I been wanting to update my old head unit and tried looking in here for info but I can't find anything for my questions but my main question is the android units pretty mature that it's smooth and you don't have to really worry about it it just works ? I have no clue on what brands are pretty good I seen joy alot and are people here modding the head units and making them run better?
I am also interested in the feedback from the more experienced Here.
I want to install a large screen Android in our motorhome, but don’t want something that doesn’t work well.
Paul
I recently purchased Topway TS10 unit. My first Android HU, actually my first Android device also.
If I had to do it again I would look for a unit that can be rooted fully - otherwise you are at total mercy of Chinese vendor who may ignore you, give you wrong information or will simply not understand your question.
Based on my, rather limited, knowledge, 3GB RAM CC2 Plus from Alibaba would be on top of my list.
firstbob said:
I recently purchased Topway TS10 unit. My first Android HU, actually my first Android device also.
If I had to do it again I would look for a unit that can be rooted fully - otherwise you are at total mercy of Chinese vendor who may ignore you, give you wrong information or will simply not understand your question.
Based on my, rather limited, knowledge, 3GB RAM CC2 Plus from Alibaba would be on top of my list.
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Yah that's my main worry's is being at the mercy of a Chinese vendor and having to deal with a buggy OS with no updates and noone on xda having there own version that's better
Neogx said:
Yah that's my main worry's is being at the mercy of a Chinese vendor and having to deal with a buggy OS with no updates and noone on xda having there own version that's better
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Quite right.
marchnz said:
Quite right.
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I've had some personal experience with both options. Last year I purchased a top-of-the-line Pioneer HU (AVIC W8500NEX) and installed it in my Toyota Highlander. I had nothing but trouble with it. Random reboots and freeze-ups. Replaced the HU once and the CanBus adapter once but problems persisted. I finally gave up and recently purchased a Sygav PX6 android HU. The first HU died after one day. The second HU has been working well other than a few quirks that are well documented in this forum.
So, I don't think there is a clear answer here. I completely understand the concerns about purchasing an off-brand HU, but name brand HU's are not without problems as well.
I've been in this game quite a long time. Heck., I was in this game years ago when it was WinCE.
Functionality wise, the top brands have been playing catch up for years. In the case of some of them, they even went down the WinCE route, so as to provide a pathway to all the great software that was available (iGo Primo, for example).
Where the Chinese head units are playing catch-up, has always been the sound quality. Historically, Chinese Head Units have used very low quality amplifier IC's which give a very mediocre sound.
Then we got the generic Android Head Units and again, the big brand manufacturers were playing catch up, except it's not a level playing field. I doubt big brands would be allowed to ship an almost stock Android Head Unit as they are not 'actually safe' for cars. They are the kind of thing which would have to be sold with a 'Not Road Legal' label attached.
So you've got the CarPlay and Android Auto options coming out of the big brands and you've got the generic Android kit coming out of the Chinese brands. Except, the Chinese brands have now caught up with the sound quality. The PX5 units I had in my BMW and Audi had exceptional sound quality.
As for the quality and reliability. I've always had good luck with Chinese units until recently. My WinCE badgers never failed me. Two PX5's didn't fail either (6 months and 2 years).
So, I got a PX6 for my Jetta as a treat to myself. I was mezmerized by the speed but the first thing I noticed on day 1 is that it ran hot. The PX5 ran comparatively cool and the issue with electronics when they get hot is the lifespan shorten and as this thing ran hot seemingly all the time, it unfortunately didn't last a month, and was returned with an amp defect.
I'm now on a Xtrons MA series, which is basically a Junsun V1 Pro. Performance wise, it pales in comparison to the PX6 and tbh, it even feels a bit sluggish compared to the PX5. However.... it has an extremely good DSP which means the sound quality utterly blows away the PX6, which was already decent btw. It also has some other nice features like Android Assistant that is actually able to dial via your phone properly (it never worked on the PX5), CarPlay for your iPhone, Android Auto if you want it....
So the gap between what Pioneer are knocking out and these Chinese head units is actually massive at this point and it's in favour of the Chinese stuff. You can literally buy a Chinese head unit that offers the same functionality as the Pioneer (CarPlay etc), and more (Android 10) and similar sound quality.
Big manufacturers are on borrowed time. In-built stuff with new cars + these units for old cars are literally the death knell.
You are not comparing apples with apples - genuine units are Android Auto, Chinese origin greyboxes are a hacked Android and are NOT Android Auto. They have two very different use cases.
The problem with Chinese origin knock off Android head units is the lack of recourse, support and consumer protection.
The resellers stop communicating when bugs and problems get hard for them, leaving buyer stuck or out of pocket.
marchnz said:
You are not comparing apples with apples - genuine units are Android Auto, Chinese origin greyboxes are a hacked Android and are NOT Android Auto. They have two very different use cases.
The problem with Chinese origin knock off Android head units is the lack of recourse, support and consumer protection.
The resellers stop communicating when bugs and problems get hard for them, leaving buyer stuck or out of pocket.
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My Chinese unit also offers Android Auto and CarPlay via USB, hence my point that I am able to access numerous ecosystems here. Android, Android-Auto, CarPlay.
I think there is some truth to your statement with regards to lacking resource and consumer protection but your best bet is buying from one of the more legitimate UK based resellers. I've bought my last three from Xtrons and the one which failed, they took back in an instant and refunded the money. It's a gamble but it's hardly a risky gamble, we're talking a few hundred pounds here, and if you're sensible and buy through a protected platform like Amazon, you'll be fine.
In my experience, quality control issues usually manifest themselves within a very short period of time. In my case, it was less than a month. If your unit is still going strong after 3-4 then I'd say you're onto a winner. The bugs are usually bitty I find. My PX5 and PX6's were really smooth and powerful, but had irritating little 'misses' like Google Now couldn't make a call via Bluetooth, which is more like a missing feature than an actual bug. This new unit doesn't feel particularly buggy UI wise, but it's definitely not as powerful.... However, it offers some really clever features that the PX5 and PX6 didn't, such as calling via Google Now right out of the box and separated volume channels for different things. Higher clock speeds aren't everything. I've not made up my mind on it currently, but as it costs £260 inc delivery and brought a whole load of surprisingly useful extras the PX5/6 don't, I think I am OK with it.
One thing I would point out here:
Any aftermarket radio that offers apps or 'AppRadio-esque' functionality is at the mercy of manufacturer. The ecosystem they selling against is essentially a moving target. I think the big brands get let off so easily here.
AppRadio – Apps on Google Play
Turn your car into a connected car with Pioneer AppRadio
play.google.com
The Pioneer AppRadio app above has a wonderful 2 star rating on Google Play. Is it any wonder? A number of the early App Radios (1-4 definitely) are now dead if used with official software. The only alternative is AppRadio Unchained which is effectively a screen mirroring app and a right mess to get working. Let's not pretend that you're good for life if you get yourself a Pioneer or Sony. You are merely on a countdown and eventually they'll pull the plug.
In the case of a Chinese radio, it's usually however long it takes for the hardware to become obsolete and unusable, if the hardware itself doesn't fail. My PX5's were running the latest apps and my oldest was bought in 2018. I expect this current unit will keep going for a similar amount of time, albeit not as quick as I'd like. Tl:dr, I think it's naive to think we buy radios (including big brand) to last 5-10 years. At the price point they exist, we should be happy with 3 years. Not many people keep their cars much longer than that anyway.
Related
Hello XDA'ers.
Just got burned buying a crappy no-name Windows headunit on Amazon and was wondering if you could help me pick a different one. I'm looking for an Android-based HU that can support Bluetooth, GPS and a backup camera. HD Radio support is a plus.
Thanks!
I am also researching for one and come across with eonon brand. You can check it out.
Sent from my D6616 using Tapatalk
Do you have a link to purchasing it?
Actually, that one looks just like the piece of junk that I purchased. I'm hoping for a headunit that I can purchase and can flash with a custom from here.
DJRepresent said:
Actually, that one looks just like the piece of junk that I purchased. I'm hoping for a headunit that I can purchase and can flash with a custom from here.
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For "Cheap Chinese" HUs, Newsmy type are the most popular here, followed by the older Huefei HUs.
I personally would (and did, but with a NEED for Android Auto) spend the extra $200-300 for a Pioneer 4100NEX with Android Auto and many other features, including US HD Radio. On EBay now for $500 shipped for refurb, or IMO better at $570 shipped brand new.
But if you need "full regular Android" to run any app, most "normal" HUs don't provide this, but maybe we'll get a ROM with full Android. Some Pioneer devices run Android under the covers and are getting a ROM now, in part to get Android Auto on devices like the older 4000NEX. I think that 4100NEX will get a ROM too, once it provides a good option for getting more than stock functionality.
The best "Cheap Chinese" HUs are stuck on Android 4.4 Kitkat at best and I doubt Newsmy/Huefei will ever get Lollipop.
These cheap HUs are also full of compromises and unless you understand and accept them, I think it's likely you'll regret getting one within 1-12 months, as you already regret what you have.
mikereidis said:
For "Cheap Chinese" HUs, Newsmy type are the most popular here, followed by the older Huefei HUs.
I personally would (and did, but with a NEED for Android Auto) spend the extra $200-300 for a Pioneer 4100NEX with Android Auto and many other features, including US HD Radio. On EBay now for $500 shipped for refurb, or IMO better at $570 shipped brand new.
But if you need "full regular Android" to run any app, most "normal" HUs don't provide this, but maybe we'll get a ROM with full Android. Some Pioneer devices run Android under the covers and are getting a ROM now, in part to get Android Auto on devices like the older 4000NEX. I think that 4100NEX will get a ROM too, once it provides a good option for getting more than stock functionality.
The best "Cheap Chinese" HUs are stuck on Android 4.4 Kitkat at best and I doubt Newsmy/Huefei will ever get Lollipop.
These cheap HUs are also full of compromises and unless you understand and accept them, I think it's likely you'll regret getting one within 1-12 months, as you already regret what you have.
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I read an Amazon.com review of one of the Chinese HUs where the guy said that the stock ROM on it was "OK," but once he flashed a custom ROM, everything worked great. He didn't provide a link to the ROM but he did say he downloaded it from XDA. So was wondering if there might be a decent head unit that I can purchase and flash and have it working well.
mikereidis said:
For "Cheap Chinese" HUs, Newsmy type are the most popular here, followed by the older Huefei HUs.
These cheap HUs are also full of compromises and unless you understand and accept them, I think it's likely you'll regret getting one within 1-12 months, as you already regret what you have.
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They are much better than you make them sound. Honestly they are very impressive for what you get for $100-$250 or so, you get a full android rooted system you can pretty much do anything with. And the quad core devices are very snappy and responsive, and the screens on the 1024x600 7" models are very clear and look great.
For the price, they are well worth it to me. The only real problem has been that the bluetooth design is not the best, and lots of people are just connecting a mic cable directly to the mic and ground pins on the bluetooth board to get around the poor internal mic issue. Other than that there is no real outstanding problem with them.
nixfu said:
They are much better than you make them sound. Honestly they are very impressive for what you get for $100-$250 or so, you get a full android rooted system you can pretty much do anything with. And the quad core devices are very snappy and responsive, and the screens on the 1024x600 7" models are very clear and look great.
For the price, they are well worth it to me. The only real problem has been that the bluetooth design is not the best, and lots of people are just connecting a mic cable directly to the mic and ground pins on the bluetooth board to get around the poor internal mic issue. Other than that there is no real outstanding problem with them.
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Which unit should I purchase then? Please post a link.
Thanks!
nixfu said:
They are much better than you make them sound. Honestly they are very impressive for what you get for $100-$250 or so, you get a full android rooted system you can pretty much do anything with.
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$100 ?
I thought the decent units, like Newsmy, started around $300 or so, and prices get higher when you need a non-generic, car-specific model.
To each their own, but I am still not a particular fan of Mediatek/Chinese chipsets. AFAIK, Mediatek still regularly violates GPL and keep more secrets than Qualcomm does, making it harder for kernel & ROM devs. Still true or no ?
Anyway, since I don't own one of the Chinese HUs, the opinions of people who own one may be more important than mine.
IMO anyone buying one should read the main threads for them for at least a few pages to get better informed.
For those who need "real Android" running on the HU, I'm recalling that the AppRadio Unchained Reloaded app seems a decent option for phone mirroring to Pioneer HUs.
I must sound like a paid Pioneer rep sometimes, LOL, but reality is that my best interests are in people running my Headunit app on tablets than buy an HU. But I only recommend that if it seems the best option for them.
I'm torn between the carjoying RK3188 and the NU3001 Carpad. Anyone have experience with both can provide a recommendation? I was reading some of the posts regarding the carjoying unit and am concerned that I need to modify the internal to get a decent microphone quality. Not sure if this needs to also happen to the newsmy unit? I have also heard that the joking crew provides great support, which is important and like the fact that they have taken the time to create lots of tutorial videos. On the nu3001 - I like that the android unit is in a separate box. I seriously can't decide...lots of pros on both units.
DJRepresent - did you make your decision yet?
Honestly. I've been both a newsmy & huifei owner... I'm not a happy camper with the newsmy and their support.
My radio was working great then started to develop random screen flickers & after a firmware update it died. Ordered a replacement Android box (as the head unit & Android box is separate on the newsmy, had to fight to order it as I didn't order my radio directly from newsmy but from a reseller... Only managed to get it as a fellow xda member was a reseller and he placed the replacement order for me) and my radio now only half works. My physical buttons on my radio (as it's a Volkswagen specific unit) no longer work.
Newsmy has left me high and dry with the issue with zero support on the issue. I've spent about 700-800canadian on this unit and I have now a half working unit...
I'm starting to think about selling off and getting a joying/huifei unit. As the one I use to own before the newsmy is now in my dad's car and it's working perfectly fine. I only got the newsmy as at the time it was the only 1024x600 unit with 2 gigs of ram...
I believe now the joying & even the winlink units have 2gig ram models with the 1024 screen.
The winlink seems to be less popular but also seems to have a representative from the company participating in the forum activity. Newsmy use to have that... seems they are no longer focused on the carpad2 more their unreleased carpad3. Not sure if joying/huifei has a representative participating but seems to have a lot more overall owners participating with the development.
One downfall I had with my huifei that the newsmy doesn't have is the canbus. The canbus didn't fully work with my car or my dad's car (my car being a 09 vw jetta my dad's being a '12 vw jetta)on the huifei I had random issues with it. I ended up replacing their canbus with another manufacture and the issues resolved.
Newsmy also seemed more focused on eye candy vs actually developing the radio more... It still has no rds support.
Also the newsmy has no sub preputs.
Hmm other then that... I think that's the end of my feedback rant. Maybe a joying user can chime in?
kwalsh24 said:
I believe now the joying & even the winlink units have 2gig ram models with the 1024 screen.
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I like my unit from carjoying.com, the prices are pretty good, and the support is actually better than I expected. But NO NONE of the more popular units(Klyde, Roadmaster, Hot Audio, Joying, etc) which are all based on the same HueFui design, all use the same RK3066/RK3166 Chipsets, and they all have 1GB Ram. The memory and cpu are all using the same plug in daughter boards that plug in to the various main boards.
Frankly I don't see the 1GB being a limitation, or that 2GB would help all that much. The quad core is what seems to be a big difference and makes the units very snappy. I know my unit I normally have Torque loggings engine stats, iGO GPS doing navigation, MediaMonkey playing MP3's, and DailyRoads recording the front camera all constantly going at the same time with zero noticeable slowdown, and the unit remains very snappy and responsive. I am not sure what else you would want to have simultaneously happening that would be better than what you can already do with the current units.
The best models you can get are quad core, 1GB ram, 16GB onboard flash, and 1024 screens. I would just make sure you get one with these specs and you will pretty much have the best currently available.
nixfu said:
I like my unit from carjoying.com, the prices are pretty good, and the support is actually better than I expected. But NO NONE of the more popular units(Klyde, Roadmaster, Hot Audio, Joying, etc) which are all based on the same HueFui design, all use the same RK3066/RK3166 Chipsets, and they all have 1GB Ram. The memory and cpu are all using the same plug in daughter boards that plug in to the various main boards.
Frankly I don't see the 1GB being a limitation, or that 2GB would help all that much. The quad core is what seems to be a big difference and makes the units very snappy. I know my unit I normally have Torque loggings engine stats, iGO GPS doing navigation, MediaMonkey playing MP3's, and DailyRoads recording the front camera all constantly going at the same time with zero noticeable slowdown, and the unit remains very snappy and responsive. I am not sure what else you would want to have simultaneously happening that would be better than what you can already do with the current units.
The best models you can get are quad core, 1GB ram, 16GB onboard flash, and 1024 screens. I would just make sure you get one with these specs and you will pretty much have the best currently available.
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Thanks for the reply! I read from a post you started a while ago regarding the carjoying unit you modified internally to address the microphone poor quality. How bad is it out the box (without modifying the internals) or is this mod a must do before installing? Is this mod to address just the integrated mic or does this also impact the external mic input? Wondering if i wire up a quality external mic if that would keep from having to modify the internals. Your usage list above looks like similar apps I would be running in addition to an occasional hands free phone call. Thanks!
---------- Post added at 06:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:46 AM ----------
kwalsh24 said:
Honestly. I've been both a newsmy & huifei owner... I'm not a happy camper with the newsmy and their support.
My radio was working great then started to develop random screen flickers & after a firmware update it died. Ordered a replacement Android box (as the head unit & Android box is separate on the newsmy, had to fight to order it as I didn't order my radio directly from newsmy but from a reseller... Only managed to get it as a fellow xda member was a reseller and he placed the replacement order for me) and my radio now only half works. My physical buttons on my radio (as it's a Volkswagen specific unit) no longer work.
Newsmy has left me high and dry with the issue with zero support on the issue. I've spent about 700-800canadian on this unit and I have now a half working unit...
I'm starting to think about selling off and getting a joying/huifei unit. As the one I use to own before the newsmy is now in my dad's car and it's working perfectly fine. I only got the newsmy as at the time it was the only 1024x600 unit with 2 gigs of ram...
I believe now the joying & even the winlink units have 2gig ram models with the 1024 screen.
The winlink seems to be less popular but also seems to have a representative from the company participating in the forum activity. Newsmy use to have that... seems they are no longer focused on the carpad2 more their unreleased carpad3. Not sure if joying/huifei has a representative participating but seems to have a lot more overall owners participating with the development.
One downfall I had with my huifei that the newsmy doesn't have is the canbus. The canbus didn't fully work with my car or my dad's car (my car being a 09 vw jetta my dad's being a '12 vw jetta)on the huifei I had random issues with it. I ended up replacing their canbus with another manufacture and the issues resolved.
Newsmy also seemed more focused on eye candy vs actually developing the radio more... It still has no rds support.
Also the newsmy has no sub preputs.
Hmm other then that... I think that's the end of my feedback rant. Maybe a joying user can chime in?
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Thanks for the reply! This is great info. I am truly sorry for your troubles. Hope you get your issue resolved. Support/customer service is something I highly value. Now that u mentioned it...I do remember seeing newsmy frequent presence in the large dedicated nu3001 thread early on, but they phased out as I skimmed though the posts. Thanks again for providing your experiences/feedback! +2 for carjoying
Honestly I just checked out newsmy's website and they have removed most of their headunits they once sold. So I would 100% rule out newsmy.
Joying in the lead but maybe check out winlink/ownice unit. As it's the quad core with 2 gigs of ram... I myself am 100% torn
I'm slightly shocked that there hasn't been anything new on the market. Faster cpu & more ram? Kinda sad that the joying unit doesn't have 2 gigs of ram. If it did I'd be jumping ship 12 hours ago as they have a nice looking vw unit that's all touch. Including the malfunctioning buttons that my unit has...
kwalsh24 said:
Honestly I just checked out newsmy's website and they have removed most of their headunits they once sold. So I would 100% rule out newsmy.
Joying in the lead but maybe check out winlink/ownice unit. As it's the quad core with 2 gigs of ram... I myself am 100% torn
I'm slightly shocked that there hasn't been anything new on the market. Faster cpu & more ram? Kinda sad that the joying unit doesn't have 2 gigs of ram. If it did I'd be jumping ship 12 hours ago as they have a nice looking vw unit that's all touch. Including the malfunctioning buttons that my unit has...
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I'm a little shocked also, but from the feedback 1 gb should be good enough. I figure the units are somewhat inexpensive and don't mind replacing it a few years down the road if it becomes an issue. I finally pulled the trigger and purchased the carjoying unit. The crew has been in frequent communication with me since I purchased it making sure everything is right with my car configuration before shipping it. I'm pleased so far with the support and do not have the unit yet Hope my positive experiences continue after I receive it. Not looking forward to doing the mic mod though
I have been looking at these android car stereo units. A lot of them really do look the exact same, just with their own badging (logo) but probably from the same factory from China? I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck discovering any brands that are more reliable than others? I just hate to fork out the $250-$300 for one and have it crap out on me in 6 months.
I have specifically been looking at the Joying and Pumpkin units as it seems they are the most popular. But I am open to all the brands.
in my non-scientific study of forums, I found most people were happy with Joying, which is what I ended up getting, and I am very happy with it
Ownice is known for having lots of units with 2GB of ram and bringing things to market pretty fast like Android 6.0, but they are only ever available through Aliexpress and the newer units can get a bit pricey. Joying is known for having relatively solid support and a large product selection, as well as sometimes having custom apps for specific vehicles (ex. air conditioning control). As far as I can tell, they are a personal favorite of many on XDA. Some people also choose Eonon and Pumpkin, I'm not quite sure about them but I'd assume they are solid choices. I personally own a YINUO unit and I wouldn't recommend getting one, as they are expensive and they are always using a very slightly modified stock Hui-Fei ROM (basically the OEM rom), but still they somehow manage to make it crash when doing basic tasks. Albeit, I flashed it for a truly stock ROM and it works fine now.
Roadnavi.com also seems to be somewhat reliable and has decent support
Need more people to chime in here.
I had newsmy carpad and pumkin joying brand, i would go for newsmy because of how simple but powerful the machine is, tje joying and pumpkin brand are slow and reboot prety much everytime var turns off, any apps runing on the background will be closed. Newsmy has this option just like the phones when car is off radio goes into stanby mode screen off does not consume power when car is turned on it resumes like when turning on the screen of your phone any app runing on background will resume with no hesitation. And not to mention full steering wheel controls on any media app unlike the pumpkin and joying that need to download a app in order to make other media players work with steering wheel.
I would stay away from KGL (Kai Gei Lei or something?) units. I received a unit with a front panel that shouldn't have passed QC (rotated text on buttons etc). I was too trusting towards the Aliexpress seller since it was my first buy, so my objection period ran out. I tried to get a new panel through KGL customer service, even offered to pay if needed, sent some pictures along.
At first they responded quickly to the emails I sent afterwards they said "I see nothing wrong" and despite several reminders they just stopped responding.
So first off KGLs quality inspections are poor and their service is basically none existant. I advice to stay away from them.
I have an Erisin unit. It has a very good finish, very good construction, integrates perfectly with the CAN bus of my car, open doors and climatic all is shown correctly... I'm very happy with it. Perhaps sound quality could be improved and its support is quite poor, but I would buy another unit from them surely. Moreover, I think they have the same software than Joyin products, so perhaps their firmwares could be interchangeables.
hi guys,
i own a 2012 subaru STI. i've got the stock headunit (double din, non-touch screen) and am looking to upgrade to an android auto HU. i've owned many android phones in the past and am very familiar with rooting, flashing roms, adb, fastboot etc.
in a previous car i had a pioneer appradio2 and used appradio unchained to mirror my phone onto the screen. i'd like to use AA now as in hindsight i feel having full access to the phone through my HU is quite distracting whilst driving.
i currently own a pixel xl.
there are so many options out there for AA HU's and i'm a little confused, so i'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction:
what's the best AA HU (double din, preferably 7") money can buy? budget is not really a problem. i would like something with a fast touch screen and whatever the max resolution available on the market is. built in gps would be nice, but not a must. what's the benefit of going for a big brand versus a chinese made product? what does rooting and flashing roms on an AA HU achieve?
apologies if this is posted in the wrong forum, and thanks in advance.
kinetx said:
what's the best AA HU (double din, preferably 7") money can buy? budget is not really a problem. i would like something with a fast touch screen and whatever the max resolution available on the market is. built in gps would be nice, but not a must. what's the benefit of going for a big brand versus a chinese made product? what does rooting and flashing roms on an AA HU achieve?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will give you my opinion.
Probably the best head units are those from first brands (Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony...) but those units play in another league. The models I like are about 1,300$ what, for me, is out of my league. These brands also have some 'lower-cost' units, but they are usually too 'closed' or offer outdated technology (LCD screens, too old Android OS...)
I checked Parrot Asteroid Smart which I liked very much, but also, a 4 year old unit with 512MB RAM and Android 2.3 was too old for me. Community support disappeared at this point (I asked a couple of questions in some forums and haven´t got any answer yet...)
After an extensive research, my conclusion (discarding the tipical Pioneer/Kenwood/Sony/etc units) is:
Dynavin units are probably the best ones, specially when speaking about audio quality. If money is not an issue as you claim (not my case), I would fit one of these.
Avin: I was going to buy the Avin VWU8-PX5 which looked as a good product. AFAIK their product is a mix from Chinese electronics + USA details, at a premium of course, but their customers seemed satisfied and I liked what I read from Avin. Problem is that I live in Spain and buying from an European distributor was a must (to be able to claim warranty in case needed). Avin only sells in USA and doesn't have any distributor in EU, so discarded too.
Chinese brands with EU distributors: Finally there are chinese sellers that also sell in EU, so I ended up with these brands: pumpkin, XTRONS and Joying.
There are other Chinese brands that I discarded just for not having an EU distributor (Ownice, Dasaita, and so on), but if you don't have this problems you might also check them.
I finally decided to buy a Joying Unit 8" with Intel Sofia processor. Why? For these reasons:
They have an EU warehouse (Germany)
Community support is probable the best over XDA
Support seems to be one of the best among Chinese sellers
There are some easy hardware mods/hacks that will dramatically improve the units life/performance. Heat sink/fan mod. Sound chipset swap, Rooting, Viper4Android to improve audio, etc
As for your question "what does rooting and flashing roms on an AA HU achieve?" if you really "are very familiar with rooting, flashing roms, adb, fastboot" as you claim, you should know... tweaking here and there, uninstalling bloatware, installing better than original apps...
Hope you find the right head unit, tell us what you end up with.
Cheers!
thanks for the detailed response! i hadn't considered bloatware, better audio quality etc would be possible for a headunit but ofcourse, this IS android!
of the major brands, are there any specific models better than the others that you (or anyone else) could recommend?
One vote for ATOTO A6 Pro
I recently installed ATOTO A6 Pro into my 2011 Subaru WRX, which had the factory double-din Navigation. I purchased ATOTO A6 Pro which is much much better than the factory unit in every respect -- but especially display brightness, viewing angle and boot time. The audio is decent, although not in same league as higher-priced name brand stereos. The included bluetooth external microphone gives much better quality then the factory one. Having Android Auto as well as the ability to run applications (like Torque) natively on the ATOTO is great. I have a Pixel2 phone and didnt have any connectivity problems with the ATOTO over bluetooth, Wifi, or USB (for Android-Auto) . I think ATOTO has better components (MediaTek SoC, IPS display, etc.) than much of the competition for low-cost Chinese android head units. I also added a back up camera. Had some wiring difficulties due to ATOTO sub-par documentation, but at least their Technical support team was responsive and helpful. Overall, am happy with ATOTO A6 Pro.
Nice thread and the same name pop up..
In the market for a new unit and good to see I am on the right track..
Thanks for the posters input..a thread like this should be stickied so that as the years go on we can keep track of the good, bad, ugly..
What about Seicane.com
https://www.belsee.com
Anyone had experience?
Hi forum,
I'm looking for a head unit to replace the stock unit in my Mazda 6 2008. There's plenty of choice when it comes to Android head units, and they're usually very complete and affordable. Reading around the forums here though, it looks like pretty much all these units have issues.
My intended use is quite simple: Use Android Auto to control Spotify and Waze, and maaaaybe connect a reversing camera. I don't want to use my phone as a hotspot, to avoid unnecessary data usage (I often download my Spotify playlists on WiFi to use in the car).
My question is this: Am I better off with an Android head unit, or with a JVC/Pioneer/Kenwood/Sony unit that supports Android Auto?
Every time I visit this forum I see a question like this. Why the mods haven't stickied it god only knows.
Answer is NO. They're all jinxed. My Atoto S8 Standard had software glitches (can't swipe status bar down until reset) bluetooth doesn't connect on hot days, and it draws too much power when in standby killing my battery and replacing it wasn't cheap.
I'm down the cost of the head unit and a new vehicle battery + fitting.
invertgoat said:
Every time I visit this forum I see a question like this. Why the mods haven't stickied it god only knows.
Answer is NO. They're all jinxed. My Atoto S8 Standard had software glitches (can't swipe status bar down until reset) bluetooth doesn't connect on hot days, and it draws too much power when in standby killing my battery and replacing it wasn't cheap.
I'm down the cost of the head unit and a new vehicle battery + fitting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply, I think I'll pass on an Android head unit for now . It's overkill for my requirements anyway.
invertgoat said:
Answer is NO. They're all jinxed. My Atoto S8 Standard had software glitches (can't swipe status bar down until reset) bluetooth doesn't connect on hot days, and it draws too much power when in standby killing my battery and replacing it wasn't cheap.
I'm down the cost of the head unit and a new vehicle battery + fitting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you came to that conclusion with a sample size of 1 by the sounds of it. Is it a modern unit or is it a relic running cheaper low end chipsets for bluetooth/wifi with minimal ram?
I'm in 30+ degree days with massive humidity and have had no issue with bluetooth connection for albeit a short period of time.
The drain is real and if wired correctly is based on two settings about whether to put the unit to sleep and if there is a delay before shut off.
These units aren't plug and play as some expect and take a bit to understand but to collectively assume they are all buggy seems like an unfair assessment.
I will reserve judgement especially on the newer 720 screen Android 10 versions until there is a fair bit more feedback.
ludditefornow said:
These units aren't plug and play as some expect and take a bit to understand but to collectively assume they are all buggy seems like an unfair assessment.
I will reserve judgement especially on the newer 720 screen Android 10 versions until there is a fair bit more feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. They are ALL buggy, and that includes the 720/android 10 which I have. I just keep buying them because they do have certain advantages over the traditional head units. If those advantages aren't a concern then you are much better off with a kenwood/pioneer/alpine.....
Care to define these bugs?.
I'm yet to find an OS that is bug free. When I referred to "all buggy" I was relating to bugs that make things unusable as was suggested by the poster I quoted.
There can be bugs and still the OS can be thoroughly useable and offer a great day to day experience.
I went down this route because mainstream units simply lacked functions. The deal breaker for me was that the only Android phone brand that they would would confirm to work with their units was Samsung.
When my android head unit has the settings working correctly, the parasitic draw on the car's battery is well within tolerance. So for people to use battery drain as a blanket example of bugs is clearly misleading.
Bang for the buck the Xtrons PX6 units. I have bought at least 3 different variations and installed HAL9K's software on them. The software they came with seemed solid when I used it and I had no issues outside of it wiping my Google contacts which was an easy fix. I have purchased Joying, Dasaita, Xtrons, Atoto, Eonon and a whole host of other off brands etc. The Xtrons PX6 10.1 seems to be the leader for price/performance and what it offers. They have a version with DSP as well. I currently am using the latest 10.1 Joying single din but haven't used it long enough to see if there are any inherent problems. The name brands, Kenwood, Pioneer etc I have used over the years all have bugs and quirks as well. Just my 2 cents YMMV.
Hi
I'm looking into buying an android head unit for the first time
My main option is to buy from Aliexpress, so i looked for options there and I would love some recommendations.
I don't have many requirements, i think that I can assemble it myself, but a few things I care about:
1. Waze, Spotify, Google Maps, and general android apps (I know every android head unit supports it, that's why I want one )
2. phone calls quality (road noise reduction and clear voice capture)
3. radio reception. my car currently has a head unit by jvc and the reception isn't great.
The main unit that caught my eye is TEYES CC3 (new unit to my understanding), it seems good but a bit pricey than others.
Another unit that have high sals is Junsun V1 pro, but I saw some bad reviews here.
other models i've seen are: Youmecity TS10, Aycenty PX6, AutoTop PX5, and LEHX (no model name)
I would love to hear recommendations / warnings / heads up
thank you!
EDIT: I don't have external amplifiers or subwoofer, just the regular OEM speaker array.
Ghsucre said:
Hi
I'm looking into buying an android head unit for the first time
My main option is to buy from Aliexpress, so i looked for options there and I would love some recommendations.
I don't have many requirements, i think that I can assemble it myself, but a few things I care about:
1. Waze, Spotify, Google Maps, and general android apps (I know every android head unit supports it, that's why I want one )
2. phone calls quality (road noise reduction and clear voice capture)
3. radio reception. my car currently has a head unit by jvc and the reception isn't great.
The main unit that caught my eye is TEYES CC3 (new unit to my understanding), it seems good but a bit pricey than others.
Another unit that have high sals is Junsun V1 pro, but I saw some bad reviews here.
other models i've seen are: Youmecity TS10, Aycenty PX6, AutoTop PX5, and LEHX (no model name)
I would love to hear recommendations / warnings / heads up
thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Suggest avoid all of the obscure types and look to an MTCD/E type, Dasaita sell these.
If you're not comfortable with quirks and bugs, problems, avoid these completely and look for a suitable genuine/branded Android Auto unit. You won't find Android Auto on on Aliexpress however - regardless of the wild claims.
marchnz said:
Suggest avoid all of the obscure types and look to an MTCD/E type, Dasaita sell these.
If you're not comfortable with quirks and bugs, problems, avoid these completely and look for a suitable genuine/branded Android Auto unit. You won't find Android Auto on on Aliexpress however - regardless of the wild claims.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not afraid of bugs and quirks, i'm pretty capable of researching for solutions, but that means that I need a "popular" model, so I could find help within communities like this.
I will read more about what you suggested. to my understanding the TEYES ones aren't in this category, is that right?
what do you think of them anyway?
from the little I have read it seems to me that they are developing their own firmware, rom, and apps to work with these units, so I would like to think that they are doing a good job (are they?). furthermore I saw that they are releasing updates from time to time to fix bugs.
I'm not looking for a lot of customizability or frequent updates, after the installation and hopefully short debugging my intention is to enjoy it for several years without changes.
thank you very much!
Hello, what did you end up buying bud? 6 months later I am in the same boat as you, not sure what to buy in sept 2021
Hi !
I ended up buying:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32720737378.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.5a874c4dy5QaWA
I didn't want to wait for PX6, and didn't see much choices for PX5.
Initially my favorite was the TEYES, but my gf rolled it out (based on aesthetics and higher price)
My next choice was PX6 but I didn't find a good seller.
the product I ended up buying was from "Youmecity Car Multimedia Store", the seller was very nice and responsive, and has a lot of good reviews.
downsides for my unit: it isn't much configurable, the internal mic isn't working (and you can't connect external one), I didn't find (although I didn't spend a lot of time searching) different roms.
Overall I'm pleased with my unit (except the mic), its very responsive and works well, worked out-of-the-box, no cable soldering. even compatible with the rear cam I have installed.
Note - don't buy the OBD from them, it's huge, and it uses WiFi (can't connect in the same time with phone hotspot).
Note 2 - If you buy from his, ask for the new software version, they update it once in a few months.
If you have more questions feel free to ask here