Aux on Carminat and subwoofer questions

[Toodeep]

This forum has been a great help so far so I hope someone can help with this.

My goddaughter has just bought a 2003 Megane 1.6 Privilege (Auto) and loves her music. She doesn't want to change her head unit which is the Carminat (turn by turn satnav) with the in-dash CD changer. She has a lot of her music in Mp3 form which she listens to on her iPod or phone and was able to hear through an Aux socket in her previous car. The Carminat User Manual talks of turning on and off the aux facility and seems to suggest there is an aux port somewhere at the back. Can anyone confirm this and, if it exists, is it a regular 3.5mm jack or something peculiar to Renault?

I'm also thinking of upgrading her front speakers to the Pioneer TS-Q131Cs recommended elsewhere and maybe connecting an amp to the rear speaker output to feed a subwoofer. I'm told there are 3-channel amps that will accept a speaker level input and turn it into line level. I can then reconnect the standard rear speakers via the amp (I realise they will struggle but hope to be able to attenuate the level fed to them and haven't the patience to take off the rear door panels) and use the amp's mono channel for the sub. Is this viable and is there anything I've missed?

[pocket]

you can get a cable for the aux, the part that goes into the HU isnt a regular jack.
I'm not sure if you can have both a cd changer and the aux output though.

I just recently upgraded to the pioneer front speakers and added a slim powered amp off the rear speakers. I disconected the rear speakers as they are rubbish, I don't have anyone sitting in the back except a toddler and from an audiophile kinda way the rear speakers are in the wrong place for me, the driver.
Anyway i just connected the sub cable to the rear speaker cable coming out the back of the HU.

[ICEMAN]

This forum has been a great help so far so I hope someone can help with this.

I'm also thinking of upgrading her front speakers to the Pioneer TS-Q131Cs recommended elsewhere and maybe connecting an amp to the rear speaker output to feed a subwoofer. I'm told there are 3-channel amps that will accept a speaker level input and turn it into line level. I can then reconnect the standard rear speakers via the amp (I realise they will struggle but hope to be able to attenuate the level fed to them and haven't the patience to take off the rear door panels) and use the amp's mono channel for the sub. Is this viable and is there anything I've missed?

HELLO,

upgrading the front speaker is one fo the best things you can do...(as stated above) they arn't that good. Using the speaker connection as a line in to an amplifier is possiible and you DO get amplifiers that can take this imput....HOWEVER the result will be gar from great.
The standard system head unit (no matter how good they say it is) is rubbish. the quality (or lack of) will only be amplified and passed through, alogside athe hissing and distortion. Not recommended, but if that is in the budget then go for it.
As far as amplifiing the rear spears, it will sould crap again...not so good signal into the amplifier leas to a crap signal being pushed into crap speaker = farting/distortin and just useless..

Recommendation:

use the 3 channel amp to power the front upgraded speakers and a subwoofer. This will sound much much better (plus it is the correct sound stage...)

[Ray]

not sure if TunePorts work on Carminat units...

[-KJ-]

You CANNOT get a line-in-cable from Renault if you have a Carminat 1 system, nor do the Renault-connectionboxes work on this radio! The aux-in is integrated in the display output of the radio and has no 3,5mm jack or something like that. You need to connect an audiocable with 4 contacts (pins) to the displayconnector. It's a rather simple job, it took me 15 minutes including taking the radio out and putting it back in again.

Here's a German how-to: https://rapidshare.de/files/44825137/Aux-in.pdf.html

[Andy_CC]

Up grade the front speakers as already stated, do the back ones as well if you wish, you will hear a great improvement in sound quallity and you will beable to have it louder as the speakers can handle more than the stock speakers.

If you want a Sub added, then this is what ive done in various cars now keep the stock radio. im currently running this set up in my Navara.

if you buy one of these https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0018386785

Its a Rear speaker to RCA lead converter. At the back of the radio, find the rear speaker wires and link the RCA converter into the wires, u can either do away with the back speakers or leave them connected, ive left them connected on my set up. this will then give you your RCA line in, so you can use ANY amp! plus you have the right connections to get the best from the amp.

Best to do all these connections at the back of the radio, as you will have the radio out anyway to connect the 12v remote wire to the back of the headunit to fire up the amp when you put the key in the ignition.

[Toodeep]

Thanks for the help so far; there is merit in all the ideas. At this stage I don't want to upgrade the HU although I realise its limitations. . . my goddaughter will only become spoilt which could get expensive for me in the future. She listens music on her phone so audiophile quality is not what I'm after. I just suspect that the nether regions of the frequency range will be lacking even after the Pioneer upgrade. The speaker to RCA adapter sounds a winner as then I am not limited on amps . . . heck I may even have one that's suitable buried somewhere!

I s'pose there's no reason why I can't have an adapter on the fronts AND rears connected to a 5 channel amp but I'm talking myself into changing those rear door speakers. I'm gonna try the fronts and sub route as suggested and by-pass the rears until she notices.

Thanks again and I don't suppose anyone knows of a good source of parts. Her headlining has been chewed at the back by a dog (exposing the curtain airbag) and a new one is nearly 400 notes from the stealers (800 fitted). She has the electric double sunroof.

[-KJ-]

You can easily add an amp using the ISO-connectors, no soldering or cutting cables. Check http://www.i-sotec.com/en/products/index.html .

Real qualityproducts, these amps!

[Toodeep]

You CANNOT get a line-in-cable from Renault if you have a Carminat 1 system, nor do the Renault-connectionboxes work on this radio! The aux-in is integrated in the display output of the radio and has no 3,5mm jack or something like that. You need to connect an audiocable with 4 contacts (pins) to the displayconnector. It's a rather simple job, it took me 15 minutes including taking the radio out and putting it back in again.

Here's a German how-to: https://rapidshare.de/files/44825137/Aux-in.pdf.html

You, KJ, are a better man than I. Official. Anyway, not totally put off, I continued my quest and found this:

https://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... 4%26sa%3DN

It seems to cover the Aux into Carminat thing judging by the pictures at the end. It's probably no help to me because:

a) I still have to get around the fact I have the CD changer which it seems is an impediment.
b) My Flemish is slightly worse than my non-existent German

Still it might at least help another small section of the population to get those iPod tracks up and running!