No name EBay Android Head Units?

[98 SNAKE EATER]

OK, not my typical post as I've always sworn against any head unit that wasn't any of the big names (Sony, Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, etc.) 😑

Thing is, recently, a Co-Worker of mine showed up with an EBay Android HU in his Golf and I must say, it was rather impressive 😲

Crystal clear picture, crisp touch screen and WAY more features than my old Sony XAV 712HD has to offer 😕

Best of all, it actually looked like a factory 😎

Anyways, I was so impressed with it that I started looking into one for my next daily beater.

Thing is, I'm very leery of no name brands and the only one I recognize that seems to have all the features I want is from Pyle 😒

Now, in my eyes, Pyle has always been nothing more than FleaMarket brand garbage that only people of Wal-Mart would buy, but after seeing the specs, I don't see anything from the big names that comes close for the price 😶



The model I'm looking at specifically is the PLDAND110

It's a Double DIN with a 10" tablet like screen

Pyle - PLDAND110 - Marine and Waterproof - Headunits - Stereo Receivers - On the Road - Headunits - Stereo Receivers



Specs from their site:



Headunit Receiver:
Hi-Res 10.1’’ -inch Digital Display
Built-in Android OS Computer
Integrated Google Play Store
Download Apps Surf the Web Play Games
Support Download of Google Maps & GPS Navigation Apps
Touch Screen Control Operation
Bluetooth & WiFi Wireless Streaming
User-Friendly UI Interface
Full HD 1080 Support
Digital File Playback: Audio, Video & Image Files
USB Flash & SD Memory Card Readers
CD/DVD Player
16 GB Built-in Flash Memory
AM/FM Radio with 30 Station Memory
Video Aux (RCA) Input/Output Connector Jacks
Rearview Backup Camera Support
Audio Aux (RCA) Input & Pre-Amp Output Jacks
Interface: Subwoofer Output 2 x USB/DVR/3G Antenna
Customizable EQ Audio Controls

Android OS Computer:
Touchscreen 'Tablet-Style' Functionality
WiFi Wireless Streaming Ability
Surf the Web & Download Apps
3G WiFi Mobile HotSpot Capability
Smart Device MirrorLink/AirPlay Support
OS Version: Android 6.0, Octa-Core ROCKCHIP 1.5GHz

Bluetooth Connectivity:
Built-in Bluetooth for Wireless Music Streaming
Built-in Microphone for Hands-Free Calling
Convenient Contact List Import Ability
Digital Phone Dial Pad Display
Bluetooth Version: 4.1

What's in the Box:
Android Stereo Receiver
Bluetooth Microphone
Remote Control
DVR Dash Cam
Backup Camera
Power & Wiring Harness
(2) USB Extension Cables
Mounting Brackets & Hardware

DVR Dash Cam:
Interior Front Windshield Mountable
Hi-Res Full HD Video Recording
Angle Tilt & Rotation Adjustable
Extra Compact & Unobtrusive Design
Simple Connection to Headunit via USB
Easy File Saving & Sharing

Rearview Backup Cam:
Marine Grade Camera Construction
Waterproof & Fog Resistant (IP67 Rating)
Low Light Performance (0.2 LUX)
Built-in Distance Scale Lines
Preferably Mounted Above the Rear License Plate
Tilt Adjustable Camera Lens Angle
True Color Reproduction
Resolution: 656 x 492 Pixels
Viewing Angle: 170 Degree
Power Supply: DC 12V 200mA
RCA Video Connector
Dimensions (L x W x H): 10.0'' 1.3’’ x 1.3''-inches

Receiver Technical Specs:
Double DIN Size Universal Standard
Power Output: 4 x 80 Watt (320 Max.)
Wide Screen TFT - LCD Display
Aspect Ratio 16:9 High Definition
Resolution: 1024 x 600 Pixels
Bluetooth A2DP Support
Steering Wheel Button Control Support
AM/FM-MPX 2 Band Radio - Auto Store Preset Scan
Anti-Shock Mechanism-ESP Function
File Compatibility: JPEG MP3 MP4 AVI WAV and More
Multimedia Disc Support DVD/VCD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW
Maximum USB/SD Flash Memory Support: 64GB
Battery Operated Remote, Requires (1) x 'CR-2025', Included
Sold as: 1
Weight: 10.53 lbs.




Just curious, but does anyone here have one of these things?

Been searching for reviews on it, but can't seem to find any

 

[Perry Babin]

I don't have any experience with this but I'd suggest that you find out about warranty repairs and after-warranty repairs, definitively. $400+ is a lot to spend if it's not repairable.

Do you really need all of the features? You can't legally watch video while driving. Would a similar and much cheaper (disposable) head unit serve the purpose?

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I don't have any experience with this but I'd suggest that you find out about warranty repairs and after-warranty repairs, definitively. $400+ is a lot to spend if it's not repairable.

Do you really need all of the features? You can't legally watch video while driving. Would a similar and much cheaper (disposable) head unit serve the purpose?

When it comes to electronics, warranty has always been a crap shoot.

Case in point, one of my Sony XAV 712HD's had a touch screen issue (see video)

YouTube

It was still within warranty, so I sent it back to Sony

They told me it was non-repairable and said they didn't have a replacement or anything comparable in stock, so I got a full refund for the price I paid, which kinda sucked cause it was sumthin I shopped around for a while to get at a good price and I also have matching units in my other cars

The Pyle unit I posted is actually under $300 at Wally World, so I may be willing to take the risk if I can actually find some reviews on it

Yes, I'm well aware of the legalities of driving while watching video (which is why I have limo tint lol)

I can do without the built in sat/nav stuff (I mean, what's better than Waze anywaze?)

However, here's a list of what I want:

Double DIN with full 7" touch screen or bigger
Must have DVD (yes, I'm old school)
Time Alignent
5.1 Surround
Bluetooth
Pandora
Screen Mirroring
USB/SD Card for MP4 videos/MP3 audio

The rest is just gravy

That being said, my Sony units pretty much have all this covered, but have been discontinued.

I know there are a bunch of options from other solid name brands, but after seeing one of the cheap FleaBay Android units in action, it certainly piqued my interest.

Just trying to get as much info as I can before actually pulling the trigger

 

[Travis Clarke]

Hi 98 Snake Eater please ignore comments like this that he posted:

" Do you really need all of the features? You can't legally watch video while driving. Would a similar and much cheaper (disposable) head unit serve the purpose? "

This is the usual response to those behind the times who don't understand today's technology and the many benefits of it. That's not intended to be disrespectful, just what I've run across many times.

Also, you're quite right about warranties - there's rarely any true guarantee, even with the big name brands.

I'm planning on installing an Android tablet soon in order to get bit-perfect sound myself all the way to my DSP. (Currently using my Android phone & APT-X with a Bose Bluetooth receiver & TOSLINK connection)

Anyway, here are some things you need to be wary of before buying:

• Generic Android devices tend to have firmware issues you can't possibly anticipate. Brand names are almost always much better in terms of having fewer crashes, bugs, and missing core software components.

• Look closely at the TRUE resolution of the device, as sellers tend to be a bit misleading with the actual screen resolution, as opposed to what the unit will scale. Remember than in most cases scaling = decreased sharpness as there's always a compromise.

• I would want to know specifically how slow the start-up process is. The major flaw in many in-car Android devices is start-up time. If it's having to boot up every time (as opposed to coming out of standby) I would want to know, and for how long.

Hopefully it's only a handful of seconds. What's kind of stupid is how basically none offer a standby mode (unlike tablets) and have reboot every time you switch on the ignition.

• I would want to know what to expect in terms of sound quality output, if that's important to you. For example generic Android head units tend to be pretty poor while the name brands are up to 24bit resolution in some cases.

A $50 Bose Bluetooth APT-X receiver can produce excellent sound quality vs a generic head unit which can't. It depends on your needs, your system quality, and how picky you are.

• Also, how difficult will it be to root the head unit if you need to add functionality, apps that require root, or those for custom functions like Tasker etc? I would try to find out more about this, too.

In my case I've searched and searched and none of the generic Android head units can compare to a Nexus 7 install or in my case an Nvidia Shield Tablet & using the AutoSleeper app.

Just some things to be aware of.

(Note: There's a whole Reddit section dedicated to the Nexus 7 tablet use and it's pretty good. Have a look before you spend any money!)

 

[Perry Babin]

It sounds to me that he intends to watch video while driving, hence the statement about the tint.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Hi 98 Snake Eater please ignore comments like this that he posted:

" Do you really need all of the features? You can't legally watch video while driving. Would a similar and much cheaper (disposable) head unit serve the purpose? "

This is the usual response to those behind the times who don't understand today's technology and the many benefits of it. That's not intended to be disrespectful, just what I've run across many times.

Also, you're quite right about warranties - there's rarely any true guarantee, even with the big name brands.

I'm planning on installing an Android tablet soon in order to get bit-perfect sound myself all the way to my DSP. (Currently using my Android phone & APT-X with a Bose Bluetooth receiver & TOSLINK connection)

Anyway, here are some things you need to be wary of before buying:

• Generic Android devices tend to have firmware issues you can't possibly anticipate. Brand names are almost always much better in terms of having fewer crashes, bugs, and missing core software components.

• Look closely at the TRUE resolution of the device, as sellers tend to be a bit misleading with the actual screen resolution, as opposed to what the unit will scale. Remember than in most cases scaling = decreased sharpness as there's always a compromise.

• I would want to know specifically how slow the start-up process is. The major flaw in many in-car Android devices is start-up time. If it's having to boot up every time (as opposed to coming out of standby) I would want to know, and for how long.

Hopefully it's only a handful of seconds. What's kind of stupid is how basically none offer a standby mode (unlike tablets) and have reboot every time you switch on the ignition.

• I would want to know what to expect in terms of sound quality output, if that's important to you. For example generic Android head units tend to be pretty poor while the name brands are up to 24bit resolution in some cases.

A $50 Bose Bluetooth APT-X receiver can produce excellent sound quality vs a generic head unit which can't. It depends on your needs, your system quality, and how picky you are.

• Also, how difficult will it be to root the head unit if you need to add functionality, apps that require root, or those for custom functions like Tasker etc? I would try to find out more about this, too.

In my case I've searched and searched and none of the generic Android head units can compare to a Nexus 7 install or in my case an Nvidia Shield Tablet & using the AutoSleeper app.

Just some things to be aware of.

(Note: There's a whole Reddit section dedicated to the Nexus 7 tablet use and it's pretty good. Have a look before you spend any money!)

Thanks for the info

Yes, audio is very important to me.

At the very least, it must have time alignment and 5.1 as I'm heavy into mobile theater.

The old XAV-W1 in my Land Cruiser sounds amazing.

I was my first 5.1 HU with time alignment and with a 7 speaker center channel mounted right above it, it sounds better than my home theater by far 😎

When I upgraded to the XAV-712HD in order to get Bluetooth, screen mirror, Pandora, etc., it was actually a little bit of a downgrade in sound cause I lost the center channel output (not to mention the Karaoke mic mode).

It sounds to me that he intends to watch video while driving, hence the statement about the tint.

Not that it matters, but how did you assume that from my first post?

Yes, I do admit to bypassing the parking lock on all of my HU screens and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one here who has 🙄

 

[tsmith1315]

Not that it matters, but how did you assume that from my first post?

Not from the first post, from this post:

Yes, I'm well aware of the legalities of driving while watching video (which is why I have limo tint lol)

I made the assumption, too.

 

[Travis Clarke]

Thanks for the info

Yes, audio is very important to me.

At the very least, it must have time alignment and 5.1 as I'm heavy into mobile theater.

The old XAV-W1 in my Land Cruiser sounds amazing.

I was my first 5.1 HU with time alignment and with a 7 speaker center channel mounted right above it, it sounds better than my home theater by far 😎

When I upgraded to the XAV-712HD in order to get Bluetooth, screen mirror, Pandora, etc., it was actually a little bit of a downgrade in sound cause I lost the center channel output (not to mention the Karaoke mic mode).

Hey there, I'm glad you mentioned that.

If you're needing 5.1 then unfortunately you're extremely limited. I know, because I have 5.1 Alpine DSP/decoder and have done the homework. My system is 5.1 capable.

For an Android device (unless there's a model out there I haven't seen yet) the only way to get 5.1 is via an Android device with HDMI output. That's because the bandwidth needed for 5.1 formats like Dolby Digital and DTS (as well as higher bitrate audio) is higher.

Android doesn't currently support 5.1 (and higher) passthrough via USB. Only a direct passthrough will work, and that means HDMI will be your only option.

I'm about to install a great little Monoprice HDMI audio extractor and I've already tested it for passthrough using the standard apps like Spotify, Google Play (stereo, 5.1), Kodi (5.1), MX Player (5.1), and others.

Bluetooth and analog outputs can't support the bandwidth for 5.1, only Pro Logic at best, which I have used also with them.

So you'll need to find a device that supports that. That's why I picked the Shield Tablet and tested it for this application. Some older phones also have mini-HDMI (MHL) and they'll work also, as I did the same using my Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

I do know there's also an inexpensive Windows tablet w/ HDMI that should be able to do similar via its HDMI port, but that's a can of worms I'd rather not open.

Hope this helps!

NOTE: I would say you should be sure that the system in your Land Cruiser is really 5.1, as unless I'm mistaken more likely it's Pro Logic II or a simulated surround. (I could be wrong).

I think I mostly saw DD/DTS systems in a few Acuras, Lexus, and other luxury models. The others had a derived "center" channel (not a true dedicated center).

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

NOTE: I would say you should be sure that the system in your Land Cruiser is really 5.1, as unless I'm mistaken more likely it's Pro Logic II or a simulated surround. (I could be wrong).

I think I mostly saw DD/DTS systems in a few Acuras, Lexus, and other luxury models. The others had a derived "center" channel (not a true dedicated center).

The XAV-W1 in my Land Cruiser has 5.1 (6 channels)

Sony XAVW1 DVD receiver at Crutchfield.com

The updated XAV-712HD only has 5 channels and a “virtual” 5.1

Sony XAV-712HD DVD receiver at Crutchfield.com

To be honest, I can live with the virtual 5.1 as I know 6 channel units are hard to come by

Not to mention adding a hidden center channel speaker won’t be as easy as it was in my Land Cruiser

As for the Android, I wouldn’t need 5.1 for all of the sources, just the DVD, but definitely time alignment for everything else.

 

[Travis Clarke]

It sounds to me that he intends to watch video while driving, hence the statement about the tint.

Hi Perry I think my comment earlier might have been a bit rude. Sorry about that - not sure why I did. Unfortunately I can't find an edit button.

---------------------

Hey 98 Snake Eater sorry I didn't know you had posted again. I looked at your Sony and that's a pretty neat unit. Almost never did I find a head unit with the 5.1 decoder built in over the years. Sounds nice, I bet!

At any rate, I'm now testing my Android tablet I mentioned earlier, connected via HDMI and out to my Alpine DSP/EQ/5.1 decoder. The sound quality is excellent!

We'll see how it does. Android can be weird at times and this is uncharted territory except those who are using the custom Nexus 7 install like over on Reddit (lots of info there).

I built my own custom center channel speaker as I modeled it in BassBox 6 Pro for great sound, unlike the "tinny" sounding ones I've had before.

Here's a pic of my installation.


Nvidia-Shield-Tablet-car-installation.JPG - Google Drive