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Hello, Im new here. Have always used an iphone. Only ever had a smasung s3 for a few months and was presently surprised by how solid android has become.
Anyways, I am looking to put a double din HU that runs android in my car.
I have ordered and used the Joying headunit 4.4.4 and it was great except for a few points:
1. Doesnt read address book from phone via bluetooth, needs to be imported.
2. SOUND QUALITY.... is not great. Not unbearable but barely passable in my opinion. And that is with the bc06 bluetooth. Running mp3s from the HU directly was slightly better/clearer. But I mostly stream audio from my phone, so I was not happy with the audio quality. I played around with the EQ and got it as good as I could and was slightly dissatisfied. Very boarderline.
3, UI is difficult to use in clutch situations. Would be nice if there was an app\overlay that would give me just a couple of high priority apps on screen within reach. Im sure this is easily done, didnt spend much time trying to get it to work.
I see that PUMPKIN is coming out with a unit that uses the parrot Bluetooth card that should bring the bluetooth audio quality up to max. Leaving the preamp to be the weakest link.
How are you guys dealing with this? And do you think I should spring for the pumpkin that will give me good BT quality? Also, are there any good EQ apps I could use to fine tune the audio to get maximize audio quality?
I really like the headunits that run android and cant live without all those other features but the audio quality really needs to be addressed.
Here is what Ive used:
(cant post links yet)
JY-UQ130 Joying
Here is what I want to buy now:
11-RQ0259E-US-A Pumpkin - only available on their site for now, will be on amazon soon.
Let me know what you think and if rooting it would help me get the most out out of the pre amp module.
I also have an external 2200 watt amp that I have in my car, so maybe I could tune that? IDK...
Thanks
glad i read this before buying the joying unit for my VW. looking for something with decent audio quality as well.
none exist at the moment, sadly. the only way to deal with the poor sound quality of these HUs is to buy an external DSP & use that to process your sound instead. minidsp 2x4 is the cheapest option to accomplish this ($100).
Hi,
I've just found MXTRON HU with dual ST sound processors.
Here is the website : www mxtron com
thekoter said:
Hi,
I've just found MXTRON HU with dual ST sound processors.
Here is the website : www mxtron com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still only dual core 8GB and only 4.2.2. The question is what do they mean with dual sound processors? Because the standard KLD has
dual sound processors too, sometimes with the brand ST.
---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------
[/COLOR]
sithcommander66 said:
I see that PUMPKIN is coming out with a unit that uses the parrot Bluetooth card that should bring the bluetooth audio quality up to max. Leaving the preamp to be the weakest link.
How are you guys dealing with this? And do you think I should spring for the pumpkin that will give me good BT quality? Also, are there any good EQ apps I could use to fine tune the audio to get maximize audio quality?
I really like the headunits that run android and cant live without all those other features but the audio quality really needs to be addressed.
Here is what Ive used:
(cant post links yet)
JY-UQ130 Joying
Here is what I want to buy now:
11-RQ0259E-US-A Pumpkin - only available on their site for now, will be on amazon soon.
Let me know what you think and if rooting it would help me get the most out out of the pre amp module.
I also have an external 2200 watt amp that I have in my car, so maybe I could tune that? IDK...
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've bought that unit and the sound quality is not okay even if they are using parrot. The two microphones
are still in parallel with lower sound quality. It's equal to my modified KLD. I.e. no improvement.
Hisma said:
none exist at the moment, sadly. the only way to deal with the poor sound quality of these HUs is to buy an external DSP & use that to process your sound instead. minidsp 2x4 is the cheapest option to accomplish this ($100).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the sound quality like if you use an external DSP? Is it as good as a good car audio system, or is it just smoothing over the cracks?
Yes the sound quality is not great, the rca pre outs are super weak, i tested mine the pumpkin from amazon and the voltage is on like .8 VAC rca i bought a line driver and that got my voltage up to 4.2 VAC rca which now my bass hits like before.
tangoman99 said:
What's the sound quality like if you use an external DSP? Is it as good as a good car audio system, or is it just smoothing over the cracks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I still feel like something is missing. It is absolutely better, but a DSP can't generate frequencies the sources doesn't produce. So I still would prefer a HU from someone known to produce high quality audio. But the android units have all the features I want so I just go with it.
Hisma said:
Personally I still feel like something is missing. It is absolutely better, but a DSP can't generate frequencies the sources doesn't produce. So I still would prefer a HU from someone known to produce high quality audio. But the android units have all the features I want so I just go with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Darn it - I wish I'd seen the stuff on here before buying it.
I really notice the frequency cut off - it's like listening to a really badly chopped low bitrate mp3.
tangoman99 said:
Darn it - I wish I'd seen the stuff on here before buying it.
I really notice the frequency cut off - it's like listening to a really badly chopped low bitrate mp3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, huge disappointment to say the least. with the amount of time and energy I've put into my system, I'm still not completely happy w/ the results. I'm still learning how to tweak it, so I am certain I can get it to sound better, but I guarantee a high quality audio HU would not need near this much TLC.
Most probably don't notice missing frequencies, but a critical listener would. I own some high quality headphones, so I know what my music is supposed to sound like, and its just not there.
Think I'm going to add a line driver to my signal chain next, as the pre-outs are a measly 1V (and the DSP chops that signal up even more). Hope that does the trick.
Any point in doing 7floor's mod and using an external dsp or are they achieving the same end?
theoretically flattening the EQ should remove all custom audio processing, making 7floor's audio mod useless if you use an external DSP. However, b/c of how suspect these units handle audio, I wouldn't even be surprised if a supposedly flat EQ on a non-modded unit isn't really flat.
But yes, they are achieving the same end. Of course the internal DSP, even w/ the audio mod, would not be near as effective or give you as much control as an external DSP.
most of the time I read about sound problems, it is due to using Bluetooth. Is the sound still bad if you use Google Play on the actual head unit?
CadillacMike said:
most of the time I read about sound problems, it is due to using Bluetooth. Is the sound still bad if you use Google Play on the actual head unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's my question as well.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
It has taken me soundproofing, 3 sets of frontstage speakers (currently on my third set), an amplifier and a good subwoofer to improve sound quality in my car and a 7floor mod with these units. There is always something to improve in the sound in a car and I am leaning towards a decent headunit now. The radio tuner and sound quality on these units are its' weaknesses it is such shame as the OS is great.
I just read that with Android Lollipop it is possible to connect an external DAC via USB:
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Android-5.0-Lollipop-supports-USB-DAC-audio-devices-we-go-ears-on_id66399
Would that be an option to have better audio quality? Is there a USB-DAC which would be suitable for a car?
Pumpking as a new one coming out next month, apparently with a new DSP with better audio quality:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poAkdg6Y3Wc
nice find checksum. if the price is right I may pick one of those up to replace my current unit. I wonder what the pre-out voltage will be.
Do these devices have the same sound card? I need some of the apk of one to control sub vol on the Joying
I think that sound quality playing mp3's on these units is excellent.
On my Joying unit, while the bluetooth is not the best in the world, if you are playing mp3's off an SD with MediaMonkey, or PowerAmp it is VERY good.
I've been reading mixed reviews on the SQ of these units. I've read about the mod and it sounded like the sound just got louder. But is the sound fine and just flat sounding or is it something else? I was thinking a line driver would help or maybe it would just amplify the noise. I have some decent audio equipment and I don't want to feel I'm not getting the full potential out of them. I do use some WAV and FLAC files. I guess I can't tell if people are commenting on the on board audio or from their amps hooked up to the RCAs.
I have a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. I had the factory 430N head unit, with the base 8 speaker system. I replaced 4 of the 8 speakers with Kickers and add a Kicker sub and amp (amp is just for the sub), and it sounded better but still not great.
THis weekend I added a Joying Jeep specific unit, and I feel like the sound of the overall system is vastly improved. I think it sounds pretty good, I primarily use Google Play Music and Pandora.
CadillacMike said:
I have a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. I had the factory 430N head unit, with the base 8 speaker system. I replaced 4 of the 8 speakers with Kickers and add a Kicker sub and amp (amp is just for the sub), and it sounded better but still not great.
THis weekend I added a Joying Jeep specific unit, and I feel like the sound of the overall system is vastly improved. I think it sounds pretty good, I primarily use Google Play Music and Pandora.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you add a line driver at all to bump up the voltage on the pre-outs?
splxtreme said:
Did you add a line driver at all to bump up the voltage on the pre-outs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not add anything. The sub and amp are built for Jeep, so it might be a little weird:
http://www.kicker.com/SWRA411
have any of you measure the pre-out voltage on the joying? On my tonghai create 2nd gen unit, pre-out voltage is only 1V. What this means is you will have a high noise floor going into your amplifier. Then your amp will amplify any noise your pre-outs have picked up. So if you use a line driver to raise the pre-out voltage prior to going into your amp, the higher voltage actually LOWERS the noise floor, hence eliminating noise that your RCAs may pick up.
My advice is you MUST have a line driver if you plan to use these units w/ a external amp. The difference will be night and day, particularly in the higher frequencies, where amplified noise is more pronounced.
They are dirt cheap too. I bought one on amazon for ~$30. It is actually a 3-way cross-over/line driver combo. It feels cheap but does it's job as a line driver very well.
edit: I say the above from personal experience, as I literally spent months trying to figure out why my tweeters always sounded so terrible. Line driver did the trick. Now I have clean highs and more clear, vibrant mids. I don't seem to notice much difference in my bass, so apparently noise interference isn't audible in the lower frequencies.
explain "line driver" to a stupid dumb dumb person, not me of course, just so other people understand
CadillacMike said:
explain "line driver" to a stupid dumb dumb person, not me of course, just so other people understand
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
line driver is just another word for a voltage step-up device. It's simply a way to increase the voltage of the RCA pre-outs coming out of your HU. Most amplifiers can read all the way down to about .5V pre-outs no problem. So a low pre-out voltage isn't much of a problem in theory.
But, an amplifier is also a voltage step-up device. It's going to take the pre-out voltage and multiply it by a pre-determined amount. You can adjust that amount by modifying gain. Your speakers are rated for a certain RMS power (80W for instance). So, if your speakers are 4 ohms rated for 80W RMS, the formula for the voltage it needs from your amp is sqrt(80 * 4) = 18V. So for your speaker to get the full rated power, it needs at least 18V from your amp. Higher pre-amp voltage = easier to reach the rated output to your speakers, since less gain is required.
Also, I mentioned noise floor. It's explained well here -
http://www.glasswolf.net/papers/preouts.html
It's not so easy to explain in laymans terms, but just know that higher voltage pre-outs = higher signal to noise ratio (SNR), meaning more signal & less noise = lower noise floor.
The article does mention however that having too high of a pre-out voltage is not good either, as it can lead to clipping. Best to buy an adjustable line driver (the $30 amazon model I bought had this feature... this one -
https://www.amazon.com/SX310-Pre-Am...70255121&sr=8-1&keywords=electronic+crossover). Most devices that accept pre-outs max out at around 6V, some as low as 4V. So don't crank up the line driver to max... I leave mine around 75-80%.
Hope that helps.
HI
All of the bad sound quality issues I've read about in regards to various Chinese Android head units seem to be related to the internal amplifier/chip from what I can gather.
If you use the pre-outs and run a good quality external amplifier, is the pre-out signal clean enough to sound good, or does it still sound bad, just with more power behind it?
Thanks!
--ElmoTheDestroyer
Joying has these new units with some sort of enhanced amplifier and EQ that at least on paper look way better what other Chinese units offer... in fact no other Chinese manufacturer made the effort to offer something better... all go the same route... basic and cheap so kudos for Joying that they are trying something different.
Now we need confirmation from buyers that the new amplif is indeed better....
edit said:
Joying has these new units with some sort of enhanced amplifier and EQ that at least on paper look way better what other Chinese units offer... in fact no other Chinese manufacturer made the effort to offer something better... all go the same route... basic and cheap so kudos for Joying that they are trying something different.
Now we need confirmation from buyers that the new amplif is indeed better....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I was looking at picking one of those up, I'm just curious, if I'm not happy with how that sounds, if using a good external amp will actually provide "really good" sound quality vs. the internal amp. I know that using a crappy preamp source can give pretty bad results even on a good amp, but at the same time, the preamp section of these units might be clean enough to provide a good usable signal to an external amp.
Though it would be cool if the new internal amp Joying is using is actually good! Be nice to not have to spend money on an external amp if I can avoid it...
ElmoTheDestroyer said:
Yeah, I was looking at picking one of those up, I'm just curious, if I'm not happy with how that sounds, if using a good external amp will actually provide "really good" sound quality vs. the internal amp. I know that using a crappy preamp source can give pretty bad results even on a good amp, but at the same time, the preamp section of these units might be clean enough to provide a good usable signal to an external amp.
Though it would be cool if the new internal amp Joying is using is actually good! Be nice to not have to spend money on an external amp if I can avoid it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't set your set your hopes way too high, after all we are talking about 300-400$ units here. If the sound quality is the top priority these are not the ones to look at, with or without an external amplif. Very good sound quality is expensive. Most (like me) pick these up for the convenience of having an navigation, backup camera, access to various streaming apps and so on... the list is long. My original Ford headunit is head and shoulders above these Chinese units when it comes to sound quality, FM Radio reception/ sound quality.... but it also lacks so many features that you find in a modern headunit that I find them useful enough to give up on the original headunit high sound quality.
edit said:
Don't set your set your hopes way too high, after all we are talking about 300-400$ units here. If the sound quality is the top priority these are not the ones to look at, with or without an external amplif. Very good sound quality is expensive. Most (like me) pick these up for the convenience of having an navigation, backup camera, access to various streaming apps and so on... the list is long. My original Ford headunit is head and shoulders above these Chinese units when it comes to sound quality, FM Radio reception/ sound quality.... but it also lacks so many features that you find in a modern headunit that I find them useful enough to give up on the original headunit high sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, yeah, I'm not expecting super high quality sound... I have an older android unit in my truck now, so I know how it feels to have crappy sound.. Just debating if it's worth spending the money on an external amp to help things out... Not sure if it'd be worth the expense/trouble to install, or if it would just make crappy muddy sound louder.
Love the convenience of these units though, especially compared to my 20 year old stock CD player, talk about a huge technology update!
Suppose I'll just get one of these new Joying units with the new digital amp and hope for the best...
Thanks again for the info!
I have one and should have it running in the next week. It's my understanding that if you enable an external amp with the new units the surround sound is disabled and the old app is enabled. In other words you lose all the fancy adjustments if you use an external amp. I have a few cars and one of them will use an external amp and I'm only just hoping for less heat from the new design. On another car I'm hoping to bypass the original amp with the new unit and drive it right from the joying unit.
Of course sound is pretty subjective so I'm doubtful even if I say its better that that is meaningful to anyone else in their car etc. A the end of the day I like decent sound, but the android functionality is my primary need. One of my cars is a Honda Element. This thing has so much road noise a person might be throwing their money away if they went with premium quality.
400 bucks can either be a lot for someone or less significant for others.
well now the Sony Android Auto unit is down to $400. I was actually never unhappy with the sound of my Joying, but holy **** the sound is dramatically improved with the Sony:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...-xav-ax100-t3647891/post73238321#post73238321
However, I do miss the full functionality of Android, so I'll be going back to either Joying or Seicane. But after having that Sony, i may look into adding an amp or a DSP or something to try to get that sound
i got the new Joying with the Amp and DSP, and I think it sounds pretty great.
CadillacMike said:
i got the new Joying with the Amp and DSP, and I think it sounds pretty great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Separate amp or the new class D amp internal?
pounce said:
Separate amp or the new class D amp internal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has the internal amp, one with the gold plate on the back
CadillacMike said:
i got the new Joying with the Amp and DSP, and I think it sounds pretty great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please tell us more? Maybe compared to the Sony?
The old Joying is ok as long as you install Viper.
Do not compare onder units with Joying Intel based units...
I have all amplified on my car, with Joying 2Gb Intel unit (not the new ones with digital amplifier), but applyied some on stock audio cars and sound is not worst than pioneer, kenwood, sony 100-200€ units.
But to made the sound better, disable LOUD and on Car Settings app, on the code protected menu, on balance sound option, put the sound bars on 0 (zero). Now you can volume up without distortion and the sound will be more clear.
ElmoTheDestroyer said:
lol, yeah, I'm not expecting super high quality sound... I have an older android unit in my truck now, so I know how it feels to have crappy sound.. Just debating if it's worth spending the money on an external amp to help things out... Not sure if it'd be worth the expense/trouble to install, or if it would just make crappy muddy sound louder.
Love the convenience of these units though, especially compared to my 20 year old stock CD player, talk about a huge technology update!
Suppose I'll just get one of these new Joying units with the new digital amp and hope for the best...
Thanks again for the info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
edit said:
Can you please tell us more? Maybe compared to the Sony?
The old Joying is ok as long as you install Viper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the install done very late last night.
So I only got to listen on the way in to work, and I don't have everything set up yet. But I think it sounds about as good as the Sony.
Beast Mode activated
Here are some pics
Can you please share .APK for this amplifier app ?
ElmoTheDestroyer said:
HI
All of the bad sound quality issues I've read about in regards to various Chinese Android head units seem to be related to the internal amplifier/chip from what I can gather.
If you use the pre-outs and run a good quality external amplifier, is the pre-out signal clean enough to sound good, or does it still sound bad, just with more power behind it?
Thanks!
--ElmoTheDestroyer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the problem isn't with the amplifiers. The amplifiers they install may be somewhat small, but they're not bad units. The problem is in what they send TO the amplifiers, which will be exactly the same if you use an external amplifier.
All that an amplifier actually does, is makes the sound LOUDER. If the sound that you are amplifying is full of noise, artifacts, and clipping, then those *painful* bits of sound will also be amplified.
I know this thread is a blast from the past, but in searching xda i am having a hard time finding if any of these android headunit make clean sound out the RCA.
I have a Sofia unit from about 2 years ago, and have never been able to get rid of whine of the engine across rpm range (especially if engine is running with headlights on) i have a good grounding kit under the hood, quality 4 gauge power and ground to amp, tested PAC SNI-1 Noise Isolators on both front and rear RCA, have even tried a Axxess AX-ANR1000 Power Noise Filter. All to no avail.
Is there any units that are better for clean output?
merdok said:
I know this thread is a blast from the past, but in searching xda i am having a hard time finding if any of these android headunit make clean sound out the RCA.
I have a Sofia unit from about 2 years ago, and have never been able to get rid of whine of the engine across rpm range (especially if engine is running with headlights on) i have a good grounding kit under the hood, quality 4 gauge power and ground to amp, tested PAC SNI-1 Noise Isolators on both front and rear RCA, have even tried a Axxess AX-ANR1000 Power Noise Filter. All to no avail.
Is there any units that are better for clean output?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Filtering noise out of a system like that can be a bit of a daunting challenge.
There are a ton of different places where the noise can be brought into your radio from your car;
1) ANY electrical connection between your car and your radio. This includes power+, power-, and even all the different *signal* wires, like ACC, headlights, reverse, etc.
2) RF. This is a really challenging one to deal with, because if your alternator is blasting out a whole bunch of RF noise at a frequency in the range of 20-40,000 Hz, and if that RF gets picked up by an audio wire pre-amplifier, then the amplifier will take that noise, amplify it, and play it on your speakers.
You've tried a power noise filter.
Have you tried connecting the ACC line to the filtered side of that filter instead of the ignition? Have you tried disconnecting ALL of the other signal lines coming into the radio?
Now about the RF part.
Here is the thing. If you're using the pre-amp audio outputs, then that means that you are bringing the pre-amp audio signal OUTSIDE of the protection of the metal box (faraday cage).
The SNI-1 ground loop isolator that you've tried isn't going to do a damned thing if your problem is RF noise. In fact, it is an idiotic part altogether since all it actually does is it converts a signal from one ground reference to a possibly different ground reference. Instead of that, what you should be doing is making sure that there is no potential difference in the ground reference level of the two parts being connected -- specifically, the radio, and the amplifier.
Two things you can do to help with this;
1) Add a big cable from the amplifier chassis to the radio's metal box.
2) Use the highest quality and SHORTEST audio cables possible.
Also... have you confirmed that the amplifier you are using isn't actually the source of the noise?
96carboard said:
Filtering noise out of a system like that can be a bit of a daunting challenge.
There are a ton of different places where the noise can be brought into your radio from your car;
1) ANY electrical connection between your car and your radio. This includes power+, power-, and even all the different *signal* wires, like ACC, headlights, reverse, etc.
2) RF. This is a really challenging one to deal with, because if your alternator is blasting out a whole bunch of RF noise at a frequency in the range of 20-40,000 Hz, and if that RF gets picked up by an audio wire pre-amplifier, then the amplifier will take that noise, amplify it, and play it on your speakers.
You've tried a power noise filter.
Have you tried connecting the ACC line to the filtered side of that filter instead of the ignition? Have you tried disconnecting ALL of the other signal lines coming into the radio?
Now about the RF part.
Here is the thing. If you're using the pre-amp audio outputs, then that means that you are bringing the pre-amp audio signal OUTSIDE of the protection of the metal box (faraday cage).
The SNI-1 ground loop isolator that you've tried isn't going to do a damned thing if your problem is RF noise. In fact, it is an idiotic part altogether since all it actually does is it converts a signal from one ground reference to a possibly different ground reference. Instead of that, what you should be doing is making sure that there is no potential difference in the ground reference level of the two parts being connected -- specifically, the radio, and the amplifier.
Two things you can do to help with this;
1) Add a big cable from the amplifier chassis to the radio's metal box.
2) Use the highest quality and SHORTEST audio cables possible.
Also... have you confirmed that the amplifier you are using isn't actually the source of the noise?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank!
I can confirm it's not the amp itself by a headphone to rca cable from my phone into amp w/o noise.
1.) I need to try running a wire from amp ground to cage of hu. Think better to attach to ground of the case or attach to powerline filter? Going to test with bridge both wires of premium speaker wire. That should be plenty right?
2.) only wires that are a bit longer than needed are the rca. Might be 2ft slack because amp is under passenger seat.
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---------- Post added at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 PM ----------
Wow I think the wire from amp to hu case is going to be the fix! I never thought of that or needed in my years.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
merdok said:
Thank!
I can confirm it's not the amp itself by a headphone to rca cable from my phone into amp w/o noise.
1.) I need to try running a wire from amp ground to cage of hu. Think better to attach to ground of the case or attach to powerline filter? Going to test with bridge both wires of premium speaker wire. That should be plenty right?
2.) only wires that are a bit longer than needed are the rca. Might be 2ft slack because amp is under passenger seat.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 PM ----------
Wow I think the wire from amp to hu case is going to be the fix! I never thought of that or needed in my years.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have the same problem "permanent noise in my Android unit". If I understand well, you have solve the problem with a wire from amp to HU. Could you explain more about this fix or a diagram?
Thks a lot
So i was browsing through joyings new intel head units on their site with DSP. I found that all intel based joying headunits with their DSP now have a SPDIF coaxial output. This is a huge step for them since many of us been trying to use a USB DAC for toslink or SPDIF output.
A regular name brand HIGh res deck with SPDIF output runs over 1200$ . And their not even touch screen.
Joying finally woke up and did it, now us guys with fancy name brand DSP’s can finally send true digital coax output to them. I will be ordering one of theses units and not utilizing the dsp that is built in. Simply because i find that they are not there yet with their built in dsp’s for individual speaker functions. I have a nice audio control dsp that has a coax input.
Enjoy!
if u order it pls make some pics of android board and som
Subscribed... I'm thinking buying one. I found two version. 2/16 and 4/32 GB. What do you suggest? Enough the 2/16, or better the 4/32 version?
Depending on what your looking at doing with the unit. Im going all out with the 4gb of ram. I caught myself multitasking on the 2gb ram units (not joying) and the audio would studder sometimes.
Theses new joyings will change the revolution of car audio with this coaxial output!
Ill be able to listen to “tidal” app do get high lossless sound tracks right to my Audiocontrol 608 DSP via coaxial.
The only other way to do digital sound is an ipad or the highly priced sony unit at 1500$ for a single dine with no display?.
mahtew said:
if u order it pls make some pics of android board and som
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try and do so
Just ordered mine, but with 2.5inch curved IPS display. I will try to make a frame to fit my car.
I won't be using the digital out for now, I will try the RCA out first and see. I like the build in eq.
My last joying unit had hissing noise when not playing music, hope this one will be quieter.
Yeah. For the average user, their dsp seems to have eq front and rear independently. Which is nice.
You can also order a longer ribbon for their screens to locate the unit in a different area from their screens. This would probably help with the mold you want to make for your display.
If you have a high fidelity sound stage like me. : tweeter on an amp, mid ranges on a separate amp, woofers on another amp . Then rear stage on another amp, then all amps hooked up to a 10 ch output dsp to control each speaker independently.
The built in dsp is no good for me. But the digital output will be king to supply my external dsp with digital audio??
guimond47 said:
Yeah. For the average user, their dsp seems to have eq front and rear independently. Which is nice.
You can also order a longer ribbon for their screens to locate the unit in a different area from their screens. This would probably help with the mold you want to make for your display.
If you have a high fidelity sound stage like me. : tweeter on an amp, mid ranges on a separate amp, woofers on another amp . Then rear stage on another amp, then all amps hooked up to a 10 ch output dsp to control each speaker independently.
The built in dsp is no good for me. But the digital output will be king to supply my external dsp with digital audio??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did research some DSP (Thanks for the tip on youtube). I came up with the Rockford Fosgate DSR1 for $283, which was the cheapest of them all. I will wait and try out the build in DSP first before jumping onto this one.
I currently have an 5 channel infinity amp coupled with a pioneer monoamp for the sub.
I am also using component in front and coaxial in rear. I am using the crossover that came with infinity speakers for the front.
Not sure if I should connect the sub directly to the unit or leave it connected to the infinity amp. I will have to play around and see which gives better sound.
The rockford is a nice unit, i tried it out myself. I am not sure if it has a coaxial digital input. I forget.
Another thing i did not like was it does not have presets and their app is not too android friendly...(to be run on a head unit apk)
And i also forget if it has volume control knob...
This is why i went with audio control.
My head unit should be arriving by next weekend i hope . Then ill be gearing up to make a huge review video , based on audio quality and features and obviously the new spdif digital output!
Can you test the rcas as well and not just spdif? I'm planning on getting one myself but I will only go digital if the normal rca output is bad. Also can you test spdif to see if you can control the volume through headunit or steering wheel controls instead of using dsp volume knob? I guess if you could be as thorough with some of thr main feature(wifi, Bluetooth, 4g, sound quality from both outputs, camera input etc) that would be very helpful. I've never pulled the trigger on an android headunit because the lack of some features and poor sound quality but I'm almost ready to get this one. Which size did you buy?
I will for sure be doing exactly as you mentionnned above. I will also be using my oscilloscope to measure distortion in the rca’s. I had a eonon headunit and there was terrible noise in the rca’s and even more noise when a Hard drive was plugged into the usb ports. And more noise with my 360view camera hooked up.
I will be doing bench testing first then i will be moving to vehicle testing.
I bought the double din 10.1” headunit intel with 4gb ram and 32gb ssd.
Its going in my 1997 chev c/k1500 pick up. I have hifi audio in there . Ill be doing more upgrades down the road as well.
Sweet. I'm excited to see the results. I just hope it isn't a let down. I really want to go ahead and order one but if you're doing a review I'd rather wait. I've wanted an android head unit since they came out. I've even looked at building a raspberry pi or like rock pi and adding a screen but I just don't think I'd be happy with the results. These Android head units really have a lot of features but the sound quality has been the deal breaker for me. I asked JOYING what their rca voltage is and they always tell me they don't have voltage... Not sure what they mean but whatever. For all of our sakes I hope this one gets the job done.
Mine will be delivered tomorrow, but I wont be to test it out until next weekend since i will be out of town.
For sound, i will be using the rca going to my amp, not planning g on using a DAC right now.
Just make sure you tell us about it as soon as possible lol.
Just got mine yesterday, but what a disappointment, no digital audio out. Although I did order the one with the digital audio out.
I emailed them back, but they told me they are on vacation and will not return until Feb14 or something, but the lady said she will replaced it for me.
I just powered it on on my bench, so I have not been able to play with the audio in the car or the equalizer, will do so this weekend.
The 10.1 2.5D curved screen is nice though
checksum123 said:
Just got mine yesterday, but what a disappointment, no digital audio out. Although I did order the one with the digital audio out.
I emailed them back, but they told me they are on vacation and will not return until Feb14 or something, but the lady said she will replaced it for me.
I just powered it on on my bench, so I have not been able to play with the audio in the car or the equalizer, will do so this weekend.
The 10.1 2.5D curved screen is nice though
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Click to collapse
Dang that sucks. It looks like it has the 4g dongle built in. Are you able to test that out?
Usually its under the yellow cap... instead of the yellow video 2 out, it will be a green rca. Take off your yellow caps.
My video should be on YouTube by tomorrow.
Everything you can ever possibly want in an android headunit is finally here. Crisp sound through the digital source and no noise or hiss on the rca’s .
Be patient i will post a youtube link shortly. Better grab popcorn, my vid is 1.5 hour long lol
guimond47 said:
Usually its under the yellow cap... instead of the yellow video 2 out, it will be a green rca. Take off your yellow caps.
My video should be on YouTube by tomorrow.
Everything you can ever possibly want in an android headunit is finally here. Crisp sound through the digital source and no noise or hiss on the rca’s .
Be patient i will post a youtube link shortly. Better grab popcorn, my vid is 1.5 hour long lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news. Can't wait to see the review. Did you order model(JY-UO134N4G)? I want to make sure I get the right one when I go to order.
Hello,
I have bought a 2 DIN Android 10 head unit for my car.
I found the only product matching with my car (alfa romeo 147) to fit properly.
But I am very disappointed about what is inside.
First specifications do not match (4 gb RAM instead of 8, 800x480 instead of 1024x600...)
In addition sound is not very good.
I wonder if it is possible to change parts like
- Screen , to increase resolution
- Sound board , to have a better audio quality
- Increase RAM ...
Is there standard connection, like in a PC, allowing us to change some elements ?
Thank you for your responses
theog11 said:
Hello,
I wonder if it is possible to change parts like
- Screen , to increase resolution
- Sound board , to have a better audio quality
- Increase RAM ...
Is there standard connection, like in a PC, allowing us to change some elements ?
Thank you for your responses
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screen size has nothing to do with screen resolution: GIYF ...
Sound quality can get increased with an EQUALIZER app: GIYF ...
RAM may get increased physically, but will not be detected. You may try to install a SWAP memory ( virtual RAM ): GIYF ...
To manage Android OS from PC via USB cable you use ADB.
Thank you for your re
jwoegerbauer said:
Screen size has nothing to do with screen resolution: GIYF ...
Sound quality can get increased with an EQUALIZER app: GIYF ...
RAM may get increased physically, but will not be detected. You may try to install a SWAP memory ( virtual RAM ): GIYF ...
To manage Android OS from PC via USB cable you use ADB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For screen resolution, with a higher resolution you are able display more information with a same size screen. If you don't believe me try to connect your PC to your TV and play with resolution.
Sound quality is not really increased by the equalizer APP. You can tune a little but if your device is poor, you will never have good sound
It sounds like there is enough wrong here so that it's not worth it. Just a new higher res screen will set you back a pretty penny.
Either live with it or return/sell it and start over with a better known brand.
Sorry but all incorrect answers. Every single aspect of the unit can be improved. Especially sound quality.
It will require hardware modding as well as software modding but it is more than doable.
We run a charity project where I bring these £100 units to a level of products costing many thousands, only spending £50-£100 in materials.
One of the mods we do is to replace the need of external amplifier and DSP altogether.
You can check out extrememod.co.uk for more ideas, particularly the FAQ section.
iceblue1980 said:
Sorry but all incorrect answers. Every single aspect of the unit can be improved. Especially sound quality.
It will require hardware modding as well as software modding but it is more than doable.
We run a charity project where I bring these £100 units to a level of products costing many thousands, only spending £50-£100 in materials.
One of the mods we do is to replace the need of external amplifier and DSP altogether.
You can check out extrememod.co.uk for more ideas, particularly the FAQ section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Charity is lovely I respect that. But do you seriously believe that your mod can truly replace the need for a power amp? If so then please tell how you mod the headunits output to deliver 500+ watts of clean RMS power required to power a sub+woofers+midbass+tweeters with sufficient headroom in a noisy environment like a car?
And regarding the DSP. Sure any DSP with time alignment is better than no TA but a nice dedicated DSP offers so many features that no mods will bring these headunits.
So please stop spreading false claims about 100$ mod magically transforming these headunits into sql competition winning material.
Ok I checked Extrememod.co.uk and that page was just about as untruthful as Chinese sellers on AliExpress. Quote: "These units come equipped with a powerful built-in audio amplifier"
Very powerful indeed -and miraculously only require a tiny winy power cable AND runs fine with a 10A fuse. A truly Nobel prize worthy achievement!
Allan_Hun said:
Charity is lovely I respect that. But do you seriously believe that your mod can truly replace the need for a power amp? If so then please tell how you mod the headunits output to deliver 500+ watts of clean RMS power required to power a sub+woofers+midbass+tweeters with sufficient headroom in a noisy environment like a car?
And regarding the DSP. Sure any DSP with time alignment is better than no TA but a nice dedicated DSP offers so many features that no mods will bring these headunits.
So please stop spreading false claims about 100$ mod magically transforming these headunits into sql competition winning material.
Ok I checked Extrememod.co.uk and that page was just about as untruthful as Chinese sellers on AliExpress. Quote: "These units come equipped with a powerful built-in audio amplifier"
Very powerful indeed -and miraculously only require a tiny winy power cable AND runs fine with a 10A fuse. A truly Nobel prize worthy achievement!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All great points. Now let me respond to some of them.
1. I believe you missed the core point of it all - we build Android head units for audiophiles on budget. This essentially means all the people looking to have great sound at the smallest cost while keeping full functionality of an Android device.
2. Your comment on "500W RMS" and "tiny tiny cables" is irrelevant. Why? Because your sound will only be as good as the source. An Android Head unit will often output very poor sound from pre-outs. We therefore maximise the internal amp and surrounding electronics, advising folks not to use external amps and DSP's. Most of the cars we build for use 18 AWG speaker cables already, same as in the ISO harness. We do however use 16 AWG power cables with proper grounding.
3. I'm sorry but I'm yet to see a DSP processor that offers what Viper4Android does. Especially within feasible cost range.
4. The units we build have their TDA7850 amps running at 18v, not 12v - obviously with bespoke cooling to support the high temps. In most cars, true 200W output will be more than enough.
To summarize, we started this project to build all-in-one Android Head Units that offer everything an audiophile would want without spending thousands of dollars, while keeping all that an Android can offer. We had a good look around and found absolutely nothing in the Android Head unit space that did not require the user to sacrifice at least something, whether it's the sound, the handsfree quality, the UI, Android apps limitations etc.
The real reason for why no manufacturer is building units such as this - is the cost. In mass-production, it would simply be too expensive. Luckily we can work with what we've got and replace components with much better ones, hardware and software alike.
We are also looking into optimizing these units specifically for people that want to use external amps and DSP's. This too requires quite a lot of modding to ensure the pre-outs deliver as high quality output as possible. We'll be looking for audio pro's to test them and give us feedback. You can apply on our site if you're interested and located near London, UK.
iceblue1980 said:
Sorry but all incorrect answers. Every single aspect of the unit can be improved. Especially sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't say it can't be done. I said it's not worth it. There is a difference.
If you want to mod and improve, then start with a good quality base. This head unit is not that.
iceblue1980 said:
4. The units we build have their TDA7850 amps running at 18v, not 12v - obviously with bespoke cooling to support the high temps. In most cars, true 200W output will be more than enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Replacing (and using) internal amps is a useless and fruitless endeavor. There are far more options available in external amps, quality and ease of installing when going with external amps. Indeed, if you are on a budget then external amps (and dsp's if need be) are the better way to go because you can upgrade a bit at a time.
Does an external amp increase audio quality ?
I think if source is not very good, external amp will just allow more power output, but what about quality ?
How to check if head unit has DSP ? Mine is supposed to have but I want to verify
theog11 said:
Does an external amp increase audio quality ?
I think if source is not very good, external amp will just allow more power output, but what about quality ?
How to check if head unit has DSP ? Mine is supposed to have but I want to verify
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An internal amp does not increase audio quality any more or less than an external amp does, so it is a moot and irrelevant question. If you have bad audio quality going into an internal amp, then the outcome is exactly the same. Regardless of what amp you use (internal or external), if the audio quality is bad going into the amp, then it will be bad going out of the amp too.
What an external connection with external amps does is allow more flexibility in the quality of amps used, the number of amps used, and the power involved. You can also add external dsp's if you wish.
Bob_Sanders said:
I didn't say it can't be done. I said it's not worth it. There is a difference.
If you want to mod and improve, then start with a good quality base. This head unit is not that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a charity project so Besides, we're focusing on 8227L units primarily. They are cheap and pretty much made for low-cost modding with more than respectable outcomes.
Bob_Sanders said:
Replacing (and using) internal amps is a useless and fruitless endeavor. There are far more options available in external amps, quality and ease of installing when going with external amps. Indeed, if you are on a budget then external amps (and dsp's if need be) are the better way to go because you can upgrade a bit at a time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But then I would go back to the point 1 I made - the bottleneck is the Android Head unit itself. If it doesn't deliver good output at pre-outs, no point in investing in external gear. Today you pretty much forced to choose - either good sound or an Android Head Unit. This is what we're trying to remedy, while keeping the cost in the lower brackets.
iceblue1980 said:
But then I would go back to the point 1 I made - the bottleneck is the Android Head unit itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That has nothing to do with the choice of amp (internal or external) you use. The output of the RCA's is the same input for either amp. It is simply delivered internally to the internal amp and through RCA's for the external. If it is not clean audio from the RCA's then it also won't be for the internal amp. The only difference is that the internal amp is cheap and under powered so it can't emphasize the crappy audio as well as a cleaner and more powerful external amp can
Internal amps are crappy.... always have been... and with the cheap price of external amps these days and the large selection of them, it doesn't make sense to upgrade an internal
And with that, I go back to my original point.... modding and improving a cheap head unit is not worth it. You are better off starting with a good quality base model first.
This particular head unit is clearly a sub par unit with bad sound quality, low screen resolution, and insufficient memory, so all of that would have to be fixed first before anybody worries about an output amp to begin with.
The long and short of it is that the OP is going to be spending probably twice as much as the head unit is worth trying to make it into what he wants.
Bob_Sanders said:
That has nothing to do with the choice of amp (internal or external) you use. The output of the RCA's is the same input for either amp. It is simply delivered internally to the internal amp and through RCA's for the external. If it is not clean audio from the RCA's then it also won't be for the internal amp. The only difference is that the internal amp is cheap and under powered so it can't emphasize the crappy audio as well as a cleaner and more powerful external amp can
Internal amps are crappy.... always have been... and with the cheap price of external amps these days and the large selection of them, it doesn't make sense to upgrade an internal...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to respectfully disagree. In these units, there is little to no correlation of the sound output between the internal amp and RCA's. This is why there are 2 different directions that modders take - one focused on the internal amp and one focused on the RCA output. Both mods cannot exist in the same unit by the way.
The RCA's have poor electronics behind them as well as poor shielding, resulting in the equally poor audio output. What you will be amplifying is just that - poor sound.
Bob_Sanders said:
And with that, I go back to my original point.... modding and improving a cheap head unit is not worth it. You are better off starting with a good quality base model first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree to a point but many "hi-end" android head units are very difficult if not impossible to mod and it's also a matter of price. As this is a charity project, we're looking to keep the cost low while maximizing the value.
Bob_Sanders said:
This particular head unit is clearly a sub par unit with bad sound quality, low screen resolution, and insufficient memory, so all of that would have to be fixed first before anybody worries about an output amp to begin with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes many of these units are honestly not worth touching. As for CPU and memory - the use of these can be considerably optimized with Android programming skills, making them very much usable in day-to-day scenarios. As an example, you can check out the video in my signature and fast forward to where we show the Google Maps loading times on a 1Gb RAM unit.
Bob_Sanders said:
The long and short of it is that the OP is going to be spending probably twice as much as the head unit is worth trying to make it into what he wants.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is probably true. But then again, he as many others are always faced with a choice of what to prioritize: sound quality or a fully-fledged Android onboard computer.
Finally, I think anyone can improve their head units if they would really want to as there is so much information out there and guides. It would cost time but not much money. This is, I guess, why XDA also exists - for everyone to share knowledge
iceblue1980 said:
I have to respectfully disagree. In these units, there is little to no correlation of the sound output between the internal amp and RCA's. This is why there are 2 different directions that modders take - one focused on the internal amp and one focused on the RCA output. Both mods cannot exist in the same unit by the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there are.
The output from the fm chip (just for example) does not have separate outputs for rca and internal. It has only one (L&R) output set which is fed to an input selector which is in turn fed to a preamp. That preamp output is fed to the internal amp with what basically amounts to a tap off to the rca's. Aside from a few decoupling caps and such, along with a filter and output set for the sub, the RCA signal is virtually the same as what is being fed to the internal amps.
"poor shielding" amounts to a crappy set of rca output cables which can be replaced for a couple of bucks if you have shielding issues.
BOTH the internal and external amps get their signal from the same preamp and filter stages. Not only that, but the internal amp also gets its power from the same internal power supply as the rest of the head unit does, so if that power supply is not clean then it affects the internal amp too. Drive any power supply too hard then you start getting dirty sound. An external amp has it's own dedicated power supply, which means you don't have to drive the head unit's power supply very hard at any time. That leads to a cooler running head unit with lots of power to run its other components.
Internal amps are IMO... a crappy way to go.
I would agree to a point but many "hi-end" android head units are very difficult if not impossible to mod and it's also a matter of price. As this is a charity project, we're looking to keep the cost low while maximizing the value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... you mention "charity" not the OP, but the point is that the cost is NOT low when you start talking about having to purchase higher res screens (complete with driver), new memory and dsp boards. Your pretty much replacing more than half of the head unit's essential electronics. Heck... if you're going to be replacing that much.... you may as well start from scratch and build one from the ground , up
Bob_Sanders said:
Yes there are.
The output from the fm chip (just for example) does not have separate outputs for rca and internal. It has only one (L&R) output set which is fed to an input selector which is in turn fed to a preamp. That preamp output is fed to the internal amp with what basically amounts to a tap off to the rca's. Aside from a few decoupling caps and such, along with a filter and output set for the sub, the RCA signal is virtually the same as what is being fed to the internal amps.
"poor shielding" amounts to a crappy set of rca output cables which can be replaced for a couple of bucks if you have shielding issues.
BOTH the internal and external amps get their signal from the same preamp and filter stages. Not only that, but the internal amp also gets its power from the same internal power supply as the rest of the head unit does, so if that power supply is not clean then it affects the internal amp too. Drive any power supply too hard then you start getting dirty sound. An external amp has it's own dedicated power supply, which means you don't have to drive the head unit's power supply very hard at any time. That leads to a cooler running head unit with lots of power to run its other components.
Internal amps are IMO... a crappy way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I see now what you're trying to say. Okay so yes, you are correct on a number of points, however, as I mentioned before - we are driving the internal amp with a separate 18v 15A power supply (we only need 10A but there you go). A power supply that is custom-built using a step-up DC-DC converter with temperature-controlled cooling (at 8A+ it starts to get pretty warm).
The internal amp is completely disconnected from the internal 12V power, while still being connected to everything else. We improved the audio output quality by quite a staggering 40%.
Internal amps will never be able to compete with external equivalents, but when you put it in a perspective of an Android - it's a totally different comparison. Like comparing cars with trains. Sure, both are means of transportations but quite different in themselves.
By the way, the "RCA" mod actually removes the internal amp altogether from the circuit.
I will agree that 200 true Watts is probably enough for most people -If they also have a powered sub. Check the recommend amps for popular subs like alpine and JL. Deep bass require some muscle. And 200W feeding a sub, two (mid)woofers + two tweeters ain't much. Heck my woofers sounds notably better @2x150W compared with 2x75W.
Most modern car subs are mostly optimized for low frequency production in small boxes. This is achieved with a stiff suspension and big motors. -Not a very efficient in therms of db/W.
I also think your definition of true watts is quite different than mine...
In my book true watts means continuous 20-20khz 1% THD.
I just checked the 7850 specs, and it is actually quite impressive for it's size. With 18V input it delivers almost 90W. BUT at 30W the distortions increases and at 40W it skyrockets!
Regardless of budget I don't think many "audiophiles" would appreciate >10% distortion...
For a budget android car hifi experience I believe HU, USB DAC + external amp would be the way to go.
IMHO Viper is by far the best sound mod app but it can't replace a DAC. Does Viper have auto tune? Automatic input selection ? Autoand programable turn on/off?Hardware volume control? Ground isolation? Logic 7 centerchannel? Fully costume covers?
Viper and a standalone DSP is two rather different things.
My DSP also have high level inputs so maybe I should try if the 7850 output vs the preamp RCAs. You do seem to know the HU's internals quite well. Can you explain why internal amp sounds better compared to the preamp output?
Isn't the 7850 recurving same signal as the preamp plugs?
Allan_Hun said:
I will agree that 200 true Watts is probably enough for most people -If they also have a powered sub. Check the recommend amps for popular subs like alpine and JL. Deep bass require some muscle. And 200W feeding a sub, two (mid)woofers + two tweeters ain't much. Heck my woofers sounds notably better @2x150W compared with 2x75W.
Most modern car subs are mostly optimized for low frequency production in small boxes. This is achieved with a stiff suspension and big motors. -Not a very efficient in therms of db/W.
I also think your definition of true watts is quite different than mine...
In my book true watts means continuous 20-20khz 1% THD.
I just checked the 7850 specs, and it is actually quite impressive for it's size. With 18V input it delivers almost 90W. BUT at 30W the distortions increases and at 40W it skyrockets!
Regardless of budget I don't think many "audiophiles" would appreciate >10% distortion...
For a budget android car hifi experience I believe HU, USB DAC + external amp would be the way to go.
IMHO Viper is by far the best sound mod app but it can't replace a DAC. Does Viper have auto tune? Automatic input selection ? Autoand programable turn on/off?Hardware volume control? Ground isolation? Logic 7 centerchannel? Fully costume covers?
Viper and a standalone DSP is two rather different things.
My DSP also have high level inputs so maybe I should try if the 7850 output vs the preamp RCAs. You do seem to know the HU's internals quite well. Can you explain why internal amp sounds better compared to the preamp output?
Isn't the 7850 recurving same signal as the preamp plugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're absolutely correct. While this unit will drive some of the passive subs (thanks to all the additional cooling), we do highly recommend using an active subwoofer for the best sound experience. Even an underseat sub like Kenwood KSC-SW11will make enough of an impact as many people don't want to use the extra space for a sub.
You're absolutely correct on the distortion part. I haven't experienced it driving 4 Ohm speakers in various cars but all of them had active subs.
On USB DACs - totally correct. However these head units have fairly unreliable internal electronics to effectively drive them (surprise surprise). Hardware modding is required and we haven't been able to get any good results. The internal hardware is too weak to drive DAC's. Drivers are unstable as well. External DAC's was one of the first things we tried.
As for internal vs RCA output - what you're mentioning is correct when it comes to most devices out there. This is how it should be. On these head units however, it's a bit of a mess. In fact, we tried to "rewire" it internally but it resulted in an even worse output from RCA's.
The internal electronics are many times completely removed and we install an internal preamp microchip with separate power supply (step down DC-DC converter) and redo the capacitance as well as internal shielding.
We haven't had any requests yet for RCA-only projects so it's still very much an area of testing and development for us.
My DSP is connected through usb and it works fine with USB audio player pro. For anything else I use the optical output. Do you think the speaker output would improve the soundquality compared to the optical output?
Also tried a I had a 8227L I also tried a E1DA 9038D DAC and it worked except I could not control the volume, so it would play at full volume. So I guess a DAC with a volume dial could work.
Your statement about only needing 10A at 18V don't match your claim about 200 true watts. The 7850 is class AB so efficiency is probably about 75% . 10x18x0.75=135W...