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$170 9" Wireless CarPlay radio that doesn't suck

ProjectTwin

ProjectTwin

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2020
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A lot of people liked the Boss Elite 10.1" that was $400 and had a single USB for CarPlay and Android Auto.

I loved it, put it in my F-250, then moved it to my daughter's car.

I had been using a Pioneer 2600 which has CarPlay via USB and have been happy with it, but liked the wireless CarPlay that the Audi has with the Kenwood 9906XR...so I started looking for a wireless CarPlay radio that doesn't suck

I found this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1LJZ3PZ

9" touchscreen. Wireless CarPlay. Fuggin' $170. $183 after taxes.

Got it here and put it on the bench.

Wireless CarPlay works like this: Connect your phone to the radio via Bluetooth. In the radio, click on the Zlink app. Since you are paired to the radio the radio will create a Wi-fi network and your phone should connect to it. If it doesn't, just select the Wi-fi network from your phone. Done. Nothing to download to your phone.

Found the the wireless CarPlay will give you full range pink noise. No loss of info.

The radio has a 16-band EQ, and "hi-fi" (loudness) button, a balance/fade control, and that's about it for audio controls

RCA preouts are a Left/Right pair and a mono Subwoofer output. The Left/Right RCAs are full range. The Sub RCA has a low-pass filter that gives you response from 125Hz and down. Pre-out voltage is 1.4-1.5 Volts.

High level outputs have a high-pass filter on them that limits low end response to protect your typical door speakers from damage if you send subwoofer freqs to them. Not a huge deal. The 16-band EQ, combined with the "Hi-Fi" (loudness) button, will bring the low end back. The Hi-Fi button does that on it's own.

I actually got TWO units. The first one bench tested fine and I put it in the xB to do in-vehicle testing I connected to an adapter harness (soldered/heat-shrinked connections) and it was performing great. Sounded just as good as the Pioneer I had in the xB, but I found myself wanting more volume. This is a result of the low (1.5V) pre-out voltage. Not a huge deal. Can be corrected with a simple input level adjustment at the processor/amplifiers.

So all was great...until after about 20 minutes when I lost sound. Found out that the processor and amps weren't on. The head unit was no longer sending power out on the remote turn-on wire.

Boxed it up, contacted Amazon, and sent it in for exchange.

Today the replacement showed up.

On the bench this one tested the exact same. Great signal across Wi-Fi and all, but had the same 1.5V RCA pre-out. The difference was that with this one, the remote out didn't even provide power on the bench. *kicks dirt

So when I soldered the harness for this one I just put a pigtail with a female bullet connector in the solder connection for accessory power and put the male bullet connector on my remote turn-on lead that goes to the processor.

Put it in the vehicle and it works great.

Since it's Android based you can download stuff like Torque and use a Bluetooth OBDII to display engine/vehicle info on the head unit. You can also use an app called Car Launcher (or Car Launcher Pro) and change/reconfigure the skin on the radio to suit your style.

Anyway, thought I'd share. It does wired and wireless CarPlay but it only does wired Android Auto.

I'll have a video in the next few days on this one.

1663809864438.png


1663809880767.png
 
Lee said:
Is there a version with a volume knob?
Click to expand...

Nope. Capacitive touch buttons on the left. Once you touch (or touch and hold) volume up or down it will adjust but a volume bar also appears on the bottom of the screen. You can touch/drag to turn up/down if you want.
 
I am looking for an old two-knob, dash-mounted AM or maybe an AM/FM unit. I've trashed so many over the years!
 
Don't remember where I read it or who I talked to, but after the car show last fall it stuck in my head to only look for 5v output instead of 1.5v.

Where are you adjusting to compensate for that later on down :confused:
 
Provience said:
Don't remember where I read it or who I talked to, but after the car show last fall it stuck in my head to only look for 5v output instead of 1.5v.

Where are you adjusting to compensate for that later on down :confused:
Click to expand...

You can get a line driver.

Can also adjust input level on some processors.
 
I'm on my second Boss Elite. I hate the fucking thing. My biggest complaints are that the hands free call volume is too low. It seems to me that I should be able to turn the call volume as loud as the music like any modern car with factory stuff will do, but you can't.

It won't keep time or date. I've double and tripled checked the inputs and they are all correct. It's a software issue in the HU.

At first I was excited to have a touch screen wizz bang radio in my old truck, but now I'm mad that I spent $400 on a radio that's barely better than my old Super Tuner.
 
Johnny Longrifle said:
I'm on my second Boss Elite. I hate the fucking thing. My biggest complaints are that the hands free call volume is too low. It seems to me that I should be able to turn the call volume as loud as the music like any modern car with factory stuff will do, but you can't.

It won't keep time or date. I've double and tripled checked the inputs and they are all correct. It's a software issue in the HU.

At first I was excited to have a touch screen wizz bang radio in my old truck, but now I'm mad that I spent $400 on a radio that's barely better than my old Super Tuner.
Click to expand...

Weird. We’ve had none of those issues. Which model do you have?
 
Johnny Longrifle said:
I'm on my second Boss Elite. I hate the fucking thing. My biggest complaints are that the hands free call volume is too low. It seems to me that I should be able to turn the call volume as loud as the music like any modern car with factory stuff will do, but you can't.

It won't keep time or date. I've double and tripled checked the inputs and they are all correct. It's a software issue in the HU.

At first I was excited to have a touch screen wizz bang radio in my old truck, but now I'm mad that I spent $400 on a radio that's barely better than my old Super Tuner.
Click to expand...
We have been happy with the one in the wife's GMT800, my only complaint is that the built in microphone is not overly good...

Aaron Z
 
Fuck that model you posted.

In that price range, you can get the Atoto A6/F7/whatever.


I've installed 4 now for friends, and they just work. And some of them have volume knobs.
 
ProjectTwin said:
A lot of people liked the Boss Elite 10.1" that was $400 and had a single USB for CarPlay and Android Auto.

I loved it, put it in my F-250, then moved it to my daughter's car.

I had been using a Pioneer 2600 which has CarPlay via USB and have been happy with it, but liked the wireless CarPlay that the Audi has with the Kenwood 9906XR...so I started looking for a wireless CarPlay radio that doesn't suck.
Click to expand...

Let's say I'm wanting to upgrade my 04 gmc truck to an Android auto unit at the less than 400$ price point. It's there boss 10.1 elite still the way to go? I'd love wireless AA... But that seems to be on more expensive units? I'm not building a crazy system to go with it.
 
Johnny Longrifle said:
I'm on my second Boss Elite. I hate the fucking thing. My biggest complaints are that the hands free call volume is too low. It seems to me that I should be able to turn the call volume as loud as the music like any modern car with factory stuff will do, but you can't.

It won't keep time or date. I've double and tripled checked the inputs and they are all correct. It's a software issue in the HU.

At first I was excited to have a touch screen wizz bang radio in my old truck, but now I'm mad that I spent $400 on a radio that's barely better than my old Super Tuner.
Click to expand...

interesting. I was going to ping you to ask if yours reduced volume in reverse... it's a weird thign.
I'm starting to lose reverse camera connectivity from time to time... not sure why.
 
Clemson13 said:
Let's say I'm wanting to upgrade my 04 gmc truck to an Android auto unit at the less than 400$ price point. It's there boss 10.1 elite still the way to go? I'd love wireless AA... But that seems to be on more expensive units? I'm not building a crazy system to go with it.
Click to expand...
www.crutchfield.com

Sony XAV-AX3200

Digital multimedia receiver (does not play discs)
www.crutchfield.com www.crutchfield.com

I put this one in my little economy car and it's reliable and does well with android auto (wired). It has mirror as well but I never use it. I liked the FM sensitivity on it for the price range and features. In our area, we have several places with no cell coverage, but you can get an fm radio signal with a decent receiver.
 
rockota said:
interesting. I was going to ping you to ask if yours reduced volume in reverse... it's a weird thign.
I'm starting to lose reverse camera connectivity from time to time... not sure why.
Click to expand...
Thats another thing it does. Sometimes it reduces volume, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes if the truck is in reverse when you start it, the HU doesn't start up correctly. I've had no issues with the cameras though. (yet)
 
This is a pretty interesting deal. Funny question, appx how deep is it? It's hard to tell from the pictures on the listing, but it looks pretty shallow. My jeeps are mostly 1.5 din, but have a small overhang in the dash right above the radio which means any large screen head unit will most likely need to protrude towards the occupants just a bit. This almost looks shallow enough to sit just outside of the original opening with some custom brackets and minimal trimming
 
I was an Alpine snob for a long time, have had a few Clarion and Pioneers too. I've had my share of cheap junk too, mostly Jensen, but I was always under the impression that Boss, Pyle, Dual, etc. were all bottom of the barrel junk? I've got a few Android based Chinesium screens with volume knobs and decent reviews in my wish list on Amazon, I figured they'd be at least as good as those pawn shop and budget flea market brands. Has Boss really come around to being at least moderately acceptable?

junkytj said:
www.crutchfield.com

Sony XAV-AX3200

Digital multimedia receiver (does not play discs)
www.crutchfield.com www.crutchfield.com

I put this one in my little economy car and it's reliable and does well with android auto (wired). It has mirror as well but I never use it. I liked the FM sensitivity on it for the price range and features. In our area, we have several places with no cell coverage, but you can get an fm radio signal with a decent receiver.
Click to expand...

I put the XAV-AX1000 in Jewel's Grand Marquis a few years ago. It's the Apple Car Play version with a volume knob. Having a knob was one of the main reasons I went with it. It doesn't have Android Auto, but my Pixel streams audio and phone calls to it fine over Bluetooth fine, no screen mirroring though. Jewels is an Apple user despite my best efforts, so Android Auto wasn't a priority.

Crutchfield says it's discontinued, but it's still available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-XAVAX1000-CarPlay-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B07JDFKQJ5
 
Bacho said:
I understand the mirror link carplay options generally suck. Is that correct?
Click to expand...

I don't use MirrorLink. Never liked it.

Clemson13 said:
Let's say I'm wanting to upgrade my 04 gmc truck to an Android auto unit at the less than 400$ price point. It's there boss 10.1 elite still the way to go? I'd love wireless AA... But that seems to be on more expensive units? I'm not building a crazy system to go with it.
Click to expand...

Daughter has had zero issues with the Boss Elite 10.1. I had zero issues with it when I used it in my truck.

Johnny Longrifle said:
I have the BE7ACP This one. Junk

irate4x4.com

OBS modernization

decent video on the install...
irate4x4.com irate4x4.com
Click to expand...

I have heard complaints about that one.

AgitatedPancake said:
This is a pretty interesting deal. Funny question, appx how deep is it? It's hard to tell from the pictures on the listing, but it looks pretty shallow. My jeeps are mostly 1.5 din, but have a small overhang in the dash right above the radio which means any large screen head unit will most likely need to protrude towards the occupants just a bit. This almost looks shallow enough to sit just outside of the original opening with some custom brackets and minimal trimming
Click to expand...

Not very deep at all. The housing for the display is 1/2" thick. From the back of the housing to the back of the "chassis" is 1.3".
 
I get that it's cheap, but all I've ever experienced with boss was 3000w amps that did about 300w, and head units that sucked and then died.


What is everyone using these days to feed the amp signal? 1.5v seems like nothing, so I'm assuming you're using a pre-amp?



I'm also old enough that I only buy Alpine and pioneer since they last forever. I'm still rocking a deh-p960 from 04 :laughing:
 
Chevy_man said:
I get that it's cheap, but all I've ever experienced with boss was 3000w amps that did about 300w, and head units that sucked and then died.


What is everyone using these days to feed the amp signal? 1.5v seems like nothing, so I'm assuming you're using a pre-amp?



I'm also old enough that I only buy Alpine and pioneer since they last forever. I'm still rocking a deh-p960 from 04 :laughing:
Click to expand...

Boss and Boss Elite are different. That 10.1" is a solid product.

I'm not a fan of Pioneer or Alpine head units anymore. Kenwood or Sony if you're looking at brands.

A line driver can be used. Can also just level match at the amp. That's why gain/level controls are on them. To adjust to the input signal.
 
ProjectTwin said:
Boss and Boss Elite are different. That 10.1" is a solid product.

I'm not a fan of Pioneer or Alpine head units anymore. Kenwood or Sony if you're looking at brands.

A line driver can be used. Can also just level match at the amp. That's why gain/level controls are on them. To adjust to the input signal.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I'll ever get over Sony being completely off the mark years ago. I shudder when I see one still.
 
Chevy_man said:
I don't know if I'll ever get over Sony being completely off the mark years ago. I shudder when I see one still.
Click to expand...
It was tough for me to buy that Sony, but it was the only "name brand" that had the features I wanted (have I mentioned the volume knob yet? :flipoff2:) and decent reviews, on the market at the time. Other option was a Kenwood for about the same price, but it had abysmal reviews. So far I'm pleased.
 
I wanna upgrade the thing in my Mercedes but have no idea if that's even possible, since the damned thing seems so integrated in a LOT of what the car does.

I guess I've not kept up with this sort of thing nearly enough.
 
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