Android Auto head unit with BT and SWC

[RichardCranium]

Hoping folks have still been adding these, just not much talk lately about these head units. With a slew of Chinese no-name radios all over Amazon, it's hard to sift through them all. I see the no-name units for $150-269, and the name brand stuff is just over $300.

I want good working Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, and navigation would be nice. Those are truly the only things I would likely use. FWIW I have a PPV, so I have base everything.

Hope either people have installed recently or some folks from the threads a year or two will pipe in with some feedback from their units.

TIA

 

[RichardCranium]

TTT

Dang, where is everyone?

 

[2011SSVHOE]

I'm here Darren, but hell I don't know, that's why I have my base radio. I thought about putting one of them cheap ones in my U-haul truck, just for the navigation and maybe add a backup camera. In my Hoe my radio still works fine.

 

[RichardCranium]

I'm here Darren, but hell I don't know, that's why I have my base radio. I thought about putting one of them cheap ones in my U-haul truck, just for the navigation and maybe add a backup camera. In my Hoe my radio still works fine.

Yeah mine works fine too, don't even care to have any more output than I do. I'm just really after the Bluetooth so I can stream Pandora, without having to use the silly cord/jack.

 

[2011SSVHOE]

Darren, to do it right it will cost you over 50k, pull the hoe into the shop, remove the radiator cap and slide a whole new unit underneath the cap, and reinstall radiator cap, now you have all the bells and whistles and an empty bank account, just what the Chevy dealer dreams about. LOL

 

[Keanen55]

If you're happy with your radio, they make aftermarket modules to add bluetooth to the factory radio. It uses your XM radio feature and converts it to bluetooth. It's all behind the radio and is all plug and play (no cutting and slicing wires). I use to use 1 from Isimple and it was under $100 and 15 minutes to install!

 

[randeez]

most of the china brands all use the same hardware.
i havent looked at them for a while since the one in my truck has been doing pretty good - it does seem almost like a phone though (needs to be upgraded every few years to keep up with the apps)
last one i grabbed used a PX-5 chip with 4mb of ram i think. i had a cheaper one before and it would just bog down with a music and nav app open but it only had 1mb of ram, and a slower processor

if you can hotspot the headunit, which is what i do - you really dont need to "stream" anything if your phone can do it the head unit can and sound quality is better etc. just download app to headunit and use it. pandora spotify etc
navigation, youll need an app. google maps uses a tremendous amount of processing to use for navigation if youre trying to use satellite mode. there are a handful of free apps, I use waze on the head unit.
i dont use bluetooth on it so i cant really comment how good it is.
steer wheel controls all work fine, buttons are also programmable with the android units

there are some apps, possibly obscure, that i use that dont work so well on them however:
gopro - they have the android control that, on a phone works good and i wanted to use to take pics/start recording thru the headunit. when driving is easier than fumbling with phone. i couldnt get the app to work right - could have been because of older gopro.
plx has android interface for wideband o2, fuel pressure, etc. same thing i could download the app but couldnt get it to connect to the module to show the data

 

[derfman00]

If you're happy with your radio, they make aftermarket modules to add bluetooth to the factory radio. It uses your XM radio feature and converts it to bluetooth. It's all behind the radio and is all plug and play (no cutting and slicing wires). I use to use 1 from Isimple and it was under $100 and 15 minutes to install!

Doesn't work on units with built in xm modules

 

[Meccanoble]

Bluetooth and SWC are the easiest options every aftermarket HU has that will properly function. I wont say my pioneer has been flawless but the additional abilities it provides, I would never go back to stock unless I was looking for a "look". I do love the online support from other members/forums that Pioneer provides.

 

[RichardCranium]

Darren, to do it right it will cost you over 50k, pull the hoe into the shop, remove the radiator cap and slide a whole new unit underneath the cap, and reinstall radiator cap, now you have all the bells and whistles and an empty bank account, just what the Chevy dealer dreams about. LOL

Thanks Roger.

If you're happy with your radio, they make aftermarket modules to add bluetooth to the factory radio. It uses your XM radio feature and converts it to bluetooth. It's all behind the radio and is all plug and play (no cutting and slicing wires). I use to use 1 from Isimple and it was under $100 and 15 minutes to install!

Great tip, unfortunately with my PPV I don't have XM.

most of the china brands all use the same hardware.
i havent looked at them for a while since the one in my truck has been doing pretty good - it does seem almost like a phone though (needs to be upgraded every few years to keep up with the apps)
last one i grabbed used a PX-5 chip with 4mb of ram i think. i had a cheaper one before and it would just bog down with a music and nav app open but it only had 1mb of ram, and a slower processor

if you can hotspot the headunit, which is what i do - you really dont need to "stream" anything if your phone can do it the head unit can and sound quality is better etc. just download app to headunit and use it. pandora spotify etc
navigation, youll need an app. google maps uses a tremendous amount of processing to use for navigation if youre trying to use satellite mode. there are a handful of free apps, I use waze on the head unit.
i dont use bluetooth on it so i cant really comment how good it is.
steer wheel controls all work fine, buttons are also programmable with the android units

there are some apps, possibly obscure, that i use that dont work so well on them however:
gopro - they have the android control that, on a phone works good and i wanted to use to take pics/start recording thru the headunit. when driving is easier than fumbling with phone. i couldnt get the app to work right - could have been because of older gopro.
plx has android interface for wideband o2, fuel pressure, etc. same thing i could download the app but couldnt get it to connect to the module to show the data

That's a lot of good feedback from experience, appreciated. I think I'm gonna spend the extra $100 or so and get a mainstream name brand. The biggest think I'm after is Bluetooth, Android Auto is a plus but really not a deal breaker.

Bluetooth and SWC are the easiest options every aftermarket HU has that will properly function. I wont say my pioneer has been flawless but the additional abilities it provides, I would never go back to stock unless I was looking for a "look". I do love the online support from other members/forums that Pioneer provides.

Another reason I will choose a recognizable name brand, now I just need to decide....

 

[RichardCranium]

All of these different options the trucks have is making this more of a chore than anything, just to make sure I get the right adapters to make everything right. There are a few write-ups I've found on here, most are oriented towards Bose equipped vehicles and/or those with XM or Nav. Although I found a nice write-up from some 9 years ago with a fella who added an amp and replaced all of his factory speakers, for cheap. That'll be nice if I decide to go a bit further, which could happen once I put in a new head unit that will clearly give these shit OEM speakers more wattage.

 

[RichardCranium]

Anyone else?

 

[RichardCranium]

Almost pulled the trigger this morning, kind of in a hold pattern.

I'm a hardcore Android person, that will never change. To see that Google has developed wireless compatibility with AndroidAuto, but has limited the push of this software to their own devices and a few select non-Google devices is really discouraging. Might just suck it up and get the one I was going to go with anyways, which was still via USB. But damn.....

 

[GlensHOE718]

I also have an android based in-dash.

 

[The_Burban]

That is awesome. Where is your write up with all the details?

I plan to keep my Burban for the long hall. Trans dies? New one. Motor dies? Swap it. Seats get aged and show it too well... new leathers.

 

[The_Burban]

The Phoenix HU is under $500.

I see some reviews for their products in other cars and hesitate. I'd love this kind of solution... Really do get gun shy though understanding these are tablets whose performance tends to degrade quickly....

 

[The_Burban]

I also have an android based in-dash. View attachment 228039

Any follow up? Still enjoy it? Issues? Do it again? Love, hate?

 

[T-rev]

I also have an android based in-dash. View attachment 228039

Not a bring upon old thread but what is your final opinion? do you still have it? any issues? for what you paid are you happy?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[RichardCranium]

Not a bring upon old thread but what is your final opinion? do you still have it? any issues? for what you paid are you happy?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I know you didn't ask me, but I can give my opinion on the Alpine iLX-w650. It has been awesome, zero regrets.

Only 2 issues:

1. Occasionally AndroidAuto goes berserk and acts like the phone is disconnected. Ultimately it will reconnect itself and act like it didn't happen. Hoping the next firmware fixes that.
2. The algorithm built into the head unit to randomize songs is terrible. When connected to USB, and both random features are selected, I've had so much as the same song play back to back. But about 80% of the time I can manually skip to the next track and it'll cycle through about only 20 songs, with the occasional randomly different song. That is rather annoying, but short trips it's no biggie. Longer trips I will stream via AndroidAuto and Pandora.

 

[RichardCranium]

Installed the Alpine KTA-450 with my previously installed Alpine iLX-w650 head unit. I chose this head unit before for many reasons, one being this amp. When I got the head unit, the KLA-445 was model. This 450 now has a little more wattage (4x50w RMS), but also has DPP. Glad I waited...

It comes with a bracket to attach it to the back of the head unit, and still is shallow enough to fit our dash with zero modification. Super easy hookup, since the head unit has a pre-amp plug for RCA's and speaker outputs. Its plug and play except for connecting the amp speaker outputs to the factory harness to the speakers.

Here is a dry fit with the head unit and the amp, amp being the top part in the photo. I initially cut out part of my installation rails to accommodate the amp wiring harness, but later found it beneficial to run the harness up through the middle, so have plenty of clearance side to side.

View attachment 268441

Here is the amp harness connected, you can see how I ****** it down to come out the back where the other harnesses and wires exit.

View attachment 268442

Overall view of the back, ready to drop into the dash.

View attachment 268443

And a shot with most of the harness in view. The box hanging near the bottom is my door chime, part of the CarXTC install kit from Amazon.

View attachment 268444

Sounds great so far. I'll wake myself up otw to work tomorrow morning for sure. The Kicker coaxials I put in have a broad response range (40-20k Hz), and they can handle 250W.....but the amp definitely has woken them up.