Pioneer 3800NEX Carplay phone call echo, sending back

Bought a Pioneer 3800NEX from Crutchfield, with Maestro, all the stuff the recommend, ~960.00 worth.

I got it installed, everything works, but when talking on Carplay my phone calls echo on the other side. I need my bt audio for work and the OE factory stuff is crystal clear so I'm going back to it. I even built the 5v factory mic harness and that did not help, still echos.

If you look at the second review on Crutchfield he says it doesn't even deserve 1/5 stars for the same issue I describe.

Crutchfield support could hear the echo, we adjusted mic gain, etc., to no avail, and he issued a return.

So, it's a very nice head unit, but if you need it for phone calls IMO you should probably think twice. It's a shame because I like it otherwise.

 

This may not be the head unit; this is happening with many aftermarket units. Same thing happens on my alpine. I just use the speaker on the phone

 

I 100% agree. It's carplay on aftermarket units. Unfortunately phone audio quality is the most important thing for my needs right now so my search for an aftermarket HU is over.

Anyone have experience with the GROM and does it not alter the audio quality in any way for phone calls?

 

I have a 3800 without any echo issues, where did you put the mic? Did you try a different mic?

 

Factory mic and location. I didn't try the included mic because of reports of this issue being widespread, even in the reviews for the unit. I had even worse issues from the Dasaita so tbh I couldn't be bothered to deal with the echo from the aftermarket.

 

It's NOT the head-unit! I nearly have this solved, probably universally (not specific to Tundra or even Toyota):
The factory MIC is powered by 5V from the factory HU, which must be provided in it's absence. Resistance is also required.
Less is more dynamic until feed-back occurs. Pending: Need for someone with a really deep voice to help with studio testing.

Religious connotations notwithstanding, version alpha My-Tundra is an overwhelming success and versions Tundra G2.0 and Tundra G2.5 are in beta-development.
Other versions will be forthcoming, with favor of Providence.

Decide for yourself: You might want to keep whatever HU you've chosen and use the supplied aftermarket MIC (zip-tied) while anticipating the advent of CAR-MIC-SVR.

 

This sucks to read! I literally just bought this head unit and some other things to re-do my system with some upgrades and tweaks

 

Too late, I sent it back, but it might help @Jwood562 on his journey. Unfortunately I cannot take any risks with BT SQ so I have to stay factory until things are confirmed. Any feedback on my line is unacceptable for me.

 

You can get it again later, if/when it's time.

I didn't finish my mssg to Jwood562, whose 'kit' hasn't arrived yet...

(Thinking out loud)
Most of the tooling needed for initial production has been ordered and for design, I've considered:
Pioneer / Alpine (etc) use a 2.5mm MIC plug
JVC / Kenwood / Sony (etc) use a 3.5mm MIC plug
Other questions need answered, too:
What year Year / Make / Model vehicle?
Does it have Premium Sound (JBL, etc) / Navigation / etc?
Which brand of wiring harness is being installed with the aftermarket Head Unit?
The question we'd like to avoid: Is the end-user comfortable with a crimping tool and/or soldering iron?

Male/Female extension plugs for the factory female harness would be costly and I note difficulty sourcing them. Surely, this also affected the price-point of the chosen installation harness.
If kit can include at the wire ends appropriate PINs only, with instruction where to put them in the harness 'blank spaces' ... price-point benefits.
Then there's the cost/benefit analysis:
The radio was packaged with a (deficient by comparison - and obtrusive) MIC that will function if you plug it into the radio and mount it somewhere.
Do you think, 'It's good enough,' or are you that O.C.? Is it worth the cost of fixing it?
FYI: If you're asking such questions ... "You might be a red-neck!"

 

You guys are really speaking another language to me!

I appreciate any possible help to a potential future problem. And I am definitely the “plan ahead” type of guy.

so if you can point me in the direction of possible solutions I wouldn’t mind buying now prior to the install.

so just some background on my current set up.

I have an older (maybe 8 year old) pioneer head unit installed. Had a shop do it. So unknown how the wiring was done.

I later myself bolted in new upgraded speakers and sound deadend the entire double cab myself and love the upgrade.

so now, my oldish head unit is starting to act up. Hence the replacement.

I ordered and received the head unit, plug and play wiring harness, dash kit and I bought a powered sub for under the passenger seat.

I am also compiling some small things to mess around with. Such as trying to add a fire stick or compact gaming console for the kiddos and possibly a rear monitor.

so I am trying to at least gather the vital stuff that would go in during the head unit install and leave all possible plugs accessible to mess around with the things I just mentioned.

so a possible solution to this MIC solution really has my interest.

Sorry and I don’t mean to hi Jack OP

 

No worries on the post, not thread-jacking if it helps someone

 

Jwood562,

I too jumped in on BR33ZY's thread because we were previously discussing over here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/use-oem-mic-with-aftermarket-headunit.93038/

I stumbled there a few weeks back after buying a brand new to me 2008 Tundra (what year is yours?) and working toward install of a Kenwood DNX697S. That thread is a couple years old and there was no agreement on what exactly might work.

Who wouldn't want to keep the factory MIC, if they knew it were possible and wouldn't cost a first born?

Well, I have figured it out! I retained the factory MIC in my Tundra while installing the above aftermarket head deck using the Maestro harness. The MIC sounds great with NO feedback, which has always been the standard complaint!

In theory, you have to find the right balance between dynamics and compression. It's similar to the difference between the sound you get from an LP vs. a CD or, an MP3 file vs. an MP3-Pro file. Any true audiophile will tell you to buy the LP (factory MIC) because it sounds so much better, while a Gen-X'r will want to know how many songs fit on your I-Pod? I lean toward the former and my home speakers are Infinity towers with dual voice coils and ribbon driver tweeters. In 1987, they would have set you back $1,400 each! Then, there's Carvers: If you ever get a chance to listen to those with the appropriate Amps powering them, don't pass it up. I also much prefer CD's over MP3's: Thus, the head unit I chose has a CD/DVD slot right there in front of me.

Anyway, anticipating others will also want to retain the factory microphone, I've been sitting here in the wee hours building a couple dozen harnesses and thinking:
I've used all the orange wire... perhaps I should order more? 1,000 feet of it would build #333 CAR-MIC-SVR units (lesser lengths of Red, White and Green are also involved).

Frankly, (if you're techy) it doesn't involve much tech and it's ONLY useful for vehicles with a factory MIC already present. But, I sense that's many cars now.

The difficult part (without jacking the cost beyond reason) is figuring out how to set it up for a given vehicle/radio/harness combo without the end user needing to hack up the factory wiring, and I've not ventured far beyond the Tundra... yet.

I just moved my 10 year old Kenwood KDC-X994 from my 1985 Celica to the RV I bought (which led to wanting this Tundra). Even then, it has HD Radio, Sat Radio and Bluetooth. So in the RV, I can take calls or listen to music via casting. These touch-screen decks are another animal entirely. Things have become really cool while I wasn't looking!

And you thought you were jacking his thread...

 

My 3800 works great with the pioneer mic, I put it up by the map lights.

 

He was hoping to use the Toyota microphone already present in the overhead console; Not the black-puck aftermarket mic.

 

So I just installed the 3800nex in my wife’s 2015 Sequoia. Crutchfield and Maestro support said the issue is common with all aftermarket radio decks and brands. Said I had to use the Pioneer mic included in the kit. I am very interested in what llonPilgrimg was talking about for a solution. Has anyone else made any progress with fixing the echo on the other side of the phone calls? It sounds great in my vehicle.

 

TBomb,

I'm watching this thread. Your post was noted. I also note you just joined Tundras.com -- Welcome!

There's another thread here somewhere about "factory mic with aftermarket head" where I went into detail about my efforts to resolve this.
I have absolutely resolved this in my 2008 Tundra Limited DoubleCab. It works flawlessly!
My factory MIC is wired to a Kenwood DNX697S using the Maestro harness with ZERO issues -- no feedback on the 'other end.'

They blame the app or each other but that's not where the problem is. The problem is fine tuning resistance for the vehicle's mic/wiring -- which varies by vehicle.
Essentially, the gain is too high: The other caller's voice from your speakers gets picked up by the mic and fed back to the other caller -- commonly described as: 'echo')

Two beta-testers were trying to install my solution (CAR-MIC-SVR) into 2019 Tundra CrewCab (4 door).
They've quit communicating as it didn't work the first time, likely because previously unknown to me 2017--2020 have TWO factory microphones in the over-head console (confirmed in the wiring schematics).
Your Sequoia - whatever year - may have the same CrewCab console with two mics? -- I don't know. (I would like to know)

CAR-MIC-SVR
Advantages: 1) It can be installed with the new head unit behind the dash; 2) No aftermarket mic/cord to route through the interior.
Difficulties: 1) Different vehicles have different factory mic wiring; 2) The factory mic is powered; 3) Makers of head units use different mic plugs (2.5mm vs 3.5mm).

In theory, I know how to make this work. I've also obtained the electronic parts needed, anticipating the solution will be much sought after.
The solution is not limited to Tundra or even to Toyota: But each vehicle has to be tested.

 

Im a long time Toyota “Nut” (fanatic is to soft), and would be happy to work with you on testing for solutions. I will look for the thread on using factory microphones. Does the other thread discuss hardware and wiring diagrams for tracking down and connecting to the OE mics? Thanks for the reply!!

 

The other thread is noted above (Post #12): https://www.tundras.com/threads/use-oem-mic-with-aftermarket-headunit.93038/

Toyota "Nut" is my middle name also! We should talk Toyota in general and 2014 CrewMax / 2015 Sequoia radio wiring specifically. Left my phone at home today. PM your # and time zone?

 

is the feedback related to to the centre dash speaker?

I'm thinking about this HU and have already disconnected the centre speaker and am ok with the pioneer mic, but, yeah. would hate to shell out $1k and not be able to make a phone call!!

 

Tim ( @IIonPilgrimg )did a TON of work and R&D to figure this out.......sounds like he got it sorted out for the first gen crowd. I was one of the beta testers for the 2.5 gen and we couldn't get it working. I have tried 4 different microphones and according to crutchfield it is a known issue with aftermarket head units and newer cars, as Tim said presumably due to the multiple factory microphones. I install HT's on the side for fun and the best way I can describe it is there seems to be a handshaking issue with the components and software being used. I gave up on trying to figure it out - my recipients either deal with the echo ir I take it off carplay and use the phone speaker. If anyone ever figures this out they will have a nice windfall of money coming to them .

 

Interesting, thanks for the detailed response. And so, the more I read to pick a new head unit, the more variables I need to consider.

same issue with the pioneer 6600?

 

Sleeper...

Given Shawn474's response, some phones could have an (Apple CarPlay) problem I don't have 'cause I use Samsung Galaxy... I had the impression, if you use the MIC supplied by (Mfg of HeadUnit) you won't have a problem. I am NOT using that aftermarket MIC: Have perfect clarity with my Kenwood HU / Factory MIC / Samsung Phone (using my CARMICSVR).

I keep my notifications on for these threads... Thanks for the reference shawn474.
I'd had the impression you 'gave up' to the extent you were using the Pioneer supplied MIC and not having an issue with CarPlay: Apparently, not the case.

I still believe my solve could solve for everyone, including those w/ Gen 2.5 Tundra in which the QuadCab has two Mics in the overhead (and after that).
If you cut the leads to the 2nd Mic (at rear) my solve (CARMICSVR) should work for the single mic remaining active.

The other problem is plug n' play differences because the factory harness has changed over the years - ya' gotta be unafraid of strip/solder and if you feed 12V to your 5V MIC, you will fry it.

There's a point of diminishing return where the factory HU is now so functional, there's no point replacing it unless you're a complete audio/technophile...
(My son now has a 2024 Tundra and packs an iPhone: I'd like to beta test him -- But why bother?)