DAB+ Radio

[PantheraLeo]

I have a 2016 MY17 GTI...does my car have DAB+ radio? I can't seem to find a definitive answer and I can't find it anywhere on the infotainment system so I assume it doesn't have it?

[agentthumb]

I’m 99.999% sure none of the Australian Golfs have DAB.


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[kamold]

Unless you have retrofitted a Discover Pro you won't have DAB.
Go to radio and press on band in the bottom left.
If you see DAB there as well as FM and AM then you have DAB
Not available as an option from VW in Aus though for mk7....

[PantheraLeo]

Thank you guys.

[mickofoz]

You can buy a conversion kit in Germany. Go to ars24.com

[kamold]

You can buy a conversion kit in Germany. Go to ars24.com

Sounds interesting, I assume its an external device like a Dension DAB U?
I had a quick look on the ars24 website but can't find anything for Golf7 resembling a DAB add-on.
Can you provide a direct link?

[agentthumb]

What’s everyone obsession with DAB? Why not save yourself the money, buy a streaming service subscription and enjoy chatter free music?

It costs around $400 to retrofit, that’s 3 years of digital Apple Music subscription on full price that you can take everywhere with you. Even cheaper on Spotify.

Unless people actually enjoy listening to others talking on the radio? Gives me road rage when I listen to their “discussions”. [emoji13]


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[mickofoz]

You may need to use google translate for this site but it isn’t that expensive. For your car all you probably need is a splitter.

DAB-Splitter | Antennentechnik | Zubehor | ARS24.com

[kamold]

You may need to use google translate for this site but it isn’t that expensive. For your car all you probably need is a splitter.

DAB-Splitter | Antennentechnik | Zubehor | ARS24.com

What good is a splitter? The head unit has no DAB tuner...you still need something to receive and decode the DAB signal.
The splitter is just so you don't need a separate antenna should you have an actual DAB tuner to connect it to.

[mickofoz]

Fair enough. It was my understanding that VW units have everything built in just not activated. But you’re probably right. Need the find out more details.

[kamold]

Fair enough. It was my understanding that VW units have everything built in just not activated. But you’re probably right. Need the find out more details.

Unfortunately that's not the case
The DAB capable Discover Pro is a physically different unit in the glove box that contains a DAB tuner and corresponding antenna port.
The regular analogue version does not have this.
It is not just a SWaP (software as a product) feature that can be unlocked by buying a key from VW.

[mickofoz]

Yes, as much as it pains me to admit, its the lack of a tuner that will prevent us here in Australia from upgrading our head units to digital. Thanks VW. The best alternative I could find is this:

DAB+ Nachrustsatz Radio Original VW Digitalradio Fernbedienung Funk universal | ahw-shop - VW AUDI Original Ersatzteile und Zubehor

[kamold]

It retransmits over FM to your head unit.
Kind of largely defeats the purpose of DAB apart from the extra stations.
What I've found in Sydney at least a lot of the dab stations are being broadcast in such low bit rate format that there isn't any advantage over the FM transmission (again if it is a station that is being broadcast over both).
Stream it from your phone over Bluetooth from Spotify or TuneIn Radio etc

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[mickofoz]

Agree. I am picking up my new R-Line this week and was looking at ways of getting dab retrofitted. Looks like unless you buy a head unit with the tuner built in, its better to stream it.