RNS510 + audio upgrade suggestions?

[spiff]

blargh. u gotta register to be able to read it.

[spiff]

Didn't know that sorry - will perhaps create a new thread on here.

thanks! i, for one, would be interested!

[Treza360]

So anyway apparently people think they're not entitled to their own opinion? This is rubbish anyone can post their own opinion. However if you cannot post an opinion in a constructive and justifiable manner and accept that people will have an opinion different to your own the posts in question will be edited or deleted.

This is meant to be a discussion about upgrade suggestions for a RNS510 setup and/or replacement options, not a slinging match bagging out each other. Sniping and other useless comments because we can't accept that someone has had a bad experience or would not recommend a product adds nothing to the thread and does not help the OP in his research. If you can't add anything constructive to the thread don't post, it's as simple as that.

Trent

[tinto]

Good info in this thread, been looking for some 'cheap' ways to boost the sound from my non amplified rns510, without touching the speakers.
The audison bitOne had been suggested to me, but the price is pretty steep so is the gear mentioned earlier on in this thread (rockford 3sixty or PXE-H 650E), similar?
I.e. Will just put a bit more meat into the sound from the oem speakers?
I've heard the stock speakers in a friend's GT and they sounded great to me with a bit of amplification (this was through a waywell 6050).
It is hard for me to justify spending much when I'm not going to touch the speakers.

What is the likely install cost on the items mentioned above? Sure I could just call a shop, but that would require effort
Anyone have a shop recomendation in Perth? I see alberts osb pk mentioned

(if it matters, my rns510 is a factory install in a gti)

[spiff]

hey tinto..

If yours is not amplified, does that mean you installed it aftermarket? Do you have the dynaudio upgrade package? One of the earlier posts mentioned this category (the 3sixty, pxe-h 650e, audison bitone, cleansweep) of products may not be very necessary. In my simple mind, I understand it as 'resetting' the eq to 0, so whatever equipment you add after can do its best job.

For what I have (stock speakers, rns510, don't know if i have an amp yet), it's just an amp + speakers which I'll add. My difficulty now is in choosing a good set of speakers and amp. Then adding a subwoofer later or now if the price is right!

The verbal quote I got for wiring, speakers (front+rear), sub and amp is around $1.5-$2k installed. This is for good quality gear. I'm sure there's a budget range for each of the speakers and sub. I remember in my old car, I spent about $500+ gear installed (speakers, amp, and I brought my own sub over) and that was ok for what I wanted. Now, I want a little more.

As far as shops in Perth go, I read the forums and Alberts Osb Park is supposed to be a good place but they're also known to be pricey (i guess it's for quality work and knowledgable staff). A-One I've also heard good things about (I think they are or used to be RAC approved/recommended or something). I'm not sure of other places, but I've also seen a lot of audio shops in osb park, morley, cannington. At the end of the day, if I don't know any place to go, then I reckon I'm going to try what people on here have recommended (otherwise what's the point in reading all these recommendations and experiences right?)

with a pinch of salt,
spiff
p.s. I'm probably going to make my selection in a couple of weeks once I figure out other parts for my car. Researching a whole heap and planning my spend. Audio is just one.

[tinto]

Mine was a factory install in a Pirelli GTI - for some reason they don't put the amplifier in there from a factory install in this model of car, but they do on a standard Golf GTI.

I think I'll just see what amp will fit under that front seat.
I'm not keen on anyone pulling the car apart to be honest!

My coilovers are going back in this/next week, and to have the interior in pieces for the audio install, then put back together on stiffer suspension seems like i'll be inviting the rattle-gremlins

[Maverick]

Mine was a factory install in a Pirelli GTI - for some reason they don't put the amplifier in there from a factory install in this model of car, but they do on a standard Golf GTI.

No they don't. Any factory orders of a RNS 510 deletes the amp, doesn't matter if it's a R32, GTI or Pirelli.

This is why on the options list you will see.

RNS 510 - Standard cars - $2990
RNS 510 - GTI/R32 - $2490

Because they remove the amp and the higher end head unit you get $500 off.

[Maverick]

Some people claim sound deadening improve the stock speakers but as a minimum i'd first try amping the stock speakers and maybe dynamat. To keep things simple you could go for a Blaupunkt THA 555 PnP Amp and appropriate harness (or make one) to keep things simple and go from there. The extra power will be fairly noticeable and may be enough. The 5ch amp would allow you to add a sub later, otherwise you could go for the 4ch (475).

That would be a basic upgrade before biting the bullet and spending thousands.

I agree, the Blaupunkt PnP amp is the way to go if you don't want to spend a lot of cash and start hacking up the car.

http://www.my-gti.com/948/upgrading-the-audio-with-the-stock-headunit-without-the-factory-amplifier

[benno]

Tinto, I think the biggest single difference you can make withous spending huge money is to amplify and sound deaden the stock speakers and head unit.

You want to ge am amp that has a line level input, so that you don't have to but an expensive processor.

The Blau amps do this, but frankly unless you can get them super cheap I wouldn't bother. Audison amps are a big step up in quality and there's plenty of other options.

[Mr ©harisma]

hey tinto..
If yours is not amplified, does that mean you installed it aftermarket? Do you have the dynaudio upgrade package? One of the earlier posts mentioned this category (the 3sixty, pxe-h 650e, audison bitone, cleansweep) of products may not be very necessary. In my simple mind, I understand it as 'resetting' the eq to 0, so whatever equipment you add after can do its best job.

Yeah on that note they don't all work the same. The Cleansweep does indeed attempt to flatten out the EQ of the factory unit via a CD. Not really ideal.

Alpine's is a 3 band para EQ ( similar to whats in stardard $150 decks ) and once set, you can not just change one parameter without doing it all again.

RF 3sixty.2 - the better one - is actually like having a 31band EQ 1/3oct with separate xovers for each channels ( bandbass on some ) with nice 18 and 24db/ oct curves. TA is available as well. Down side being you need a palm pilot to adjust via bluetooth.

Audison Bitone, not sure about this one. From the industry experts this is the best of the lot. Can only image the tuning capabilities... crazy.

+1 for Blaupunkt Pnp. Love my Audison amps ( only have a spare SRx2 now ), but they are expensive. Worth the money though.

[RF 4MOTION]

Just to note that the 3Sixty can also be operated from a hand held windows device, and even a bluetooth enabled laptop. iphone is currently being looked at but that is a bluetooth issue.

Operating the 3Sixty via bluetooth is for a couple of reasons, all adjustments happen in the digital domain, no noisy pots, switches and knobs on the black box, keeps the size minimal also. In the US everyone uses some form of smartphone so everyone has the potential to operate their unit.

There are now 3 models of the 3Sixty. .1, .2 and BLD and with more to come in the near furture.

[hannson]

are there any cable kits to connect rns510 to the amp? Or we just need to cut and splice all the wires?

[Swallowtail]

I have the Blaupunkt amp and speakers from my Passat... don't know if the amp is of any use to anyone? You'd need to get a wiring diagram though I suspect, as the connections are not normal amp style...

[RF 4MOTION]

None of these items have noise and problems such as turn on POP built in... The problem is either compatibility with the vehicle or (usually) poor installation. A lot of care needs to be taken with where the wires are tapped into, where the boxes are mounted and where they are grounded.

I have installed many 3Sixties into a wide range of vehicles and never had noise issues. 3Sixties where pulled from production for a few months last year due to bluetooth compatibility problems (dropouts) but are now fine.

[RF 4MOTION]

In my Passat the car stays active for 2 minutes after you shut it down, key out or lock the car, this is to give you a window to operate windows audio etc without the key in but after 2 minutes it all shuts down. My amp and 3Sixty stay on for this period because it is connected to the headunit (none of this is enough to drain the electrical system). After the car shuts down it can only be re-activated by the keyfob, either unlocking or if the car was open, putting the keyfob in the ignition. I have no issues with POP on or off. The 3Sixty automatically senses signal through the speakers (to provide amp on trigger).

With amplifiers hiss is caused by too much gain (voltage mis-match between deck and amp) and engine noise is 99% of the time caused by bad grounds, the other 1% is faulty product or engine computer interference, power wire running near RCA or speaker etc, but can almost always be fixed by finding the correct grounding point.