Database Users

Are there any Chinese HU's without any problems?

Wow, just when you think you've found a headunit that is perfect, what happens instead? You read some reviews that are written after the user owned it for a short amount of time, and then you discover the problems.
Is there an Android HU that gets good FM/AM reception? Doesn't need to be rebooted? Won't disappoint? I previously got burned on a cheaper model and don't want to repeat that again. Hell - I could have just gotten a Kenwood and avoided all the headache and a $195 install job.

Hi,
I think that depends on your definition of "problems". My definition of a real problem is when there is no solotion on xda developers
OK, first I would recommend that you buy a head unit that was made for your car brand and model if available. I own a 2013 Skoda Rapid (similar to VW Polo / Golf, no "dirty" jokes please lol) and bought a VW specific model ("Autopumpkin" (reseller) 2 DIN for VW, RK3066 processor with Android 4.4.4 @ 800x480px, firmware is KLD2).
Installation: Plug in the quad lock CAN bus and the head unit was ready. Nothing else to do.
AM/FM:
In some cases, your car antenna needs +12V power to work properly. My head unit has a "phantom power adapter" (don't know if this is the right word in english). If you don't connect +12V to antenna, the reception is awful, I only received 4 stations with poor quality. Once the pantom power was connected (in my special case, I also needed a FAKRA adapter to connect the head unit with the car antenna since the plugs from the head unit didn't fit in the car connector), I received 18 stations (more can't be saved) on 88-95MHz (band goes from 88-108 here) using auto scan mode.
"Doesn't need to be rebooted":
I don't know exactly what you mean, would you like to specify that? The head unit can't be always on due to the high power consumption which would kill the battery very fast. Boot time is about 20-30 seconds but it remains about 5 minutes in standby if you pull out the ignition key.
Sound quality:
If sound quality is as important for you as for me, you MAYBE have a problem with those cheap head units but that also depends on what you like to do and to what kind of music you do listen.
On FM, sound quality doesn't matter for me because I use FM only for traffic announcements and news / documentary). The built in EQ is not the best one, at first I was thinking about to send the unit back because of the bad quality. After some days, I tried Poweramp with it's EQ and the difference was HUGE. Sounds better that the original car radio. Later, I tried Viper4Android (EQ app) since the Poweramp EQ only works for Poweramp and I thoght better radio sound quality would not be bad, but AFAIK AM/FM (and Bluetooth) sound output is not processed in Android what means only the build in EQ can influence the sound quality of that parts.
Traffic announcement (TA):
But one thing about TA feature does really drives me crazy: If you have enabled TA and the radio app detects traffic announcements (what happens also if the radio is in "background" respectively not explicit opened), a "modal popup" appears and you can't do anything (you can't skip TA or switch to another app) but vol up / down or disable TA with the "Close" button at all what means that you have to go to the radio app and enable TA again manually.
Bluetooth:
Bluetooth works much better than expected. If I get into the car in the morning, my phone (Sony Xperia Z2 with stock rom) connects with the head unit in seconds. If I press the "Play" button in the head unit's bluetooth app, it almost instantly continues playing my Spotify playlist from the phone (Spotify app doesn't work on my head unit, don't know why...).
3G / Wifi:
About 3G: Sometimes the HU loses connection because the power supplied by the USB ports is not enough. In that case, I have to power off and on the unit again (but "soft" reboot, done in seconds). Wifi (if you use your smartphone as hotspot with teathering) does work very well but not on distances over approx. 10 meters.
About GPS:
The GPS signal fixes very, VERY fast (2-5 seconds, but thats maybe because Android fixes the signal at boot time) and the supplied navigation app (iGO Primo) can calculate a route from south germany to a random forrest in Poland (I tapped on a random place on the map) approximately 1500km away in less than 10 seconds.
Dual way CAN bus:
Does work with my car, I can control radio stations via the buttons of my on-board computer / MFD (Multi Function Display as called by VW, my car doesn't have SWC) and the MFD shows the station frequency. I can also control the Media Player App (next / prev track, not volume), but only the built in one, not Poweramp.
Conclusion: If there is a HU for your specific brand / model, you should not have as much trouble as if you buy a generic one, especially with installation. You should have at least some basic Android, car and technical knowledge and (most important) the will to play around with your device, try out new apps, firmwares and roms, play with the settings etc... If you want a real plug and play solution, you maybe have to pay 1000€ / $ +. You get what you pay for
I hope my reply was helpful.

Nice Text. So it is.

hippelsepp said:
I hope my reply was helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was, thank you. Which HU do you use?

My question is: Is there an American/Japanese/Anywhere else head unit that can do as much as these Chinese head units??

Atoto A6 - Lightning fast and impressed w/ CS answers A6Y2721PRB

It's been a while XDA oh how i miss thee. I left for a while as I went to the darkside (iphone since i needed something 'secure' for work) but I'm back with an android device and I'm super stoked. Just finished installing A6Y2721PRB in my Solara JBL 2006 w/ the dreaded JBL Amplifier. Honestly one of the cleanest installs I've done in a while. Also I needed to do this urgently as my radio crapped out and I was driving around without any controls in Los Angeles traffic. I used a harness kit so I wouldn't have to tap into the factory wires and from there every connection from the harness to the gps/camera/wifi/mic/etc you name it, was super easy
Pros
- Incredibly fast. When they say 2s boot up time ,they man it.
- It's a beatufiul headunit. Polished packaging and device you really feel confident it'll last. Everything was considered when designing this unit.
- Double Din fit is on point. I recommend getting the headunit first and then seeing how it fits in the car before needing anything else (unless you dont have a double din already.)
- No issues at all with visibility at night or in the day
- I might be over excited but the camera looks better on this headunit
- Hotspot internet from my phone to the device and it's as if the unit has internet seamless
- Also support team is super helpful with any questions so definitely dont hesitate reaching out to them
Cons
- Not many really. At this point there might be 5% that might be good or bad but that's always related to Android experience
- Customization is there but i wish it was easier. I have spoken with support and they are looking to add something in the future
- Honestly I'm glad the unit doesn't need it but the Screen Protector could be better if you did install
One of the major gripes I have with units is install. That's 50% of it and needing this installed quickly I was super happy that the install was smooooth. Can i add more o's lol. The upgrade is worth it knowing that the unit will last and be current with all the features that you can want out of a unit. One of the benefits too that you'll find in good companies is that their support team is there to assist with any issues or questions you might have. Everything on the unit is crystal clear and being able to use 2 devices on bluetooth means thats i wont have to keep disconnecting and reconnecting based on whichever device connects. Google search and you can find the unit, I don't want to mention Seller companies

I also have this unit. It is a GREAT unit! I also have a NEX8200NEX in another car. Also, I previously had an Eonon. The ATOTO is by far the best of all of them and leaps and bounds over ANY Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood or other "standard" Android unit. My sole complaint with ATOTO is the size of the unit is just slightly off the standard double-din size. That being said, it will not fit any Metra install kit, which is the standard kit used when installing auto head units. Otherwise this unit should be respected over ALL the other Android head units: Joying and Pumpkin can't hold a candle!

How are the Bluetooth calls with this unit?
Is the WiFi good?
Are there software updates?
How is the Apple CarPlay working?
I like the idea of this unit, but to fit it in my car (Prius 3 from 2010) I will loose the side buttons I have with the current android unit which looks very good, but as almost all of them Bluetooth calls are horrible. Because of that I use CarPlay and forget about the unit functions.
WiFi is very weak and only usable with a phone as AP and very close AP.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

techo91 said:
How are the Bluetooth calls with this unit?
Is the WiFi good?
Are there software updates?
How is the Apple CarPlay working?
I like the idea of this unit, but to fit it in my car (Prius 3 from 2010) I will loose the side buttons I have with the current android unit which looks very good, but as almost all of them Bluetooth calls are horrible. Because of that I use CarPlay and forget about the unit functions.
WiFi is very weak and only usable with a phone as AP and very close AP.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth is good, especially if you install the external mic, and increase the mic gain in settings from the somewhat low default.
WiFi is good as long as you choose a good mounting location for the antenna. I do most of my updates in my driveway which has three interior walls, one concrete block exterior wall, and about fifty feet between my car and my old Linksys N WiFi router. Best antenna location is under glass and away from metal, worst is inside pillars or under dash.
Firmware updates about every two months, give or take, in my 8 months of experience with Atoto units.
CarPlay? What's CarPlay?

Croak said:
Bluetooth is good, especially if you install the external mic, and increase the mic gain in settings from the somewhat low default.
WiFi is good as long as you choose a good mounting location for the antenna. I do most of my updates in my driveway which has three interior walls, one concrete block exterior wall, and about fifty feet between my car and my old Linksys N WiFi router. Best antenna location is under glass and away from metal, worst is inside pillars or under dash.
Firmware updates about every two months, give or take, in my 8 months of experience with Atoto units.
CarPlay? What's CarPlay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you increase the mic gain??

WiFi issues and static noise on Chinese Multimedia Dicola - PX6 RK3399

Hi all,
I have installed Chinese multimedia - Dicola on my Audi Q5 2009
PX6 RK3399
MCUVer: 415175bLZH-Q5-AL-7-190817[170325]
FrameworkVer: 9 PQ2A. 190305.002
Android: 9; RAM 4GB; Resolution: 1024x600
At this point it has two major issues that I'm really trying to sort out:
1. WiFi very often is not connecting to the hotspot. It shows the WiFi icon for a second but it dissapears and device is not connected. I was told that this is known issue with WiFi unable to connect after standby.
2. Multimedia is connected on the AUX but I have constant static noise in the background which is very unpleasant. Do you know what can be the issue? The Multimedia is connected pretty straight forward in the AUX socket.
I was hoping that I can install the custom rom by Malaysk for V9, but it turns out that his firmware is not compatible with my multimedia. Do you know if there are any other custom roms that I can install?
Or do you know if there is any fix for the WIFI that I can try on the current rom?
p.s. The seller Dicola (in Ali-express) are totally inadequate, they barely respond to my messages and when they do, they write nonsense.
Thank you

Ok, I have an update.
The seller sent me updated rom but I have not installed it yet.
On the WiFi issue:
I got 4G USB dongle, connected it to the USB and it was immediately recognized by the Android and set it asLAN automatically. It is working very well and in fact its much better with 4G dongle so I dont have to activate each time the hotspot on my iphone. One of the issue I noticed is that after I turn off the car for a while it doesn't recognizes the USB dongle immediately so I had to unplug and plug it back in. But I have tested this only once so will have to dig deeper.
Static noice issue update:
I was able to isolate it, so there is static only when the engine is on. As soon as I turn the engine off, the static background noose goes away. Do you think this is ground issue and I have to ground the multimedia on the chassis?
Thanks

I have the PX6 with the same noise issue (turnon wifi and noise). After some research, I will change the wifi antenna and try to find some luck.

I have only GPS antenna, not sure if the wifi is using the same antenna. I will try to ground the multimedia to the chassis and see if there is any difference.

Overall the software of the Multimedia is crap. I'm thinking of upgrading it to Malaysk's custom ROM for Andorid 9
What is your opinion, do you think there is a possibility to brick the unit?

Head unit write up for E61 bmw

So I purchased this head unit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-8-NAVI...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
i also picked up the dab and the carplay/android auto dongle(this is a must other wise it is mirroring and that does not allow touch control on screen or allow you to lock your phone like aa does)
The fitting was easy and all plug and play (did not fit the camera yet)
So how did it peform?
When they supplied the head unit the software which was needed to use the android auto was not installed(link which was cam up with not licensed) and way installed AutoPlayBox and connected fine and works a treat
Good points
Andoid auto works just plug in phone and after a short 30 secs delay the HU boots fine and goes into AA quite quickly.
The android seem quick and not laggy
There is a EQ on the HU but if you turn it up to far it distorts all the audio really badly. but turned up to 4-6 it plays very well with lots of presets.
talks to can bus so you can see your speed / rev / mpg etc etc#
Can get back to the bmw main menu really easy and back to android
Wish i had not bought the dab receiver as i am playing via tuned in or amazon music through AA
Now here are the bad points(NOW BE AWARE I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE DEVICE WHEN RUNNING ANDROID AUTO IT WORKS VERY WELL)
Bad points
DID NOT COME WITH ANY INSTRUCTIONS IN THE BOX , HAD TO GO FIND THEM ONLINE
the dab app is terrible it plays but you press back or try and start another app with audio ie maps , and it crashes
If selecting navigation from the main menu it kept minimizing all the time (seems to have stopped today so fingers crossed).
the music app built into to interface is lets say terrible, cannot find a way play play lists , stop and start the music etc etc.
The device some time starts with the bmw screen instead on the android screen(no brainer to swop it back over ) just a pain
the wifi on the device is truly bad, sat in the car with my phone on my knee , my phone gets 4 bars , the head unit cannot even get a signal, putting my phone on hotspot and sitting it right above the HU is the only way for me to get a wifi signal (but using only android auto from my phone so no great loss)
the gps puck they supply is quite bad ( i use lots of gps pucks for small models) it seems to want to fix and unfix position all time not very good quality i would say
Would i purchase again
yes i would
but would not buy the dab receiver and would not fit the gps on the HU (even though it come with it as a waste if your using carplay or Andoid auto)
its was easy to fit which was good and works well

Hi, can you please provide me the link for the autoplaybox app as I can’t find it online
Thanks

Poor radio reception - Erisin ES9162B

Hi Guys,
I recently bought an Erisin ES9162B.
The car is BMW E46 Facelift and had the original navigation in it, so I had to buy an extension cable that goes from the trunk to the central console.
When I connected everything, the head unit does not find all FM station. It finds the national ones, but I have to manually stop on an FM station if I want it to play. However, the reception goes wild when I start driving - every 2 secs, I am loosing the reception to the radio, which leads me to believe there is a problem with the antenna.
Could someone point me on what the problem might be?
As per the attached file, I have connected only 1 USB (23), big cables (17), FM antenna (20), GPS antenna (18) and Wi-Fi antenna (19).
I have read that there might be a loose connection and I have to open up the head unit, but please someone tell me whether I have to connect something else first, because I do not want to open up the unit itself yet. It's still new :crying: