Can anyone enlighten me to the various differences/ages/features of all the different stereos that have been fitted to Octavias?

Stream, Bolero, Columbus, Amundson, Amundson+ - I think those are all the ones I've seen!

All very confusing for someone like me!

There's the Swing and Audience also.

Not sure whether bolero/amundsen are the right way round, but I think in very basic terms of features it kind of goes;

Swing - Basic

Stream - Basic with possible mp3 capability

Audience - in built 6cd autochanger + aux for jumbo box, pdc & climatronic display

Bolero - in built 6cd changer, touchscreen, pdc & climatronic display, ipod compatability

Amundsen - dunno

Amundsen+ - satnav

Columbus - Everything!

First 3 & columbus were pre-fl, the other three were just as the fl happened. The columbus is still the top of the range unit.

Feel free to edit this, but it's not a bad starting point.

Edited 22 September, 201213 yr by blackspaven

amundsen, amundsen+, columbus are sat navs too,

I know my old Octy pre-fl it was fitted with the audience, in the FL I have the bolero

The Stream initially came without mp3 and then as the Stream MP3 at about a 57 plate.

Adding to Blackspaven's list:

Swing - Basic (Single DIN too IIRC)

Audience - in built 6cd autochanger + aux for jumbo box, pdc & climatronic display

I think both the above were only in the Mk I Octys

Stream - Basic (no idea about PDC, climatronic or Changer control)

Stream MP3 - Basic, with CD Changer (boot mounted) control MP3 and AUX In (if jumbo box fitted) PDC and Climatronic display

Bolero - in built 6cd changer, touchscreen, SD Card, pdc & climatronic display (PDC and climatronic not usually on retro fit to pre-fl)

Amundsen - satnav

Amundsen+ - satnav

Columbus - satnav

Bolero, Columbus and Amundsen have the option of DAB too

No, the Audience was definitely on the MkII. My '58 L&K came with it so I get the impression it was the top standard model available if you didn't pay the ridiculous £1500 option for the columbus.

I thought the Stream only came with the boot autochanger if you specced it as an option: didn't think it automatically came with it on certain model octys?

And the Bolero definitely does not display pdc or climate on a fl unless you physically update them. Generally expensive to do.

Not sure what pdc is, but Bolero definitely does display Climatronic info, and reversing sensor graphics etc on FL models.

PDC = Parking Distance Control aka Parking sensors

Not sure what pdc is, but Bolero definitely does display Climatronic info, and reversing sensor graphics etc on FL models.

Well,... yes! It was designed FOR the fl model so it'd be a bit rubbish if it didn't, and pdc IS the reversing graphics.

Edited 22 September, 201213 yr by blackspaven

Audience was in the Mark 2 Octavia, it was the top of the range head unit at the time, always had MP3 capability on its inbuilt 6 CD changer. Usually came supplied with the upgraded sound system, although you could get it without as an optional extra. The Audience is quiet a rare head unit given the cost to add the sound system to an octavia.

One unit missing from the list, and even rarer is the MFD2 satnav system. This head unit is the predecessor of the Columbus, and compared to the Columbus is somewhat basic.

MFD2:

http://vagdrivers.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6655

It's odd that I didn't get the Audience extra sound system bearing in mind the age and model of my car.

My 55 plate L&K came from the factory with a Stream (non mp3) and had PDC and boot mounted CDC.

There was also the MFD2 Nav unit, known by Skoda as the Nexus. Probably best off forgetting it ever existed though as the navigation was awful and the sound quality is the worst of all the head units I have tried in my car (Stream, Stream MP3, Bolero & Columbus as well as Nexus).

Was going to say as I read down through that I hadn't seen the Nexus mentioned (until last couple of posts). Got it in mine and it seems to do the job well enough. Postcode entry would have been nice, I like how it comes up on the Maxidot display too. Probably newer systems are way better but when you've come from a 13 year old Vectra, the Nexus will do for me nicely.

Thanks for all the information, I think that makes things clearer(!)

Was going to say as I read down through that I hadn't seen the Nexus mentioned (until last couple of posts). Got it in mine and it seems to do the job well enough. Postcode entry would have been nice, I like how it comes up on the Maxidot display too. Probably newer systems are way better but when you've come from a 13 year old Vectra, the Nexus will do for me nicely.

It is the lack of postcode entry (and old maps) that killed it for me.

You can get 2012-2013 maps for the Nexus.

But the core software doesn't have the 7 digit postcode entry does it? (unless I missed a software update somewhere along the way)

Having to have the CD in all the time as well was a pain, and I never really got the RDS-TMC to be of any use with it. The Columbus is much better in terms of mapping, software, general functionality etc. Then again it costs a whole lot more!

How can you tell if you have ,or what is the difference upgraded sound system mine came with Audience 08 2.0 TDI L&K. Now have Bolero.

There would be an amp under the passenger seat.

There would be an amp under the passenger seat.

Agreed, plus you had extra speakers (tweeters?) in the doors (12 instead of 8) there was a metal tags saying something like 'stereo system' on the front door speakers, one of these fell off mine. I had this upgrade on my old elegance, a bit expensive but good for OEM, I am not a ICE expert.. so only my thoughts...

You can get 2012-2013 maps for the Nexus.

Is it likely that the maps would work across the VAG range?. The only ones I can find for the MFD2 (Nexus) are advertised for Volkswagon.

If they are on CD, yes. For the Columbus you can use VW maps and they work fine, and still have the Skoda dealer POI's.

Skoda never released the DVD version of the MFD2 as far as I am aware.

"Audience was in the Mark 2 Octavia, it was the top of the range head unit at the time, always had MP3 capability on its inbuilt 6 CD changer. Usually came supplied with the upgraded sound system, although you could get it without as an optional extra. The Audience is quiet a rare head unit given the cost to add the sound system to an octavia."

And quite rightly so. The Audience was (and in our case still is) a disaster, incapable of providing a solid but clear sound however much you fiddled with the controls. But the main problem was the positioning of the front tweeters facing towards the passengers in the door pillars - totally against the laws of acoustics. Either driver or passanger could get a central image, but only if the balance control was set +-5 to either side.

By contrast our 09 Smart has a simple but far more effective set-uo. Speakers in the doors, woofer under the driver's seat (no, not a sub-woofer - it doesn't go noticeably under 100Hz) and tweeters set into the demister grill at each side firing upwards - provides a wonderfully clear and solid soundstage.

Let's hope the next Skodas have sound systems engineered by experts rather than stylists!

Considering upgrading my Bolero

So Columbus is the premium system then?

Indeed yes, Columbus is the current top model.