Audience upgrade problem - cant turn on amp

[ojyk]

Hi

I'm trying to change out an Audience head unit on a 2006 Octavia with a Pioneer AVH-3300BT.

The shop gave me a Connects2 stalk adapter and said I would have no problems.

Once installed, everything works, but there is no audio.

Finally we came to the conclusion that there is an amp in the car and it is not being switched on.

The only connections behind the head unit are 8 speaker cables, 2 CAN cables, Earth, Safe and U+B. It seems that the only way the amp could be switched on is through the CAN system......

Is there any way that I can switch this amp on?

The shop are trying to tell me that there is no way and the only option is to buy a new amp and speaker set! I really don't want to do this as all I'm looking for is more media options. The sound is great to my ears.

I would really appreciate some advice.

thanks

Oliver

[ojyk]

OK,

no joy there then.... I will change my question slightly:

Has anyone ever upgraded an Audience DSP Amp system to anything else? Did you manage to keep the amp and just change the head unit?

thanks

Oliver

[ojyk]

In an attempt to figure this out myself, I found some interesting behaviour:

I decided that if I can't get this new head unit in, I will go back to trying to get an Aux connection. It seems that the Audience won't accept the normal "im an external CD changer" aux adapters, as it has a CD changer in it.....

So I decided to intercept the audio feed from the head unit to the amp. I took the line out block out of the quadlock, leaving the power and CAN connections in place. I connected the line out to my iPod. Turn on the car, turn on the radio, and sure enough I get sound from my iPod. Even though it is a little quiet, it works.

Then I was messing around a bit, the volume on the Audience obviously has no effect on the speakers, BUT the preset equaliser settings do!!!! So the head unit is telling the amp, through the CAN system, to change the equaliser! So it seems that the Audience and the amp have a VERY close relationship. I'm starting to think that there is no chance of shifting the Audience to a Pioneer.

Unless anyone has any better ideas, it seems that my only options now are:

• Send the Pioneer back and continue with the AUX trick: i will need a switch and a preamp and a load of cables, but it should be doable.....or
  
• Send the Pioneer back and try to get hold of a newer Skoda head unit that supports aux, ipod etc.
  

Can anyone confirm that a newer Skoda unit can talk to the amp like the Audience does?

thanks

Oliver

[GIGAkun]

Hi. Did you ever get through with this project? I am now facing this same scenario although in my case instead on the stalk adapter I purchased the RP4 VW11 which is supposed to turn on the amp. But i've had no luck.