Group Buy / EOI new generation DNS head units (RNS-510 alternative)

[pwc123]

It's clear cut for me: if I don't have any information about how and when the Android mirroring is going to be implemented prior to your intended shipping date I can not purchase the unit. End of story.

So please do try to get some guidance on this feature. Many of us have been asking this same question for weeks.

[matiasg85]

Hi Sandy, I am doing some numbers here, and i might be able to jump in again. When is the due date to send you the deposit?

Thanks!

Sandy?

[Tobes_WIR35]

I'm just going to throw an idea out. In the construction industry, at the completion of a project the client keeps a "retention" sum. Usually this is a percentage of the total contract sum. The retention is released to the contractor after they have completed all of the defects and maintenance that has been identified, and the client is satisfied.

Perhaps you could use a similar system with these units. I.e. Audiosources can sell the units for, say $100 less as-is, then once they have the bugs fixed and the android mirroring completed, the customers can pay the remaining $100 and get their update.

[Transporter]

I'm just going to throw an idea out. In the construction industry, at the completion of a project the client keeps a "retention" sum. Usually this is a percentage of the total contract sum. The retention is released to the contractor after they have completed all of the defects and maintenance that has been identified, and the client is satisfied.

Perhaps you could use a similar system with these units. I.e. Audiosources can sell the units for, say $100 less as-is, then once they have the bugs fixed and the android mirroring completed, the customers can pay the remaining $100 and get their update.

Well, it would have to be more than 10%, since if the customer wouldn't be happy with the unit, the manufacturer could lose 10% from $800 or similar amount and it would still be cheaper than fixing the issues.
Where in the construction business the 10% from the $500,000 is a bit larger amount.

[Tobes_WIR35]

Yeah, construction industry is normally 5% until practical completion and then 2.5% at the end of the 12 months defect liability period. Most of the projects that I run are in the tens/hundreds of millions, so the contractors are usually very keen to get their retentions.

[Mister Jim Lahey]

Couple of USB drive questions:

1. Is there a restriction on the size of the drive?

2. Can it power a portable hard disk like a WD Passport, or would it need to be solid state, eg pen drive?

3. I know it doesn't now, but am I right in thinking in the future will it scan the drive for MP3 tags and build a library? How would you update the library? This process is time and processor intensive with large drives. We're talking possibly hours.

Thanks

[kamold]

If anyone is going to be looking to offload an existing ANS810 once they get their shiny new DNS unit, let me know.
Preferably in Sydney to save shipping it, but will consider shipped also.

[MountainBikeMike]

If anyone is going to be looking to offload an existing ANS810 once they get their shiny new DNS unit, let me know.
Preferably in Sydney to save shipping it, but will consider shipped also.

Ditto from Melbourne :p

[kwalsh24]

right now I think I can live with the bugs. Just as long as they do get fixed in the near future. I just really want to get my car back together as I've been driving without trim pieces for months now. I also would like this for my up coming road trip lol. I do like the idea of a temporary discount on the unit and then paying for the final update. you I did pay in full months back, hmmm lol

[DkN]

It's clear cut for me: if I don't have any information about how and when the Android mirroring is going to be implemented prior to your intended shipping date I can not purchase the unit. End of story.

So please do try to get some guidance on this feature. Many of us have been asking this same question for weeks.

There's been no concrete information on Android mirroring in its originally intended form (i.e. with full controls via the DNS unit). I am a bit reluctant to give unconfirmed information at this stage for reasons I think you would be able to appreciate, but for the sake of giving people an update, the latest news I have is this: they will first release a module that works for both Android and iPhones, BUT it will not have the ability to be controlled via the DNS i.e. video mirroring only. The original solution which they are having trouble with works with Android only but can be controlled via the DNS.

I'll find out the status and price of this interim mirroring module without controls after the Chinese national holiday break.

Hi Sandy, I am doing some numbers here, and i might be able to jump in again. When is the due date to send you the deposit?

Thanks!

If enough people want to get the unit as is ASAP I expect that to be finalised over the weekend, otherwise I will finalise the group buy when the remaining bugs in the software are fixed.

I'm just going to throw an idea out. In the construction industry, at the completion of a project the client keeps a "retention" sum. Usually this is a percentage of the total contract sum. The retention is released to the contractor after they have completed all of the defects and maintenance that has been identified, and the client is satisfied.

Perhaps you could use a similar system with these units. I.e. Audiosources can sell the units for, say $100 less as-is, then once they have the bugs fixed and the android mirroring completed, the customers can pay the remaining $100 and get their update.

It won't work this way for a retail product unfortunately... There can be no guarantee that the remaining $100 or so would get paid. Aside from the fact that I already use the DNS as my daily and it is fully functional without further updates (so people don't necessarily need to update), the final software update can be potentially obtained from other customers, Audiosources themselves, or even through a subscription to my service for $25. It would just be impossible to keep track.

Couple of USB drive questions:

1. Is there a restriction on the size of the drive?

2. Can it power a portable hard disk like a WD Passport, or would it need to be solid state, eg pen drive?

3. I know it doesn't now, but am I right in thinking in the future will it scan the drive for MP3 tags and build a library? How would you update the library? This process is time and processor intensive with large drives. We're talking possibly hours.

Thanks

The restriction is 64GB as it can't power a portable hard drive and AFAIK there is no SDXC support. I have to find out if there may be in the future though, the latest update I obtained from just before they went on holidays supposedly now supports lossless audio whereas it didn't before.

As for media library, I was the one who worked with them to design the feature and it was originally to be released with the unit, but now this will be delayed. Scanning the SD / USB and getting the ID3 tags isn't a problem. Any Android Smartphone does this on boot every time and it only takes 30 seconds to a minute. There may be a problem if there is support for hard drives and you stick 1TB of music in it, yes... but even then, my proposal was that the library refresh should be manual. Do it once, and it will assume no changes the next time you boot the device, unless you manually refresh or if the unit fails to find a file that is in the library database.

[alexc2005]

Ummm so Android mirror is now a costed additional module...?

This was one of my main motivations for getting this head unit.. I would be extremely annoyed to find that it is an extra cost.

When are you finalising who is getting them early or not? and then, when are the two likely delivery dates?

[DkN]

right now I think I can live with the bugs. Just as long as they do get fixed in the near future. I just really want to get my car back together as I've been driving without trim pieces for months now. I also would like this for my up coming road trip lol. I do like the idea of a temporary discount on the unit and then paying for the final update. you I did pay in full months back, hmmm lol

If I remember correctly, you drive a Golf 5? You could put the trim pieces back without any of the screws. This more than halves the time required to take it apart later. If you've done it as many times as I have, without screws everything would be off in less than two minutes.

[DkN]

Ummm so Android mirror is now a costed additional module...?

This was one of my main motivations for getting this head unit.. I would be extremely annoyed to find that it is an extra cost.

When are you finalising who is getting them early or not? and then, when are the two likely delivery dates?

Yes it looks like it will be, I mentioned this a few weeks ago. I'm sorry this is how it turned out, at the time no mention was made to me that mirroring was going to require an additional module. There is very little I can do - you are of course free to cancel your order if it's a deal-breaker for you, though the group buy price right now is $100 off retail (and then some, with the current AUD to USD rate).

I have sent a PM to all those with a confirmed order regarding the dates for the first batch of units vs final release.

[wanxu]

How does the original RNS510 the ID3Tag function? I think that the problem is that AS doesn't want to just load the ID3Tag from every file once it's playing (like RNS510), you want to have a library like an iPod, right? It would be awesome. Other than manual updating, the unit could check in the USB/SD every time if there are new files (saving the most recent filedate) and if so rebuild the library (or some other method faster than that). What about the iPod function?

For me it's an important thing. All the chinese units have ugly explorer mp3 players, and DNS810 promises a stock-like interface, and that, along with the new CPU and controls, is what's convincing me.

One more question, you say the audio quality is better than OEM. I had 2 chinese units and the audio is worse than the original in both of them. They even have some noise. Is it clean audio with the DNS?

Does the Bluetooth has to rebuild the contacts library every time or something like that?

Thanks DkN!

[swong]

For those who have paid the deposit, when would full payment be required to be made if we choose to get in on the early batch? How about the final batch?

And any rough idea of the additonal cost if we want Android mirroring, DAB support, etc?

Just need to plan my finances!