Android Head Unit Audio Quality

[Skippman]

To all of you out there who have purchased the various Android head units from company's like CaFi, Pumpkin, Rydeen, etc.

How is the overall audio quality? Are and of you using these with aftermarket amps via the RCA outputs? Is the 2V outputs on these sufficient for that purpose? Did you have any issues with grounding?

I'm asking as I'm very interested in getting one of these units to pair with an aftermarket amp and speakers but want to know if the audio quality through the RCA outputs will be sufficient.

Here's what I'm planning to hook up:

[Cockatoo]

I have the Newsmy Carpad and the sound quality is excellent! I have it hooked up to Polk Audio 4 channel amp with components and a sub.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki..._CarPad_NU3001

[Skippman]

Originally Posted by Cockatoo

I have the Newsmy Carpad and the sound quality is excellent! I have it hooked up to Polk Audio 4 channel amp with components and a sub.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki..._CarPad_NU3001

What are you using for an amp if I can ask?

[Cockatoo]

This is my setup:

Polk Audio PAD40004 4 Channel Amp
Polk Audio MM6501 6.5-Inch Components
Polk Audio MM1040 10-Inch Subwoofer

[labskaus]

You have to take care of the whole chain.
I am using an Nexus und playing only flac Files (16bit). A Behringer UCA 202 is my USB DAC and teh signal is runing through fibre channel to my processor. Amp, processor and nexus are connected to the same batterie, so they have the same energie level.

[Calum]

Originally Posted by labskaus

You have to take care of the whole chain.
I am using an Nexus und playing only flac Files (16bit). A Behringer UCA 202 is my USB DAC and teh signal is runing through fibre channel to my processor. Amp, processor and nexus are connected to the same batterie, so they have the same energie level.

In my experience, making sure everything is at the same voltage level is critically important in car audio.

Sounds like a nice setup, what processor are you using?

[labskaus]

It is a Mosconi 6to8

[go_a_way1]

I got a CA-FI CT headunit. Sounds worse then the 2013 upgraded non bespoke touch head unit. I like the head unit but the audio quality on stock amp and speakers is just crap.

[Skippman]

Originally Posted by labskaus

It is a Mosconi 6to8

Are you getting full fade control with that? I was under the impression that USB audio out on an Android device was 2 channel only, so you'd have no true rear channels if you were listening to a 4.1 or 5.1 source. I'm hoping I'm wrong about that.

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

The only 4.1 or 5.1 sources are dvd - audio or sacd. Everything else is simulated multi-channel, and sounds better in its native 2 channel. Furthermore, only 2 processors can decode true multichannel, the alpine h701, which is discontinued, and the alpine h800.

[Skippman]

Originally Posted by TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL

The only 4.1 or 5.1 sources are dvd - audio or sacd. Everything else is simulated multi-channel, and sounds better in its native 2 channel. Furthermore, only 2 processors can decode true multichannel, the alpine h701, which is discontinued, and the alpine h800.

Well, unless you're speaking specifically on the Android OS that's not exactly accurate, and given that you mention SACD and DVD-A (I think) I don't think you are.

SACD and DVD-A are the only two "audio only" formats in 4.1 and 5.1, that is true. I happen to have a rather extensive collection of SACD discs and I'm still sad that no one made a real portable player for it them, they sound great on my home theater.

My concerns were for video sources that are recorded in 4.1 and 5.1 such as Dolby Digital and Dolby HD. Since the decoding of audio will be done off board I think my question is moot to begin with. Unless the decoder had it's own software application there would be no way to adjust the fade let alone things like time alignment. Somedays I really regret selling my PXA-H510.

I never thought I'd say this but the PPI DSP-88R doesn't look half bad and might solve the issue....

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

I was only looking at audio only formats. I still wish there was a good dvd-a player in the car field. I don't have as many SACD's but I do have enough to wish for a player for that as well.

It's a shame alpine was the only one that embraced true multichannel formats. The ms-8 created fake multichannel out of 2 channel with logic 7, and the rest use dumb multichannel which doesn't work very well.

[labskaus]

Changed every thing to flac16, better then carrying around disks ... (still trying to find a difference between flac16 and flac24 (very very hard to hear))

There are only few SACD player for home hifi and none for car hifi (or maybe the Alpine F1 can do it). Plus you need an installation that works (thats 11 (2Way) to 16 (3way) speakers with eq and time correction)
And if you want to listen to surround sound in your car, build first the

[Skippman]

Originally Posted by labskaus

Changed every thing to flac16, better then carrying around disks ... (still trying to find a difference between flac16 and flac24 (very very hard to hear))

There are only few SACD player for home hifi and none for car hifi (or maybe the Alpine F1 can do it). Plus you need an installation that works (thats 11 (2Way) to 16 (3way) speakers with eq and time correction)
And if you want to listen to surround sound in your car, build first the

You're not wrong. I have an Oppo BDP-83 player running through a Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A1050 which is driving a KEF iQ 7 channel setup. So I'm kinda an audio snob at home.

In the cars a different story. I think attempting to add an offboard DAC and DSP is just going to add unnecessary complication to the system. No one ever answered whether you can control the fade between front and rear speakers using the head unit if you add the SPDIF adapter and an offboard DSP.