This was posted 7 months 3 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Digitech 7in Bluetooth/Android Auto/Apple Carplay Head Unit $149 Delivered / C&C / in-Store @ Jaycar

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Double Din head unit with Android Auto and Apple Carplay for $149. Has USB, Aux, and SD card.

I've just bought and installed this, and I'm impressed with what you get for the price. It's very comparable to the Sony XAV-AX3000 I have in my other car. It's difficult to compare sound quality as the Sony is in a BMW an this is in an old Rodeo, but the features work much the same.

Unit starts up reasonably quickly (not as fast as the Sony, much faster than any of the cheaper android units I've used before). Radio and Apple Carplay work perfectly, the touch screen is pretty responsive too. Physical buttons are pretty plasticy, the volume knob feels solid. The flap that covers the USB just dangles down which is a bit tatty, but otherwise no complaints.

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  • +1

    That seems damn good for $149.

  • +6

    Worth having a read here

  • Hmm, I've been looking into head units for a while and was going to cop the AX-3200. This seems to have decent sound quality from the limited discussion I can find on OzBargain. Anyone else care to share their sound experience though? I'm really looking for something to make up my mind here…

    • Unfortunately I don’t have personal experience, but if you do choose this head unit and the sound quality isn’t sufficient you could also upgrade your speakers. You could have a new head unit and speakers for the price of the AX-3200.

      Some speakers on sale at Autobarn:
      https://autobarn.com.au/ab/Autobarn-Category/In-Car-Tech/Aud…

      • Ideally, the method I'm trying to take here is to not have to upgrade my speakers. My car has a decent speaker system, the high performance 8 speaker package. The issue is, I reckon my amp is just not powerful enough for this speaker package, as my head unit is only 4x25w, unlike the Sony which is 4x52w and this which is 4x50w.

        There was some discussion about this possibly having a generic Chinese amplifier which would mean that even upgrading my speakers won't do anything for me as I'm still stuck to the same DSP and amp of this head unit.

        Thanks anyways though. Not sure why my initially comment was downvoted though?

        • You probably should just get a dedicated amplifier at this point. Even a cheap one will beat out the best built in unit.

          • @Kill Joy: Oh I've looked into that. My original head unit doesn't have Bluetooth though, so it's not just the sound that I'd be benefiting from here. It's a MK1 Volvo S60 (2005). A new head unit would help modernize the car a little :)

            I'm honestly a little unsure whether the current head unit amp is the issue, or if my speakers are blown or something. They sound pretty bad right now, I'm not sure how this quality could have been acceptable when the car was brand new.

            I'm curious whether a car radio shop could take a listen and let me know if they think it's the amp or the speakers. I'm thinking of taking it in and giving it a shot.

            • +1

              @Zackeroo: Please don't take offense. This deal is probably best suited to hobbyists who are going to do their own install. Jaycar's customer demographic is mostly DIY hobbyists hence the low risk.

              A 2005 car means your gear is well used. Home theatre setups struggle to last 20 years trouble free. Even if you replace speakers you'd struggle to get another 20 years out of the head unit.

              Would be best to consider how long you want to own the car and how much you want to invest in its audio/Bluetooth solution.

              If your current car audio doesn't have bluetooth then that means your Volvo doesn't have a factory installed microphone. If you are serious about phone call quality then you'll want an ideal microphone location. The wiring for a microphone is a waaaay harder project than a DIY head unit install. Otherwise you'll still need to rely on your mobile phone's microphone in which case why do you need a new bluetooth head unit.

              If you aren't into DIY just get heaps of quotes on installing a new headunit + microphone + speaker.

              • @Mumbles: Hey Mumbles, thanks for that reply. I've done a lot of DIY in the past, just never done a head unit install. I've been looking into this for a while and got plenty of people who can help me out too :)

                The way I see it, I've bought this head unit for $149, which means I've saved $300 by opting for this over the AX-3200. With that extra budget I'll spend on the fascia, wiring harnesses, steering wheel control wiring, microphone connections and possibly a reverse camera (although the cable hiding for this one seems annoying — and I've never had an issue with reverse parking in my life).

                I've been spending a fair bit on my Volvo as it's currently my daily and project car. Worst case situation, if the head unit doesn't improve my sound quality, I'll have to get some new speakers installed. No biggie as I've already saved a little on the head unit and I can justify spending on the speakers too. I do hope that my current head unit amp is the problem though…

                The car itself is in good condition and relatively lowish km for the age (195k). Plenty of life left in it, it's worth the time and hassle.

                Thanks.

                • @Zackeroo: Is great you have DIY skills! Its relatively easy to do your own troubleshooting.

                  You need access to the back of your car's head unit.

                  If your car has more than 4 speakers you can just swap the wires from the non-working speaker with a working speaker.

                  If you suspect all 4 car speakers are blown you can use a house speaker but its best to risk spare car speakers you don't care about. House speakers only differ from car speakers in that they have more electrical resistance (4 Ohm vs 8 Ohm) so harder to drive for the amplifier / head unit.

                  Even better idea is ask your car friends if they have an old speaker and old head unit you can borrow. Its easier to mock install a freebie head unit to test 4 car speakers than reomove the car speakers from the doors.

                  Once you understand how easy (or hard) it is to install a head unit you might decide its cheaper to buy a used head unit and crappy speaker (eg. Auto wrecker, Gumtree) than pay a professional to do the same troubleshooting.

                  I'm not a professional so take my advice with a grain of salt. Am just geeky.

        • +1

          my head unit is only 4x25w, unlike the Sony which is 4x52w and this which is 4x50w.

          Honestly I'd ignore these ratings. These are 'peak power' ratings and are more marketing than anything else. If you can find an RMS comparison that will be more useful (most head units will be around 14-20WRMS). Almost all head units advertise elevated 'peak power' ratings.

          For example, the Sony AX-3200 takes a 10A fuse. So at 12V, that means it's absolute max power draw is 120W, a long way from the 4x55W = 220W advertised. It's actually 20x4WRMS = 80WRMS total.

  • So all i would need is a fascia compatible with 7inch (double din?) headunit?

    As well as required looms etc

    • +1

      Correct. This uses ISO plugs, so you only need the primary harness listed on https://aerpro.com/ for your car, no secondary required. You can get steering modules from Aerpro too, but I've always managed to get them working with manual wiring, and the only time I bought a steering module I couldn't get it to work.

      • Thanks for the link.

        Bought the head unit and on all my previous cars i have manually wired everything in (most were older cars though and much easier).

        This looks to be the correct page for my current head unit: https://aerpro.com/vehicles/kia/kia-carnival-2010-2011-vq#-

        Car is dated 2009 though but the page for the 2009 has a different looking head unit.

        Going by the pic of the harness it looks like its just an extension. Why would that even be a thing? Maybe i can get away without even needing it.

        Car has radio wheel controls. Input/mute/vol up and down. How did you go about manually wiring that?

  • Is the installation dummy proof? Can anyone install it? E.g On a 2012 Mazda 3. If not, does Super Cheap install for a price? Thanks.

  • Anyone know what chip it uses ? or how fast it take to startup?

    • No idea on chip. Takes about 8-10 seconds from power-on to music playing (a few seconds slower than my Sony).

  • Does it have a web browser?

    • +1

      No, it can't get wifi or 4g/5g, so it wouldn't work anyways

  • +7

    knob feels solid
    the flap … is a bit tatty

    I’ve heard what I came for

    • Show us ya flaps?

  • Thanks for posting the deal! How is the reverse camera quality comparing this one with your original factory unit?
    Thinking to get it for my Honda Jazz 2018 but the Aeropro facia kit FP8077T is $64.99, like 50% of the unit itself :(

    • My old Volvo one is around 3x that price, consider yourself lucky HAHA

  • +1

    Very interesting offer. Any other specs like RAM size or screen resolution?

  • Id really like to know how much ram this thing has. I cant see it listed anywhere.
    I want the cheapest solution with 4gb of ram as 2gb ram now is really running the knife edge at this point.

    • +1

      Does it really matter? If it meets your expectations performance wise, who cares how much memory it has

      • Well if its running the razor edge for performance now and it gets an OS update and then runs like a dog then yea, I guess it does matter for those that want to think forward rather than here and now.

        • +6

          Lol dude you're not getting an os update on a $150 Jaycar headunit

          • @Ezekiel2320: okiedoke
            I would have just liked to have known how much ram it had.
            If it was 4gb that would really spice up the value of this thing.

        • +2

          Yeah get where you're coming from but this isn't an Android head unit in the sense you can install whatever apps you want/use it as an Android tablet (like you can with the generic ebay Android head units) - it's literally just a head unit that has Android auto/car play support - similar in features to one you'd find from a name brand

  • Are plug and play wiring harnesses available for this headset?

    • +1

      It uses ISO fittings, so any Aerpro primary harness will plug straight in.

  • Guessing wireless android auto adapters will work with this…

  • Had this installed in a previous car before, it’s actually very usable and a bargain at this price.

  • Can I fit this in Toyota Yaris sedan 2009 model?

  • bought and installed in my toyota with iso harness, need usb cable for android/apple car play. great buy

    • How is the sound quality compared to your original head unit?

      • its sounds better and it has an eq with presets or custom you can play with

        • Good to hear. I just made the purchase, I'm hoping it works well for me too :)

    • Performed the same install in an old Toyota with the ISO harness.
      When you switch the ignition from accessory to full engine start, does your head unit power off and back on again?

  • How do you know if it will fit your car? Is it the same standard size in most cars? TIA :-)

  • Hey guys, any idea why this wouldn't be saving the date/time when turning off and back on? Other than that install went smooth, great head unit for the price.

    • +2

      I’ve never seen one of these, but my first guess would be that the constant power wire on the hu is hooked up to a switched power wire on the car.

    • I had the same issue. While the car i was installing it to already had the correct connectors Kia has wired it differently. The battery and accessory wires were switched.

      Ended up cutting most the wires off the Kia harness and soldering the supplied connector on.

      • I installed in a Kia too. Also I had an issue where when i turn on the headlights the head unit will constantly switch the screen between bright and dimmed.

        • Did you fix it? Our one had 2 different wires marked as illumination according to the pinout i could find for the wiring harness online. I used a multimeter to work out what just switched with the headlights and went with that.

          • +1

            @Duff5000: Sorry mate, I had a professional install a reverse camera and got him to sort out those niggles while he was at it. The brightness switching issue was cause by some incorrect cable that he disconnected all together. He said it may have by some kind of data cable not utilised by this head unit. The time not saving issued was fixed the same way you mentioned.

  • Anyone tried any other reversing cams with this? Cameras with a reasonable review are about $20 on amazon. Much cheaper than the one they recommend at jaycar.

  • To anyone who ended up buying this, how was the sound quality? I bought it on click and collect but still haven't picked up yet. Considering refunding and buying an AX3200 instead. Sound quality is a must for me…

    • Better than the one that came with our Grand Carnival.

      The Sony is way more expensive isnt it? Personally id try the digitech and if still needed better sound use the $$ difference to get better speakers or even an amp and speakers.

      • Hmm that's interesting, how old is this Grand Carnival? The DigiTech technically can still be refunded, and I'd rather not take the hassle of installing it to then switch it out with the Sony. There's a bit of soldering work required too. The price difference is $300… In the grand scheme of things, that's really not that much if the sound quality difference is noticable.

        That being said, I could always use that extra $300 on an amp or better speakers, yes… It just depends how bad the DigiTech really is.

        • +1

          Car was a 2009.

          Really hard to know if the sony would sound better on the current speakers or not. Or, if the sony and current speakers would sound better than the Digitech with upgraded speakers.

          You could always give it a go. Would probably get $100-150 anyway if you kept everything together and sold it.

          I do like that the sony has the USB coming from the back. Sticking out the front isn't the neatest.

  • Installed this today, very easy once I figured it out cause I was a bit of a noob. Installed into a 05 corolla and just needed the harness aerpro reccomended aswell as a facia thingy. One thing to note is that the unit came with this cover cage this which covered the screw holes which I couldnt figure out for a bit but you just need to unclip it and slide it out and then use your car's fitting brackets onto. Also the plastic cover around the screen removes to fit into the car which also took a little bit to figure out. Total install was just over an hour including messing about for a bit. End result looks very clean and the unit unit works fairly well so far, made the cars speakers sound a lot better.

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