Pioneer SPH-DA160DAB Car Head Unit with DAB, Apple CarPlay + Android Auto in Saab 9-3
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- I review one of the most popular head units from Pioneer
Get it here using my Amazon Affiliate link-
amzn.to/3Pjius6
Saab 9-3 Connects2 Install Kit - Includes harness, cage, fakra antenna adaptor, canbus steering wheel control decoder and the bezel:
ebay.us/CsjlnM
Amp high to low passthrough (to prevent hissing)
ebay.us/pe9T1A
A word from Stu-
Saab Unleashed is a channel which started over lockdown and has evolved into a mixture of Saab-related shinanigans, car infotainment stuff and in-car tech reviews.
I've been doing these reviews for a couple of years now. The reviews are always based on my personal opinion and are NOT paid for by the manufacturers. This should be fairly obvious because I always talk about any negative points of products.
Sometimes I buy head units to review; sometimes I reach out to manufacturers asking them to provide me with a head unit to review, and sometimes they reach out to me. It is important to me that everyone knows that these free products will never change the outcome of my opinion, or the head unit final scores. If there are issues, believe me, everyone will know!
My intention is to ultimately create detailed, honest and matter-of-fact reviews for consumers and enthusiasts, not advertisements for the manufacturers.
Nowadays, I try to use affiliate links in the video descriptions wherever possible. Most of them are not affiliate links, but there are some, such as those directing to Amazon or eBay. This means that if you use one of my links to buy something, I might receive somewhere between 1-5% of the value of your purchase from the retailer (obviously no cost to you).
I set this up because running this channel costs money via video editing software, music licencing, (not to mention buying head units and most of my evenings and weekends!) and I don't get paid for the reviews.
Anyway, I appreciate all of my viewers and subscribers and I am open to any suggestions you might have for me to improve the content. - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Great video. Helped point me in the right direction!
I’ve recently bought this Headunit and I’m having it fitted from Halfords. I did pay £100 more for the Wireless Apple CarPlay as I thought this feature was worth the extra cost. I’m due to be having it fitted by Halfords in the upcoming week. This video was great as I am looking to see how it actually works! Thank you
Was it worth it? Any problems?thanks
How much did it cost you to get it fitted?
@@jg.1510£150. Try it yourself
Really informative, thanks very much 👍
Love this unit. Use it in my European 8th gen civic and got it installed with almost no fuss. (Although the included frame did not fit my car) wich reminded me of all your videos with all the Chinese brands.
Hows the unit it self? Any crashes or lags?
Were you able to plug and play with the stock connector of your Civic? I have an 8th gen 2010 Civic coupé, American import (I’m in Europe) and I naively thought I’d be able to plug and play the unit after seeing a bunch of videos on it, but I apparently was very wrong. I can’t seem to find the specific connector I need anywhere.
Do you or anybody reading this know?
do the steering wheel controls work? is it fine with the stock speakers? can you send me some photos if you have time since im considering this unit? tnx in advance
I couldn't justify buying this after seeing the Teyes CC3 kit you did a video on!
But of course :)
Have you considered measuring the power output of the audio channels for the various head units? I've seen some feedback that the Chinese units don't put out adequate power
particular question : can you change the wallpaper for a Jpeg file for exemple to put the brand of the car ?
great review
im very happy they put this in my new MicroCar
well, i paid enough for this option LOL
So I've been looking for a new unit for my 2006 Avensis and I'm bit lost. My options are:
1. OEM style Chinese Android units that are plug and play. As a bonus there are local shops selling these, so I can get a domestic 1 year warranty. However, potentially the lowest quality and generally unknown units.
2. Big boy units. Most well known, can find them in local shops. However, in my price range pretty much every big boy unit has their own share of issues, not yo mention that they require additional installation kit.
3. Premium Chinese units like Idoing. Most likely better quality than car specific models, but no local warranty + cost of additional installation kit
I’ve got an Audi A3 8V 2013 plate with the motorised screen. Just offered this and wondered how it would work with my current setup?
Hello. Like you videos very useful. So i bought a Pioneer D360DAB for my Saab 9-3 SH. But hae an issue: I have no sound once all is connected using the ISO connection. I don't have speaker connections for the standard cable with the RCA plugs. How did you get the speakers connected? (my Saab is a 2T no GPS). Found the Pioneer amplifier in the trunk.
Thank youso much if you have an advice for this. Second question if I want to use the DAB radio, I need to connect a DAB antenna. Is the Saab fish fin antenna compatible with DAB, or do I need to add another antenna?
Thanks for the review.
Is it possible to bring to the channel the big brother of this unit? The 360, with wireless android auto / Apple carplay?
In the next reviews, try to do a phone call, when listening to the FM radio (here in Portugal, we don't have dab) to see what happens.
What happens when you are navigating in Waze, and a phone calls is answered. Waze is mutted during phone call?
How did you plug a usb lead in for your android car play did you use a usb port in the car or the one on the back of head unit thanks
thanks mate for this review ! something I did not get : do I need to install the external microphone for the hands-free calls via Bluetooth to work ? or that's just a plus if you want the sound to be better ? because if I need to install the microphone cable I would say that the installation gets a lot harder, right ?
And another question : do I need to buy an extra DAB adapter for the DAB function to work ? Or again, that's just something you want to install as a plus to make it work better ?
Thanks !!
I have just bought a van with this head into fitted. When making/receiving calls, my microphone doesn’t seem to be working. I have checked that the antenna is plugged in, which it is, but still can’t use my microphone. Also, the Bluetooth settings menu is greyed out.
Do you have any idea why this is happening?
I also bought this one for my old Ford Expedition and after a bit work on the cables it works great. But I have one question. Can I use 2 devices at the same time on the USB, my android smartphone and an external CD player? Is this possible?
Hi i noticed you didnt cover mirror link? However mirror link is shown at the back of the box?
Bought one of these having some issues tho can’t tell if it’s faulty audio is really weak compared to my Sony wx-920bt that was in my car before it is causing some distortion unlike my old headunit and my sub amp won’t turn off wired just like my Sony
I have an Audi A4 2015 and I am having real trouble finding a head unit to suit so can you suggest a unit to suit please.
What fittings would I need to connect it to a mk7 fiesta 2015
Hi Which is the best choice? Android for .bmw e39 body 525i 2002 ?
How did you make the steering wheel buttons work?
Hello from greece...has anybody problems with clock on dab 160?when i put out the key of the car then the time stops running and when i put the key and start on the engine then the clock of the unit starts and run again...i dont know if it is connectivity problem or unit problem
Please tell me this is easy to work on an 04 9-5 as just ordered one 🤞
does it have the option to add saab logo on the screen ? How much do you sell the Saab 93 kit?
Nice review. But is it easy to install an another GPS -app or music player app? Can it use a sim-card for traffic monitoring or streaming radio?
This will use whatever GPS or music app you have installed on your phone, including your phones data connection for the live data
I’m considering buying this unit for my fiat 500 abarth , you said it worked straight away with your steering controls , I’m just wondering if it would be the same for mine as I know there is a steering interface which is available for my car but it’s another cost .
You will need to buy the interface, that's what I'm using here
How did you install the canbus? I have no idea where to connect the 3,5 connecter. The SPH-DA160DAB don´t have that input.
I’ve had the SPH DA-360DAB fitted in my 2010 9-3, the Pioneer microphone supplied was used but I would have preferred the built in pillar microphone was used, can you advise is this possible ?
Technically yes, but not easily. You'd have to cut the end of the factory mic and fit a 3.5mm jack because there are no adaptors. Also the Bluetooth module is not close enough so you'd have to extend the cable too. I have never bothered.
Very helpful, the 1 thing that I'm not clear on is phone connection, I've not seen any unit working, only told that a lot of these units only work in portrait and not landscape which sounds odd, also I've been told the phone screen is always on, also heard someone say they were unable to use sat nav whilst playing music. Can you confirm or refute any of these claims with this head unit. Thanks for any help.
I think you are talking about screen mirroring, which is really an obsolete thing these days. Connecting your phone is all about Android Auto and Apple CarPlay these days and they work full screen with the natural ability to listen to your favourite music app (or radio) whilst navigating with your favourite app
@@SaabUnleashed do you know if a special cable is needed or just a normal usb? the unit doesnt connect to any of my phones when plugged them in, the android auto icon just stays faded out.
@@danidge you need a high quality USB cable. £1 cables won't cut it
Just out of curiosity did the connect2 steering wheel control module connect to the pioneer by the typical jack input that pioneer requires?
Yes it did
@@SaabUnleashed thank you
Are there any plans to do an audio upgrade video for the Saab 93 convertible pre-facelift?
I've already done a few videos on that, such as installing aftermarket head unit with amp, replacing front and rear speakers. That being said, I do have a friend with a preface convertible who wants an upgrade so there will be a video coming
@@SaabUnleashed Excellent, thank you.
Which is better this one or sony XAV-AX3250
Didnt you need a lead adapter or something like that? How did the connector from steering wheel conncets?
Generally you need a CANbus decoder for your specific car. That plugs into the 3.5mm jack on the back of the Pioneer
Hi Stuart, is this unit suitable for a Saab 93 convertible , 2004 model and have guide to install the unit.
Any Saab 9-3 from 2003-2006 requires a massive amount of work to install an aftermarket head unit, including dash modification, lots of manual wiring and introduction of aftermarket amplifiers. I tried to explain the process in this video: czcams.com/video/PmJHbgXNpOs/video.html
Hi. Thank you for the review :) Does anyone know if this can be fitted to Volvo XC60 mod.2010?
Hi I have the issue when I turn the lights on the radio goes into night mode but the screen on the radio flickers if I turn the auto light function off it seems ok but the radio stays in day mode. Any idea
Sounds faulty. If you don't want to replace, just disconnect the illumination wire as it seems that it's causing the issue
Bro, you forgot the Mirror thing to explain
I got an iPhone 8 But it wont work With them
bought the same Pioneer head unit has the one in this video and the same wiring adaptors from Connects2 for my 2008 Saab 93 SportsCombi. Everything turns on and the steering wheel controls work, but there is no sound coming out the speakers at all. Do you know what could be the problem? no fuses were out and the original radio still works fine. The pioneer radio turns on and Apple Car play works great its just no sound coming out.
Hi Nicholas. The issue is that you did not connect the amp trigger wire. It is the blue and white wire on the connects2 loom.
It needs to be connected to either the amp wire on the Pioneer or tapped into the red wire on the connects2 loom.
Do you know how to connect the illuminate cable to the switch to adjust the brightness in the dashboard?
If your car doesn't have an illumination wire on the loom for the head unit, run a cable to your headlight switch
You say that it works with your CANBUS decoder. Did that decoder come with the stereo or was it one that you already had? Also, did it incorporate your climate controls into the user interface as well?
No, it was just for steering controls and it's a seperate product as they are specific for the vehicle
2 main issues with Android head units. Proper RDS and voltage output of RCAs. Don't know, but I RDS is a REALLY important thing in most of Europe.
In Finland, we don't (BTW) have dab, AT ALL. But really many listens to analog radio. So it's really important. Youth probably don't use it as much, but in Finland even they do...
listening to FM radio? in 2022? hello grandpa
time to bite the big bazooka 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@daviddavidsonn3578 Radio is very much listened here, still. As I said in my post. I listen radio every workday (2 hours driving per day) in car.
And my age has nothing to do with it. But I'm glad, if it gave you funny times 😝
@@daviddavidsonn3578Yes because the audio quality is better! 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I have a greenyi hd ahd 1080p 170° reverse camera i took from my old car. Will it work in this headunit? Since you mentioned it didn't support your hd camera. Should I get a 720p one, or would only a 480p one work? Thanks!
You'd be limited to 480p
@@SaabUnleashed could you please provide a link for the connects or incartec full installation kit for my 2007 Saab 9-5 Aero with navigation?
can you add custom wallpapers?
I have installed the Pioneer SPH-DA360DAB in my 2010 Saab 9-3 estate and the head unit works except for the speakers, no sound at all. What could be the cause?
You haven't triggered the factory amp. If you have used the correct loom, there is a loose blue wire that needs to be connected. If you have done this, you can turn the amp on in the Pioneer settings
Is the teyes cc3 still the best bang for buck headunit as an all rounder ?
Yes it is
Do I have plug in cable every time I get in van to listen to Spotify or use maps
For this one, yes. If you don't want to do that, get an Android head unit
How did u get the steeringButtons to work without any extra?
This unit requires an adaptor
Hi, do you have any thoughts on this against the Kenwood dmx5020dabs - I’m between the two?
Honestly you're not going to notice much difference. The Kenwood has a few more audio options
@@SaabUnleashed thank you. It’s for a work van and the Kenwood has been recommended so I just wanted to make sure that was the better out of the two. Can you change light colours of the Kenwood 😂 one thing I did see was the Kenwood volume was fiddly - was that just a moaner lol?
Hi, I’ve picked a random video to comment on of yours sorry but I saw another video where you installed a subwoofer behind the rear seats of a Saab 9-3 and after removing my back seats I also found three holes that I didn’t know existed where 2 6x9 speakers and a sub would fit. I don’t want a subwoofer, I’m not after a nightclub in my car but I would like the extra 2 speakers in the hope it makes an improvement . I’ve had new front and rear door speakers and corner dash speakers installed only this week hence finding the holes behind the rear seats but I have 2 questions, are the extra 2 6x9’s actually worth doing? Obviously the seats themselves cover the speakers so I don’t know whether the cost of getting them done will be worth the difference I hear? Obviously I may notice no difference at all the I could have bought a nice rear valance or front splitter to make my car prettier instead and also, are they fairly easy to install?
Whether you go for the central subwoofer or the 6x9s, the purpose will only be to enhance the bass experience. As you say they're behind the seats, so you'll only get low frequencies coming through.
@@SaabUnleashed thanks for your reply, is it a worthwhile upgrade though? I won’t be fitting them myself so it’s around £150 for 2 speakers and fitting - not a fortune I know, I’ve spent bloody thousands prettying up my 12 year old car and I know it’s Money down the drain long run but that’s what we Saab enthusiasts do.. burn money. I’m still going to spend more on the front end, swap my aero bumper for a prettier griffin one, add front splitter add rear diffuser/ valance, add 18 inch turbine alloys - well you know… oh and now I’ve seen another video of yours and going to get the light up sills from kojot pedziwiatr. I’d just like to know if I’m totally wasting this £150
@@DukeDeRichleau It'll be a good upgrade if you buy the right speakers. Something that is built for low frequencies, you won't want coaxial for example.
You will need an aftermarket amp to drive them too
@@SaabUnleashed oh. The fitter I spoke to said I’d only need an amp for a subwoofer, he said the speakers could be wired into the back of the head unit and the cables run through to the back, no amp required. As for the quality of the speakers I’ve no idea, they’re supplying £95 pioneer speakers with £55 fitting.
Is there a compatible bluetooth remote control? Is it possible to turn off the radio while leaving google maps with the volume? Thank you in advance
When you're in Carplay / Android Auto, you control what audio you're listening to. So yes, you turn off all music and just hear the maps. No, there's no controller available for this. You'd need to use steering wheel conrols or get an Android head unit
Thanks for your reply but I believe you can stop music on android but not fm or dab radio. I have a peugeot boxer van doesn't have steering wheel control and I can't find anything compatible.
Any videos on the fitting of this unit? I just brought this stereo for my daughter
In what car?
I have the saab 9 3 could I get a video of installing / do I need another part. Thank you
@SaabUnleased it is the 2007 9-3 saab convertible
Anch'io lo acquistato,ma per scaricare le app.sulla radio non si può fare nulla grazie
Does this kit work with Saab 93 estate 2005? Of is there something for it?
You will need this kit to install a branded head unit into a 2005 9-5. (This is for cars which do not have factory navigation) ebay.us/zsmqpd
Also if you buy the Pioneer, I'd appreciate if you used the link in the video description
Does it come with a dab antenna coz I don’t have dab in my car just now?
No, it doesn't have an antenna, which is ridiculous. Still, it's cheap enough to buy one
@@SaabUnleashedso would I have to buy extra to use dab coz Ik some have like the dab built in or
Does it charge the phone if plugged in?
Very slowly
For some reason I find myself watching these for entertainment nowadays, even though I'm almost completely sure which head unit to go with.
Which one will you get if not that one?
@@joshrawks21 Idoing 7 inch that he did a review of just last week.
I'm glad I'm not the only one!
@@TawanSaenraluk the iDoing 7" is likely to be my choice too
would this work in a 2006 9-3
Nothing will work on that car. You would need a full custom job including cutting the dashboard and installing aftermarket amps
I have watched some of these videos. I am looking to install a new head unit on my 1999 93 convertible. I see you never show the built in stats on mpg, avg miles per gallon.. all the things that come with Saab stock radio.. Do any of these head units do this?
None of those things have anything to do with the Saab factory radio. They are shown on a seperate device on the dashboard called an "SID"
Hi - cry for help - Saab 93 convertible- Atoto S8 head unit - Atoto reverse cam - no signal and black screen issue when reverse selected - I think I have wired it correctly 😳 Any help - massively appreciated
The reverse camera power wire needs to be attached to the live wire on the reverse bulb
@@SaabUnleashed - yes done that - presumably why I do get the blank screen and guidelines when I put it into reverse - surely that means power is getting back to the head unit when reverse selected ? 🤔
Or does it show the screen simply because I have the cam plugged in with the yellow Jack ?
@@stevekaye565 Yes, but power getting to the head unit and power getting to the camera are two different things. Both the camera's power wire and the trigger wire to the head unit need to be connected to the live reverse bulb wire.
There's something else you can test. Does your camera have LEDs on it? And if so, do they light up when you select reverse?
Can you play screen savers of SAAB jpegs? Also about half way through you mention a USB port. Where does that appear?
The phones were plugged into the USB port. I'll check the background jpeg soon
@@SaabUnleashed You have a USB port on your dash? I don't have one on mine. I meant to say a montage type screensaver that plays random images rather than just one. Thanks for the reply ;)
I have a apple wireless plus dab aerial and it takes forever to boot up, there are times it wont recognize my iphone so have to cut the engine then start to try again … also i cant add apps and can drive you mad, my cheap Chinese model was easier to use and more user friendly but my Wife got me this as a gift so i had to use it and its a glorified radio is all 🥵🥵
Happened with my sony xav3005dab, try with another cable. Got a certified 3.0 (or 3.2? Can't remember) usb cable and now it works great
2022 and still laggy interface 😢
What is DAB?
It stands for Digital Audio Broadcast and is a CD quality version of radio in Europe
@@SaabUnleashedCD quality?? 😂
I've got this unit. Considering the price, I'm quite disappointed with it - the touch response and swipe is god-awful. Also, it could be just me, but it's a shame it doesn't download radio station logos...
Yes well, that's why I do these reviews, so that you know what it's like before you buy
I’m just watching your video now and I’m getting the feeling you’ve reviewed a decent make head unit rather than the usual Chinese junk
I don't know about that...Debatable. Pioneer has some marginal products. In fact, some of the brands Saab has tested are much better "Android" units that what the big names have to offer. Some are crap also... but in reality... This particular unit is okay... but the gap is closing quickly.
@@johng.4959 after watching these videos for several months I’ve nearly bought an Android unit but could never bring myself to bite the bullet after reading lots of reviews about how slow they are, how crap they sound and lots of other issues with them.
@@laurencelagden Ive had two android ones. Theyre good until you want to do actual basic stereo stuff, then they can become clunky. Software designed to be in stereos is much better.
@@laurencelagden same here. Seems to be a compromise with something with every Chinese brand. I'm still not committing, keen to watch this
@@laurencelagden Agreed!! I think you're right. In fact, I purchased a Linux base unit just so the phone would be used and not the head unit. I have not installed it yet but seems like it's a halfway point and it was pretty cheap. The Android head units only seem to work well when they have tons of RAM. I'm all for the major names, but always looking for an alternative solution.
5:33 that's what she said
.?????🤔
Pioneer has N O T H I N G on competing priced good Chinese head units with better displays, features design and usability that blow this out of the water in every conceivable way.. plus, this head unit is shiny-plasticky cheaper looking than anything else I've seen in recent times anywhere. How people still dash out absurd amounts of money for this product segment (Alpines, Pioneers, Sonys, Kenwoods, etc.) is only proof of how marketing and hype rules against value and actual knowledge.
Maybe people prefer quality of components rather than inferior Chinese copies that usually fail within 12 months, as the old saying goes 'buy cheap buy twice'
@@stephenfletcher3913 Wouldn't "buy cheap buy twice" apply to this Pioneer unit too because it is priced in the same price range as many of Chinese Android units and a significant part of that price tag is brand premium + marketing?
@@dainiusvysniauskas2049 not really no, this isn't bargain basement cheap there are cheaper pioneer units, quality brands tend to have better longevity than their Chinese counterparts I've found this from experience, xtrons and pumpkin units I've had in the past whilst they were decent performers both failed within 12 months I'm yet to experience that with a pioneer
Well, you see these chinese brands are doing basically the same product. The very complex product which requires a lot of support from the manufacturer. Moreover, isn't it ridiculous to watch youtube on the road? Or how about fancy animated Porsche? Yea, especially the last feature really helps me while I'm driving.
I'm an android developer so I know something about android devices. The truth is that if you want an android device which works properly you'll need pricey components and a lot of skilled engineers in order to make these pricey components work. Why components should be pricey when there are a lot of cheap android devices which works perfectly fine? Because if you are choosing the cheapest components they won't last you too long. And I'm not talking about CPU, I'm talking about memory. Memory in our devices has it's resource this resource is measured in write/read cycles. These chinese android head units don't use expensive memory like mid-tier or flagship phones. When you are using your apps they are doing a lot of read/write operations, when you are updating your apps there even more of them. So, Imagine that you are using your car everyday, once a week it downloads updates for your apps. I'll bet that after 3-5 years it'll become to stutter and reloading all the time. That's all because the Android OS and apps for it would try to perform write/read operation on the memory which is cooked. You'll simply woudn't be able to use your headunit anymore. And that means you'll have to pay arround 500-800 bucks every 3-5 years. Let's go further and talk about firmware updates. They are really important both from the security and feature standpoint. Android 10 which most of these units have is almost 4 years old. Some app developers will eventually drop the support for this version of android (just wait for 2-3 years). You may miss a lot of new features because of it, but what is more important is that they will release a new API and shutdown the old one, you'll simply won't be able to use your app anymore. To summarise, the android headunit is like any personal smart device which should be changed every 3-5 years With a smartphone I can do it easily by selling my old phone and buying new one. With the android headunit I'll have to buy a new one, pay some money for it's installation, probably spend extra money in order to buy some adapters...it's not that simple.
JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer have it's issues. I don't like their ugly interface and low quality screens. But at the same time I know that I can rely on them and they won't let me down + I won't have any issues with the hardware because my phone will power all of these smartfeatures for this headunit.