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Author Topic: Which stereo?  (Read 73683 times)

Offline blueislander80

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Which stereo?
« on: November 05, 2016, 04:11:14 pm »
Hi all, so I have a 56 plate gti with the very basic head unit. My assumption is this doesn't have aux or USB or anything?

I want to fit something with Bluetooth, aux, dab and maybe sd card but Bluetooth and aux are the main things. I have seen the rcd or rns option but seems like i would also have to buy a dab aerial and Cambus thing and all sorts of other bits? Is that correct?

If I didn't go oem then would something like a pioneer head unit have all the bits included or do I still need to add all the additionals?

Any help is appreciated!

Offline PatchySan

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2016, 04:37:59 pm »
Depends on how much you want to spend and what features do you want.

Bare minimum is to upgrade the Canbus Gateway otherwise you will experience Battery Drain with these OEM units. You can get the 7N0 907 530 canbus gateways for about £20 uncoded or about £30-40 precoded.

Most people tend to upgrade to the European RCD510 or RNS510 stereos but it will need the additonal Bluetooth module should you want BT stream and have telephony. It also does not include any USB/AUX options by default, you will need to purchase additional wiring through where the ESP buttons are. And to make things more complicated not all RCD510/RNS510 have DAB. You can tell by looking at the back of the unit, if it has a black port then the unit has DAB. All in all the RCD510/RNS510 while one of the most aesthetically pleasing is also one of the most expensive OEM options you can buy - you'll be looking around £500+ for all the options fitted in.



The next option is the RNS310/RNS315, similar to the RNS510 but has a smaller screen. But the real ace in its sleeve is that it has Bluetooth as standard so you can do telephone (with the optional mic) and audio streaming out of the box, it also has an AUX port on the front so no need to purchase any additional wiring too. But again be sure to check that is has DAB as not all RNS310/RNS315 units have this. These units can cost around £200-350 ish.



If you're not bothered about DAB or Sat Nav then you have a few more options open to you. If you're looking for an OEM unit with lots of connectivity at the lowest possible price then you can't go wrong with the RCN210. Lots of features built in for the money, Bluetooth + Mic Built-In (Telephone and A2DP Stream), CD Player, AUX, SD Card, USB and iPod Control out of the box, these units can be had and fitted for no more than £50 (I had this for a few months and its been superb). The only minor complication is that it uses the ISO interface rather than the quad lock so it needs an adaptor and additional CAN wiring from the Air Con unit to get it all working.



If you want something a bit more upmarket and have a touchscreen then you can opt for the RCD330G. It has a nice updated MIB interface similar to those from the MK7 Golf and like the RCN210 has all the essentials out of the box. The RCD 330G can be had for around £100 and uses the existing Quad Lock Canbus cable. If you don't need the CD Player and fancy the bigger screen (6.5" vs 5.0") then you can opt for the RCD 330G PLUS (6RD035187A) which is what I have now, expect an extra premium of £80 on top of the standard model for this version however.



*** UPDATE - Prices have dropped dramatically for the RCD 330 PLUS making them fantastic value for money. They now can be bought for around £80 including postage from AliExpress ***

[28th Jan 17] Apple iPhone owners rejoice! A new RCD 330 PLUS (6RD035187B) has been released with Apple CarPlay integration meaning you can use your iOS apps such as Apple Maps, iTunes music via the system. Prices have now dropped and can be had for around £115 all in.



[22nd Nov 17] In specific markets VW has released the R340G (6RF035187C), an updated version of the B variant RCD 330 with full App-Connect functionality (Android Auto as well as Mirrorlink and Apple CarPlay) making it the most complete OEM unit you can buy with full smartphone compatibility. One store have managed to load this firmware onto the 6RD035187B units and is available for around £180 ish at time of writing, considering the CarPlay only units was around this price 10 months ago I would wait until it settles down.



Lastly there is the RCD 310 but unless you want DAB on the cheap then it's a bit barmy to choose this where there are better options! Like the RCD510 it requires additional modules for the Bluetooth and Media interface like AUX and USB so not a good value option if you want these features!



Hope this helps!
« Last Edit: November 23, 2017, 12:05:07 am by PatchySan »

Offline AJP

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2016, 04:54:17 pm »
Depends on how much you want to spend and what features do you want.

Bare minimum is to upgrade the Canbus Gateway otherwise you will experience Battery Drain with these OEM units. You can get the 7K0 907 530 canbus gateways for about £20 uncoded or about £30-40 precoded.

Most people tend to upgrade to the European RCD510 or RNS510 stereos but it will need the additonal Bluetooth module should you want BT stream and have telephony. It also does not include any USB/AUX options by default, you will need to purchase additional wiring through where the ESP buttons are. And to make things more complicated not all RCD510/RNS510 have DAB. You can tell by looking at the back of the unit, if it has a black port then the unit has DAB. All in all the RCD510/RNS510 while one of the most aesthetically pleasing is also one of the most expensive OEM options you can buy - you'll be looking around £500+ for all the options fitted in.



The next option is the RNS310/RNS315, similar to the RNS510 but has a smaller screen. But the real ace in its sleeve is that it has Bluetooth as standard so you can do telephone (with the optional mic) and audio streaming out of the box, it also has an AUX port on the front so no need to purchase any additional wiring too. But again be sure to check that is has DAB as not all RNS310/RNS315 units have this. These units can cost around £200-350 ish.



If you're not bothered about DAB then you have a few more options open to you. If you're looking for an OEM unit with lots of connectivity at the lowest possible price then you can't go wrong with the RCN210. Lots of features built in for the money, Bluetooth + Mic Built-In (Telephone and A2DP Stream), CD Player, AUX, SD Card, USB and iPod Control out of the box, these units can be had and fitted for no more than £50 (I had this for a few months and its been superb). The only minor complication is that it uses the ISO interface rather than the quad lock so it needs an adaptor and additional CAN wiring from the Air Con unit to get it all working.



If you want something a bit more upmarket and has a touchscreen then you can opt for the RCD330G. It has a nice updated MIB interface similar to those from the MK7 Golf and like the RCN210 has all the essentials out of the box. The RCD 330G can be had for around £100 and uses the existing Quad Lock Canbus cable. If you don't need the CD Player and fancy the bigger screen (6.5" vs 5.0") then you can opt for the RCD 330G PLUS which is what I have now, expect an extra premium of £80 on top of the standard model for this version however.



Lastly there is the RCD 310 but unless you want DAB on the cheap then it's a bit barmy to choose this where there are better options! Like the RCD510 it requires additional modules for the Bluetooth and Media interface like AUX and USB so not a good value option if you want these features!



Hope this helps!
Great post.

I'm personally a fair way off upgrading my tunes but when I do I think I'll give you a shout.

Offline Stig_gti

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2016, 05:01:28 pm »
I just bought dnx525dab.
Can be picked up at a good price if you look around, built in Bluetooth dab and works with the golf just like oem. Sound quality is better aswell.

Offline grey golfster

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2016, 06:49:38 pm »
I don't actually want/need a new gead unit, but thanks fir your work on this guide!

Offline blueislander80

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2016, 08:32:32 am »
Absolutely superb help thank you for putting that together. I can certainly live without Dab, and I have a little Bluetooth unit that could work through aux as well so that wouldn't be the end of the world. Aux is very important and the sd card would be great. Way less bothered about the cd player.

I'll have a serious think about all of this. I'd prefer not to spend silly money but I also do want to try and keep it fairly oem so one of these options will fit. In terms of fitting are there any particularly good specialists out there? I don't mind doing a head unit myself but I wouldn't want to start doing wires and looms etc

Cheers all!

Offline mk5Eire

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2016, 12:25:28 pm »
I don't actually want/need a new gead unit, but thanks fir your work on this guide!
There are plenty of kits that plug into the cd changer of your stock head unit and give you usb/aux/sd card functionality. Vw do an mdi kit that runs into the glove box or armrest if you have one.

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Offline flashp

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« Last Edit: November 07, 2016, 12:38:36 pm by flashp »

Gone but not forgotten :-)

Offline pudding

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2016, 01:43:48 pm »
Bare minimum is to upgrade the Canbus Gateway otherwise you will experience Battery Drain with these OEM units. You can get the 7K0 907 530 canbus gateways for about £20 uncoded or about £30-40 precoded.

Most people tend to upgrade to the European RCD510 or RNS510 stereos but it will need the additonal Bluetooth module should you want BT stream and have telephony. It also does not include any USB/AUX options by default, you will need to purchase additional wiring through where the ESP buttons are. And to make things more complicated not all RCD510/RNS510 have DAB. You can tell by looking at the back of the unit, if it has a black port then the unit has DAB. All in all the RCD510/RNS510 while one of the most aesthetically pleasing is also one of the most expensive OEM options you can buy - you'll be looking around £500+ for all the options fitted in.

I got my RNS510 through some VAG car radio specialist on ebay.  I can't remember the name of it, but he supplied me with a 'Q' revision 510 with an internal software tweak to fix the battery drain issue.  Just putting that out there because you don't strictly need a newer gateway, and it's an utter git to replace too. It's dependent on year of the car and year of the radio.  Mine's an 07 plate and I've left it at Gatwick for 2 weeks with no battery drain.

Agreed on the RNS510 being the best looking unit, but it's by far the best sounding option unfortunately.  And the price of the Bluetooth module is crazy, which puts the overall cost too close to the flagship Kenwood NAV unit the dealers supply & fit, which sounds superior.


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline trackep

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2016, 03:49:42 pm »
sorry to hi jack the thread. But i'm just after something i can plug my ipod/iphone into and something the wife can call me on when she is driving (doesn't like driving on an evening on her own  :rolleye:. The RCD330G plus looks like the one? Will this be just a straight plug and play on my 2009 ED30? thanks for any input.

Offline blueislander80

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2016, 07:15:02 pm »
I think the rcn210 is perfect for me. Could somebody kindly point me to a guide on what wires are required etc? Would most be specialists know how to fit all this?

Offline PatchySan

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2016, 10:38:36 pm »
sorry to hi jack the thread. But i'm just after something i can plug my ipod/iphone into and something the wife can call me on when she is driving (doesn't like driving on an evening on her own  :rolleye:. The RCD330G plus looks like the one? Will this be just a straight plug and play on my 2009 ED30? thanks for any input.

Yes the RCD 330G will be a straight swap with the existing quad lock cable, though bear in mind that you lose the MDI or the 6 CD Autochanger function should you have this already (no biggie with an unit like this). As you have a 2009 MK5 the Canbus should be late enough to be OK.

The only additional item you need is the Dual FAKRA to single radio antenna wire which can be found here (I bought mine from this seller and it works great).

I think the rcn210 is perfect for me. Could somebody kindly point me to a guide on what wires are required etc? Would most be specialists know how to fit all this?

You will need this Canbus to ISO cable adapter for the RCN210 as well as the Radio FAKRA wire mentioned above.

For fitting instructions there is a fantastic video guide on how to install the RCN210 stereo to a MK5 which can be found below.



I also used this instruction guide for details on where the wires go and where to place the pins in when I installed my RCN210.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2016, 10:43:17 pm by PatchySan »

Offline blueislander80

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2016, 08:31:52 am »
sorry to hi jack the thread. But i'm just after something i can plug my ipod/iphone into and something the wife can call me on when she is driving (doesn't like driving on an evening on her own  :rolleye:. The RCD330G plus looks like the one? Will this be just a straight plug and play on my 2009 ED30? thanks for any input.

Yes the RCD 330G will be a straight swap with the existing quad lock cable, though bear in mind that you lose the MDI or the 6 CD Autochanger function should you have this already (no biggie with an unit like this). As you have a 2009 MK5 the Canbus should be late enough to be OK.

The only additional item you need is the Dual FAKRA to single radio antenna wire which can be found here (I bought mine from this seller and it works great).

I think the rcn210 is perfect for me. Could somebody kindly point me to a guide on what wires are required etc? Would most be specialists know how to fit all this?

You will need this Canbus to ISO cable adapter for the RCN210 as well as the Radio FAKRA wire mentioned above.

For fitting instructions there is a fantastic video guide on how to install the RCN210 stereo to a MK5 which can be found below.



I also used this instruction guide for details on where the wires go and where to place the pins in when I installed my RCN210.

excellent! I assume the rcn should be bought off ebay or aliexpress? They are all from china anyways? Seen a couple for sale from the UK but assume they are the same unit?

Thanks!

Offline PatchySan

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2016, 10:03:09 am »
excellent! I assume the rcn should be bought off ebay or aliexpress? They are all from china anyways? Seen a couple for sale from the UK but assume they are the same unit?

Thanks!
Yep they are the same unit though you maybe able to get it cheaper from AliExpress. They're even doing a Black Friday sale on the 11th November for a lot of items including the RCN210 so you might just want to hold on until then so you can get good discounts on them!

Offline blueislander80

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Re: Which stereo?
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2016, 01:48:11 pm »
excellent! I assume the rcn should be bought off ebay or aliexpress? They are all from china anyways? Seen a couple for sale from the UK but assume they are the same unit?

Thanks!
Yep they are the same unit though you maybe able to get it cheaper from AliExpress. They're even doing a Black Friday sale on the 11th November for a lot of items including the RCN210 so you might just want to hold on until then so you can get good discounts on them!

You sir, are a scholar. I am assuming it'll take a while for them to be delivered but that is fine - can do it over xmas!

I am not electrically-minded in the slightest but I will try using the video etc. If not I will try and find a specialist and make them watch it!

PatchySan - if all else fails i'll just drive to wherever you are with 100 beers as payment!