Team-BHP - Car Audio Advice from the Audio Gurus: Use "Search thread" before posting a new Q!

Quote:

Originally Posted by straight6 (Post 4088068)

Pioneer strictly does not honor any warranty on products bought online. Their boxes have a sticker saying that so remember that. You would have been much better off buying from an authorized dealer in your city with bill and 2 years warranty. Most of them give around 30% discounts on MRP. I'm using the FH-X789BT.

I actually cancelled that order - saw a few negative comments about the seller. He has a comparatively low rating on the site though several purchases from him.

I'll just buy from a trusted local retailer of auto parts. Thanks!!

They also confirmed that they have no support for google maps on app radio. Only navmii. However .. appradio 4 supports google and apple maps. Maybe an upgraded firmware, or only for newer models?

http://www.appradioknows.com/navigation/

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4088090)

Check the Pioneer India website for dealers and models that you require. On the other hand, Sony has official dealers online. Personally I would only use Pioneer henceforth even though my previous one was a Blaupunkt New Jersey 220BT. The only other brand I tried in HU so far.

https://pioneer-india.in/category/2/head-units/

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4088090)

Many of the online sellers now give you physical invoices, so it never appears like you bought online. Alternatively, use the online price to negotiate at your local car audio shop

There seems to be a separate cable costing around 2k or so, that the vendor I'm using says will let this unit support google maps

He's giving me a rate of 25k plus 3k odd for a connector so no wire cutting is needed - the pioneer website rate is 29k for the HU alone

The vendor is on the pioneer website and also has some ok tbhp reviews, I used him for some non audio stuff a couple of years back. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/chenna...r-chennai.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by heydj (Post 4084745)

It also depends on DAC in source instrument, generally mp3 players and phones have some sort of DAC but quality of the same leaves lot to be desired. In recent times and since iPod classic 5th generation back in 2007, DAC in Apple phones and iPods leaves lot to be desired.

I personally switch off EQ on iPod when connected to car stereo as I can feel lot of distortion and my tweeters sounding hyper active. .

A player can be connected 3 ways to the HU: Aux, USB, separate cable

1) Aux
the player is processing it, using it's internal DAC and output passed on to teh HU for amplification / playing

2) USB.
If connected through USB, is the player's DAC even used ?
Player is just like a pen drive
3) If yes, how do you turn off the DAC ? Player or HU ?

4) If using a separate cable - like Alpine's full speed / full control cable (eg KCE-433iV) - the controls on the player are said to be disabled. In such situations, why use an ipod / other mp3 players ? The device is pretty much is passive and is acting like a USB storage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4088235)

VV Car Decors is a reputed vendor in Chennai, close to where I was staying (OMR). They have two big stores on OMR, and have a good reputation for quality

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 4088308)

A player can be connected 3 ways to the HU: Aux, USB, separate cable

2) USB.
If connected through USB, is the player's DAC even used ?
Player is just like a pen drive
3) If yes, how do you turn off the DAC ? Player or HU ?

4) If using a separate cable - like Alpine's full speed / full control cable (eg KCE-433iV) - the controls on the player are said to be disabled. In such situations, why use an ipod / other mp3 players ? The device is pretty much is passive and is acting like a USB storage.

In connecting iPod via USB EQ makes an impact on SQ, you can verify this by changing the setting and noticing difference.

DAC I am assuming always stays on, few years back I played same song via iPod connected in USB mode and pen drive. I preferred SQ of iPod as clarity and depth was more.

You can confirm this by playing same song file with Eq off via USB in iPod & pen drive connected to HU. Unless I am wrong SQ will be different. May I suggest using a song file with lot of instrument variations and bass effect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 4088308)

4) If using a separate cable - like Alpine's full speed / full control cable (eg KCE-433iV) - the controls on the player are said to be disabled. In such situations, why use an ipod / other mp3 players ? The device is pretty much is passive and is acting like a USB storage.

this is a bit tricky
The pinout has both serial RX/TX lines and analog L/R. I tried using an ipod emulator for the serial pins, and tried to send analog audio wia the L/R, but didnt get audio.

But I'm not sure if the digital is enough to send audio as it uses the serial interface, and I'm not sure if that offers enough bandwidth for, hq audio

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighwayofLife (Post 4088336)

VV Car Decors is a reputed vendor in Chennai, close to where I was staying (OMR). They have two big stores on OMR, and have a good reputation for quality

Yup - Vadivel of VV Car Decors came over personally to install it in my car, as I had gone to his smaller / older store (opposite the Ceebros in Thoraipakkam) and the HU was available in his Sholinganallur place.

He did a quite decent job - tried to upsell me to a reverse camera instead of just parking sensors etc, but well - that's expected.

He further says that using the appropriate cable + convertor from this lot will help open google maps or apple maps on the deck. https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/P...nd-iPod-Cables

One question - I tried to upgrade a firmware downloaded from the pioneer website. It tells me to extract a firmware file, copy it onto the root folder of an empty, FAT formatted USB drive ensuring that there are no other files in there. Then insert the usb stick, turn audio input off, choose "upgrade firmware" after noticing the firmware number, then not touch the screen / switch off etc till the upgrade is complete.

That is straightforward enough - but the trouble is that when I do this, the deck keeps refusing to use the file there, telling me to ensure that the stick is 100% empty except for the firmware. Each time, after bringing just a usb stick down, I mount the stick back onto my laptop and see that there's a new folder "Data" with another file in it, probably the deck has unpacked the firmware.

Anybody run into this and what am I missing here? If I succeed, the firmware 8.15 of the deck would get upgraded to 8.31.