I need to change the stereo in our Vivaro which currently has a Vauxhall double din unit fitted. I would like to end up with a stereo that can easily stream spotify from a phone and or music that is stored as mp3’s on the phone, ideally this would be via bluetooth. I would hope that it was possible to skip through tracks etc from the stereo. I am after the cheapest option but I do want it to be easy and reliable so only recommend cheap unbranded Chinese stereos if you have personal experience of them.

Single DIN Pioneer MVH-something worked for me, was the cheapest non-CD head unit in the local Halfords-a-like.  80 quid or so.  Sort of wish I’d got a double DIN to display satnav etc, but not enough that I’d replace it.

Paired with an Android phone, mainly used for Spotify – everything (calls etc) just works.  ‘OK google’ to play something, can skip/repeat tracks with the panel buttons.  Only flaw is, every now and then the phone doesn’t connect properly, have to turn off/on bluetooth to reset it – but that might be at the phone end tbh.

I’m not in the market, but if I was id be looking at anything that uses Android Auto or the Apple equivalent, assuming your phone is new enough to support it.

Yeah Android Auto does the big sceren simple controls for your chosen music app and voice controls

Does voice control work with spotify yet?

Is is the stereo actually broken? A friend has one of those cigaret lighter bluetooth to FM adapters which work pretty seamlessly, just get in the car, phone connects to the adapter via bluetooth automatically, sticks phone to dash on a blob of black-tack, and the radio picks it up via FM.

 and the radio picks it up via FM

I would not be recommending that to anyone.

Have we offended you or something Tina’s.

I wouldn’t wish that set up on my worst enemy.

Both my Sony Bluetooth stereos integrate seemlessly with Spotify.

All runs off the buttons on the stereo once you select Bluetooth audio

I picked up a £70 Sony from Halfords, works a treat.

Go Android Auto to future proof a bit.  I tried a Chinese head unit.  It was slow,  ran really hot,  buggy,  distracting (as it’s basically a tablet), the bezel was proud of the screen which made it fiddly to swipe menus down from the top,  and finally,  you have to log it in to your various Google/ email/ Spotify accounts if you want to use those features,  and the model I had offered no security/pin code.  I even tried remote locking it from Androids where’s my phone feature,  it got it’s knickers in a huge twist but eventually I managed to get back in to it (without any security pin/pattern). So if anyone breaks into your car they can take it home and play havoc with your online life…

I managed to get a refund 🙂

On my trafic (same van) I’ve added the aux in port and then put a decent Bluetooth adaptor to it. Works really well. Cost about 20 quid for the aux in kit and adaptor .

“On my trafic (same van) I’ve added the aux in port and then put a decent Bluetooth adaptor to it. Works really well. Cost about 20 quid for the aux in kit and adaptor .”

does that let you change song without touching the phone ?

Android Auto was giving me ad free Spotify on free Spotify. Spotify app itself would still do adverts. Sadly they seem to have fixed it unfortunately and started getting ads again.

Aye, I need to get a way of playing spotify in my old civic, no really bothered about voice control or having to touch the phone, as I have massive commute playlists that last hours….

^^ likewise my old Civic, which doesn’t have aux inputs (other than useless iPod connection that needs a stupidly expensive adapter anyway). So far been using FM transmitter sat on the parcel shelf so it’s next to the antenna in the rear window and a long lead to hook to the phone audio jack. Surprisingly it’s better quality than I expected, though phone charger needs grounding using cig socket to avoid interference when charging, though I’m using a USB powerbank at the moment that does much the same.

Anyway, Android Auto app on the phone to do the maps (Google or Waze) and Spotify (or any other compatible audio app). Android Auto will do the voice control for you though not really used it as don’t know how to control it. Think it uses “ok google” and all that.

Issue with Android Auto is on tapping things it will get in a huff if you’re moving and tell you to concentrate, though that’s a good thing really. Does annoyingly pop up navigation alerts every second when in Spotify though and can’t tap back to the map while the alert is on screen. I should learn what’s need to speak to it to go to map. Not a fan of talking to gadgets though. Existing Civ radio has nice integrated controls on the steering and really would like to use that, and better get the built-in sat nav upgraded to an Androidy system or something.

Android Auto is great, with the caveat that it needs a half-decent phone under it.  It’s ace with my new Nokia but was utterly toilet with the Samsung S5 I had before it.

Issue with Android Auto is on tapping things it will get in a huff if you’re moving and tell you to concentrate, though that’s a good thing really.

The only time I’ve seen it do that is during the initial setup, which you only have to do once.

I bought a Sony XAV AX100 from Halfords for my Vivaro (it’s now in my Trafic). Fits in fine, fairly straightforward to fit although I still need to attach it to my steering controls.

It works with Android Auto, and it’s so much easier to use. Very big fan.

edit: I had to change phones from a Oneplus 3T to a Oneplus 5 to get it to work smoothly.

The only time I’ve seen it do that is during the initial setup, which you only have to do once.

Might be because I’m using just the phone running Android Auto. No headunit. It’ll cope with a few taps but then blocks you. More so if you scroll anything, so selecting a playlist item is no go with finger. To be fair I shouldn’t do that when driving. I have to wait until I’m stopped in queue / at lights, and even then I believe it’s against the law despite phone in a dock, unless car is properly stopped and engine off.

I try to get a playlist set up and start before driving and leave it. Wish it would show you what track it’s playing when in map mode though (again, this is when purely running on the phone. I don’t know what happens with an Android Auto head unit).

Voice activation, don’t know where to start. Guess I should try to learn the commands.

dont think my car could fit a double din, and im all for using my phone for everything, to justify its worth.  i googled android auto, and am i right itll only work with the cars interface?  so not as a standalone app?

ive just had a play with the ‘car’ app on my htc.  seemed to recognise the ok google command and open maps and deezer etc.  i made a phone call and got it to play Idles through my home speakers all without touching the screen 😀

so…… my question is…… whats the difference between AA and ‘car’?  just the linking to the cars interface?

I would not be recommending that to anyone.

To be fair I didn’t realise what it was doing until I asked how it was connected, sound quality was as good as you could expect in a car.

It’s a lot better than the crackly scratchy ones we had back in the day of trying to connect a discman to a car with a tape deck!

I have massive commute playlists that last hours….

….and a commute that only takes 15 minutes?

Overkill?

only the cheapo tip i used a 6 quid ebay bluetooth to FM re-sender device for a while. worked great.

(until i bought a new car which did blkueooth native)

Might be because I’m using just the phone running Android Auto. No headunit. It’ll cope with a few taps but then blocks you.

Ah, fair enough.

Voice activation, don’t know where to start. Guess I should try to learn the commands.

On mine you just say “ok google” and then tell it what you want. There aren’t commands to learn exactly, the natural language parser is surprisingly good.  Dunno how much of that is dependent on Android versions or having a head unit though.

….and a commute that only takes 15 minutes?

Overkill?

I started using it on the bike, takes 30 mins to cover the 8.5 miles, I just listen where I left off. It’s what Shazam is awesome for, hear a song I like, hit the big S button, and it fires it straight into my ever growing playlist.

Nobeer. you’re not by any chance the guy who came over to my car in Inners DH car park a while back and ask what track I was playing while you were trying to shazam it? Then we blethered about music for a bit?

Not me unfortunately matey!.

schmiken – you’ve got the same head unit as me, does it let you use all the functions when parked?  Mine doesn’t as Android Auto looks for the head units GPS signal to decide when you are not moving.  It can’t see the GPS signal from the Sony as it doesn’t have a GPS receiver, so AA defaults to moving mode.  Just wondering if they’ve fixed it…

Nobeer/DeadKenny, we’ve got an 09 Civic which is just before they added an AUX socket in the centre console.  You can get a Connects2 box that plugs into the CD changer port on the back of the head unit, and gives you Aux in.  Got to remove the centre console and the trim around the gear knob to get the stereo out though.  You can bring the 3.5mm jack out into the sunglass cubby under the radio.  Thanks for the tip about grounding the 12v socket, horrendous interference when charging so I also use a battery bank!

Sadex – AA will work standalone on the phone (phone just gives options for calls/music/nav and will read out texts/whatapps and allow voice replies, also turns on do not disturb to block distracting notifications/emails etc.  If you hook it up to an AA head unit or car with it built in, it disables your phone and puts the above functions onto the headunit/dash display.  My phone plugs in inside the glovebox to remove all temptation to look at it.

does that let you change song without touching the phone ?

Yes. It has a little control unit that lets you skip and pause – mine is stuck on the dash near the wheel. It’s also a handsfree mic. Or you can use Google assistant .

Spooky – it does but I made sure I wired the green cable to the handbrake. It doesn’t let you use every feature unless that’s wired in, or you’ve attached it to a local ground.

Superb Spooky, I’ll look into that.