BLUF: Is there a setting for overall volume of Carplay audio?
When I listen to AM/FM/XM in my Kia, I generally have the volume around 8 (on the car’s scale).
When listening to audio via Carplay (Apple Music, Spotify, or Overcast), I have to increase the car’s volume to around 25 to get an equivalent to the Kia audio.
Am I missing a Carplay setting somewhere that controls the overall volume? Switching from Carplay back to Kia is a “jolt” to say the least.
I have the same issue with my Kia. Although, for podcasts I generally need the volume at 45-50 to hear over the road noise etc (especially if it is raining). Music is fine at 25-30. I don’t know that I have ever listened to the radio in this car, but the few times it has been accidently turned on, the volume was much louder than anything with Carplay.
An alternative solution might be to use an internet radio app that supports CarPlay. Some of them will do your local stations. This is also likely to work in your next car / for other people. Uses a fair chunk of data though
Exactly. I was hoping there was a setting in Carplay that I’ve overlooked.
Thanks, but I’m not so much interested in radio as I am in getting the volume level normalized.
Maybe I wasn’t clear. I’m suggesting that by listening to “FM” in a CarPlay/iPhone app you’ll be able to set the volume to 25 for CarPlay usage and never touch the built in radio again, thereby never needing to change the volume. Understandable if you’d prefer not to, just making sure we’re on the same page 
As a brand new CarPlay user — I just got an aftermarket unit installed in my 19 year old Mazda — I can say I found a settings screen in the unit itself, not CarPlay, that lets me set the volumes of all the different input sources.
The main thing I am missing from my old (non-Bluetooth, but 6-CD changer!) system is that it automatically increased the volume according to the vehicle’s speed.
What specs do you have for the head unit, and is it sufficient? I see everything from 2GB RAM to 12GB RAM and the prices follow a similar curve.
Who can say? I took my car to a local car audio specialist and told them what I wanted. This was deemed a “high quality” unit. Certainly, the 9” screen looks great and operation seems fast enough, particularly if one accounts for the wireless CarPlay aspect.
The barcode on the box contains the following “4G+64G QLED15” and I believe the model is BX-D04. It is branded as “Android DVD Player”.