[santhosharulvan]

Just wondering if any one can help me out with the DAC used in the RCD510. Currently I have the RCD320 in VW Vento 2014; wired to the Audison Bit 10. Will a swap for the RCD510 yield much better results in terms of DAC/SQ than what is used in RCD320? Also I see that the Delphi unit costs around 15K along with the HU and Bluetooth adapter. I would get the RCD510 if it is worth shelling out 15K; or a Pioneer Double Din and then use the RCA out to the DSP RCA IN. The only reason I am considering the RCD510 is for stock OEM looks.

[santhosharulvan]

Also i noticed that the RCD510 can be configured in VCDS to output RCA instead of High Level Outputs. Has any one tried it ? If so can you please advise on SQ factor compared to using High Level inputs and using the RCA output directly to the amplifier?
Below link says it can be configured to output RCA instead of High Level in VCDS.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...l-out-directly -to-amplifier-theory

Would be very helpful if some one can advise or provide more inputs in this topic.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by santhosharulvan

... SQ factor compared to using High Level inputs and using the RCA output directly to the amplifier ...

RCA Pre-out is any day better due to complete shielding end to end. That's where the high-level connection suffers - most installations are done with unshielded cables. Otherwise, there is not much to differentiate, especially when Pre-out is not available at all.

[santhosharulvan]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

RCA Pre-out is any day better due to complete shielding end to end. That's where the high-level connection suffers - most installations are done with unshielded cables. Otherwise, there is not much to differentiate, especially when Pre-out is not available at all.

I truly agree with you.
Just wonder if any one has tried this approach to use RCA by changing the code in VCDS.
@moralfibre

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by santhosharulvan

... use RCA by changing the code in VCDS. ...

Some HUs have had the facility to switch off the inbuilt amp section when taking signal from Pre-out. I have never used it on RCD510, but I anticipate that all that one is doing in this case is just that - the Pre-outs are always on since it doesn't consume any power, literally.

That is, one is not really switching the Pre-out on or off, just the amp stage if required. The advantage of doing that, in case one replaces stock speakers with aftermarket but leaves the harness wires in place, is that the harness wires will not have any voltage in them, and a chance short-circuit with it will not affect the HU / inbuilt amp.

[santhosharulvan]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Some HUs have had the facility to switch off the inbuilt amp section when taking signal from Pre-out. I have never used it on RCD510, but I anticipate that all that one is doing in this case is just that - the Pre-outs are always on since it doesn't consume any power, literally.

That is, one is not really switching the Pre-out on or off, just the amp stage if required. The advantage of doing that, in case one replaces stock speakers with aftermarket but leaves the harness wires in place, is that the harness wires will not have any voltage in them, and a chance short-circuit with it will not affect the HU / inbuilt amp.

I think you are referring to the modes used in high end head units where we choose to enable or disable the amplifier circuitry of the head unit; when we use rca.

In case of rcd510 it is quite different.
If you see the connectors on the rcd510 there is no pre out or wires for pre out on the head unit. You just have high level speaker wires at the back of the HU.
This tweak which vcds does is actually the reverse of what you are telling. It sends rca signals through the same wire which is used for high level speaker inputs. In this case the system can be used with either rca as output or high level speaker wires as output. Both of them cannot be used together. What makes me wonder is how well will it performs and does this tweak actually work? If it works then those using high level speaker inputs to amps can actually use this tweak in vcds and change the head unit to output rca signals in speaker wires. All they need is an rca with spliced wires at one end to connect to the hu speaker level inputs to obtain a clean signal. Probably this method is more efficient and provides a cleaner signal when connected to external amplifiers.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by santhosharulvan

... In case of rcd510 it is quite different.
If you see the connectors on the rcd510 there is no pre out or wires for pre out on the head unit. You just have high level speaker wires at the back of the HU.
This tweak which vcds does is actually the reverse of what you are telling. It sends rca signals through the same wire which is used for high level speaker inputs. ...

LOL How is that different?
1. No tweak is not done by VCDS - VCDS is just a communication tool in that context. What one does is to set a flag in the HU (VCDS carries the command "Flag so&so Set ON")
2. Don't get lost in terminology and misdirect yourself: RCA is the hardware sockets (on HU) and plugs (on shielded twisted pair / coaxial cable) used as a convenient shielded connection system to convey a (any) signal. So where does this hardware make an appearance when you set the flag in the HU?
3. By setting the flag, you are still causing power to be disconnected from the amp stage. The Pre-out signal will be simultaneously switched (through a low-power semiconductor buffer/switch) on to the connections meant for speaker output. How do you connect the speaker wires to the RCA-plug-terminated cables to the amp?

The Pre-out system will perform just as well as it does on other HUs, as conceptually and hardware-wise it is no different: single-stage Class A amplified low-power signal.

[Gannu_1]

Kiran, what is the status of the RCD 510 installation? Are you guys done with it?

Asking because I am switching to the RCD 510 and I am in the process of R&D regarding the harness etc.

Decided to go with the cheaper Delphi unit instead of the more expensive Bosch unit. The UI of my Blaupunkt unit is really substandard for a 40k+ unit + I wasn't using the built in navigation feature for sometime + the unit repeats the songs which were already played when the ignition is turned off and on (i.e. stopping the car and restarting it). Decided to sell it off and settle for the RCD510 unit.

[moralfibre]

Installed long back. Get the Delphi unit instead of the Bosch. With Bosch, even adding a USB input warrants an MDI kit which costs upwards of 4k.

[Gannu_1]

Yep ordered a Delphi unit. Felt that the Bosch wasn't worth the additional 10-14k.

What BT module did you guys use? 9W2?

And you had to connect the 2 CAN +, CAN - cables to the BCM's white connector, correct?

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Yep ordered a Delphi unit. Felt that the Bosch wasn't worth the additional 10-14k.

What BT module did you guys use? 9W2?

And you had to connect the 2 CAN +, CAN - cables to the BCM's white connector, correct?

Yes 9W2 because of the Red MID.

We had to make CAN connections but you won't. Your car already has CAN connections on the HU harness. The first gen Vento did not.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

We had to make CAN connections but you won't. Your car already has CAN connections on the HU harness. The first gen Vento did not.

Even I presumed so but the harness which we use to convert the ISO connectors to Quadlock connectors has 2 CANbus wires:




And this is the stock ISO connector (the brown one is purely for speakers):



So what do we do now?

[Gannu_1]

This is the pin layout from the stock RCD 320 system that shows CAN GND and CAN +:



So perhaps those bare cables should be connected to the male ISO connector on the harness adapter?

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

This is the pin layout from the stock RCD 320 system that shows CAN GND and CAN +:

Attachment 1383574

So perhaps those bare cables should be connected to the male ISO connector on the harness adapter?

Those cables are provided for use only in cases where CAN connections are not present in the Quadlock connector. As long as your OEM harness has CAN connections, you don't need to use the extra ones provided in the harness.


Your car must be pre-fitted with Quadlock connectors if I am not mistaken.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Your car must be pre-fitted with Quadlock connectors if I am not mistaken.

Nope just the ISO connectors as shown in the second image on post #72. The image which you've shared from Newtonmeter's thread (this one) shows the Quadlock connector installed which he might have sourced from outside.

Anyways, let the Quadlock adapter arrive and let me have a look. Will get an idea. I have the pin layouts of the RCD 510 with me.

Shall update this thread with the findings.