Floating-Screen Car Stereos Compared: Alpine Halo, Kenwood, Pioneer, JVC, Sony and Stinger

What a floating screen is

A floating-screen stereo mounts a small chassis in the radio opening and hangs a large touchscreen in front of the dash. That is how a car with a single-DIN or double-DIN opening gets a 9, 10 or 11-inch screen. Several of these sit on a single-DIN chassis, so they can go into either opening.

Every stereo here is on our listings. We are an authorized Alpine and Pioneer dealer, and we install in our own bay at 8696 Atlantic Ave.

Side by side

This table is built only from our own product listings. Where a listing does not state a spec, the cell says so instead of guessing.

Resolution and preamp voltage matter most if you read maps on the screen or plan to add amplifiers. Camera inputs matter on trucks and anything with a front or side camera.

Floating-screen car stereos compared, from our product listings. "Not in our listing" means our product page does not state that spec, so ask us before you count on it.

Fit comes first

A big panel has to clear the vents and the controls around the radio, and it cannot block anything you need to reach. The Sony listings say it plainly: fit depends on the shape of the dash and where the vents and controls sit, so the shop checks the car before quoting. The Kenwood DMX1058XR panel adjusts for depth, height, tilt and side-to-side position, and the Sony XAV-AX8100 mount adjusts to suit the dash.

In Shop by vehicle, floating screens show under a separate heading that says to confirm fit at the shop. Text (213) 674-9042 with your year, make and model before you pick one.

9-inch screens

The Pioneer DMH-WT5000NEX has a 9-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive screen on a single-DIN chassis, wired or wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and a built-in HD Radio tuner. The JVC KW-Z900W has a 9-inch HD screen with CarPlay and Android Auto over Wi-Fi or USB, an HD rear camera input and iDatalink Maestro RR and RR2 support. The Alpine Halo9 iLX-F509 adds a 1280 x 720 screen, three 4V preamp outputs, a 13-band parametric EQ per channel and HDMI in and out.

The Sony XAV-AX8100 is just under 9 inches at 8.95, and the Pioneer DMH-WC5700NEX is a 6.8-inch modular floating unit made to fit many vehicles where a standard DIN radio will not.

10 and 11-inch screens

The Kenwood DMX1037S has a 10.1-inch 1280 x 720 optically bonded screen with a wide viewing angle. The Excelon Reference DMX1057XR adds 5V preamps, 2-way and 3-way crossover modes and time alignment for outboard amps, and the DMX1058XR adds three 5V preamps, a digital optical output, four camera inputs and a fully adjustable panel. The JVC KW-Z1000W and KW-Z1001W are 10.1-inch with up to four camera inputs, and the Z1001W adds split screen.

The Pioneer DMH-WT6000NEX is Pioneer's largest screen at 10.1 inches, with Luminous Bar accent lighting. The Stinger HORIZON10 has a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 anti-glare, weather-resistant screen popular in Jeeps and trucks, and comes universal or in vehicle-specific kits; the Stinger HEIGH10 UN1810 is the universal 10-inch for dashes without a vehicle kit. The Alpine Halo11 iLX-F511 is the biggest at 11 inches.

How to get one

A floating screen also needs the right dash kit, wiring harness and often an iDatalink Maestro module to keep factory features, and the shop quotes those parts after checking the car.

Everything is bought and installed or picked up at the shop at 8696 Atlantic Ave in South Gate, and you can ask about our Payment Plan. Gear bought here and installed here carries Stock moves, so call (323) 944-7844 to confirm the model is on the shelf before you drive over.