Any head unit recommendations? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

VagabondJesse

VagabondJesse

Joined
Mar 30, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
85
Location
Longmont, CO
I finished the nav delete in my '01 about a year ago, and installed an ATOTO A6 Premium (Amazon product ASIN B07CMV84L2). I liked all the features, and it had reasonably good reviews. Specifically I wanted something that had a web browser so I could use that for an upcoming project to control some of my vehicle accessories. I've only got one real complaint about the head unit- it is sloooow. Unusably so. It doesn't matter if I'm trying to scroll through the artist list in the music player, start/stop a route in Gaia, or pull up current numbers in Torque. It takes forever. And forget about trying to use multiple apps simultaneously. I've tried everything I can to speed things up- disabled all services I don't need, frequently clearing running apps, resetting it, etc. I'm giving up and moving on.

So, does anyone have recommendations for a double-DIN head unit they like? I need web browsing functionality, and consider it a very nice-to-have to be able to run apps like Torque, Gaia, etc. I haven't ever used Android Auto, but it would be ideal if I didn't need to have my phone in the car in order to use functionality that doesn't require an internet connection. Despite trying to read up on it, I'm still not clear on how well an Android Auto head unit would work for my needs if there's not a phone around, so I'd welcome any input on that. I've toyed with the idea of building a Raspberry Pi-based head unit, but it would be a fairly lengthy project to incorporate all the features of a modern head unit (4-channel audio + sub, GPS, AM/FM, turning on/off with the car, etc), and I'd rather put my time elsewhere for now.

Thanks in advance!
 
No I have not but Joying has been making vast improvements to their Android units over the last few years. These are the first that look super legit in terms of specs. I would give them a try. They have excellent customer service I do know that.
 
Decided to take the plunge with an Android unit. Tired of my Android Auto connectivity issues with my Alpine. Mainly want it to run Torque and related Diagnostic apps. This one has the fastest chip available w/ 6gb Ram/128gb Rom. Also has wireless Apple Carplay. Will report back once installed.

Screenshots_2021-05-26-09-44-57~2.png
 
Another vote for the JOYING headunits. Second one in two vehicles and they have been great. Had an issue with the first one in my old FJ60 after about a year of use and their customer service was actually awesome and they replaced the main unit for me.

About this time last year I threw in the 7" double-din in my 100 and it has worked great (pretty sure this is it, here is the Android 10 version ). Used Gaia on it this weekend and while it wasn't super speedy loading up it does fairly quickly. This is the older one with Android 8 on it so I am sure that the software/firmware have been updated to make them faster for certain things but there is no real gripe there. I specifically got the unit with the rheostat volume knob (to keep some of the aesthetic) and it works pretty good but there is no real definitive "CLICK" felt or heard when changing the volume and it can be touchy at times.

Untitled by Greg Fisicaro, on Flickr

NOTE: I did have to do some trimming and sizing of the bezel to get it to fit flush like it does. If you go this route just be prepared with a dremel with a sanding tube and some files (round file for the corners) to help clearance everything. There was not a whole lot that needed to be done, but it is also not a perfect fit when starting out.
 
RoughOne said:
Decided to take the plunge with an Android unit. Tired of my Android Auto connectivity issues with my Alpine. Mainly want it to run Torque and related Diagnostic apps. This one has the fastest chip available w/ 6gb Ram/128gb Rom. Also has wireless Apple Carplay. Will report back once installed.

View attachment 2685230
Click to expand...

I am curious about this too. I want to run a wireless diagnostic tool to the head unit as well.
 
Thanks for the feedback! I may take the plunge too and grab a Joying unit and share my thoughts after some use.
 
VagabondJesse said:
Thanks for the feedback! I may take the plunge too and grab a Joying unit and share my thoughts after some use.
Click to expand...
Actually I did not go with Joying. They do not offer a 9" version with the latest chip and specs. This unit is specifically designed for 98-02 models. I went with a new to me brand - ZOHONG
 
fj40crusher said:
I have something similar for one of my cars. Not sure of the brand but it links to my phone so should work fine.
Click to expand...
Im sure it will as I have seen this scanner rebranded by many. I do not know what justifies the price differences in them but this is what Joying and ZOHONG recommend. Its the cheapest I've seen as well so will start from here.
 
Nice! I went back and forth between that exact 10.1 unit and a double DIN android unit. I ended up with the 7.1 double DIN which had really bad quality control and some nuances. The worst was the screen that turned that flickered whenever I hit a bump. Even opened up per the seller and made sure the connections were secure. Eventually gave up and returned it for a Kenwood DMX906s.

I do miss the screen resolution, customization and apps available with the android but the Kenwood has good Bluetooth connectivity/sound quality and never crashes. I still wish i tried out that 10.1 though.

Good luck with the install and make sure they install the internet antenna so that you can tether off of you phone.
 
So tip, measure the screen and then go on Amazon and get a MATTE Finish ipad/kindle/whatever screen cover/protector to cover it. Will help with the glare and still keep it functional for all touch functionality.
 
And here I was thinking I'd have to wait until next month to get some thoughts! Would love to know your impressions after you've got some runtime with it.
 
VagabondJesse said:
And here I was thinking I'd have to wait until next month to get some thoughts! Would love to know your impressions after you've got some runtime with it.
Click to expand...
Off the top, I feel like I just added 3 grand to the value of my rig. The whole world at the tip of my fingertips. Wired up to 2021 standards.

I do not have this unit hooked up to sound yet as I just sold my amplifier thus I can not comment on sound quality.


Pros: - Very fast boot time
- Very fast processor, little to no lag
- Very fast touch sensitive responsive screen
- Plenty of storage (128gb)
- Big clear crisp HD screen
- Settings galore (fully customizable)
- Many launchers available to suit everyone's needs
- Wi- Fi with external antenna
- Optical out
- Abundant amount of beneficial apps you can not otherwise obtain on traditional stereos including Obd2 scanning apps.
- Stock Nav app is amazing. (external GPS antenna)
- Built in DSP has several presets for different music genres 31 band eq also fully tweakable. preset time alignments for different seating arrangements.
Crossovers, etc..

Cons: - Unit is mounted couple inches closer to me which I'm not used to the viewing angle.
- Glare in Sunlight ( will combat with gregnash's screen protector recommendation)

Overall very impressed and can't wait to discover all the great uses with this amazing unit!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Aftermarket head unit recommendations
Replies
0
Views
869
TexusLexus
T
shtbrwn86
Android head unit for 98-02 LX470?
Replies
3
Views
501
x8o8drifter
x8o8drifter
A
2005 Toyota Land Cruiser - Head Unit/Climate controls
Replies
2
Views
589
andyharrisVT
A
S
2002 LX470 Head Unit Replacement - Marc Levinson w/ NAV
Replies
1
Views
458
Skitz
Skitz

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom