Symphony 2 install in non-Audi?

[Ti Kan]

Walt_Helsel at URSCorp.com writes:
> Ti Kan wrote:
> > Assuming you get the radio to wake up and get past the security lockout,
> > and have all the needed wiring done, these should be no problem.
> > Note that Audis that come with this radio have an antenna amplifier,
> > and a non-amplified antenna may not provide sufficient reception.
>
> ***** Hmmm.. that might be an issue.  Is that part locateable and removeable,
> i.e. Junkyard visit?  If not, I may be able to locate a booster of sorts.
> Where is it inthe car, part of the antenna?

On many Audis the antenna amplifier is located inside the C pillar.
I think an aftermarket antenna booster will work, or you can get
an amplified antenna, such as those from Fuba.

> > The radio display does not dim with the headlight switch. It has a
> > light sensor that automatically dims itself in a gradual manner
> > depending on ambient lighting conditions. The buttons' backlighting
> > is probably something you lose without having the CAN bus connectivity
> > to the instrument cluster, since there is apparently no separate dimmer
> > signal connection.
>
> ***** Is that the very small spot above the "FM" button?  I assume the one
> over "Menu" is the security LED.  Button illumination, bah, that's rather
> important.

They are probably both ambient light sensors.  There is no security LED
on the radio.  The new Audis have the security blinking LED inside the
front door window.

> > I'll include the connection description for the older Delta CC and the
> > Concert I/Symphony I radios below. The Symphony II is only slightly
> > different than the Symphony I, so hopefully that will help you get
> > things wired up correctly.
>
> ***** I overlaid it on the Symph II pinout I found, check here:
> http://www.gravitydesign.net/saturn/yellowsub/images/SympII_Labelled.gif[1]
> Do I have the pins laid out correctly?  Looks like the major changes are Black
> 1,2 and 4 and that's it?

Yes, those are it.  I am not sure pin 6 on the Symphony II's black connector
is for illumination, since it was not labeled as such.
I am not sure that the CAN bus signals are the same between the
Symphony II and those for the earlier radios (you may also have the pins
labeled wrong).  Lastly, pins 9 and 10 on the 10-pin connector may not
be the same between Symphony II and the earlier radios.

> How much of these problems are averted by going to a Symphony I radio?
> Illumination and speed compensated sound?  Are those red display?  Might have
> to find one of those and swap for it...

The Symphony I has only a single CD player built-in.  If you want a
changer you have to hook up an external one.  Its illumination and
display is also red like just about all Audi factory radios.

The Symphony I also has a nifty feature that the Symphony II lacks,
namely the "hidden equalizer".

Going with a Symphony I will avert the problem with the security matching
between the radio and car.  Also, you should be able to control the
buttons' backlighting along with the rest of your dash illumination.
For speed-sensitive volume, you'll need to figure out what sort of
signal the Audi instrument cluster sends the radio (I am pretty sure it's
a series of pulses, but you need to know the voltage, wave shape,
and frequencies corresponding to the speed), and see if there is a way
you could rig up something similar in the recipent car.

-Ti
2003 A4 1.8T multitronic
2001 S4 biturbo 6-sp
1984 5000S turbo
1980 4000 2.0 5-sp
--
    ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
   ///   AMB Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA. USA
  ///    ti at amb.org
 //////  http://www.amb.org/ti/
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