excellent review, Man ! It's so good to watch a review that actually tests and reviews the product and it's functions instead of just spending 15 mins "UNBOXING" a product..GREAT JOB!
I was blown away with this for the $15.79 I paid. Bluetooth music streaming and phone call audio quality is very good. This seems ideal for a beater car,truck or boat. Will have to see how long it last because yes this thing gets hot.
I just put this in my car to replace what was likely a previous version of this same radio that I bought from Crutchfield for a lot more than the $20 I paid for this at Walmart. Same plug so everything works. Absolutely amazing. Sounds better and the Bluetooth operation is vastly more reliable.
Great review! I think the Blaupunkt 10 dollar radio I tested uses the same amp chip and people have complained of them getting very hot and having issues with the screen. Such a bummer they take the time to design these pretty well but forget the very important stuff....like keeping the heat dissipated :-)
John I really like your videos... Been subscribed to your channel since a really long time. I'm a noob but I've learned a lot through your videos. Thanks for that and your time and efforts are always appreciated. You've done a lot of videos on class A Class B and Class D amplifiers. But I'm looking forward for you to make a diy class D amp that's puts out clean power no bs! P.s I made the preamp using your circuit diagram and it sounds absolutely amazing. Thanks
I saw this in the store the other day and am tempted. This video is perfect! I have to wait until tonight to watch, though. I currently have a no-name $20 stereo in my car now that has technical issues, but sounds good. We'll see if this is an "upgrade."
Nice thorough job! I'm impressed too. I'm looking for a good "mechless" head unit now to replace my older car stereo. I never played CD's in it, since it has the thumbdrive option. I'm not looking to buy THIS one, but the DUAL here is great for upgrading a beater car, pontoon boat, old truck etc.
Bought one of these. It got really, really hot, so much that I could not keep my finger on it for more than 2 secs - as this reviewer also points out. I was afraid it would burn down my car. I added a heat sink from and old PC, and also a PC fan., that connects to one of the wires (the one responsible for the remote control). Works great now. I've noticed they modified the board a bit, so perhaps the issue's solved.
Here I come 6 years later with this comment. I’ve purchased several affordable Dual and Jensen products recently. Every last one of those car stereo units made an “alternator whine,” even though good grounding was confirmed and other stereos we tested didn’t do it. There’s literally nothing you can do to make that whine go away. It makes the nose when the engine is running and increase with RPMs. I’m chucking it to a low quality build. What are your thoughts? Did you experience this situation with this model?
Installed and about six weeks later it suffered the overheating problem. Fried just next to the fuse area like the video stated. The aluminum heat sink is inadequate!
Kind of awesome what can be made, so many functions and good basic performance at a pittance. I wonder if distortion increases when it's very hot and bias is way down. I'd hate to damage such a nice thing, but would really like to see how it defends itself from overheating. Imagine a hot August day, parked in an asphalt parking lot, getting it to a hot car and cranking that thing with four speakers and maybe a cubic foot of airspace in that hot dashboard...
The IC's thermal protection will shut down or reduce output until the temperature drops to safe levels. However, running the amp at elevated temps or into thermal protection often will eventually lead to failure.
Very informative revue. I installed one today in a 63 nova. drove around awhile and heat was not a problem as its under dash with plenty air flowing. I was impressed with the sound from 4 speakers.
u can buy this and replace the chip with a tda7850 & replace the 10amp fuse with a 15amp or 20amp one and u can push some really high power at 2ohm and 4ohm.. 7850 can do 55watts per channel at 10% thd with 2ohm load. the pinout is same.
Ive been using this head unit for about 6 months now and for just a regular car its great, but since i put my sub woofer in it just cant do the tuning and power i need it to. But i will be putting it in my work truck when i replace it
Make a nice wood case and external power supply for it. Would make a nice home stereo. Maybe doctor up a heatsink to add to the back.Excellent FFT results - no real distortion at all. Class AB amps are still the best performing ones for music - Class D just dont "sound right" to my ears.Excellent $20.00 investment.
bodge in a small fan. run it off the amp trigger wire.punch a small hole in case... circulate a little bit of air.. :-) it's nice to see that they DIDN'T use a digital amp. digital front end and analogue back end. nice for 20 bucks.
Your our favorite weird guy that does ic audio that is/was in current radios(30 years) /jbl flip 4 bluetooth speakers and such. While its fun to go down memory lane on tube stuff. Your s is most useful.
It'd be interesting to see how this compares to the even cheaper direct-import car radios which start at around $10, as they seem to be similar in specification.
I have the same one I installed it over the weekend. And so far it’s pretty good the sound is clear only thing is when I’m listening to the radio the sound kinda fades a bit. It connects to my phone right away even if the stereo is off other then that I like it sounds good 👍 only thing is led lights are way too bright lol
I have 1 of these during the summer it's gets hot and start messing up if you are listening to music on Bluetooth mode and it dose not push 12inch subs gud at all so it's just something to get by til u update
get a sharpie or something and mark over the top of the LED's if your really still having this problem after all this time 5 months later lol if you want to be crazy you could even use a colored marker to change the LED color to something wild. use yellow for a freaky green color. or red for a weird purple color. or yellowish-brown/gold for a somewhat yellowish-white color
Yay, more amp reviews! Will there be a ground loop video in the future? I have a class d amp and an ne5532 preamp and there are weird noises when they are powered from the same supply. Best weird audio tech guy on youtube tho :)
im hope that weird audio tech guy will tell a story about snickers for a couple minute long, because i like cat and amplifier.. anyway nice car radio benchmark
I've got the Drok TDA7377 2ch amp found on Amazon and it sounds so good. It has better imaging than a lot of my more expensive hifi amps. I'm going to get something with the TDA7388 to play with for a biamp setup.
Installed in my Suzuki aerio I like it but the blue light is so blinding at night the only negative. Might return and spend the money on one that has a dimmer
i got one little over a year ago. last week as i was driving the music stop and i got a buzzing sound and couldn't do anything. had to unhook the bat and rehook it the radieo work great and today the same thing. anyway of fixing it
Thanks for a VERY in depth review! Certainly wasn't expecting to see the inside of the unit...thanks! Big Question for U or someone...You mentioned, you thought the unit run HOT especially being an in-dash radio. Question, will that HEAT cause any damage to my car? My usual volume level is about half way, traffic 2-3 hours at a time. Don't want to see smoke!
Thanks Mr. JAT...gonna try it. I really appreciate all the time you put into the video. I was looking at some cheap China DIN and Singles radios that are Android powered devices with 7in display 1080 screen. BUT, most seems to be FM ONLY! At least the don't list AM band at all. Do you know why they remove the AM band. Do you have any videos about the lack of AM band on these China base radios? Thx Again!!!
How do you know about all the classes of amplifier? Like class A, B, C, D, etc.. And do different types of amplifier classes need different ventilation system? What is the metal part (looks like a villus) that you hold called? Most IC amplifier that I came through have that metal part screwed to the IC. What is the reason?
I really like that cheap plug... Not the cheap plug on the car stereo but the one for the 'Weird Audio Tech Guy' you got a thumbs up just for that! ha ha
John, can you answer a question about the Dual XDM16BT? I want to operate a car stereo with no speakers hooked to the speaker output. Can I attach a bluetooth TRANSMITTER to the AUX out or to the USB and send the BT signal to a powered BT speaker that I can move around within BT range? Thanks, Tim
I would really like to see temperature measurements in you video like you did before,its hot how hot 50c 70c 120c? And if you do,do it in Celsius as Dave would say "none of that yankke rubbish" Love your videos,keep em coming. Cheers
I've recommended his channel on the several Facebook audio groups I follow there in addition to UT, some have even taken the time to come back to thank me!
anybody know why usb,aux,bluetooth music is much more quiet than radio channels. radio is plenty loud enough at 25 but other sources have to be maxed out at 40 and still cant hear them very well while driving
Pretty clean on a bench supply but put it in car with alot of potential noise sources and you have a different story. Especially if you couple into noise from the alternator. Would be interesting to see how good the noise rejection really is.
There is now XDM17BT and I want to know the difference between 16bt and 17bt I have 17bt currently using as a simple stereo amplifier for my dayton audio mk402 bookshelf speakers. seems to make them get plenty loud enough. plenty of bass. seems to be at least 20-30 watts per channel when using 2 channels reasonably clean audio. Signal to noise ratio is fine. but I want to know whats different about them. all i can see so far is a visual cosmetic differences on the outside and mine is about half as long as the 16bt!
I think we all predicted the eyeball-searing blue LEDs at 5:35, though I was surprised to see it deliver nearly half its rated power output - chintzy, but not nearly as horrific as I had expected.
@@83mike860 you could always just cover up the 3 brightest buttons (the ones around the knob) with black electrical tape, then carefully use a razor blade to trim them so it would just have a blue edge showing through.
I have a bunch of random heatsinks laying around, do you think if I somehow attached one this thing could actually do 13-15w running all 4 channels? I'm trying to think of the best way to even attach heatsinks to that weird back, maybe cut the rear panel and attach heatsink directly to the IC's? they have screws on them right?
@@JohnAudioTech thanks for your reply! It's appreciated especially considering this is an older video. In your video it looks like the amp chips are screwed to the back panel. Generally the screws are for heatsinks so if I cut the back panel off it, I think a heatsink would be able to screw on the two amp chips.
32 so keep below volume 31 it also depends on the input device. some phones or laptops or tablets may output a bit more than others so go for volume 30 if you want to be on the cautious side
Please , if you have time to answer , tell me how can i connect a sub-woofer mono amplifier to this particular car stereo ( i have a very resembling stereo which I disassemble and it have the same tda 7388 chip , bluetooth and mp3 player ) .I connect the amplifier to rca rear left exit or I merge two channels somehow ?. Thanks !
Just hook your subwoofer amp to one of the rear preamp outs. Most mono sub amps have both left and right inputs and if yours does just use both of the rear preamp outputs.
What are your available input levels for your Sub, low/line level (1 volt or less), high level (4 volts or there about), or both? Your answer to that question determines your course of action.
the input , I believe , is low / line level which i take from preamp rca out .Maybe i can measure somehow to be more precise ? I did not measure the voltage on rca exits but is very low because if a connect a mini passive speaker I can barely hear at max volume
So, does your "head unit" (the part that mounts in the dash) have the RCA line out for left and right or just speaker outputs? I'm slightly confused by your last reply. I know you are trying your best and I would like to give you the best answer possible so as to avoid any problems to either of your pieces of equipment.
The incredibly cheap click sound of the buttons makes you cringe, each click probably takes 1% off the lifetime of the switch. I disagree with you about the remote though, for 20 USD, I would be surprised to even see a remote battery, let alone a remote. It'll likely come in handy when the switches fail, and the remote is the only way to control it. j/k haha
Hot 12:15 is not good! In fact, it is a deciding factor for me. I was considering this one or the cheaper one from Walmart. The cheaper one has the added bonus of a SD Card but does not play AM which seems to come in a tad bit clearer in the hills where I live but I suppose I could always use Internet radio app. This one has AM but even without amps, which I am not planning on using, I don't need anything more to go wrong with my car so I think the $18 XO brand might be input into my car.
Good sound, MP3 player, Stereo FM, bluetooth connectivity ... that all seems good ... buuuuuuuuut ... no tape compartment? Not even a CD slot? ... Fail! also blue lights everywhere, that's just so much modern wank!
John I usually like your informative videos. Thanks. However in this case I think you are being overly critical. Meaning that for less than $20 what do you expect? One cannot even feed two people with a decent meal (stuff like McDonald's or KFC) ultra low tech low quality junk food in the USA. Yet this fairly respectable and performing piece of electronics gets the comment "chintzy"? You must be out of your mind, or latently prejudiced. Please keep that in check as a friendly advice. You risk offending a significant portion of the population on Planet Earth. From the cost performance ratio, the pertinent question to ask is what could you do for $20 ? Glass epoxy PCB, surface mount components. Obviously ICs. Good quality build. Yet judged with prejudice due to the low cost. You are better than that.
Strange, I didn't get the impression he was being overly critical, just pointed out what you get for the, as you say, exceedingly low price of $20. The heatsink is quite a serious point though and could quite possibly lead to an early life failure. I don't think for one minute he was connecting the word "chintzy" with any specific population. That slang word is spelt differently.
Twotone perhaps I am too sensitive? Personally I am impressed the unit can be sold at retail for $20. It is flat frequency response. It delivers the specs. But he says "cheap radios" "uh oh look at this when you see these thin chintzy remotes you know you are getting something petty chintzy..." It all starts at 02m:14sec. My suggestion is to be non-judgemental or at least neutral until after the evaluation. At the in conclusion... So as not to set the wrong tone for the audience. After all with the title "$20 car stereo test & review" what does anyone expects? It is IMHO inexpensive. However colloquially "cheap" has a pejorative connotation associated which does not equate the precise terminology "inexpensive" which in the end turns to exceptional value and performance for only $20 ! Otherwise I love and appreciate JohnAudioTech, he is awesome! And I am grateful for that. Just that I was surprised by the initial negative bias. And was merely providing positive criticism to help John make things better. So far I've subscribed and thumbed up all of John's CZcamss and keep propagating him throughout FB audiophile and technical groups. You could say I am a fan. But what do I know? "Words are important. If you cannot say what you mean, then you cannot mean what you say. A gentleman always says what he means." ~ Peter O'Toole
I said "chintzy" when I saw the remote because I see that style of remote used with a lot of cheap ebay products, usually color changing LED lights. I have a color changing LED bulb that uses the same thin style remote. The bulb quit working.
Actually I couldn't even buy all the parts for $20 locally; so that is the perspective I perceive product from. I might buy it, not to put into a car, but just to cannibalize it for parts etc. Bluetooth and all? It is worth $20 in parts alone to me...
![Walmart Dual $20 Budget Car Stereo Review + How To Install [Should you buy?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoFbsPGhkYM/mqdefault.jpg)
excellent review, Man ! It's so good to watch a review that actually tests and reviews the product and it's functions instead of just spending 15 mins "UNBOXING" a product..GREAT JOB!
I was blown away with this for the $15.79 I paid.
Bluetooth music streaming and phone call audio quality is very good.
This seems ideal for a beater car,truck or boat. Will have to see how long it last because yes this thing gets hot.
Where'd you get it for $15.79? Ballin' on a budget over here, YO!
Online order, picked up at my local Walmart.
so it’s been 2 years, how long did it last you?
Its amazing they can sell these things so cheap.
Hey John, it's good to hear you sound happier than some time ago. I bet your dad is probable doing better now. Big thumbs up.
Thanks! My dad is recovering well. He can now take the dog out for walks.
I just put this in my car to replace what was likely a previous version of this same radio that I bought from Crutchfield for a lot more than the $20 I paid for this at Walmart. Same plug so everything works. Absolutely amazing. Sounds better and the Bluetooth operation is vastly more reliable.
Great review! I think the Blaupunkt 10 dollar radio I tested uses the same amp chip and people have complained of them getting very hot and having issues with the screen. Such a bummer they take the time to design these pretty well but forget the very important stuff....like keeping the heat dissipated :-)
John I really like your videos... Been subscribed to your channel since a really long time. I'm a noob but I've learned a lot through your videos. Thanks for that and your time and efforts are always appreciated. You've done a lot of videos on class A Class B and Class D amplifiers. But I'm looking forward for you to make a diy class D amp that's puts out clean power no bs! P.s I made the preamp using your circuit diagram and it sounds absolutely amazing. Thanks
Much thanks for your viewership!
Big heat sinks cost probably more than the complete radio, probably why it does not have one!
It’s only 20 bro if you don’t like it go buy a 1000 car stereo
...or steal one.
R Diaz haha... i like you.
I saw this in the store the other day and am tempted. This video is perfect! I have to wait until tonight to watch, though. I currently have a no-name $20 stereo in my car now that has technical issues, but sounds good. We'll see if this is an "upgrade."
Nice thorough job! I'm impressed too. I'm looking for a good "mechless" head unit now to replace my older car stereo. I never played CD's in it, since it has the thumbdrive option. I'm not looking to buy THIS one, but the DUAL here is great for upgrading a beater car, pontoon boat, old truck etc.
Bought one of these.
It got really, really hot, so much that I could not keep my finger on it for more than 2 secs - as this reviewer also points out. I was afraid it would burn down my car.
I added a heat sink from and old PC, and also a PC fan., that connects to one of the wires (the one responsible for the remote control).
Works great now.
I've noticed they modified the board a bit, so perhaps the issue's solved.
Just bought this for $15.67 at Walmart surprised it works so well and it paired with my phone quickly
They must be running a sale. That is a great price!
How did it you get it to pair bought car that had it in it already can’t seem to find how to pair Bluetooth
Just got mine 16 bucks
JHRO813 is it still working? I want to buy one but only if its going to last.
Here I come 6 years later with this comment. I’ve purchased several affordable Dual and Jensen products recently. Every last one of those car stereo units made an “alternator whine,” even though good grounding was confirmed and other stereos we tested didn’t do it. There’s literally nothing you can do to make that whine go away. It makes the nose when the engine is running and increase with RPMs. I’m chucking it to a low quality build. What are your thoughts? Did you experience this situation with this model?
Installed and about six weeks later it suffered the overheating problem. Fried just next to the fuse area like the video stated. The aluminum heat sink is inadequate!
Kind of awesome what can be made, so many functions and good basic performance at a pittance.
I wonder if distortion increases when it's very hot and bias is way down.
I'd hate to damage such a nice thing, but would really like to see how it defends itself from overheating. Imagine a hot August day, parked in an asphalt parking lot, getting it to a hot car and cranking that thing with four speakers and maybe a cubic foot of airspace in that hot dashboard...
The IC's thermal protection will shut down or reduce output until the temperature drops to safe levels. However, running the amp at elevated temps or into thermal protection often will eventually lead to failure.
+JohnAudioTech Oh dear, I see you also had 12 zombified trolls who viewed the video, clicking dislike just to relieve that neverending itch a bit 😂😂
For $20 that's excellent value. And all those features. If that was made in the US it would have to cost at least $120.
Very informative revue. I installed one today in a 63 nova. drove around awhile and heat was not a problem as its under dash with plenty air flowing. I was impressed with the sound from 4 speakers.
u can buy this and replace the chip with a tda7850 & replace the 10amp fuse with a 15amp or 20amp one and u can push some really high power at 2ohm and 4ohm.. 7850 can do 55watts per channel at 10% thd with 2ohm load. the pinout is same.
Ive been using this head unit for about 6 months now and for just a regular car its great, but since i put my sub woofer in it just cant do the tuning and power i need it to. But i will be putting it in my work truck when i replace it
Make a nice wood case and external power supply for it. Would make a nice home stereo. Maybe doctor up a heatsink to add to the back.Excellent FFT results - no real distortion at all. Class AB amps are still the best performing ones for music - Class D just dont "sound right" to my ears.Excellent $20.00 investment.
bodge in a small fan. run it off the amp trigger wire.punch a small hole in case... circulate a little bit of air.. :-)
it's nice to see that they DIDN'T use a digital amp. digital front end and analogue back end. nice for 20 bucks.
Your our favorite weird guy that does ic audio that is/was in current radios(30 years) /jbl flip 4 bluetooth speakers and such. While its fun to go down memory lane on tube stuff. Your s is most useful.
I never see any video in you tube like your experience honest true nice information
It'd be interesting to see how this compares to the even cheaper direct-import car radios which start at around $10, as they seem to be similar in specification.
I have the same one I installed it over the weekend. And so far it’s pretty good the sound is clear only thing is when I’m listening to the radio the sound kinda fades a bit. It connects to my phone right away even if the stereo is off other then that I like it sounds good 👍 only thing is led lights are way too bright lol
I have 1 of these during the summer it's gets hot and start messing up if you are listening to music on Bluetooth mode and it dose not push 12inch subs gud at all so it's just something to get by til u update
Should check out the XDM17BT. It has up to 50w per channel of power and is about half the size of this.
Is there any way I can mod/delete/dim the LEDs .. looks like a spaceship in my car at night way to bright
get a sharpie or something and mark over the top of the LED's if your really still having this problem after all this time 5 months later lol
if you want to be crazy you could even use a colored marker to change the LED color to something wild. use yellow for a freaky green color. or red for a weird purple color. or yellowish-brown/gold for a somewhat yellowish-white color
Yay, more amp reviews! Will there be a ground loop video in the future? I have a class d amp and an ne5532 preamp and there are weird noises when they are powered from the same supply. Best weird audio tech guy on youtube tho :)
im hope that weird audio tech guy will tell a story about snickers for a couple minute long, because i like cat and amplifier..
anyway nice car radio benchmark
I've got the Drok TDA7377 2ch amp found on Amazon and it sounds so good. It has better imaging than a lot of my more expensive hifi amps. I'm going to get something with the TDA7388 to play with for a biamp setup.
Any idea how to open the battery on the remote? I have no instructions..
Great review as always John...FYI that ribbon cable was probably causing your auto focus issue;)
Installed in my Suzuki aerio I like it but the blue light is so blinding at night the only negative. Might return and spend the money on one that has a dimmer
i got one little over a year ago. last week as i was driving the music stop and i got a buzzing sound and couldn't do anything. had to unhook the bat and rehook it the radieo work great and today the same thing. anyway of fixing it
What volume did u get before clipping?
Thanks for a VERY in depth review! Certainly wasn't expecting to see the inside of the unit...thanks! Big Question for U or someone...You mentioned, you thought the unit run HOT especially being an in-dash radio. Question, will that HEAT cause
any damage to my car? My usual volume level is about half way, traffic 2-3 hours at a time. Don't want to see smoke!
I don't think it would hurt the car. It would reduce the life of the amplifier IC used in the radio.
Thanks Mr. JAT...gonna try it. I really appreciate all the time you put into the video. I was looking at some
cheap China DIN and Singles radios that are Android powered devices with 7in display 1080 screen. BUT,
most seems to be FM ONLY! At least the don't list AM band at all. Do you know why they remove the
AM band. Do you have any videos about the lack of AM band on these China base radios? Thx Again!!!
How do you know about all the classes of amplifier? Like class A, B, C, D, etc.. And do different types of amplifier classes need different ventilation system? What is the metal part (looks like a villus) that you hold called? Most IC amplifier that I came through have that metal part screwed to the IC. What is the reason?
That's really not a bad outfit for $20.
How is the bluetooth audio quality for phone calls?
I really like that cheap plug... Not the cheap plug on the car stereo but the one for the 'Weird Audio Tech Guy' you got a thumbs up just for that! ha ha
John, can you answer a question about the Dual XDM16BT? I want to operate a car stereo with no speakers hooked to the speaker output. Can I attach a bluetooth TRANSMITTER to the AUX out or to the USB and send the BT signal to a powered BT speaker that I can move around within BT range? Thanks, Tim
I would really like to see temperature measurements in you video like you did before,its hot how hot 50c 70c 120c?
And if you do,do it in Celsius as Dave would say "none of that yankke rubbish"
Love your videos,keep em coming.
Cheers
Can't you attach a external heatsink from a old computer or two to the back?
I already installed but it doesnt get all the radio stations I need help
Ya... 11:09.... He is wired guy.... Ya... I subscribe him....
I've recommended his channel on the several Facebook audio groups I follow there in addition to UT, some have even taken the time to come back to thank me!
Me too ;)
When i read wired I though I was gonna see jhon doing a line or 2 of meth...then realized not everyone is like me...lolplzz..cheers dudes!!
anybody know why usb,aux,bluetooth music is much more quiet than radio channels. radio is plenty loud enough at 25 but other sources have to be maxed out at 40 and still cant hear them very well while driving
Bluetooth and aux are low output to prevent hearing damage and the usb you could check your cd ripping settings
Has anyone had any issues with the usb port, a friend of mines is having issues .. his usb flash drive wont read or play when connected ..
Really .... DSP s can give well performance.... & fully control.. What do you think........!
Pretty clean on a bench supply but put it in car with alot of potential noise sources and you have a different story. Especially if you couple into noise from the alternator. Would be interesting to see how good the noise rejection really is.
For cheap I'm buying it. I thought itd be shit. But I likey
How about the bass of the head unit is it strong? My generic chinese made car stereo lacks bass.
Does it run on stereo when in bluetooth mode?
There is now XDM17BT and I want to know the difference between 16bt and 17bt
I have 17bt currently using as a simple stereo amplifier for my dayton audio mk402 bookshelf speakers. seems to make them get plenty loud enough. plenty of bass. seems to be at least 20-30 watts per channel when using 2 channels reasonably clean audio. Signal to noise ratio is fine.
but I want to know whats different about them. all i can see so far is a visual cosmetic differences on the outside and mine is about half as long as the 16bt!
I’m wondering myself since I’m probably buying this week due to the price and the fact the 17 is a dual Din.
I think we all predicted the eyeball-searing blue LEDs at 5:35, though I was surprised to see it deliver nearly half its rated power output - chintzy, but not nearly as horrific as I had expected.
Karl Adams you can dim them... remove and replace them with dimmer lights ;)
@@carcomp101 what do they look like is it simple enough.. I got the knowledge and know how but patience and me arnot friends lol
@@83mike860 you could always just cover up the 3 brightest buttons (the ones around the knob) with black electrical tape, then carefully use a razor blade to trim them so it would just have a blue edge showing through.
Do you recall at what level the volume was when the distortion jumped to clipping? Thank you.
I don't recall the exact level, but it really depends on the signal input level.
Cool video
I have one and it's stuck linked to some other device, any way to fix that.
Does the amp have different languages?
Does it charge your phone with the usb port
Can you plug in a external mic in the aux port?
Ooo boy 3.5 inch audio jack man that's some serious head phones
Lol
I think its pretty damn good for $20..
It works well it what I have in my truck rn was kinda surprised with it
Yeah, you know a guy's weird when he names his cat after a candy bar.. How generic! I subbed him a long time ago.
That stereo is probably not 120 w more like 2 watts per channel RMS 16 w Max
You called it bro. It does over heat then shuts off. Its a peice of shit
How hard would it be to convert it to a basic 4 channel amp? Remove radio and other functions
You'd have to hack into the board to access the inputs to each channel if you wanted four discreet channels.
Can they hear you clear when you talk through Bluetooth ?
I have a bunch of random heatsinks laying around, do you think if I somehow attached one this thing could actually do 13-15w running all 4 channels?
I'm trying to think of the best way to even attach heatsinks to that weird back, maybe cut the rear panel and attach heatsink directly to the IC's? they have screws on them right?
Yes, a large enough heatsink would work. I don't remember if it used a clip or screws.
@@JohnAudioTech thanks for your reply! It's appreciated especially considering this is an older video. In your video it looks like the amp chips are screwed to the back panel. Generally the screws are for heatsinks so if I cut the back panel off it, I think a heatsink would be able to screw on the two amp chips.
Do you think this stereo would get too hot for Texas summers?
At what volume level does the pre amp outputs clip
32
so keep below volume 31
it also depends on the input device. some phones or laptops or tablets may output a bit more than others so go for volume 30 if you want to be on the cautious side
can u try boss and pyle
OK He got it from there web site at Walmart there actually 50 dollars
$17 tonight when I looked online.
@@creepybunny255 I know I got mine for that same plus shipping so it was 23 dollars
Can the USB port be used as a charging port?
Please , if you have time to answer , tell me how can i connect a sub-woofer mono amplifier to this particular car stereo ( i have a very resembling stereo which I disassemble and it have the same tda 7388 chip , bluetooth and mp3 player ) .I connect the amplifier to rca rear left exit or I merge two channels somehow ?. Thanks !
Just hook your subwoofer amp to one of the rear preamp outs. Most mono sub amps have both left and right inputs and if yours does just use both of the rear preamp outputs.
i have only one input in my mono amplifier kit , that is why i asked in the first place , anyway thanks .
What are your available input levels for your Sub, low/line level (1 volt or less), high level (4 volts or there about), or both? Your answer to that question determines your course of action.
the input , I believe , is low / line level which i take from preamp rca out .Maybe i can measure somehow to be more precise ? I did not measure the voltage on rca exits but is very low because if a connect a mini passive speaker I can barely hear at max volume
So, does your "head unit" (the part that mounts in the dash) have the RCA line out for left and right or just speaker outputs? I'm slightly confused by your last reply. I know you are trying your best and I would like to give you the best answer possible so as to avoid any problems to either of your pieces of equipment.
Equaliser setting is copied from Kenwood Car Audio and Nippon Audiotronics.
The incredibly cheap click sound of the buttons makes you cringe, each click probably takes 1% off the lifetime of the switch. I disagree with you about the remote though, for 20 USD, I would be surprised to even see a remote battery, let alone a remote. It'll likely come in handy when the switches fail, and the remote is the only way to control it. j/k haha
Hot 12:15 is not good! In fact, it is a deciding factor for me. I was considering this one or the cheaper one from Walmart. The cheaper one has the added bonus of a SD Card but does not play AM which seems to come in a tad bit clearer in the hills where I live but I suppose I could always use Internet radio app. This one has AM but even without amps, which I am not planning on using, I don't need anything more to go wrong with my car so I think the $18 XO brand might be input into my car.
Sabbath!
What will you do with it ?
Are you from washington?!
Which make or brand is this car stereo?
Dual
These are cheap local Chinese products but offer a lot of features, if handled carefully may also last long.
I installed it on my bicycle
Lester Hilger 🤣🤣
Lester Hilger so so good an application!!!!
😆
SABBATH!!!
gulfsurfco Haha. Beat me to it.
tda7377
what im saying that the ic tda7377 unit i guess
I bet if the car stereo was made in Japan it would cost 200$ least.
He sounds like Toby from the office
Lol literaly the same 1 dorito quad rotor guy inboxed and few days ago lmao
3 1/2 inch audio jack?
Are you drunk..? Wtf.
That's tin not aluminum
2:41 that's what she said lol
Good sound, MP3 player, Stereo FM, bluetooth connectivity ... that all seems good ... buuuuuuuuut ... no tape compartment? Not even a CD slot? ... Fail! also blue lights everywhere, that's just so much modern wank!
CoolDudeClem just stay with a stock stereo lol
Some people use CD and a lot don't anymore, you should stick with stock radio
4 or 5 thousand songs all bootlegged
alexa this is so sad, play Despacito.
John I usually like your informative videos. Thanks.
However in this case I think you are being overly critical. Meaning that for less than $20 what do you expect? One cannot even feed two people with a decent meal (stuff like McDonald's or KFC) ultra low tech low quality junk food in the USA. Yet this fairly respectable and performing piece of electronics gets the comment "chintzy"? You must be out of your mind, or latently prejudiced. Please keep that in check as a friendly advice. You risk offending a significant portion of the population on Planet Earth.
From the cost performance ratio, the pertinent question to ask is what could you do for $20 ?
Glass epoxy PCB, surface mount components. Obviously ICs. Good quality build. Yet judged with prejudice due to the low cost.
You are better than that.
Strange, I didn't get the impression he was being overly critical, just pointed out what you get for the, as you say, exceedingly low price of $20. The heatsink is quite a serious point though and could quite possibly lead to an early life failure.
I don't think for one minute he was connecting the word "chintzy" with any specific population. That slang word is spelt differently.
Twotone perhaps I am too sensitive? Personally I am impressed the unit can be sold at retail for $20. It is flat frequency response. It delivers the specs. But he says "cheap radios" "uh oh look at this when you see these thin chintzy remotes you know you are getting something petty chintzy..."
It all starts at 02m:14sec.
My suggestion is to be non-judgemental or at least neutral until after the evaluation. At the in conclusion...
So as not to set the wrong tone for the audience.
After all with the title "$20 car stereo test & review" what does anyone expects? It is IMHO inexpensive.
However colloquially "cheap" has a pejorative connotation associated which does not equate the precise terminology "inexpensive" which in the end turns to exceptional value and performance for only $20 !
Otherwise I love and appreciate JohnAudioTech, he is awesome! And I am grateful for that. Just that I was surprised by the initial negative bias. And was merely providing positive criticism to help John make things better.
So far I've subscribed and thumbed up all of John's CZcamss and keep propagating him throughout FB audiophile and technical groups. You could say I am a fan.
But what do I know?
"Words are important. If you cannot say what you mean, then you cannot mean what you say. A gentleman always says what he means."
~ Peter O'Toole
I said "chintzy" when I saw the remote because I see that style of remote used with a lot of cheap ebay products, usually color changing LED lights. I have a color changing LED bulb that uses the same thin style remote. The bulb quit working.
JohnAudioTech at that $20 price, I didn't even expect a remote. 😉
Actually I couldn't even buy all the parts for $20 locally; so that is the perspective I perceive product from.
I might buy it, not to put into a car, but just to cannibalize it for parts etc. Bluetooth and all? It is worth $20 in parts alone to me...
Made in China
youre gonna whine about copyrighted music? lmao