Xtrons and Volvo - Android Head-Units

Hi everyone, I’m new to this forum. I know a bit about Volvo (the older ones!), and Volvo head units, but not about Chinese Android head units.
I’m considering replacing the aging head unit of my (also aging!) 2002 Volvo V70. The head unit is a simple HU 603, so no Dolby, center speaker or extra amplifier. I’m looking at Xtrons TA702P (quad core) or TB706PL (octa core). I prefer a 7 inch touch screen, no knobs, no DVD. But navi should be good, as would radio. Music I can play through usb. And my Elephone S7 (Android 7.1) phone should mirror on the unit if possible.
Other functions like back up camera or steering wheel control are not important to me.
I know how to take the HU 603 out. I know I need an adapter harness to connect with the new unit. And a fascia adapter. All that is available.
My questions:
Xtrons has many car/model specific head units (not for Volvo). They have Canbus decoders supplied with the unit. Not so for the TA702P or the TB706PL. Will that give problems? (The answer from the ebay seller is somewhat useless: ‘Both the TB706PL and the TL702P does not come with the canbus so that you just ignore it.’) Anyone has experience with this?
How are user experiences with these modern Xtrons units? I know, ‘you get what you pay for’, I know that. But still, worth the money?
Units from Kenwood or Pioneer are other options, but again, is it worth it?
Thanks!

Hi there
I own and drive a V70 from 2006. I have replaced the original HU with a SONY 2 DIN unit (XAV-V630BT). This unit has great sound. I also swapped the speakers to JBL. It is totally worth it.
I have a CANbus to resistor unit. This makes it possible to use the steering wheel buttons.
Right now i am testing a Android HU. Unfortunately i have bought the wrong one. The unit is full of bad design choices. The sound integration in the unit is bad. I think that radio, BLUETOOTH and AUX sound runs directly to the sound processor. This means that when the Android unit plays a sound, the sound from the other units are turned off. In my opinion the other source should just fade a little.

jacobwind said:
Hi there
As said, I don't need steering wheel controls, my steering wheel doesn't even have the buttons. Must have been a cheapskate first owner!
Does this mean the Canbus only affects steering wheel control? So ignoring Canbus (no resistor as in your case), will give no problems?
And yes, by now I've found out Android units may not have the best sound quality. Or radio reception.
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Related

Head unit recommendations/comparison?

Maybe you guys can help me out, as I am not new to android but I am new to the idea of android head units. I've done some research but what I'm finding is somewhat limited and I have no hands on experience with any units out there.
I'm looking into purchasing a head unit for my vehicle and am wondering which unit fits my needs best. I'd like something with a 7" touch screen, ability to retain steering wheel controls, backup camera, A/V in and out, support both wifi and bluetooth, and a remote signal out for an aftermarket amplifier. I'd really like to have one with the newest OS available, which to my knowledge points me in the direction of the Ownice C500... Being able to root would definitely be a plus.
I'll continue my research but wanted to reach out here for input as well, thanks!
really leaning towards this unit:
http://www.ownice.com/Pro_Auto DVD GPS Navigation for 2din Universal_405.html
I'm also kind of curious on real performance of these units, as I'm aware an advertised processor speed is not a tell-tale sign of how it will perform, and at this point that is just about all I have to go from.
@bill12690 What did you end up getting?
I ended up getting one of the 7" octacore X-Trons units
edit:
http://xtrons.com/tb706apl-7-hd-dig...ereo-with-screen-mirroring-function-obd2.html
bill12690 said:
I ended up getting one of the 7" octacore X-Trons units
edit:
http://xtrons.com/tb706apl-7-hd-dig...ereo-with-screen-mirroring-function-obd2.html
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Click to collapse
Octa core is great feature. Does it allow you to use steering wheel buttons? Is it 'learning type' SWC?
Also got a xtrons octacore unit and really really like it, I have a BMW so the canbus automatically sends steering wheel controls to the unit. So not sure about your specific car

Does this SWC work with the Joying HU?

Hello!
Can someone confirm that this Steering wheel control work on the new universal Joying HU's?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NH0ST1T
It has the exact same wires to connect as the Joying SWC but this looks so much better and have more buttons
Cheers
Joying has told me that only the universal head units can use aftermarket SWC buttons. I have a VW-specific model and they don't work.
rotorocks said:
Hello!
Can someone confirm that this Steering wheel control work on the new universal Joying HU's?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NH0ST1T
It has the exact same wires to connect as the Joying SWC but this looks so much better and have more buttons
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have noticed that Joying likes to lie or be ignorant about things.
This is the one that I use in my Kia for my joying intel unit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B4PJC9K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I never needed one until this new intel unit and they keep telling me that I connected it wrong despite my other 2 Joying units working.
Digital 3wire SWC
Simply yes its a digital 3 wire connection.. However just because the wires are hooked up doesnt mean its prograed to know which button is which. This must be done manually. Its the same for Sony or Pioneer.

CANbus decoders - who is manufacturer...?

Most of the Android ChinaRadios come with some sort of CANbus decoder (or so they are labeled) to provide steering wheel controls, backup support, etc... Every single vendor will only sell you a CANbus decoder that they 'manufacture' for their units - claiming that any other combination of decoder/radio will not work.
Aside from this being mostly BS, these vendors are absolutely adamant of not wanting to sell individual of these decoders - which for Chinese vendors is curious, to say the least, to turn down any opportunity to make a buck.
Either way, despite all of them claiming to manufacture their own, we know that is BS -- these vendors buy products from actual manufacturers, repackage them, and sell them.
Try as I might (Alibaba, aliexpress, globalSources) I have not been able to find a manufacturer that produces just these boxes.
Does anyone around here have any leads?
MacConsult said:
Most of the Android ChinaRadios come with some sort of CANbus decoder (or so they are labeled) to provide steering wheel controls, backup support, etc... Every single vendor will only sell you a CANbus decoder that they 'manufacture' for their units - claiming that any other combination of decoder/radio will not work.
Aside from this being mostly BS, these vendors are absolutely adamant of not wanting to sell individual of these decoders - which for Chinese vendors is curious, to say the least, to turn down any opportunity to make a buck.
Either way, despite all of them claiming to manufacture their own, we know that is BS -- these vendors buy products from actual manufacturers, repackage them, and sell them.
Try as I might (Alibaba, aliexpress, globalSources) I have not been able to find a manufacturer that produces just these boxes.
Does anyone around here have any leads?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To add more to that.
My previous unit an Witson 3066/1Gb ram has an CAN decoder that worked fine for my Ford but the Joying ones work only 85% fine meaning the PREV and NEXT buttons were reversed and that was a pain to use since all my life when I push the NEXT button I expect to hear the next song not the previous one.
Anyway, although I was struggling to correct the Joying CAN mistake I could not because I did not find any way that I could reflash the CAN box. Joying said that the CAN might not be 100% compatible with my car although it should be.
Even if the old CAN box from my former Witson unit was looking exactly the same and the wire socket was exactly the same as the Joying one, the wiring was completely different, different wiring location on the socket, different wire colours. The internals of the CAN boxes looked almost the same but I did not had the courage to test the Witson one on the Joying afraid that I would damage the headunit or more importantly the car...
What I did in the end was to directly connect the resistive buttons of the steering wheel directly to the unit (bypassing the CAN) and program them via the unit software and let the CAN box to decode the other stuff like putting the car in reverse, turning on the lights, feeding +12V to the unit when I start the car.
What I learned is that CAN box is a black box... if it's not working it's almost impossible to find a fix of any kind... or buy a working replacement...
That appears to mirror my initial impression, albeit I feel that different vendors use different providers for these CANboxes and hence that a different CANbox should be able to do the job another can't.
Example, on my XTRONS unit, the steering wheel controls didn't work at all - albeit reverse detection and lights worked well. Unlike my prior box (from 'alec-power' where everything worked (except the radio didn't produce any sound - a slight issue. They took it back and refunded me). Now, XTRONS had me send back the CANbus box, and promised to send another as soon as they have stock again. (1-2 weeks), but they also confirmed that their e39/e46 (BMW) decoder is the same as the one for e53.
What we really need is to figure out how these CANbus boxes work, and ideally how to program them (if that is possible -- which it ought to be).
That's what I was attempting to kick-start with this thread.
Bummer, so no one has any information on these CANbus decoders?
MacConsult said:
Bummer, so no one has any information on these CANbus decoders?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet is to try a different car in the canbus setting in factory settings. I had that problem on my ford focus I set the canbus for it and it didn't work right with the steering wheel so went through them all to find that the ford Mondeo rise settings worked and fixed that problem for me.
Where can i buy new canbus gor ownice c500? I send mail to manufacturer but no answer
pcmender2005 said:
Your best bet is to try a different car in the canbus setting in factory settings. I had that problem on my ford focus I set the canbus for it and it didn't work right with the steering wheel so went through them all to find that the ford Mondeo rise settings worked and fixed that problem for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turned out, in my case, that the proper setting was "NONE" in the CANbus settings, and suddenly everything worked.
Chinese engineering....
If you need a canbus box, your best bet would be to go with a more mainstream manufacturer, like axxess/metra. Their units can tie back into the car radio using the SWI1/2 wires.
Any update on this?
Just reviving an old thread looking for answers
I also think there is a problem with my bmw e39 can-bus box i am using with Xtrons PQ7939BIP. When i connect the can-bus box, the red (terminal R) and the yellow (battery + terminal 30) become "shorted" and they should not "touch" each other. This way, i have to connect the yellow and the red wires from the android unit to the violet/white wire from my car (terminal R - accesory) and leave the terminal 30 (hot all time) wire from the car disconnected so that the xtrons unit shuts down when i put the ignition switch in position 0 or when i pull out the key from the ignition switch.
Is this normal or is my can-bus box bad?
Trimis de pe al meu SM-G950F folosind Tapatalk
bogdan wst said:
I also think there is a problem with my bmw e39 can-bus box i am using with Xtrons PQ7939BIP. When i connect the can-bus box, the red (terminal R) and the yellow (battery + terminal 30) become "shorted" and they should not "touch" each other. This way, i have to connect the yellow and the red wires from the android unit to the violet/white wire from my car (terminal R - accesory) and leave the terminal 30 (hot all time) wire from the car disconnected so that the xtrons unit shuts down when i put the ignition switch in position 0 or when i pull out the key from the ignition switch.
Is this normal or is my can-bus box bad?
Trimis de pe al meu SM-G950F folosind Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can connect the red wire to any wire on your bmw that has 12 volts with the key on RUN or ACCESSORY, but the yellow wire needs to have 12 volts all the time.
MacConsult said:
Most of the Android ChinaRadios come with some sort of CANbus decoder (or so they are labeled) to provide steering wheel controls, backup support, etc... Every single vendor will only sell you a CANbus decoder that they 'manufacture' for their units - claiming that any other combination of decoder/radio will not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every PX5 and PX head unit can work with a canbus decoder from different manufacturers. You have to go to Android Settings > Car settings > Factory settings (password: 126) > Canbus tab > Select the manufacturer of your canbus decoder and the car model.
I have a PX5 head unit with a canbus decoder from "Simple", and when it broke, I replaced it with "Raise" and it works.
I recommend to review the list of supported canbus decoders in your head unit in the Factory settings, before purchasing a new one. You may need also to buy a new wire harness if you don't have a plug for the canbus decoder.
piotrmocko said:
Every PX5 and PX head unit can work with a canbus decoder from different manufacturers. You have to go to Android Settings > Car settings > Factory settings (password: 126) > Canbus tab > Select the manufacturer of your canbus decoder and the car model.
I have a PX5 head unit with a canbus decoder from "Simple", and when it broke, I replaced it with "Raise" and it works.
I recommend to review the list of supported canbus decoders in your head unit in the Factory settings, before purchasing a new one. You may need also to buy a new wire harness if you don't have a plug for the canbus decoder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I also have PX unit (PX6) with Simple soft CANBUS and I get more options when I chose raise like air-conditioning info on my PX6 unit. I have Honda civic 2016 and the only thing that is not working is the car clock not syncing through the CANBUS from my Dasaita PX6 unit. which is a bummer.
I am very curious about the Can Box options as when looking to buy a unit for my '18 WRX with HK Audio I found the IDoing selling them with support for the HK and was surprised as Crutchfield and Meastro just added support for this setup and I was about to order their harness and box to wire in a Kenwood unit I have in my old car.
When I found the IDoing(FYT) I figured all the other better know sellers should have had same option so I emailed Joying as I couldn't find option from them and they responded that they didn't have a solution. SYGAV does claim to have one but but it's nearly double cost and all the WRX reviews said it was hit or miss if it worked.
I bought the IDoing unit and it was plug and play and works great(with one exception)
If these are all the same HU and CanBus hardware, why the variances? Just programming by the seller or are they all buying from different MFR?
Before ordering I tried to order a harness and canbus from IDoing and the unit from Joying, Joying wouldn't sell me the HU because I had mentioned I had HK Audio and IDoing Flat out refused to sell me a canbus and harness without proof I had bought a HU from them.
That said the Unit works very well and the only issue with the Canbus is that it can't control the rear speaker separate from the front(no fade).
Someone earlier mentioned buying a maestro, has anyone ever connected one of these chinese units to a maestro box?
Just so everyone knows
I managed to add canbus functionality to my xtrons unit even though they said it’s not compatible
I bought a harness for my car with the correct decoder and chopped it to fit the pin outs of my head unit.
works like a dream.
If anyone needs advice I am always available
what car and what harness? You bought a canbus and harness from another "seller" and made it fit? Or you bought something aftermarket like Maestro?
gottahavit said:
what car and what harness? You bought a canbus and harness from another "seller" and made it fit? Or you bought something aftermarket like Maestro?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Peugeot 207.
bought harness with decoder from feedo seller.
chopped off the connector and soldered it to my hu connector
are you looking to do same?
Sdpuk2020 said:
Peugeot 207.
bought harness with decoder from feedo seller.
chopped off the connector and soldered it to my hu connector
are you looking to do same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the harness I bought
Sdpuk2020 said:
Peugeot 207.
bought harness with decoder from feedo seller.
chopped off the connector and soldered it to my hu connector
are you looking to do same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you looking to do?
Sorry I was hoping you had found a way to make a maestro or other idatalink module work.

Best android unit to replace my RCD 510 in Passat B7

Hello everybody,
I'm searching for the best unit for Volkswagen Passat B7 (year 2012) to replace my RCD 510. What I am looking for:
- Android unit with 8'' - 10'' diagonal
- Dual channel Can-Bus - (the unit should display car events: door open, AC temperature settings, parking sensors information)
- VW car steering wheel control support
- DAB+
- Good bluetooth or integration with VW bluetooth module (Is this even possible?)
I've heard about Joying, Seicane and Dasaita and I'm not sure which one is better. Your advice or suggestions will be much appreciated and welcomed. Thank you.
Best Regards
I can hardly answer your question as it stated since I only tried (and use) Joying HU.
I've replaced my RNS-510 mostly because map updates in my region are not supported anymore. Had quite a hard time with Joying, but finally have no any doubts that would do it (change) again.
My HU is 8" with HW buttons, which helps alot: being able to switch to Navi/Radio/Home from any screen is a good thing. CAN bus works OK: climate indication, doors, outside temp, safety belts, fuel, mileage, park sensors, rear view cam, hand brake status, steering wheel controls do work. I did not buy DAB+ and had a hard time with AM/FM radio reception, but changing antenna harness (both were in Joying's direct supply) solved the problem.
BT app is much inferior to the VW factory unit, especially if you do outcoming calls when driving. Incoming calls are also first identified with bare numbers, not names - it corrects on the 2nd call.
I use Huawei E8xxx 4G modem as WiFi hotspot, Joying rear cam and Joying dashcam. All in all - it's a new world which opens to you with Android HU. I could not have something like this (and much more) on factory RNS: https://yadi.sk/i/Zg1TFzHu3PDvou
You plan to abandon RCD unit, which is not a Navi system. For those like me who had RNS Navi - you are going to miss correct tunnel/no GPS guidance and correct direction in the morning when factory Navi knows right from ignition how to make proper guidance. In 3-rd party HU there is no compass, gyros and speed sensor data which are used by a navi program (speed is available via CAN, but a navi program is not aware of it, only GPS). I still agree when VW calls it's 9 year old factory HU a "premium navi".
Sound quality can not compare to factory unit despite that brand new "digital amp" (I have "D" model), but here I am lucky - all my audio interests are in FM news radio.
I also have a Passat 2012 and a Joying Sofia 8" with HW knobs (JY VL130N2).
I am generally very pleased with this combination. Everything works except for
BT indeed is not perfect.
Dasaita units also have a good reputation here. I never had one, so I cannot tell much about those...
Hello,
Thanks for response. I'm wondering if there's a specific model from Joying that's current "the best". At the moment I'm looking at:
VW 6.0 OCTA CORE HEAD UNIT PX5 and VW NEW DIGITAL AMPLIFIER AUTORADIO ANDROID 6.0 HEAD UNIT
If anyone have any other suggestions (Dasaita, Seicane...) please dont hesitate to say. Thanks.
Regards
Do not mess with "octa PX5". The second link is OK, since the part number is DE-JY-VM130N2D - just the same I have. If you have external amp, then "D" model is not recomended, take one without "digital amp" built in - like DE-JY-VM130N2.
With that choice we have a very promising perspective, just take a look here https://forum.carjoying.com/thread-1377-current-state-of-hackishness-.html
ste2002 said:
Do not mess with "octa PX5". The second link is OK, since the part number is DE-JY-VM130N2D - just the same I have. If you have external amp, then "D" model is not recomended, take one without "digital amp" built in - like DE-JY-VM130N2.
With that choice we have a very promising perspective, just take a look here https://forum.carjoying.com/thread-1377-current-state-of-hackishness-.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you saying do not mess with PX5? A lot of users recomends PX5 because it is new and has unofficial support like PX3, so seems more futureproof than anything else right now.

Any reason I shouldn't buy an Idoing?

I have a Subaru Forester Limited with the Harmon Kardon audio system that came stock with the car.
I'm looking to upgrade to something that will provide Android Auto and Apple Carplay without needing to plug in the phone. I'm currently leaning towards Idoing but am open to any suggestions you all might have.
I don't have much experience when it comes tinkering with electronics or cars, so I figured one of these all one solutions would make it the easiest for me. This way I'm not going to be splicing any wires and it will all be plug and play (I hope).
I've reached out to Idoing because I'm not exactly sure which model I would even pick. These are the ones that seem to fit my vehicle, but I'm not 100% sure.
Idoing 9"Android Head Unit For Subaru WRX STI XV Forester 2016-2021 Car Autoradio Multimedia Video Player Navigation Stereo GPS
Idoing 9"2.5D QLED Car Android Radio GPS Multimedia Player Head Unit 4G+64G For Subaru WRX Forester 2016-2020 Navigation NO 2DIN
Idoing 9"Car Android Radio GPS Multimedia Player IPS 2.5D For Subaru Forester 2016-2018 4G+64G 8 Core Navigation Zlink Head Unit
So am I looking the wrong direction? Is there a brand that I'm overlooking that would be better for me to get?
Thanks.
Ask seller to provide screenshots of Android System information, including MCU. With that you could know what is being offered and then research the forums.
You probably want a UIS7862 FYT based uint.
marchnz said:
Ask seller to provide screenshots of Android System information, including MCU. With that you could know what is being offered and then research the forums.
You probably want a UIS7862 FYT based uint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I'm going to add that to my list of questions for them.

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