rozzerfodder Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Hi guys, just joined site and have my GTi on order. I have read on another forum that the VW sound system is pants and the RCD500 not worth the extra as the door speakers cannot handle bass very well. Do not want to enter into discussions to the contrary as the car is now ordered with standard stereo and I intend to fit aftermarket kit. I currently drive an 03 polo tdi with Alpine head unit, infinity components in the front doors and infinity 6x9's on the rear stealth shelf. Has anybody here fitted aftermarket kit into their Mk5 and can you offer any recommendations etc. Looking forward to contributing tto what looks like a good bunch of guys with a common interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mu71rd Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Hi rozzerfodder (saw your name on a different post somewhere but can't remember it) As far as I'm aware the RCD500 on its own doesn't make any difference to the sound (just adds a front changer), you would have needed the sound pack to get better sound quality. So in that sense you did right not to upgrade. RedRobin (a name you may have stumbled across already!) has done an aftermarket upgrade of the HU, not the speakers. He can and will, I'm sure, give you the lowdown on that... welcome by the way. you're right - a good bunch of guys on here. You'll get plenty of useful info on here, and lots of support whilst you wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB6Vantage Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Yeah they call it support, but its mostly making you more impatient! Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Warm Welcome rozzer (hope you don't end up as fodder!).... Standard sound is pants if you are someone who is into their music (aka an audiophile) but it's fine for bog standard radio and improves for music if you pump up the volume. But, as I'm sure you already know, that's a giveaway sign of a pants sound system if you need volume to deliver the full sound. For what it's worth, I ordered my GTI with the standard (not RCD500) because I was always going to install an aftermarket head unit. [sorry the rest of you guys here who already have read my posts about all my installed gear etc etc etc]. Fitting a decent (50Wx4 Pioneer/Kenwood/Alpine) head with EQ controls and presets immediately transforms the standard sound and I haven't felt I need to additionally upgrade the speakers as the next stage. But that can only be decided by you according to what floats your boat soundwise. I have always personally liked Pioneer but then I learnt through someone else (Andy?) posting here in TSN that I could get a Pioneer cool touch-screen SatNav DVD and Audio head combined for virtually the same cost (£50 less in fact) as the SatNav factory option and it would deliver better quality sound and be expandable. There's info in the thread here called "Robin's Pioneer gizmo" (or similar title). Personally [here I go again!] I love the sound of my Milltek exhausts and so don't play music in the car as often as at home. There are other guys here who are expert on fitting iPods, PhatNoise storage, etc and they'll doubtless chip in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Cheers mu....Thanks for the fanfare intro...."Now then all you people! Let's all give it up for...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mu71rd Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 had to type quickly - knew you'd be right in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 As you know as a muso....Good timing/rythm is what it's all about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 If you want ICE advice ask the experts at www.talkaudio.co.uk I have kept v.quiet on here about my involvment with ICE but Im going to be fitting around £4K retail of Sound quality ice to mine all stealth mode with very little boot space took over by the ice, non of this show car painted bathtubs rubbish in my car. First off you need a DIN adaptor VW sell one for £14-£15 and its a very good match to the dash unlike some aftermarket. You can get CANBUS lead adaptors from people like connect2 but they don't come with a switched live or a light dimmer output or other things like speedpulse if your going for satnav. All these wires are available from the fuse box if you know were to look or if you buy a CANBUS interface for about £80 retail it comes with all the outputs. You also need an ariel adaptor also available from connect2 or autoleads. With these adaptors you can connect an aftermarket unit to the standard VW speakers. If you want to go further than its just the same principal as you have done before with other cars by the sound of it. Geoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Or, if you aren't up to fitting it all yourself (like me who knows diddlysquat about electrics) you can go to a good car audio installation guy. I got installation for free and just paid him for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Robin what do you do to get all your good deals like that. You must be good at sweet talking people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Not a pic of my car but what the VW adaptor looks like Part no. is 1T0 051 058A available from any VW dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Robin what do you do to get all your good deals like that. You must be good at sweet talking people [/ QUOTE ] Not really when you know what the markup of car audio gear is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rozzerfodder Posted November 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Crikey guys, posted up, went to lunch, came back, loadsa replies. Cheers. As I have decent kit in my current car, I will transfer over the HU and 6x9's, cannot be bothered to strip the doors and pillars for the sake of the components as I was gonna upgrade anyway. Can anyone comment on door fitted speakers on this car and if deadening material is required. Snoopy, cheers re the face plate adaptor. Sound system upgrade, Millteks, hmmmm now theres a thought, damn you Red, this is gonna get expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Robin what do you do to get all your good deals like that. You must be good at sweet talking people [/ QUOTE ] Not really when you know what the markup of car audio gear is [/ QUOTE ] ....As Snoopy says, some suppliers have room in their profit margin to offer a free installation or similar. Add to this that I'm a good customer (3 car installations in 3 years on the audio gear for example), easy-going without hassling them, enthusiastic about them (when they deserve it) and bring them more business through my genuine recommendations (I also slag those I disapprove of)....We all help each other....Everyone wins I also tend to use smaller businesses and they are more in need and keener and often give a better personal service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Also worth of note to anyone wanting to go a little further than a headunit change but are not confident with there own skills with fibreglass Autoacoustics do a subbox for the GTI http://www.autoacoustics.co.uk/sbn-vg05.htm Also worth thinking about is many installers will also build you a custom one for about the same price if you need one of a different size.. Geoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankit Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Was there a speaker downgrade for my2006 cars? Something about my2005 cars having 10 higher speck speakers. My2006 cars having a downgrade to 6 lower speck speakers?!!! Any comments, info... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 My 06 spec car has 6 speakers but I don't know if were specced down - I doubt it. I didn't have Soundpack or OEM SatNav but have fitted Pioneer combined, as already posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankit Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 thought the speaker downgrade came with the 05-06 speck change... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 You may be right....I'm hoping that you are wrong and that they didn't downgrade the speakers as well as reduce their number. Either way, my 50Wx4 headunit makes the 06 spec speakers (whatever they are) sound fine....Not necessarily the dog's bollox but far better than OEM and good enough when driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankit Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Red thought you had a my2005 car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Nope....One of the first 2006 spec cars - Born 11th July 2005. And my ex-wife's birthday is? - I can't remember! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 I seem to answer this question regular about the spec change so heres the official document rather then me type it out again for the xxxx number of times lol. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutkins Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 There was a photocopy of a VW memo that went around a while ago (can't remember which forum). Basically it said they removed 2 midrange speakers on the 06 spec cars, meaning 8 speakers rather than 10. This only applied to RCD300 though. RCD500 (and proabably Nav) stayed with 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Ta nutkins....I didn't realise mine had 8 speakers - I'll have to investigate. All I know is that music sounds much much better with the Pioneer head unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Hi Geoff....Page 3 answers the posted quezzie on buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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