Also installed a larger touchscreen head-unit, which supports wireless Android Auto.
BHPian roby_dk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Taking the Audio upgrade in Thar to the next level, I recently removed the stock head unit of my car to a better top of the line AV unit from Pioneer DMH-ZS9350BT. The difference in music is tremendous I didn’t expect it to perform that better. For serious Audiophiles, if you want to play High-resolution music in Thar this head unit from Pioneer is highly recommended.
Before jumping to this unit I tried several combinations like Bluetooth DAC and wired DAC with which I was able to play music via Bluetooth (LDAC) or optical channel in my amplifier but none of them provided the seamless integration which I was expecting.
The very first issue I have is to manage the volume via phone as the above devices will bypass all the circuitry and the phone will be directly communicating with the amplifier.
Second, comes the use of maps and other android auto features so in case I have to check maps I have to again go back to the poor audio quality from the stock head unit.
The third and most irritating one was the frequent disconnect of the AA while driving. Sometimes I even have to switch off and switch on the car again to resume the Android Auto back on the stock head unit. This was one of the major problems I am facing from day one.
The fourth was a bigger and better looking 9 inches capacitive HD touch screen which is smooth and easy to operate with wireless Android Auto which is nice to have features not available in many cars.
This unit also supports internet browsing and apps like youtube although not recommended while driving but can be a party trick sometimes.
Apart from the above, there are numerous features like Master sound reviver, wireless Carplay, full HD video playback, Alexa Inbuilt, dual camera inputs etc. which anyways doesn’t excite me much as my focus was purely on clean and crisp High Res input signal from source to feed the rest of the audio chain in Thar.
Final Audio Setup:
- Pioneer DMH-ZS9350BT AV unit (replaced the stock head unit)
- Front 3-way components (Gladen Germany Pro Series)
- Rear 2-way components (Gladen Germany Zero Series)
- Mosconi Gladen Pico 8|10 channel amplifier with in-built DSP
- Sundown Audio 1000W Mono amplifier for Subwoofer
- Dual Gladen RS-X 8″ Subwoofer (upgraded to dual sub in a sealed box for SQ)
- CTK Premium series damping for full car
Links to the audio components:
- Head Unit
- Amplifier for Speakers
- Amplifier for Subwoofer
- Speakers
Keyword: Upgraded audio system setup on a Mahindra Thar AT