[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by sumanbhokray

... now every thing is sounding great. but the only part am missing is steering wheel controls and some canbus options.

Steering controls should not be difficult to interface with - just look for an adapter box.

You will not benefit much from CAN bus, other than speed dependent volume. Please don't assume you will be able to run engine diagnostics with the HU.

[Gannu_1]

Swapped the stock RCD320 HU with the Blaupunkt Philadelphia 835 unit.





The stock system (RCD320) was not a bad performer per se but there were a few hiccups I had faced over the last 3 months of usage. Listed below are some of my observations on this aspect:

1. The sound quality was just about okay. The bass felt overpowered and the mids were washed.

2. The sensitivity of the mic was poor. As a result, the call clarity at the receiver’s end turned out to be pretty bad. One of the reasons being the positioning of the mic. The mic is located on the top-left corner of the HU since this is a unit originally designed for the European or LHD cars. Unfortunately, the same unit made its way into the RHD variants as well and as a result the mic is on the co-driver side.

3. The HU could not sync the contacts from the phone. Thus, the unit could only dial the last dialed number on the paired phone. To make a call, we have to ultimately use the phone to search for contacts and dial. Receiving calls worked well regardless.

4. The HU lacked the required CAN support for displaying visual feedback while reversing the car. Ironically, the older RCD310 HU had this support! (Link)

5. The system lacked a wireless remote. Take it as nitpicking if you'd want to but a no-frills basic stereo system such as the one onboard the Toyota Etios has one! That said, there in an Android/iOS application which can be used to control some of the features of the HU after pairing the device with Bluetooth. But nothing beats a standalone remote for the passengers seated on the rear.

6. The HU wouldn't display time! The only indication of time was on the MID visible to the driver.

Purchase & Installation:

And then the search for a better HU began. The RCD510 (starting from 26k, there are several variants of it) was a good system but lacked navigational features. Bluetooth integration with the system for sync’ing contacts required an additional expensive BT kit, a separate BT mic and then some. Ultimately, for a fully functional system the pricing was well over 50k INR. And installation was a concern since we do not have a competent garage like Vagtune/Pete’s here to do these kind of installations. So I thought, heck If I am upgrading, I might as well get a fully functional system which had all the features built in and the Philadelphia 835 from Blaupunkt was the perfect solution. To top it all, member Rajeevraj recently installed it on his Vento TSI and he had only good things to say about it. That almost sealed the deal! We were in touch over PMs and he was extremely helpful in answering the queries - however stupid they may have been.

I had posted on Blaupunkt India’s Facebook page and they sent me a mail with all the details, the very next day morning. Impressive customer support right from the start! I had a few technical queries as well and all of them were promptly answered by Mr. Murugesh Palani Durai, Product Manager - Operations & Logistics who had later directed me to Mr. Anurag Jain, the Territory Sales Manager for Gujarat & MP. I noticed that Snapdeal was running a massive discount for the system at Rs. 42679 inclusive of shipping after discounts. But I thought maps weren’t a part of this deal and I may have to pay for it separately but I was wrong! When I received the shipment 2 days later, a MapmyIndia Aura pack was included in the bundle! I was completely taken aback! That wasn’t the best part. That comes next.

The next day morning, I called up Mr. Anurag to find out a skilled installer in Surat. He directed me to Chetan Motors and suggested that they are the installers for Blaupunkt systems in the city. We went to the shop, spoke to the person in charge (the boss Mr. Chetan hadn’t arrived then), dropped the car at their underground garage and his team began working on it. They figured out that the steering controls weren’t working as they should. The reverse assist display wasn’t appearing on the HU screen either. Something was wrong and they were fiddling with the wiring. Then, they called up Blaupunkt’s technical support and they resolved the issue mutually. I was at work when Mr. Murugesh sent me a mail saying the issues have been resolved. I was delighted! We went to the garage after work, met Mr. Chetan (the garage owner) and it was time for settling the expenses. He wasn't willing to accept a penny from me! I was shocked, for his team had spent at least 2-3 hours installing the equipment in the car and resolving the steering control issues. He said that he'd received the call from Blaupunkt India office (presumably they did not want him to charge the customer?) but I wasn't willing to leave the garage unless I paid him so I gave him a 500 Rs. note. He returned back 300 Rs. Then we went down to the garage to pick up the car and I saw the technician working on another car. Slipped a Rs. 100 note into his shirt pocket, smiled and we fled the scene.

Overview:

As many of you may be aware, the unit was specifically manufactured by Blaupunkt for Skoda, Volkswagen and SEAT cars evident from the front fascia of the HU and has been indicated in their press release:



The box:

Btw Blaupunkt means blue dot or point in German.

To get an idea about the size of the box, this snap should help:


The eco-friendly and biodegradable egg carton-type enclosure and not the usual Styrofoam/polystyrene material - Good job Blaupunkt!:


The HU snug-fit inside the casing:


The contents inside the white box:

L to R (from top-left, clockwise): Connectors & cables, user manual, GPS antenna, external wired mic & antenna connector (inside the blue pouch), cleaning cloth and stylus , MapmyIndia Aura bundle, IR remote and misc. attachments.

The HU up close:




The SD card, USB and TRS aux. input slots:


The microSD card slot for maps goes here:


Rear of the unit with the Alu. heatsink-back and the tiny exhaust fan:

The blue connector (bottom-left) is where the GPS antenna attaches itself. Notice the bundle of cables to the right.

The unit is Made in China:


The multi-lingual manual:


Installation was pretty much straight forward and no wires had to be cut or trimmed so I am assuming VW wouldn’t create any issues during a warranty claim but only time will tell. *touchwood*

The external wired mic for Bluetooth was located near the IRVM:

The cable was concealed within the headliner and routed through the co-driver side A-pillar plastic trim.

The GPS antenna was stuck to the corner of the dashboard using double-sided tape:


The 7” display with the 800 x 480 resolution is pretty good and crisp for a HU display among many Pioneer and Kenwood units I have seen so far. Touch sensitivity is good. We have been pampered by the displays on our smartphones, Retina display Macbooks, iPads and whatnot, this one seems to be from the Stone Age! But jokes aside, this is one of the best resistive touchscreens on any HU I’ve come across. During playback of music, album art is displayed on the screen provided it is properly embedded within the song.







One word regarding the sound quality of the system - incredible! I think this is the second HU upgrade in the cars that our family has owned so far (the first being a Sony back in 1999 on our Zen LX). The difference from the stock system in instantly noticeable in this one.

Startup screen:


The backlighting color on the buttons can be adjusted from a matrix of 256 colors, which Blaupunkt refers to as the VarioColor mode. I chose to go with red since it blends well with the backlighting of the Polo’s other systems. I've posted a few snaps of it in the next post.

We also tested the DVD playback using a regional movie DVD and it played just fine. IMO Blaupunkt should have come up with a cheaper CD-only version of the same HU as well retaining the same DAC. I mean, not all of us are going to watch movies on the go but listening to music? Definitely!

While reversing the car, the display shows a park assist screen from the installed sensors on the rear bumper including the proximity from the object:


The volume of the music is automatically lowered by the system and beeps are heard when the reverse mode is engaged. Disengage the reverse gear and the original volume is restored. Definitely helps when the car has to be parked in tight spots like our apartment's allotted slot:


If there are sensors on the front bumper (for instance, the Passat), it shows the proximity of the object from the front bumper as well:

(Source: Google Images)

If a camera is installed at the rear bumper, pressing the tiny camera icon on the display switches to the camera view.

Unfortunately, the Polo (and Vento) lacks the required CAN bus support for the ACC system so the display does not switch while changing the AC settings. However, for the Jetta, Passat, Laura and Superb, it will. Like this:

(Source: Google Images)

The built-in navigation feature is a Godsend! We have lost count of the number of times we have relied on our smartphone’s GPS during our recent trips to Ahmedabad and Bombay. And 9 out of 10 times, it worked well. Using the navigation feature from the HU is a breeze. Pop in the bundled microSD card from MapmyIndia into the slot, press the navigation button, choose the language, enter the default settings, accept the license agreements and the map would load indicating the current location of our car.







The only gripe right now:

Must think of an alternate routing for the USB cable. This one sticks out like a sore thumb although it doesn't interfere with the driving in any way. I had originally thought of routing it through the glovebox but that requires drilling a hole - not really worth it and it may spoil the looks.

[Gannu_1]

Crossed 30 attachments on the previous post so here goes the Variocolor modes for the backlighting and the different options menu of the system:

The 3-band equaliser (why not a 10-band one?) and the low-pass, medium-pass and high-pass filters menu:


The balance and fader menu:


The options under the General tab:


Blue backlighting:


Green backlighting (suited for Skoda cars):


White backlighting:


Orange backlighting:


Sky-blue backlighting:


Purple backlighting:


The VarioColor scheme mode - choose the color with the RGB settings or just touch the color palette on the left to choose one:


Bluetooth menu:


DVD menu:


Language menu:


Sound menu:


Time menu:


Video menu:


Volume menu:


With a highline cluster, the information can also be displayed on the MFD. Here's a video of the 835 installed on a VW Transporter (their flagship van) that indicates this functionality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XanKU2R5Qxo

Things I liked:

- The fit and finish of the unit lends it an OEM stock look. Blends well with the present setup.
- Built-in CAN support for reverse assist - a huge boon for folks like me who park in tight spots (like this).
- Built-in navigation and the bundled MapmyIndia map is very convenient for day-to-day usage. Extremely noob-friendly.
- Day and night difference in the sound quality using stock speakers! I wonder about the improvements with a set of better speakers!
- Built in BT and flawless integration with the smartphone including the contacts sync. Sensitivity of the integrated mic is very good. The bundled external mic is just icing on the cake!
- Additional USB port behind the unit is a blessing especially when we want the front fascia of the HU to remain clean without anything jutting out.
- Insurance for the system from New India Assurance for a period of 1 year (Link)

Things I disliked:

- The interface isn’t elegant and professionally designed compared to the stock systems offered by VW - RCD510, RNS510. It looks as if it was sketched by a 2nd grade kid! Don’t get me wrong! The UI is intuitive but the design lacks the finesse of a Blaupunkt system.
- There is a noticeable lag in the UI of the system. Feels and operates like those entry level Android devices with some sluggishness. But this grows on us eventually so it is okay.
- During music playback, the system does not shuffle songs from multiple folders - a feature the stock RCD320 had. To understand it better, suppose the USB drive/SD card has 10 folders containing different set of songs. If the system begins by playing a song from one of the folders, by pressing the shuffle button on the device twice, it shuffles the songs between the folders and not just the one folder. But my roomie tells me, even his iPod doesn’t have this feature!
- The system takes a while during startup and displays a startup screen that lasts for a few seconds. It can get annoying at times!

Well, that would be all guys. This has been a fantastic investment. I am yet to discover the potential of this HU. SQ-wise, this has been a worthy upgrade. As for maps and navigation, I guess I'd get to know more of it eventually.


That would be all guys. Hopefully, these snaps may be of some help to someone who's planning to make a switch. If you have any queries do let me know! I'd be glad to help. Cheers!

[Gannu_1]

Headsup:

Looks like a firmware update has come up for the Philadelphia 835 which resolves some bugs and issues. The change log inside that 45 MB RAR file is enclosed in this post.

Link - Blaupunkt: Updates

And there seems to be a workaround to change the startup screen from the default Blaupunkt one. In my search of random stuff, I ended up on some German forum but they have blocked attachments and links to non-registered users so I registered there for the heck of it.

The idea is, the image should be a 16-bit bmp file of 800 x 400 size. The image needs to be named as logo.bmp and has to be copied into a microSD card. And then inserted into the navigation/maps card slot. Some 'Update' option turns up on the radio tab, press it and it will be updated.

http://www.china-rns.com/blaupunkt/4...blaupunkt.html

Translate it to German to English.

Unfortunately, I am at my hometown so I couldn't update the firmware nor test out the boot logo change. Shall update it here once I do.

[DRC]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Blaupunkt India’s customer support is impeccable! As much as I thought this was a simple swap job as advertised, it wasn’t. There were a few niggles such as the steering-mounted controls not being recognized by the HU and the display not switching to the reverse assist mode while reversing but the garage technicians were in constant touch with Blaupunkt India’s technical support team and they sorted it out later.

Gannu, could you please elaborate what the issues were and how was it resolved? was it necessary to add any new module to solve the issue?

Contemplating on a same unit set up! plan is to install myself. any info appreciated.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by DRC

Gannu, could you please elaborate what the issues were and how was it resolved? was it necessary to add any new module to solve the issue?

Contemplating on a same unit set up! plan is to install myself. any info appreciated.

When they had installed the HU and connected the wires, the steering controls weren’t working nor was the reverse assist display. The usual beeps were being heard when engaging the reverse gear but this had nothing to do with the stereo system since there is an independent buzzer located somewhere in the car that beeps.

The installing technicians convinced me that the reverse assist display would only be activated on cars such as the Laura/Jetta and above! But if Rajeev’s Vento TSI had the reverse assist display working, then why would it not on the recent variants of the Polo?! I tried asking them to consult with the Blaupunkt technicians located at Bombay and double check if this was true. Turns out that there was some issue with the wiring scheme but they got it right eventually without cutting or trimming any wires. So no worries there.

If you are looking forward to install this HU in a VAG car, go ahead. The Laura requires an additional face plate IINM but that’s about it. The installation is plug-n-play OOTB and the bundle comes with all the requires wires and connectors.

[nitinbose]

60K is way too much for this HU. I also came to know from some unconfirmed sources that this is a Chinese made unit and therefore has quality drops. For the price of 60K, you could buy the VW/Skoda Amundsen HU - made in (Europe).

I would not recommend an aftermarket amplifier/sub as it would require non-standard wiring, which may adversely affect the vehicle functions. You could always opt for the OEM amps or Dyaudio, though way to expensive!

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by nitinbose

60K is way too much for this HU.

Woah 60k?!

Where did you get that pricing from? Local dealers charge around 45k and I bought mine for a little less than 43k including the bundled map from Snapdeal. Refer post #40 from the previous page.

Originally Posted by nitinbose

I also came to know from some unconfirmed sources that this is a Chinese made unit and therefore has quality drops.

Indeed the unit is made in China. But please do not typecast that Chinese products are inferior to the European or Western makes! Unless you have credible sources to prove the change in SQ, I wouldn't be willing to buy that argument.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Headsup:

Looks like a firmware update has come up for the Philadelphia 835 which resolves some bugs and issues. The change log inside that 45 MB RAR file is enclosed in this post.
.

Thanks for the heads up.

I've been facing some issues and would like to have your views.

1. The parking display does not show up if the system is off. Only beeps are heard. I then have turn the system on, wait for it boot up (which takes an eternity) to see the display. The OE HU would show up the parking display immediately on engaging reverse without needing it to be turned on separately.
2. The audio volume goes up on engaging reverse instead of coming down.
3. Lastly how is the audio quality of radio? I find the radio reception to be poorer than stock. It seems kind of 'noisy'.... for lack of a better word.
4. I've had the system getting stuck in some screens in the navigation menu a couple of times. The usual turn off - turn on ritual had to be followed.

[Gannu_1]

Changed the boot logo of my system.



Worked without a fuss but it requires a 24-bit .bmp file and not a 16-bit one as I had mentioned before. When I had used the 16-bit .bmp file in the microSD card, the image was all yellowish and distorted. But with a 24-bit image, it was a proper crisp output.

Upon inserting the microSD card into the map card slot, press navigation from the menu. Then follow these steps:







After the last step, the system powers off by itself. Power it on and the new boot logo is displayed.

This is the new startup on the RNS510 HU. Google searched for the image and edited it a bit in MS Paint so that the bar doesn't overlap with the 'Welcome to Volkswagen' part.

Link to the logo in case anyone's interested - Imgur

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Thanks for the heads up.

I've been facing some issues and would like to have your views.

1. The parking display does not show up if the system is off. Only beeps are heard. I then have turn the system on, wait for it boot up (which takes an eternity) to see the display. The OE HU would show up the parking display immediately on engaging reverse without needing it to be turned on separately.
2. The audio volume goes up on engaging reverse instead of coming down.
3. Lastly how is the audio quality of radio? I find the radio reception to be poorer than stock. It seems kind of 'noisy'.... for lack of a better word.
4. I've had the system getting stuck in some screens in the navigation menu a couple of times. The usual turn off - turn on ritual had to be followed.

Bhat Sir, the responses follow:

1. That is true. The system needs to be turned ON for the reverse assist display. The proximity-related beeps are heard from a separate buzzer in the car which is not linked with the stereo system.

2. Something's not right here. The volume should go low when the reverse mode is engaged. Did this happen all of a sudden or is this a recent development?

3. Honestly, I haven't listened to the radio yet! Noisy in the sense reception issues? Let me get back to you on this.

4. I haven't faced much issues with the navigation part. It has worked whenever I had to use it without getting stuck.

Could you do a firmware upgrade to check if the overall response has improved? I think I'll do it over the weekend.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Thanks for the heads up.

I've been facing some issues and would like to have your views.

1. The parking display does not show up if the system is off. Only beeps are heard. I then have turn the system on, wait for it boot up (which takes an eternity) to see the display. The OE HU would show up the parking display immediately on engaging reverse without needing it to be turned on separately.
2. The audio volume goes up on engaging reverse instead of coming down.
3. Lastly how is the audio quality of radio? I find the radio reception to be poorer than stock. It seems kind of 'noisy'.... for lack of a better word.
4. I've had the system getting stuck in some screens in the navigation menu a couple of times. The usual turn off - turn on ritual had to be followed.

I did face the audio going up issue when reverse is engaged. I was able to fix it. I dont remember how exactly I did it. I know it was some adjustment in the "Sound' Or 'Volume' settings under the settings menu. Will try to retrace what I did exactly and then update.

System stuck issue has happened 2-3 times, in the navigation mode as well as FM/USB mode. I get a Windows CE6 alert box. Only option is to restart.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Changed the boot logo of my system.

Could you do a firmware upgrade to check if the overall response has improved? I think I'll do it over the weekend.

Logo looks great . Still need to do the firmware upgrade.

One other issue/question I have. in the Bluetooth menu, once the phone is connected, in addition to the phone option which shows the call details, you would have seen the option to play music stored on the phone. This is pretty good feature. But I noticed that there is no option to 'browse' the content. It basically begins playing sequentially. So I can go up and down using the steering controls, but no option to select a folder and play only that.

Maybe asking for too much

[nitinbose]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Indeed the unit is made in China. But please do not typecast that Chinese products are inferior to the European or Western makes! Unless you have credible sources to prove the change in SQ, I wouldn't be willing to buy that argument.

I can understand your feelings, however the fact remains the same. Any product which is made in china is often inferior in terms of materials used, workmanship etc. This is something we observe on a daily basis. When the cost of manufacturing is lowered, it often results in a drop in quality. Even the semiconductors have their lack in specifications.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by nitinbose

I can understand your feelings, however the fact remains the same. Any product which is made in china is often inferior in terms of materials used, workmanship etc. This is something we observe on a daily basis. When the cost of manufacturing is lowered, it often results in a drop in quality. Even the semiconductors have their lack in specifications.

On the contrary. I'm in the semiconductor business and all of our manufacturing is done in China and Taiwan because we get better quality than Europe or Korea.

Apple manufactures the iPhone and iPad in China. They are anyday better in quality than a HTC or Samsung.

Volvo has recently announced that they are planning to sell made in China cars to the US.

There is a difference between made in china by a chinese manufacturer and made in China as per spec given by Blaupunkt.

Mind you this particular HU is VW approved internationally.

[nitinbose]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Apple manufactures the iPhone and iPad in China. They are anyday better in quality than a HTC or Samsung.

Volvo has recently announced that they are planning to sell made in China cars to the US.

Mind you this particular HU is VW approved internationally.

I'm aware Apple and other manufacturers do make their products in China. This has resulted in a reduction of the overall quality, performance and workmanship. The very reason why we have lots of iPhones and iPads with quality issues. Indeed yes, If you compare Apple with Samsung/HTC or a local Chinese product, Apple Chinese would be superior.

Remember the time when we used to have Nokia Finland and Nokia China. The Finland version was much more in demand and was superior in quality. The same is true for Cameras & Lenses, Denon AVRs etc. The non-Chinese versions do have their edge over the Chinese ones.

Regarding Volvo cars, it was always made in China by a Chinese manufacturer, in-fact it had nothing to do with the Volvo company other than the brand name which the Chinese company is using.

I am not trying to push down or undermine someone or the product but just trying to share some commonly observed facts. This is true for at least the Chinese versions sold in India. I am pretty sure the Philadelphia to be way off better than Megaudio or Witson. I hope I did not offend anyone.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by nitinbose

... I am not trying to push down or undermine someone or the product but just trying to share some commonly observed facts. ...

That's precisely what you are unwittingly landing up doing without knowing the issues or relating to facts. "Commonly observed facts" are facts only for people who don't know manufacturing or product quality. For others, they are just 'observations' - uninformed, unverified opinions put forth as observations because it doesn't cost anything to opine.

There are good products assembled / manufactured in China, and there are bad products from there. The ratio is no different from the ratio seen in India, Malaysia or even Japan. The product quality is *completely* dependent on the quality conscious of the company that is getting the products made. Apple's product failure rates are a couple of orders of magnitude less than that of other manufacturers like Lenovo or Samsung or LG, and that has *absolutely nothing* to do with where they were assembled / manufactured.

The only dependency is on input material / component testing. A quality conscious company does it well like Apple does, and a company lacking that knowledge / consciousness does too less (or doesn't at all) like Chinese companies Witson / Motevo etc. Does that mean all Chinese companies come up with bad products? No, there are many that have products that perform well and don't fail.

One gets plenty of bad products in US like from MegaAudio, Boss, Pyle, etc. - that is because these companies don't *at all* relate to quality. They just sell *cheap* white-branded products made by a Chinese company, putting their own brand on it. Their only lookout is the profit they make in the transaction - not product technology or quality. If the products work - they work OK. If they don't, well, they already have your money and you can't do much about it - they didn't make any quality or A.S.S. promises!

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

... I can go up and down using the steering controls, but no option to select a folder and play only that. ... Maybe asking for too much

Bluetooth A2DP profile (the one that is used to play music) doesn't allow for high-level control stuff like directory operations. You are expecting too much.