How much Is An Amundsen Worth?

[FletchCossie]

Looking to upgrade my stereo so the standard Amundsen MIB2 will be surplus to requirements. What would it be worth?

 

Its from my 2016 Octavia VRS and has 2 SD Card Slots.

[ntl123]

I can’t belive they did away with the CD player in the new version, I have the 1st version much better 

[uchuff]

Sorry I can't answer, just curious what you are planning to upgrade to? I have the same but with the 8" screen (facelift and feel it's quite good).

Edited 3 September, 2018 by uchuff

[SashaGrace]

I paid £270 for my unit and screen when I installed my Amundsen. The value to those who know will depend on who made it. If it’s a TechniSat one then they are easier to work with in terms of retrofitting one into an older car. I take it you are going for a Columbus or a newer Amundsen? When I did my swap I was offered a MIB2.5 for a good price and I didn’t take it, I decided to spread out the cost. I regret it now as if I had taken it, that stereo would have had a fibre optic connection to allow me to install the virtual cockpit. I’m not changing my radio again as I’m pretty sure I’ll be upgrading my Octy for a new one in a year or so. I’ll just spec it as an option then

[FletchCossie]

ntl123, I would never use a CD player and have my current music stored on a SD card inside the unit. Works well for me

 

Uchuff, Im having the Alpine i902-OC3 (Non sat nav) installed: https://italy.alpine-europe.com/p/Products/SingleView/i902D-OC3

Replacing front and rear speakers with Hertz 165 pro's and fitting my own Kicker Solo Baric 12" sub in the boot. I had my previous Alpine in my 2003 VRS for 13 years (Owned the car 10 years) and still sounded very good. Hope this one is as good

 

SashaGrace, thank you I will look at the stickers once its removed and see which one it is. Hopefully its the easier and more expensive one lol I like this unit, works well, but it cannot have my sub woofer fitted to it through RCA cables. Sadly have to upgrade it and the Alpine is the only one I like as mentioned, due to my previous Alpine. Im looking to keep this car for a long time, so want all my creature comforts in place so hopefully all I have to focus on is maintenance. Ive seen your build post and like some of the things you have done  Your stereo install was one of the things I researched when looking for stereos

 

The virtual cockpit look awesome lol

 

 

Edited 3 September, 2018 by FletchCossie

[MarkyG82]

@FletchCossie I may be interested in having the unit and screen off you if I can find someone to do the coding for me. Would you mind me making you an offer?

[Croat]

I would love to replace my MIB I Amundsen for second generation. Check your PM.

Edited 3 September, 2018 by Croat

[FletchCossie]

@MarkyG82 please feel free to Pm me an offer mate  

 

@Croat I have replied mate

[Croat]

700$ on ebay, but I can't afor that price. 

Edited 3 September, 2018 by Croat

[FletchCossie]

Thanks @Croat I have replied to your PM

[amitanubha]

Hello

 

Did you get Alpine installed and have any reviews about unit , response or importantly sound quality

I might follow the steps if it works better then Amundsen especially with good sound processor, equalization and changing speakers eventually

 

Thanks 

-Amit/India

Skoda Octavia III MY17 pre-FL

[FletchCossie]

Hi Amit, sorry only just seen your post. I have not bit the bullet and gone for the Alpine yet as I cannot justify the cost of the unit, also I do not want it to interfere with my Skoda warranty at all. I will get something at some point, but would rather wait at present to see if Alpine release another, updated version of this unit

[Guest]

5 hours ago, FletchCossie said:

Hi Amit, sorry only just seen your post. I have not bit the bullet and gone for the Alpine yet as I cannot justify the cost of the unit, also I do not want it to interfere with my Skoda warranty at all. I will get something at some point, but would rather wait at present to see if Alpine release another, updated version of this unit

 

I was just about to ask how much that upgrade was going to cost - from memory those units were horribly expensive. And when you said you were going to get them fitted !!!  Labour alone would scare me off.

 

But the main reason I reply is you mentioned head unit and speakers but you didn't mention anything about powering them. All depends on what the spec of those speakers are but wouldn't have thought that head unit was capable of powering them to anywhere near their potential. And depending how you mount the subwoofer, you're probably looking at a min of 400w (ported) or 500w (enclosed) RMS to power it. In other words, you'd require two seperate amps to power the system. To have that lot installed must be costing a fortune.

 

 

[amitanubha]

Hello Scot

 

Here is another thread i was on Briskoda (copying my post from there to here)

 

In general i am interested to know how wiring diagram looks in front and rear for connecting speakers, and what frequency range Amundsen sends out in front and rear. 

Does it send out something like 80hz-20Khz( i am assuming on low side they might be not sending full range down to 20hz signals to protect mib woofer, or may be they do send 20-20khz but in lower range less db /power to mids after certain volume). 

Is there a proper crossover somewhere built inside speakers. I do see a thread talking about tweeter having a cap of 6.8uF which typically means a crossover or high pass of around 6khz (based on link below- dont know exact impedance from 4ohm tweeter in ball park)

https://www.diyaudioandvideo.com/Tables/ButterworthCrossover/1stOrder/

Which means mids handle quite a load and typically home hifi application cross over much lower around 2.3-3khz

Further i read in the forum someone changed caps to 3.3uf so making a high pass of 12khz and was pleased with sound stage

Question - Can mid woofer really take full range signal without any band pass filter especially above 5-6khz ? 

How to improve range from 3-6Khz in mid range woofer ?

How about tuning signals for proper range with same or different set of speakers and adding a sealed sub(or may be 2 subs below each front seats crossing with low pass of 80-100Hz and allow mids to handle properly above 100hz, and then tweeter take over at appropriate freq depending upon construction and freq response of speakers but i prefer around 3khz max as physics demand for 165mm mid it cannot move or produce a wavelength too high )

Any link, forum or thread , if anyone can point or provide is also very helpful

 

Lastly anyone researched external DSP like plug n play from Pioneer DEQ S1000 or sony XM-GS6DSP as cheap quick alternative to improve sound(using filters for high/low/band) and sound stage using dsp time alignment

 

With Regards

-Amit Goel

 

I also sen email to Alpine support and here is summary of why they recommend this over Amundsen(BTW power output is asme in in Alpine which is max 50W so rms should be 20w continuous, which is same as Amundsen

===============================================================================

Hi Amit,

 

I don’t know the Amundsen mib2 in technical detail to draw true comparisons.

The Alpine unit has a built in DSP you can tune to your vehicle and liking. We have crossovers, HPF and LPF, Time Correction and 9 band parametric EQ for front and rear channels. You also have the option of HDMI IN/OUT, 3 x pre-outs to drive amps.

 

Regards

 

Carl Bridgwood

Technical & Sales Operations Team leader

===================================================================

[FletchCossie]

11 hours ago, Scot5 said:

 

I was just about to ask how much that upgrade was going to cost - from memory those units were horribly expensive. And when you said you were going to get them fitted !!!  Labour alone would scare me off.

 

But the main reason I reply is you mentioned head unit and speakers but you didn't mention anything about powering them. All depends on what the spec of those speakers are but wouldn't have thought that head unit was capable of powering them to anywhere near their potential. And depending how you mount the subwoofer, you're probably looking at a min of 400w (ported) or 500w (enclosed) RMS to power it. In other words, you'd require two seperate amps to power the system. To have that lot installed must be costing a fortune.

 

 

 

Hi Scot, the NON Sat Nav unit is £1000 and the Sat Nav unit is around £1500 from memory. Extremely expensive for just a stereo, but this one is designed for our cars. I dont see the point buying a decent unit that doesn't integrate with our systems. I was quoted around £2100 for stereo, speakers and sub woofer fitting (Along with amp), but I can fit the head unit and sub myself. All I would need is the cables for the amp run as I wouldn't want to damage anything on the car. I like the sound of my current standard speakers, but feel putting 50w through them will blow them up lol

 

I would run the speakers off the standard head unit (50w x 4) and the sub woofer off an Edge Amp running 300w RMS. I have a 12inch Kicker Solo Baric also rated at 300w RMS from memory, in an enclosed box. It sounded really good in my Mk1 VRS with Edge speakers from an Alpine head unit, which I hope to recreate in my new VRS.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, amitanubha said:

Hello Scot

 

Here is another thread i was on Briskoda (copying my post from there to here)

 

Lastly anyone researched external DSP like plug n play from Pioneer DEQ S1000 or sony XM-GS6DSP as cheap quick alternative to improve sound(using filters for high/low/band) and sound stage using dsp time alignment

 

I also sen email to Alpine support and here is summary of why they recommend this over Amundsen(BTW power output is asme in in Alpine which is max 50W so rms should be 20w continuous, which is same as Amundsen
 

 

Sorry, didn't see your previous thread. First thoughts are you're getting way too involved with figures. Yes people can make all the calculations in the world but at the end of the day you're installing a system in a challenging environment so even if your figures are accurate, they're about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

Secondly I wouldn't have asked Alpine for advice - it's like asking Turkey's to vote for Christmas - you know what the answer is going to be. ( I note that Alpine didn't give you the RMS figure for their headunit, that's pretty poor from them).

 

And finally you use the words "cheap quick alternative". Sorry but there isn't one.

 

Without spending huge amounts of money (upwards of £3000) it's all pretty simple. You need a decent signal for the headunit, you need to find decent speakers that will fit your vehicle and you need an amplifier which accepts the signal and who's power matches the speakers. That Alpine unit would work as a direct replacement for the Skoda headunit but the inclusion of three pre-outs tells you it's not much good for anything else.

 

From my own personal view one of the biggest problems isn't just the speakers in the Octavia, but in the way they've been mounted. ( I'm sure my SEAT uses the same hardwear) Mounting them properly would probably have sorted out many of the complaints. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, FletchCossie said:

 

Hi Scot, the NON Sat Nav unit is £1000 and the Sat Nav unit is around £1500 from memory. Extremely expensive for just a stereo, but this one is designed for our cars. I dont see the point buying a decent unit that doesn't integrate with our systems. I was quoted around £2100 for stereo, speakers and sub woofer fitting (Along with amp), but I can fit the head unit and sub myself. All I would need is the cables for the amp run as I wouldn't want to damage anything on the car. I like the sound of my current standard speakers, but feel putting 50w through them will blow them up lol

 

I would run the speakers off the standard head unit (50w x 4) and the sub woofer off an Edge Amp running 300w RMS. I have a 12inch Kicker Solo Baric also rated at 300w RMS from memory, in an enclosed box. It sounded really good in my Mk1 VRS with Edge speakers from an Alpine head unit, which I hope to recreate in my new VRS.

 See my answer above. That Alpine unit would work as a direct replacement and make the fitting of external amps easier but it's not going to blow your speakers. Alpine are being cleaver saying it's 50w per channel but that's not an RMS figure. At a guess, the RMS will be approx 15-20W. If you want to go down that route then think of it as those Hertz speakers requiring 100W continuous but you're only feeding them 50W. You then start having to mess around with wizardly to enhance the bass etc...  soon becomes a mess. The std stock speakers or some basic 3rd party speakers are probably better matched to the Alpine unit.

 

Re: your sub - check out Kicker web page   Kicker 12" baric  Assuming that's the same Sub you're using, the min. recommended power in an enclosed box is 500W RMS.

Edited 22 November, 2018 by Guest

[FletchCossie]

58 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

 See my answer above. That Alpine unit would work as a direct replacement and make the fitting of external amps easier but it's not going to blow your speakers. Alpine are being cleaver saying it's 50w per channel but that's not an RMS figure. At a guess, the RMS will be approx 15-20W. If you want to go down that route then think of it as those Hertz speakers requiring 100W continuous but you're only feeding them 50W. You then start having to mess around with wizardly to enhance the bass etc...  soon becomes a mess. The std stock speakers or some basic 3rd party speakers are probably better matched to the Alpine unit.

 

Re: your sub - check out Kicker web page   Kicker 12" baric  Assuming that's the same Sub you're using, the min. recommended power in an enclosed box is 500W RMS.

 

Thanks for the information, I understand what your saying. I was happy with my previous Alpine unit with Edge speakers and no amp to power them. Adjusting the setting on the Alpine unit gave it a very clear sound.

 

My solo baric is around 10 years old, so most likely an older model compared to the current series. I looked into specifications at the time and matched the amp to the speaker. Im very happy with how it sounds, deep and solid, and that was with the settings just above standard on the stereo. Even after 10 years the bass still impressed me.

 

Thanks for your info though

[JohnnyType2]

bought the same unit a couple of months ago for £150 from a breaker and they threw in the sharkfin GPS (£50) for free, i sold the same screen as yours for £95 yesterday

[Deck081]

On 21/11/2018 at 15:43, FletchCossie said:

Hi Amit, sorry only just seen your post. I have not bit the bullet and gone for the Alpine yet as I cannot justify the cost of the unit, also I do not want it to interfere with my Skoda warranty at all. I will get something at some point, but would rather wait at present to see if Alpine release another, updated version of this unit

 

Hi Steve (Fletch Cossie - Id know that name a mile off, Its Declan BTW  ) 

 

have you thought about the under seat sub that alpine do? might save you some hassle with the cabling, Also have a checkout of the upgrades to the VRS in another thread ( number plate VRS 2 low if you are looking for more power too! ) 

 

how does your new octavia compare to your old one?  

[amitanubha]

Or did anyone try 2 under seat subs one each on passenger and driver side ? And if yes what brand or configuration ? please comment

[FletchCossie]

On 22/11/2018 at 20:36, JohnnyType2 said:

bought the same unit a couple of months ago for £150 from a breaker and they threw in the sharkfin GPS (£50) for free, i sold the same screen as yours for £95 yesterday

 

Thanks Johnny, good information

[FletchCossie]

8 hours ago, Deck081 said:

 

Hi Steve (Fletch Cossie - Id know that name a mile off, Its Declan BTW  ) 

 

have you thought about the under seat sub that alpine do? might save you some hassle with the cabling, Also have a checkout of the upgrades to the VRS in another thread ( number plate VRS 2 low if you are looking for more power too! ) 

 

how does your new octavia compare to your old one?  

 

Morning Declan, stalking me I see lol I wouldn't do anything other than my 12inch solo baric and amp. I know it works well and sounds very good  I will have a look for that thread, but Im not really interested in upgrading anything to be honest apart from a sub woofer. Still worth a read though  I kept my old VRS standard for 10 years and it never failed me (Well apart from when the gearbox differential failed, but once in 10 years is very good lol).

 

I love the new one, just wish I got to drive it more (I work 3 miles from home lol). My old Skoda was perfect for what I needed and drove very well for a 144k mile car. The person that bought it was over the moon with what he was getting as he saw the pile of receipts I had for the car. The bits I miss about it is I knew how to drive that car and how it felt, so miss the spirited drives and having less interest in maintaining the bodywork unlike the new car. Parking miles away from where you want to be just so no one parks near you is a pain lol

 

My only gripe with the new one is the position of the B pillar. They moved it forward and as Im 6ft 6 my seat sits just behind the B pillar, so the steering wheel adjustment is closer to me/the B pillar. Makes the gap between the steering wheel and the B pillar very close for my over sized belly lol I plan to lose weight just to fit into this gap lol

Edited 27 November, 2018 by FletchCossie

[Deck081]

Stalking, you are not my type  though you are 6ft and blonde 

 

can you imagine trying to fit in another vehicle of the class - I tried the A4 and A5 - the cabin space and leg room behind the drivers seat was pointless. I agree with you regarding the travel time etc I used to live in my company Octavia and it was a pleasure to drive, hence I went out and bought one for myself. I just find it funny after 4 year of driving one only 2 days ago I found the heated wing mirror option 

[FletchCossie]

Well, more bald than blond lol

 

Thats a good point actually. I tried a Focus and liked it, but just wasn't big enough. I really liked the Mondeo's and was tempted with a Vignale spec, but they do not come in 2 litre petrol and manual :( I went to look at the VRS Ive got now just to see what they were like and to test drive one, but I loved the colour and look of it and decided without getting out of my old car I was buying it lol

 

People under estimate Skoda's still, but I would prefer one over the more expensive Audi's and VW's :)

 

Its taken you this long to find that switch? lol You need to read the manual hahaha