Vantage Premium Audio iPod/USB/Bluetooth Integration Project
Discussion
One of the things that surprised me about my Aston Martin Vantage was the lack of any aftermarket kits that would allow me to connect my iPod to the awesome quality Premium Audio system. Sure, the system has an in-dash 6-CD changer, but that is so 1995. Without the ability to play MP3 files, even six CDs isn't a very large amount of songs before you need to swap out a disc. Aston Martin sells an iPod integration kit that can be installed by the dealer, but reports on the forums claim it costs over $1,500US to get the system installed. I was looking for a solution that I could install myself for a bit less money.
The Vantage uses MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) which utilizes fiber optic cables to carry entertainment system information throughout the car. This means that you can't simply patch in an analog audio cable into the stereo and start playing music. I thought about using a direct-feed RF modulator, but reviews of many of those products mention that the audio quality is not too good.
After doing an exhaustive search on the Interwebs, I came across a company named Dension (from Hungary) that makes a kit to interface to cars equipped with MOST-based audio systems such as Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, Saab, and Volvo. There was no application information for the Vantage and very little in terms of documentation, installation, or instruction manuals. What little information I got was based off a few Youtube videos and a couple of emails I sent to the company's pre-sales support department. Even with this little information, I decided to take a chance and get one of their interfaces and see if I could get it to work.
I had already removed the facia panel over the center console to get it refinished in Piano Black, so I was able to peek inside the center stack and notice that the infotainment display and the fiber optic cables that feed it are very accessible. So I concocted a temporary cable to take power from the 12V outlet in the center console and hooked up the unit per the diagrams. The interface has a series of DIP switches on one side that need to be set up for each particular application. Seeing as there is a large Volvo sticker on the top of the CD changer (visible with the facia removed), I figured that was a good guess for which setting to choose.
The unit comes with a remote switch that has a pair of analog RCA inputs. The switch is used to bypass the unit so that the dealer's diagnostic equipment doesn't detect it and cause any errors. It also has inputs for a USB storage device (thumb drive) and an iPod with Dock Connector. I also purchased the optional Bluetooth Adapter which allows you to stream music wirelessly as well as make phone calls through the in-car audio in some vehicles.
After playing with the settings for a few minutes, I was able to see the interface's menu's on the infotainment display. Once I saw this, I was able to configure the unit to play audio from all the sources and have it come out the car's speakers. It sounded fantastic. To say that the interface is cumbersome to operate would be a MAJOR understatement. It is not easy and, in fact, it might be better to attempt while pulled off on the side of the road, or by a passenger to avoid you being distracted while driving. Once it is set up, however, you can see the artists or song names on the display, and you can use the dash controls to play the next or previous song in the album or playlist.
Once I was convinced the system was going to work priorly, it was time to make the installation and conceal the unit and cables. My car is spec'd without Navigation, so there is a big cavity where the display would normally go that was more than sufficient for the interface and the Bluetooth adapter. Some of my goals with this installation were to make it as invisible as possible as well as making it fully reversible if necessary. Rather than drilling any holes to mount the unit, I chose to use some industrial grade velcro type fasteners to adhere the components to the surface. You can see the location I chose under the facia in the attached pictures. Most people choose to install iPod kits with the iPod itself in the glove compartment. However, the storage space in the Vantage's glove compartment is tiny and mostly occupied by the owner's manual. My idea was to simply have the USB stick and iPod tucked away under neath the rear shelf compartment. That way it is out of plain sight, yet easily accessible without having to make any permanent installation. To do this, I had to disassemble the center console and route the cables for the USB and iPod Dock through it. I also tapped off the back of the ashtray's 12V power plug socket and routed the cables to power the unit.
Some additional notes:
- I am able to place calls from my phone and have them play via Bluetooth through the car's audio system and the supplied microphone, but receiving calls doesn't seem to work as well.
- I don't know of my car already has the phone's microphone pre-installed even though I don't have the built-in phone option. It would be nice to use the car's microphone instead for a truly professional solution.
- Playing the iPhone 4 through Bluetooth is nice, since you don't even have to remove it from your pocket. However, even though the audio quality is very good, it is noticeably better when the phone is plugged into the Dock connector. Also, you don't get song names or other info on the car's display when you use the Bluetooth Audio.
- When you plug in the iPhone 4 a message pops up on the phone's screen stating that it is not compatible with this device, but once you click OK, it works perfectly and charges it while you play!
- The Dension interface cost me about $450US and the Bluetooth adapter was another $80. I also bought a set of longer cables so I could locate the ipod under the rear shelf, far away from the interface. Overall, my savings were substantial compared to the Aston Martin iPod Integration Kit.
- Installation took me 2 evenings.
- If you are not handy with tools, electronics, or working on car interiors, I would definitely not recommend that you attempt this yourself.
- Please feel free to ask questions.
The Vantage uses MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) which utilizes fiber optic cables to carry entertainment system information throughout the car. This means that you can't simply patch in an analog audio cable into the stereo and start playing music. I thought about using a direct-feed RF modulator, but reviews of many of those products mention that the audio quality is not too good.
After doing an exhaustive search on the Interwebs, I came across a company named Dension (from Hungary) that makes a kit to interface to cars equipped with MOST-based audio systems such as Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, Saab, and Volvo. There was no application information for the Vantage and very little in terms of documentation, installation, or instruction manuals. What little information I got was based off a few Youtube videos and a couple of emails I sent to the company's pre-sales support department. Even with this little information, I decided to take a chance and get one of their interfaces and see if I could get it to work.
I had already removed the facia panel over the center console to get it refinished in Piano Black, so I was able to peek inside the center stack and notice that the infotainment display and the fiber optic cables that feed it are very accessible. So I concocted a temporary cable to take power from the 12V outlet in the center console and hooked up the unit per the diagrams. The interface has a series of DIP switches on one side that need to be set up for each particular application. Seeing as there is a large Volvo sticker on the top of the CD changer (visible with the facia removed), I figured that was a good guess for which setting to choose.
The unit comes with a remote switch that has a pair of analog RCA inputs. The switch is used to bypass the unit so that the dealer's diagnostic equipment doesn't detect it and cause any errors. It also has inputs for a USB storage device (thumb drive) and an iPod with Dock Connector. I also purchased the optional Bluetooth Adapter which allows you to stream music wirelessly as well as make phone calls through the in-car audio in some vehicles.
After playing with the settings for a few minutes, I was able to see the interface's menu's on the infotainment display. Once I saw this, I was able to configure the unit to play audio from all the sources and have it come out the car's speakers. It sounded fantastic. To say that the interface is cumbersome to operate would be a MAJOR understatement. It is not easy and, in fact, it might be better to attempt while pulled off on the side of the road, or by a passenger to avoid you being distracted while driving. Once it is set up, however, you can see the artists or song names on the display, and you can use the dash controls to play the next or previous song in the album or playlist.
Once I was convinced the system was going to work priorly, it was time to make the installation and conceal the unit and cables. My car is spec'd without Navigation, so there is a big cavity where the display would normally go that was more than sufficient for the interface and the Bluetooth adapter. Some of my goals with this installation were to make it as invisible as possible as well as making it fully reversible if necessary. Rather than drilling any holes to mount the unit, I chose to use some industrial grade velcro type fasteners to adhere the components to the surface. You can see the location I chose under the facia in the attached pictures. Most people choose to install iPod kits with the iPod itself in the glove compartment. However, the storage space in the Vantage's glove compartment is tiny and mostly occupied by the owner's manual. My idea was to simply have the USB stick and iPod tucked away under neath the rear shelf compartment. That way it is out of plain sight, yet easily accessible without having to make any permanent installation. To do this, I had to disassemble the center console and route the cables for the USB and iPod Dock through it. I also tapped off the back of the ashtray's 12V power plug socket and routed the cables to power the unit.
Some additional notes:
- I am able to place calls from my phone and have them play via Bluetooth through the car's audio system and the supplied microphone, but receiving calls doesn't seem to work as well.
- I don't know of my car already has the phone's microphone pre-installed even though I don't have the built-in phone option. It would be nice to use the car's microphone instead for a truly professional solution.
- Playing the iPhone 4 through Bluetooth is nice, since you don't even have to remove it from your pocket. However, even though the audio quality is very good, it is noticeably better when the phone is plugged into the Dock connector. Also, you don't get song names or other info on the car's display when you use the Bluetooth Audio.
- When you plug in the iPhone 4 a message pops up on the phone's screen stating that it is not compatible with this device, but once you click OK, it works perfectly and charges it while you play!
- The Dension interface cost me about $450US and the Bluetooth adapter was another $80. I also bought a set of longer cables so I could locate the ipod under the rear shelf, far away from the interface. Overall, my savings were substantial compared to the Aston Martin iPod Integration Kit.
- Installation took me 2 evenings.
- If you are not handy with tools, electronics, or working on car interiors, I would definitely not recommend that you attempt this yourself.
- Please feel free to ask questions.
Murph7355 said:
Great post.
Where did you end up running the power from in the end? Did you just run the cable from the centre console accessory socket?
Presumably all the other cables just unplugged/plugged?
Power was indeed taken from the back of the socket as I mentioned in the text before the notes. All cables in the center console have plgs that easily disconnect and are keyed so that you dont accidentally plug them back in the wrong place. You must be careful when routing cables in the console to keep them away from the shift linkage. I tie-wrapped mine along another harness that travels along the right inner side. Where did you end up running the power from in the end? Did you just run the cable from the centre console accessory socket?
Presumably all the other cables just unplugged/plugged?
And yes, the Dension unit will most likely fit below the vents, but I don't know what to attach it to. You can probably mount it on top of the display unit if you have a nav system taking up the space above. It might be a tight fit. Not having a car with nav, I couldn't say with certainty if there's anything else in the way. I wanted to mount the Bluetooth Adapter high up so that it would have the best reception. They recommend mounting on some plastic area to avoid interference.
Thanks (wasn't sure if you just took power from there as a test and then went somewhere else for the perm install).
Might give this a go...I was concerned the cables might not be readily accessible and that wires would need to be cut for power etc. As neither seem to be the case, I might have a play
I don't need the bluetooth bit. Would only use it for the iPod/iPhone.
Might give this a go...I was concerned the cables might not be readily accessible and that wires would need to be cut for power etc. As neither seem to be the case, I might have a play
I don't need the bluetooth bit. Would only use it for the iPod/iPhone.
Murph7355 said:
Thanks (wasn't sure if you just took power from there as a test and then went somewhere else for the perm install).
Might give this a go...I was concerned the cables might not be readily accessible and that wires would need to be cut for power etc. As neither seem to be the case, I might have a play
I don't need the bluetooth bit. Would only use it for the iPod/iPhone.
Yes, I started using it as a test because Dension states that the unit needs a constant 12v supply not switched by ignition. I had a cigarette lighter adapter with two leads, so it was the easiest way to hook up for test. Once I decided to make the permanent install, I decided that I could just tap off the back of the same outlet rather than trying to hunt for another non-switched source. Might give this a go...I was concerned the cables might not be readily accessible and that wires would need to be cut for power etc. As neither seem to be the case, I might have a play
I don't need the bluetooth bit. Would only use it for the iPod/iPhone.
Good luck if attempt the install. Feel free to ask if you need more help.
Hi Karl,
Great post. I believe this is the same unit installed by Paralight in the UK. Obviously these guys do it all the time so have great experience in stealth installs and taking your car apart and putting it back together and owners that have had it done say they are great. I just wish it was cheaper!
http://www.paralight.co.uk/IpodBluetoothforAstonMa...
You can get the Dension unit here in the UK if you are brave enough to take your car apart yourself:
http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk/iPod_Car_Kit/For...
I've have thought about doing it but for the cost and time I spend in my Vantage I have currently decided not to do it. I did work out how to take apart the centre console and arm rest but got scared at removing the panel above the radio (I have the sat nav) and gear knob (mines a manual I think you guys call that a stick shift ???)
I did see a youtube video of a guy doing it to a DB9, he basically used a plastic tool to prise it off.....still looked scary though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCwOayN32-0
If you were local I was going to ask you to look at mine, but then saw you are in the US
Great post. I believe this is the same unit installed by Paralight in the UK. Obviously these guys do it all the time so have great experience in stealth installs and taking your car apart and putting it back together and owners that have had it done say they are great. I just wish it was cheaper!
http://www.paralight.co.uk/IpodBluetoothforAstonMa...
You can get the Dension unit here in the UK if you are brave enough to take your car apart yourself:
http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk/iPod_Car_Kit/For...
I've have thought about doing it but for the cost and time I spend in my Vantage I have currently decided not to do it. I did work out how to take apart the centre console and arm rest but got scared at removing the panel above the radio (I have the sat nav) and gear knob (mines a manual I think you guys call that a stick shift ???)
I did see a youtube video of a guy doing it to a DB9, he basically used a plastic tool to prise it off.....still looked scary though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCwOayN32-0
If you were local I was going to ask you to look at mine, but then saw you are in the US
Dear Karl,
Thank you for the great post.
My name is Hid and my car is V8 vantage (2008). I would like to attempt to integrate Gateway 500S BT into my car. However, Dension announced that Gateway 500S BT is not compatible with any astonmartin and volvo.
I would appreciate it if you could advice for me about the compatibility.
Kind regards,
Hid
Thank you for the great post.
My name is Hid and my car is V8 vantage (2008). I would like to attempt to integrate Gateway 500S BT into my car. However, Dension announced that Gateway 500S BT is not compatible with any astonmartin and volvo.
I would appreciate it if you could advice for me about the compatibility.
Kind regards,
Hid
Edited by Highamv8 on Sunday 10th February 00:54
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