irishejit Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 Hi all.. I have an just got an 05 audi a4 and have a question or two about the sound system.I have a basic audi set up which isnt really packing any punches and was thinking of doing an upgrade. so my questions are: is there much involved in getting a different head unit fitted and will it work with the display on the computer.(mine does not have the steering wheel controls) what radio fits/works best if I change the audi system. and finally has the original radio got any pre amp outputs so that I could even upgrade the speakers/subs myself as I already have a vibe amp,speakers and sup box which I removed from my last car and would like to keep as it cost a fortune an is only two months old. this is a pic of the type of stereo I have.....not the best pic but im finding it hard to find out info/specs on audi radio models. cheers+++ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigyb Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 Ah everything makes sense now, you do not have the genuine Audi BT prep, just a 3rd party hardwired system. The radio is the concert II+, fairly basic, but still a good radio with Mp3 CD capability. If you go after market then you will not get the display to work at all, no 3rd party radio supports the DIS. Also the steering wheel controls will not work with another radio. Also you will need a facia adaptor. You may want to consider the Audi RNS-E DVD navigation as an upgrade to the radio as this will give you a 6.5" colour display with DVD navigation, mp3 card capability and integration with the genuine BT prep. The Audi radios have an amp in the boot for the rears (non -bose) and both front and rears if your car has bose. (speakers will be labelled BOSE). So any 3rd party radio must be configured to use the amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishejit Posted February 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2009 thats not my exact system,just havent got to take any pics yet. my system has what looks like a non amped sub in the boot and only a single disc load up front.I dont have the steering controls just the display. this is what my system is like my phone is this sort of mount Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froggy Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 That unit doesn't sound to bad in my car, but I have the Bose amp and active speakers. The unit does have a 4 channel preamp output, that you could use but you would need some adapter cables to ensure the existing rear speakers were still connected. The Bury car kit is an aftermarket fit and probably simply wired into the phone input on the Concert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolDave Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 my system has what looks like a non amped sub in the boot and only a single disc load up front. ALL Audi radios have a separate amp that is mounted behind the boot trim on the RHS. If you have Bose then front and rear speakers and the sub are driven by the amp. If you don't have Bose then the front speakers connect directly to the head unit and the amp is used for the rear speakers - including the sub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishejit Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 cheers guys... think the way ill go is gettin a new head unit for I really like the output from the vibe set up but linking it in sounds like its gonna be an effort.just going out today to get some radio keys so I can have a better look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolDave Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 A non-Audi head unit almost certainly wouldn't display the radio info on the display between your tacho and speedo - that's displayed via CAN bus so it ain't a simple job. Best bet is to keep the Audi head unit and fit a new amp and speakers if you don't like the sound quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishejit Posted March 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 yeah I live bescide a specialist car audio place so im gonna call in and see if they can link my new amp into the audio feeds for the old amp.they should be able to do that easy enough. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy White Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 ALL Audi radios have a separate amp that is mounted behind the boot trim on the RHS.If you have Bose then front and rear speakers and the sub are driven by the amp. If you don't have Bose then the front speakers connect directly to the head unit and the amp is used for the rear speakers - including the sub. Hello Everyone. This is my first post on this board. I have also bought a 05 A4, with a single disc 'concert' unit. It is a completely standard non-Bose setup as far as I can tell. Yesterday I tried to wire up a Pioneer Deh-pb65bt head unit. I could only get the front speakers to work (I believe I have mistakenly bought a Bose rear speaker harness). But my main concern was that I couldn't find an ignition live (by this I mean a 12v DC accsessory supply that is only on with the key at position 1 or 2). Does anyone know where the accsessory supply is and where I'm going wrong with the rear speakers? Many thanks, Andy I'm trying to save myself the local shop fitting fee if possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolDave Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I could only get the front speakers to work (I believe I have mistakenly bought a Bose rear speaker harness). But my main concern was that I couldn't find an ignition live (by this I mean a 12v DC accsessory supply that is only on with the key at position 1 or 2). Does anyone know where the accsessory supply is and where I'm going wrong with the rear speakers? Audi radios don't have a 12V accessory feed - they only have a permanent feed and they switch on/off based on messages on the CAN bus. The best place to get a switched feed is from the fuse box. The rear speakers are powered by an amp, so you need to connect the line level outputs from your head unit to the correct wires in the car, and connect the amp enable pin from the head unit to the amp enable line in the car. Check the label on the top of the Audi Concert radio for the pinouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy White Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Petrol Dave, Thanks for the reply, Your information is just what I needed! I was wondering how the Audi radio worked without a switched supply! Good old Can-Bus:grin: (sounds like something I will leave well alone!) I have been to my local Stereo store and have bought the correct harness now (non-Bose) and im going to fit it this afternoon. Many thanks once again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishejit Posted March 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 just to add to the original question... all sorted(thanks to local audio shop). new amp an subwoofer fitted in the boot. kept the standard radio and display new was linked into the original sub feed using a high low converter. charged £80 for all the work and wires etc needed. sounds the part now and still retains the standard head unit....bonus+++ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Z Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 I have the same problem as Andy White, but I had a Symphony II. I ran a switched feed from the instrument cluster fuse in the fuse box. I got that to work but I am still having trouble with the rear speakers. They are very quiet and the sub isn't as loud as it should be. I saw PetrolDave said how to fix this but could you elaborate a little because I am new to this stuff and a little lost. Also, could the installation of my new Sony HU cause the flap for the air vents to be linked to the windshield washer fluid? For example, the air coming out of the vents is very low but then when I hit the windshield washer fluid handle, the air comes on full blast for about 7-8 seconds, then goes back to being weak. Please help I am so lost! Thanks in advance. -Derek Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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