Touchscreen radio

[Dustin L.]

3 questions

1) Is it possible to only replace the screen with an android auto receiver? I understand there would be a ton of wiring involved but my thing is that I don't wanna change the way everything looks cosmetically on the outside. I have heard of people doing stuff with apple tv. Didn't know if anyone has done anything with android.

2) Is there any way to connect a USB drive to the radio? Rather then use the aux cable to connect with my phone to play music (the sound quality is TERRIBLE when I use the aux cable) I would love to be able to connect a USB drive with all my music files and just go from there.

3) I know (or at least I think I know) that the CD player will only read CD's. I've tried to load just music files on a rewritable dvd and it won't read it. Is there a way to get around this?

THXS in advance for everyone input

[Napalm]

YOU can't use a DVD but if you use a re-writeable CD, or a writeable CD it does read them. SO you can put your tunes in MP3 format on a CD and it reads them. I used to do this often.

today I plug in my mobile.

As far as your other questions - there is a kit out there that trades out the entire headunit device and replaces it with an computer running android - with connections and BT and USB and the like that fully updates the headunit - but uses a stock like bezel and face plate. Runs the AC controls and everything. There is another long thread about it in the electronics section.

Otherwise - I have thought for brief moment of time to making a raspberry pi device that would plug into where the old XM radio module went. So that it used BT or USB to somethng and pumped the tunes out down the XM radio input line. But also read CAN BUSS inputs so when I "change channels" on XM - it trades tracks for me. but I never went any further on it.

The new headunit fixes alot of you issues.

A writeable CD fixes some of you issues.

AC controls is the big kicker here. There are a few other ways to fix that - none are what I would call easy. I sort of want a new headunit like a Kenwood or JVC - and new AC controls. Sort of which I had a PPV

[Dustin L.]

Is your audio that you use to go from your phone to the head unit though the aux cord have bad sound? For me the sound going through the aux is terrible compared to a CD that I play in the CD player. Its kind of like the quality of sound you would get from a CD vs what you would hear on a radio station. Just not the same quality. Or at least that's what is happening for me. Are there different kinds of aux cables out there that perform better than others? Kind of like a HDMI cord. Also do you know where at in the forums the head unit replacement is? There are hundred of forums. If you don't know then I will just have to search for it. THXS

[Napalm]

Since the aux input is a analog L/R patch cord - quality of that cord is very important. I get the occasional noise though mine when I charge my phone up until I bought a better charger device. Just wasn't grounded good.

New plug in fixed that - but that little but of ripple noise - leaked though.

Likewise cheaper patch cords use cheap ends - so if they don't fit into theport clean and snug - they sound liek shat.

Finally quality of the audio section of your moblile has tonnes to do with it too. SOme newer mobiles have shit headphone ports. or weak audio sections - becasue they are meant for you to only use BT. Or in other cases you don't have a headphone port - so you're using another adapter in between and it's audio section sucks.

My mobile is an LGV40 - it has a strong audio section and very high quality DAC with some amplification. I had a v20 before this. Major difference over the samsuck I had before that. SO the device plays a big role too.

Then there is what you are playing. Low rate MP3 vs Ogg Vorbis vs FLAC - and does your player have the ability to output quality. Example - as good as the audio section of my mobile is - PANDORA still sounds like trash becasue it's low res audio files. Vs - Spotify Premium, or Using Jet Audio and a HQ MP3 or a FLAC file. At the point I'm suing Spotify Premium at full quality - it's actually beyond the capability of the G8 Radio to output cleaner sound since I'm still on stock parts there. Vs what I hear when I play that over my home audio system.

Hope that helps.

TLDR - Cord matters, mobile matters and what you stream matters but don't get too carried away unless you have HQ audio stuff in the car too. If oyu had that you probably wouldn't have started this thread.

[Dustin L.]

LOL I love your last sentence. Everything you said does make sense I have no idea on how well my phone does as far as the output goes for the audio. Step 1 will be to find a good aux cable. Not sure where I got it from other than a box in my office that had a bunch of other junk so I will buy one that I know is better quality and see where that takes me. THXS

[Napalm]

monoprice is a good place. OR if you are so inclined - make your own. I think I'm about to do this myself.

get a quality Headphone ends - there are stores that specialize in this. Then some good wire - do your own braid - soldier on - etc.

I've seen other where they used RCA plug interconnects - and 2 headphone to RCA adapters. meh

side note - make sure on your mobile you turn up it's volume when plugged in. This gets a touch annoying. Example - when I use my headphones - my volume is around 24-28. when plugged into my car the volume it as 65 on a 70 scale. this way your mobile is pushing strong signal to the headunit. Not everyone things of this - but the weaker that signal the more work the headunit has to do - so let the mobile push.

Also - and I've thought of this too - getting a stand alone player that you can load up. I was going to use an old mobile - I kept my old one. but There are other quality players still on themarket. Cowon and Creative still make players. Just a thought.