Hi all,
I have read a few threads on replacing the Bose head unit with an android auto equipped double din, and intend going down this route in my 2008 NC1.
I am leaning towards a Pioneer SPH-DA230DAB (for no reason other than a few good write ups), and will use the Bose specific harness from Dynamic sounds (CTKMZ02). My phone is Android.
My question is - what does the Pioneer feed the Bose Amp? Is it bypassing its own internal Amp and feeding a pre amp signal to the Bose? Is half the cost of the Pioneer wrapped up in amplifiers that I would be bypassing?
I had a BMW updated previously, and an Alpine kit added an external amp that was used to feed the existing subs, and this freed up the horsepower of the head units’s built in amps to better drive the other speakers. (It was awesome by the way.) Does the wiring harness do anything clever like that?
If anyone has specific recommendations - my key objectives are:
Navigation system (via Android Auto, Waze, or similar)
Amazon Music app support
Decent sound quality
Many thanks.
If you are using the standard bose ISO kit then your are not bypassing the pioneer amp but using a resistor pack to reduce its output to pre amp levels. From an audio clarity point of view its probably not ideal.
Source -preamp -amp - resistors -amp -speakers
rather than
Source -preamp -amp -speakers
The pioneer will have dedicated pre outs on the back which should be able to connect directly to the bose system if you are happy to make up the connectors (a simple rca to ISO job, centre core of rca to +speaker and the outer to -speaker).
The other option for improved sound would be to bypass the bose and run the speakers directly from the pioneer’s amp. If you are doing that you may as well change the speakers while you are there as the bose speakers are low impedance and the pioneer won’t be too happy driving them.
Whether any of this is worth concerning yourself over in an open top sports car is debatable. My car audio sounds brilliant when I’m sitting in the garage, once on the move any semblance of hifi gets drowned out by wind noise and volume becomes the main focus.
HTH
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Thanks for that.
I’ll speak with Dynamics Sounds and check what the harness does. The audiophile in me screams at the thought of running two power amps in serial, with resisters in between.
I did read somewhere that the Boss speakers and amp aren’t that bad, it is the head unit that spoils the sound, and as I am not too upset by the current sound I am hopeful a modern head unit will offer an improvement even with existing amp and speakers.
The main reason for the change is to get a streaming music service and sat nav.
The 230 is a discontinued unit. The 250 has replaced it.
Thanks Steeve.
I am now leaning towards a Sony 3005, saw them side by side with the Pioneer in Halfords and the Sony just felt a more premium product. No idea what they sound like, but the reviews on the Sony are good.
Any insight and recommendations would be most welcome. I MUST be able to stream music, either from an on board SIM, or via my phone with wifi or cable connection. The units I have been thinking of are all USB connected for Android Auto. Not fussed about DAB, or CD/DVD.
In a lot of ways, an android device that I could install Amazon or Deezer on natively would be best; except I haven’t found any Android head units that get good/long lasting reviews. All seem to be brilliant for about two weeks, then thought of as garbage.
I have tried an aux in cable to the Media port on the back of the Bose head unit from my phone, but the sound quality was poor (worse than a decent FM broadcast).
The one you will have seen at Halfords is not the DAB-250 but the 230, which is now disontinued.
The 250 has the new cpacitive screen and is mechless. The 230 was the biggest seller of Apple Car Play units.
If you intend to fit it yourself check the web, prices so much lower than Halfords. For instance the old Pioneer is still sold at Halfords for £390 yet many places are selling it for £299
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I bought the JVC kw-m745dbt because it had the capacitive screen.
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Mick, that photo shows an icon for both deezer and amazon music that look like they run natively on the head unit? Or is it mirroring your phone?
How did you get that? I would prefer a native app than relying on android auto which has been ‘variable’ in the ultiple hire cars I’ve had in the last few years.
Those apps mirror the phone so you need to plug in via USB to use and switch between them on the head unit in Android Auto.
As far as I remember it came with Spotify and Waze/Google maps etc on the screen, installing Deezer and Amazon which I already had on my phone automatically leaves the app showing on the screen when unplugged.
Of course the music will play via BT when that is launched on the phone.
It’s all pretty stable playing a music app and having the navigation on (prefer Waze) Just the DAB signal to mess around with, can be hit and miss because of my dash cam interference, maybe the stick on window aerial too, it’s an ongoing investigation but it works on the whole.
Thanks for that. So is that the 'WebLink ’ functionality?
Is there any problem using different phones (eg two different drivers plugging in their phones)?
Weblink? If you mean via the phone yes, the head unit doesn’t have a connection itself if that’s what mean.
I thought about one of those Chinese android head units which do but wasn’t sure about the fitment of it and reliability of them, some a bit iffy I’ve read.
Instructions say I can pair up 2 phones but I have only my own paired, wife doesn’t drive so doesn’t need hers hooked up.
If it works the manual here for the 745 model.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ok44xRSStpgSQabLQThx_Yly-UD3vw-X/view?usp=drivesdk
Web link, I think…
Needs to be installed on the phone, there are flavours for different manufacturers on Google play.
Once installed, connecting to the head unit via USB then allows certain apps to be available on the head unit.
I need to read up more on how it all works, but I was hoping for the app to run on the head unit and simply use the phone as a bridge to the interweb.
I’m with you now I think
Do you mean mirroring app, it was needed the manual says for it to all work. Can’t open it, it just sits there on the phone until you plug it in to the head unit via USB.
Like below…
I’ve just installed that above, I’ll have to have a go with it tomorrow. It says on compatible head units, not sure if mine is.
I’ll report back.
I know you are now steering towards a Sony head unit, so I can’t comment on the sound of that but I recently fitted the Pioneer SPH-DA230DAB and it has made a massive difference to the sound. It it much more powerful now and thanks to the connect2 leads I am still using the Bose amp. The range of control for the individual speakers is brilliant. I use Apple car play with mine and it is fantastic, again I am not an android user so can’t comment on that. I hope you find what you need and enjoy the challenge of fitting it👍🏻
I am in two minds, between Sony and Pioneer.
Just don’t see any online comparisons anywhere, and with only £30 between them it is six of one half a dozen of the other.
Any reason why you went with Pioneer? You seem very happy with it.
Also, the Connects2 lead option is about £35 cheaper than the InCarTech option, see link, any reason to pay more for the InCarTech option?
https://incartec.co.uk/product/Mazda-MX5-06-09-complete-single-double-DIN-stereo-fitting-kit-with-Bose-FK-262
The chap who fitted mine said you can’t go far wrong with any of the established brands, but wasn’t a fan at all of the Chinese units. Here’s mine, recently installed. Sounding really well, Apple Car Play all working fine. !
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As my post I installed that weblink app, it does nothing at all. So guessing it’s not compatible with my head unit.
It looks like the only difference really is a couple more wires compared to connects version. The only other wire I had to get was this
Just use lead on left with red lead and connect bullets to the other end
The reason I went with Pioneer was back in my younger days(some 20 years ago) my friend and I helped fit stereos to each other’s cars and then all our other friends cars, everyone else had JVC, Kenwood, Alpine but I just always liked pioneer features and sounded better to my ear. It’s just personal preference as Pioneer never let me down before. I am sure whichever way you go you will love the extra sound that is unlocked when you go aftermarket. I have Loved having my MX-5 since I got it and never thought it could be any better, until I fitted the new stereo so I did not have aux and charging cables sat in the way and the ease of use over the standard radio👍🏻
