Database Users

What's the best?

What's the best android head unit available for <1000$ for VW/Skoda?
Is Quad Core and 2 Gb RAM state of the art?
What if it comes to EQ Settings, MCU sound processor and amplifier chip? I want a good sound and to be able to adjust the sound to the car.
Gesendet von meinem HTC One mit Tapatalk

not a fan of "who's the best" but I think this is the most supported android HU
http://forum.xda-developers.com/and...4-4-2-kitkat-head-unit-newsmy-carpad-t2865525
see in the wiki for vw variant, 2bg ram and 4 core. My unit works great, I installed one in golf6 for a friend and mine is going to be installed on my scirocco in a couple of days Have a nice reading

I was curious about what the best was too, but then realized in this scene with these manufacturers the best is essentially the most actively supported. The newsmy carpad nu3001 seems to be the most supported singular model at the moment and the RK3188 variant head unit may be the best spec'd because of the quad core and it appears to be the latest chipset

I would say just look for specs. An RK3188 is the standard right now for what I've seen (don't think there's anything more powerful) and 2GB RAM is more than adequate. Look for other things that you might need/like (screen size and resolution, Android version, etc). In the end, it doesn't matter much which specific headunit you have as long as the chipset is supported so going with a RK3188 means there'll be plenty of options.

albus123 said:
What's the best android head unit available for <1000$ for VW/Skoda?
Is Quad Core and 2 Gb RAM state of the art?
What if it comes to EQ Settings, MCU sound processor and amplifier chip? I want a good sound and to be able to adjust the sound to the car.
Gesendet von meinem HTC One mit Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you find a 2 GB RAM head unit? Link?
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

DiGiTY said:
Where did you find a 2 GB RAM head unit? Link?
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I am not allowed to post links yet. Just google something like "2gb android quad core car" or search for the same in aliexpress.
You'll find 2GB from a few sellers now. Sometimes it's optional.

Which android unit has the best hardware when it comes to sound quality?
THD, Noise etc.

Yup, sound quality and overall quality of the unit matters most to me. I don't need all of the fancy features, but the unit needs to be reliable, well made and playing music in a good quality. I haven't seen that being a priority for majority of the chinese units described here

Have you seen good sound quality in any android unit yet?
Or which don't have good clear sound?

DiGiTY said:
Where did you find a 2 GB RAM head unit? Link?
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Navall 3 that has a quad core RK3188/2gb mem/16 storage/DAB+FM radio.

And, how is it in general?
How is sound quality?

+1 here for SQ head unit
I'm desperately reading the forum here, and am really keen on ordering the newsmy VW flavor.
I don't mind the software annoyances, can live with them or try to fix.
For me, there are two major hardware concerns:
1. I absolutely cannot give up a superb RCA OUT quality.
Got a Pioneer head-unit now and the sound quality is great!
It is connected to a high-quality amp, a component set and a subwoofer.
If I install the android unit and discover SQ is not as good as my current setup, I will have to ditch it
2. I need the ability to separately control the speakers and the subwoofer.
This should include high-pass/low-pass filters, just like I have with my Pioneer.
I was thinking about using an external USB DAC. Have verified that this is indeed supported with the newsmy units.
But this will only leave me with a stereo out, without the ability to control the subwoofer.
The Ownice units do have 5.1 RCA output, but it looks like they are not well maintained and there are severe bugs plaguing all around their software.
Plus, I love the way newsmy separates the screen from the brains. It would be so much easier to configure and upgrade in the future.
OP - I think we share the same concerns, right?
Now what do we do?

albus123 said:
And, how is it in general?
How is sound quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They use quite good parts in that device, the radio is from NPX 6624(Philips), Bluetooth v3.0, U-BLOX GPS/GLONASS receiver, and it has a STMicroelectronics mosfet amplifier (4x 45 watt), but i have a Audison 5.1k system in the car and it sounds fantastic.
You can find all the parts on Google

Flemischguy said:
I have a Navall 3 that has a quad core RK3188/2gb mem/16 storage/DAB+FM radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is the DAB+ set up?
Internal, external? Can you send a link?

Its internal , and this is a short clip with the radio in action, this was the test case in my car /watch?v=7I2RS_9ig7o and this is the final software that is now installed in the Navall 3 /watch?v=AL1Bo5MRKYI

How often do you use the DVD player? Do you just stream movies directly on the HU itself via hotspotting? I appreciate this thread as I am in the market of getting a new HU. I was looking at a Pioneer but having a OnePlus One that option is out since we do not have a HDMI/MHL output. I know it's a crap shoot with these Chinese radios and do not want to throw money away being a teacher ha

moti_r said:
+1 here for SQ head unit
I'm desperately reading the forum here, and am really keen on ordering the newsmy VW flavor.
I don't mind the software annoyances, can live with them or try to fix.
For me, there are two major hardware concerns:
1. I absolutely cannot give up a superb RCA OUT quality.
Got a Pioneer head-unit now and the sound quality is great!
It is connected to a high-quality amp, a component set and a subwoofer.
If I install the android unit and discover SQ is not as good as my current setup, I will have to ditch it
2. I need the ability to separately control the speakers and the subwoofer.
This should include high-pass/low-pass filters, just like I have with my Pioneer.
I was thinking about using an external USB DAC. Have verified that this is indeed supported with the newsmy units.
But this will only leave me with a stereo out, without the ability to control the subwoofer.
The Ownice units do have 5.1 RCA output, but it looks like they are not well maintained and there are severe bugs plaguing all around their software.
Plus, I love the way newsmy separates the screen from the brains. It would be so much easier to configure and upgrade in the future.
OP - I think we share the same concerns, right?
Now what do we do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound quality is pretty good on these units but they do have limitations regarding the controls for the subwoofer and the HP, LP settings. I also had a Pioneer HU before and this one sounds just as good to me using the same setup (Pioneer components on all 4 doors, 2 Pioneer shallow mount subs and a 1200 watts Rockford amp). What I did was settle for setting LP and HP on the amp and it's been just fine for me. A handy trick I used was that I hooked up the subs to the rear out on the stereo and then I shift the front and rear balance on the HU in order to alter the mix between the subs and the speakers. It's not quite the same as having LP and HP on the unit but it does the trick.
---------- Post added at 11:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 AM ----------
ibengood said:
How often do you use the DVD player? Do you just stream movies directly on the HU itself via hotspotting? I appreciate this thread as I am in the market of getting a new HU. I was looking at a Pioneer but having a OnePlus One that option is out since we do not have a HDMI/MHL output. I know it's a crap shoot with these Chinese radios and do not want to throw money away being a teacher ha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only used the DVD player a handful of times (just for testing it and making sure it works actually). I usually play videos from a USB drive or stream them from YouTube, but the DVD player works just fine. It takes a few seconds to start (I find it to be a little longer than it should) but nothing that would be a real issue in my opinion.

War-Rasta said:
Sound quality is pretty good on these units but they do have limitations regarding the controls for the subwoofer and the HP, LP settings. I also had a Pioneer HU before and this one sounds just as good to me using the same setup (Pioneer components on all 4 doors, 2 Pioneer shallow mount subs and a 1200 watts Rockford amp). What I did was settle for setting LP and HP on the amp and it's been just fine for me. A handy trick I used was that I hooked up the subs to the rear out on the stereo and then I shift the front and rear balance on the HU in order to alter the mix between the subs and the speakers. It's not quite the same as having LP and HP on the unit but it does the trick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the great info!
I'm also with a rockford amp (plus a Hertz component, which I'm not sure if sold in the US).
The HU I'm looking at (the newsmy 3001) doesn't even have a way to change balance - just a single pair of RCA outs. I think as a first step I'll try to disconnect the dedicated sub out from my Pioneer HU and use the onboard amp crossovers to HP/LP the components and the sub. Hopefully that will provide a decent configuration. If that works, I will go ahead and get the android unit.
The most critical factor for me was the RCA SQ and your inputs are tremendous here.
Thanks!

War Rasta,
Which unit do you have?

moti_r said:
Thanks for the great info!
I'm also with a rockford amp (plus a Hertz component, which I'm not sure if sold in the US).
The HU I'm looking at (the newsmy 3001) doesn't even have a way to change balance - just a single pair of RCA outs. I think as a first step I'll try to disconnect the dedicated sub out from my Pioneer HU and use the onboard amp crossovers to HP/LP the components and the sub. Hopefully that will provide a decent configuration. If that works, I will go ahead and get the android unit.
The most critical factor for me was the RCA SQ and your inputs are tremendous here.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to help. Post again when you make a decision.
---------- Post added at 10:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 AM ----------
ibengood said:
War Rasta,
Which unit do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Pumpkin KD-C0234 that I bought off of Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Recei...d=1436365438&sr=1-1&keywords=pumpkin+kd-c0234

Head Unit with best audio quality

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.

Prepurchase ? Joying 2g 32gb sofia Audio EQ

Is the audio on the Joying 2g 32gb units good? i hear things that the EQ is terrible and only 3 band. Is this true or was this for the old units? I am debating between this joying unit in 10.1 or the px5 cpu units that just came out. I am a audiophile and was worried about audio quality and subwoofer output control. anyone that has these units can shed some light would be appreciated

megapimp said:
Is the audio on the Joying 2g 32gb units good? i hear things that the EQ is terrible and only 3 band. Is this true or was this for the old units? I am debating between this joying unit in 10.1 or the px5 cpu units that just came out. I am a audiophile and was worried about audio quality and subwoofer output control. anyone that has these units can shed some light would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of the box the EQ is really bad on all of the Chinese units. I've changed quite a lot of models in the past 5 years and all of them were pretty bad.
For that we have Viper4Android, that is an AMAZING piece of software EQ (probably more like an sound processor).
The unit has a separate Sub output control but I haven't tested it... don't have a sub in my car.
BUT
If you are an audiophile these units are not for you. As an audiophile you must have pretty high standards and I am afraid the sound quality of the cheap Chinese units will let you down. Don't get me wrong, for an average user like me, streaming most of the music at 128/256/320 kbps and has medium quality speakers the sound is quite good (with Viper4Android enabled) but It's an only 300$ piece of hardware.... you simply can't ask for more.
Yes you can mod them and maybe change the amp mosfet but you will not get to have audiophile quality out of it. If you get an good external USB DAC and pair it with an real sound processor and maybe with an good amplifier... maybe then you can get closer to a real audiophile solution.
Again, if you are the kind of guy that his cheapest set of headphones are in the 1000$ range or your speakers at home are 3000$ worth.... look somewhere else.

Change the amp chip with a Pioneer chip and the unit is bad ass

edit said:
Out of the box the EQ is really bad on all of the Chinese units. I've changed quite a lot of models in the past 5 years and all of them were pretty bad.
For that we have Viper4Android, that is an AMAZING piece of software EQ (probably more like an sound processor).
The unit has a separate Sub output control but I haven't tested it... don't have a sub in my car.
BUT
If you are an audiophile these units are not for you. As an audiophile you must have pretty high standards and I am afraid the sound quality of the cheap Chinese units will let you down. Don't get me wrong, for an average user like me, streaming most of the music at 128/256/320 kbps and has medium quality speakers the sound is quite good (with Viper4Android enabled) but It's an only 300$ piece of hardware.... you simply can't ask for more.
Yes you can mod them and maybe change the amp mosfet but you will not get to have audiophile quality out of it. If you get an good external USB DAC and pair it with an real sound processor and maybe with an good amplifier... maybe then you can get closer to a real audiophile solution.
Again, if you are the kind of guy that his cheapest set of headphones are in the 1000$ range or your speakers at home are 3000$ worth.... look somewhere else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this answer... Maybe I chose the wrong wording. I do love quality audio but im not anal about sound. as long as i can adjust the mids highs and lows and for it to sound great not cheap hallow sounding. im used to 7 to 10 bands will i be able to get a true adjustment out of these with 7 band software? Ive seen the Pioneer upgrade just now but thats only for power output. Im currently wanting to install in my escalade with the stock bose amplified speakers. I will be adding 2 sundown 8 inch subwoofers in a tuned box and want to have full media from the unit. spotify music apps loaded music and vids

megapimp said:
Thank you for this answer... Maybe I chose the wrong wording. I do love quality audio but im not anal about sound. as long as i can adjust the mids highs and lows and for it to sound great not cheap hallow sounding. im used to 7 to 10 bands will i be able to get a true adjustment out of these with 7 band software? Ive seen the Pioneer upgrade just now but thats only for power output. Im currently wanting to install in my escalade with the stock bose amplified speakers. I will be adding 2 sundown 8 inch subwoofers in a tuned box and want to have full media from the unit. spotify music apps loaded music and vids
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pioneer chip upgrade is not just for power but also sound quality.

megapimp said:
Thank you for this answer... Maybe I chose the wrong wording. I do love quality audio but im not anal about sound. as long as i can adjust the mids highs and lows and for it to sound great not cheap hallow sounding. im used to 7 to 10 bands will i be able to get a true adjustment out of these with 7 band software? Ive seen the Pioneer upgrade just now but thats only for power output. Im currently wanting to install in my escalade with the stock bose amplified speakers. I will be adding 2 sundown 8 inch subwoofers in a tuned box and want to have full media from the unit. spotify music apps loaded music and vids
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet with these units, if you don't want to buy additional hardware (sound processor, an external am with a fancy EQ) is to root them and install Viper4Android (that requires root). Viper gives you the ability to have a pretty good EQ and many other features to tune the sound to your liking. Like I said in my previous post the onboard 3 way EQ is maybe decent for some but I found it pretty poor. Viper was the only piece of software that could bring back the good bass that I was having from the original headunit of my Ford that was made by Sony (this time) and it was made specifically to drive the speakers to their best. Viper has feature that limit the bass not to overwhelm the mids , very usefull.
The DAC in the Joying units is decent and probably closer to good (for my ears and my car speakers) but don't expect audiophile quality out of it by any means. If I had to grade the amp+dac from 1 to 10 I would chose an 6 maybe 6.50.... 7 it's a stretch but maybe with many Viper teaks....
Your Bose sound system is definitely more revealing in therms of sound quality than what speakers put Ford in my car so after installing the Joying you might be a bit disappointing that I've gave the HU an 7
Sound quality is a delicate matter, what is good for some is bad for others.
The cheapest hardware sound improvement would be to change the amp chip (into the Pioneer one), I haven't done it for 2 reasons so I can't comment much on how big the sound quality changes...First I NEED to know that I am buying an genuine chip and not an fake one, ebay is full of them and you simply can't detect a fake, or test it somehow after you received it. The original from Pioneer is around 40$ and the ebay ones are from 2.50$ to 15$ that doesn't inspire me confidence.... and second, even if I have the soldering skills I don't have the equipment needed and finding someone with the proper skills and tools it's a bit complicated.
If you want to control the sub from this unit I read that it's not an good option but you have to look into it:
Read here, these people wanted more sound quality from this unit and they started to mod it : https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...ts/joying-2gb-sofia-headunits-common-t3577217

edit said:
Your best bet with these units, if you don't want to buy additional hardware (sound processor, an external am with a fancy EQ) is to root them and install Viper4Android (that requires root). Viper gives you the ability to have a pretty good EQ and many other features to tune the sound to your liking. Like I said in my previous post the onboard 3 way EQ is maybe decent for some but I found it pretty poor. Viper was the only piece of software that could bring back the good bass that I was having from the original headunit of my Ford that was made by Sony (this time) and it was made specifically to drive the speakers to their best. Viper has feature that limit the bass not to overwhelm the mids , very usefull.
The DAC in the Joying units is decent and probably closer to good (for my ears and my car speakers) but don't expect audiophile quality out of it by any means. If I had to grade the amp+dac from 1 to 10 I would chose an 6 maybe 6.50.... 7 it's a stretch but maybe with many Viper teaks....
Your Bose sound system is definitely more revealing in therms of sound quality than what speakers put Ford in my car so after installing the Joying you might be a bit disappointing that I've gave the HU an 7
Sound quality is a delicate matter, what is good for some is bad for others.
The cheapest hardware sound improvement would be to change the amp chip (into the Pioneer one), I haven't done it for 2 reasons so I can't comment much on how big the sound quality changes...First I NEED to know that I am buying an genuine chip and not an fake one, ebay is full of them and you simply can't detect a fake, or test it somehow after you received it. The original from Pioneer is around 40$ and the ebay ones are from 2.50$ to 15$ that doesn't inspire me confidence.... and second, even if I have the soldering skills I don't have the equipment needed and finding someone with the proper skills and tools it's a bit complicated.
If you want to control the sub from this unit I read that it's not an good option but you have to look into it:
Read here, these people wanted more sound quality from this unit and they started to mod it : https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...ts/joying-2gb-sofia-headunits-common-t3577217
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very good thank you so much for the detailed response. I am more the able to swap the amp chip as i build stand alone ecus for vehicles. I am just turned off that these units wouldnt put good items inside. What headunit may come out in the future that everyone is keeping their eyes on? I see other units with 7 to 10 band EQ settings on them that are cheaper. are those fake eq settings or just the same ole bs?

megapimp said:
very good thank you so much for the detailed response. I am more the able to swap the amp chip as i build stand alone ecus for vehicles. I am just turned off that these units wouldnt put good items inside. What headunit may come out in the future that everyone is keeping their eyes on? I see other units with 7 to 10 band EQ settings on them that are cheaper. are those fake eq settings or just the same ole bs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are cheap units for the average Joe. They need to sell many so the low price point is the key...
When it comes to the EQ all I can say is that my previous unit (Witson) had out of the box a 7 band EQ that was absolutely rubbish... Unusable... Major crap. Viper saved the day. So even if the hardware is decent/good, they are dragging it down with poor software.
Joying with the Sofia implementation it's the best unit that I have used so far.... With each year new units pop up but not all are decent and just a few get a good support from xda.

megapimp said:
very good thank you so much for the detailed response. I am more the able to swap the amp chip as i build stand alone ecus for vehicles. I am just turned off that these units wouldnt put good items inside. What headunit may come out in the future that everyone is keeping their eyes on? I see other units with 7 to 10 band EQ settings on them that are cheaper. are those fake eq settings or just the same ole bs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
funny thing is, some units that have more than 3 band EQ sliders (like 7 or 10), do bundle them in 3s anyway...you move one and the ones left&right of it move as well go figure....
i guess if one's not happy with the default output, there are 3 choices right now: replace amp, viper mod and 7floor hardware mod+custom EQ sw. That's pretty much the pinnacle of what can be achieved, sound-wise, on chinese units atm. Unless someone really skilled tears the thing apart and re-does pretty much everything down the audio-chain.
....4th option being always of course: stay away from chinese android HUs and get something else....like a Pioneer AVIC-series. U do the math and pro/cons on that..

Does ATOTO A6 pro have DSP..

First off I absolutely love this unit.I have it paired with Fosgate 500 mono amp with aftermarket speakers.
My only gripe is sound quality compared to the former pioneer double din this replaces.It basically sounds like a cheaper factory headunit compared to the pioneer.I have looked but everywhere I looked I see no mention of this thing having a built in DSP.I was thinking of getting an external dsp module/preamp perhaps.
Anyway just joined the forum because if anyone knows it will be here.Thanks in advance for any input.
UPDATE:I played with the stock android EQ and also lowered the gain on the sub amp(Monoblock 500)Its better but think I should be able to get it better.
One thing I notice compared to other conventional headunits I have used in the past is that the headunit volume does not effect sub levels.With the former pioneer The sub would adjust accordingly to volume level.Not sure if a preamp with sub connections would fix this?

it has EQ but whether it has a specific DSP chip like others claims, i dont knoww for sure

Spadlebauer said:
First off I absolutely love this unit.I have it paired with Fosgate 500 mono amp with aftermarket speakers.
My only gripe is sound quality compared to the former pioneer double din this replaces.It basically sounds like a cheaper factory headunit compared to the pioneer.I have looked but everywhere I looked I see no mention of this thing having a built in DSP.I was thinking of getting an external dsp module/preamp perhaps.
Anyway just joined the forum because if anyone knows it will be here.Thanks in advance for any input.
UPDATE:I played with the stock android EQ and also lowered the gain on the sub amp(Monoblock 500)Its better but think I should be able to get it better.
One thing I notice compared to other conventional headunits I have used in the past is that the headunit volume does not effect sub levels.With the former pioneer The sub would adjust accordingly to volume level.Not sure if a preamp with sub connections would fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No dsp. Sorry my friend is the engeneer of the atoto

DSP
Untzo said:
No dsp. Sorry my friend is the engeneer of the atoto
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reply.
I will get external DSP.
Just wanted to be sure before getting one.

bottom line on Android head units and connecting amps and subs

I've actually purchased a few of these over the years, mostly because they were very vague on this specific feature. Given many of these units are identical just rebranded copies it's hard to sort things out.
The following is based on countless hours searching the web and 4 or 5 personal purchases of these Android head units. If any of this is incorrect please tell me because I have been desperately searching for one due to BMWs incessant need to one off everything.
In my experience the bottom line is no. Android head units do not offer genuine sub support. Yes you can use the rear output and a line converter or run the signal into the high level inputs on your amp (if it has it) but there is still a very simple a basic problem. You still won't have the needed components and or firmware to properly run it. Specifically frequency control, crossover or even a 7 band eq on the unit. I only found one that offered that last and it was janky to say the least (more probably offer the eq now but still very subpar) assuming you can run v4a on the unit that may clear some up but that was written for head phones not a 4 or more speaker system.
Another point is most mainstream headunits, pioneer, Kenwood, alpine heck even boss have 4v rca preout and signal conditioners not to mention both high and low-pass crossovers.
Unfortunately to my knowledge these Chinese Android suppliers have really missed the ball. Yes they offer some cool features but car audio guy's spend many thousands of dollars on these systems and to be honest I have a avh-4500NEX in my 325xi and since it mirrors wirelessly as well as Android auto and car play wireless it provides excellent sound.
Major difference my NEX $1800.00 us brand new these Android's I've seen get spendy but mostly right around 150-400. But you get what you pay for.
The biggest bonus I found though was you can put them anywhere since they are mostly just and inch or two deep.
If I missed the mark please let me know and if you could send a link to where I can pick up a decent one. The I-Drive in my 535i is making a stereo upgrade next to impossible

this is the honest **** i been scouring for... as a AV guy everyone keeps telling me go daisaita blah blah blah but everyone here seems to not have ears or know what they are talking about when it comes to sound... my original gut was to pick up a NEX but i got side tracked with Atoto and the rest because everyone talks out their ass about how amazing they are... with no clue about their soul purpose

they do have
b1n4ry said:
this is the honest **** i been scouring for... as a AV guy everyone keeps telling me go daisaita blah blah blah but everyone here seems to not have ears or know what they are talking about when it comes to sound... my original gut was to pick up a NEX but i got side tracked with Atoto and the rest because everyone talks out their ass about how amazing they are... with no clue about their soul purpose
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have amazing abilities for instance the iDrive in my 525i is old and outdated and these Android HU are the only option and they are fully functional and compatible which no mainstream HU can claim that I'm aware of. But I'll deal with old and crappy and tap the harness for a signal for my amp before I'll downgrade on sound quality.
You can use an Android successfully IF you install an EQ and probably noise filter but there goes the saving you would have seen.

Spdif out to dsp-amp is possible with Joying for example. SQ shouldn't be problem with it.

Kelynaw said:
If I missed the mark please let me know and if you could send a link to where I can pick up a decent one. The I-Drive in my 535i is making a stereo upgrade next to impossible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, Blaupunkt and a few others and you haven't missed the mark at all. The audio quality on these Chinese head units is just not comparable and the RCA output voltages (1.4 volts) are standards from 15 or 20 years ago. And yes... they are NOT true sub outputs.
Now having said that, it doesn't mean that you can't bring the audio quality up to par. It does however require some extra money and extra components. I don't run Dasaita's sub outputs but rather have an active electronic crossover which can generate a sub output and I run that plus the Dasaita's front/rear outputs through an AXXESS dsp sound processor before the signals go into the amps.
It's certainly a bit of extra money spent on top of it all, but IMO, worth it because these Android head units beat out the traditional Kenwood's and pioneer's in just about every other respect.
It WOULD be nice however if these Chinese manufacturers started paying a bit more attention to audio quality at the end of the day.

Bob_Sanders said:
I've had pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, Blaupunkt and a few others and you haven't missed the mark at all. The audio quality on these Chinese head units is just not comparable and the RCA output voltages (1.4 volts) are standards from 15 or 20 years ago. And yes... they are NOT true sub outputs.
Now having said that, it doesn't mean that you can't bring the audio quality up to par. It does however require some extra money and extra components. I don't run Dasaita's sub outputs but rather have an active electronic crossover which can generate a sub output and I run that plus the Dasaita's front/rear outputs through an AXXESS dsp sound processor before the signals go into the amps.
It's certainly a bit of extra money spent on top of it all, but IMO, worth it because these Android head units beat out the traditional Kenwood's and pioneer's in just about every other respect.
It WOULD be nice however if these Chinese manufacturers started paying a bit more attention to audio quality at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
except that axxess unit costs more than the 4/64gb headunit itself... USA MSRP: $422.00 USD

b1n4ry said:
except that axxess unit costs more than the 4/64gb headunit itself... USA MSRP: $422.00 USD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HUH??
$279 on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Axxess-AX-...241633?hash=item445ecc93e1:g:194AAOSwUKRfRo-R
My new Dasaita cost $586
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001197637149.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.554d4c4duJ2EgH

Bob_Sanders said:
HUH??
$279 on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Axxess-AX-...241633?hash=item445ecc93e1:g:194AAOSwUKRfRo-R
My new Dasaita cost $586
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001197637149.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.554d4c4duJ2EgH
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DSP
https://axxessinterfaces.com/product/AXDSP-X
unit i was looking at
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001244806859.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.2.51e67ea7IZbacK
Dash Kit
https://www.scosche.com/2003-to-2007-honda-accord-integrated-touchscreen-control-colution-dash-kit

Apparently you haven't played with any of the recent Joyings....You also obviously don't have much experience with different cell phones out there either.
Ok, fine....show me a Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, etc that can run Google Maps, Waze, Firefox, Gaia Navigation, Torque Pro, APRS Droid, etc natively, right on the unit....just ONE unit, from ANY of the "big name" manufacturers...they just plain don't exist. Not a single one that runs Android natively, or anything else other than their own, completely closed souce, proprietary OSes that we can't do anything with beyond what comes installed on them from the factory. Don't like their nav app, launcher, or general interface? Tough schmitt...
I've said the same thing for many years...I'd be HAPPY to drop a $1,000USD or more on a solid unit from a major manufacturer that runs Android natively. Or even a Linux based OS, that I can add additional apps to. Hell, I was dropping a thousand plus on putting a touch screen in my dash connected to a PC tower in the back YEARS before these factory double din units hit the market. Some company like Pioneer drops one of them, and I'd be one of the first in line screaming "take my money!!".
Screen mirroring isn't an option for everyone either, as screen mirroring is largely based on Miracast. Especially so for anyone with a Google phone, such as my Pixel. Google has gone out of their way to limit or even eliminate that ability to push more sales of their lousy Chromecast devices, and they have stripped Miracast support out of the core Android as of version 6 (Marshmallow). If your phone supports screen mirroring, that's because whoever made it added Miracast support back in themselves. Android Auto is also a rather lousy compromise for many of us, such as myself, that want to run alternative apps. If it wasn't coded to run within Android Auto, it generally ain't happening which is the case for the navigation app that I use for off road purposes.
I've tried several different Pioneer double din touch screens with several different Android phones. Never once was I able to get screen mirroring/mirrorlink to work correctly to truly screen mirror the phone. Only the crippled Android Auto worked...which is what ultimately pushed me into completely going with these Chinese Android head units.
That said, the Joying JY-UO135N4GS - https://www.joyingauto.com/joying-l...avigation-system-with-built-in-4g-module.html that I have in the truck right now does have a 16 band EQ built in, F&R RCAs as well as a dedicated Sub RCA output, though it's a single. I haven't put a meter on it to verify voltage, but I'm guessing it's around 2V based on gain settings on the amp compared to other head units that I've known to have 2V outputs. A LOT of "brand name" head units today still come with 2V outputs. Also has both LPF and Subsonic filters on the sub output, as well as independent HPF crossovers on F&R channels. I currently have my subs set to 30Hz-100hz, fronts set to 80Hz high pass, and rears at 135Hz high pass (yeah..blame Chevy and their piss poor design on their trucks). Subs are a pair of JBL GTO 12s fed by a Kenwood monoblock amp. Door speakers are Infinity Kappa 6.5s, rears are factory 4x10s.
Is the sound quality on par with the Pioneer head unit that it replaced? No. Can I hear the difference at 75mph over the wind and diesel engine noise? Nope. Maybe I'd hear the difference if I put one of these Joyings in my Cadillac...Do I plan to replace this Joying with a Pioneer/Alpine/Kenwood/etc? Wait for it....has not ever once crossed my mind. I also have a Joying in my Suzuki Samurai, and am shopping for another Android unit for my Suzuki Grand Vitara.

urbex said:
Apparently you haven't played with any of the recent Joyings....You also obviously don't have much experience with different cell phones out there either.
Ok, fine....show me a Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, etc that can run Google Maps, Waze, Firefox, Gaia Navigation, Torque Pro, APRS Droid, etc natively, right on the unit....just ONE unit, from ANY of the "big name" manufacturers...they just plain don't exist. Not a single one that runs Android natively, or anything else other than their own, completely closed souce, proprietary OSes that we can't do anything with beyond what comes installed on them from the factory. Don't like their nav app, launcher, or general interface? Tough schmitt...
I've said the same thing for many years...I'd be HAPPY to drop a $1,000USD or more on a solid unit from a major manufacturer that runs Android natively. Or even a Linux based OS, that I can add additional apps to. Hell, I was dropping a thousand plus on putting a touch screen in my dash connected to a PC tower in the back YEARS before these factory double din units hit the market. Some company like Pioneer drops one of them, and I'd be one of the first in line screaming "take my money!!".
Screen mirroring isn't an option for everyone either, as screen mirroring is largely based on Miracast. Especially so for anyone with a Google phone, such as my Pixel. Google has gone out of their way to limit or even eliminate that ability to push more sales of their lousy Chromecast devices, and they have stripped Miracast support out of the core Android as of version 6 (Marshmallow). If your phone supports screen mirroring, that's because whoever made it added Miracast support back in themselves. Android Auto is also a rather lousy compromise for many of us, such as myself, that want to run alternative apps. If it wasn't coded to run within Android Auto, it generally ain't happening which is the case for the navigation app that I use for off road purposes.
I've tried several different Pioneer double din touch screens with several different Android phones. Never once was I able to get screen mirroring/mirrorlink to work correctly to truly screen mirror the phone. Only the crippled Android Auto worked...which is what ultimately pushed me into completely going with these Chinese Android head units.
That said, the Joying JY-UO135N4GS - https://www.joyingauto.com/joying-l...avigation-system-with-built-in-4g-module.html that I have in the truck right now does have a 16 band EQ built in, F&R RCAs as well as a dedicated Sub RCA output, though it's a single. I haven't put a meter on it to verify voltage, but I'm guessing it's around 2V based on gain settings on the amp compared to other head units that I've known to have 2V outputs. A LOT of "brand name" head units today still come with 2V outputs. Also has both LPF and Subsonic filters on the sub output, as well as independent HPF crossovers on F&R channels. I currently have my subs set to 30Hz-100hz, fronts set to 80Hz high pass, and rears at 135Hz high pass (yeah..blame Chevy and their piss poor design on their trucks). Subs are a pair of JBL GTO 12s fed by a Kenwood monoblock amp. Door speakers are Infinity Kappa 6.5s, rears are factory 4x10s.
Is the sound quality on par with the Pioneer head unit that it replaced? No. Can I hear the difference at 75mph over the wind and diesel engine noise? Nope. Maybe I'd hear the difference if I put one of these Joyings in my Cadillac...Do I plan to replace this Joying with a Pioneer/Alpine/Kenwood/etc? Wait for it....has not ever once crossed my mind. I also have a Joying in my Suzuki Samurai, and am shopping for another Android unit for my Suzuki Grand Vitara.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are fine with sub par audio Then your opinion doesn't matter
The #1 purpose above all the bull**** you rambled on about is SOUND that's the purpose of an aftermarket head unit... Regardless of additional features

b1n4ry said:
If you are fine with sub par audio Then your opinion doesn't matter
The #1 purpose above all the bull**** you rambled on about is SOUND that's the purpose of an aftermarket head unit... Regardless of additional features
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's already been stated that audio quality is not the best. It's also been made clear that for some extra bucks and a few more components you CAN have your cake and eat it too. Now if you wish not to go that far then why are you here? Go to the pioneer forums.
As for the purpose of an aftermarket head unit.... yesteryear it WAS all about sound. Now it's more about central information centers. All kinds of information at your fingertips... and these Chinese units just beat the crap out of ANY of the traditional units as general information centers. Try hard as you can to make a traditional head unit do something to this level of detail and customization:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Now.. do I have to put some extra money in making the sound better? Yup, sure do, but to my eyes it's worth it.

I´m running my Joying still from speaker out to Match M5DSP. SQ is even now better than with stock HU (PSA MyWay) that I used to feed M5DSP. I don´t hear any problems and I´ve been hifi-guy nearly 30 years.

Why is it not a true subwoofer output? I have a 1500w rms amp connected to the green subwoofer output and a dayon max mx12 and its clear as day. My only problem is my hengcheng which is like a teyes c3 clone only has front rca output and I want to leave my front speakers on the tda7851 built in amplifier and connect my rear speakers to a 200w amp in the back. But if I use the front rca out I will loose fader control cuz the system will think my rears are front speakers. What about the output voltage? I don't have a line out converter and everything sounds fine.

Kelynaw said:
I've actually purchased a few of these over the years, mostly because they were very vague on this specific feature. Given many of these units are identical just rebranded copies it's hard to sort things out.
The following is based on countless hours searching the web and 4 or 5 personal purchases of these Android head units. If any of this is incorrect please tell me because I have been desperately searching for one due to BMWs incessant need to one off everything.
In my experience the bottom line is no. Android head units do not offer genuine sub support. Yes you can use the rear output and a line converter or run the signal into the high level inputs on your amp (if it has it) but there is still a very simple a basic problem. You still won't have the needed components and or firmware to properly run it. Specifically frequency control, crossover or even a 7 band eq on the unit. I only found one that offered that last and it was janky to say the least (more probably offer the eq now but still very subpar) assuming you can run v4a on the unit that may clear some up but that was written for head phones not a 4 or more speaker system.
Another point is most mainstream headunits, pioneer, Kenwood, alpine heck even boss have 4v rca preout and signal conditioners not to mention both high and low-pass crossovers.
Unfortunately to my knowledge these Chinese Android suppliers have really missed the ball. Yes they offer some cool features but car audio guy's spend many thousands of dollars on these systems and to be honest I have a avh-4500NEX in my 325xi and since it mirrors wirelessly as well as Android auto and car play wireless it provides excellent sound.
Major difference my NEX $1800.00 us brand new these Android's I've seen get spendy but mostly right around 150-400. But you get what you pay for.
The biggest bonus I found though was you can put them anywhere since they are mostly just and inch or two deep.
If I missed the mark please let me know and if you could send a link to where I can pick up a decent one. The I-Drive in my 535i is making a stereo upgrade next to impossible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are mostly the same but not all the same, I.e. MTCD with MCU mod sub out.
Yes, line level is 1.5-2v RMS not 4v as car audio mostly is.
Your post doesn't list "Android units" so cant tell what your test units were.

Why is it not a true subwoofer output? I have a 1500w rms amp connected to the green subwoofer output and a dayon max mx12 and its clear as day. My only problem is my hengcheng which is like a teyes c3 clone
marchnz said:
They are mostly the same but not all the same, I.e. MTCD with MCU mod sub out.
Yes, line level is 1.5-2v RMS not 4v as car audio mostly is.
Your post doesn't list "Android units" so cant tell what your test units were.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one is

Excuse my ignorance, I don't do high end stereo builds for cars(home theater yes).
Just curious, if you're trying to put out that kind of wattage and care that much about crystal sound, why aren't you using spdif(optical or coax) to output digital from your stereo regardless of brand. Then your Head unit is for the features/apps and screen and your high end equip is for signal processing?

Because the optical is 5.1 so a DAC would be mono output to each speaker, and there isn't a digital rca spdif or optical that is stereo. I thought about doing that and just using y cables but not with it really the signal wouldn't be any better just less chance of interference and I have none. An amp with optical starts around 1k unless you go aliexpress or something. My amp topsolidgear 1600w 1 ohm stable as tested by wiliston audio on YouTube is $150. My Dayton MX12-22 12" subwoofer was $140. I have it running 600w @ 4 ohm and its already crazy. After I break it in I may switch to 1 ohm and get even louder. My speakers are coaxial ds18 3 way black diamonds ($39) and my rear speakers are component ds18 6.5 with 3.5" bullet tweeters with built in crossover ($70) so it's a budget system. But it sounds great. All my audio is high resolution lossless flac files and the dsp does a great job. The 32 band equalizer let's me adjust subwoofer frequency and speaker frequency so I can turn my speakers off between 30_whatever hertz and set my sub anywhere from 30_70 hz range. It also has time delay and surround function and turns my amp on and off with a trigger wire amongst some other settings I haven't figured out yet.

Can't figure out what bass enhancement does. Bass filter is to filter bass from speakers and surround is to adjust timing.

Here is a pic.

CaliBurr said:
Because the optical is 5.1 so a DAC would be mono output to each speaker, and there isn't a digital rca spdif or optical that is stereo. I thought about doing that and just using y cables but not with it really the signal wouldn't be any better just less chance of interference and I have none. An amp with optical starts around 1k unless you go aliexpress or something. My amp topsolidgear 1600w 1 ohm stable as tested by wiliston audio on YouTube is $150. My Dayton MX12-22 12" subwoofer was $140. I have it running 600w @ 4 ohm and its already crazy. After I break it in I may switch to 1 ohm and get even louder. My speakers are coaxial ds18 3 way black diamonds ($39) and my rear speakers are component ds18 6.5 with 3.5" bullet tweeters with built in crossover ($70) so it's a budget system. But it sounds great. All my audio is high resolution lossless flac files and the dsp does a great job. The 32 band equalizer let's me adjust subwoofer frequency and speaker frequency so I can turn my speakers off between 30_whatever hertz and set my sub anywhere from 30_70 hz range. It also has time delay and surround function and turns my amp on and off with a trigger wire amongst some other settings I haven't figured out yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"there isn't a digital rca spdif or optical that is stereo"
not sure I understand this statement? Digital is stream is whatever is on it the stream. I send stereo over optical all the time in home theater(well I used too, it's OLD now ;-) Yes technically each speaker would be mono(it's channel) maybe I'm missing something.
I understand your point on cost, but if you already have the amp you want with solid RCA then just use a 50 dollar 4.1 or 5.1 DAC to RCA
It will skip the "crappy" DAC in the the HU and avoid interference(sorry but from what I read they ALL have it). I know both mine do.
The only reason I can think it will still be bad is if they are still doing DAC then reversing it for the optical. Again I have not tested the optical on the one I have with it as my stock system doesn't do spdif or even RCA.