10 speaker stereo?

[Garth]

I replaced the standard RCD500 with an RCDF510 and the sound quality got quite a bit better.

Did you require to install a new Can gateway to prevent battery drain?

Nope  And I've left the car unused for a week and it still started first time. I think it's all a myth.... 

[DelB]

Nope   And I've left the car unused for a week and it still started first time. I think it's all a myth....  

Sadly not. Reason I asked is that I have an '06 GTI and recently put an RCD510 in it. Was OK at first and then died as a result of not using the car one day at the weekend. I've now taken the radio fuse out, have no music and am too busy with work to be without the car to get it sorted out!!  

[Richn83]

its all down to the firmware, if you have firmware of 1260 or lower then you don't need s new can gateway. you should be able to get dome earlier firmware onto the rns, my-gti should help with a link. but you might just be better fitting the new part, really only 30 minute job, with a bit of coding.

[SeanyK]

I have a 10 speaker GTI, to me no stock radio would sound good enough, so I bought an Alpine CDE-114BTi which is a 4x50amp with built in parrot bluetooth so I can make handsfree calls etc, and has a full speed iPod connection, so very easy to wire it into the glovebox and installed the radio along with a VW fascia plate.

It costs £180 which was a lot cheaper than any OE upgrade, particularly as it has bluetooth, and for Sat Nav, I use Co-pilot on the iPhone.

Whilst I certainly concede, the RNS510 looks a lot nicer as it sits nice in the dash, looks smart.

I bought an 8" Alpine sub for the boot, it's only small but even with this, the 10 speaker setup still doesn't sound great, it's good, but lacks thickness and warmth, the next step will be to upgrade the door speakers, I believe 6.5", a 4" and tweeter per door, so something a bit beefier should improve things if you fancy going down that route - although it would cost silly money for high end stuff ie Focal, a decent set of Pioneer speakers will be a massive improvement for a minimal cost.
If you stick a jumpstyle or hard dance track on, the doors will rattle into submission, but short of a full dynamat install, not much can be done about that.

So in summary, a small sub in the boot, along with upgraded speakers should see you with a good enough sound system.

I'll be doing the door speakers in the next couple of months.

[Norbreck21a]

I'm with Rich on this. I think the RNS-510 made a huge imrpovement to the sound quality. I originally came from a RCD300, then an MFD2 (CD version) then an MFD2 (DVD version). Each sucessive upgrade gave a small improvment in sound quality, but the RNS-510 improvment was massive. Plenty of bass and good overall sound.

I do agree with Rich that with the fader set to middle position, it does come more from the back speakers than I would like, so I have it a couple of notches to the front and it sounds great.

With regards to road noise, I actually think (well mine at least) that the MK5 is a quiet car. Since the day I bought it, I've runnig 18's with 225/40/18 tyres (Eagle F1 Asymetricals), and I think the road noise is more than acceptable. I had a (don't laugh) Toyota Avensis T-Spirit some years ago on 17's and if you want to hear road noise, go out in one of them. It was embarrasing !

[bowie]

I think it would be interesting to compare someones RNS510 with mine or somebody who thinks there's not enough bass with it.  Funny how some say that there's plenty of bass. 
Anybody south wales area ?


Chris.

[Richn83]

With regards to road noise, I actually think (well mine at least) that the MK5 is a quiet car. Since the day I bought it, I've runnig 18's with 225/40/18 tyres (Eagle F1 Asymetricals), and I think the road noise is more than acceptable. I had a (don't laugh) Toyota Avensis T-Spirit some years ago on 17's and if you want to hear road noise, go out in one of them. It was embarrasing !

I was also quite suprised by the road noise comment, im only on 17" wheels but its really very quiet, even at 70 with the stereo off I can hear other peoples tyres rather than my own.  and I came from a focus before that was also on 17" and its alot more refined in the GTI.

This all seems to be coming down to what you were previously used too and peoples expectations, rather than weather its any good, and to go back to the original post, I would say it would be better to go for the 10 speaker car, as this one will probably have been made before some of the cost cutting measures and will therefore have a lot more of the plusher features such as the blue tinted heat resistant glass. 

[Garth]

I suppose you're right about the noise comment and comparing it to previous cars. I am comparing the mk5 to my BMW, which is silent on the motorway up to about 95. The golf makes a massive amount of noise in comparison. It's not just tyre noise, but there's an awful lot of wind and exhaust noise too. I notice it because most of my trips are spent on the phone (handsfree) and I have to slow down to under 60 to have a clear conversation. In the BMW or in the old mk4 golf, 70 plus is no problem.

If you compare the mk5 with a mk6 golf, there's a HUGE reduction in noise levels in the cabin.

With regards to the number of speakers though, less is usually more in my opinion. A good set of 2 way components plus a small sub would always blow away 10 cheap speakers.

[Norbreck21a]

Garth,

Mines a soot chucker, so if anythings going to make a racket at speed it's that, but I honestly don't have a problem. Quite often have calls from client (handsfree on my parrot kit of course), at legal motorway speeds  , and I don't have to raise my voice at all.

I have absolutely NO exhaust noise, and only a bit of wind noise over 70ish, the only real noise is engine and tyre, but as I said, it's more than OK for me ?

[Richn83]

Sounds about right Garth, the BMW will have alot more sound deadening material being a different class of car (as I assume we arent talking a 1 series so squarely aimed at a different segment, (although the run flats are supposed to play havoc with the road noise) so I assume you have dispensed with them!

And I would agree with you 4 decent component speakers and a small sub, with filters to ensure all frequencies are dealt with by the correct component would be much better than a 10 speaker system.  But at the same time 10 crap speakers have to be better than 8 crap speakers 

[Bigjimknickers]

I think the options are 6 and 10 speakers.

The 6 speakers option is the one with speakers only in front. (Three on each door)
In the back you have only wires waiting for the speakers.

The 10 speaker option is the option that you have speakers and in the back positions.

Good luck with the sale...

This is very interesting, so, mine must be a basic 6 speaker setup, with all 6 up front?
I thought my rears had been pinched!

[Nasir]

There are 8 speakers in the standard UK spec GTI. Including speakers at the rear.

[FJ1000]

With regards to the number of speakers though, less is usually more in my opinion. A good set of 2 way components plus a small sub would always blow away 10 cheap speakers.

Less is definitely more.

There is absolutely no need for rear speakers in my opinion, especially in a small car like the golf. You want the soundstage in front of you.

The golf speakers are actually pretty good, but lack decent amplification. You'd get great sound by adding a decent amp powering the fronts and a sub, and disconnecting the extra speakers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bigjimknickers]

There are 8 speakers in the standard UK spec GTI. Including speakers at the rear.

Hmm, I find it odd that on a totally stock car like mine that they'd be missing!?

[david25]

Also note the cost cutting in later cars, the standard number went from 10 to 8 UNLESS you specified the RCD500 or RCD500 with VW soundpack external amp (£760 in 2009)