....this may well be worth making a sticky to help out with an issue when adding amplifiers via speaker level line out to the RNS / RCD510 and probably the 310, when adding a speaker level amp to these units, I have added a 4 channel PNP Blaupunkt, there is an issue in that the unit does not recognise the amp or amps being connected and assumes that only the front speakers are connected and removes the fader option from the tone control menu, leaving only the balance control. This only occurs when either using a 4 channel amp or I would expect two 2 channel amps as well. the problem appears to be that the unit needs to see a speaker load i.e. a 4 Ohm load on the rear channel to retain the fader function in the menu.

My solution to this has been to connect a resistor to each of th the two rear channels of 3.9 Ohms and 3W rated, this has created a load across the speaker terminals that the units wants to see which fools it into returning the fader control whilst not affecting the function of the amp or the sound quality.

Edited 6 November, 201015 yr by The Skud

....this may well be worth making a sticky to help out with an issue when adding amplifiers via speaker level line out to the RNS / RCD510 and probably the 310, when adding a speaker level amp to these units, I have added a 4 channel PNP Blaupunkt, there is an issue in that the unit does not recognise the amp or amps being connected and assumes that only the front speakers are connected and removes the fader option from the tone control menu, leaving only the balance control. This only occurs when either using a 4 channel amp or I would expect two 2 channel amps as well. the problem appears to be that the unit needs to see a speaker load i.e. a 4 Ohm load on the rear channel to retain the fader function in the menu.

My solution to this has been to connect a resistor to each of th the two rear channels of 3.9 Ohms and 3W rated, this has created a load across the speaker terminals that the units wants to see which fools it into returning the fader control whilst not affecting the function of the amp or the sound quality.

Assuming the amp built into the HU is more than 3w that little resistor could get pretty hot if your providing a signal to the rear speakers - worth considering that

An easier solution would be to code the headunit using VCDS to say that its driving an external amplifier then there is no need to resistors in which are going to get very hot when in use.

An easier solution would be to code the headunit using VCDS to say that its driving an external amplifier then there is no need to resistors in which are going to get very hot when in use.

If its coded to drive an external amp will it not shut down the standard speaker outputs?

<sorry for my ignorance - im not new to ice but am new to the VAG HUs>

Edited 12 November, 201015 yr by thejoose

I dont believe it does, they are still active as far as I know. For the RNS510 when coded for an amp the headunit switches the speaker outputs to lineouts to drive external amps so you dont need any convertors in the speaker lines.

I dont believe it does, they are still active as far as I know. For the RNS510 when coded for an amp the headunit switches the speaker outputs to lineouts to drive external amps so you dont need any convertors in the speaker lines.

Ah ok

I thought it might have had its own line out connectors in the quadlock for amp connections

Assuming the amp built into the HU is more than 3w that little resistor could get pretty hot if your providing a signal to the rear speakers - worth considering that

The amp takes front and rear speaker level inputs and does not place any load on the HU, the 3w resistors just place the load that the HU is looking for, in use they do not get even slightly warm, the front and the rear speaker levels from the HU both go into the PNP amp.

An easier solution would be to code the headunit using VCDS to say that its driving an external amplifier then there is no need to resistors in which are going to get very hot when in use.

The PNP amp is designed to take the speaker level inputs and would not work with the HU coded to line out.