Pioneer SPH-DA120

[adam.]

Ok, so I've had CarPlay for a couple of months now.

What utter crap it is!

Siri is nigh-on unusable, and never gets the right location for navigation, music interface is horrendous, etc etc.

I've found the Pioneer BT interface for music and the Pioneer Navigation MUCH better.


Anyone else hating CarPlay?!?

 

[wj51fut]

Not tried the car play. I have the Bluetooth working atm but the volume is really low. You have to crank it up to 38-40 to get an audible sound. Can't listen to Justin Beiber like that!

 

[adam.]

Not tried the car play. I have the Bluetooth working atm but the volume is really low. You have to crank it up to 38-40 to get an audible sound. Can't listen to Justin Beiber like that!

On mine I think I can turn the volume up and down on the phone too, check it's on max?

 

[Bewesy]

Ok, so I've had CarPlay for a couple of months now.

What utter crap it is!

Siri is nigh-on unusable, and never gets the right location for navigation, music interface is horrendous, etc etc.

I've found the Pioneer BT interface for music and the Pioneer Navigation MUCH better.


Anyone else hating CarPlay?!?

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you somewhat. On the occasions I've tried Siri (lets be fair, no one really uses it that much) it has worked flawlessly. Have used it to send texts and everything. I think i does have something to do with the acoustics of the car. Originally I didn't have the microphone in the right place but its now mounted on the plastic panel above the rear view mirror. Also mine is a relatively quiet DC5 so there's not a huge amount of cabin noise.

Agree that the music interface is not the best when you're driving. Skipping tracks is fine but searching and navigating around playlists and albums need more concentration that maybe it should do when you should really be focusing on the road.

My only bugbear on this unit is the lack of volume dial. You cant just reach over without looking and alter the volume; you have to look and press the right area. Not something you miss until its gone.

What is the Pioneer navigation BTW? I wasn't aware there was any built in?

 

[adam.]

What is the Pioneer navigation BTW? I wasn't aware there was any built in?

Mine is the F70-DAB: http://www.pioneer-car.eu/eur/products/avic-f70dab

So, slightly different in feature set.

But skipping tracks on CarPlay takes an age, I just can't get on with it. That's one of the most basic functions!

 

[Bewesy]

Mine is the F70-DAB: http://www.pioneer-car.eu/eur/products/avic-f70dab

So, slightly different in feature set.

But skipping tracks on CarPlay takes an age, I just can't get on with it. That's one of the most basic functions!

Ah OK. Different unit altogether then.

My main concern with a unit like this was lag on the interface but there's no lag on mine whatsoever when skipping tracks. A top end unit like yours should be pretty slick by all accounts.

What iPhone are you using? Mines a 6S so the current model. Wondering if the lag is due to the phone hardware or how much 'stuff' is on there?

 

[adam.]

Ah OK. Different unit altogether then.

My main concern with a unit like this was lag on the interface but there's no lag on mine whatsoever when skipping tracks. A top end unit like yours should be pretty slick by all accounts.

What iPhone are you using? Mines a 6S so the current model. Wondering if the lag is due to the phone hardware or how much 'stuff' is on there?

I've tried with ipod touch 5G, iphone 5S, iphone 6, iphone 6s, etc lol!

It's faultless on bluetooth, usb from a flash device, sd card et al, just car play over usb that's tosh!

 

[maxvr6]

Is there no main volume in the main settings screen on the stereo? Will that not turn it up?

 

[Bewesy]

I've tried with ipod touch 5G, iphone 5S, iphone 6, iphone 6s, etc lol!

It's faultless on bluetooth, usb from a flash device, sd card et al, just car play over usb that's tosh!

That's so weird, and unfortunate. I couldn't be happier with mine.

 

[wj51fut]

Had another look at mine. I could increase the aux input by 4 but it's still not very loud. Audible but not as loud as I had thought. When it's on the radio it's loud. I have checked my phone and it's nearly maxed out with volume.

 

[Bewesy]

On mine there seems to be 3 places where you can change the volume.

1. The normal plus and minus buttons to change the music volume.
2. When the normal volume bar appears there is also a little 'Alerts' volume that pops up on the far right you can adjust separately - this was for Sat Nav alerts etc.

Even though these were set high, Siri was barely noticable as it was so quiet.

3. The third way, to increase Siri's volume was the normal plus and minus buttons, but ONLY when Siri was talking.

Took me ages to figure that one out.

 

[Bewesy]

Had another look at mine. I could increase the aux input by 4 but it's still not very loud. Audible but not as loud as I had thought. When it's on the radio it's loud. I have checked my phone and it's nearly maxed out with volume.

Just out of interest I tried mine streaming music from Bluetooth on the way to work this morning and mine was also barely audible, even on max volume.... :wacko:

 

[Bewesy]

I could increase the aux input by 4 but it's still not very loud. Audible but not as loud as I had thought. When it's on the radio it's loud. I have checked my phone and it's nearly maxed out with volume.

Ive got my volume sorted! Try this:

Turn off the volume EQ setting in the iPhone music settings (this made it significantly louder for me) and also, whilst the music is actually playing through Bluetooth, use the volume buttons on the side of the iPhone to increase the volume. This seems to be independent to whatever the volume is set to in the music app and increase the Bluetooth music volume only. Good luck!

 

[civic17_99]

Does the metal cage that comes with the SPH-DA120 fit the car ok or are you guys using a different one? If anyone has a link to this because i'm going to buy one of these head units today.

 

[adam.]

Does the metal cage that comes with the SPH-DA120 fit the car ok or are you guys using a different one? If anyone has a link to this because i'm going to buy one of these head units today.

The head units mount to the OEM cage, screwed directly to it.

 

[civic17_99]

Ah ok no worries I just wondered as I don't have a double din stereo at the moment. Thanks for your help.

 

[loud945]

Just fitted my SPH-120, really like it so far, but also getting used to finding the volume and skip buttons!
The volume on the phone will also need to be turned up a little bit too when running off the bluetooth, I think you would have the same problem if using the aux cable etc.

Carplay for me so far seems pretty decent, certainly didn't seem to have any problems.. could try a factory reset on it? also I think it (iPhone) wants to be plugged into USB Port 1, which is the high-speed port, Port 2 I suspect might not be as fast...

 

[wj51fut]

Ok so I have found on the phone a bar at the bottom in which you can change the volume on either device. The phone itself or the Bluetooth stereo it is connected to. I have now adjusted it on the Bluetooth connection and now I get full volume levels on the stereo.



A picture of the bar in question.

 

[Brophy]

Cheers Adam , fitting mine today and good choice in music

 

[alan-lee]

Is this the newest app radio?

Or different?


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