Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

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Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

Hi Everyone

Looking at options for the golf, currently has a rcd310 in it.

What can you guys recommend that is reasonably priced? R3000 - R3500

All functions must work, including the aux in the centre console (I know it's outdated but I like everything to work and backseat passengers can use function if needed)

Will also want to wire the front speakers to the head unit again, previous owner had wired it to the amp
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

There are plenty options to choose from...

I bought a replica unit (google ANS510) a couple years ago which I'm still happy with. The DVD reader packed up a few years ago but I never bothered having it repaired as I play my tunes via USB / SD / Bluetooth. It has all the features you want on a headunit such as GPS, reverse camera, etc. Works 100% with the steering wheel controls, displays open doors, aircon settings, etc. Really looks and feels like the OEM unit.

If you not bothered with the OEM look and feel, go for an android unit, just check the specs that you getting a decent spec'd unit. Pay special attention to it's RAM size, you don't want one with little RAM as it will negatively impact its response time and frustrate the **** out of you.
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

Thanks alot for the feedback.

There are quite a few android units, just not sure if I want all that fancy in a car :bwahaha:

Bluetooth, steering controls, RCA outputs, aux to connect with centre console is what I'm after. Navigation is a want not a need.

There is an amp and sub linked up via hi low convertor, which I hate!

Gna be reverting front speakers back to head unit I choose and just run sub with the amp
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

I am thinking about ordering this unit:

https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/4876333 ... h_USB.html
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
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9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

I'm not sure if 1gb ram is sufficient for Android 8.0... It might cause some sluggishness in operation.

The other point of concern for me is no mention of the rated power per channel especially if you wanna reconnect your front speakers back to the headunit, it might not have sufficient drive for clear sound and could sound terrible.

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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2020 3:57 pm I'm not sure if 1gb ram is sufficient for Android 8.0... It might cause some sluggishness in operation.

The other point of concern for me is no mention of the rated power per channel especially if you wanna reconnect your front speakers back to the headunit, it might not have sufficient drive for clear sound and could sound terrible.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
Had a chat with one of the guys that sells these units:

He reckons I should just check that it has the latest software and update if not.

Power rating is 50 x 4

He suggested I just get the external mic as the built in one is not as great

So it has just been delivered and has all the connections necessary. Will update on the performance of this unit, should be a good alternative for others looking to upgrade IF everything checks out 100%
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
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6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

Cool, let us know. Enjoy it bud!

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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Wed Nov 04, 2020 9:28 am Cool, let us know. Enjoy it bud!

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Decided to just plug it in last night to test then I put the rcd310 back

It came with 2 different power plugs so it should work with most of the cars.

1. Rca cables had a plug attached so that was cool
2. Antenna cable has 1 port. Oem wiring has 2 but radio picked up clear signal with using just 1 of the ports
3. Booted up quite quickly
4. Unit has a nice feel to it, it is nice to have buttons even though it is a touch screen.
5. Sound quality was a huge improvement over the rcd310. (Tested with rear door speakers as they are not on the amp)
6. Even though it has 1gig of ram, performance is quite good and I had no lag in switching between apps
7. Didn't set up nav but will report back on signal

The oke installing it today recommended the external mic and obd2 so will update after it's all done.

When I have some free time, I will run a new rca to the boot and wire the front door speakers back to the head unit.
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

Awesomeness! Good to hear there is no lag, that would be a massive frustration. With it being Android you will have infinity possibilities.

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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Thu Nov 05, 2020 9:19 am Awesomeness! Good to hear there is no lag, that would be a massive frustration. With it being Android you will have infinity possibilities.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
I was surprised at how snappy it was, will monitor performance as I install other apps to it.

I was actually just happy to have bluetooth functionality but when the bug bites.... :lol:
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

You should download Torque and get the bluetooth obd2 dongle to monitor the car parameters, etc.

When you get a chance, please upload a video going through its screens/functions. I'm curious to see it in operation

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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Thu Nov 05, 2020 9:58 am You should download Torque and get the bluetooth obd2 dongle to monitor the car parameters, etc.

When you get a chance, please upload a video going through its screens/functions. I'm curious to see it in operation

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I was just researching the app now, looks like alot of information to be viewed on it.

Will upload a link of the functionality after the install :cool:

I was watching this Stephen Hawking version now :lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv13Nc4FXQY
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by fiex »

G10 wrote: Wed Nov 04, 2020 9:22 am

Had a chat with one of the guys that sells these units:
Where did you buy this unit?
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

fiex wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:18 am
G10 wrote: Wed Nov 04, 2020 9:22 am

Had a chat with one of the guys that sells these units:
Where did you buy this unit?
Supposed to be from bidorbuy but managed to find a used one about 3 weeks old for much less
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Thu Nov 05, 2020 9:58 am You should download Torque and get the bluetooth obd2 dongle to monitor the car parameters, etc.

When you get a chance, please upload a video going through its screens/functions. I'm curious to see it in operation

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
Didn't end up using it, for some reason it didn't pick up the obd2 device.

The oke will be testing a new range soon so will install it when testing is done.

For now just trying to learn my way around it, will try that mirrorlink today. I managed to get the phone connected but didn't play around yet.

Sound is great and all basic functions working, usb, bluetooth etc.
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
mk2 Jetta csl
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

I'm the Torque app settings you need to connect it to the obd2 dongle, maybe he didn't do that? It's really a great app to have. I use it quite a lot via my phone

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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 8:31 pm I'm the Torque app settings you need to connect it to the obd2 dongle, maybe he didn't do that? It's really a great app to have. I use it quite a lot via my phone

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
At this point I just want to learn how to tweak it the way I want.

Sound is great but a little soft. I will keep updating this thread as I go along outlining the pros and cons so others can make an informed decision with these types of units. :cool:

So far the only hiccup I have is getting the right apps installed and configuring the settings to get the best experience out of it. It's just like a phone, alot of customisation to be done so for those who don't have time or patience, just get a normal head unit :bwahaha:
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
mk2 Jetta csl
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

Update:

I reset to factory and sound was still a bit on the soft side.
I think I am not doing something correctly, I went into the "factory settings" menu and set all the gains up to max (all were 0) but it reverts back to 0 on reboot.

Tried exporting config and importing again without success.

I installed a volume booster from the play store and the volume issue is now sorted.

The search continues to find another firmware version for this one, I think the current 8.1 is a bit buggy, I rather find a lower version and have all functions working correctly.

Still satisfied with the purchase :driving:

What apps do you guys use? I just installed Sygic, the volume booster and musicolet
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
mk2 Jetta csl
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by TimeShifter »

Besides the Torque app I mentioned, I would then get Spotify for music streaming, and Google Maps for navigation.

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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

TimeShifter wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:50 am Besides the Torque app I mentioned, I would then get Spotify for music streaming, and Google Maps for navigation.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
Aah yes spotify, google maps is a good idea too as an alternative to sygic.

I installed tomtom on my phone this morning to test the functionality, was looking at something that has traffic updates.

I will meet up with my friend next week sometime to get the torque pro working
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
mk2 Jetta csl
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by liv »

Another option to consider, is the OEM RCD330. I fitted one to my TSI Highline, and absolutely love it. Still OEM Sound Quality (which is decent) and needed the features more than an insane install. Why it ticked all boxes:

- OEM Head unit
- Built-in bluetooth - no external mic required
- PDC Integration (shows up on the screen)
- Reverse Camera Integration
- MFSW Integration
- USB/SDCard/Aux Port
- Apple CarPlay (which is the real reason i wanted this unit) - for Waze, Google Maps, Apple Music, TuneIn etc.

5 minute install, and all plug and play. Definitely not as flexible as an Android unit will be, but it just works.
Current Rides:
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2016 Audi S4 (B9)
2019 Mercedes Benz B180 AMG (W247)
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

liv wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:09 am Another option to consider, is the OEM RCD330. I fitted one to my TSI Highline, and absolutely love it. Still OEM Sound Quality (which is decent) and needed the features more than an insane install. Why it ticked all boxes:

- OEM Head unit
- Built-in bluetooth - no external mic required
- PDC Integration (shows up on the screen)
- Reverse Camera Integration
- MFSW Integration
- USB/SDCard/Aux Port
- Apple CarPlay (which is the real reason i wanted this unit) - for Waze, Google Maps, Apple Music, TuneIn etc.

5 minute install, and all plug and play. Definitely not as flexible as an Android unit will be, but it just works.
Rcd330 Definitely is an awesome head unit! Does yours have rca outputs?

It came down to cost for me, it was out of budget so I went with this one.

I think I would only consider the rcd300 if this one decides to die
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
mk2 Jetta csl
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by liv »

G10 wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:14 am
liv wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:09 am Another option to consider, is the OEM RCD330. I fitted one to my TSI Highline, and absolutely love it. Still OEM Sound Quality (which is decent) and needed the features more than an insane install. Why it ticked all boxes:

- OEM Head unit
- Built-in bluetooth - no external mic required
- PDC Integration (shows up on the screen)
- Reverse Camera Integration
- MFSW Integration
- USB/SDCard/Aux Port
- Apple CarPlay (which is the real reason i wanted this unit) - for Waze, Google Maps, Apple Music, TuneIn etc.

5 minute install, and all plug and play. Definitely not as flexible as an Android unit will be, but it just works.
Rcd330 Definitely is an awesome head unit! Does yours have rca outputs?

It came down to cost for me, it was out of budget so I went with this one.

I think I would only consider the rcd300 if this one decides to die
can't recall if mine had RCA's to be honest. will check if i get a chance to pull it out on the weekend, but I hear you - cost is always a huge factor.
Current Rides:
2001 Polo GTI (6N2)
2016 Audi S4 (B9)
2019 Mercedes Benz B180 AMG (W247)
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Re: Mk6 Golf Tsi Head unit upgrade

Post by G10 »

liv wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:27 am
G10 wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:14 am
liv wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:09 am Another option to consider, is the OEM RCD330. I fitted one to my TSI Highline, and absolutely love it. Still OEM Sound Quality (which is decent) and needed the features more than an insane install. Why it ticked all boxes:

- OEM Head unit
- Built-in bluetooth - no external mic required
- PDC Integration (shows up on the screen)
- Reverse Camera Integration
- MFSW Integration
- USB/SDCard/Aux Port
- Apple CarPlay (which is the real reason i wanted this unit) - for Waze, Google Maps, Apple Music, TuneIn etc.

5 minute install, and all plug and play. Definitely not as flexible as an Android unit will be, but it just works.
Rcd330 Definitely is an awesome head unit! Does yours have rca outputs?

It came down to cost for me, it was out of budget so I went with this one.

I think I would only consider the rcd300 if this one decides to die
can't recall if mine had RCA's to be honest. will check if i get a chance to pull it out on the weekend, but I hear you - cost is always a huge factor.

In the end I think it is a decent unit, just needs to be set correctly. I am happy to put in some time to get it to function the way I want.

I have checked up on the xda forums and this model is an Allwinner quad-core t3 k2001-nwd. I messaged one of the guys to find out about firmware options
Current:
E90 Pre Lci 330D M Sport Steptronic

Ex:
Golf VI 1.4 TSI Trendline
Seat Leon FR
9n3 Polo 1.9 Tdi Sportline
9n3 Polo 1.6 Comfortline
6n 1.8 Supercharged Polo Playa
mk2 Jetta csl
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