[FireFoot]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

No, Aux-In feature goes back 30 years or more - it is just another analog input to the mixer in the HU. One can connect to the EP socket of a music device (mobile, iPod, PMP, whatever) using a cable that has a 3.5mm jack at both ends. Song selection and playback is controlled at the music device in this case.

Thank you so much for the quick response and apologies as it turns out that my query wasn't clear. What I mean to ask is "Has the HU in 2013 Vento Hl been changed to RCD 320 which support Aux-in as well?" I have gone through a lot of threads and I'm still reading through them but I haven't yet found a definitive answer.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by FireFoot

... What I mean to ask is "Has the HU in 2013 Vento Hl been changed to RCD 320 which support Aux-in as well?" ...

Oopsie! Sorry.

Aux-in usually exists as a facility in almost all HUs. The socket may not have been brought out. If it is not, it is not difficult to do it before taking delivery. Just ask the guys there to take out the HU and check the sticker on top of the HU for the pins in the rear connector(s) to which Aux-in adapter cable is to be connected.

[Prabhu]

Is AVN-R Volkswagen Polo In-Dash solution from map my india any good ?. This is a 2-Din HU devicewhich includes navigation too. I think map my india might have focused more on maps than audio/video capability. Is it compatible with Vento ?

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by prabhu

Is AVN-R Volkswagen Polo In-Dash solution from map my india ... Is it compatible with Vento ?

You are right - MMI not being an audio-video equipment company, will be poor in the audio-video department.

Mechanical compatibility is not an issue - the mounting location in Vento is standard 2 DIN like any other car. Nor is electrical compatibility - the connections are pretty much standard.

What is the cost of the AVN-R unit from MMI? If it is as costly as an equivalent unit from Kenwood or Pioneer, I would rather go for those and get good music.

[Prabhu]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

You are right - MMI not being an audio-video equipment company, will be poor in the audio-video department.

Mechanical compatibility is not an issue - the mounting location in Vento is standard 2 DIN like any other car. Nor is electrical compatibility - the connections are pretty much standard.

What is the cost of the AVN-R unit from MMI? If it is as costly as an equivalent unit from Kenwood or Pioneer, I would rather go for those and get good music.

Map my India is quoting around Rs 39,000 for AVN-R unit, might be close to the price of some cool models in Kenwood/Pioneer/JVC. As you said, I think it is better to go with prominent brands in car audio/video than this combo offering from map my India.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by prabhu

Map my India is quoting around Rs 39,000 for AVN-R unit, ...

I am sure you will find a Kenwood India 2DIN unit with built-in Garmin at slightly less than that - and the MMI unit will be nowhere close to Kenwood in audio quality.

[svkndv]

Do anyone installed bluetooth kit on RCD 310 HU of Vento? If it is available locally how much does it cost?

[LandCruiser]

I would like to do a simple upgrade of the stock speakers alone. I think they are 100mm speakers both front and rear. Thinking about getting Hertz energy 10 mm co-ax speakers.

Is that a good choice? Will they be effective without upgrading the HU or the electricals. Any other suggestions?

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by LandCruiser

I would like to do a simple upgrade of the stock speakers alone. I think they are 100mm speakers both front and rear. ...

Are you sure? Please check / measure - they are likely to be 165mm.

Originally Posted by LandCruiser

... Thinking about getting Hertz energy 10 mm co-ax speakers. ...

Hertz is quite 'bright' - very shrill - for me. Please do listen to it before shortlisting.

Originally Posted by LandCruiser

... Is that a good choice? Will they be effective without upgrading the HU or the electricals. Any other suggestions?

Speaker upgrade doesn't require HU upgrade. One upgrades HU only if it doesn't have practical features the user wants. Definitely no electrical upgrade is required - that is required only if one wants to put in very high power amps.

It is preferable that one puts a pair of good components in front - very essential to get a good sound image in front (where one can individually identify singer and instruments on a stage, for example). The rear speakers can be coaxials.

[LandCruiser]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Hertz is quite 'bright' - very shrill - for me. Please do listen to it before shortlisting.

Thanks DerAlte. Any recommendations for speaker options for front and back?

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by LandCruiser

Thanks DerAlte. Any recommendations for speaker options for front and back?

Depends on what is available around / near you: Infinity, Morel, Bull, Auditor, Boston, Polk, RF, Rainbow ...

Again, please listen to the speakers before thinking about buying them. If the dealer doesn't want to give an audition, he is not worth it.

[vinodrkn]

Hi Gannu, this is going to be an interesting read, and a long one. Request your thoughts, as it looks I've pretty much run out of options.

I went to Torque this evening (Jeevan Bhima Nagar, Bangalore) as I got my system installed there. They have a good set of people who appreciate the nuances of a good music system, and we started eliminating possibilities. First, we put a clip on antenna pin, to connect at one end to the factory-fitted antenna and to the other end as a standard jack into the Pioneer HU. We drove around - the clarity of sound improved, but the audio kept dropping about 5 times in a 500m distance. We then removed my Pioneer HU, fitted a new one - same story. We tried changing the antenna stalk - same story. Finally, we took a Blaupunkt Philadelphia 835 HU (which is custom-built for the Vento, fantastic piece) - and it worked perfectly. The issue was fundamentally that the Blaupunkt system has an antenna input tailor-made for the factory-fitted wiring that comes, and it not the regular long antenna jack that get to see in any of the HUs. I don't know what the Industry terminology is, but I guess you're getting my drift.

The people at Torque were a bit puzzled because this is the first time they (and even the VW people) were seeing a case like this. The car wiring is now back to factory-fitted status with the new wiring done, and we are using standard antenna pin for the Vento. Nothing could really go wrong with this part. The question now really is - is there an alternative to buying a new Blaupunkt system, as my Pioneer HU is otherwise a fantastic piece. The only solution that comes to mind is to buy a good windshield antenna, and thereby bypass all of this wiring, and see if it works.

Would you have any thoughts on (i) why the current situation is, the way it is, in spite of proper wiring in the car (ii) any good windshield antenna (I've tried the ER one - but even with that there seems to be a problem).

Thanks for your time.

[vinodrkn]

Ajay, Gannu,

Sorry guys. For some reason, I missed out on your queries on 24th and 25th. The current situation is what I've described in my last post.

To Ajay - it is the stereo end which was cut, but now VW has replaced the entire wiring starting from the antenna stalk right down to the stereo end wiring.

To Gannu - antenna aerial remains VW standard (short stalk). We tried last evening with the longer one, but did not make much of a difference.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by vinodrkn

The issue was fundamentally that the Blaupunkt system has an antenna input tailor-made for the factory-fitted wiring that comes, and it not the regular long antenna jack that get to see in any of the HUs. I don't know what the Industry terminology is, but I guess you're getting my drift.

Vinod, first off I am not very well versed with the finer concepts of ICE. Moderators DerAlte and Navin may be able to help you out.

From what I gather, your Pioneer HU has a different antenna socket; one that is different from the stock VW system and the Blaupunkt Philadelphia 835 - is that correct? And the stock VW antenna cable does not fit the Pioneer system?

I think the posts should be moved to an existing/new thread since we are going OT here.

[vinodrkn]

Gannu, you are correct. This image should help. It is the FAKRA antenna clip-on adapter which is currently plugged in to my Pioneer HU. In the case of the Blaupunkt, the adapter is not required.

What is a little baffling is that Torque has installed the clip-on adapter to numerous Pioneer, Sony, etc. HUs but they haven't come across a sound-drop every 100 meters so far.

Fair point on the OT. I will reach out to the Mods.