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Motorola S705 A2DP bluetooth headset

What a truly excellent headset, this is the first headset I've ever had that just works.
On the Bluetooth side of things it claims to have hundred metre Bluetooth, which I always thought would only work if the device it is connected to is also hundred metre capable, which may or may not be the case as I have not been able to get a hundred meters away yet. What I will say is that unlike any other headset I've ever had, I can for the first time freely wander around my flat without any audio dropouts or interruption both on phone calls and whilst listening to music no matter how far away from my phone I get. The fact that it has a standard headphones connector is a brilliant idea and allows me to use my Sennheiser's
Another first is the FM radio, that actually does work using the headphones cable as the aerial. I have had several devices in the past that have attempted to do this, and none have ever worked properly as they tend to only find the strongest signals (the worst offender being the Nokia HS-12). As an added bonus the radio is also RDS.
It has a simple but intuitive menu system, the sound quality is excellent but thats probably more to do with my headphones than the actual device.
The downside is that it is a little bit big but this just makes it a comfortable size to use.
It is hard to put into words how well it just works, my previous headset a Sony Ericsson HBH970, had some funny quirks. For example, when in stereo mode if you have audible taps enabled it would be mute for the first four screen taps, and then on the fifth screen tap It would play all the taps together as though it had been buffering the audio, whereas this plays them as they happen. I think ultimately, quirks like this come down to the fact that the majority of headsets that we purchase are not designed to be used with PDA phones, but rather specific phones from the same manufacturer as the headset, this device has been designed from the ground up work with everything. Or so, it says. and I for one believe it.

does it have vibrate option?

nope, my other option was the itech clip D-radio (not to be confused with the itech clip radio), which does vibrate, and also has the abilitiy to let you look though your last calls list and dial from that ! but availability is an issue because it is new, so unless you want it from a dodgy hong kong ebayer with only 95% feedback and a history of selling counterfeit items. you will have to wait !
PS it has no RDS and only 10M bluetooth but is otherwise very similarly featured

ice_coffee said:
nope, my other option was the itech clip D-radio (not to be confused with the itech clip radio), which does vibrate, and also has the abilitiy to let you look though your last calls list and dial from that !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure the D-radio vibrates? The sites I see says it has "3 buzzer alert modes for incoming calls" which I thought probably meant it has three different ringtones built in for different caller IDs.

hmmm you have got me thinking now, but im fairly sure I read that it vibrated, but maybe your right.

ice_coffee said:
hmmm you have got me thinking now, but im fairly sure I read that it vibrated, but maybe your right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you are right. I really need a pendant style A2DP headset that vibrates.

I thought it's not being sold any more? I was looking to use it with the bluetooth vibrating bracelet but couldn't find it on the moto website.

[Q] CyanogenMod & Bluetooth Effective Range

I have poked around and I know that the Bluetooth range seems extremely limited (perhaps 1ft) once BT is enabled in CyanogenMod. Has a root-cause for this short range been determined? For example, I'd happily solder a wire onto the motherboard if that's a known solution for the poor range.
I seem to recall that Bluetooth can vary the transmitter's power output, to preserver battery life. Perhaps the driver has a setting to "max" the transmission strength.
PS: I have to say, I'd never have kept my NookColor (that is, back to Best Buy) without these excellent kernel options. Everyone's work is much appreciated. Thanks!

well my experience has been (with both BT gps and headset) more than 1 feet - in the case of my headset - up to 4 feet before it cuts out. with the gps 2 feet
now the one issue i have is if i disconnect a peripheral, it is difficult to reconnect the peripheral often have to reboot the nook to reconnect with the peripheral
wpscully said:
I have poked around and I know that the Bluetooth range seems extremely limited (perhaps 1ft) once BT is enabled in CyanogenMod. Has a root-cause for this short range been determined? For example, I'd happily solder a wire onto the motherboard if that's a known solution for the poor range.
I seem to recall that Bluetooth can vary the transmitter's power output, to preserver battery life. Perhaps the driver has a setting to "max" the transmission strength.
PS: I have to say, I'd never have kept my NookColor (that is, back to Best Buy) without these excellent kernel options. Everyone's work is much appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

It's not been figured out, but I read in a breakdown thread that the chip was hooked up correctly and it wasn't a hardware problem.

From what I know, it's because the Wifi and bluetooth are on the same chip and share a single antenna. Most of the time, they have two antennas (this is not first hand info, I read this somewhere over on the CM7 forums)
As for bluetooth range, it sure seems its dependent on the item. For example, some keyboards have been REPORTED to work 10+ feet away, while most headsets seem to range in the 2-3 foot range.

Headset question
I have a question about headphones. I can get mine paired but not connected. They show up correct in the listed devices but i cannot get them to work with pandora. Music streams from the speaker. Any hints or suggestions on how to rectify.
Thanks to all on this forum.

chisleu said:
It's not been figured out, but I read in a breakdown thread that the chip was hooked up correctly and it wasn't a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have cyfi, DR-BT21G, Motorola Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, and Motorola S305 paired.
All but the keyboard are listed as headphones. the cyfi is a wireless sports speaker. The cyfi comes with an attachment that allows it to securely attached to your bike. I got it from woot. The item was originally $150 got on close out from woot for $40.
The keyboard I tried at horizon and have it on order from walmart. I am using a white 3 3/4" plate/photo holder from JoAnn's fabric as my stand. I don't remember the keyboad's range will edit when it comes in.
The cyfi, sony DR-BT21G, and Motorola 305 range is 13" or less with good results found when about 2" or less from the nook color. Thus the only useable devices are the cyfi and keyboard.
Using the cyfi with flash video from cm7 flash 10.2, two interesting things happen. First with bluetooth from the cyfi the flash video plays at full hardware speeds. Second if we have a slower connection the download/buffering indicator occurs more frequently when using the bluetooth cyfi for audio. Turn bluetooth off the flash video loads/buffers normally. Reconnect the bluetooth and it load/buffers again.

lschroeder said:
Using the cyfi with flash video from cm7 flash 10.2, two interesting things happen. First with bluetooth from the cyfi the flash video plays at full hardware speeds. Second if we have a slower connection the download/buffering indicator occurs more frequently when using the bluetooth cyfi for audio. Turn bluetooth off the flash video loads/buffers normally. Reconnect the bluetooth and it load/buffers again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is interesting indeed. Maybe the wifi has something to do with my keyboard being disconnected constantly...

Bluetooth audio issues

Got my One today... Pleased so far until I went for a drive and tried out the bluetooth in the car and found a couple of issues:
1 - Audio keeps cutting out every 15 seconds or so. It'll play, then quickly go quiet, and then work its way back up to regular volume. Really annoying!
2 - The meta data is completely wrong. For example, I was playing a podcast via Doggcatcher, yet the meta data was for a track I'd been playing previously in Google Music.
Tried with Beats Audio on, and off, but didn't make any difference. I have several other phones of different makes/models etc... paired with the car and none of them have these issues.
Anyone else having these issues?

debug77 said:
Got my One today... Pleased so far until I went for a drive and tried out the bluetooth in the car and found a couple of issues:
1 - Audio keeps cutting out every 15 seconds or so. It'll play, then quickly go quiet, and then work its way back up to regular volume. Really annoying!
2 - The meta data is completely wrong. For example, I was playing a podcast via Doggcatcher, yet the meta data was for a track I'd been playing previously in Google Music.
Tried with Beats Audio on, and off, but didn't make any difference. I have several other phones of different makes/models etc... paired with the car and none of them have these issues.
Anyone else having these issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same issue, turning wifi off seemed to fix it :good:

The meta data issue is a common problem around Android phones I found out so far. I use N7player and on my car radio display it says Load 8.1 from Eisenfunk, but I'm playing I will be heard from Hatebreed. This happens on different phones with stock player installed.
The Load 8.1 from Eisenfunk is loaded in the stock music player, so the problem seems to be, that you have to find a workaround to get player X your standard player and disable everything else. Since I only use N7, I disabled every other player and it seems to work, but its a lazy workaround. Someone should find a fix for this. Maybe I should just use the stock filemanager and try to start a mp3 and than set N7 to default. Maybe this works.
For the BT cutting outs, I didn't recognize those cutouts. Don't ask me what is wrong at your side, I use a Pioneer DEH-X8500BT car radio and my HTC One is in my pocket. Do you have a bluetooth bridge like Belkin or Logitech BT Audio adapter or wireless speakers like Boombox or such thing so check if this happens with them, too? I had a issue once with a Samsung device and my Creative wireless speakersystem with BT connection and it was cutting off randomly until I found out that another app was causing this.

AW: Bluetooth audio issues
I had the same problem too and solved this by disabling the energy-saving-options. With energysaving all dataconnections will be disabled when the screen gets off.
You can also setup the energysavingsettings and disable the turn off from all dataconnections.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

AW: Bluetooth audio issues
These are the settings to disable.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

debug77 said:
Got my One today... Pleased so far until I went for a drive and tried out the bluetooth in the car and found a couple of issues:
1 - Audio keeps cutting out every 15 seconds or so. It'll play, then quickly go quiet, and then work its way back up to regular volume. Really annoying!
2 - The meta data is completely wrong. For example, I was playing a podcast via Doggcatcher, yet the meta data was for a track I'd been playing previously in Google Music.
Tried with Beats Audio on, and off, but didn't make any difference. I have several other phones of different makes/models etc... paired with the car and none of them have these issues.
Anyone else having these issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to have this problem in 1.28Rom with WifI turn on too, but it fixed in Rom 1.29. :laugh:

How did you get the updated rom?

Spewy1 said:
How did you get the updated rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work in Carrier shop in TW and for the Demo unit is already update to 1.29

ant78 said:
I had the same issue, turning wifi off seemed to fix it :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the pointers guys. I installed AutomateIt so that when it connects to my car's bluetooth, it disables WiFi (and then switches it back on when I get out). Seems to work a treat!
HTC asked me to fill in a support call, but by the sounds of it it's hopefully all sorted in the 1.29 ROM Let's hope for a speedy release of it around the world :good:
Not sure what to do about the meta data though. I use quite a few different music apps (Soundcloud, Google Music, Sony Music, and Doggcatcher) so setting one to be default isn't really a solution for me unfortunately.

I'm getting both issues but I saw this thread before I got my phone and knew to turn off the wifi. A minor inconvenience but glad it'll be fixed in the next update.
As for the meta data, I'm using Gone Mad music player (the dev recently put it on sale and I fancied a change from the now-abandoned ubermusic). I can confirm that the track never changed from the first one I played. Haven't yet tried the stock music player, but I do recall that I had a similar issue on my SGS3 when using a combination of stock, ubermusic and google music. Very annoying. I think the same happened in the brief moment I had the Xperia Z too, so I would agree that it's an Android issue, not necessarily a HTC issue.

Hey there,
not specifically related to use with car sets, but I have general BT headset issues. I already tested two of them. I get dropouts every now and then, i.e. I don't hear the one on the other end, plus people absolutely do not hear me most of the time when I use the BT headset - I have to speak into the phone, and even then no sound at times. No problems with my former HOX though. Can anyone confirm? Am I deemed to NOT use WLAN while having a BT headset connected in general?
Thanks in advance .

I've been having audio issues via A2DP - but again only with WiFi enabled. Not a problem in the car as Tasker will turn off WiFi for me. But in my house when using A2DP streaming, I want to use my WiFi.
Let's hope 1.29 fixes, otherwise I might consider a 5Ghz router...

An FYI. When these phones passed through the FCC I was such a geek that I actually read the transmitter testing. There is an affidavit in there about the BT and WiFI radios sharing an antenna and due to FCC restrictions that the two shall never transmit at the same time. All I can devise is they use a very fast radio switcher to ensure both can be on at once. That software that powers the transmitter transfer mechanism must be not optimized. Or worse, the hardware just really cant handle that. This is what happens when you have aluminum. Need to cram as much into antenna spots as possible. The I-phone 5 has the same setup but their software seems to handle it better. Hopefully this is fixed with a ROM release.

F*ck me, that would explain why I was able to make normal phone calls when I am outside my office - there is no WiFi to interfere! I will have to test tomorrow again, but feel a bit irritated about the fact that I cannot use Bluetooth for audio and WiFi at the same time. Thanks for pointing that out again!

jackdforme said:
An FYI. When these phones passed through the FCC I was such a geek that I actually read the transmitter testing. There is an affidavit in there about the BT and WiFI radios sharing an antenna and due to FCC restrictions that the two shall never transmit at the same time. All I can devise is they use a very fast radio switcher to ensure both can be on at once. That software that powers the transmitter transfer mechanism must be not optimized. Or worse, the hardware just really cant handle that. This is what happens when you have aluminum. Need to cram as much into antenna spots as possible. The I-phone 5 has the same setup but their software seems to handle it better. Hopefully this is fixed with a ROM release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that was true you'd never be able to stream content over Wi-Fi (Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify) and listen to it over BT. That's done all the time. Wi-Fi and BT both use the 2.4GHz frequency. Maybe the requirement you read applies to via separate antennas which may be why both share a single antenna. Aluminum and wireless signals don't mix. Asus had BT problems with the TF201 because they had to compensate for the aluminum back of the device by amping the Wi-Fi signal to the point it overpowered the weaker BT signal. Since turning off Wi-Fi improves BT performance (and range) something similar may be occurring on the One. With so few devices in people's hands it's too early to call.
Here's the LTE SGS3 for T-Mobile that just passed through the FCC compared to the One.

Hey I hear you and what your saying makes sense. The reality is a featured coding called time sharing. So due to an ultra fast buffering you are actually never transmitting both at once. That means this very well could be the culprit. Don't need to believe me. Check out the first letter from htc in the FCC registration. Clear as day.

jackdforme said:
Hey I hear you and what your saying makes sense. The reality is a featured coding called time sharing. So due to an ultra fast buffering you are actually never transmitting both at once. That means this very well could be the culprit. Don't need to believe me. Check out the first letter from htc in the FCC registration. Clear as day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's either the radio, h/w, s/w, or interference. The radio can be ruled out because the BCM4335 is specifically designed to reduce radio interference between competing signals. That leaves either something in the way the h/w is assembled, tuning of the radio drivers/settings or interference between the various radios caused by their output settings, antenna size/placement, or the aluminum body attenuating the signals. I guess time will tell which it is and whether or not it's a big deal to the majority of users.
The BCM4335 introduces the newest version of Broadcom's wireless coexistence technology. Handset makers can use this technology on 4G LTE cellular platforms to minimize the possibility of radio interference between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LTE, which operate in adjacent radio frequencies. Broadcom's Global Coexistence Interface supports the Bluetooth Special Interest Group's (SIG) LTE coexistence scheme and can be applied to future Broadcom LTE platforms, as well as 4G cellular platforms from other vendors.​http://www.broadcom.com/products/Wireless-LAN/802.11-Wireless-LAN-Solutions/BCM4335
Anand described the antenna structure but I don’t really understand whether he’s saying the entire horizontal aluminum strips on the back above and below the line of injected plastic are the antennas or that the design allows the discrete antennas to be more effective.
The One uses the top and bottom aluminum strips for antennas, both of which are actively tuned to mitigate unintended attenuation from being held. There’s a plastic insulative strip in-between the two antennas and the main body. In spite of being aluminum, the One also includes NFC, whose active area surrounds the camera region.​
But his comments don’t seem to jive with iFixit’s after their tear down. They seem to be implying the signals are transmitted through the plastic surround which makes sense but limits the transmission area.
The daughterboard remains, but there is still a mystery left unsolved. No phone operates without antennas, and antennas don't transmit signals well through metal walls. Considering that this daughterboard is on the receiving end of the motherboard's antenna cables and sits directly under the plastic bezel at the top of the phone, we're thinking it has something to do with wireless signals. See those three spring contacts along the top of the board? They meet the rear case in an area obscured by the plastic bezel. If we had to guess, that's where HTC put the antennas.​

I would like to post the declaration from the FCC site. Its says it and the model of the bt/wifi radio in the device as registered although the part number looks like the phones part number with a few extra numbers. I truly hope this isn't one of those situations where some BT is unaffected because of the other end having better or newer processors. A la modern BMW's. The professional radio BT sucks it. Always drops even the best phone BT. So, if this phone has a nice antenna split tech and can be very fast at switching transmission times, but the other side cant keep up with the chop, we have a long term problem. I cant post the link because I am too new. Sorry.

Using sense 1.28.771.6, bluetooth/wifi work fine simultaneously.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

I tried today with WiFi off and must admit that this is the (temporary) solution. I am on stock with 1.28.401.7 and DO have issues with WiFi and BT being used simultaneously. Now I can at least use BT with my headset.

Head units with android USB Audio!

TL;DR Auxillary and bluetooth have much lesser quality than USB. Video links below show stereo head units that support Android USB audio with app control for the best quality connection (Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music via USB in your car!) These are single DIN head units without AA.
For audiophiles such as myself, auxiliary cables or Bluetooth is unacceptable when connecting to my car audio system. With these methods, the phone acts as the digital to audio converter instead of the head unit thus greatly reducing sound quality on a high end system. With a USB connection, the phone only acts as storage and a music player while the head unit acts as the DCA.
Finding head units that have a compatible USB connection to android devices has been very difficult in the past. I resorted to storing all my music on an old iPod touch to get Spotify working with my car through USB. The new Android Open Accessory 2.0 is changing that.
I have found a few of youtube videos demonstrating Android USB plug and play connection with two different modes:
App control: Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Google Play Music ect. (Yes SPOTIFY!!!)
MTP: browse local music files.
- supports basic functions such as play/pause/next/prev
- should work with android version 4.1+
- beware: some head unit models require a software update which can be installed through usb.
- warning: these videos only show connection to nexus phones, meaning if your phone isn't running google edition AOSP, it could cause problems.
- note: AOA 2.0 is different than the android audio update with lollipop, which was meant to allow connection to a separate external DCA via USB OTG.
- more info about the 3 types of android USB connection found in this thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/an...3-will-android-l-allow-usb-audio-out-car.html
Videos with demonstration:
Pioneer DEH-X2800UI
https://youtu.be/gssbmXJ2pzw
Pioneer DEH-X3800UI
https://youtu.be/dztgOvrUnSE
Pioneer DEH-X5800HD
https://youtu.be/kReFemy4UmU
JVC KW-R910BT
https://youtu.be/h1n6WVefhKc
There are undoubtedly many other head units that support AOA 2.0, but these have video proof!
I have a Nexus 5x, I just ordered the Pioneer DEH-X3800UI for $75 on Amazon.
Ill have the head unit installed within the next week, and will give an update.
Hello Android USB Audio! Goodbye and good riddance iPod touch!

I'm hoping somebody has bought one of these headunits & can confirm how well it works.
Does it essentially work like a USB DAC would & all audio including waze, Poweramp youtube all play through the headunit and speakers?
edit: I found the answer, yes ALL audio goes through the headunit. See here:
go to 5:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyOh32a-cY8

TL;DR probably All head units with AOA 2.0 support that on the market right now have a clicking/micro pausing problem.
Sorry for a late response, I had to do some research, as explained below.
Now its time for the good, the bad, and the ugly!
The Good: The head unit preformed as promised, it was simple plug and play to rout all audio from the phone to the car speakers, matching Ipod via USB quality. Spotify, Youtube, Soundcloud, and even Maps navigation all worked.
The Bad: Every 5-30 seconds there is a quick high pitch clicking sound accompanied by a micro pause of the audio of about a quarter of a second. This clicking only happens with a constant audio stream such as a song, not with something brief such as a Maps navigation direction, nor when the phone is plugged in without any audio being streamed. Sometimes I would get lucky and the audio would be perfect for a couple minutes, once even for a couple songs. But when it does happen, the clicking is quite loud and high pitch and with micro pause it is easily noticeable during a normal song. I had 3 friends come listen to my "new setup" to ask them how it sounds, and all 3 of them noticed it. Unacceptable for an audiophile such as myself, so i did some research and conducted some experiments.
The Ugly: I devised a way to easily notice and keep track of the clicks. I played a low constant tone of a 40hz sine wave at high volume which made the abrupt high pitch clicks very loud (and annoying) in contrast to the low constant tone, and it made the micro pauses very obvious due to the interruption of the bass. With my phone I would hear random clicks every 5-30 seconds. I then tested 5 different android phones with various ROMs and about 10 different usb cords and many combinations of them. Clicking was reliably random. I changed kernel settings on some of the phones to see if the cpu performance was effecting it. I tried various apps such as sound about and the pioneer music app. Nothing changed.
I then went to an electronics store that had 8 head units available in store that supported Android Open Accessory 2.0. all hooked up for listening and ready for testing. There were 3 Pioneers, 2 JVC's, and 3 Kenwoods. ALL of them had the clicking problem. The Pioneers were the worst: the most frequent and loud clicks, followed closely behind by the JVC's. The Kenwoods, had clicks every 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and were about 40% less loud. I suspect that with the Kenwood head unit the average person might not be able to detect the clicking and micro pauses during a normal song, but I know i could in my high end system, especially after all this nonsense i would be passively listening for it.
Conclusion: I suspect that there is either a fundamental problem with Android Open Accessory 2.0 that causes the clicking, or the stereo manufacturers are cutting corners somewhere, or maybe some incompatibility issue with the software. I just don't know. I tried to do more research but I have found nothing online about this specific issue.

ibCurlyFry said:
TL;DR probably All head units with AOA 2.0 support that on the market right now have a clicking/micro pausing problem.
Sorry for a late response, I had to do some research, as explained below.
Now its time for the good, the bad, and the ugly!
The Good: The head unit preformed as promised, it was simple plug and play to rout all audio from the phone to the car speakers, matching Ipod via USB quality. Spotify, Youtube, Soundcloud, and even Maps navigation all worked.
The Bad: Every 5-30 seconds there is a quick high pitch clicking sound accompanied by a micro pause of the audio of about a quarter of a second. This clicking only happens with a constant audio stream such as a song, not with something brief such as a Maps navigation direction, nor when the phone is plugged in without any audio being streamed. Sometimes I would get lucky and the audio would be perfect for a couple minutes, once even for a couple songs. But when it does happen, the clicking is quite loud and high pitch and with micro pause it is easily noticeable during a normal song. I had 3 friends come listen to my "new setup" to ask them how it sounds, and all 3 of them noticed it. Unacceptable for an audiophile such as myself, so i did some research and conducted some experiments.
The Ugly: I devised a way to easily notice and keep track of the clicks. I played a low constant tone of a 40hz sine wave at high volume which made the abrupt high pitch clicks very loud (and annoying) in contrast to the low constant tone, and it made the micro pauses very obvious due to the interruption of the bass. With my phone I would hear random clicks every 5-30 seconds. I then tested 5 different android phones with various ROMs and about 10 different usb cords and many combinations of them. Clicking was reliably random. I changed kernel settings on some of the phones to see if the cpu performance was effecting it. I tried various apps such as sound about and the pioneer music app. Nothing changed.
I then went to an electronics store that had 8 head units available in store that supported Android Open Accessory 2.0. all hooked up for listening and ready for testing. There were 3 Pioneers, 2 JVC's, and 3 Kenwoods. ALL of them had the clicking problem. The Pioneers were the worst: the most frequent and loud clicks, followed closely behind by the JVC's. The Kenwoods, had clicks every 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and were about 40% less loud. I suspect that with the Kenwood head unit the average person might not be able to detect the clicking and micro pauses during a normal song, but I know i could in my high end system, especially after all this nonsense i would be passively listening for it.
Conclusion: I suspect that there is either a fundamental problem with Android Open Accessory 2.0 that causes the clicking, or the stereo manufacturers are cutting corners somewhere, or maybe some incompatibility issue with the software. I just don't know. I tried to do more research but I have found nothing online about this specific issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok wow, I'll try to get to a shop soon& test my tablet.
I'm really hoping I can use an OTG cable + hub & then go into one of these headunits. I need the hub in my car for rear camera & SSD media drive.

s2g-unit said:
ok wow, I'll try to get to a shop soon& test my tablet.
I'm really hoping I can use an OTG cable + hub & then go into one of these headunits. I need the hub in my car for rear camera & SSD media drive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah OTG >> USB DAC is what im going to have to do too, unless i find a fix for the clicks.
This post could help: http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/5430#post_10929191

ibCurlyFry said:
Yeah OTG >> USB DAC is what im going to have to do too, unless i find a fix for the clicks.
This post could help: http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/5430#post_10929191
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do actually have a Hifimediy u2 USB DAC.
I'm hoping to go from nexus 7>otg>hub>straight into the AOA 2.0 receiver.
If not my backup will be the USB DAC into a Pioneer 80prs.
Anybody have input?
What would be better in terms of sound quality?
-The aoa 2.0 allows me USB streaming digital into HU
vs
-USB DAC (by passing internal DAC) into Pioneer 80PRS (Amazing Sound quality HU for 250$) but this will have to be done via AUX.
Does the fact I have to use AUX even matter? will it degrade the quality?

s2g-unit said:
I do actually have a Hifimediy u2 USB DAC.
I'm hoping to go from nexus 7>otg>hub>straight into the AOA 2.0 receiver.
If not my backup will be the USB DAC into a Pioneer 80prs.
Anybody have input?
What would be better in terms of sound quality?
-The aoa 2.0 allows me USB streaming digital into HU
vs
-USB DAC (by passing internal DAC) into Pioneer 80PRS (Amazing Sound quality HU for 250$) but this will have to be done via AUX.
Does the fact I have to use AUX even matter? will it degrade the quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know using straight AUX from the device tremendously reduces sound quality due to the device acting as a crappy DAC, then sending the audio signal through the AUX to the unit.
But if it goes to a separate DAC then through AUX, i dont know. I would like to find out also

ibCurlyFry said:
I know using straight AUX from the device tremendously reduces sound quality due to the device acting as a crappy DAC, then sending the audio signal through the AUX to the unit.
But if it goes to a separate DAC then through AUX, i dont know. I would like to find out also
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've posted on a few car audio boards. Nobody seems to ask this in the past becasue everybody in the past used ipod via usb. Bluetooth if they dont care about quality.
I think in most cases like you said, the response was negative to using AUX but thats because of the headphone jack / internal DAC as you know.
I'm just curious like you to know how much we would loose by using AUX. Maybe some will say it's because of another D/A conversion but can anybody really tell? I'll wait for some answers.

In regards to the OP, if you have a high end car system, why not shell out for an Android Auto head unit? The data for music is sent via USB I'm pretty sure as I can tell a clear difference between my Kenwood's BT vs AA.
(I suppose flac files are an issue but you mentioned spotify, which does have AA support)

Soul0Reaper said:
In regards to the OP, if you have a high end car system, why not shell out for an Android Auto head unit? The data for music is sent via USB I'm pretty sure as I can tell a clear difference between my Kenwood's BT vs AA.
(I suppose flac files are an issue but you mentioned spotify, which does have AA support)
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Click to collapse
I don't get why you think he needs an Android Auto Setup?
Double DIN radio are more for toys. They don't have the EQ or processing power of single DIN's.

s2g-unit said:
I don't get why you think he needs an Android Auto Setup?
Double DIN radio are more for toys. They don't have the EQ or processing power of single DIN's.
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Click to collapse
Uh... I never said that he "needed" AA. I am certainly not an expert on head units and am not a claimed audiophile but based on what the requirements were, I don't see a reason why AA can't work. It is simpler to setup, includes spotify support, as well as a more cohesive and unified interface. Based on the issues getting audio over USB to work I think AA is a good alternative.
I'm not sure how DDs have less processing power but if you need such a thing, just add a DSP. I personally am fine with just an amp. Seems very extreme to claim them as toys. I wouldn't be so prejudiced...

Soul0Reaper said:
In regards to the OP, if you have a high end car system, why not shell out for an Android Auto head unit? The data for music is sent via USB I'm pretty sure as I can tell a clear difference between my Kenwood's BT vs AA.
(I suppose flac files are an issue but you mentioned spotify, which does have AA support)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Main reasons:
-Touch screens are difficult to operate while driving
-My car would need modifications to install a double din
-And of course the price. I do have a quite high end system, but It is extremely cost efficient.
I believe AA is a waste of money if all you care about is sound quality because the cheapest solution for usb quality app radio is still just a $70 head unit and a used ipod touch for $50.
This is what I had before I heard about these new head units that still cost $70 but allow usb connection to android with aoa so I could potentially get rid of the ipod and just use my phone, but it hasn't worked out so far lol.

ibCurlyFry said:
Conclusion: I suspect that there is either a fundamental problem with Android Open Accessory 2.0 that causes the clicking, or the stereo manufacturers are cutting corners somewhere, or maybe some incompatibility issue with the software. I just don't know. I tried to do more research but I have found nothing online about this specific issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOA only supports 44.1 KHz sampling rate. Maybe a re-sampling issue.
To test I'd try 44.1 source material on a device that is native 44.1.
Note also that Google considers AOA deprecated and discourages it's further use. Very few people used it so Google may not bother fixing bugs, and it may not be a part of their Compatibility Test Suite..

mikereidis said:
AOA only supports 44.1 KHz sampling rate. Maybe a re-sampling issue.
To test I'd try 44.1 source material on a device that is native 44.1.
Note also that Google considers AOA deprecated and discourages it's further use. Very few people used it so Google may not bother fixing bugs, and it may not be a part of their Compatibility Test Suite..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, ill test the sampling rate theory
And its crazy that these head units that support aoa didnt come out until mid-late last year... The stereo companies need to get on track with google and take a break from suckling the teet of Apple

ibCurlyFry said:
Thanks for the info, ill test the sampling rate theory
And its crazy that these head units that support aoa didn't come out until mid-late last year... The stereo companies need to get on track with google and take a break from suckling the teet of Apple
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of the shops near me have any of these HU's setup. I'll wait a 1-2 weeks for other peoples developments. If its still the same , I'll just buy a Pioneer 80PRS.

s2g-unit said:
None of the shops near me have any of these HU's setup. I'll wait a 1-2 weeks for other peoples developments. If its still the same , I'll just buy a Pioneer 80PRS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres actually alot more than i thought, heres a more complete list:
JVC models: http://www.jvc.net/cs/car/firmware/2014/aoa/
Kenwood models: http://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/aoa2/
Pioneer models: DEH X2800UI, X32800UI, X3800S, X4800BT, X5800HD, X6800BT, MVH X380BT

ibCurlyFry said:
Main reasons:
-Touch screens are difficult to operate while driving
-My car would need modifications to install a double din
-And of course the price. I do have a quite high end system, but It is extremely cost efficient.
I believe AA is a waste of money if all you care about is sound quality because the cheapest solution for usb quality app radio is still just a $70 head unit and a used ipod touch for $50.
This is what I had before I heard about these new head units that still cost $70 but allow usb connection to android with aoa so I could potentially get rid of the ipod and just use my phone, but it hasn't worked out so far lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed that is a good point. My unit basically cost the same as what I paid for my speakers and amp. I wish you luck on finding a solution!

With more research i concluded that in the following connection:
Device > USB OTG > DAC > AUX > Head Unit
The aux will not effect the sound quality, but this connection will only be on par with USB if the external DAC is capable of grater or equal sound quality of the Head Unit DAC, AND if the AUX cable is of good quality as well.
That being said, i also concluded that depending on the bit rate of the audio, and the quality of your hardware, bluetooth quality might be indistinguishable from USB, especially in the sound environment of a car. But you would have to test that yourself.
I will be going for the external DAC

ibCurlyFry said:
With more research i concluded that in the following connection:
Device > USB OTG > DAC > AUX > Head Unit
The aux will not effect the sound quality, but this connection will only be on par with USB if the external DAC is capable of grater or equal sound quality of the Head Unit DAC, AND if the AUX cable is of good quality as well.
That being said, i also concluded that depending on the bit rate of the audio, and the quality of your hardware, bluetooth quality might be indistinguishable from USB, especially in the sound environment of a car. But you would have to test that yourself.
I will be going for the external DAC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have one more shop to check out this week hopefully. I want to test these AOA 2.0 headunits myself with otg cable + usb hub to see if I can still control the tabelt via headunit + test for the problems you had.

s2g-unit said:
I have one more shop to check out this week hopefully. I want to test these AOA 2.0 headunits myself with otg cable + usb hub to see if I can still control the tabelt via headunit + test for the problems you had.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds good
Just note the problems i had were occurring when i connected to a AOA 2.0 compatible head unit only via USB (USB A to micro USB).
Not with USB OTG or a USB hub. Idk if it works that way, but let me know

Looking for a Good Android Auto Head Unit

Hey Everyone!
I'm looking for a good, reasonably priced, double-din head unit that supports Android Auto for my 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo and am looking for some advice/suggestions.
All the car audio sites (Crutchfield, etc.) show that you can't install a double-din in the 850, but that's only due to two small plastic lips in the console from the original stereo that can easily be removed with a dremel.
I was looking at the JBL CP100, but that still isn't available yet (for who knows how long). I would like to get something with a reasonably modern feature-set and UI, and I've generally had good experiences with standard Kenwood receivers (I currently have a KDC-BT562U installed), but I'm not particularly picky.
I have an Xperia Z5 so Android Auto is a must (obviously), but also having Apple CarPlay functionality could be useful as I sometimes share the car with iPhone users, as long as it doesn't add on to the cost. Also, having a good standard Bluetooth connection option for relatively short drives that wouldn't require the full AA experience, but having the ability to just listen to music and make/receive phone calls is important.
I'm looking for something below around $450, but if that's not possible, I would like the get the least-expensive product that's not too much of a compromise.
Any input would be appreciated as I (obviously) have pretty much zero understanding of car-related things.
Thanks-in-advance!
Cheers,
4Strings

I was planning on installing an Android tablet, like the Nexus 7, as a car headunit. But the major issue for me is the sound. The sound from the headphone jack isn't the clearest. USB audio has its draw backs, mainly when you have a lot of apps open and memory usage is high, the sound gets choppy. I have been looking at these android car radios but I have not been able to find anything with a more elaborate sound processing section. I'm talking about filtering such as low and high pass capability, bass filtering, loudness levels, etc. A lot of them has the EQ app but that doesn't do any frequency filtering. You can buy a separate active crossover unit, but that's not plug and play, and you still have to somehow figure out how to connect one with RCA inputs to the tablet which probably needs some other kind of interface, more stuff to buy. So for now, I'm staying with a real car headunit until I find one that will suit my needs.

You can find the Pioneer 4100NXT for around 450-500. I think it is first rate and does both CarPlay and Android Auto from two different USB ports. It also has an optical drive and SD card slot so there is plenty of room for media if you set it up for both Android Auto and CarPlay. I don't think any of the other third party units are this versatile (the JBL CLEARLY isn't).
I am very happy with the audio from this. Independent adjustable crossover points for both front and rear, phase control for each speaker, and two custom presets on the EQ, in addition to three or four best seat in the house (vehicle) settings. Honestly, the only thing that is missing is what's missing in Android Auto (Waze, Dash, etc.).

4Strings said:
Hey Everyone!
I'm looking for a good, reasonably priced, double-din head unit that supports Android Auto for my 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo and am looking for some advice/suggestions.
All the car audio sites (Crutchfield, etc.) show that you can't install a double-din in the 850, but that's only due to two small plastic lips in the console from the original stereo that can easily be removed with a dremel.
I was looking at the JBL CP100, but that still isn't available yet (for who knows how long). I would like to get something with a reasonably modern feature-set and UI, and I've generally had good experiences with standard Kenwood receivers (I currently have a KDC-BT562U installed), but I'm not particularly picky.
I have an Xperia Z5 so Android Auto is a must (obviously), but also having Apple CarPlay functionality could be useful as I sometimes share the car with iPhone users, as long as it doesn't add on to the cost. Also, having a good standard Bluetooth connection option for relatively short drives that wouldn't require the full AA experience, but having the ability to just listen to music and make/receive phone calls is important.
I'm looking for something below around $450, but if that's not possible, I would like the get the least-expensive product that's not too much of a compromise.
Any input would be appreciated as I (obviously) have pretty much zero understanding of car-related things.
Thanks-in-advance!
Cheers,
4Strings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you like Android and want the ability to mod your device, you could look at numerous number of double din android units for China. I purchase a unit from Erisin that was specifically design for my car but they also sell standard double din units. They are expandable so you can add dab, dvr, mic, etc and can mirror a connected android / apple phone. Also support Bluetooth. Worth a look

I am actually looking at that right now. Thanks for the suggestion. Looks like these Android car radios still have ways to go when it comes to audio options. I am very particular about how my system sounds and an EQ alone is not enough to clean up audio sound for me. Thanks again.
Solutions Etcetera said:
You can find the Pioneer 4100NXT for around 450-500. I think it is first rate and does both CarPlay and Android Auto from two different USB ports. It also has an optical drive and SD card slot so there is plenty of room for media if you set it up for both Android Auto and CarPlay. I don't think any of the other third party units are this versatile (the JBL CLEARLY isn't).
I am very happy with the audio from this. Independent adjustable crossover points for both front and rear, phase control for each speaker, and two custom presets on the EQ, in addition to three or four best seat in the house (vehicle) settings. Honestly, the only thing that is missing is what's missing in Android Auto (Waze, Dash, etc.).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

dricacho said:
Looks like these Android car radios still have ways to go when it comes to audio options
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure what other options you're looking for. The crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point, preamp outs for all 5 channels, and manual or automatically measured (kinda pointless in most cars though) set points for time alignment.

If you've had a Pioneer headunit, you'll know what I'm talking about. All these Android radios have an EQ section but doesn't have high pass filter for the front and rear speakers and doesn't have low pass for subs. So you got low frequencies going to the midrange and tweeters which will distort the sound. These options are built in to most Pioneer headunits.
Solutions Etcetera said:
I am not sure what other options you're looking for. The crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point, preamp outs for all 5 channels, and manual or automatically measured (kinda pointless in most cars though) set points for time alignment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I give up. What part of "crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point" did you not understand?
https://goo.gl/photos/nDNAk846BefCEd756

Nevermind...
Solutions Etcetera said:
I give up. What part of "crossovers have adjustable frequency and slope on both sides of the crossover point" did you not understand?
https://goo.gl/photos/nDNAk846BefCEd756
Click to expand...
Click to collapse