls, would it be enough to upgrade the Jensen?

[docmorgan7]

At one time I had looked into replacing the receiver (Jensen) and found it was very difficult to find something that would just fit into the hole with minor modifications. I did not want to reconfigure the entire cabinetry so forgot about it. Decided instead to upgrade the speakers. The Jensen units tend to publish their peak wattage per channel vs rms so they can be deceiving...and their outputs are pretty low which makes a more efficient speaker beneficial.

I upgraded the living area speakers to Kenwoods and it made a big difference. It is not an audiophiles dream but much better than original. Didn't worry about the others because none of them have ever been used. Wasn't worried about a sub or monstrous bass because we stay where there are other campers generally and an RV wall just won't slow down the noise and vibration.

I won't get into the quality of Jensen vs home units or even auto units. Most of the higher ends of both types have been really massaged for higher/cleaner outputs - but then again, the number of autos and homes far eclipse the number of RVs. That combined with RVs being constructed with the cheapest components to get by....you get the picture.

I had thought (and it might work for you) about just buying a smaller unit that didn't fit the factory cutout, take a piece of veneer or wood that closely matched the existing cabinetry grain, stain and mount inside the existing hole. Doing that should open the choices to some pretty high end auto head units with better specs. Or, just buy a home receiver and bypass the existing unit. We leave our blu ray player just sitting on the counter under the tv on non skid material and it has never moved; I suppose a receiver would do the same....if you have a counter under your tv.:)


Thanks for your insight. As much as I would like an awesome sound system for our RV, that's really not the reason we bought one. I was hoping to find something that sounded better than the Jensen and that also fit into the existing hole. After doing a little bit of window shopping I realized that I'm not going to be able to find an actual RV style stereo/DVD combo that will be up to my standards.

Upgrading to the Furrion stereo seems like I'd be replacing junk with fancier junk. Plus, with their prices, I think I'd be better off finding a decent double din head unit for a car and modifying the hole to make it fit. As far as subwoofers go, the short answer is no. I'm not looking to turn our RV into a bass thumping annoyance! I was 19 once. I had the subwoofers in my car. I was the one rolling around the neighborhood with my stereo blasting. Making myself look like an idiot because it sounded like my car was rattling itself apart!

I'm already planning on upgrading the televisions to a couple of TCL Roku TVS. I'll upgrade the interior speakers and replace the Jensen with a car stereo that will hopefully be user friendly. I'll have to modify the hole with a makeshift mount and hopefully, make it look presentable.

[Dogue]

Our unit has an iRV brand in it. Not sure if it's the same, better, or worse than Jensen but there is another option to look into.

[AbHDToyHauler]

I would look for a Marine grade stereo. Not sure if it would have HDMI unless you just add a regular house style amp and put in the remote led option so you won't see the amp but can operate everything. In my house i have a large tv but all the other equipment (except speakers of course) are downstairs and I just operate it via the remote led option.

[sourdough]

Thanks for your insight. As much as I would like an awesome sound system for our RV, that's really not the reason we bought one. I was hoping to find something that sounded better than the Jensen and that also fit into the existing hole. After doing a little bit of window shopping I realized that I'm not going to be able to find an actual RV style stereo/DVD combo that will be up to my standards.

Upgrading to the Furrion stereo seems like I'd be replacing junk with fancier junk. Plus, with their prices, I think I'd be better off finding a decent double din head unit for a car and modifying the hole to make it fit. As far as subwoofers go, the short answer is no. I'm not looking to turn our RV into a bass thumping annoyance! I was 19 once. I had the subwoofers in my car. I was the one rolling around the neighborhood with my stereo blasting. Making myself look like an idiot because it sounded like my car was rattling itself apart!

I'm already planning on upgrading the televisions to a couple of TCL Roku TVS. I'll upgrade the interior speakers and replace the Jensen with a car stereo that will hopefully be user friendly. I'll have to modify the hole with a makeshift mount and hopefully, make it look presentable.


You might try doing the speaker upgrade first and see if it gives you an acceptable improvement. The Jensen head doesn't put out a lot of power but plenty for an RV - my wife is constantly telling me to turn it down when I watch my MDK (murder/death/kill) movies. :D Not the best specs in the world but fairly clean until you turn it up too much and overdrive it resulting in some trash in the sound. New speakers really cleaned up the "tinny", shallow etc. sound for me to the point I didn't really worry about replacing the receiver - I wouldn't be able to use the additional power anyway. Just something to think about.

[BadmanRick]

My bullet Premier came with the AWM 970 radio. It did not have the iPhone hookup nor the hdmi I needed. So I upgraded to the AWM 975. Have had no problems with this unit. I also upgraded my speakers to Kenwood marine 675 speakers both inside and out. What a difference.
Only problem I have is that the new iPhones don’t work on this radio. Had to get a Bluetooth adapter to play music on the radio from my iPhone.
Most new radios have Bluetooth built in.

[mikz86ta]

Done car audio since 15. At 19 was doing it professionally. And for about 15+ years I was certified, managed at Best Buy and ran a mom n pop shop. I have experience...

Jensen has always been entry level. They have always been considered economy built and short of quality control. Not the worst but.....yea.

Seems that they Jensen / ASA has had a RV specific niche product that other companies never dove into. Alot of companies like Clarion and JL Audio have swooped into the Marine market for years that once was non-existent. Jensen and Dual in Marine is also considerd crap but they have some Marine specific products. With Powersports being big money now, alot of companies focus on cruiser bike, side-by-side, etc. Just not many do RV specific. Except Furrion.
My honest take on Furrion is they are trying to get a strong hold on RV market in the audio and entertainment arena. And they are just a step above Jensen.

For me, I was not very happy with seeing these all-in-one units Jensen and Furrion make. DVD, BlueRay, Radio, Sound bar units. If the DVD goes out and u have to send off for warranty, you are down to zero. The built-in look of the units seriously limits your future replacement and upgrade.
Our Fuzion I like. We had a Samsung sound bar just the same as u find at Walmart or Best buy. We have a basic Double DIN car radio that's a Sony CD, Radio and Bluetooth. We had a separate Samsung DVD/BlueRay player. And also separate switching for the outside and garage speakers from the radio.
We added cable internet and modem while we are parked full time and a wireless router. The Samsung DVD had a LAN wired input. We swapped it for a upgrade 4K Sony DVD BlueRay with a wireless capability. Which allows us to use the cable internet to access the apps on the player and we use our Netflix and Amazon Movies. As well as others.
I swapped in a much nicer Yamaha sound bar and sub for the crappy Samsung unit the RV came with.
Also it made it easier to me to add our Dish receiver for our TV program needs.

I have home and car entertainment wiring experience. And this setup toe makes adding and swapping a breeze.
If I want to listen to something off my phone just in the living area, I use the Bluetooth connection to the sound bar.
If I want to use same phone music in the whole RV and outside, I connect to the Sony car radio. And the sound bar has an Aux input from Sony car radio to Soundbar to play thru whole RV.
Maybe not as one-connection ready as the all-in-one units to do the same, but I don't mind.
Plus I am going to add a small Powersports radio amplifier to the Sony car radio and am upgrade the garage and outside speakers.

[DAMILLER_SR]

I remove my jensen unit and upgraded to a pyle. It's got the DVD player, HDMI in and out, AM FM and a couple of other inputs. I hadn't done this type of work in decades, but it's still only took me about an hour to do the wiring and another hour to replace the single DIN with a double d i n mounting. I will be the first to say this is not the greatest unit known to man, but it's a lot easier and a lot more satisfactory than my old Jensen unit by Leaps and Bounds.
The best thing is I have three selectable areas for speakers, which for me is inside outside front porch and outside back porch. The worst thing about this unit, and I cannot for the life of me understand who decided that it should be part of it is the remote control, it sucks holy Azz. When the opportunity arises, I will program a Harmony all-in-one remote control for the entire unit.
I further added and external Blu-ray player that allows me to also play Netflix and the other streaming services when Wi-Fi is available.
https://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Double-Dash-Stereo-Head/dp/B07711GL7T
Jmtc, hope this helps

[John&Genny]

As far back as I can remember even when my parents had a camper and motorhome, the RV industry has always been a step behind home entertainment electronics. Of course, there was a time when we actually did camping rather than pop a cold one and watch satellite TV on our 55” TV :)

[Logan X]

As far back as I can remember even when my parents had a camper and motorhome, the RV industry has always been a step behind home entertainment electronics. Of course, there was a time when we actually did camping rather than pop a cold one and watch satellite TV on our 55” TV :)


Haha! What’s camping?

[goducks]

I would venture that there's a huge % of people that either don't care about HD quality picture or don't even watch much TV. Just like the furniture in most RV's, the electronics are mediocre at best.
If you want a nice HD picture then add a BluRay player and sound bar along with a true HD TV. Throw in an inverter to run it when dry camping. If you never dry camp then it's easy to upgrade.
Most soundbars are BT so playing Pandora is easy.

I bet you could do all that for the price of a new Jensen or Furrion.