[mickymix]

Hi,

I've recently joined the forum and, even if I tried discovering the needed information searching around, I've still a big doubt about the items in the subject.

I've got my brand new S4 last week (B7) and, as I ordered it, it came with RNS-E and glove box CD changer...

I've seen around lot of bargains with PhatNoise' PhatBox and since I'm interested in fitting one on my car I would like to know:

- is it possible to have the CD changer and the PhatBox live together with RNS-E or should I use the DIY adapter widely spoken of ? I mean, does the RNS-E have double CD IN lines or not ? (the dealer told me I can use the TV IN line, but I think this way I would loose the command interface for PhatBox, am I correct ?).

- Does anyone knows if B7 already come with the harness cable from the RNS-E to the trunk ? (I already tried opening the trunk side, but unfortunately it's not so easy as in the past to see cabling: you need to completely open the trunk sides to see anything...). Just wanted to see if someone already opened its one... ;-)

- Is there anything I should pay attention to before proceding buying the PhatBox ? (beside the harness cable, should it be required) ???

Any comment, idea, suggestion will really be appreciated...

Obviously, should you need to know something from my actual setup, let me know... ;-)

Thanks to everybody reading...

 

[AudiA4B6US]

Hi,

Welcome on board. I don't have an answer to your questions but would be very interested in your current OEM setup. The RNS-E has definitely not two line-in, just the usual CD-Changer line-in. One of the questions raised earlier and never answered is how Audi did connect the sat tuner and the CD-changer in their current 2005.5 A3 and A4/S4 setup.

I think I read somewhere recently that the sat receiver has an audio throughput which would mean that the CD-changer is connected to the sat receiver, which itself is connected to the head unit. This would allow the line-out from the CD-changer to go through the sat receiver to the HU when the sat receiver is turned off.

I would appriciate if you could dig your way down to the sat receiver in your trunk and check (or make a photo) if there is any wiring information printed on the sat receiver which would confirm this theory.

In any case, I think if you want the phatbox as 3rd device, you would either need to disconnect your CD-changer or get one of those DIY switches which allow you to select either the CD-changer or the phatbox.

Dirk

 

[mickymix]

Hi AudiA4B6US,

thank you very much for your reply.

It's a realy pity RNS-E does not have other CD-IN to be used with PhatBox. When I asked to my dealer I first got a positive answer as they already fitted TWO CD Changers in an A6 (the newest one): one in the glove box and one in the trunk. I seggested them we were speaking of a different AUDI NAV and they rethinked the answer telling me it would anyway be possible using the TV LINE IN.

I personally think anyway this would not fool the RNS-E thinking is has another CD changer connected and therefore I would loose the chance to control it with the MMI... is this correct or do you (or anybode else) have other inputs ?

About your searching information about the SAT tuner: I'm sorry to say in Europe (at least in Italy) we do not have the option to use a SAT tuner...

I don't know if this is due to the fact we do not have the service available yet (the most reasonable) or if there are other problems (usually due to the technology being too recent for AUDI to consider it...).

Opening the side trunks doors at the moment reveals:

- on the right side there are lot of BOSE components and there is no room for a pencil...
- on the left side there is another piece of plastic covered with textile which hides other components and some small room (for the emergency jacket, not more anyway). I did not remove this yet, as I did not expected to find anything interesting for my car setup... I can anyway investigate, should this be interesting for others...

Tomorrow I'll try to call the importer to know something more about the connections of the PhatBox, as it appears in the accessories catalog, but there is no mention it not being usable together with a CD-Changer.

Let's hope I get an answer which could be useful to others... ;-)

Ciao

 

[AudiA4B6US]

I thought you were in the US where almost everybody gets the sat radio receiver when they get Bose or the RNS-E.

If you are in Europe and if you just want audio/video in, there is the Dietz 1417 (http://www.audiotechnik-dietz.de/images/1417.jpg) which connects to the TV port on the RNS-E. You won't be able to control the device through the head unit and you won't be able to see video while moving (at least without an additional adapter), but it should give you an audio line-in. I haven't tried it myself but I read several times that it works quite well with the EU RNS-E. It's a little expensive but it also gives you the option to connect a 3rd party DVD player or digital TV tuner, something not available from Audi yet.