Android Radio

[jLB]

If dad is responsible here, I'd go cheap and effective. Do the amp bypass so the speakers receive good clean signal from the headunit. All you need to do is run 8 speaker wires (2 per channel) from the headunit to the amp location under the seat and splice a power wire for the headunit at the amp plugs. There is a recent thread on the bypass.

The 'amp/signal' ground is the shared (-) output for each speaker channel. The metra harness combines the shielded grounds for each amp output into one, while the (+) output is split 4 ways. The amp itself is electrically grounded to the floor under the seat. The radio shares this same ground in the factory configuration.

I appreciate your input from your experience.

I'm not sure how "responsible dad" = speaker outputs of a cheap Chinese head unit, but it is always an option.

I see that some other Toyota forums report noise issues as well, with the Metra 70-8113 or Scosche TA03 when retaining the OEM amp.

It seems that the issue is not so much the quality of the Metra/Scosche harness, but that the OEM amp expects a different input than the typical aftermarket amplifier.

A relatively simple solution appears to be the addition of 4 resistors:

Scosche TA-03 Wiring Kit Noise Mod

Now I'm curious to see how the current Kenwood is connected to the system (installed by a 3rd party), as we haven't had any noise issues with that unit. Is it running through the OEM amp or is it directly wired to the speakers?

The current plan is to install the head unit when my son arrives home from college for summer (May), and have it functional with minimal changes. Speakers/aftermarket amp/sub(s) to be installed over June/July. It's a stereo upgrade, but it's also father son project time. If we run across a few issues, it will provide some teaching opportunities.

Again, I appreciate the heads up on the noise issue, as it will allow me to be a bit more prepared to deal with it.

 

[diego355]

Pioneer AVH-1300NEX or the 2300NEX, trusted brand with Android auto and Apple car play. Cant go wrong with those ones

 

[yotaboy]

i ordered a joying 10.1 in... still waiting on it to get here... but i'm pretty excited... have been waiting over a month for it because the one i wanted was out of stock but its on its way now!!!

 

[jLB]

Joying JY-UM135N2PX5 installed in my son's LC. We still have some tuning, tweaking and additional items to install, but the unit is in place and operational:

 

[jLB]

Curious about fitment, is anyone that is running these like those posted able to comment on Land Cruiser (prefer 98's for selfish reasons) trim plates needed or mods done, and can share pics?

(I realize the response is nearly a year after your post, but...) On the 7" Joying unit, in a 2000 LC, there was a little filing to square the corners up, and a little more at the top to open up the "height" a little more than Mr Toyota did. It did take a little time, but the only tool required was a file.

 

[jLB]

After a little time with the "Joying JY-UM135N2PX5" in my son's car, I would strongly suggest avoiding that specific model.

It seems that Joying uses multiple manufacturers to design/build their headunits, the "JY-UM135N2PX5" is manufactured by a company with the initials "QD", and our experience with the "QD" unit indicates that they have a number of issues that have not been resolved.

We have swapped it for a "Joying JY-UO135P4" (manufactured by a company with the initials "FYT"), which externally looks identical, and it seems that has resolved all of the issues that we had with the previous ("QD") unit.

(According to the xda-developers forum, the "QD" models end in "PX5", while the "FYT" models end in "P4")

 

[sleepycruiser]

I bought a Corehan off of Amazon last April and love it. It has some glitches, but works well and for the price of these things and what they can do it makes no sense to buy name brand.

 

[jLB]

I bought a Corehan off of Amazon last April and love it. It has some glitches, but works well and for the price of these things and what they can do it makes no sense to buy name brand.

Agreed, even with the "warts" of our initial unit, my son was ecstatic about the "upgrade" over the (3 year old) ~$1000 Kenwood headunit that it replaced.

 

[jdayment]

We really like ours it was a no name unit purchased off of Ebay haven't had any issues

 

[YardPig]

I would recommend the ATOTO brand of Android head units. They have excellent customer service and I have had zero problems with my model A6 with anything I have thrown at it.

 

[Slashzero]

Maybe I’m just really picky, but I had a Joying Android unit in my Tiguan for a few weeks. I couldn't stand all the quirks and issues it had. I ended up spending the extra money on a Pioneer NEX 5200 instead.

I'm not touching the stock Nav unit in my LC.

 

[BEG]

I was a big fan of the Joying when I got it, but I've given up on it. There were a lot of glitches from day-one: the factory version of android was incompatible with Google Maps (why I bought it in the first place), it doesn't connect to my OBDLink, the volume is finicky and now the screen is permanently black. I can still change the stations because I remember where the buttons are (touch screen still works) but I can't do much else. Joying has agreed to send me a replacement for $40, but I have to ship it back on my own dime and I need to document my packing procedure and send them photos. Even a new, working unit still wouldn't do what I need it to so I bit the bullet and bought a name brand unit with Android Auto. I would've preferred just straight Android, but none of the recognizable manufacturers are in that game yet.

 

[87warrior]

Only recently have I had any grief with my ATOTO M4 unit. The Android OS is stuck in whatever version it ships to you, so no updates to 4.4 KitKat. One of my favorite apps to use was the Amazon Prime music app. I could download music directly to the headunit and play it offline, until Amazon pushed an update to the app which prevents 'rooted' devices from playing music offline on older versions of Android. The Amazon app sees the odd ROM of the unit as rooted and will not play music offline. I am going to try and find a clean .apk file of the previous version of the Amazon app to see if it will work again.

Other than that, the ATOTO unit has been great. It quickly connects to my OBDLink and Mobilnkd TNC. It runs Google Maps offline, Back Country Navigator, Torque and APRS Droid without issue. I even have a 100 series FSM .pdf saved on the thing.

The next time I buy one of these radios, I will make sure to get one with the most up-to-date version of Android OS as possible.

 

[YardPig]

Only recently have I had any grief with my ATOTO M4 unit. The Android OS is stuck in whatever version it ships to you, so no updates to 4.4 KitKat. One of my favorite apps to use was the Amazon Prime music app. I could download music directly to the headunit and play it offline, until Amazon pushed an update to the app which prevents 'rooted' devices from playing music offline on older versions of Android. The Amazon app sees the odd ROM of the unit as rooted and will not play music offline. I am going to try and find a clean .apk file of the previous version of the Amazon app to see if it will work again.

Other than that, the ATOTO unit has been great. It quickly connects to my OBDLink and Mobilnkd TNC. It runs Google Maps offline, Back Country Navigator, Torque and APRS Droid without issue. I even have a 100 series FSM .pdf saved on the thing.

The next time I buy one of these radios, I will make sure to get one with the most up-to-date version of Android OS as possible.

The M4 is pretty old now...amazing how technology changes...

 

[beachbumin]

Seems like there have been a few more issues popping up. Dont expect it to be amazing for the price but dont want to tear up my stock dash for something that wont be permanent....