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I ordered the Kenwood DDX9902S the other day, should arrived on the 28th and I will install on the weekend.
Going to install in my 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring with Bose system.
I chose the DDX9902S over the DDX9702S because it's only $50 more and has 2 more bands of EQ and 2 years of warranty vs 1, and some other stuff.
I chose it over the Pioneer AVIC-4100NEX because it can do the screen mirroring and control the Phone from the touchscreen. (Though the damn Nexus 6 doesn't support video out damn it).
It is too bad the Kenwood only has 1 USB input though, and the Pioneer has TWO and also has an SD card slot. Does a USB hub work?
I'll have to do some creative wiring so I can swap out cables for card reader/etc if I want to view movies and such. The Kenwood can playback mkv files, didn't look up if the Pioneer can.
Ordered it from Crutchfield, $749 + $79 for the steering wheel control/wiring harness, free antenna and dash kit. Since it's so new, it's the same price elsewhere on the internet.
The Crutchfield Mastersheet is stupid. It only shows you how to take out factory audio unit and speakers, nothing about wiring at all. If buying stuff is cheaper elsewhere, do it.
Going to wire up my factory rear view camera to the Kenwood, from the Mazda forums, someone detailed how to do it. Got the items today and will get it prepared for next weekend to install by myself. I'll report back, I might also do a YouTube video since this unit is so new and no one has it.
What phone are u currently using???
cerobles1 said:
What phone are u currently using???
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Nexus 6
nxt said:
it can do the screen mirroring and control the Phone from the touchscreen. (Though the damn Nexus 6 doesn't support video out damn it).
It is too bad the Kenwood only has 1 USB input though, and the Pioneer has TWO and also has an SD card slot. Does a USB hub work?
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So you expect to mirror, instead of running Android Auto ?
Pioneer is limited in what it can do on each port. I think iPhone/iPod goes to port 2 while firmware updates and Android Auto are port 1.
In theory, anywhere a phone works, a phone plugged into a USB hub should work. But don't underestimate the need to get a quality hub and cables for reliable connections.
I have no idea if the Kenwood supports flash or other USB stuff besides a phone, and at the same time a phone is connected.
mikereidis said:
So you expect to mirror, instead of running Android Auto ?
Pioneer is limited in what it can do on each port. I think iPhone/iPod goes to port 2 while firmware updates and Android Auto are port 1.
In theory, anywhere a phone works, a phone plugged into a USB hub should work. But don't underestimate the need to get a quality hub and cables for reliable connections.
I have no idea if the Kenwood supports flash or other USB stuff besides a phone, and at the same time a phone is connected.
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Click to collapse
No, I will use Android Auto but would like to check out the screen mirroring too, for apps that don't support Auto / 'appradio' yet.
I've downloaded the manual and the Kenwood does support movies and music on a USB flash drive, but no mention of hubs or simultaneously connected to phone.
I just installed the DDX9702s over the weekend. It's a pretty good unit, Android Auto works flawlessly with my Sony Z3, and the external GPS makes it super accurate. Kenwood's interface is so freaking ugly though
Android Auto is also incredibly finicky on my wife's OnePlus with CyanogenMod. I flashed to 12.1 nightlies hoping to resolve some of the issues but it's no better.
The iDatalink Maestro was also fun to install, it requires taping some wires on your ODBII port. My tip there is grab a right-angle generic ODBII to Serial cable on Amazon/Ebay for $10 then cut it up and splice it into the iDatalink Meastro harness. That way you can just plug it in rather than t-taping or hard-wiring the maestro cable to your car. You can also re-pin the ODBII port as well, but splicing an extra ODBII cable seemed like the best option if I ever want to go back to stock.
jonowar said:
Android Auto is also incredibly finicky on my wife's OnePlus with CyanogenMod. I flashed to 12.1 nightlies hoping to resolve some of the issues but it's no better.
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Doesn't start or what ? Sometimes enabling/disabling USB debugging can help with getting a phone connected.
I saw the news about 1+2 not having NFC. It appears NFC is required to trigger Android Auto over Wifi connections, so that could be an issue for the new 1+2.
mikereidis said:
Doesn't start or what ? Sometimes enabling/disabling USB debugging can help with getting a phone connected.
I saw the news about 1+2 not having NFC. It appears NFC is required to trigger Android Auto over Wifi connections, so that could be an issue for the new 1+2.
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Yea, it won't start unless I "forget all cars" and go through the acceptance dance again then most of the time it freezes or just shows a blank black screen. I can't believe how much difference the Sony Z3 is, it works flawlessly every time.
jonowar said:
Yea, it won't start unless I "forget all cars" and go through the acceptance dance again then most of the time it freezes or just shows a blank black screen. I can't believe how much difference the Sony Z3 is, it works flawlessly every time.
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It MIGHT be due to bad USB connections; maybe the USB port isn't tight.
Android Auto tends to freak out if USB isn't a perfect connection.
mikereidis said:
It MIGHT be due to bad USB connections; maybe the USB port isn't tight.
Android Auto tends to freak out if USB isn't a perfect connection.
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I'm using the same cable for my Sony though, which means it's the port on the OPO which is only a few months old
I'll give it a shot with the official OPO cable just to make sure.
I guess it's time for USB C.
jonowar said:
I'm using the same cable for my Sony though, which means it's the port on the OPO which is only a few months old
I'll give it a shot with the official OPO cable just to make sure.
I guess it's time for USB C.
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I'm not saying that it IS the port, just that it's a possibility.
I have about 15 test devices and I don't think any ports are bad, even after years of use.
I DO have cheap USB cables that are pretty bad though.
Trying other cables is the best idea I have, besides wiggling the cable a bit to see if Android Auto stops.
mikereidis said:
I'm not saying that it IS the port, just that it's a possibility.
I have about 15 test devices and I don't think any ports are bad, even after years of use.
I DO have cheap USB cables that are pretty bad though.
Trying other cables is the best idea I have, besides wiggling the cable a bit to see if Android Auto stops.
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Hey, you were right! The OPO cable works perfectly! Thanks for the tip.
Have the same unit... Love it, look on the Kenwood website, there is a firmware upgrade for our units
Frankenberrie said:
Have the same unit... Love it, look on the Kenwood website, there is a firmware upgrade for our units
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Awesome! thanks for the heads up, 100mb.
It says to do a reset after, is that necessary, kenwood has a ton of settings.
nxt, been eagerly waiting for your DDX9902S in depth review. Did I miss it? If so, please point me in the right direction. If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts now that you've been using it for a few months, especially if you've had a chance to compare it to the 4100NEX and from an Android perspective (mirroring vs Auto). Thanks
Frankenberrie said:
Have the same unit... Love it, look on the Kenwood website, there is a firmware upgrade for our units
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senseimike said:
nxt, been eagerly waiting for your DDX9902S in depth review. Did I miss it? If so, please point me in the right direction. If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts now that you've been using it for a few months, especially if you've had a chance to compare it to the 4100NEX and from an Android perspective (mirroring vs Auto). Thanks
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I wrote a pretty long review on Crutchfield but ran out of space. I ended up not making a video review because... it's not that great.
Just like any head unit, the regular UI for radio/settings/menus/audio/etc is ugly.
Anyways, here's some info going from the HU itself then Android Auto.
The Kenwood only has 1 USB. It charges your phone very very slowly, but it can charge it to 100% if you keep it connected long enough even while using Android Auto. (I do 6-7hour drives every other weekend).
1 USB, so 1 USB device connected and that's it. The Pioneers have a dedicated SD card slot, you can store music on it and leave it in there forever.
Putting about 64GB of music on a USB 3.0 Flash drive, the Kenwood took a very long time to get complete ID3 tags. So I'm forced to listen to Adele when it starts up, or manually choosing another folder before I can shuffle ALL songs.
The Kenwood supports various file formats, it can even play video files! Too bad all the .MKV files I have, no audio is decoded.
Bluetooth audio. Very little lag, steering wheel control to skip tracks almost instantly changes the tracks. My stock HU there was 2-3 second delay. ID3 tags show up properly. I primarily use Google Play Music app. I mostly use Android Auto mode when using to music though.
Bluetooth Phone. Works fine, I have a 2014 Mazda CX-5, I put the microphone where the stock microphone was. People can hear me perfectly. Android Auto voice commands have no issues hearing me either.
I have a Nexus 6 and when it was on 5.x.x, the Bluetooth Phonebook on the headunit would be SCREWED UP. No names, and just a ton of phone numbers. I installed Android 6.0 that was released a few days ago and Contacts information show up perfectly.
The Kenwood's backup camera input works really well. I can turn on the car and as the Kenwood is still booting up, if I put the car in reverse, the backup camera would be displayed! I'm pretty surprised with this and love it. The Kenwood takes a while to boot up.
The Kenwood, like most high end HUs have a TON of audio settings. I'm no car stereo buff so I mostly leave everything at default since I don't know half of what the settings mean. Each audio input has it's own audio setting which is great. My car has the factory Bose system and it sounds even better with the Kenwood.
The Kenwood has built in iHeartRadio/Pandora/Aupeo! "apps" that's supposed to work with your phone. It's junk, I've given up trying to make that work and just do regular Bluetooth Streaming.
Kenwood also has a SmartPhone control mode where if you can get your phone to video output into the Kenwood's HDMI or AV input, you can load the Kenwood App, and control your phone from the Kenwood's touchscreen, so you can use Waze or other apps directly. The app sucks and doesn't get my touches correctly. Don't rely on it, it's not reliable.
So yeah it has 1 HDMI input you can use with your iPhone using video adapter, or Android or whatever else.
It has DVD slot for movies/audio cds, I've never used it.
HD Radio. The radio interface really sucks, but it works. The way to change an HD station from HD1 to HD2 is really dumb and annoying. it has 3 different "seek" modes when you press the >> or << button. Seek1 auto scans to the next station that it can grab. Seek2 is manual seek. Then there's Auto where it changes to your next Preset.
Then there's the CHup and CHdown buttons. So if you're locked into an HD station and you want to change to HD2 you press the CHup or CHdown button, but that only works if you're in Seek2 (or maybe Seek1, I forgot), if you're not, all it does is the same as >> or <<. It makes no sense because CHup and CHdown acts EXACTLY like the >> and << buttons.
I have a ZuneHD with a special car aux box for it, I use it in AV1, works and sounds fine but when I put it into video mode I get a lot of interference. Not sure if it's the Kenwood or my aux box for it.
The Kenwood's video controls suck too. It's just hard to adjust and get proper color/brightness/etc.
At night, it's too bright, and lowering Brightness and "Blackness" levels, it gets hard to see/read the screen. So to make things clearly readable, screen has to be a little bright. There is a way to set holding Menu button and the screen will turn off until you press screen or a button.
OK Android Auto, I won't talk about Android Auto itself, there's many reviews and videos about it. I'll talk about how well it works with the Kenwood.
When it works it's great, but it's a coin toss if it'll work great on this drive, or the next.
Plug in USB cable to the phone and you're prompted to press OK on a warning screen on the Kenwood. The Apps icon turns into Android Auto.
Again, when it works, it works. Here's when it doesn't:
On my road trips, I would get into car, search the destination, and start navigation.
About 5 minutes later, Android Auto on the Kenwood would shut off and you're taken back to the main menu and the Apps icon return. Phone's Android Auto app is shutdown. There's no way to relaunch Android Auto without unplugging the USB and plugging it back in. On my last road trip, I did this about 4-5 times, then I decided to start Play Music while navigating, then it worked and had no issues. On my drive home, I started music right away with navigation and it still shutdown every few minutes. Unplugging and plugging back a few more times then it worked with no issues. It's completely random.
On my drive to work and back home, I drive through some low cell signal areas. When my phone looses signal and then catches signal back, Android Auto's screen would BLINK. Navigation wouldn't stop, music wouldn't stop, the screen would just BLINK. It's distracting.
Phone calls go through Bluetooth still, but it works well from the Android Auto screen. I'm sort of impressed how it works.
It's possible to listen to another audio source (HD Radio, CD, etc) while in Android Auto navigation, just press menu button, pick your source, then go back to Android Auto.
Android Auto I believe needs a lot of work. It's still in its infancy and the missing features and odd limitations Google has with it frustrates and confuses me.
Kenwood released a firmware update 9/17/2015.
Changelog is: Changed the specification of Volume function. Improved stability.
I hadn't noticed any improved stability.
That's all for now. Ask your questions and I'll try to answer them.
About Mirroring vs. Android Auto.
My Nexus 6 unfortunately does not support video out. I'm pretty pissed. The new Nexus 6P won't either, damn it Google!
So what I did to test was to hook up a Chromecast to the Kenwood's HDMI input.
Then I would set up my phone to be a hotspot, the Chromecast would connect to it, then I was Cast my Phone's screen to the Chromecast. Totally going in a circle LOL. (This will eat up your cell data FYI).
But it does work and my screen shows up on the Kenwood's screen.
The issue is the Kenwood's SmartPhone Control app like I mentioned in the above post.
It does not sync up properly so my touches on the Kenwood's screen, does not touch the right area of my Phone's screen.
I've never used the Pioneer 4100 so unfortunately I can't compare.
I believe that having TWO USB ports on the Pioneer and a dedicated SD card slot is BIG!
It's so annoying swapping out my Phone with a USB Flash drive.
If I were to do it again, I would probably get the Pioneer because of the TWO USB and SD card slot.
I chose the Kenwood because of the higher audio capability (EQ) and the App Mirroring (which sucks now that I've tried it), also it was cheaper than the comparable Pioneer high end model.
Hello, I ordered a DDX9702S and installed it in my '09 Civic Si. I've got a Nexus 6P and have been experiencing odd audio glitches, and I was wondering if you could test something for me.
When I play music, everything is fine until I get an audible notification or use the Voice Search. After that there is an audible buzzing/frying noise in the tweeters of my stereo when a bassy note hits. Once the noise starts, it doesn't stop until I reboot my head unit. Could you see if you have the same problem? I don't know whether it's Android Auto in general, my Kenwood stereo, or what. I've also reproduced the issue with 2 other Nexus 6P's and a Nexus 5, so I know it's not just my phone or model. I know yours is a different model, but it's worth a try to see if it's just me.
Steps to reproduce:
App to use:
Either Google Play Music All Access or Spotify
Song to use:
Rearrange by Vérité - the beginning of the song is quiet with a bassy beat, making it easy to spot the distortion / static.
Steps:
Turn on the head unit and plug in your phone (I used a Nexus 6P and a Nexus 5)
Once Android Auto is running, go to your music app and play Rearrange by Vérité. I find its easier to play the song if you add it to a playlist titled "1" (without the quotes) first, so it's at the top of your playlists.
You'll notice that the beginning of the song is quiet with a bassy beat. After about 10 seconds, hit the microphone in the top right of the screen to activate the Google Now Voice feature. Once it gives an audible beep, hit the microphone button again to cancel.
Hit back on the screen to start the song over. At this point, on my stereo, every bassy beat is accompanied by a static in the tweeters of my stereo. This happens on every song I play, even the radio, but it's much easier to hear on quiet songs like the one I gave as a suggestion to test with.
The static continues even if you disconnect/reconnect the phone. The only think that stops it is restarting the head unit by turning it off and back on. If you use Google Now again or a notification comes in and makes an audible sound, the static will come back. It seems, to me, that any notifications or audio playback from an Android device will cause the head unit to distort the sound until the head unit is rebooted. If nothing happens to cause the distortion, sound quality is stellar.
Hope you're able to test this, and thanks in advance!
DDX9702S
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
A few weeks ago I ordered this unit direct from xtrons, and just tested in with a bench top power supply. It's running lollipop out of the box. This weekend I finally got around to installing it into my car. Everything works great, minus these issues:
There doesn't seem to be anyway to remove paired bluetooth devices. There's no gear cogs for each listing, and holding down on the device doesn't give you any options to remove or forget the device.
The Xtrons OBD2 dongle pairs with the head unit, and a blue OBD icon appears in the top status bar, but both Torque and Dashcommand see no OBD2 dongles.
When in the radio app, it will display the station and volume on my cars dash board (via canbus). But these messages don't always update, and get stuck with stale data - like after exiting radio app, whatever was last displayed will be stuck there. Also the volume adjusts don't update when I adjust them... it seems random... but when the radio app changes stations, it seems to work correctly.
Radio reception isn't as strong as my stock radio. Which is fine... it is what it is, but would be cool if it worked the same.
Steering Wheel app doesn't show any buttons to map/remap. Only shows save and reset. So I can't change any of the button functions....
Other than those things I'm pretty happy with it.
links to head unit for reference:
http://xtrons.com/pf75attar-7-inch-...-mirroring-function-obd2-for-audi-tt-mk2.html
http://www.ugsage.com/default/7-and...-mirroring-function-obd2-for-audi-tt-mk2.html
I figured out issue #2 after I did a factory reset. Before the reset, there was a list of about 6-7 mac addresses. after reset, there were just 2 (phone and OBD2 dongle), which made trial and error easier.. would be nice if it listed device name rather than mac address. Also, sometimes the list will be blank.. then only option is to close torque, or other app you use, then retry.
Also, grab one of these http://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Co...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 so you can use your car's build in GPS antenna (the shark fin on car's roof). Works good
Luxferro said:
There doesn't seem to be anyway to remove paired bluetooth devices. There's no gear cogs for each listing, and holding down on the device doesn't give you any options to remove or forget the device.
The Xtrons OBD2 dongle pairs with the head unit, and a blue OBD icon appears in the top status bar, but both Torque and Dashcommand see no OBD2 dongles.
When in the radio app, it will display the station and volume on my cars dash board (via canbus). But these messages don't always update, and get stuck with stale data - like after exiting radio app, whatever was last displayed will be stuck there. Also the volume adjusts don't update when I adjust them... it seems random... but when the radio app changes stations, it seems to work correctly.
Radio reception isn't as strong as my stock radio. Which is fine... it is what it is, but would be cool if it worked the same.
Steering Wheel app doesn't show any buttons to map/remap. Only shows save and reset. So I can't change any of the button functions....
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Hi, thanks for the quick review, I bought the same and wanted to add some information as yours was helpful to me.
Bluetooth - same, I can't remove them from the list however, tapping them allows to "disconnect" them.
The only app I got to work with the OBD dongle from Xtrons was Torque Light. The pre-installed dashcommand did not work (I tried many times), also I'd like to use dash.by -- which also does not work unfortunatly.
With the radio, I have the same "problem" for the info area in the main dashboard. Some other apps (eg. CD player also seem to display stuff, but as I never use the radio, I don't really care. Would have been nice however to have the master volume displayed.
Radio reception seems okay to me. However, I loose the saved stations after restart. No problem, since I almost never use the radio and would invest in the DAB+ if I was.
Steering Wheel app -- same, I got the left part running with MTCD tools (here in the forums) to skip tracks. However, I can't remap the voice button and the mode button.
After updating the google app, the "voice search" feature is really slow.
Original shark fin GPS does seem to work fine with the adapter you linked, thanks!
Sound quality is way better than I thought it would be (eg. with Apple Music) as people wrote about low volume of rear speakers, hiss and noise. I only have minor static noise when nothing is playing and that is acceptable for me. Rear speakers are fine and the equalizer works great (put on loudness for warmer sound). (I have the nine speaker non-bose setup.)
Overall after a fresh boot or reset, the device is -- compared to eg. an iPhone 6 -- quite slow. Loading stuff (especially Maps) takes really long. Not sure why that is, but the device is way slower as you would expect from current Android or iOS hardware.
I am going to add if I found out more. Please do so, too -- especially if you find out someting about the steering wheel buttons.
did you guys figure out how to change the panel keys?
can get to them via extra settings and 123456, and can see them but seem to be unable to change or do anything to them ?
I would like some recommendations for a double din head unit. I wanted to have nav, rear view cam support, aux and 4G/WiFi.
I was going to make my own system with a raspberry pi, but after pricing stuff out I'm gonna be looking at a similar price of $200+. So I would rather just buy an android head unit since that's the OS I want to use anyway and it's still not that smooth on a rasperry pi. Although Google is going to offically suport it soon.
Thanks
Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
Check on Crutchfield.com. I've only seen one unit that runs wifi(its alot more the $200), and havent seen one that runs cell band
Check out 'Joying'. You will have it in a few days.
If they have a package for your car then she is plug&play. Many of the units are the same but come with different stuff so the price changes. Some have volume knobs - do get that.
Joying... (can't post links so you have to type in)
carjoying-dot-com
I personally got this setup for my Nissan Frontier truck...
and i now have the 5.1 update hardware to update from kitkat. You might want to ask for the 5.1 models.
Yeah after I have been looking around the joying is probably what I'm gonna go with.
Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
The unit I got was the 'JY-NQ128'.
If you search for it on the joying site you will see it is set up for Nissan cars/trucks meaning they include plug and play cables for that vehicle so it's working in minutes.
That part number also comes with backup camera, gps stuff, etc. It has a volume knob on the top. Some other packages will have the same unit at a different price but come with say an OBD2 dongle and a volume button in the middle or no buttons or no navigation. Some have a DVD player.
A note about navigation... You have to ask for it. They will then send you a link for the 'IGO' software and maps. You install it on the blank SD card they include. IGO is kinda a standard I think but you can also use Google maps, Here, Waze, whatever you like. In settings you just set the nav button to whatever.
You can buy cables, backup camera, etc from their site if they don't have a package for your car.
I have bad ears so can't be trusted on its ability to play music but seems to work fine. I bought it mostly for its backup camera, navigation and of course the powerful Android system. My calendar is on there, email, etc.
Nice unit 1024x600 screen too.
daveEM said:
The unit I got was the 'JY-NQ128'.
If you search for it on the joying site you will see it is set up for Nissan cars/trucks meaning they include plug and play cables for that vehicle so it's working in minutes.
That part number also comes with backup camera, gps stuff, etc. It has a volume knob on the top. Some other packages will have the same unit at a different price but come with say an OBD2 dongle and a volume button in the middle or no buttons or no navigation. Some have a DVD player.
A note about navigation... You have to ask for it. They will then send you a link for the 'IGO' software and maps. You install it on the blank SD card they include. IGO is kinda a standard I think but you can also use Google maps, Here, Waze, whatever you like. In settings you just set the nav button to whatever.
You can buy cables, backup camera, etc from their site if they don't have a package for your car.
I have bad ears so can't be trusted on its ability to play music but seems to work fine. I bought it mostly for its backup camera, navigation and of course the powerful Android system. My calendar is on there, email, etc.
Nice unit 1024x600 screen too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your unit have android auto Capabilites?
lbus9168 said:
Does your unit have android auto Capabilites?
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Not sure. I've not researched Android Auto but I suspect it is totally limited (AA).
My unit is full blown Android. You have to be careful here. For example streaming a movie while driving is possible. It is initially shut off in settings but you can turn it on.
The unit is like a Nexus phone. No limitations.
daveEM said:
Not sure. I've not researched Android Auto but I suspect it is totally limited (AA).
My unit is full blown Android. You have to be careful here. For example streaming a movie while driving is possible. It is initially shut off in settings but you can turn it on.
The unit is like a Nexus phone. No limitations.
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I think the biggest thing im looking for is a nice driving friendly UI, with good navigation. Android auto ticks all my requirements.
How about “Pumpkin”?
Android 5.1 Lollipop Stereo https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pumpkin-UNIVERSAL-Mirror-link-Bluetooth/dp/B0197X0IKM
Hey Everyone!
I'm looking for a good, reasonably priced, double-din head unit that supports Android Auto for my 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo and am looking for some advice/suggestions.
All the car audio sites (Crutchfield, etc.) show that you can't install a double-din in the 850, but that's only due to two small plastic lips in the console from the original stereo that can easily be removed with a dremel.
I was looking at the JBL CP100, but that still isn't available yet (for who knows how long). I would like to get something with a reasonably modern feature-set and UI, and I've generally had good experiences with standard Kenwood receivers (I currently have a KDC-BT562U installed), but I'm not particularly picky.
I have an Xperia Z5 so Android Auto is a must (obviously), but also having Apple CarPlay functionality could be useful as I sometimes share the car with iPhone users, as long as it doesn't add on to the cost. Also, having a good standard Bluetooth connection option for relatively short drives that wouldn't require the full AA experience, but having the ability to just listen to music and make/receive phone calls is important.
I'm looking for something below around $450, but if that's not possible, I would like the get the least-expensive product that's not too much of a compromise.
Any input would be appreciated as I (obviously) have pretty much zero understanding of car-related things.
Thanks-in-advance!
Cheers,
4Strings
I was planning on installing an Android tablet, like the Nexus 7, as a car headunit. But the major issue for me is the sound. The sound from the headphone jack isn't the clearest. USB audio has its draw backs, mainly when you have a lot of apps open and memory usage is high, the sound gets choppy. I have been looking at these android car radios but I have not been able to find anything with a more elaborate sound processing section. I'm talking about filtering such as low and high pass capability, bass filtering, loudness levels, etc. A lot of them has the EQ app but that doesn't do any frequency filtering. You can buy a separate active crossover unit, but that's not plug and play, and you still have to somehow figure out how to connect one with RCA inputs to the tablet which probably needs some other kind of interface, more stuff to buy. So for now, I'm staying with a real car headunit until I find one that will suit my needs.
You can find the Pioneer 4100NXT for around 450-500. I think it is first rate and does both CarPlay and Android Auto from two different USB ports. It also has an optical drive and SD card slot so there is plenty of room for media if you set it up for both Android Auto and CarPlay. I don't think any of the other third party units are this versatile (the JBL CLEARLY isn't).
I am very happy with the audio from this. Independent adjustable crossover points for both front and rear, phase control for each speaker, and two custom presets on the EQ, in addition to three or four best seat in the house (vehicle) settings. Honestly, the only thing that is missing is what's missing in Android Auto (Waze, Dash, etc.).
4Strings said:
Hey Everyone!
I'm looking for a good, reasonably priced, double-din head unit that supports Android Auto for my 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo and am looking for some advice/suggestions.
All the car audio sites (Crutchfield, etc.) show that you can't install a double-din in the 850, but that's only due to two small plastic lips in the console from the original stereo that can easily be removed with a dremel.
I was looking at the JBL CP100, but that still isn't available yet (for who knows how long). I would like to get something with a reasonably modern feature-set and UI, and I've generally had good experiences with standard Kenwood receivers (I currently have a KDC-BT562U installed), but I'm not particularly picky.
I have an Xperia Z5 so Android Auto is a must (obviously), but also having Apple CarPlay functionality could be useful as I sometimes share the car with iPhone users, as long as it doesn't add on to the cost. Also, having a good standard Bluetooth connection option for relatively short drives that wouldn't require the full AA experience, but having the ability to just listen to music and make/receive phone calls is important.
I'm looking for something below around $450, but if that's not possible, I would like the get the least-expensive product that's not too much of a compromise.
Any input would be appreciated as I (obviously) have pretty much zero understanding of car-related things.
Thanks-in-advance!
Cheers,
4Strings
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If you like Android and want the ability to mod your device, you could look at numerous number of double din android units for China. I purchase a unit from Erisin that was specifically design for my car but they also sell standard double din units. They are expandable so you can add dab, dvr, mic, etc and can mirror a connected android / apple phone. Also support Bluetooth. Worth a look
I am actually looking at that right now. Thanks for the suggestion. Looks like these Android car radios still have ways to go when it comes to audio options. I am very particular about how my system sounds and an EQ alone is not enough to clean up audio sound for me. Thanks again.
Solutions Etcetera said:
You can find the Pioneer 4100NXT for around 450-500. I think it is first rate and does both CarPlay and Android Auto from two different USB ports. It also has an optical drive and SD card slot so there is plenty of room for media if you set it up for both Android Auto and CarPlay. I don't think any of the other third party units are this versatile (the JBL CLEARLY isn't).
I am very happy with the audio from this. Independent adjustable crossover points for both front and rear, phase control for each speaker, and two custom presets on the EQ, in addition to three or four best seat in the house (vehicle) settings. Honestly, the only thing that is missing is what's missing in Android Auto (Waze, Dash, etc.).
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dricacho said:
Looks like these Android car radios still have ways to go when it comes to audio options
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I am not sure what other options you're looking for. The crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point, preamp outs for all 5 channels, and manual or automatically measured (kinda pointless in most cars though) set points for time alignment.
If you've had a Pioneer headunit, you'll know what I'm talking about. All these Android radios have an EQ section but doesn't have high pass filter for the front and rear speakers and doesn't have low pass for subs. So you got low frequencies going to the midrange and tweeters which will distort the sound. These options are built in to most Pioneer headunits.
Solutions Etcetera said:
I am not sure what other options you're looking for. The crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point, preamp outs for all 5 channels, and manual or automatically measured (kinda pointless in most cars though) set points for time alignment.
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I give up. What part of "crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point" did you not understand?
https://goo.gl/photos/nDNAk846BefCEd756
Nevermind...
Solutions Etcetera said:
I give up. What part of "crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point" did you not understand?
https://goo.gl/photos/nDNAk846BefCEd756
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Just bought a used 2007 Toyota Solara SLE convertible (with JBL 7 speaker system), and looking to replace stereo. I've read up on here and elsewhere about some of this, but still have some Q's before moving forward.
Main needs:
Spotify (strongly prefer NOT to use bluetooth due to audio compression)
GPS (The larger the screen, the better for this)
Theft-resistant (Either looks not worth stealing, has removable face without wearing out connectors, is built-in and looks hard to steal, etc)
I'll drill down on the details in a bit, but I'd like a little perspective first on reasons why it would matter if I go with a dedicated head unit, or possibly get the fiddly bits and hook them up myself to do something like a slide-mounted Samsung tablet that I can easily pop in and out.
1) Is there some reason in general why one path is better than the other?
2) If I go DIY route, I've been reading up that Android Auto is not available for tablets without data (wifi only versions). Can't tell if that info is outdated, or still true. I see a few mentions of 3rd party workarounds, but not much info on how they are working.
3) I'd really prefer a larger readout as I use GPS heavily on a regular basis. The detachable ones I see for 10.1 screens from Joying, etc look to have connectors NOT designed for daily plug/unplug. Do these hold up?
4) Is it better for theftproofing to have a removable face, or something smaller that fits in the double din and looks harder to steal?
5) If I do the DIY route, does the audio come out of the tablet via usb and need a d/a, or out of the phones jack?
5) There seems to be info out there for DIY to get the steering controls working, car info like tire pressure, temp, etc. If I then already have the amp, and can work out the audio, and get info to and from via bluetooth with my phone or using my phone as hotspot, that's all bases covered, right? Is there anything I'm missing that CAN'T be done this way and would be better off just getting head unit?
6) Are the dedicated head units less updatable or anything like that than something like a samsung tablet?
7) Is there an issue with my 7 speaker system? Haven't checked, but I'm under the impression from some conversations I've had that there's a 7 speaker dedicated amp currently in place (not part of existing head unit). I read something about certain versions of AA not supporting subs. Not sure what that means. If I'm replacing head unit with full DIY rig, can't I just sent audio to the amp, and it splits from there, or does processing and separate out for sub need to somehow happen prior to the amp?
FYI: Asking in part because I'm thinking about getting a tablet anyway, and might as well have dual use if possible. Also, I'm considering idea also of leaving the stock stereo as is (has BT for voice, but not audio streaming), and rigging a detachable dock for tablet that then feeds audio via the aux input. I guess if I go this third route, I'd store music on it locally, and use it's wifi with my android phone as mobile hotspot to get new tracks, access map data, etc.
Thoughts on why one path is better?
Too many q's?
Available info in another thread? (I've searched and read all I could find)
Better in another subforum? (Connected car maybe?)
Thank you for the questions it is helping me do more research.
If any one can answer part of a question please chime in.
1. Android tablets (Samsung, LG) over Chinese (KLYDE, Joying, etc) units:
- better screen - even an old Galaxy Tab3 has a screen 10x better than any chinese in-car unit.
- cleaner Android implementations - chinese units suffer from poor system implementation that generates lots o0f issues with Bluetooth audio quality, OBDII pairing, WiFi and 3G/4G compatibility
- software upgradable - again, my Samsung Galaxy Tab3 from 2013 runs Nougat. My Klyde in-car unit runs Lollipop
- better RAM, usually
- more flexible in implementation
Chinese (KLYDE, Joying, etc) units over Android tablets (Samsung, LG):
-easier to install
-FM radio
-some level of integration with the car's systems
2. Since version 2.1 Android Auto is a standalone app so it will run on WiFi only units
3. No idea. But if I were to take the DIY road, instead of removing the tablet I'd have a fake panel to cover the screen, with the front part of a cheap stereo.
4. It depends on your preferences. Audio will be much better if run through an external d/a converter but you can start with getting the signal from the headphone jack and add a converter later.
Probably 2 main differences:
Android tablet wont have good amplifier. Not so good sound, you must install many apps from yourself (this is good and bad), no radio probably or bad radio. You must also connect an antenna for the radio if the tablet has one.
You must also do some modding by yourself, connection for power etc. Probably use tasker for some things, search in youtube and other places for suitable script. Xposed, app settings will help for making many apps more car like.
Search for car launcher etc.
I am writing this as i have installed in past, not tablet but mobile phone (an old galaxy s2) in a Fiat punto. So i have done those im Writting for.
If you give time and efford at the end it could be better the result compaired with a dedicated one.
The dedicated one has the benefit of don't search at all. Just install, plug and play. Probably better sound.
If it has android, you can make many things with this. Probably most as the tablet i wrote before.
If it only has android auto you can do only basic things..
Sent from my SM-G9350 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Ok, I had both approaches with 2 different chinese units and one Zenpad.
- 1st Chinese unit, piece of .... so I almost smashed it with a hammer in a fury rage, so got it sold after 3 month, conclusion stay away from XTRONS!
-2nd I had a Zenpad built into my dash, lucky enough for me my dash was big enough to easily fit in an 8" tablet. I bought a mechless Sony car radio, which is much smaller than a normal unit and I hid it behind the tablet, steering wheel remote control still worked, so I could control the radio from the steering wheel, but never needed anything else than adjusting the volume. I did not use FM radio at all. See attached picture. This has a few potential problems, most probably you won't be able to charge the device & use the usb port at the same time, you will need a custom kernel for that or a USB-C tablet. Also its much more difficult to fit it in properly, when the system freeze or crash and you need to hard reset it, it can be painful, however overall I was very pleased with my setup. Since you cannot use the tablet for the bluetooth hands free I still needed to use a Himbox HB001. TIP: The install was done with the help of a 6mm acrylic sheet, which I cut to size using a jigsaw.
-3rd changed the car and couldn't do the same thing in the new car so I bit the bullet and bought another chinese unit, this time I went to an Intel based one. So far so good, I have only done about 1000 miles with it but it looks to work OK, boot up is really quick, bluetooth A2DP quality is good (not like the crap XTRONS), handsfree quality seems decent, but I need more feedback from others on this, I hear them clearly the question is how good they can hear me, so I can recommend the unit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301955449854
And now to the Android Auto question, they run on all of them, just use my app: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ge...ndroid-4-1-headunit-reloaded-android-t3432348