MP3 Socket - pictures

[yashicamat]

Does anyone know when this auxillary input is becoming standard on Stream head units? MIGHT be getting an Octy 2 soonish.

[Johnnyc]

Hi Johnny

Sorry let me clarify' date=' the car is brand new with the socket fitted in the jumbo box, I do not have an MP3 player.

Is the adaptor worthwhile, will it give a better sound, have listened to some music on an ipod as was not too impressed. Not terribly well up on MP3's I imagine there can be a difference in quality.

I am interested as rather than have 6 discs in the boot I may be tempted to copy many of my cd's into a MP3 player and use the socket if the sound will be good enough.

Thanks

Taz[/quote']

It's definately worthwhile. All my music was encoded at 320kbps and its basically indecerable from an original CD. I can just about tell the difference on my separates system at home and its no problem in the car. I don't even mind losing the autochanger because it was always hastle to change the discs anyway. I wouldn't be withot my mstation mp3 player. It has over 400 albums on it now.

[Taztastic]

Thanks Johnny

New car has arrived today, wow it's brilliant must go and get an MP3 player now then.

Thanks

Taz

[pbutterworth]

According to skoda customer services, all new Octavia elegance build models after build week 22 (29 May 2006) will have the 3.5mm aux input in the jumbo box.

Lets just hope mine which arrives next Friday is a new build model, it wasnt built to order, just one they had available as I preferred not to wait, so now it's a long slow week waiting!

cheers

Paul

[pbutterworth]

Well just had a call from the dealer, & the build date for my Octavia was week 22, so fingers crossed - it should have the aux connection!

Paul

[Taztastic]

Hi Paul

My car arrived this week, it's the one pictured in this thread and it was week 22, so fingers crossed yours will have the socket

Taz

[jofje]

Hello' date='

I would like to add this kind of simple input (activate AUX) into my Stream receiver.

What is the best way (cheap and easy to assemble) to connect my mp3 output to the Stream system?

[/quote']

As far as I can see no one has answered this question yet - I want to do the same thing.

I bought the car in september -05, fitted with a Stream radio. The manual says that there is a aux external input, but does not tell me anything about connections. I've pulled out the HU, but with my limited knowledge I can't figure out anything from what I see behind. My car dealer was not able to help.

I've found some somewhat expensive aux-in adapters on the net that connects as a CD autochanger, but as I understand the manual for the radio there should be another simpler option.

So, what is the cheapest/simplest sollution for connecting my MP3 (not Ipod) to my Stream?

[cheezemonkhai]

You will probably find that the AUX is part of the ISO connector.

What you would need to do if it is wired like ttwo phones but into the iso instead is put an 3.5mm socket into the car wires up with two core plus earth wires. The signal pins for left and right would go into the iso and the grounds would go into the iso also. At the jack end both eaths could connect to the single earth point and the two signal wires would connect the the left and right signal parts of the socket where the jack will contact.

Total approx cost for jack plus cable plus the pins for iso connector will be about £5. Then you need to borrow or already have the tools, eg a soldering iron, solder and possibly a crimp connector.

[jofje]

Thanks for reply. I'm afraid that I need a bit more - maybe I'm a bit slow. My knowledge in these matters is close to zero.

You will probably find that the AUX is part of the ISO connector.

May be, but I don't know how to tell. I have attached i photo I took of the thing after disconnecting (what I guess is the ISO connector you mention). I tried also to take a shot of the sticker explaining the connections, but it was a mobile that produced to blurred image, so I'll describe:

4 leftmost connections, top-down: Rad On +, Mute Ext, U + B, Safe

4 next connections, top-down: Ground symbol, Tel Mute, Can/L, Can/H

(The 4+4 next connections are all busy, and is marked LR, LF, RF and so on and I gueass they are for the speakers).

What you would need to do if it is wired like ttwo phones but into the iso instead is put an 3.5mm socket into the car wires up with two core plus earth wires. The signal pins for left and right would go into the iso and the grounds would go into the iso also. At the jack end both eaths could connect to the single earth point and the two signal wires would connect the the left and right signal parts of the socket where the jack will contact.

I didn't quite get all this, but if you could for a start help me find the right place to attach the wires to the ISO, then we'll take it from there.

A little sigh at the end: Shouldn't something as simple as this be possible to buy ready made at a relatively cheap price? And, it bothers me that the manual for the radio states that there is an aux in connections if one have to solder together the thing yourself. In all other circumstances I have seen aux in connections, it has been just a matter of plugging an ordinary cable form the elecronics shop into the thing.

[Johnnyc]

You will probably find that the AUX is part of the ISO connector.

What you would need to do if it is wired like ttwo phones but into%2 the iso instead is put an 3.5mm socket into the car wires up with two core plus earth wires. The signal pins for left and right would go into the iso and the grounds0would go into the iso also. At the jack end both eaths could connect to the single earth point and the two signal wires would connect the the left and right signal parts of the socket where the jack will contact.

Total approx cost for jack plus cable plus the pins for iso connector will be about £5. Then you need to borrow or already have the tools' date=' eg a soldering iron, solder and possibly a crimp connector.[/quote']

The Stream & Audience Head units use Quadlock connectors not ISO. The connections for Aux-in may well be in there somewhere but it isn't identified on the label.

Regardless of this, there is no way of enabling the AUX-IN function on pre-week 22 2006 cars anyway. This requires a firmware upgrade and hardware upgrade within the head unit. No plug-in magic box is available to enable the aux input. It just isn't possible (info courtesy of stream/audience manufacturer). I know the aux function can be turned on/off in the menu but this doesn't actually do anything and it is worthless.

There is a low quality mono input for a hands free kit but it's not suitable in any way for connection of an mp3 player.

With this in mind, the following solutions are available:-

Stream or Audience

FM Modulator - This converts the output from your mp3 player to an FM signal which you simply tune your radio into. To keep legal this needs to be a fully wired version and the aerial input to the Stream/Audience Head Units isn't standard so you may need an adapter

Stream Only

AUX Adapter - This connects to the head unit in place of the autochanger. It fools the Head unit into thinking the changer is still attached and provides an Aux stereo input. You select the aux source by selecting the cd changer as the source. The input level is quite low so you need to use the line out socket of your mp3 player as opposed to the headphone socket.

Denison Icelink- Specific to Ipods but allows you to skip tracks, select playlists etc from the head unit too.

DO NOT MUCK ABOUT WITH THE QUADLOCK CONNECTOR. The OctyII uses Canbus which you really don't want to upset. Finally just to clarify, THERE IS NO WAY OFF JUST HOOKING UP A COUPLE OF WIRES TO ACHEIVE AN AUX INPUT ON pre-week 22 2006 cars . I know what I am talking about here.

[jofje]

The Stream & Audience Head units use Quadlock connectors not ISO. The connections for Aux-in may well be in there somewhere but it isn't identified on the label. ...

....

DO NOT MUCK ABOUT WITH THE QUADLOCK CONNECTOR. The OctyII uses Canbus which you really don't want to upset. Finally just to clarify' date=' THERE IS NO WAY OFF JUST HOOKING UP A COUPLE OF WIRES TO ACHEIVE AN AUX INPUT ON pre-week 22 2006 cars . I know what I am talking about here.[/quote']

Thanks a lot for that valuable info!

I'm getting more and more upset and angry at the manual for the radio - why on earth does it mention the aux-in possibility and how to activate it and adjusting the volume? Did they know when they wrote it that there would be a later model (post-week22-2006) and wanted to save time on editing the manual?

I think I'll go for the Aux adapter, then, even if it will cost me more than the MP3 player itself.

[Johnnyc]

Thanks a lot for that valuable info!

I'm getting more and more upset and angry at the manual for the radio - why on earth does it mention the aux-in possibility and how to activate it and adjusting the volume? Did they know when they wrote it that there would be a later model (post-week22-2006) and wanted to save time on editing the manual?

I think I'll go for the Aux adapter' date=' then, even if it will cost me more than the MP3 player itself.[/quote']

I know it's really irritating. I had a long chat with the technical director of Visteon UK who manufacture stream and Audience head units (assembled in Portugal actually). It turns out that Skoda decided last minute not to pay the extra to get Visteon to develop the hardware and firmware for this function at the time. The menu system with Aux on/off and vol controls had already been developed so was left there to p**s us all off.

I'll PM you an email address of a guy who sells aux adapters for

[McAndy]

Sending HU to Visteon to make H & S upgrade...

Is that possible?

[Johnnyc]

Sending HU to Visteon to make H & S upgrade...

Is that possible?

No not really. Visteon generally won't deal with the public directly especially since your HU is under warranty through Skoda and coded to your cars VIN number. Although I managed to talk to their Technical Director, I spent a long time getting to that point. They were pretty evasive.

Like any hardware upgrade, there's the possibility of rendering the HU useless if not carried out correctly. I don't think they would take the risk. They would advise you to buy a new HU through your Skoda dealer. Expect to pay

[pbutterworth]

The direct FM moudulators are pretty effective, not the ones that plug into teh ipod and tramsit a radio frequency like an iTrip, they get too much interference, but the ones that plug directly into the aerial socket.

Maplin sells one at £29.99.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=44128&

AFAIK all the other options take over the CD changer inputs.

Best of luck

Paul

[pbutterworth]

Hi,

Well I now have received the car, very impressed so far!

I've been playing with the aux connection, and am a little frustrated, maybe not by the aux itself, more the cigarette lighter!

In my previous car I used a belkin car charger with built in amp and 3.5mm output (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=149006) but on my Octavia there's so much interference it's unusable.

Is this somthing that can be fixed? I read somewhere in the manual that they warn about this happening!

Cheers

Paul

[Wardy]

Can't say I'm surprised. I did summarise my feelings on taking the feed direct from the headphone jack earlier in this thread. I would try a Sendstation PocketDock LineOut (about £20 from various iPod accessory e-tailers). This will allow you to connect a 3.5mm jack>jack cable between the amped bottom connector of the iPod, and the Skoda's auxilary connection. With this the sound quality should increase dramatically. Or if you're local, you can try my PocketDock out

Steve.

[Johnnyc]

Can't say I'm surprised. I did summarise my feelings on taking the feed direct from the headphone jack earlier in this thread. I would try a Sendstation PocketDock LineOut (about £20 from various iPod accessory e-tailers). This will allow you to connect a 3.5mm jack>jack cable between the amped bottom connector of the iPod' date=' and the Skoda's auxilary connection. With this the sound quality should increase dramatically. Or if you're local, you can try my PocketDock out

Steve.[/quote']

I could be wrong but from the picture. the Belkin adapter he has comes with a connector for the bottom of the ipod through which it provides power to the ipod and also takes a lineout from the Ipod. It converts the lineout to a 3.5mm jack plug and provides some additional amplification in between. So it doesn't connect to the Ipods headphone socket at all.

I think the weakness in this adapter is the on board amplification which is probably unecessary and creates a weak point for introducing interference.

If you insist on using it i would try to add your own 12v socket connected directly to the fuse box. I used a 4 way 12v socket outlet as i had 3 bits of kit with plug in chargers. the 4th is a spare.

[Wardy]

In my previous car I used a belkin car charger with built in amp and 3.5mm output (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=149006) but on my Octavia[/b'] there's so much interference it's unusable.

Johnny - the above quote seems to suggest he's no longer using the Belkin device in the Octavia?

Steve

[Johnnyc]

Johnny - the above quote seems to suggest he's no longer using the Belkin device in the Octavia?

Steve

Agreed but he would prefer to use it. Aplogies for the confusion.

[Wardy]

Oh right I see - no problem. On the Belkin and interference issue, it could be insufficient shielding between the power and audio cables I suppose? I know I wouldn't have audio and power cables running that closely together, if I could help it!

Steve

[pbutterworth]

Yes I would prefer to use it, as it charges and provides the line out at the same time. In fact I get a reasonable output using the headphone for signal, and the belkin for power, but that defeats the object of it in some ways.

It was a really nice solution in my last car, just one plug in, dont have to worry about the volume.

I'm not sure I can be bothered with rewiring a new power feed. I have a wired dock in teh house, I assume that behaves like the sendstation, so I could try that & see if I have any more luck. Shame though as I will lose the charging ability.

[mbval]

So, can I connect this to my CD Stream

[mbval]

Nobody knows :confused:

[justdoit]

I got round this problem via ebay. I bought a MFD2 Sat Nav unit and a natty little box that sends audio and video to the unit. I still have my CD changer, in dash CD (as long as I am not using the navigation) plus the Sony MP3 player and dvd video (even whilst moving if I wish:finger: ). Total cost inc 2007 TMC disc and dash surround was about