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Superb Elegance Columbus, CD and satnav


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I am in the process of ordering a new Skoda Superb 2 170bhp Elegance Estate. But I am totally confused about the Columbus system. A few questions if I may:

1 Should I be adding the 6 CD option - does the system have a single CD slot?

2 A dealer on the phone said to me that it did have a CD slot but you cannot play the CD at the same time as use the satnav

3 Is the satnav any good or is it like a lot of fitted systems and can only do 4 digits of a postcode!

4 In simple terms what is the SD card bit all about - I have an ipod is that something to do with it?

Any help would be much appreciated as the brochure is poor!

Thanks

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[1. The hard drive of the system is capable of holding 100.s of CD's and so the extra 6 stacker is not necessary

2. The issue with this system is that you cannot directly copy CD's on to the hard drive. You need to tranfer the Audio CD to MP3/4 via your PC and then load the files. This is where the SD card slot comes in. You can copy the files onto an SD card and then load on to the system. Follow instructions in hand book quite simple. You can also make a MP3/4 CD [again from your PC] and load all your CD's this way.

3. The Sat Nav is only 4 digits, but works fine and I would not be without it.

4. You can play CD's via the slot ot from the hard drive whilst using the Sat Nav.

I am very pleased with the system in my Elegance - best of luck

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[1. The hard drive of the system is capable of holding 100.s of CD's and so the extra 6 stacker is not necessary

2. The issue with this system is that you cannot directly copy CD's on to the hard drive. You need to tranfer the Audio CD to MP3/4 via your PC and then load the files. This is where the SD card slot comes in. You can copy the files onto an SD card and then load on to the system. Follow instructions in hand book quite simple. You can also make a MP3/4 CD [again from your PC] and load all your CD's this way.

3. The Sat Nav is only 4 digits, but works fine and I would not be without it.

4. You can play CD's via the slot ot from the hard drive whilst using the Sat Nav.

I am very pleased with the system in my Elegance - best of luck

As above, Sat Nav works extremely well, easy to enter destination without postcode, try http://vwlabs.com/ have used this for 2 years and is excellent.

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Personally I would order the MDI interface - that way you can plug in an iPod or a USB stick and control all the tracks from the front panel of the Columbus. Mine does not have MDI, so I put 10 - 15 albums on a SD card and transfer them over onto the built in hard disk, or play them directly from the SD card - you can do either. The attractiveness of the MDI is that I would not have to organise my music twice, once inside the Columbus and once inside my iPod.

Other than that I agree with other comments - it is not worth buying the 6 CD changer, and the SatNav is very useable, despite its postcode limitations.

Enjoy your new Superb!

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4. You can play CD's via the slot ot from the hard drive whilst using the Sat Nav.

The satellite navigation data is loaded onto the hard drive. The supplied satnav DVD is for re-installation or restoration of data if required. The CD/DVD slot is redundant, for the purposes of navigation, once the data is stored on the hard drive, so the issue of "CD versus Navigation" is irrelevant, because it simply doesn't arise. The dealer who told you different needs a slap.

Ray

Edited by Argee
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It appears to me that from what has been said here it is only possible to load mp3's onto the hard drive, and that from some foul Windows device? And for those of us who want the best possible sound and have Apple computers? Am I a snob? I love Skoda for their heritage and quality, not because they are cheap or mass market in some way. i also love music very much, and i do not listen to mp3, except for auditioning sounds on my MacBook. Does this all mean, then, that I would be better off with a 6 Cd changer when I order my Superb (in about 3 years)?

Edited by Kingsley
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i also love music very much, and i do not listen to mp3, except for auditioning sounds on my MacBook. Does this all mean, then, that I would be better off with a 6 Cd changer when I order my Superb (in about 3 years)?

You may well be able to tell the difference between .mp3 and other formats on a good-quality home system, but I think that you would struggle on any comparative car unit to the Columbus. The only way to be sure is to take some tunes that you know very well, get someone to pop them onto an SD card for you, then have them played in the Columbus system. If you struggle to get that done, send them to me and I'll do it for you.

As for three years' time, who knows? :)

Ray

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I very rarely use the CD/DVD slot on my columbus for anything, other than loading firmware updates and playing the odd DVD film. The Nav data is stored on the HDD, so you navigate and play audio CDs at the same time if you wish.

The unit has an internal 30GB HDD, which you can copy MP3 and/or unprotected WMA files onto from either SD card or CD/DVD so the 6 Disk changer is not required at all.

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7 digit post cods available next year, along with map update :thumbup: info came from skoda direct

Would this be a free update or would we have to buy do you know? If so, dya know how much the updates are (roughly)?

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Would this be a free update or would we have to buy do you know? If so, dya know how much the updates are (roughly)?

Once they are out we could have a whip round and buy a few, then copy them and charge per copy including postage of around a pound, or we could all complain to skoda UK that this update that should have been on from the start be made free of charge

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Would this be a free update or would we have to buy do you know? If so, dya know how much the updates are (roughly)?

IF it is ever released I'm sure they will available for free download just like the maps and current software are. (if you look in the right places!)

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It appears to me that from what has been said here it is only possible to load mp3's onto the hard drive, and that from some foul Windows device? And for those of us who want the best possible sound and have Apple computers? Am I a snob?

I'm a mac-man too, iMac and MacBook for work and pleasure.

I can assure you, that you can write MP3's to an SD-HC card from an OSX machine, and use it in the slot on your Columbus. - iTunes has the ability to convert files into MP3 within seconds, and also the ability to rip CD's into MP3 automatically.

Al.

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It appears to me that from what has been said here it is only possible to load mp3's onto the hard drive, and that from some foul Windows device? And for those of us who want the best possible sound and have Apple computers? Am I a snob? I love Skoda for their heritage and quality, not because they are cheap or mass market in some way. i also love music very much, and i do not listen to mp3, except for auditioning sounds on my MacBook. Does this all mean, then, that I would be better off with a 6 Cd changer when I order my Superb (in about 3 years)?

The way you put that does make you sound like a snob, yes.

I have 2 Macs and the inbuilt sound on both of them is nothing to write home about in my opinion (in fact, the cheap Toshiba laptop from work running Windows XP is way ahead of the MacBook pro for standard sound) The Mac's are not too bad when plugged into a decent sound system, but on their own? No.

Anyway, Macs can deal fine with MP3s and if you encode them at 320K and then copy them to the car via an SD card, they sound fine in the car where the road, engine and wind noise are competing with the stereo... I use 256K and find that more than adequate for the car

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Wowsers! you guys are tough nuts! OK, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to listening to music. I'm one of those '50 pound guys' who still buys CDs and listen to them (and vinyl) on a very good system at home. In our now 10 year old Passat I upgraded the speakers with a VW option, and get a very nice sound. it's not the very best hifi, and the car system is not B&W or Mark Levinson, as i some other marques of car, but i can definitely tell the difference between mp3 and a full file. It seems that I'm a difficult old bugger who wants something a bit special. Is there an anti-snob bias on this forum? I am not thinking of buying Skodas because they are cheap or commonplace or whatever. I love the heritage and quality of these cars. i really would like to be assured that i can download full WAV files into the HD on the Colombus system. I'm not buying the Superb yet - we work abroad, and it will be the 'dream car' of our retirement in 3 years' time. But I'm planning now. Yes, I'm a Skoda fanatic, so what? I cannot listen to mp3. i don't listen to mp3 even on my MacBook, except to audition potential CD purchases. Is it too much to want the best possible sound in a new car? Any serious suggestions please, or are you all going to be sniffy about hifi nuttiness?Anyone out there who thought his or her Superb was good enough to merit a really excellent sound system? Nothing like it on long journeys through Europe, especially on French and German motorways.

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I have the columbus with the 10 speaker & DSP Upgrde and MDI.

  • CD playback sound quality is not good.
  • Radio sound quality is crap.
  • DVD Audio sound quality is excellent and surround
  • DVD Video sound quality is excellent and surround
  • SD playback is supposed to be good but I haven't tried.
  • MDI Playback with iPhone is awesome.......absolutely fxxxking brilliant. (mix of itunes standard download quality and ripped 192Kb/s VBR MP3)

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i really would like to be assured that i can download full WAV files into the HD on the Colombus system. ... Is it too much to want the best possible sound in a new car? Any serious suggestions please, or are you all going to be sniffy about hifi nuttiness?

I've just tried to load some .WAV files onto the HD via an SD card. The system did not recognise the files at all. That shouldn't be a surprise, as the system will only play CD/DVDs, mp3 and WMA files not protected by DRM. To quote the manual:

WMA audio data (Windows Media Audio) can also be replayed by the unit and stored on the hard disk (HDD) providing this has not been protected by the DRM procedure copyright (Digital Rights Management). The operation and behaviour of the unit complies with the MP3 compressed audio data and are not described further.

Requirements for the MP3 data and data carrier

• 650 MB and 700 MB CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW.

• 4.7 GB DVDs and up to 8.5 GB Double Layer DVDs

• The CDs/DVDs must correspond to the ISO 9660 Level 2 standard as well as the Joliet data system (single and multi-session).

• Data names must be no longer than 64 characters.

• The list structure is restricted to a depth of 8 list levels.

• The name of the artist, the album and the title of the reproduced MP3 data can be shown as ID3 tag, providing this information is available. The list and data name will be displayed if there is no ID3 tag.

• Play lists are not supported.

• WMA data (Windows Media Audio) can also be played even if the copyright is additionally protected by the DRM procedure (Digital Rights Management). Such WMA data is not supported by the unit.

• The operation and behaviour of playable WMA data conforms to the MP3 data and will not be described further.

Bit rate (data flow per time unit)

• The system supports MP3 data with bit rates of 32 to 320 KB/s as well as MP3 data with variable bit rates.

• The indicated playing time data with variable bit rates is not reliable.

BTW, stating honest opinions is not being "sniffy," simply because it doesn't agree with your POV. The top-of-the-range systems you describe are clearly outside the build remit of the Superb, given where it is in the price range compared to, say, Mercedes. I drive some really top-end cars (Arnage, Phantom, Maybach, S5 and 600s, etc.) and an additional factor in the listening pleasure in that class of vehicle is the overall ride quality and lack of intrusion of exterior noise, road, tyre, wind, etc. To expect the same listening quality from an otherwise extremely good value car like the Superb is not realistic, IMO.

Ray

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I've just tried to load some .WAV files onto the HD via an SD card. The system did not recognise the files at all. That shouldn't be a surprise, as the system will only play CD/DVDs, mp3 and WMA files not protected by DRM. To quote the manual:

WMA audio data (Windows Media Audio) can also be replayed by the unit and stored on the hard disk (HDD) providing this has not been protected by the DRM procedure copyright (Digital Rights Management). The operation and behaviour of the unit complies with the MP3 compressed audio data and are not described further.

Requirements for the MP3 data and data carrier

• 650 MB and 700 MB CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW.

• 4.7 GB DVDs and up to 8.5 GB Double Layer DVDs

• The CDs/DVDs must correspond to the ISO 9660 Level 2 standard as well as the Joliet data system (single and multi-session).

• Data names must be no longer than 64 characters.

• The list structure is restricted to a depth of 8 list levels.

• The name of the artist, the album and the title of the reproduced MP3 data can be shown as ID3 tag, providing this information is available. The list and data name will be displayed if there is no ID3 tag.

• Play lists are not supported.

• WMA data (Windows Media Audio) can also be played even if the copyright is additionally protected by the DRM procedure (Digital Rights Management). Such WMA data is not supported by the unit.

• The operation and behaviour of playable WMA data conforms to the MP3 data and will not be described further.

Bit rate (data flow per time unit)

• The system supports MP3 data with bit rates of 32 to 320 KB/s as well as MP3 data with variable bit rates.

• The indicated playing time data with variable bit rates is not reliable.

BTW, stating honest opinions is not being "sniffy," simply because it doesn't agree with your POV. The top-of-the-range systems you describe are clearly outside the build remit of the Superb, given where it is in the price range compared to, say, Mercedes. I drive some really top-end cars (Arnage, Phantom, Maybach, S5 and 600s, etc.) and an additional factor in the listening pleasure in that class of vehicle is the overall ride quality and lack of intrusion of exterior noise, road, tyre, wind, etc. To expect the same listening quality from an otherwise extremely good value car like the Superb is not realistic, IMO.

Ray

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Thanks, Ray, for that very full reply.

I consider that the quality of the Superb fully merits a good sound system, its price point notwithstanding. I very much enjoy listening to all types of music in our old Passat, and I am sure that the Skoda, being a much newer design, has even less road and engine noise.

However, as another correspondent reports that his iPhone sounds great through the system, even though CDs do not sound marvellous, then that is what i can do - use my iPods with WAV music files. Perhaps there is little comparison between the Superb and the lovely cars you can drive, lucky fellow, but I consider it to have a noble heritage and road testers seem to agree that it rides well, is very quiet on the road and the 3.6 has good acceleration. Plenty of higher quality leather, real metal and lashings of real wood do not necessarily make a better car. Image and price are very strong psychological factors in peoples' minds when thinking of the quality of a car, but the Superb is not a sow's ear.

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I consider that the quality of the Superb fully merits a good sound system, its price point notwithstanding. ... However, as another correspondent reports that his iPhone sounds great through the system, even though CDs do not sound marvellous, then that is what i can do - use my iPods with WAV music files. ... but the Superb is not a sow's ear.

I agree, but there's "good" and there's "good." Whatever we may think it deserves, it's going to have the system the maker can afford to specify and they will do that with an eye on the competition.

I'm pleased that the iPod solution may do what you want - perhaps you could try that out in the near future? There's nothing better than hearing music you know well on another system, as a direct evaluation/comparison, after all. Let us know how you get on.

Ray

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  • 2 weeks later...

thinking of buying a Columbus for my octavia vrs, but i am wondering if it would be better if i just stuck with my pioneer fh-bt80 {which does everything i want, blue tooth hands free, usb/ipod control, etc, etc, } and i also have a very good live tom tom 940, {which i think is better than the Columbus sat nav system} what do you guys think ? how easy to use, and how good is Columbus ? my pioneer and tom tom are good and very, very, easy to use.

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Columbus navigation is pretty good, granted is probably not as good as top of the line Tom Tom, but how often do you use Nav? I like the columbus for its looks and SD card ability. It integrates so well and just looks 'right' IMO. Touch screen is great and I can't fault it at all for only £450.

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Columbus navigation is pretty good, granted is probably not as good as top of the line Tom Tom, but how often do you use Nav? I like the columbus for its looks and SD card ability. It integrates so well and just looks 'right' IMO. Touch screen is great and I can't fault it at all for only £450.

dont use nav on a regualar basis, but i love my music, so i need something easy to use and which sounds good, i like the the look of Columbus, but after reading some of the stuff on here, its not that easy to use and the sd cards can be a bit of a problem.

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I have a Columbus in my car and find it very easy to use once you get to know it and what it can do and can't do, for instance it won't produce a random playback of installed tracks from different albums/artists but can do so on the one album. I have no problem at all downloading music from an SD card onto my Columbus, though there is the proviso that in order to use a SDHC card you must have a later software version installed, otherwise the system will not recognize the card and allow the download/playing of music.

Ian.

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