[Closed] VW Transporter T5 Stereo upgrade

The only advice I can offer is on dab antennas. We have dab in our t4 and after trying several types I had to drill a hole in the roof which appears to have fixed any signal issues.
I have a dab vag radio in my skoda fabia. It works but isn't fully connected the the vehicle's system. It turns itself off after an hour and the gala audio levelling system didn't work. But I'm happy with the upgrade.

Whereabouts are you? Two reccommendations are Absolut Audio (I think they're called) who are down Swindon way and Skipton Audio. Both well experienced with T5s and should be able to offer some advice.

I know the Pioneer stuff always gets a very good review. Have a Kenwood DNX520 VBT in my facelift T5 and apart from the DAB, ticks all your boxes but I don't find it that good as a unit - bit clunky to use etc.

Just get a Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony or JVC DAB head unit, most around £80-120 seem to have BT streaming, but it's better to just use a USB cable from whatever source you have available. As far as antenna go, get a decent magnetic one, I had one fitted to my Octavia a little while ago, because the stick-on windscreen one didn't seem to be getting a signal as well as when first fitted, and the magnetic one is brilliant, I have yet to find anywhere where I don't get a signal, whereas previously there were quite a few places where the signal would regularly drop out. A good quality one should be around £20, so you could get the unit and antenna for roughly £100-140 - ish.
http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/Kinetic_MagnetwiG__DMA-1005PH_DAB_car_aerial.html
http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/Kenwood_KMM-BT502DAB_DAB_Car_Radio_with__Bluetooth_.html

I have a 2006 T5 and wanted to get just a bog standard VW stereo after one was stolen. Bought it on eBay, but would it fit. Of course not as all the wiring was different. Went around loads of car stereo places and turns out all the wiring is different on new models. The long and the short was that I bought a sony stereo from Halfords with bluetooth. If you want to stick to VW then go and see someone as it all turned out far to complicated than it should have been.

You shouldn't need to update the dash as stereo sizing is generally standard I thought.

Lots of T5 owners on their lunch break it would seem! 🙂

woody74 - I think 2008 and later all had the same wiring but the dash changed in 2010 for the facelift models. Conversion kit here but not cheap! Thanks for the advice though - appreciated - sounds like the all-VW option is a bit of a minefield.

[url= http://www.advanced-incar.co.uk/products/vw-t5-conversions/vw-t5-interior-dash-conversion-kit/ ]http://www.advanced-incar.co.uk/products/vw-t5-conversions/vw-t5-interior-dash-conversion-kit/[/url]

DaveyBoyWonder - I'm in Edinburgh unfortunately!

Thanks for the responses chaps! Keep 'em coming!

Give the guys at Absolute Audio a call, they're really helpful. I got a speaker upgrade kit from them along with loads of advice regarding fitting etc.

I'm pretty sure they do a plug and play system with Pioneer head units so fitting is a very simple job.

Not VW specific, but i got one of these;

http://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/navigation-systems6/x801d-u

I have a Pioneer AVIC-F960DAB in our T5.

I truly hate it. The Sat Nav is useless (I'd rather use Goggle Maps on my phone than use it). Avoid.

Got a factory fitted superdooper Clarion Double Din touchscreen thing in my van, not a huge fan to be honest...you can't mute or turn it down when you select reverse gear and the camera turns on, handsfree isn't really clear enough, when you get in you have to wait for the Satnav system to boot before being able to adjust the radio, and the Satnav itself isn't a patch on Google maps.

I'd like an Android Auto head unit but they are big money, so tempted to get an Chinese no-name Android head unit which tethers to your phone, they normally come with an Android Auto skin/app to make them user friendly.

Leku - Member

I have a Pioneer AVIC-F960DAB in our T5.

I truly hate it. The Sat Nav is useless (I'd rather use Goggle Maps on my phone than use it). Avoid.

Mine's not great either, I've got stupid half-arsed VAG version of iDrive in my car, everything on one knob, I could never programe the sat-nav driving, I'd kill or maim many people.

I've been looking at the Apple CarPlay thing, seems to offer Google Maps in a built-in format, plus all the other apple shiz.

We had a VW RNS 315 retrofitted. I went for this one because it includes the bluetooth gubbins rather than needing a separate module, and was fairly readily available 2nd hand but out of pretty new cars, so it worked out quite a lot cheaper than the other OEM options. Ours is a facelift T5 (2013). We do have the multi-function steering wheel and it works with that seamlessly.

It's also a satnav, although I wasn't looking for one. I'm not overly impressed with either the routes it comes up with or the address input system but then it cost less than the other options with or without satnav.

We have a windscreen mounted DAB aerial which is neat enough but the reception is not as good as I'd like. This is the one thing I'd change, but I don't know what to - I read that the mirror-mounted OEM ones aren't that great either.

I have a Pioneer AVH-X3700DAB. It does DAB, bluetooth streaming, USB, AUX and makes and receives phone calls.

I got the window DAB aerial from halfords along with the harness adaptor and fascia.

The hardest part was finding the right fuse to get the ignition switch.

I've also wired up a reversing camera.

I've not had any problems with DAB reception it's been flawless. USB stick access can take up to 10000 tracks and bluetooth connectivity it great.

I've not bothered with a sat nav cos I use Copilot app on my phone.

Great stuff - thanks chaps!

i've got some super-dooper Pioneer AVIC-F77DAB unit in the van. but as luket says, you have to wait for it to boot up which can be annoying.. think this is the case with most head units as they are basically a small computer.
[img] [/img]

the pioneer display is glass, like your smartphone, and is more responsive than those that use pressure.

sound is good, but we have upgraded the speakers.

sound comes through when in reverse (also have reverse camer), although you can change this in settings.

sat nav can get a little confused at times, but offers sensible routes.

my only gripe is that due to the lip you have to lean forward a little to see all the display. but i like the clean look without too buttons or dials.

but, the GF has just bought a Sony XSP N1BT for her MX5... use your phone as a sat nav, with BT, etc... will hold all phones but even better if you have asony as it charges as you go (and it costs not lot compared to a full on 2DIN unit). would have one in the van if i had seen it before buying the Pioneer for 600€ (got a super price! normally over 900€!!!), but we are often in Austria or Italy and would then incur roaming charges.

[img] [/img]

Oh yeah, and the touch screen on the VW 315 unit is a plastic one that works on pressure, so it's not very responsive at all - feels pretty poor now we've had so many years of smartphone use. However the proper buttons do most things too.

So if I'm being picky, it feels a bit cheap, but not as cheap as the ford (Sony) one in our other car.

I've got a double din DAB Kenwood in mine-Ended up with a windscreen DAB antennae which works very well. There's loads of issues surrounded powered wing mirror antennas (VW) that when you replace your head unit to a non VW unit you'll lose most fm/am signal. My aerial runs up A pillar (need to take glove box out) but it's neat and out of the way & reception is grand. Echo the comments re Absolut in Swindon, they make door pods and speaker upgrades as a package-I would strongly suggest lining/insulating the door skin to stop vibration if you're doing that. Oh, and a couple of tweeters in the dash/A pillar makes for a much better sound.

Eat_more_cheese do you know what make/model your antenna is? Mine's in the same place (which I'm happy with) but reception not very good, so I might replace it.

Have a look on ebay as when I researched this some months ago there was a unit which was cheap, with sat nav, had pretty good reviews, home /diy installable and included a reversing camera. Just a thought.

Luket-it's a Kenwood specific A1 antenna. Not sure if it works with other makes though.

I have 2013 T5 (sportline - i think).
It has Kenwood DNX-521DAB (i think - off the top of my head).
It has tweeters in the dash (standard looking) and DAB aerial stuck on inside of the windscreen.

Sound quality is excellent (that is why I know the tweeters are standard - I was surprised that they had not been upgraded and sounded that good).
Responsiveness of the unit is verging on rubbish. It is a very expensive head unit but feels like they shoved the most basic of processors in it.
DAB aerial is fine (Swindon area).
It looks almost like a standard fit stereo.
Screen does not move, so very occasionally it gets obliterated by the sun.

For reference, ended up going with one of these:

[url= https://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/cd-head-units19/cde-w235bt ]https://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/cd-head-units19/cde-w235bt[/url]

VW system was too much faff for the expense.

Very happy with it so far!

I put a new single DIN unit into my 54 plate T5 and, apart from a wiring converter (obtained from Nexxia -[url= http://www.nexxia.co.uk/ ]http://www.nexxia.co.uk/[/url]) it was zero trouble.

The unit does not do DAB, but does do bluetooth streaming from iPhones, etc and I think allows USB storage playing. It was also really cheap. Halfords had the unit for about 60 quid if I recall.