Database Users

Which identical HU to buy?

Hi there,
I searched, but didn't see this addressed specifically so here we go. If the topic is already covered, let's kill this thread and redirect to the other. I'm not proud.
I recently discovered that it's time for a new HU for my car - 2006 Audi A4 with RNS-E nav - and wanted better tech. I've been looking at the Pioneer units with Android Auto, but don't like how limited it is. If I want to use Waze for nav and Torque for OBD, etc, that's not going to work. So I dug into Android head units, but I'm a bit confused.
As near as I can tell, there are several companies selling exactly the same hardware. Pumpkin, Joying, and several others all sell HUs that are physically identical and have the same hardware specs. I'm guessing the difference is in the ROM rather than the hardware, but y'all probably can tell me whether that's true or not.
If the hardware is the same, is it possible to run a ROM for one brand on another? Seems likely, but I wouldn't want to bank on that when I buy. So if the hardware is the same but I need to pick a brand, what's the best option? Is there any appreciable difference in stability, sound quality, user interface, feature implementation, etc that would push me to choose one brand over another? I know that's subjective, but there's some pretty deep knowledge in this group and I'm just getting started on the car audio stuff with Android.
Again, if this has been answered already, just point me to the thread and I'm OK with a moderator killing this one.
Thanks!

StunGod said:
Hi there,
I searched, but didn't see this addressed specifically so here we go. If the topic is already covered, let's kill this thread and redirect to the other. I'm not proud.
I recently discovered that it's time for a new HU for my car - 2006 Audi A4 with RNS-E nav - and wanted better tech. I've been looking at the Pioneer units with Android Auto, but don't like how limited it is. If I want to use Waze for nav and Torque for OBD, etc, that's not going to work. So I dug into Android head units, but I'm a bit confused.
As near as I can tell, there are several companies selling exactly the same hardware. Pumpkin, Joying, and several others all sell HUs that are physically identical and have the same hardware specs. I'm guessing the difference is in the ROM rather than the hardware, but y'all probably can tell me whether that's true or not.
If the hardware is the same, is it possible to run a ROM for one brand on another? Seems likely, but I wouldn't want to bank on that when I buy. So if the hardware is the same but I need to pick a brand, what's the best option? Is there any appreciable difference in stability, sound quality, user interface, feature implementation, etc that would push me to choose one brand over another? I know that's subjective, but there's some pretty deep knowledge in this group and I'm just getting started on the car audio stuff with Android.
Again, if this has been answered already, just point me to the thread and I'm OK with a moderator killing this one.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there's no difference in hardware, why not read some product reviews to know these brands better and then choose the one who provides high quality product and better after-sales service. Nowadays you can get many information from Google.

u.r.rible said:
If there's no difference in hardware, why not read some product reviews to know these brands better and then choose the one who provides high quality product and better after-sales service. Nowadays you can get many information from Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, thanks for the advice. Terribly helpful.

I have a Ownice C200 and since the last update i'm very satisfied.
The only thing that could improved is the radio reception that sometimes fade away a bit, despite you can mount a wifi antenna on the radio, the reception stays weak, the manufacturer doesn't give root.
good things are... phone calls are very good, gps works fine, good sound quality (i got mine hooked up on a audison voce AV 5.1K amplifier)
The pumpkin, joying, kgl and many others, share the same hardware probably made by one manufacturer with only 1 gb mem and no bluetooth 3.0.
Ownice has 2gb and bluetooth 3.0
Ownice produces also for Navall, Navall import the radios in to Europe Canada the US, and have a certified repair depo in the UK.

You can check Pumpkin http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pumpkin-2003-2011-Bluetooth-Steering-Subwoofer/dp/B0109UATOC/

JOYING or PUMPKIN head unit?

hello
I'm really debating between choosing the latest JOYING headunit (with the digital amplifier) and the PUMPKIN 7.1 android
does they have the external mic problem?
Is there any other recommended stable Chinese android head unit?

I'm more or less convinced that it's really a zero sum game with these units. Each has it's own issues and benefits and they even out. Find one with the screen you like and general features.

pounce said:
I'm more or less convinced that it's really a zero sum game with these units. Each has it's own issues and benefits and they even out. Find one with the screen you like and general features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they all have basically the same feature. it's supposed to be almost identical units...
do u recommend a specific model from specific brand? there are so many of these Chinese brands.

+1 for Pumpkin, I've had the RQ0278E for a few months now, it's nice but it has its quirks. The Android 6.0 update made it better. Btw, I can't seem to get my DAC to work with it properly

deadeye1985 said:
they all have basically the same feature. it's supposed to be almost identical units...
do u recommend a specific model from specific brand? there are so many of these Chinese brands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone has an opinion or approach. Depends on your objectives.
Personally, I find a good source first. I like Amazon because I can easily return. Then a look in the forums to check the amount of discussions and support for things I need. I read a bit and then buy something that seems to have some discussions and an amount of success or managed issues. Not everyone takes the approach.
Pumpkin and Joying are fairly established so I think they go in a short list.
I'm about to go with a Secaine unit because they do a nice job with dash specific plastic and form factors, but I don't hear much good about the guts. I see a lot of negative things, but that may just be because only people with problems post.
If you like hands on mods then a Joying might be fun. If you don't then maybe consider any good options that aren't Intel based.

What do you say about the OWNICE C500 ? are they another reseller ?

pounce said:
Everyone has an opinion or approach. Depends on your objectives.
Personally, I find a good source first. I like Amazon because I can easily return. Then a look in the forums to check the amount of discussions and support for things I need. I read a bit and then buy something that seems to have some discussions and an amount of success or managed issues. Not everyone takes the approach.
Pumpkin and Joying are fairly established so I think they go in a short list.
I'm about to go with a Secaine unit because they do a nice job with dash specific plastic and form factors, but I don't hear much good about the guts. I see a lot of negative things, but that may just be because only people with problems post.
If you like hands on mods then a Joying might be fun. If you don't then maybe consider any good options that aren't Intel based.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just want a stable and reliable unit with good MIC , good 3G/4G +GPS for running WAZE

deadeye1985 said:
I just want a stable and reliable unit with good MIC , good 3G/4G +GPS for running WAZE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use your phone as a wifi hotspot? That would keep things simple.
Reliable might not be a quality attributed to any of the android unit. It's my opinion that most of accept some degree of mediocre reliability in exchange for the functionality we gain with being able to run android on the head unit.
You may want to consider opening your search to include Android Auto units. Waze is supported now.

pounce said:
Can you use your phone as a wifi hotspot? That would keep things simple.
Reliable might not be a quality attributed to any of the android unit. It's my opinion that most of accept some degree of mediocre reliability in exchange for the functionality we gain with being able to run android on the head unit.
You may want to consider opening your search to include Android Auto units. Waze is supported now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main problem is that I buy an android unit for my parents and they don't have a smartphone...only a old simple nokia.
so they need to use waze with a sim card with data plan.

deadeye1985 said:
The main problem is that I buy an android unit for my parents and they don't have a smartphone...only a old simple nokia.
so they need to use waze with a sim card with data plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not recommend an android unit for older parents that use an old simple nokia if the reasons are that a smart phone is too complicated. I believe they may have issues with the use of the unit and that could be a safety issue.

ATOTO Double DIN Android 6.0 is my choice
I am owning ATOTO Android 6.0 HU. When it comes to operation speed, ATOTO is the best. After PUMPKIN Android 7 released for 2 months, I checked a lot reviews about it. But I think that may slower than my ATOTO Android 6.0 system. So I will just keep Android 6.0

i want to buy unit that support video out (headrest monitors), i found 2 units that i think that is good and i dont know what to choose.
1. joying JY-UM135N2PX5 CPU: PX5 Octa core Cortex-A53 up to 1.5GHz
2. hizpo WJZ99GX - CPU: T8 2.0GHz (i think this is the model number)
most of the parameters are the same, exept the CPU
does anybody could recommend one of them or maybe another unit that i missed?

Yes, after long time research, I finally got ATOTO back with my 2003 Mazda Miata. So far so good. The screen responds faster than my wife's Joying. Good try！And it helped me save a lot money.

deadeye1985 said:
What do you say about the OWNICE C500 ? are they another reseller ?[/QUOTE
No, ownice is a manufacturer, they use other hardware like the cpu from AutoChips.
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Click to collapse

HD Radio for Android

I doubt I'm alone in the US in wanting HD Radio (NRSC-5) support on our Android Head Units. I did a little looking as to what would be required to get this running. There is effectively no ready-made solution that is compatible with our Android Head Units.
Over at GitHub, there's a project which you can build on Linux (or Windows under MinGW). When paired with a USB SDR (the cheap ones based on the RTL2832U chipset), this will correctly decode and play the HD radio stream at the specified frequency. Here's the link: https://github.com/theori-io/nrsc5
I think all we'd need to get this working for Android is:
1) Being able to build the binary and libraries for the Android platform.
2) A simple UI. All it would need to do at a minimum is allow us to add station frequencies as bookmarks, and then control launching and stopping the NRSC5 binary. This wouldn't necessarily be as seamless as some would like, but it would be a great start, in my opinion.
3) Eventually, we might want to look into scanning functionalities, integration with standard FM radio (to auto-switch to HD when available), displaying title/artist data, etc.
I'm willing to kick in say $20 or so for this functionality. Perhaps enough of us could pledge some money for a functional delivered APK?

jpreston84 said:
I doubt I'm alone in the US in wanting HD Radio (NRSC-5) support on our Android Head Units. I did a little looking as to what would be required to get this running. There is effectively no ready-made solution that is compatible with our Android Head Units.
Over at GitHub, there's a project which you can build on Linux (or Windows under MinGW). When paired with a USB SDR (the cheap ones based on the RTL2832U chipset), this will correctly decode and play the HD radio stream at the specified frequency. Here's the link: https://github.com/theori-io/nrsc5
I think all we'd need to get this working for Android is:
1) Being able to build the binary and libraries for the Android platform.
2) A simple UI. All it would need to do at a minimum is allow us to add station frequencies as bookmarks, and then control launching and stopping the NRSC5 binary. This wouldn't necessarily be as seamless as some would like, but it would be a great start, in my opinion.
3) Eventually, we might want to look into scanning functionalities, integration with standard FM radio (to auto-switch to HD when available), displaying title/artist data, etc.
I'm willing to kick in say $20 or so for this functionality. Perhaps enough of us could pledge some money for a functional delivered APK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best approach would be to write a broadcast radio HAL for it.
Here is one for a DMHD-1000: https://github.com/HiKey960-Car/android_device_linaro_hikey/tree/dmhd1000/broadcastradio
Note that this HAL is for Android 8.1+
If you insist on the sdr route with its inherently non-reception, you would obviously have to import the source for that into the HAL and connect it up.

Thanks for the added info.
I am not personally tied as to which way this is made to work. What I, and I think many others, would prefer to have, is a simple means to add HD Radio capability to their Android Head Units. Most common lately are the PX5 MTCD units (which is what I myself have), meaning we'd want something compatible with Android 6 (though as I understand, Oreo should be available sooner or later). If we can make this work with the built in FM radio chipset already present in these units, that's great. If using an SDR is required, that's fine too, as far as I'm concerned.

jpreston84 said:
Thanks for the added info.
I am not personally tied as to which way this is made to work. What I, and I think many others, would prefer to have, is a simple means to add HD Radio capability to their Android Head Units. Most common lately are the PX5 MTCD units (which is what I myself have), meaning we'd want something compatible with Android 6 (though as I understand, Oreo should be available sooner or later). If we can make this work with the built in FM radio chipset already present in these units, that's great. If using an SDR is required, that's fine too, as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The built in fm radio is *not* capable of HD.
And the cheap chinese radios probably won't be too happy working with anything you try to attach to them, its the chinese way to sell you something that is broken as hell and take extraordinary measures to prevent you from fixing it yourself.
Take a peek at the project that that HAL is associated with.

I'm not sure what your particular interest in that project is, but it really is out of scope. What I'm aimed at are the many of us who have MTCD/MTCE units (in my case, of the PX5 variety, which many people have now). We already have these units, and they perform sufficiently for most of our needs. We simply would like to add HD radio capability.
We can already attach the SDR I mentioned to the head unit and use it. We simply lack the software to decode the HD signal (and no compatible hardware product seems to be available, or I'd probably buy that). The decoding software is available for Linux, which gives us at least a possibility of building this for use on Android.

jpreston84 said:
I'm not sure what your particular interest in that project is, but it really is out of scope. What I'm aimed at are the many of us who have MTCD/MTCE units (in my case, of the PX5 variety, which many people have now). We already have these units, and they perform sufficiently for most of our needs. We simply would like to add HD radio capability.
We can already attach the SDR I mentioned to the head unit and use it. We simply lack the software to decode the HD signal (and no compatible hardware product seems to be available, or I'd probably buy that). The decoding software is available for Linux, which gives us at least a possibility of building this for use on Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had those units too, and they don't perform sufficiently for ANYTHING. They are worse than useless.
And I'm not even talking about SPEED when I say performance. They're fundamentally broken, hacked to hell and back, and not one thing works correctly on them. You can't even reliably make a phone call.

I appreciate that you don't like those units. But here's the reality -- a lot of us do. If you don't, that's fine, but it doesn't give you reason to undercut the entire basis of the project, when you don't actually have a better answer. The goal of this particular thread was to find a way to add HD Radio functionality to the MTCD/MTCE units we already own. These units integrate well with our cars (no one else offers a good face plate or buttons that look like they belong in my car). No, they're not perfect (I've replaced the ROM, and the Wifi/Bluetooth on mine, which makes the unit quite usable in my view), but they're the best option I, and many others, have available. The project you've linked isn't nearly as plug-and-play, even with the modifications I've done to my PX5 unit. Use what you like, but don't assume that everyone else must use what you like.
Additionally, the ability to use an SDR for this means you can toss one on your phone as well, which would probably be very interesting to some people.
So, back to where this started please -- is there any developer out there who would be willing to work on porting this code to an Android app? Anyone else willing to put up some money as a reward for whoever that brave developer ends up being?

jpreston84 said:
I appreciate that you don't like those units. But here's the reality -- a lot of us do. If you don't, that's fine, but it doesn't give you reason to undercut the entire basis of the project, when you don't actually have a better answer. The goal of this particular thread was to find a way to add HD Radio functionality to the MTCD/MTCE units we already own. These units integrate well with our cars (no one else offers a good face plate or buttons that look like they belong in my car). No, they're not perfect (I've replaced the ROM, and the Wifi/Bluetooth on mine, which makes the unit quite usable in my view), but they're the best option I, and many others, have available. The project you've linked isn't nearly as plug-and-play, even with the modifications I've done to my PX5 unit. Use what you like, but don't assume that everyone else must use what you like.
Additionally, the ability to use an SDR for this means you can toss one on your phone as well, which would probably be very interesting to some people.
So, back to where this started please -- is there any developer out there who would be willing to work on porting this code to an Android app? Anyone else willing to put up some money as a reward for whoever that brave developer ends up being?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My answer is better. Fact.
And no, you won't find anyone "porting" anything like that to an "app". Won't work, because applications don't have hardware access on Android.

Your answer is literally useless to most people. But hey, if you want to tell me how to get from what you suggested to a working, fully installed unit in my car, complete with appropriately sized bezel and physical buttons, I'm ready to hear it.
On the other hand, what it seems like you're trying to do is garner support for the project you mentioned (which I assume you have some connection to). If that's your goal, you're doing a bad job of it.
If anyone else sees this and shares my interest, please PM me -- I do have contacts with app experience available, and may farm this to them if there's enough interest.

Maybe the problem is that only the US have "HD Radio", and the rest of the world either has already or is starting to adopt DAB. Consequently the Chinese Android suppliers (Head Units or Adapters) are focused on DAB.
Have you looked at the GROM HDR1 ? Maybe this could be adapted to talk to android ?

I definitely agree as to the nature of the problem.
As for the GROM unit, I actually did look at this. Unfortunately the GROM units seem to be geared around a CD changer interface, which isn't supported by these head units.

I wonder if this code could be used to decode the NRSC-5.
Google
"DECODING AND LISTENING TO HD RADIO (NRSC-5) WITH AN RTL-SDR"
Not able to post the URL.
Also look at theori.io

I have also been looking for this for a long time and the only solution I've found it to attach an external hd tuner to the input of the stereo. the one I'm using is Directed Electronics DMHD-1000 HD Radio Tuner. it adds extra hardware but works great and has a huge improvement overall compared to the built in tuner on the head unit.

Agreed - there is a significant gap in functionality here and wish we had a solution for it. I can't speak to the quality of DAB because i've never listened to it, however, i've read that HD Radio is far superior. Still looking for a solution.

I'd like to see a solution for HD Radio on Android as well. I'm currently using an Insignia HD Radio Portable Player NS-HD02 connected to the audio-in jack on my car's radio. The Insignia player has a touchscreen and displays album and station art and the audio quality is much better than what I receive via the analog broadcasts. These units are extremely rare now but once in a while they still pop up on eBay or other auction sites. I was pretty envious when I saw the DAB USB adapters with software for Android and Android head units recently. Love my Insignia radio but a larger screen akin to a head unit or tablet would be very welcome.

In the US it is standard in the meanwhile, but not available in Europe and China.
This is exactly the point in the moment. They have no clue about the existence of HD-Radio.
AFAIK there are only some tests running in Romania and Swiss, but for Europe it would not work:
However, this increases the frequency requirement and could lead to interference from neighboring channels. In Europe, a channel spacing of 100 kHz is common on ultra-short wave (VHF), while in the USA it is 200 kHz.
At least the reason to work with DAB+ in Europe and a lot of other states.
You need to talk with your seller and ask for HD-Radio in special. You won´t get it soon, but someone has to start developing on their side.

Best Android Head Unit for a maximum of 500$ CAD?

Hi everyone. I have a Eonon GA2163 10" 2gb of ram and i want to upgrade. What brand should i look or which one should i stay away?
What i would like to have is:
10" screen
4gb of ram
DSP
Android update
Is this possible to have all that for 500$ CAD?
Another question: I see soooo many negatives comment about sound quality on youtube. For me, the sound quality of my Eonon is "correct". It only have a 3 bands EQ (treble, mid, bass). So a newer HU with DSP should have better sound quality...
Thanks for your help.

I've been looking around for an upgrade to my Pioneer Nav and I'm Canadian as well.
I don't think I was able to find any px6 10.2" screens with DSP for less than $650CAD. That said, the 9" versions come in at around $550 as seen here
The reason why I reference the PX6 is is because it comes with the DSP. But honestly, if you have a specific budget you're likely going to be looking at the PX5 models without DSP. You can always add DSP later though.
But yeah, I spent many hours trying to find the best deal. I couldn't find anything in your pricerange when I looked.

Maybe you can check on JOYING website, all of the newest intel 9853i system has built-in dsp, the sound is amazing

SummerLiu said:
Maybe you can check on JOYING website, all of the newest intel 9853i system has built-in dsp, the sound is amazing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears this is the model you're referring to. I didn't catch that before... might be an ok fit for the OP
https://www.joyingauto.com/joying-1...een-car-navigation-system-with-4g-module.html
It does seem that Joying probably has the best pricing although it's a brand I choose to stay away from. I also can't get over the massive logo on the front of all their devices. It screams cheap to everyone that gets in my car lol. Personal preference though
I don't think you'll see much development for that either. It seems all the development right now is mostly around the PX3/PX5 and hopefully the PX6 in the future.
So software wise, I'd also be hesitant to purchase Joying.
Also, the Joying comes in at over $600CAD, outside of the OP's budget.

Thanks for your help. I said dps but what i really want is a good EQ. Not a cheap 3 bands.... 9" could do the job too.
I feel really insecure to buy a 500$+ head unit without any advice. My eonon have some bugs that i want to be sure the next head unit will not have like bluetooth connexion. If i have elm327 connected and my phone, when i receive a call the elm327 is disconnected. And this is when i successfully pair the damn device. This is one of the main reason i want an android head unit: app like torque or dashcommand connected to my car.

I don't believe any of the head unit manufacturers are good at software. That goes for the likes of Pioneer down to the Chinese brands. They are in the hardware sales business, not the software business. They need the software to work well enough to do a quick demo and get you to buy. Don't expect a lot of thoughtful design consideration or UI testing.
If I am wrong and there is a good company out there, I would love to hear who they are. I'd certainly consider buying a newer head unit from them. I am in no rush. I let my Joying HU sit on a shelf for a couple years before finally getting around to installing it.
The software is very disappointing. A2DP stops when going into GPS for example. I can't seem to figure out how to map my VOICE steering wheel button to Google Voice Input (like google search widget offers). And how do I disable AVIN so when I press the SRC or Mode SWC button it isn't in the cycled list? It's the small things. Even the pick up phone button (when hung up) doesn't start the Bluetooth phone dialer. The software is very, very poor. Reminds me of the brain dead design decisions of Kenwood and Alpine of years past.
Just my 2c.

The DSP is more than just an equalizer everybody will tell you units equipped with one sound better. Look for your car on the Ownice store the K3's have DSP. The K3 low would definitely fall in your price range but it's not 4GB/32GB. The K3 high is the better unit and should be priced close to your limit. Wait for the exchange rate to get better (probably in the fall).

SummerLiu said:
Maybe you can check on JOYING website, all of the newest intel 9853i system has built-in dsp, the sound is amazing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mvez73 said:
Thanks for your help. I said dps but what i really want is a good EQ. Not a cheap 3 bands.... 9" could do the job too.
I feel really insecure to buy a 500$+ head unit without any advice. My eonon have some bugs that i want to be sure the next head unit will not have like bluetooth connexion. If i have elm327 connected and my phone, when i receive a call the elm327 is disconnected. And this is when i successfully pair the damn device. This is one of the main reason i want an android head unit: app like torque or dashcommand connected to my car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I'd stick to the hot-audio/dasaita models at this point.
Just the sheer amount of support and updates (the most recent update being about a week ago) makes these hopefully a safer bet. See updates here
Technology changes almost on a month to month basis. I accept that when I spent $500CAD+ on android tech that I may desire an upgrade a year later. It's just the cost of having the newest technology.
I do understand that not everyone can justify that kind of money on something that really is more of a want than a need though. If you feel that you just want something that is flawless, you may want to avoid android completely and just get something like a Pioneer unit. These units easily last 10+ years with no more than the odd map update. Just my 2cents.
$500CAD is a tough place to be for a budget right now. The reason I say this is because you definitely can't get the top of the line android HU for that. If you have that much to spend, you're better off holding off on the purchase until you can save up another $150 or so for the top of the line. If you can't afford top of the line, maybe pickup something on the lower end for like $250 for the next year or two and then upgrade later when you have the extra money? I'd hate to dump $500 though on something that's outdated or not receiving patches a year from now.

stokedcrf makes a good point about long term support especially with those Chinese units. They are getting better but there's still work to be done. Actually your best source for support is here provided you have a unit that's compatible. Look for one that is supported by hal9k or malaysk firmwares. Those would be Intel and Rockchip CPU with MTC_ MCU.

nic2k said:
The DSP is more than just an equalizer everybody will tell you units equipped with one sound better. Look for your car on the Ownice store the K3's have DSP. The K3 low would definitely fall in your price range but it's not 4GB/32GB. The K3 high is the better unit and should be priced close to your limit. Wait for the exchange rate to get better (probably in the fall).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. Is Ownice a good brand? And right now there is 45% discount on the model for my car. What do you think of this head unit?
And what about update for Ownice? Will i be stuck with android 9.0 for ever or they have update for their head unit?
Thanks

Yeah don't get too excited about Aliexpress' discounts they come and go and come again. I linked to the Ownice official store there are others that sell them too but on the bright side shipping is included in the price at that store. Ownice is a manufacturer so you could have better support. Now talking about a good brand, these are Chinese units I wouldn't qualify any of them as good in the sense of Pioneer good. Lets just say some units suck less than most. In the last year this brand has put out units that were pretty decent. Here's the current K3/C800 thread and you can also read up on the C500.
Maxim is running HAL9K ROM 3.1 on his C800. HAL9K ROM started with Lollipop and is now up to Pie and the last 3 version of MTC MCU's are cross compatible so there should be upgrade possibilities for a while. You should do your own research and not have someone tell you what to spend your money on.

best android unit with DSP
When it comes to giant touch screen Android head unit with DSP, the best one I can think of is the XTRONS PST series. Unlike the pionneer, alphine, kenwood which usually has a relatively small screens, XTRONS PST series have 9~10 large screens.
The built-in dsp feature allows you to simply adjust the equalizers and add music effects and will offer great music experience.
Besides as I know, this is a brand designed in England, though it is manufactured in China.

Android Firmware Update link?

Looking for a new Android head unit in 2023 - I'm a newbie

Hey there
I'm looking for a good Android head unit with really good specs (for e.g. QLED at least HD, best would he FullHD and a good chipset with a good amp, things like toslink and a fan to cool the unit would he nice) for a BMW pre facelift E46 - also for a MB CL203 pre facelift....
I'm just really confused by how many chipsets there are and which hardware specs are to look out for ..
I also don't know what Bluetooth codecs are used, you know, I also want to have good music without latency and with good quality - obviously we all want this
Maybe someone could help me out and tell me some things about all those head unit manufacturers like Dasaita, Junsun, Skyshadow and so on - I just don't know where start to filter the bad from the good units, I know one thing or two about android, but never bought an Android head unit before - now is the day
For example:. I found something like this here - BT6 or TT6 here on AliExpress (seems nice to me)
Is this overkill? : The 2k model on AliExpress which I found
Is it any good? For what should I look out for? Maybe there are some threads here on xda which are good to read to get some Infos, maybe someone could provide me those?
Also, I don't know anything about the specs of MTCD, MTCB and FYT, I don't have any Infos about them - but there are sperate xda developer forums for them...
Thank you very much in advance

Start by having a read through forums, get a feel for the unit you want - more importantly want to avoid, then ask a few more pointed questions.
Honestly, there are few on xda that want to view links because you are unsure.
There are few and far between 'experts', which is not the best use of their time to answer repetitive posts from new users, a regular few members who dont respond, through to those that join to get free advice, disappearing once advice is received.
You probably want a FYT based UIS7862. Nothing better at this time.
Suggest what ever you decide - and you might have seen my posts with the same advice for the same question - get seller to send you images of full Android system information, including MCU version. This will signal the seller that you know what you want and be less likely to send you a lower spec unit, or completely different unit. If they try to scam you, you can then file a dispute/refund.

marchnz said:
Start by having a read through forums, get a feel for the unit you want - more importantly want to avoid, then ask a few more pointed questions.
Honestly, there are few on xda that want to view links because you are unsure.
There are few and far between 'experts', which is not the best use of their time to answer repetitive posts from new users, a regular few members who dont respond, through to those that join to get free advice, disappearing once advice is received.
You probably want a FYT based UIS7862. Nothing better at this time.
Suggest what ever you decide - and you might have seen my posts with the same advice for the same question - get seller to send you images of full Android system information, including MCU version. This will signal the seller that you know what you want and be less likely to send you a lower spec unit, or completely different unit. If they try to scam you, you can then file a dispute/refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, I agree with written and just to add...
In preorder, before buying, specify to seller what kind of device you want and they will configure it for you (specially for Chinese merchants) or find a different solution.

marchnz said:
Start by having a read through forums, get a feel for the unit you want - more importantly want to avoid, then ask a few more pointed questions.
Honestly, there are few on xda that want to view links because you are unsure.
There are few and far between 'experts', which is not the best use of their time to answer repetitive posts from new users, a regular few members who dont respond, through to those that join to get free advice, disappearing once advice is received.
You probably want a FYT based UIS7862. Nothing better at this time.
Suggest what ever you decide - and you might have seen my posts with the same advice for the same question - get seller to send you images of full Android system information, including MCU version. This will signal the seller that you know what you want and be less likely to send you a lower spec unit, or completely different unit. If they try to scam you, you can then file a dispute/refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much, you just confirmed my thoughts, that this chipset would be the best of all those out there for Head Units - but I have also seen a Qualcomm Version, but have never compared them.
You see, I still don't know what FYT means and I just vaguely know, that MCU Version is the base system on which a head unit is based on?
I am not asking for full service, I'm just looking for example for tutorials - I would to write some tutorials if I gain more and more knowledge, would help other newbies like me. Also it could be just about that someone else is buying or bought a head unit for those cars I've mentioned - sometimes it just happens by chance...
But thank you anyway, you gave me the right Infos and tips for what I have to look for.
Anton TNT said:
Right, I agree with written and just to add...
In preorder, before buying, specify to seller what kind of device you want and they will configure it for you (specially for Chinese merchants) or find a different solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So they basically search for a head unit for me to my liking?
I think that I have to write with some of those sellers to have a selection from which I could chose.
Are there some amplifiers, which should be avoided or which are good and recommended? Are there any details for which I should look out, which could be a good trap for newbies like me?
Where I can get MCU Version information? (I know, you can look it up in the 'about' screen on Android, but I'm still not quite sure what it represents) so basically if someone has a for e.g. Dasaita and someone else have a Skyshadow, they could use the same software, if MCU Version would he the same?
Thank you very much

Ubuntu_Man said:
So they basically search for a head unit for me to my liking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not by liking must choose what your car tells you, choose what is compatible with car and most up to date device

Start by searching for units compatible with your car.Then narrow the selection by CPU (8 core), RAM (6 or 8 GB) and screen.
When you are down to a handful, look at seller reputation and number of units sold for your config.
Also, check shipping terms and always ask if they ship from regional warehouse.

so, I still don"t understand what FYT or the other things stand for - I have no idea, I thought, that maybe the chipset like UIS7862 defines what is DYT or MCPD or what ever - also what is MCU-version?

Ubuntu_Man said:
so, I still don"t understand what FYT or the other things stand for - I have no idea, I thought, that maybe the chipset like UIS7862 defines what is DYT or MCPD or what ever - also what is MCU-version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYT is the manufacturer of most of these UIS7862-based units, no matter what the Chinese reseller calls them. Navifly, Mekede, Joying, etc.
MTCB to MTCE are really old units from a different manuacturer.
MCU is basically the "mind" of the unit, taking care of low level functionality.
Now, for the bad news. This is all pretty much useless information.
Look for a good screen - best I have seen in these units is 2000x1200 QLED, 8-core and as much RAM and ROM as you can find - 6 to8BG RAM and 128 GB storage is max I have seen.
Android 10 (almost all Android 11 and 12 units are fake and actually are Android 10)
Don't count on updates and get a headunit designed for your car to avoid frustration.

m00n61 said:
FYT is the manufacturer of most of these UIS7862-based units, no matter what the Chinese reseller calls them. Navifly, Mekede, Joying, etc.
MTCB to MTCE are really old units from a different manuacturer.
MCU is basically the "mind" of the unit, taking care of low level functionality.
Now, for the bad news. This is all pretty much useless information.
Look for a good screen - best I have seen in these units is 2000x1200 QLED, 8-core and as much RAM and ROM as you can find - 6 to8BG RAM and 128 GB storage is max I have seen.
Android 10 (almost all Android 11 and 12 units are fake and actually are Android 10)
Don't count on updates and get a headunit designed for your car to avoid frustration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much - you're the only one, who provided me some answers to my questions in the first place.
You also confirmed my view on the Android head unit market - would also look for the same things you wrote to look after buying a new head unit.
Do you know, if there is a double DIN unit which has one knob for the volume? The only one I've found has only "High definition" resolution, there is no option for a 2k display - it's this one: Head unit with fake android 11 because of false API but looks nice and has some features - especially the BT6 and TT6 models...
I would love to have a BT6 with a 2k display, but I think that this only a dream. There just simply none available with a volume knob and a 2k display, otherwise it would be just perfect.

Hi there, sorry to jump in your thread, but i am also searching for a unit for my E46. I went through a lot of pages from the 144 pages of the main FYT thread available, but still, i am a bit lost to find out the unit that would fit the best my wishes. Did you choose one finally ? Overall from my side, i am currently stock navigation system with Harman Kardon amp and speakers. Over it i installed a raspberry with an interface named "Pibus" which allows a piece of software running on Kodi to get a lot of interaction with the car (BMWRaspcontrol). Overall i love the system, it has a lot of benefit, but the downside of it is Kodi, so no Android auto, no carplay nothing like that.

Ubuntu_Man said:
Thank you very much - you're the only one, who provided me some answers to my questions in the first place.
You also confirmed my view on the Android head unit market - would also look for the same things you wrote to look after buying a new head unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this wil help you choose...
I have bought recently TS18 unit (topway branded) and installed it in car. First of all, I'm so happy I got this, for 200€ I got Qualcomm processor (much faster and better than Chinese c....p Mediatek) , bunch of new apps that you can choose to install rather than have all mixed in single process, updating of unit is online, so you must have internet connection (5g is activated and running the whole time and + got wifi connection).
Unit has also online update for any of canbus boxes installed (so you won't have to choose or re-set all wheel controls), theme app for various themes and boot animation app for setting custom boot animations.
Unit has root access so it means you can do with your device anything you want!
And all that for only 200€ (bought 2GBx64GB) and with no customs taxes.
For other units like this one you are considering, this is jackpot.

Anton TNT said:
If this wil help you choose...
I have bought recently TS18 unit (topway branded) and installed it in car. First of all, I'm so happy I got this, for 200€ I got Qualcomm processor (much faster and better than Chinese c....p Mediatek) , bunch of new apps that you can choose to install rather than have all mixed in single process, updating of unit is online, so you must have internet connection (5g is activated and running the whole time and + got wifi connection).
Unit has also online update for any of canbus boxes installed (so you won't have to choose or re-set all wheel controls), theme app for various themes and boot animation app for setting custom boot animations.
Unit has root access so it means you can do with your device anything you want!
And all that for only 200€ (bought 2GBx64GB) and with no customs taxes.
For other units like this one you are considering, this is jackpot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your recommendation, I took a quick and first look on those units and they are very similar to the other ones, regarding the screen, ram+rom, sources/outputs and also the resulting price - but I can't find any information which SOC is installed - which Qualcomm SOC do you have? There were some of those units, last time I searched - something like snapdragon 662?
I prefer to have a high amount of ram and ROM, also it should have a QLED Display + one knob for volume regulation....

Ubuntu_Man said:
Thanks for your recommendation, I took a quick and first look on those units and they are very similar to the other ones, regarding the screen, ram+rom, sources/outputs and also the resulting price - but I can't find any information which SOC is installed - which Qualcomm SOC do you have? There were some of those units, last time I searched - something like snapdragon 662?
I prefer to have a high amount of ram and ROM, also it should have a QLED Display + one knob for volume regulation....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought this device ... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.59.21ef1802Q3dkF7
SPECS: read and enjoy...
UNIT AINAVI "H5"
Preset Station: FM
Built-in DVD Player: NO
Built-in CD player: NO
Chipset: Qualcomm 8953
Processor Speed: 1.8GHz
Processor Type: QUALCOMM SNAPDRAGON ARM CORTEX 8 core UNISOC
Is touch screen: YES
Built-in Screen: YES
TF/Micro SD Slot: 2
Din: Double Din
RAM: 2G-6G
Special Feature: Wifi Function,Support Steering Wheel Control online,Support 3G Network,Support 4G Network,Support Can-Bus, Updating online
Operating System: Android 10.0 OS
Out Power: 4*50w
Voltage: 12V
Material Type: Glass
Item Weight: 1.8kg
Item Size: 9 Inch
Max External Memory: 128G
ROM: 128G
Special Features: Built-in GPS,MP3 Players,Voice Control,DSP,Carplay,Android Auto,Reversing Input,Split Screen
Digital Media Format: Mp3,MP4,WMA,JPEG
OSD Language: Chinese (Simplified),Chinese (Traditional),Albanian,Arabic,Azeri,Irish,Estonian,Belarusian,Bulgarian,Icelandic,Polish,PERSIAN,Boolean text (Dutch South Africa),Danish,German,Russian,French,Filipino,Finnish,Georgian,Haitian Creole,Korean,Dutch,Galicia,Catalan,Czech,Croatian,Latin,Latvian,Lithuanian,Romanian,Maltese,Malay,Macedonian,Norwegian,Portuguese,Japanese,Swedish,Serbian,Slovak,Slovenian,Swahili,Thai,Turkish,Welsh,Ukrainian,Hebrew,Greek,Spain's Basque,Spanish,Hungarian,Armenian,Italian,Yiddish,Hindi,Urdu India,Indonesia,English,Vietnamese
Resolution: 1280*720
Display Size: 9"
Brand Name: Ainavi
Origin: Mainland China
For Vehicle Brands/Model: PEUGEOT
Peugeot Model: 308
308-Year: 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014
Certification: CE
Carplay: Built-in wired&wireless Carplay
Android Auto: Support Android Auto
Radio: Support FM/AM/RDS
Network: Support 3G/4G Network
Radio IC: SI47925
Amplifier IC: ST7850
GPS: Built-in GPS
Special Feature 1: Bluetooth
Special Feature 2: Built-In Speaker/Microphone
Special Feature 3: Support Steering Wheel Control
BIG BIG + is UNIT SUPPORT by seller and technicians

del_piero3 said:
Hi there, sorry to jump in your thread, but i am also searching for a unit for my E46. I went through a lot of pages from the 144 pages of the main FYT thread available, but still, i am a bit lost to find out the unit that would fit the best my wishes. Did you choose one finally ? Overall from my side, i am currently stock navigation system with Harman Kardon amp and speakers. Over it i installed a raspberry with an interface named "Pibus" which allows a piece of software running on Kodi to get a lot of interaction with the car (BMWRaspcontrol). Overall i love the system, it has a lot of benefit, but the downside of it is Kodi, so no Android auto, no carplay nothing like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your car is BMW E46 (see also compatibility of model - by year)
See this proposals ...
https://www.aliexpress.com/af/ainav...itiative_id=SB_20230217043125&origin=n&dida=y

Anton TNT said:
If your car is BMW E46 (see also compatibility of model - by year)
See this proposals ...
https://www.aliexpress.com/af/ainav...itiative_id=SB_20230217043125&origin=n&dida=y
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there,
thanks for all the suggestion, indeed a Qualcomm processor if available is a huge plus compare to anything else. I will check out what's available and will report what i found. Is the one for the Peugeot you showed from the seller you got good support as you mentioned ?
Edit : Found out that the official store doesn't have any E46 model available, so started to look around, and found this unit, but the price for the Qualcomm 8 core version is a bit high
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004604768857.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.4c0a6bfb7IpW6X&algo_pvid=985320e3-4d0c-4d9b-a024-e12e233a18d4&algo_exp_id=985320e3-4d0c-4d9b-a024-e12e233a18d4-1&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000029800475082%22%7D&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21EUR%21276.71%21276.71%21%21%21%21%21%40211bec8616767014406526756d074d%2112000029800475082%21sea%21BE%21144259117&curPageLogUid=nA5qbKTZCCbI
Edit2 :
I found this one, looks really great with volume knobs as you requested @Ubuntu_Man , however the plastic looks a bit cheap, but maybe it is an impression :
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001774883334.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.23.4c0a6bfb7IpW6X&algo_pvid=985320e3-4d0c-4d9b-a024-e12e233a18d4&algo_exp_id=985320e3-4d0c-4d9b-a024-e12e233a18d4-11&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000017521648402%22%7D&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21EUR%21409.19%21245.51%21%21%21%21%21%40211bec8616767014406526756d074d%2112000017521648402%21sea%21BE%21144259117&curPageLogUid=avv30AqHJaPb

del_piero3 said:
Is the one for the Peugeot you showed from the seller you got good support as you mentioned ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes , store is called AINAVI and sellers are always helpfull. + for them

del_piero3 said:
Found out that the official store doesn't have any E46 model available, so started to look around, and found this unit, but the price for the Qualcomm 8 core version is a bit high
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004604768857.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.4c0a6bfb7IpW6X&algo_pvid=985320e3-4d0c-4d9b-a024-e12e233a18d4&algo_exp_id=985320e3-4d0c-4d9b-a024-e12e233a18d4-1&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000029800475082%22%7D&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21EUR%21276.71%21276.71%21%21%21%21%21%40211bec8616767014406526756d074d%2112000029800475082%21sea%21BE%21144259117&curPageLogUid=nA5qbKTZCCbI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Price is ok , trust me, custom tax is in price so probably ,dependable on your country, customs will not be charged. I have not payed customs for import.
And probably is with free shiping. Ali Express is cheapest, AMazon and E-bay are expensive.

Anton TNT said:
Price is ok , trust me, custom tax is in price so probably ,dependable on your country, customs will not be charged. I have not payed customs for import.
And probably is with free shiping. Ali Express is cheapest, AMazon and E-bay are expensive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure that's also to be considered, you are right. Have a look to the second unit i showed, i haven't seen your answers, so i edited a second time my post. It is not Ainavi, but it is with Qualcomm processor

del_piero3 said:
Sure that's also to be considered, you are right. Have a look to the second unit i showed, i haven't seen your answers, so i edited a second time my post. It is not Ainavi, but it is with Qualcomm processor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First option looks like better option, but you should know better what to fit in your car. Compatibility with car is crucial.

Anton TNT said:
First option looks like better option, but you should know better what to fit in your car. Compatibility with car is crucial.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compatibility about what? The function in the head-unit or the physical fit ? The physical fit, on E46 there was no difference from the first to the second phase, all unit that are made for E46 should go in the head-unit location without any issue. I remember the first generation, the units were longer and sometimes it was tricky to get all the rear cables sorted correctly so the unit would enter the dashboard correctly, but now i see that the units are shorter so it shouldn't be an issue. About the software, i hope with the canbus that all the functions are decoded correctly form the bus, unless there is some bugs. And last but not least, about the OEM installation in place, this is up to us to check, mine have the OEM navigation with the BM54 in the trunk, so i know that i have to take the long cable to connect the unit in the one in the trunk, and that is some work to be done Unless i am missing something ?
the only one that worries me a bit is the screen resolution. I am wondering if such big screen with 1280x720 is enough ?