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for the hissing aspect... try using the "non" amplified outputs, i think it's because the default iso connector is sending out amplified signals, so you are basically amplifying already an amplified signal.
But they should atleast include an adapter if that would be the case
Anyway, i am covered with Paypal if it is absolute garbage, also paid 600+ Euro so I am expecting a premium product for that price.
hardware
-quite allright, fit & finish is OK, but the mounting is not; basically there is no provision to mount and secure it. Sure, there are the little "tabs" that slide into the console, but no screws to mount the 2 additional tabs are provided. This doesn't prevent the unit from sliding out. A replication of the OEM mounting hex' would be brilliant, a threaded hole for the right-hand screw would be a minimum.
-cables, buttons, plugs, etc: all OK
Completely agree. The excellent faceplate from @myw looks completely OEM once in place. Was disappointing that this "model specific" unit does not lock in place. Using velcro and foam to keep it secure is a kindergarten solution at this price point.
software
this is where many of the issues lie. I feel the software is "unfinished", "unpolished", and frankly "beta-quality" at best.
examples: the "factory settings" "secret menu" is required for many basic functions such as changing the boot logo. (which, by the way, could be included as the unit is clearly only ever going to be installed in a Porsche) or changing the physical keymap.
however this menu is not explained at all, dropdown menus contain dark options, not easily understood. There's a mix of settings you could/should touch, and ones you definitely shouldn't.
in the key mapping menu, for example, you can choose the function for each button press and long press - but you have to choose based on the icon of the function solely, how hard would it be to include the text as well??
UI: the button for dimming the screen up top is useless and often hit by mistake. It's a pity the notification bar buttons cannot be customized (that I found)
Yes the software experience is definitely for a more advanced user. Other "branded" Android units such as Xtrons do software better. I suspect Owtosin is producing dozens of different units for hundreds of cars on the same platform, so they're using off-the-shelf software to keep things flexible.
interface / launcher
"meh". not doing it. icons are ugly, the "4 cards" cannot (that I found) be customized to use (eg. spotify instead of built-in music player or FM), etc.
Additional themes seem to exist but are paid.
Stock launcher can be so much better. Why can't we change shortcuts at the bottom row or assign Spotify as the default media player? I tried a bunch of other car launches and they're all pretty bad, to be honest.
I'm using VIVID launcher now and am happy with it for the most part, but still have to use default FM Radio and Phone dialer apps, which are jarringly ugly.
sound quality
I'm still battling with a white noise hiss/hum. It's there whenever the volume is not at 0/mute, and doesn't get louder when the volume is turned up between 1 and 30. it's not a gound loop issue (isolated), seems to come from the back speakers mostly/only but fader has no effect on it. Sounds like coil whine. Idem engine running or not.
not too bad while driving, but still screws with the audio quality of high dynamic range songs, you'll hear it in silent passages.
Manufacturer's responses was to "isolate cables" :/ ....
besides this, sound quality is good.
I connected mine via RCA cables and find the sound quality on par, if not better than stock Porsche HU. All amp and EQ settings are doing what they should. However, mine has a bug where fade & balance on the "common" screen are correct (eg, front is front, left is left, etc) but on the "specialty" screen they are totally messed up.
speed
"acceptable" in a vacuum, but too slow for something that's supposedly the highest-end, current-gent product at the given price.
I have no complaints here. It ain't an Ipad Pro, but I haven't encountered any lag issues.
integration
big disappointment.
Sure, it seems to read vehicle speed from CANBUS, and is able to push info to the dashboard. however, the only "useful" info is the FM station MHz ..... which really isn't that useful at all. Why not the station name?
playing spotify or other displays "OTHER" - why not the song name or similar?
navigation displays "NAVI -------" , no directions (as I had expected) (tried with the preinstalled nav software as well as google maps and Michelin maps)
DAB untested as of yet (no DAB in my area yet)
Mine does not integrate with the onboard computer at all. In fact, it crashes the OEM display. When I select any function linked to the head unit such as audio or phone, the Porsche computer just displays a blank screen and I cannot get out of it no matter what I do. Luckily my TPMS is offline currently so every time I start the car, the display resets to show the TPM message and I get OBC functionality back. The fact that you're actually getting FM and "OTHER" messages leads me to wonder if my CANBUS needs some further config. I'll raise this with the seller.
manual / documentation
again, given the price, some explanations should be provided. While not strictly blocking thanks to the work of @myw and many others in this forum, it's still a no-go given the price.
for example, how does the canbus interact? is there an app? how does the device communicate with the external CANBUS module? etc.
Yup, having to scroll through dozens of forum pages and Facebook group messages for information is not great. They advertise the unit shipped with a manual but its not. Took me a few days to figure out how to get it to work with my sound plus pack car then another two days to get the camera to work, and I was lucky to get @myw to help me directly. For most, it seems this is a plug-and-play solution.
android auto
works. Flaky, but works.
seems to auto-start on his own terms. Found the option somewhere to enable it wireless, but can't find it again.
disables wifi
connectivity
works but could be improved:
-wifi used as access point when using android auto - but somehow using 4G isn't possible during this time.
-bluetooth: no possibility to connect a keyboard for example. flaky connection to OBD module.
-4G: slow but works I guess.
My mobile does not work at all - SIM card is not showing up. Troubleshooting with the seller now. Did you insert a SIM in the dongle and it just worked?
Overall, I'm very happy with this unit. For me, it was simply a must-have. My Cayman is a daily driver and I need modern tech to keep it usable. I hate how other aftermarket units look, so this factory-looking option was the only way to go. It instantly updates and modernizes a 13-year-old car.
Yes, the setup and config can be clunky, but anyone who knows how to open a Windows command prompt should be able to figure it out.
after a few weeks, I thought it's time to share my thoughts on the unit.
I ordered the "top of the line" unit, qualcomm 6215, at a hefty price - €660.
In short, I do not feel it lives up to expectations and I am disappointed.
in long: Context: I work in IT (consultancy with stong tech background in infra/networking/virtualization/...) and I like tinkering with my cars and devices. I'm not a developer, android or otherwise, but obviously somewhat tech-savvy ;-)
hardware
-quite allright, fit & finish is OK, but the mounting is not; basically there is no provision to mount and secure it. Sure, there are the little "tabs" that slide into the console, but no screws to mount the 2 additional tabs are provided. This doesn't prevent the unit from sliding out. A replication of the OEM mounting hex' would be brilliant, a threaded hole for the right-hand screw would be a minimum.
-cables, buttons, plugs, etc: all OK
software
this is where many of the issues lie. I feel the software is "unfinished", "unpolished", and frankly "beta-quality" at best.
examples: the "factory settings" "secret menu" is required for many basic functions such as changing the boot logo. (which, by the way, could be included as the unit is clearly only ever going to be installed in a Porsche) or changing the physical keymap.
however this menu is not explained at all, dropdown menus contain dark options, not easily understood. There's a mix of settings you could/should touch, and ones you definitely shouldn't.
in the key mapping menu, for example, you can choose the function for each button press and long press - but you have to choose based on the icon of the function solely, how hard would it be to include the text as well??
UI: the button for dimming the screen up top is useless and often hit by mistake. It's a pity the notification bar buttons cannot be customized (that I found)
interface / launcher
"meh". not doing it. icons are ugly, the "4 cards" cannot (that I found) be customized to use (eg. spotify instead of built-in music player or FM), etc.
Additional themes seem to exist but are paid.
sound quality
I'm still battling with a white noise hiss/hum. It's there whenever the volume is not at 0/mute, and doesn't get louder when the volume is turned up between 1 and 30. it's not a gound loop issue (isolated), seems to come from the back speakers mostly/only but fader has no effect on it. Sounds like coil whine. Idem engine running or not.
not too bad while driving, but still screws with the audio quality of high dynamic range songs, you'll hear it in silent passages.
Manufacturer's responses was to "isolate cables" :/ ....
besides this, sound quality is good.
speed
"acceptable" in a vacuum, but too slow for something that's supposedly the highest-end, current-gent product at the given price.
integration
big disappointment.
Sure, it seems to read vehicle speed from CANBUS, and is able to push info to the dashboard. however, the only "useful" info is the FM station MHz ..... which really isn't that useful at all. Why not the station name?
playing spotify or other displays "OTHER" - why not the song name or similar?
navigation displays "NAVI -------" , no directions (as I had expected) (tried with the preinstalled nav software as well as google maps and Michelin maps)
DAB untested as of yet (no DAB in my area yet)
manual / documentation
again, given the price, some explanations should be provided. While not strictly blocking thanks to the work of @myw and many others in this forum, it's still a no-go given the price.
for example, how does the canbus interact? is there an app? how does the device communicate with the external CANBUS module? etc.
android auto
works. Flaky, but works.
seems to auto-start on his own terms. Found the option somewhere to enable it wireless, but can't find it again.
disables wifi
connectivity
works but could be improved:
-wifi used as access point when using android auto - but somehow using 4G isn't possible during this time.
-bluetooth: no possibility to connect a keyboard for example. flaky connection to OBD module.
-4G: slow but works I guess.
price / conclusion
paid €660, would not recommend.
I'm disappointed I did not order any of the cheaper units out there, as this supposedly "high end" unit does not, in my view, fullfil its promises.
to add insult to injury,the same device is currently on sale at 40% off! at the remaining 387€, it would be a much more reasonable proposition. Still would only recommend to someone who likes tinkering.
Given the "unfinished" nature of the software, I feel it's too much locked down. Things are broken and you're not able to easily go in and fix. Open-sourcing the ROM for example could greatly improve this. Given the price however, I still think the software should be better.
I have made a mistake I've made before with smartphones: I've bought hardware/specs instead of software/functionality ....
next steps:
I will contact the seller in light of their huge discount and the gripes noted above.
I'll also be digging some more into this whole canbus thing ....
Very much looking forward to your feedback. Did anyone get directions on their dashboard? Am I the only one with this feeling? How's the collaboration with the manufacturer, can we work on improving this?
I don't see it being a real discount his pricing didn't change. They raised the price so they could show it's 40% off but it's the same price as it was last week for me at least.
The more time goes on, the more I am leaning on getting some cheap *** android auto headunit and calling it a day.
I don't see it being a real discount his pricing didn't change. They raised the price so they could show it's 40% off but it's the same price as it was last week for me at least.
The more time goes on, the more I am leaning on getting some cheap *** android auto headunit and calling it a day.
I checked again, on PC instead of on mobile, and don't see it anymore either. May have been just looking at the wrong unit selection. WIll edit original post to avoid confusion.
as for your 2nd point: should I purchase one now knowing what I know now, I would probably opt for one of the cheaper ones (still with the faceplate though) and with a non-qualcomm CPU to have a bit more modding experience and support on the likes of XDA forums and others. Cost 2-3-400 derpending on RAM, instead of >600, expectations adapted accordingly :P
still love the OEM-look though!! So I would limit the selection to those. Huge point for me personally.
Completely agree. The excellent faceplate from @myw looks completely OEM once in place. Was disappointing that this "model specific" unit does not lock in place. Using velcro and foam to keep it secure is a kindergarten solution at this price point.
exactly.
Yes the software experience is definitely for a more advanced user. Other "branded" Android units such as Xtrons do software better. I suspect Owtosin is producing dozens of different units for hundreds of cars on the same platform, so they're using off-the-shelf software to keep things flexible.
probably. I wonder, @myw , what made you know that specifically Owtosin is the brand under which they sell "high quality" units? How much detail do you have on their company/ies structure? Do you know which other brands come from the same factory (but may have integrated cpu etc.) ?
Stock launcher can be so much better. Why can't we change shortcuts at the bottom row or assign Spotify as the default media player? I tried a bunch of other car launches and they're all pretty bad, to be honest.
I'm using VIVID launcher now and am happy with it for the most part, but still have to use default FM Radio and Phone dialer apps, which are jarringly ugly.
idem. Seems "fcc launcher" is promising given some time customizing it. Still experimenting with it, as well as Vivid and some others.
I connected mine via RCA cables and find the sound quality on par, if not better than stock Porsche HU. All amp and EQ settings are doing what they should. However, mine has a bug where fade & balance on the "common" screen are correct (eg, front is front, left is left, etc) but on the "specialty" screen they are totally messed up.
and I believe you did a brilliant job rewiring to non-amplified outputs and documenting it for us all!
for me however, with the ASK amp, that's no the issue; even with the ASK amp unpowered (fuse removed), the hiss is there....
I have no complaints here. It ain't an Ipad Pro, but I haven't encountered any lag issues.
good to read!!
seems Android Auto in general, irrespective of using a chinese headunit or an OEM one, is less polished than Apple Carplay, from reading.
Mine does not integrate with the onboard computer at all. In fact, it crashes the OEM display. When I select any function linked to the head unit such as audio or phone, the Porsche computer just displays a blank screen and I cannot get out of it no matter what I do. Luckily my TPMS is offline currently so every time I start the car, the display resets to show the TPM message and I get OBC functionality back. The fact that you're actually getting FM and "OTHER" messages leads me to wonder if my CANBUS needs some further config. I'll raise this with the seller.
wow that's even a lot worse!!
You probably did, but just to make sure:; CANBUS set to "29 PORSCHE (bagoo)"?
my settings below fyi
Yup, having to scroll through dozens of forum pages and Facebook group messages for information is not great. They advertise the unit shipped with a manual but its not. Took me a few days to figure out how to get it to work with my sound plus pack car then another two days to get the camera to work, and I was lucky to get @myw to help me directly. For most, it seems this is a plug-and-play solution.
agreed. We're doing their work and paying them for it
My mobile does not work at all - SIM card is not showing up. Troubleshooting with the seller now. Did you insert a SIM in the dongle and it just worked?
yes, as I recall i did not do anything special but connect the dongle and 4G antenna.
fyi my sim has no pin (but sounds like you're stuck even before this)
Overall, I'm very happy with this unit. For me, it was simply a must-have. My Cayman is a daily driver and I need modern tech to keep it usable. I hate how other aftermarket units look, so this factory-looking option was the only way to go. It instantly updates and modernizes a 13-year-old car.
Yes, the setup and config can be clunky, but anyone who knows how to open a Windows command prompt should be able to figure it out.
I agree with the must-factor of the OEM look, and therefore again I love the fact @myw and OwTosin produced something for our cars which allows us to skip on the PCCM+ (which I'm not sure I would be happier with, esp. given the even higher pricepoint). And glad to hear you're happy overall :-)
I will get back to your post in full in about a weeks time - too busy this week and i know to go thru your post in full will take me an hour of my time.
Just wanted to acknowledge that I have read everything in full!
I will get back to your post in full in about a weeks time - too busy this week and i know to go thru your post in full will take me an hour of my time.
Just wanted to acknowledge that I have read everything in full!
hi mate,
thx for your reply. Don't worry, this is not really urgent, I appreciate you reading it and look forward to your input.
fyi all I'm also in contact with Bob from the manufacturer. I'll let you know the outcome if any points get fixed. So far, he's very kind and replying, liaising with Engineering in the background, but no viable solutions offered. But they're trying it seems so that's good! I've also offered to help on multiple points, let's see.
Hello Brother, thanks for your explanation. I'm having the same issue but with a different equipment from Owtosin, it's the one with M5 chip 8/128gb. I also have a Cayman 987.2 with Sound Package Plus option. The thing is that I use your tips and now I can't turn on the Radio. Can you please tell me if you have left the White, Green, Purple and Grey in the "power" connector? Because I understand that I need to quit them, but I'm not sure, I've quit them and it didn't turn on now. Any recommendation pls? Thanks in advance!!
Originally Posted by YarraMates
Writing this in hopes to save a lot of troubleshooting for anyone else who is going to use these Android head units with their Sound Package Plus optioned car. I was stumped for a couple of days and surprised that over the years this has not been reported in detail.
EQUIPMENT
2010 Cayman 987.2 with Option 490 (SPP) - Sound Package Plus (9 speakers). CDR30 OEM head unit. NOT BOSE.
Android HU purchased from Owtosin Official Store - Version 13 - 4G Qualcomm Snapdragon 665.
***You do NOT need an optical fiber adapter.
I quickly realized that an optical adapter box was not necessary as there are no optical wires going to the factory HU.
PROBLEM
Significant background noise.
Volume setting 1 is much too loud.
Reducing volume to 0 on OEM CDR30 HU prior to removing it had no effect.
Reducing values in VOICE screen to 0 had no effect (Settings>Car>password 126> Voice)
Reducing AMP output value in OTHER screen to -15 had very little effect (Settings>Car>password 124> Other)
CAUSE
Cars with SPP have an amplifier under the passenger seat. The signal from the Android unit's main "power" wiring loom is already amplified, thus the audio signal is being amplified twice.
SOLUTION
Let the existing Porsche OEM amp power the speakers and send unamplified audio from the new Android head unit. The RCA output on Owtosin unit is not amplified. We just need to isolate the audio wires (Front Right +- ,Front Left +-, Rear Right +-, Rear Left +-) from the main "power" plug on the HU end and connect them to the RCA out plug instead. This is actually quite simple. This method only requires modifying the main "power" wiring loom that came with Android deck.
Depin (or cut) audio wires from the "power" plug that goes into the head unit. Refer to a sticker on the HU for colors. For me, these were White/White Black, Green/Green Black, Purple/Purple Black and Grey/Grey Black. So now we have the main quad lock loom that will connect to the OEM harness in the car on one end, and on the other end it will plug into HU for power and canBUS, but with 8 audio wires loose. Now we need to connect those audio wires to the RCA output on the HU.
I chose to use the existing RCA female connectors on the audio out loom. I bought 4 RCA male connectors on Amazon - make sure to get ones that split into two wires for easier + and - identification. Then simply match up RCA male connectors with colored wires from the first step. For example, for Front Right, I had grey + wire going to RCA male + and grey/black - wire going to RCA male -. Now we have 8 audio wires from the main harness connected with 4 RCA male wires. I used simple crimping connectors. This was my result:
3. Now just match up your RCA male and female connectors keeping track of speaker corners.
This has completely cleared up my sound issues and allowed me to keep the OEM amp, which I think is better tuned to work with existing speakers. The sound quality is actually amazing and all eq and balance settings on the Android unit are functional, so you can really dial in the audio.
I suppose, a tidier option would have been to bypass the RCA plugs entirely and connect directly to the audio out plug but I wanted to keep this simple and reversible.
Owtosin should just make a different harness for people with SPP. It really is such a simple mod for them to make. Perhaps @myw can advise his contact there on this.
The absolutely best solution would be if these units can simply turn off the built-in amp via software, perhaps in future versions.
Hello Brother, thanks for your explanation. I'm having the same issue but with a different equipment from Owtosin, it's the one with M5 chip 8/128gb. I also have a Cayman 987.2 with Sound Package Plus option. The thing is that I use your tips and now I can't turn on the Radio. Can you please tell me if you have left the White, Green, Purple and Grey in the "power" connector? Because I understand that I need to quit them, but I'm not sure, I've quit them and it didn't turn on now. Any recommendation pls? Thanks in advance!!
Your unit should have a wiring diagram on it, or included in the description. Were there any stickers on the back of your unit, or do you have the link to where you bought it?
The ONLY wires you're cutting are audio signal wires, so unless you cut the wrong wires there is nothing my method that can cause the radio to not turn on.
Ok here is my review of the current "top model" from owtosin official store
Ordered the 17 model which is over 600 eur + shipping + import tax which comes around 850EUR/930USD to Europe. (keep this price tag in the back of your mind reading this review)
It is to be installed into a 997.1 gt3 cs.
Short little backstory about me
I have 25+ years experience in IT & product design, in fields of communication technology (audio), wifi, data, hardware & cybersecurity. serving most top fortune 500 company's, governments across the world.
First impressions unboxing it
Looks ok, but extremely light.
First remark not a single piece of paper with a wire diagram or a short one pager reference manual
Issue 1 : there is no quality control done on the faceplate finish, it came with a fault within the paint/cast (see picture below) paying a premium, you would expect this to be perfect, and could have easily been avoided with basic QA.
Installation & fitment
Colormatch is perfect.
Fitment is sub par at best... it fits inside the double DIN and that's about it...
You need spacers and some foam to make it sit somewhat respectable, this could have been easily solved by getting wider& thicker mounting rails that actually fit the HU of porsche, instead of the flimsy screwed on metal guides.
I don't understand how this is still possible, as the r&d & production cost is basically nothing to get this solved, which would increase the visual finish of the installed product by 3x.
that said, if you take your time and you put some effort into it, it can be made to fit almost perfect
Operation & functionality
Here is the part that basically made this purchase a complete disappointment on every level
Radio : I have no idea what they did, but there is a serious issue with the Antenna or the Radioprocessor, all FM stations have static & sound quality is very poor (car in the exact same position with the old PCM was crystal clear) when there is no radio playing, VERY important for the following remarks below, there is no hiss or distortion what so ever
Bluetooth music : Pairing a phone is quick & easy as you would expect, however as soon as there is some data transfer(aka connection you get a slight hiss/distortion in your speakers which is still acceptable, but nonetheless annoying, and considering the price point unacceptable. (any offbrand 100$ HU don't have this issue), once paired, even if you are not playing any music you have the slight hiss/distortion.
played around with some audio settings, the mosfet chipset seems to handle the oem speakers fine, and the audio is ok besides the slight distortion when not playing any audio..
But now here comes the biggest issue, frankly I cannot comprehend in anyway how this has passed any QA or FAT.
Once you pair your device with Android auto, may it be by USB or Wifi or Bluetooth then your headunit becomes a very expensive paper weight.
Now you get very present distortion hiss through all speakers even on volume setting 1.
I did some extensive testing, factory reset,settings, wifi on, wifi off , bluetooth off, bluetooth on etc etc.... it doesnt even matter if your device is actually using android auto or not, you will just get very annoying static noise when there is no audio and you have to crank the music up to get rid of it to the point that your not hearing it anymore.
Testing this further it became clear this is caused by interference of the data protocols used, i assume components that handle the data transfer & communications for internal & external devices have not been properly shielded & grounded.
or atleast i hope that is the case, and that it's not down to use sub par cheap components.
Considering you buy an Android Head Unit, specifically to use android functionality , but then coming to the conclusion that the core android feature set makes this unit completely useless in comparison with a any other off the brand headunit, which might run you a 200$ which doesn't suffer from audio quality issues,
The only thing it currently does properly is the color match (not the finish) and the buttons are porsche 'ish"
For almost a 1000$ i am expecting a product that is top notch in every way, in it's current form i wouldn't even spend 100$ on it to be fair.
If you disable and remove your paired device and wifi/bluetooth, the distortion is gone (just to point out again it's the data communication interference causing the issue both on Bluetooth/wifi)
I think it speaks for itself that in the current state that this headunit has been a very disappointed purchase, almost to the point that it feels like a scam as it's not able to deliver core functionality, I wished I had spend the extra 500$ to get the PCM plus from Porsche...
Based on this I wouldn't advice anybody to get the "17" model as it's just a product that's not fit for market or purpose in it's current state.
I will try contacting the vendor and see how we go forward on this & post the results of this communication & resolution, it's one thing selling a product, it's another thing standing behind your product and solving issues in a professional & correct way.
I was feeling bad that, despite reading the entire topic, somehow I managed to apparently order "the wrong model", as it seems some of the 17.000 variations are deemed "high quality" and others not. As always, it's a minefield out there. I ordered what I thought was the best model, 8GB of ram and a faster CPU than the qualcomm model. Only to read I did it all wrong. Oh wel... Don't know if it's any good or not, haven't had time to install it yet in my 997. At the very least, if it indeed sucks, I'm glad I only paid 340 EUR instead of 600+
04-23-2023, 07:04 AM
