Power Acoustik CPAA-70M 7" Double DIN Digital Media Receiver with Apple Carplay and Android Auto

Our testing and analysis of the Power Acoustik CPAA-70M

We just tested out an In-dash digital media receiver that is bound to turn some heads. Power Aoustik sent us their CPAA-70M stereo that is on point with it’s its price and features. The CPAA-70M is a Double DIN digital media receiver that comes in under $200 and features a 7” HD Capacitive touchscreen, apple carplay, android auto, bluetooth, plus built in steering wheel control. This is what everyone has been asking for! Let’s check this thing out and see if it’s any good. Keep watching for our power testing in a few minutes.

What's inside the box?

Inside the box is a warranty card, instruction manual, trim panel, wireless remote control, speaker and power harness, mounting brackets, hardware and double din receiver.

Rear Connections

Connections in the back include bluetooth microphone, power and speaker harnesses, steering wheel control and fixed multipurpose harness, two sets of 4 volt RCA pre-amp outputs for front and rear, Single 4 volt subwoofer output, front camera with camera power trigger, steering wheel control, backup camera, two video outputs, RCA AV inputs and radio antenna.

HD Screen

The display on the CPAA-70M looks solid and is HD. The native resolution is 1024x600, which is considerably better than the usual 800x480. But still, not quite full HD. The SmartSense Clear Glass Capacitive Screen is highly responsive. The OS looks a bit ordinary, similar to a factory system, but it gets the job done and let’s not forget the main features are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Apple Carplay and Android Auto are essential for a new stereo. They both require a USB connection on this stereo, they cannot operate wirelessly. The connection will also charge your device. Get access to your music, audio, messaging and navigation apps which all look great on the HD display. Video apps do not transfer. Both work great with voice commands for Siri and Google Assistant. Google Maps looks great on the display. The only downside is with the front USB, you’ll always have a cable dangling down when using CarPlay or Android Auto. First world problems.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth provides wireless music streaming and hands free calling. The front of the display has a built-in microphone with optional rear plug for an external microphone. Our Power Acoustik CPAA-70M Testing Testing

Our Power Acoustik CPAA-70M Testing

CPAA-70M Two channels driven, 4 ohm, 1 KHz, 14.4v

The first test we ran was 2 channels driven @ 4 ohms, 14.40 volts, 1 KHz EQ Flat. We’re using our Audio Precision to generate our signal and measure distortion. At volume 35, our HP8903B Audio Analyzer picked up 18.4W RMS, the audio precision picked up 0.94% distortion and 8.5 volts of output. Our AMM-1 read 13 Watts, we drew 4.4 amps of current.

CPAA-70M Two channels driven, 4 ohm, 40 HZ KHz, 14.4v

Next, 2 channels, 14.4 volts, 40 hz. At volume 35, our HP picked up 17.6W RMS, the audio precision read 0.32% distortion and 8.3 volts of output. Our AMM-1 read 15 Watts, and we drew 4.5 amps of current.

CPAA-70M RCA Outputs, 40 HZ KHz, 14.4v

Next we tested the RCA pre-amp outputs. At 40 Hz, at volume 39, we got 4.1 volts with 0.38% distortion.

CPAA-70M RCA Outputs, 1 KHZ KHz, 14.4v

At 1 KHz, at volume 39, we got 4.2 volts with .01% distortion.

CPAA-70M RCA Outputs, Frequency response

Our final test was frequency response. We used our Audio Precision to run up each frequency. We were within 1.2 dB from 12.5 Hz to 20 KHz. Overall this unit had excellent audio performance.

USB and SD

The CPAA-70M has both a front USB port and front Micro SD Card slot. Both sources can be used to play back audio and 1080p HD video files. For audio it supports MP3 and WMA, and for video it supports MP4 and WMV. The stereo also has a front AUX input for external audio video sources.

Screen Mirror

It is possible to screen mirror an iPhone or Android device to the CPAA-70M with its rear RCA AV inputs. All you would need is one of our mirroring kits for iPhone or Android. I'll put a link for both options in the video bio below. This will effectively get anything you want onto your stereo, youtube, netflix, HBO, HULU, whatever. Be aware that this is a safety hazard.

Tuner

The radio tuner features 30 presets, 18 FM, 12 AM. The rotary dial doubles as the voice command selection.

High-end Audio settings

Power Acoustik puts you in full control of the audio with the 16-band EQ with multiple presets and you can tune your own, time alignment, balance and fader, subwoofer low-pass and level.

Visual Customization

For visual customization you can adjust the 7-color front LED lighting on the front of the display. Customize your SWC control buttons. The stereo has 6 built in wallpapers

Our Opinion

Solid audio performance for sure. But let’s go over what Power Acoustik missed out on which would have made this headunit even better. Obviously at this price point there is no Wireless Carplay and Android Auto and I would have liked to see a brighter LCD screen, overall pretty impressive for this price point.

Car stereo installation

We show you the complete process of installing a Pioneer Double DIN car stereo in a Chevy truck. The in-depth video shows the installation of the interface, and steering wheel control.

Stereo Installation Basics

Let's start with the basics of replacing your car stereo receiver. In out first video we demonstrate how to crimp or solder your wiring, mount your new receiver to your dash kit and prepare everything for an installation in your vehicle.

Wiring Harnesses Explained

What do all of the wire colors mean? Aftermarket manufacturers have made car stereo receiver installation an easier process by using a standardized wire color scheme. We walk you through what each individual wire does, this way if you have an installation that doesn't perform properly you will have the resources to begin troubleshooting your installation.

Simple radio Installation

In our third video we demonstrate this installation process from start to finish. We show you the complete process of installing a Pioneer Double DIN car stereo in a Chevy truck. The in-depth video shows the installation of the interface, and steering wheel control.

Complex radio Installation

In our fourth video we demonstrate a much more difficult installation of a Car Stereo receiver. In this video we are using a more complicated dash kit and a difficult level of installation.