Connecting an external amplifier to the Arona’s infotainment

[Sandm0n]

Hi All,

I would like to connect my Focal Ibus2.1 powered subwoofer to the Arona’s infotainment system tapping to it’s front speakers outputs (as I’m sure there are no RCA outputs).
Does anybody knows if the infotainment system has a built in amplifier that powers the doors speakers or the amplifier is hidden somewhere else in the car?
Thanks

 

[Sandm0n]

Just found a youtube video of Golf mk7 and it was mentioned there that the speakers outputs are actually at the back panel (quadloc connector) of the MMI unit in the glove box, meaning that the speakers amplifier is not built in the main infotainment unit but in the MMI unit.
I believe it’s the same for the Arona, once I’ll get the removal keys I’ll update.

 

[Sandm0n]

I can confirm that the MMI in the glove compartment has the speakers outputs meaning the amplifier is built in the MMI unit.

 

[Tell]

It is indeed. None of the Seats with mib2 got the outboard ampflier that uses the MOST connection... that's on the VW system, never got to Seat.

Although saying that some configurations of the Beats Sound System do have an external amp. From the Arona SSP. If you find an R12 amplifier you might be in luck. See below. Not all configurations come to the UK. Under the drivers seat or may be passenger in RHD (perhaps I better look at the partners). Google shows its a common part to Vag if you have it.

Connected via the "comfort can-bus". What that is, is described here:

Motor vehicle - comfort system with CAN bus

MOST is described here:

MOST Bus - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

MOST is a separate outlet on the back of the infotainment unit.

Where you should find it. Ateca 2016 wasn't connected:

All images on from Arona SSP showing R12 amp:

 

[Sandm0n]

It is indeed. None of the Seats with mib2 got the outboard ampflier that uses the MOST connection... that's on the VW system, never got to Seat.

Although saying that some configurations of the Beats Sound System do have an external amp. From the Arona SSP. If you find an R12 amplifier you might be in luck. See below. Not all configurations come to the UK. Under the drivers seat or may be passenger in RHD (perhaps I better look at the partners). Google shows its a common part to Vag if you have it.

Connected via the "comfort can-bus". What that is, is described here:

Motor vehicle - comfort system with CAN bus

MOST is described here:

MOST Bus - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

MOST is a separate outlet on the back of the infotainment unit.

Where you should find it. Ateca 2016 wasn't connected:

View attachment 25064

All images on from Arona SSP showing R12 amp:


View attachment 25063

View attachment 25056


View attachment 25053 View attachment 25054 View attachment 25055 Thank you.

Where can I get this manual from?
Could you please send it to me or send me a link?

how can I know if my Arona has 4 or 6 amplified speakers (not beats audio) ?

 

[Tell]

Where can I get this manual from?
Could you please send it to me or send me a link?

how can I know if my Arona has 4 or 6 amplified speakers (not beats audio) ?

It's the Seat Arona SSP 167. They are the dealer training manuals available from Erwin. You pay your subscription for an hour's time then you get full access to many workshop manuals, VIN lookup of build parts, the SSPs. The same workshop material as dealers.

I'm saved from breaking copyright that one is here on the net

ssp167 arona.pdf (9.32 MB) - Repair manuals - English (EN)

Seat Arona Repair manuals English 9.32 MB SSP 167 SEAT ARONA TECHNOLOGY TO ENJOY Technical status 05.17 Due to the constant development and improvement of the product, the data used in this course is subject to possible variations. Total or partial reproduction of this handbook is prohibited, as...

en.seatclub.cz

It is well worth paying the 7€s or whatever to access the whole lot. You can download each PDF.

Details of Erwin here, it's the VAG technical manual library resource. It's well worth downloading the material. All the PDF workshop manuals are housed there.

SEAT Repair Manual and Workshop Information

To answer a lot of the technical questions of the Ateca the full workshop manuals are available by an hourly or daily rate for download as PDF files. You can browse but can't download if you don't pay. https://erwin.seat.com/erwin/showHome.do 7 Euro's + VAT gives you the ability to download in...

www.seatcupra.net

Its the build codes derived from the Vin that tell you what sound system you have. Hopefully. There is an art in reading the build codes. They tally with the VCDS modules.

The partners is shown as:

117 8RL VWGROUP LSE 6 speakers (passive)

8 speaker was the one with the R12. Looking for the amp under the seat will resolve.

 

[Sandm0n]

It's the Seat Arona SSP 167. They are the dealer training manuals available from Erwin. You pay your subscription for an hour's time then you get full access to many workshop manuals, VIN lookup of build parts, the SSPs. The same workshop material as dealers.

I'm saved from breaking copyright that one is here on the net

ssp167 arona.pdf (9.32 MB) - Repair manuals - English (EN)

Seat Arona Repair manuals English 9.32 MB SSP 167 SEAT ARONA TECHNOLOGY TO ENJOY Technical status 05.17 Due to the constant development and improvement of the product, the data used in this course is subject to possible variations. Total or partial reproduction of this handbook is prohibited, as...

en.seatclub.cz

It is well worth paying the 7€s or whatever to access the whole lot. You can download each PDF.

Details of Erwin here, it's the VAG technical manual library resource. It's well worth downloading the material. All the PDF workshop manuals are housed there.

SEAT Repair Manual and Workshop Information

To answer a lot of the technical questions of the Ateca the full workshop manuals are available by an hourly or daily rate for download as PDF files. You can browse but can't download if you don't pay. https://erwin.seat.com/erwin/showHome.do 7 Euro's + VAT gives you the ability to download in...

www.seatcupra.net

Its the build codes derived from the Vin that tell you what sound system you have. Hopefully. There is an art in reading the build codes. They tally with the VCDS modules.

The partners is shown as:

117 8RL VWGROUP LSE 6 speakers (passive)

8 speaker was the one with the R12. Looking for the amp under the seat will resolve.

There is no external amplifier under the seats, in the manual that you shared it’s mentioned that there are 2 configurations(not beats audio), 4 channel amplifier amplifying 6 speakers system and 6 channel amplifier amplifying 6 speakers system.
How can I determine which one I have in my Arona?

 

[Sandm0n]

In my Arona the MOST is connected

 

[Tell]

In my Arona the MOST is connected View attachment 25071

That's interesting. Suppose to be a digital bus. I'd assumed optical but may be coaxial. Probably used for the comfort can bus.

Only two types of navigation mib2 units, standard and high. I reckon it's generically held in the unit. It will do both. One unit capable of doing either. The audio is on the quadlock.

 

[Sandm0n]

Only two types of navigation mib2 units, standard and high. I reckon it's generically held in the unit. It will do both. One unit capable of doing either. The audio is on the quadlock.

Is there any chance that you have the quadloc connections pinout?
As far as I know the quadloc outputs stereo front and rear speakers output, I wonder where is the amplifier that amplify the extra 2 channels of the 6 channel amplified configuration located.
Another thing is that if the 6 channel amplifier amplify the 2 front tweeters, 2 front woofers and 2 rear speakers (full range) it must be a crossover for the front set and if it’s electronic crossover than I won’t be able to use my Focal Ibus2.1 (which has a built in 2.1 amplifier) to power the front tweeters and woofers as a set, only the woofers, unless the 6 channel amplifier outputs full range for all 6 channel and the tweeter crossed over passively.

 

[Tell]

On the internal switching it's probably under VCDS control on the 5F unit. If it's pre SFD the world is your oyster.

I think I saw 6 channel appear on that video. It's probably under software control. Seat Sound System is I know.

You will have to Google for the pin out.

 

[Tell]

Ok here are some screens from the partners via Obdeleven.... handy you can look at it offline. So the Most is connected for the virtual cockpit display. Their is 6 speaker. You get those options on the last screen. They must change by what is installed.

 

[Sandm0n]

An update…..
My plan was to connect the front speakers outputs signal tapping to the MMI’s quadloc connector so my Focal Ibus2.1 can get front speakers output for the sub and to “high pass” and power the front set of speakers with it’s built in 55w x 2 amplifier but….
I discovered that in my Arona there are 6 channel amplifier built inside the MMI so each one of the 6 speakers ( 2 tweeters, 2 front woofers, 2 rear full range speakers) receive it’s own power (6x20w), the front woofers and tweeters amplifier’s outputs are not full range!
…so unfortunately I had to tap to the front woofers signal and to power only the Focal’s built in sub without the front set of speakers.
In the attached photo you can see the woofers output marked in red and the tweeters marked in blue.
I don’t have any dongle and software or app to decode the Arona’s MMI for 4 channel output.

 

[Tell]

An update…..
My plan was to connect the front speakers outputs signal tapping to the MMI’s quadloc connector so my Focal Ibus2.1 can get front speakers output for the sub and to “high pass” and power the front set of speakers with it’s built in 55w x 2 amplifier but….
I discovered that in my Arona there are 6 channel amplifier built inside the MMI so each one of the 6 speakers ( 2 tweeters, 2 front woofers, 2 rear full range speakers) receive it’s own power (6x20w), the front woofers and tweeters amplifier’s outputs are not full range!
…so unfortunately I had to tap to the front woofers signal and to power only the Focal’s built in sub without the front set of speakers.
In the attached photo you can see the woofers output marked in red and the tweeters marked in blue.
I don’t have any dongle and software or app to decode the Arona’s MMI for 4 channel output. View attachment 25157

You would use Obdeleven / VCDS, you'd save, reboot the system, long press and measure what's going on against those options.

Good progress thou.

 

[Sandm0n]

You would use Obdeleven / VCDS, you'd save, reboot the system, long press and measure what's going on against those options.

Good progress thou.

…even if I’ll manage to change the configuration from 6 channel to 4 channel system I still need to connect the tweeters and the woofers in parallel and high pass the tweeters.
I think I’ll just replace the front speakers to the Focal IS VW165.

 

[Tell]

The penny dropped that the six channel output effectively uses a digital crossover in the infotainment unit whilst the old set up e.g. the Altea was a physical crossover ?. So you would think the tweeter output wouldn't be full range unless it is and the frequency response is tapered off in the tweeter itself. That must be the audio logic to get rid of the physical crossover.

The Altea speaker project I had was to bypass the cars crossover and cut out the tweeter and cars crossover. Used a combined speaker / tweeter set up, where the tweeter sat on the speaker, down at feet level. Judged too much hassle to take the door apart. The rear tweeters were in the wrong place in any case for front passengers (in your ears).... it worked. Down memory lane.

 

[paskahata]

I connected this 4-channel Match PP41DSP ”Plug n Play” amplifier (was such a bargain i couldn’t resist) to my Arona and for my suprise it Works. Only issue is it powers only the front tweeters and coaxials in the backdoors. Front mids got amplified by only the stock player.

I connected it with a Quadlock MIB-ISO T-harness. Yesterday i tried with a multimeter what pins on the Quadlock connector connects to the tweeters and mids in the front. And seems like it is just as Sandm0n suggested.

So in my knowledge, if I now swap the wires of front mids and reardoor speakers in the T-harness, I would get amplification for mids and tweeters in the Front. Is that right?

 

[Sandm0n]

I connected this 4-channel Match PP41DSP ”Plug n Play” amplifier (was such a bargain i couldn’t resist) to my Arona and for my suprise it Works. Only issue is it powers only the front tweeters and coaxials in the backdoors. Front mids got amplified by only the stock player.

I connected it with a Quadlock MIB-ISO T-harness. Yesterday i tried with a multimeter what pins on the Quadlock connector connects to the tweeters and mids in the front. And seems like it is just as Sandm0n suggested.

So in my knowledge, if I now swap the wires of front mids and reardoor speakers in the T-harness, I would get amplification for mids and tweeters in the Front. Is that right?

Read my post #13
In the quadloc connector the brown speakers outputs connector powering the rear speakers and front tweeters, next to the beown connector there are 4 more outputs which are powering the front woofers ( same color coded wires as the tweeters output wires).

you need to connect 2 channel of the amplifier to the tweeters outputs of the quadloc connectors and the other 2 to the front woofers outputs.

btw I don’t think that the rear speakers are coaxials, I believe it’s a full range speakers, the same as the front doors, it’s just that the front doors speakers are getting “low passed” signal.

 

[paskahata]

Read my post #13
In the quadloc connector the brown speakers outputs connector powering the rear speakers and front tweeters, next to the beown connector there are 4 more outputs which are powering the front woofers ( same color coded wires as the tweeters output wires).

you need to connect 2 channel of the amplifier to the tweeters outputs of the quadloc connectors and the other 2 to the front woofers outputs.

btw I don’t think that the rear speakers are coaxials, I believe it’s a full range speakers, the same as the front doors, it’s just that the front doors speakers are getting “low passed” signal.

Seems like Aronas Quadlock is the same as in mk7 golf for example.

Ill try to switch the wires in the T-harness as soon as I’ll get those female-plugs removed from the housing. Any tips for that? Male connectors pulled away easily with a small flathead screwdriver but the female ones are stuck hard!

 

[Sandm0n]

Seems like Aronas Quadlock is the same as in mk7 golf for example.

Ill try to switch the wires in the T-harness as soon as I’ll get those female-plugs removed from the housing. Any tips for that? Male connectors pulled away easily with a small flathead screwdriver but the female ones are stuck hard!

View attachment 25334

Yes, all VAG group are almost the same.
If I remember correctly the female side need to be released from the front side of the connector( the locking tabs need to be pushed from the front side).