Possible fix for Bluetooth Audio quality KGL units - MTCD Android Head Units Q&A

I recently braved it and opened my unit. Mine's a bit more complicated since it has a DVD drive so space is tight and an extra step was required.
Anyway, I always had poor bluetooth audio, lots of distortion on the high range I ended up just using an AUX in audio on the device.
Looking at the BT+WiFi antenna I was skeptical about the quality of just a wire soldered to the Realtek chip.
Having an old antenna from a WiFi router handy I removed the existing antenna and used on of the holes that was free because I didn't choose the TV option to fasten it.
Initial impressions is that the quality is much better albeit still some very minor distortion but it's not as noticeable as before. Haven't checked the signal quality or speed using BT and WiFi but in theory it should be much better.
Just my 2c and if you have the parts lying around you might as well give it a go.

stefcio007 said:
I recently braved it and opened my unit. Mine's a bit more complicated since it has a DVD drive so space is tight and an extra step was required.
Anyway, I always had poor bluetooth audio, lots of distortion on the high range I ended up just using an AUX in audio on the device.
Looking at the BT+WiFi antenna I was skeptical about the quality of just a wire soldered to the Realtek chip.
Having an old antenna from a WiFi router handy I removed the existing antenna and used on of the holes that was free because I didn't choose the TV option to fasten it.
Initial impressions is that the quality is much better albeit still some very minor distortion but it's not as noticeable as before. Haven't checked the signal quality or speed using BT and WiFi but in theory it should be much better.
Just my 2c and if you have the parts lying around you might as well give it a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious, do you have pictures of your mod?
I have reasonably good Bluetooth birth WiFi reception could be better

Some pictures would have been useful

https://imgur.com/a/6u7ka

Ok, this looks like on mine(stock)?

Kayhan 17# said:
Ok, this looks like on mine(stock)?
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Click to collapse
I think I forgot an after photo, but where the black antenna cable is I re-soldered an antenna with a screw connector, you can see it on the right in the second photo next to the GPS antenna. Before it was just a cable hanging out of that hole.

hmmm i have an XRC unit and i went the method where i unsoldered the internal unit and plugged in a comfast unit. No difference there. Might try this next but i have a feeling something else is going on.

Related

HTC Diamond FM Transmitter / Car Holder

Hi All,
I just bought this item from ebay. Very happy with the quality of product but the only problem i'm having is that if i try and call somebody while it is in the holder i can hear the person through car radio fine but the phone mic does not work... Is there away around this?
Picture 1
ray_tindall said:
Hi All,
I just bought this item from ebay. Very happy with the quality of product but the only problem i'm having is that if i try and call somebody while it is in the holder i can hear the person through car radio fine but the phone mic does not work... Is there away around this?
Picture 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi All,
Before the site went down someone had asked if it had an external mic.. which is does not. The only thing i can think of if somebody would be kind enough to help me out so everytime i plug the Diamond into the car kit i run a program which changes the registry to allow mic to be enabled while in cradle. As i do not have those skills was wondering if somebody could help me out. Willing to donate to anyone that help me.
Regards
Ray
So that thingy you got there acts like a headset?
I guess it's possible to find the registrykey for enabling phone mic while headset is active...
yes that is right...... all it does is just transfer the sound via FM transmitter to radio in car. all i need help with registry keys. a program like diamond tweak would be cool where you could just enable and disable.
i am also interested about this product. Could you please tell me if the car charger charges the phone's battery or the transmitter's (if it has one)?And a second one:can i use the transmitter without the charger connected?
Can you link to the seller you bought this from? I'm looking for the exact same thing. Also interested in getting the phone mic working while in headset mode.
silex said:
Can you link to the seller you bought this from? I'm looking for the exact same thing. Also interested in getting the phone mic working while in headset mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
co-sign. Link please. I'm interested in buying possibly.
here you can find one, ill order mine today to I think
http://cgi.ebay.nl/For-HTC-Diamond-...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30
here you can find one, ill order mine today to I think
http://cgi.ebay.nl/For-HTC-Diamond-...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30
The charger that comes with it doesn't look like it'll work with the Diamond, based off of these pictures (non-usb). And does any1 know of an American/English site I could buy it from?
I've just ordered one. I expect it doesn't just power the FM transmitter but also the Diamond. I am hoping to get around the microphone issue by using bluepower to enable my bluetooth connection when it is charging and then using a bluetooth headset. I don't really want to use this FM transmitter/charger as a hands free device, but just keep using my bluetooth headset instead.
I will report back it this all works when I get it!
Ok, the thing finally arrived.... After 20 minutes of playing around with it, it is already broken.... Here's the story:
It arrived with no instructions (not that any are needed) and appeared to be of poor quality manufacture. Not like the Brodit one which I intended to replace with it.
My Diamond didn't slide in very well at all. It took a lot of fiddling to get the male charger into the female diamond mini USB. They weren't lined up very well. I expect that as the Diamond is far superior in quality, it is not the Diamond that is at fault but the charger/transmitter.
Once connected, the music quality was very good at times. I compared this to my ipod (which is connected directly to the car arial) by playing the same song on both. The music quality from the Diamond was actually better, so the FM transmitter was working well indeed.
However, there are intermittent "noises". I don't really know how to describe these as it was not typical interference, but kind of basey crackling. This was very intermittent though and this could be caused by being tested in London where there are hardly any frequencies free. I contined my test on various frequencies even when not moving the car and this noise was there on all of them....
I think this would have been enough to make this device annoying enough to be binned in itself.
A third attempt at inserting my Diamond in the cradle was much easier. Well, that's what I thought.... The male USB in the FM transmitter had actually broken now. It had slid back into it's casing. The only way to retrieve it would be to break the damn thing open. Enough was enough. I had finished my experimenting with this thing.
To make matters worse, the thick film on the home/back/talk/end part of my Diamond is now peeling off. I assume my struggling to get it in this FM transmitter cradle had snagged it. That's a real bugger because I guess that as it has now started to peel off, it will continue to snag on everything and eventually tear off completely. I'm not sure how this will affect it's functionality, but it certainly won't help. I expect the capacitive sensor in sensor scroll will no longer work once it has peeled off fully..... Probably time for a Diamond 2!!!
To conclude, my advice is not to buy this product as it (1) may harm your Diamond; (2) waste £20odd; and (3) cause frustration with the "noise".
The good points with this though, if you do decide to go ahead, are that you can use a bluetooth headset (with Bluepower). So if a phone call should come in whilst you are listening to music, you can simply take the call through the bluetooth headset and the music is automatically turned off. The microphone on the headset is used....
mitsi said:
Ok, the thing finally arrived.... After 20 minutes of playing around with it, it is already broken.... Here's the story:
It arrived with no instructions (not that any are needed) and appeared to be of poor quality manufacture. Not like the Brodit one which I intended to replace with it.
My Diamond didn't slide in very well at all. It took a lot of fiddling to get the male charger into the female diamond mini USB. They weren't lined up very well. I expect that as the Diamond is far superior in quality, it is not the Diamond that is at fault but the charger/transmitter.
Once connected, the music quality was very good at times. I compared this to my ipod (which is connected directly to the car arial) by playing the same song on both. The music quality from the Diamond was actually better, so the FM transmitter was working well indeed.
However, there are intermittent "noises". I don't really know how to describe these as it was not typical interference, but kind of basey crackling. This was very intermittent though and this could be caused by being tested in London where there are hardly any frequencies free. I contined my test on various frequencies even when not moving the car and this noise was there on all of them....
I think this would have been enough to make this device annoying enough to be binned in itself.
A third attempt at inserting my Diamond in the cradle was much easier. Well, that's what I thought.... The male USB in the FM transmitter had actually broken now. It had slid back into it's casing. The only way to retrieve it would be to break the damn thing open. Enough was enough. I had finished my experimenting with this thing.
To make matters worse, the thick film on the home/back/talk/end part of my Diamond is now peeling off. I assume my struggling to get it in this FM transmitter cradle had snagged it. That's a real bugger because I guess that as it has now started to peel off, it will continue to snag on everything and eventually tear off completely. I'm not sure how this will affect it's functionality, but it certainly won't help. I expect the capacitive sensor in sensor scroll will no longer work once it has peeled off fully..... Probably time for a Diamond 2!!!
To conclude, my advice is not to buy this product as it (1) may harm your Diamond; (2) waste £20odd; and (3) cause frustration with the "noise".
The good points with this though, if you do decide to go ahead, are that you can use a bluetooth headset (with Bluepower). So if a phone call should come in whilst you are listening to music, you can simply take the call through the bluetooth headset and the music is automatically turned off. The microphone on the headset is used....
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Click to collapse
Good Looking man, preciate that review. I think i'm just gonna stick with a simple cassette adaptor to play music through the car. That way you don't have to worry about the static noise.
That's unfortuante that it's not the best build quality. How snug is the fit? I have a Sprint Touch Diamond so I might have to get the Touch Pro version to ensure it fits, but it might not be snug enough. More importantly, I'd rather get the phone's mic working with it and just activate the mic when in handsfree mode.
I live in Australia and on the first moderately hot day the whole thing pretty much fell apart, turns out they have used cheap hot glue to join every piece.
First the pole going into the suction cap fell out while i was driving, so i repaired it with decent glue. Then, later the mirco USB plug sticking out of the base disappeared inside, and after i pulled the holder apart i found it was also held there with the same crappy glue.
Anyway i would not recommend buying this car kit but if anyone could work out how to enable the microphone it would be much appreciated

[Q] Why people prefer wired headphones vs. Stereo Bluetooth?

There are a lot of topics in the forum about people having trouble finding compatible headphones to work for music and "remote" control the phone playback.
the Bluetooth A2DP works perfectly fine in SGS for both Car Receivers and Stereo headset, and it switch transparently between music to phone calls and back without a glitch.
(i can't say the same for WM phones, another reason why i left WM platform, PalmOS was good, but is no longer produced)
There are lots of excellent Stereo BT headphones in the market now, both Studio like or simple 1 ear type, whatever ticks your fancy, the studio type offers the best audio quality even over BT.
yes it might consume more battery, but battery replacements are very inexpensive. (see accessories section)
I've not looked back to use a wired headphones since BT Stereo was invented, i used to have wired headphones for breakfast, it was a mass murder of headphones every time you get in the bus or subway, i've saved a lot of money since i moved to BT, so it's very surprising to still see people trying to work out the wiring problems with the headsets
I've been there before, every time i switched to a new phone, i needed to find another adapter to convert this to that, so that i can do something as simple as answer the phone on the headset, it was a major PITA.
so it'll be interesting to hear your side of the story to prefer wire over BT (other than "saving" battery and "better sound quality")
I find the bluetooth headsets to be kind of douchie personally. I also don't like the idea of keeping a radio transmitter attached to my head for extended periods (same goes for stereo bluetooth). Whilst I don't particularly believe in the freaks who claim they are radio sensitive, we don't really have any way of knowing how safe they are.
Extra convenience perhaps? Not for general usage. I work unpacking boxes all night and I use hardwired headphones, and it has never gotten in the way (so why bother coughing up a lot of extra money for a technology with potentially worse sound quality and negligible benefits).
IT also chews through battery as you mentioned, but i'm also learning to fly. You never know when you regret sucking up the battery earlier in the day for a technology whose only benefit is no cord.
There are benefits for Bluetooth, such as integrating with a car stereo, some flight headsets have bt built in, transferring files and connecting to special adapters which normally would need USB (such as NMEA GPS or OBD2 devices). But realistically, replacing hardwired headphones with bluetooth seems to be a case of doing so because some people think it gives them an identity. There are very few I believe who actually benefit. But that's only an opinion....
More battery consumption on both the phone and the headset. Which means more cost and more responsibility (buying or keeping batteries charged). Worse sound quality is present with bt than what you'll get in high end headphones, I am always using either high end buds or noise cancelling headsets.
I find the bt thing a bit like nutrasweet, it might sound like a good idea, I just don't want to touch the stuff.
I'd have to buy a stereo Bluetooth headset, as I don't own one, and then I'd have to remember to keep it charged and carry it with me.
I'm sure it would work okay, but I don't have a problem with a wired headset, so a Bluetooth one would only really cost money and make me liable to forget to charge it.
Interesting post AllGamer. Care to point me with some recommendations on good stereo bluetooth headphones?
i replied back to some other topic with that info in the accessories section, i'll need to dig it out
here is the topic i was posting on the reviews
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7611857&postcount=4
+1 vote for Motorola HT820, it is simply the VERY BEST! of them all; in funtionality, ease of use, sound purity, and comfy level.
other ones i've and still using but don't like are:
Jabra BT8010 (good but always breaks the earloop)
Sony HBH-DS980 (too much wire, it defeats the purpose of bluetooth)
Sony DRBT21G (pales in comparison to Moto HT820, but it's passable, not comfy though)
BlueTake BT420Rx (Gen1 bluetooth, no A2DP, limited features, very comfy, good sound, but it looks like princess leia specially if you have the white version)
Plantronics Voyager 855 (pure garbage, no A2DP)
Motorola S9 (dies easily with sweat dripped into the device, bad design, it's a total failure compare to its big brother HT820)
my top 2 choices for sound are:
HT820
BT420Rx
my top choice for formar work/fun mix
BT8010
unfortunately the BT8010 is very prone at breaking the earloop even with careful use, i went through 3 sets of it already.
luckily enough when you buy these they come in pairs with the stereo side, so i always use the stereo side of the earloop to replace the main headset, as i seldomly use the stereo side of the headset, i mostly just use the single side of it.
for real stereo i'll much prefer to use the HT820
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and some related one for car
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=726403&highlight=bluetooth
I have a Jabra BT8010 and it's an amazing piece of hardware. Excellent battery life, rich bass, equalizer, comfortable and great sound quality.
In my opinion, BT headsets are a convenience, and I sincerely disagree with being related with "douchebaggery" or "looking for an identity".
Sent from my toilet.
Hi,
Used the Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800's before when I had a SE phone and they work a treat on the Galaxy S too. There are no controls, but I like to use the phone as the "remote" which is fine.
I find them convenient for listening to music on the tube when packed in and shouldering a bag. Sounds good enough to me, though I am not an audiophile.
BTW: I noticed on the 2.2 test frimware JP3 that the eq effects worked across BT unlike current version that says you need to plug in headphones.
In terms of battery I manage approx 3 hours a day which does my commute to and from work. They also work quite good with Galaxy S when watching videos too.
Cheers,
well for the galaxy s its simple ... the 5.1 audio enhancement says enough for u to use wired.
I got 3 sony stereo bt headsets and the only reason why i use it is for the convenience during commute. I dont want my phone getting tangled up somewhere in the metro and end up falling out being damaged or lost because of my headphone cord.
I feel much safer knowing its deep in my pocket without fear of it accidentally slipping out.
But when I am at work by my desk i use wired ... saves battery as well.
Arkymedes said:
In my opinion, BT headsets are a convenience
.
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Click to collapse
Explain convenient.. What exactly is so convenient for them over normal headphones, which deliver better quality sound for cheaper? There are some people who do get benefits by using them (at work), where they need to free their hands and cant really have cables swinging around, such as computer technicians, but most people seem to use them whilst they are simply walking around..
quality wired headphones cost as much, if not more than a stereo bluetooth headset.
for example Sennheiser HD 448 (average $100)
those $30 ones just doesn't cut it, you need the base, the sub.
but if you go up the next level Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (average $150)
and if you go higher Sennheiser HD 800
but it's too big for my head, and wallet too (almost $1500)
in the past i broke a lot of those $100 entry level headphones
another down side of using headphones, you can't talk/answer the phone with them, you have to unplug, remove the headphones then talk.
with bluetooth it is just a simple click of a button in the ear
Using a sony DR-BT21G. Loving it so far. Only downside is the massive charger. Kinda wish it can run on usb charger instead. It only needs 3V after all.
AllGamer said:
another down side of using headphones, you can't talk/answer the phone with them, you have to unplug, remove the headphones then talk.
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Click to collapse
Expect mic adapters to be released with a 3.5mm jack. That's how sony ericsson did it..
You can get quality for cheap, if you know where to look...
andrewluecke said:
Explain convenient.. What exactly is so convenient for them over normal headphones, which deliver better quality sound for cheaper? There are some people who do get benefits by using them (at work), where they need to free their hands and cant really have cables swinging around, such as computer technicians, but most people seem to use them whilst they are simply walking around..
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Click to collapse
You answered your own question. In MY case, is convenient and a personal thing. I absolute HATE cables of all sorts. I have a wireless headset in my PC, wireless KB and mouse and use a wireless printer. I also use a wireless home theater at home (ok, not 100% wireless but it's 2 cables less...)
Everything that I can do to have wireless I do because it's convenient. It's more organized and as I said before, a personal choice.
I agree that wired headphones AT THE MOMENT offer better sound quality for the price, but since I'm not an audiophile, I'm more then happy with what I have now.
The convenience is the easy to setup, the easy access and safety. As some people pointed before, it's very common for the wires to entangle somewhere in your clothes or other things and you risk damaging both your hedphones breaking the cable or even pulling away your phone and losing/breaking it.
Arkymedes said:
You answered your own question. In MY case, is convenient and a personal thing. I absolute HATE cables of all sorts. I have a wireless headset in my PC, wireless KB and mouse and use a wireless printer. I also use a wireless home theater at home (ok, not 100% wireless but it's 2 cables less...)
I agree that wired headphones AT THE MOMENT offer better sound quality for the price, but since I'm not an audiophile, I'm more then happy with what I have now.
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Click to collapse
the only cable i have in my Wireless Home theater is the long arse 1080p HDMI cable going from the PC Receiver to the projector
if and when they come out with a good wireless 1080p HDMI i'll definitely have everything wireless.
for audiophile or not, i'll recommend the Sony DRBT50
as an extension of what i already listed before, for sports fan the Samsung SBH500 is better suited for the task
those 2 are excellent alternative if you can't find the Motorola HT820
the Sony DRBT50 has better bass/base than the moto ht820
there is one that is 100% audiophile but it lacks the handsfree profile for phone calls
it's the Sennheiser PX210BT, that one is guaranteed to sound like the regular wired Sennheiser headphones
I wish I could use my BT headphones. So far I've tried S9-HD, HBH-IS800 and Nokia BH-504 and all of them have horrible sound quality with SGS.
seriouser said:
I wish I could use my BT headphones. So far I've tried S9-HD, HBH-IS800 and Nokia BH-504 and all of them have horrible sound quality with SGS.
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Click to collapse
I have the hbh ds 205 and it sounds awesome.
I decided to get a new version of it and purchased the sony mw600 and it sounds awesome. Especially now that froyo was released we could use the 5.1 sound enhancement with our bluetooth devices.
One reason why I don't use my bluey headset is the damn thing blinks a blue led all the time . Its like a signal for everyone to look at me. I've taken a marker and coloured it black a few times. Another reason is I tend to forget to recharge the thing as it only has about 12hours play time.
I have a DS980 an MW600 both from Sony Ericsson. I seldom use them now.
I'm not that satisfied with the sound quality of the DS980 & the earphone cannot be replaced.
For the MW600 the short earphone that came with the device also does not sound great, so when I use my personal earphone the sound is great buy the cable will be very long...
I just have been through myself a headphone buying hassle, and had to send back 2 BT sets to refund due poor music quality. The first was Jabra Halo for around £60. It looks cool, and the most comfortable headset I've ever used, but the sound quality is just not there. It's clear, okay, but it's also quiet, and has absulutely no noticable bass.
Ordered a Nokia BH 504, which is a £10 cheaper, but sound quality is almost the same. Still quiet(not usable in traffic), still no bass, maybe a bit more clarity compare to Jabra. Sent back for refund as well.
Next one was the previously mentioned Motorola HT820(got the geniune one), it cost way less then it's friends(£25), and has much better sound! Maybe it's not as clear as the rest, but definetely has better bass, and louder as well. Through Pc it's somehow still not the best! The range is fine(just like others), the battery life is incredible(got it for 2 weeks, use it every day, but haven't charged yet). The mic is also good via phone, tho i had problems via pc skype, and msn call. It's not as comfortable as the previously mentioned ones, you can't really lay down with this thing on your head, and also after 30 min use, it cuts the top of my ears(big ears maybe?). Still not the best quality I've ever had, but definetely worth £25!

fm transmitter kit

as far as I am aware there is no fm transmitter chip in samsung galaxy s therefore please share all news about available car kits -------------------
there are tons over at DealExtreme
http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.fm
they all good, i was using one with my old WM phone
If you can though, it would be better seeing if you can add Aux support to your headunit.
andrewluecke said:
If you can though, it would be better seeing if you can add Aux support to your headunit.
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Click to collapse
that is like asking him to buy a new head unit
Not really... Aux can easily be added to some (and I had NO car experience, and discovered it was easier than I thought with my car to wire in a new headunit). Head units cost a ridiculous amount of money for what they are.
Sometimes if you are willing to try to do the work yourself, you will find that adding aux support costs less than some good FM transmitters.
Cheers guys _ going to search net based on yours ideas and update with my choice when purchased and tested.
Over and out.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
andrewluecke said:
Not really... Aux can easily be added to some (and I had NO car experience, and discovered it was easier than I thought with my car to wire in a new headunit). Head units cost a ridiculous amount of money for what they are.
Sometimes if you are willing to try to do the work yourself, you will find that adding aux support costs less than some good FM transmitters.
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I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this. Although the difference between good and bad fm transmitters is unknown to me, you can get workable ones for under 5 bucks on amazon without shipping.
Even assuming anything that price never works, you can pick up a bluetooth speakerphone/fm transmitter for like 30-40. To me, that beats the hell out of taking wire strippers to your car stereo. Especially since you can take an fm transmitter with you when you are in someone elses car at no extra cost.
My preferred fm transmitter is a Jabra SP700. The trick is finding a clear channel, and if you travel more than an hour in any direction, be prepared to retune as you run into new stations. Normally you'll be able to find a frequency that's clean for their daily use. I found that having my SP stock to the dash instead of to the sun visor greatly increased sound quality and reduced interface, so if you cant get perfect reception, try that.
I get near CD quality, although there is some fuzz on the very end (high cymbals hiss rather than crash).
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Protip: You rarely need wire cutters or strippers. I'd be surprised if any cars didn't use a wire harness which allowed you to simply connect the module in between (unless the person who installed your stereo is an idiot, or its a poorly designed unmaintainable car). Many simply connect through the CD stacker jack.
FM tuners work, but, every new car I've seen these days ships with an aux jack anyway. So it's a better option long term, if it's possible. An FM tuner can be easier to install though, if you don't want to learn anything. But messing with the head-unit of your car is something every guy should do once in their life
I bought this one from play.com for only £3 (although its gone up to £4 now).
edit: cant post links but if you type in Wireless FM Stereo MP3 / Ipod Transmitter you should find it.
It works well, the battery life is great. the quality is not perfect but definitely listen-able. (looses some bass).
as a budget transmitter it definitly gets my approval and you don't have to wait weeks for delivery like dealextreme.

Cassette Adapter

Any thoughts/recommendations on a cassette adapter to link the phone output to the car stereo? I'm interested in audio from apps (navigation), music/podcast playback, and streaming audio.
From the reviews of various options I've seen, the quality of the adapters is highly variable, but the Phillips adapter here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Philips-USA-PH-62050-CD-MP3-MD-To-Cassette-Adapter-Brand-New-Free-Shipping-/370582468700?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56486fb85c#ht_1621wt_1396 seems reasonably priced.
This will be used in a 1996 Saturn. A quick and simple low end solution like a cassette adapter is desired vs. an expensive stereo upgrade.
Thanks!
Just a follow-up to my previous post. I ordered and received the listed adapter and it has working well for the first few days. Will see how longer term usage goes - it does not appear to be the most durable item I've purchased , but it should do the job if not abused.
I sure hope yours works better then the Chinese one I had a few years back...so crappy even the FM transmitter was better.
Honestly, I would recommend a new head unit for your car. They're very easy to replace and are something you will likely have for a VERY long time. I've had mine in all three different cars I have owned so far, and have never had any problems. You can pick up a cheap one with USB and aux inputs (and even bluetooth) for relatively cheap. The sound quality really is so much better than an FM adapter. They're an investment, but they're worth it.

Question FYT unit with bright screen and TDA7850 recommendation

Hi everyone,
After having two older units and hours of browsing here I would like to settle on a good FYT unit. My two specific requests for it would be a TDA7850 amp chip and a bright, preferably non-reflective screen. Resolution and color gamut are not that important. Any recommendations please? Thanks
You don't ask for CPU?
Better do some some further reading. TDA7850 can be better be replaced with a TDA7851 to reduce heat (overheating) of the unit.
Secondly: the TDA7851 is on longer available. If you want a likewise amp, you need to select a TDA7838 (NOT a 7833). The 7838 doesn't seem to have the same quality but as the 7851 is no longer available, you need to go for that one.
And if sound is important for you, you also need to look at the DSP like a Rohn BU32107, which is a default on 7862 and some other CPUs.
Screens: most are the same in the higher end units for every supplier.
Non-reflective: Forget it! If you want that, get some anti-glare film and put it on your screen.
Brands: If you did some reading, you have seen them in this forum.
surfer63 said:
You don't ask for CPU?
Better do some some further reading. TDA7850 can be better be replaced with a TDA7851 to reduce heat (overheating) of the unit.
Secondly: the TDA7851 is on longer available. If you want a likewise amp, you need to select a TDA7838 (NOT a 7833). The 7838 doesn't seem to have the same quality but as the 7851 is no longer available, you need to go for that one.
And if sound is important for you, you also need to look at the DSP like a Rohn BU32107, which is a default on 7862 and some other CPUs.
Screens: most are the same in the higher end units for every supplier.
Non-reflective: Forget it! If you want that, get some anti-glare film and put it on your screen.
Brands: If you did some reading, you have seen them in this forum.
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Thank you for your opinion. I respectfully disagree about TDA7851. I had units with both these chips and there is a night and day difference in sound quality. I have an old but very good Harman Kardon audio system in my 2008 Mercedes and it shows the difference very clearly. If you have an average sound system, maybe you won't hear the difference. It would be nice to use a MOST box that goes from optical output to my amp (it's fiber optic) to bypass the built-in amp altogether, but the only one I heard of is a Russian one that is not available these days for obvious reasons.
I see about the screens, thanks. I read very different opinions about the anti-glare screen protectors... May I should just try one.
Thanks.
bbstus said:
Thank you for your opinion. I respectfully disagree about TDA7851. I had units with both these chips and there is a night and day difference in sound quality.
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Vey well. I am not such an audio expert.
Never the less: Where do you still think to get a7850? There are still some manufacturers using a 7851, but most are switching to 7838.
There are still a few. Notably, Mekede on Aliexpress said they can put one in for me.
This one: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256802473852825.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.7c4c2e0e4H4ONd . M600S or above.
Hard to believe, but who knows.
bbstus said:
There are still a few. Notably, Mekede on Aliexpress said they can put one in for me.
This one: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256802473852825.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.7c4c2e0e4H4ONd . M600S or above.
Hard to believe, but who knows.
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Ask for assurance and then dispute when you find its not.
But as we've discussed here, there is so little difference, it's not worth it - add an external power amp.
Thanks. Can you clarify about the power amp? I do have my OEM Haramn Pardon amp that I use through the fiber optic decoder box. But the box is connected through RCA. My understanding is that means it still uses the unit's amp. If it doesn't, why is there such difference in audible sound quality with different amp chips? Or is it because of something else? DSP chip? Please tell me if you know. Thanks
Found on Reddit, it this the case?
"nearly every single aftermarket head unit sold today doesn't have true preamp outputs anymore. They take their speakers level outputs, run them through a voltage divider, and connect that output to the RCA terminals on the head unit. So the signal itself is IDENTICAL, just lower voltage"
bbstus said:
Found on Reddit, it this the case?
"nearly every single aftermarket head unit sold today doesn't have true preamp outputs anymore. They take their speakers level outputs, run them through a voltage divider, and connect that output to the RCA terminals on the head unit. So the signal itself is IDENTICAL, just lower voltage"
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Like mentioned above: I am not an audio expert (and certainly not an audiophile)
Anyway, one of the previous "hardware guys" here also mentioned quite some time ago that they simply convert the digital AMP output to analog like they did for older units without DSP, and when starting to use the DSPs, they simply convert/feed that analog output into the digital DSP and the make it again analog on the DSP-output for the output. Instead of using the digital AMP output into the DSP and then finally to analog.
Thanks. I guess I better investigate digital output options. From what I read, this is not straightforward either
I may try the Mekede myself. I like the flexablilty and wanna see if thats a real 2000x1200 screen lol. I was thinking of going Fiber at some one point with a AudioControl DSP or a Nakamichi DSP. But in the meantime, I was going to tap into the factory amp in the rear and snip the male plug and wire it into a AudioControl LC7i.

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