DIY audio install in my R8

[jakesmith]

Raven Flyer said:

I got RTA to upgrade my head unit. They have a copy of the Audi Japan OE fascia and have fabricated all of the replacement looms so not a single wire is cut.

It's my car (with the diamond seats) in the photos on their website. https://rtacaraudio.co.uk/products/audi-r8-stereo-... The quality of the job was first class.

The sound is better than the standard head unit puts out and the louder it goes, the better it sounds.

I could replace the speakers and amps but feel just the additional functionality of the head unit (Carplay, Spotify, Waze etc) is all I actually need. Being a Spyder, I am never going to get the conditions for listening to perfect audio and I have a '5.2 litre sound generator' just behind my seat.

I wasn't aware of that kit, I don't think it was available when I did mine, or I missed it. For sure it is a simple plug & play solution & looks good, it's pricey though given that you can 3d print the bezel & buy the remote interface for under £100.

[Paul Henri]

Hi there. New to the forum so be gentle on me.
I intend to upgrade the head unit of my R8 as well. I am considering the Halo 9 since some time but not yet 100% decided.
How does it integrate with steering wheel commands and how did you install the Audi logo on the head unit? Anything else I should consider with the integration? I have no TPMS btw.
All tips and advice are appreciated. Thank you!

[jakesmith]

Paul Henri said:

Hi there. New to the forum so be gentle on me.
I intend to upgrade the head unit of my R8 as well. I am considering the Halo 9 since some time but not yet 100% decided.
How does it integrate with steering wheel commands and how did you install the Audi logo on the head unit? Anything else I should consider with the integration? I have no TPMS btw.
All tips and advice are appreciated. Thank you!

Hi, I just bought a Connects2 steering remote interface for £35, it works for volume and track skip not sure on phone
To install the audi logo you download the image off the internet (just google 'audi logo'), move it to a USB drive, plug the USB drive into the Halo unit & power it up (instructions are in the manual) and it copies it onto the unit
Any questions just ask

[Aliblahblah]

Very capable little install this, well done fella. I used to be into ICE quite a bit around 1995 to 2003 or so, Soundstream, Zapco, MTX, Kicker, MMATS, then adult life and work kicked in and I haven not done anything since. Maybe one day soon I will so something again as I have quite a bit of old kit lying about.

[pfarley11]

jakesmith said:

Here's the crappy B&O amp. 3 screws to get out. Only issue is the huge multipin connector - it is not proprietory though & is shared with Bose in the Porsche. So I ordered a plug with every pin cabled from the US (am in the UK) which cost £60!! The thing is it lets you tap into all the car's speaker lines without cutting anything -so when I sell I can put it back to stock easily.

Sorry. I'm a bit late to this post. Great information. Thanks!

Regarding the plug with the labeled leads/pins, do you happen to have a part number or a source you (or anyone) could refer me to? Or, if not, do you know what years/models of Porsche the Bose multi-pin connector is interchangeable with the R8 B&O one?

Any information would be super helpful. I'd love to avoid splicing into the factory B&O R8 harness . . .

Thanks!

[seefarr]

pfarley11 said:

Sorry. I'm a bit late to this post. Great information. Thanks!

Regarding the plug with the labeled leads/pins, do you happen to have a part number or a source you (or anyone) could refer me to? Or, if not, do you know what years/models of Porsche the Bose multi-pin connector is interchangeable with the R8 B&O one?

Any information would be super helpful. I'd love to avoid splicing into the factory B&O R8 harness . . .

Thanks!

RTA make the fascia and wiring harness that I supplied to my installer - they said it worked like a charm:

https://rtafabrication.co.uk/products/audi-r8-ster...

[jakesmith]

seefarr said:

pfarley11 said:

Sorry. I'm a bit late to this post. Great information. Thanks!

Regarding the plug with the labeled leads/pins, do you happen to have a part number or a source you (or anyone) could refer me to? Or, if not, do you know what years/models of Porsche the Bose multi-pin connector is interchangeable with the R8 B&O one?

Any information would be super helpful. I'd love to avoid splicing into the factory B&O R8 harness . . .

Thanks!

RTA make the fascia and wiring harness that I supplied to my installer - they said it worked like a charm:

https://rtafabrication.co.uk/products/audi-r8-ster...

The RTA kit I now have in my car it is much better than that one I knocked up.

However the provided loom is only for connecting the head u it to the car

If you wish to replace the b&o amp which you should as it has DSP onboard and is crap, you need to buy one of these leads so you can interface with all the car’s speaker lines without chopping into the car’s loom

From memory the pin out is actually printed on top of the b&o amp but if not it is easily findable on Google

This is a very easy upgrade if you are even modestly intelegent and willing to figure it out. It’s not plug and play though so buy a load of blue and red bullet crimps and ideally a labelling machine to label up all the wires.

Also do check polarity of the new speakers with a 9v battery to make sure they’re all in phase it’s very easy to make a mistake

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294618742801?mkcid=16&a...

[jakesmith]

Also don’t make your speaker mounts out of mdf they are perishing now as they get wet. Use marine ply or moisture resistant mdf

[pfarley11]

jakesmith said:

The RTA kit I now have in my car it is much better than that one I knocked up.

However the provided loom is only for connecting the head u it to the car

If you wish to replace the b&o amp which you should as it has DSP onboard and is crap, you need to buy one of these leads so you can interface with all the car’s speaker lines without chopping into the car’s loom

From memory the pin out is actually printed on top of the b&o amp but if not it is easily findable on Google

This is a very easy upgrade if you are even modestly intelegent and willing to figure it out. It’s not plug and play though so buy a load of blue and red bullet crimps and ideally a labelling machine to label up all the wires.

Also do check polarity of the new speakers with a 9v battery to make sure they’re all in phase it’s very easy to make a mistake

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294618742801?mkcid=16&a...

Perfect. Thanks. Yours doesn't ship to the States, but I found this one a few days ago: https://www.ebay.com/itm/393581864716

I think it'll serve the same purpose. Let me know if you see any issues, though.

Thanks!

[jakesmith]

pfarley11 said:

Perfect. Thanks. Yours doesn't ship to the States, but I found this one a few days ago: https://www.ebay.com/itm/393581864716

I think it'll serve the same purpose. Let me know if you see any issues, though.

Thanks!

That’s the actual one I bought in fact but I had to pay to ship it to the U.K, I only recommended the other one as it is cheaper here. So that one is perfect.

[pfarley11]

jakesmith said:

That’s the actual one I bought in fact but I had to pay to ship it to the U.K, I only recommended the other one as it is cheaper here. So that one is perfect.

Great! Thanks, man.

[fizzies]

Wondering if there’s space for amps at the bottom behind the seats, secured against the metal. Could work maybe if need more amps. I take it the sub box is attached the the back or on the shelf.