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Dasaita Android Automotive Stereo Review

Rate this Android Car Audio Head Unit:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 2 4.8%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 21 50.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 19 45.2%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    42

amirm

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the Dasaita 13.3" Android Automotive OS stereo head unit. I purchased this from Amazon for $558 (has a coupon for $40 now).

Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto stock...jpg

As you see from stock image, this is a "double din" unit with a "floating" (adjustable) display. The advantage of this type of unit is that the display doesn't have to fit in the dash as it will sit in front of it. There are various sizes and you need to choose one that doesn't impede your dash controls, vents, etc. Even though this is their top of the line unit, it only comes with 64 Gigabytes of storage whereas the norm is 128 Gigabytes. There is USB input though so expanding storage is no big deal. Likewise RAM is 6 Gigabytes instead of 8. Supply chain disruptions have limited availability of different options as others have very long lead times.

The launcher is the default, boring, low resolution one which is in dire need of more customizations. The right bottom widget that says "Amplifier" is not. It opens the standard Android Automotive Equalizer, DTS upmixer, channel delays, etc.

As I have noted in reviews of other Android Automative Head Units (not to be confused with Android Auto which is supported here as well), you get these units to get access to Google Play Store with hugely increase capabilities of these units and allow it to stay current. Here is a snapshot of my podcast app after I installed it:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Review.jpg

The large 1080p display is a joy this way (actually image is far better than what you see above).

Somewhat unusual is inclusion of old fashioned touch buttons on the bezel. I actually like that as it also includes the volume control up/down which is very handy to have. While I have not tested it, it also includes a microphone should you not want to attach the external mic.

One distinguishing feature is built-in gyroscope and nice, modern app that shows your inclination, etc. Nice for people who go on difficult trails and such.

I double checked and this unit indeed runs Android 13 (latest that is available on these units):
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Devch...jpg


Anyway, let's get into measurements.

Dasaita Android Head Unit Measurements
Unlike other units I have tested, there were hardly any settings for audio other than aforementioned EQ, etc. So I adjusted the volume to get 2 volts on analog output and here is what we get:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto RCA ...png

We are back to 80s SINAD which matches my expectation. I have been noting the power consumption on the dashboard and was happy to see this unit use the least amount of power than other Android units I have tested. At full brightness, it uses a bit more power but lower the display brightness and it is uses less power.

Switching to digital we once again get disappointing performance, although not as bad as Joying head unit unit I tested recently:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Tosl...png


Best car stereo review 2025.png

[Top 3 are standard head units/bottom 3 run Android OS]

The -10 dBFS was puzzling as other units (also strangely) only maxed out to -3 dBFS instead of 0. Digging around, turns out this is the headroom that the Android EQ is imposing. If you max out all the sliders there, you get to 0 dB and even over! With no bypass button, you are leaving 10 dB of dynamic range on the table. Why it is 10 dB here and 3 in others, I don't know. Both are broken, this one just more so.

I should note that all the test tones I have used so far have been at 48 kHz to avoid Android resampling. Switching to 44.1 kHz, causes the Roon player I use to upsample to 48 kHz, resulting this odd performance:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Tosl...png

This is the same thing I have seen in other head units. The noise floor goes down but we see those strange distortion spikes.

Our dynamic range is not bad for this class of product but could be far better for digital output:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Dyna...png


Back to the EQ headroom thing, if I max out the levels on all the bands, we do indeed get better dynamic range:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Dyna...png


Analog jitter is not bad for the class:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto RCA ...png


Digital jitter suffers from many things:
Dasaita 13.3 Double Din Radio, Android 13 Car Stereo with Wireless Carplay & Android Auto Tosl...png


Without sorting out the audio pipeline, it is pointless to keep testing different ways.

Conclusions
I am absolutely in love with the larger display. Comparing to my phone, it brings incredible joy and functionality -- much more so than the 9.5 inch DUDU7. On performance front though, both the UI and objective measurements were far superior on the DUDU7. Unless I can solve the mounting issues with the DUDU7, I am going with the Dasaita.

Overall, what we have is much nicer than any proprietary head unit (btw, it does have amplification) so I am going to recommend the Dasaita Android car stereo. Hopefully they work with us to improve its performance.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
 
I am absolutely in love with the larger display. Comparing to my phone, it brings incredible joy and functionality -- much more so than the 9.5 inch DUDU7. On performance front though, both the UI and objective measurements were far superior on the DUDU7. Unless I can solve the mounting issues with the DUDU7, I am going with the Dasaita.
The Mekede DUDU7 "universal" double DIN model is available in any of the current display sizes directly from Mekede.

 
Is the whole Android audio stack just broken or does performance improve if a USB DAC or SPDIF converter is used?
 
The Mekede DUDU7 "universal" double DIN model is available in any of the current display sizes directly from Mekede.
I realize that. But shipping is long (I got the current units in 2 to 3 days). There is a risk of tariffs to pay. And little ability to return. Hence the reason I reviewed these units.
 
Good lord, Amazon is losing a lot of money from you with the pending returns :D

But I don't think many people on this forum can beat me with Amazon returns :p
 
Good lord, Amazon is losing a lot of money from you with the pending returns :D
You know, I hardly ever return things to them. But every day of the week, we have a bunch of deliveries from them. So if I return these, they still have made pretty good money from us. :)
 
@amirm, thank you again for sharing your [mis-]adventures, while seeking mobile musical nirvana!
I gather you are really after an AIO, that does multiple other functions besides music.

Based on your findings thus far, I think I will stick w/just using a portable media player (DAP, like the xDuoo X5) feeding my OEM system.;)
 
Back to the EQ headroom thing, if I max out the levels on all the bands, we do indeed get better dynamic range:
Did you happen to run a sinad scan with the EQ sliders all cranked? Maybe that's the way to go to get the full capability. I'd probably feed the output to a minidsp anyway.

Off topic question: some of Android HU's have AM/FM radios. Do they digitize it and send that out the spdif/optical?

Thanks for shedding light on the mysteries of how well these things perform! I have been eyeballing these things for my truck/camper adventures too.
 
Last edited:
@amirm,

Are there any IP ratings on such devices?
I ask because we all know the temperature extremes reached inside vehicle cabins at mid-summer days and/or frigid winter nights... especially when it comes to such LCD panels.
Would this be something to be concerned about?
 
Did you test the stock equipment that the van came with? The way these things have looked you may not be improving much, at all?
 
Based on your findings thus far, I think I will stick w/just using a portable media player (DAP, like the xDuoo X5) feeding my OEM system
In that case, why would you not feed your smartphone output via USB-c into a Qudelix 5K and get far superior SQ? (For $100 USD)
 
Did you test the stock equipment that the van came with? The way these things have looked you may not be improving much, at all?
I never got the stock unit. RV manufacturer had already pulled it out (or it was deleted as an option) and put in one of the first generation Android head units. Already powered the DUDU7 with the DSP amp and improvement was phenomenal. And this is before tuning! We just found a way to make DUDU7 fit the dash. Now need the interface for the steering wheel controls which is coming in a 2-3 weeks from China. If that works, I am golden and have far, far better system.
 
I’m glad you’re doing this now, I’m looking to upgrade a car unit myself.
 
Hello Amir, any reason you want to use Android Head Units. I have seen videos of iPad / Tablet integrations using an iPad mini, interface into Audio Control DSP. There are solutions that have the signal path all digital using a combo with a Sony head unit. There is always JVC, Kenwood and Alpine head units that should be better than these. Anyway thanks,
 
I had earlier posted this reply in the DuDu7 review:
Did I miss the post(s) where @amirm describes and details the other parts/hw of his RV audio system?:facepalm:
  • Type and number of channels
  • Type and construction of speakers.
  • Type of amplification to be used with his head-end unit.
It also applies here. ty
 
This is a review and detailed measurements of the Dasaita 13.3" Android Automotive OS stereo head unit. I purchased this from Amazon for $558 (has a coupon for $40 now).

View attachment 454402
As you see from stock image, this is a "double din" unit with a "floating" (adjustable) display. The advantage of this type of unit is that the display doesn't have to fit in the dash as it will sit in front of it. There are various sizes and you need to choose one that doesn't impede your dash controls, vents, etc. Even though this is their top of the line unit, it only comes with 64 Gigabytes of storage whereas the norm is 128 Gigabytes. There is USB input though so expanding storage is no big deal. Likewise RAM is 6 Gigabytes instead of 8. Supply chain disruptions have limited availability of different options as others have very long lead times.

The launcher is the default, boring, low resolution one which is in dire need of more customizations. The right bottom widget that says "Amplifier" is not. It opens the standard Android Automotive Equalizer, DTS upmixer, channel delays, etc.

As I have noted in reviews of other Android Automative Head Units (not to be confused with Android Auto which is supported here as well), you get these units to get access to Google Play Store with hugely increase capabilities of these units and allow it to stay current. Here is a snapshot of my podcast app after I installed it:
View attachment 454406
The large 1080p display is a joy this way (actually image is far better than what you see above).

Somewhat unusual is inclusion of old fashioned touch buttons on the bezel. I actually like that as it also includes the volume control up/down which is very handy to have. While I have not tested it, it also includes a microphone should you not want to attach the external mic.

One distinguishing feature is built-in gyroscope and nice, modern app that shows your inclination, etc. Nice for people who go on difficult trails and such.

I double checked and this unit indeed runs Android 13 (latest that is available on these units):
View attachment 454407

Anyway, let's get into measurements.

Dasaita Android Head Unit Measurements
Unlike other units I have tested, there were hardly any settings for audio other than aforementioned EQ, etc. So I adjusted the volume to get 2 volts on analog output and here is what we get:
View attachment 454408
We are back to 80s SINAD which matches my expectation. I have been noting the power consumption on the dashboard and was happy to see this unit use the least amount of power than other Android units I have tested. At full brightness, it uses a bit more power but lower the display brightness and it is uses less power.

Switching to digital we once again get disappointing performance, although not as bad as Joying head unit unit I tested recently:
View attachment 454411

View attachment 454412
[Top 3 are standard head units/bottom 3 run Android OS]

The -10 dBFS was puzzling as other units (also strangely) only maxed out to -3 dBFS instead of 0. Digging around, turns out this is the headroom that the Android EQ is imposing. If you max out all the sliders there, you get to 0 dB and even over! With no bypass button, you are leaving 10 dB of dynamic range on the table. Why it is 10 dB here and 3 in others, I don't know. Both are broken, this one just more so.

I should note that all the test tones I have used so far have been at 48 kHz to avoid Android resampling. Switching to 44.1 kHz, causes the Roon player I use to upsample to 48 kHz, resulting this odd performance:
View attachment 454413
This is the same thing I have seen in other head units. The noise floor goes down but we see those strange distortion spikes.

Our dynamic range is not bad for this class of product but could be far better for digital output:
View attachment 454414

Back to the EQ headroom thing, if I max out the levels on all the bands, we do indeed get better dynamic range:
View attachment 454415

Analog jitter is not bad for the class:
View attachment 454416

Digital jitter suffers from many things:
View attachment 454417

Without sorting out the audio pipeline, it is pointless to keep testing different ways.

Conclusions
I am absolutely in love with the larger display. Comparing to my phone, it brings incredible joy and functionality -- much more so than the 9.5 inch DUDU7. On performance front though, both the UI and objective measurements were far superior on the DUDU7. Unless I can solve the mounting issues with the DUDU7, I am going with the Dasaita.

Overall, what we have is much nicer than any proprietary head unit (btw, it does have amplification) so I am going to recommend the Dasaita Android car stereo. Hopefully they work with us to improve its performance.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
I personally searched through these 2-3 din android auto systems and gave up on them on an old camry a while ago. changed those 6x9 speakers in front and rear and got a sony 50wpc 1 din amplifier after seeing that they don't use any different amplifier on the expensive models. fed aux input using a couple dap's that could receive bluetooth and moved on to always powered fiio bta30pro which beat them handily and finally installed a sub in the rear. With the 1000USD upgrade it was completely transformed.
For a camper van maybe a screen would be handy and not necessarily so ugly with an after market implementation but for a regular car simple using a phone's google maps should suffice as long as you keep a mount near the steering to avoid distractions and don't text and drive. most modern cars have given up on 6x9 speakers and that is the real problem with today's cars imo. If you are buying premium look at volvo, tesla, cadillac, bmw or mercedes brands for good audio implementations.
 
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