Aftermarket HU Dynaudio compatibility

[Malcyb]

Hi,
As per my other recent thread, I’m currently shopping for a Mk5 or Mk6. One thing I’ll want to do is upgrade the HU to something more modern, simply because for me the usability of Android Auto is a must. It appears that this should usually be pretty straightforward. However does anyone know if that’s also the case with a car fitted with Dynaudio? I was wondering whether this posed much larger technical difficulties - e.g. I know that with my current Audi A2 the upgrade was easy however if it was specced with its optional Bose speaker/amp package it was much harder. This way I can know whether I can safely include Dynaudio fitted cars in my search.
Cheers

[Bluto]

Hi Malcyb

This can be done on a Mk6 (not sure on a Mk5), as last year I finally upgraded the RNS510 headunit in my 2009 Mk6 GTI that has Dynaudio fitted.  I went with a Pioneer AVIC-Z930DAB unit.  This Sat Nav unit has wireless Apple CarPlay (and Android Auto), plus with the correct harness adapter it retains the displays for parking sensors, rear view camera and climate controls/heated seats on the head unit.  Albeit Pioneer's graphical versions of these. 

You will lose the "Audio" and "Navigation" information on the car's DIS screen (between your rev counter and speedo) though as I couldn't find a unit that retained that. I believe it's sent over the car's CANBUS network from the headunit and I guess it may be only available via VW's own headunits?

Anyway the tricky bit was getting the correct aftermarket harnesses and leads to connect the headunit to the car and be compatible with the Dynaudio, steering wheel controls and rear view camera etc.  I sent off a few emails to Pioneer tech support and Connects2.com about what products were compatible.

Also I found a VW document that mentioned the way that the Dynaudio amplifier works in the Mk6 and that it has a speaker level of minus 14 dB on each speaker channel.

"The signal inputs on the amplifier are controlled via
the speaker outputs on the radio unit or radio-navigation
unit.

The radio/RNS unit needs to be coded to “Sound” so
that the level of the output channels is reduced by
14 dB."


So I applied this to my speaker level on the Pioneer AVIC-Z930DAB unit.  This cut down the amount of background hiss with no audio source dramatically, plus I guess if you left it at 0 dB you may blow the car's speakers if you have the volume too loud?

I can post what my shopping list was at the time if that helps if you decide to get a Mk6?

Also at the time I upgraded the car's GPS only sharkfin aerial to one that has DAB/FM/GPS on it, along with a Pioneer accessory that converts the VW Multi-Device Interface (MDI) in the centre console (under the arm rest) to a standard USB connection rather than VW's propriety connection.


Cheers

Bluto

[Malcyb]

Hi Malcyb

This can be done (on a Mk6 not sure on a Mk5), as last year I finally upgraded the RNS510 headunit in my 2009 Mk6 GTI that has Dynaudio fitted.  I went with a Pioneer AVIC-Z930DAB unit.  This Sat Nav unit has wireless Apple CarPlay (and Android Auto), plus with the correct harness adapter it retains the displays for parking sensors, rear view camera and climate controls/heated seats on the head unit.  Albeit Pioneer's graphical versions of these. 

You will lose the "Audio" and "Navigation" information on the car's DIS screen (between your rev counter and speedo though) as I couldn't find a unit that retained that. I believe it's sent over the car's CANBUS network from the headunit and I guess it may be only available via VW's own headunits?

Anyway the tricky bit was getting the correct aftermarket harnesses and leads to connect the headunit to the car and be compatible with the Dynaudio, steering wheel controls and rear view camera etc.  I sent off a few emails to Pioneer tech support and Connects2.com about what products were compatible.

Also I found a VW document that mentioned the way that the Dynaudio amplifier works in the Mk6 and that it has a speaker level of minus 14 dB on each speaker channel.

"The signal inputs on the amplifier are controlled via
the speaker outputs on the radio unit or radio-navigation
unit.

The radio/RNS unit needs to be coded to “Sound” so
that the level of the output channels is reduced by
14 dB."


So I applied this to my speaker level on the Pioneer AVIC-Z930DAB unit.  This cut down the amount of background hiss with no audio source dramatically, plus I guess leaving if you left it at 0 dB you may blow the car's speakers if you have the volume too loud?

I can post what my shopping list was at the time if that helps if you decide to get a Mk6?

Also at the time I upgraded the car's GPS only sharkfin aerial to one that has DAB/FM/GPS on it, along with a Pioneer accessory that converts the VW Multi-Device Interface (MDI) in the centre console (under the arm rest) to a standard USB connection rather than VW's propriety connection.


Cheers

Bluto

Thanks this is really useful. Losing the information on DIS is a small price to pay. Personally I’d probably go for a HU that didn’t have satnav as I always use google maps/waze. Don’t worry about a full shopping list at this stage (I might ask that when I’ve actually got a car to upgrade), but a rough idea of costs would be very handy, in particular how much more expensive you estimate it to be to upgrade a Dynaudio car as opposed to a standard fit one. Presumably even a non-Dynaudio car would have needed a harness so the costs aren’t so different? I take it that changing the level of the output channels was just something you could do in the setup menus for the HU?

[Bluto]

Hi Malcyb

Sorry for the delay in reply.  Here are the bits I ordered to replace my factory fit RNS 510 with a Pioneer AVIC-Z930DAB head unit in my Dynaudio equipped Mk6 GTI.

Item	Quoted Price
Connects 2 CT27AA114 - DIN Female to DIN Male Antenna Adapter	£            14.99
Pioneer CD-SVW-UAR.003AE - Steering wheel interface. Plug 'n play interface for Pioneer navigation units with UAR function	£          119.99
Pioneer CA-BC-VAG.002 - Camera interface For OEM "Low" camera	£            74.99
Pioneer CA-HM-VAG.006 - 2din kit, Black RT	£            24.99
Pioneer CA-IW-VAG.001V - aux and USB	£            29.99

https://www.pioneer-car.eu/eur/cip/parts/Volkswagen/Golf%2520Mk6/2010

The UAR function is the one that retains parking sensors, climatronic, heated seat controls on the headunit.  Whatever headunit you're looking at purchasing I guess will have to support this feature if you wish to retain those displays.

The OEM 'low' camera interface is because my car has one of the early VW reversing cameras that just has the static lines on the display that don't bend when you turn the wheel.  I think the 'high' version is if you have a reversing camera that does have the bendy lines when turning the steering wheel.

The CA-IW-VAG.001V accessory is what replaces the VW Multi-Device Interface (MDI) in the centre console with a standard USB female connector and gets rid of the proprietary VW connector.  Guess you don't actually need it, but I think it would mean the MDI would be redundant otherwise, as the MDI module has a specific connector to fit into the RNS 510.

Somewhere I may have an email with the equivalent Connects 2 parts, but I went with the slightly more expensive official Pioneer accessories (except for the aerial adapter) so if I had any 'problems' with the Dynaudio compatiblity etc. then I hopefully wouldn't have Pioneer blaming a 3rd party adapter. 

I know you're not looking to get a Sat Nav unit, but just for info my Pioneer AVIC Sat Nav head unit doesn't use a FAKRA connector for the GPS connection.  So I had to buy an adapter cable to convert the GPS aerial's FAKRA connection to Pioneer's specific one; think its called a HRS-F connector.  This was about 22.60 Euros off of eBay.

As for the changing the output levels of the channels to -14 dB, then I think that may be worth checking it can be done in the head unit you're looking at buying.

Cheers

Bluto