Meant to say, my car has Bose as well, does anybody know if this is a problem too??

 

You should be fine, I've installed this in my car and its great. Apart from the fact that it only comes out of one speaker at the moment but that should be fixed tomorrow when a replacement arrives.

Easy to install - even for me - and sound quality is great. I have a standard Concert tape head unit with the volume button in the middle (the same as yours I expect) and I have Bose too.

Where are you buying from if you don't mind me asking as I think I got a good deal at £106.98 inc postage.

Guy

 

Cheers Guy, it is the same head unit so thats put my mind at rest!!

Im ordering it from www.cooltopia,com

For the icelink, mounting bracket and postage, the total is coming to £121.98

Whereabouts did you purchase yours from if you dont mind me asking!

 

Same place mate, just that I didn't need the mounting bracket as I used to have my phone cradle on one.

Should be plug and play, assuming that you have the stereo removal keys?

Installation is dead easy (although I should credit Ronin for his "how to" in AbsoluTTe and Dee for showing me the kit installed in his car at Gaydon).

 

Cool!

I was going to order the removal keys from cooltopia as well but they wanted £12.99 for them which I thought was a bit steep.

Found out that you can get a set in Halfords for £3.99, A bit more reasonable!

How long do you think it took you to fit and set up?

 

The Halfords keys are rubbish and a waste of money IMO, you are better off getting the genuine ones from your local dealers. If they are funny I have the part number somewhere, just order under that and off you go, they are about £4.50.

I bought the Halfords ones, tried to use them, it felt like I was going to damage the stereo and they didn't fit very well at all, so I took them back.

Install will take all of an hour. Get a drill to the mounting clip and mount the holder. Remove stereo, unplug ISO connectors, insert harness / wiring, replace ISO's. Then feed cradle cable up under top of where the centre tunnel flap goes back into (I have small hands so this was easy for me, I reached all the way down and grabbed it). Plug cradle cable into Icelink unit, stuff everything back behind stereo, replace stereo - job done.

Spent nearly as long fiddling with the set-up as I did putting it in. Then found sound only coming from left front, not right front. Removed it all again and by process of elimination figured that the Icelink unit had a fault, hence the replacement arriving tomorrow.

Guy

 

Nice one!
I would be seriously frustrated if I sat down to do this and found that the radio keys from halfords were mince and I would have to wait till I got new ones!!

Will get onto the dealer tomorrow and get them ordered.
Placed the order for the icelink and it should be coming in 3 days. Cant wait!!

 

I would be seriously frustrated if I sat down to do this and found that the radio keys from halfords were mince and I would have to wait till I got new ones!!

Oh, I was :evil: as I was trying to fit my bluetooth kit at the time.

 

Dave,

Just to let you know, replacement parts arrived today, faulty part identified (it was the active cradle of all things!!!) - replaced this and plugged in, all works brilliantly and I'm well chuffed. Sound quality is great and I now have an 80 disk cd changer

Give me a shout if you have any problems as I'm quite good at this now having taken it out and reinstalled everything three times :roll:

Guy

 

Well done Guy!

now read the manual(s) to understand how to create and switch between playlist... or are you going freestyle

I've worked it out... finally

oh... and you do realise that before long your lovely lady will want one installed too.... and dont try and palm her off with your old cd changer! :roll:

 

Cheers Dee,

Bit of a wind up getting a faulty cradle as it took a while to figure out what was wrong - long process of elimination with much swearing and prodding with a multi-meter etc. Still, its all in now and I'm just off to test drive it. Bonus is that it wasn't my car-kit causing the problem so I can keep it there.

I'm going to go with the iPod control set-up (rather than the head unit one) for now until I can be arsed to set up playlists. So its freestyleeee for me for the moment.

Hmm, if Michelle wants one she can buy herself one, already shelled out on a single slot cd player for the Focus for her, and to be fair she seems happy with that. Would probably have stuck to the cd changer myself had I not won the iPod, as it is the Icelink cost me £100 so I reckon thats a good buy. And I can recommend www.cooltopia.com as their after sales service is excellent.

Right, music up, top down and off to test drive. Might pop by Totton Motor Factors actually and see about this EBC disks and pads for £300 notes thing.

Guy

 

What do you mean by the ipod control set up ??

I thought you could only control the ipod via the head unit once plugged into the ice link. I must admit to finding this a little frustrating as you don't seem to be able to access specific songs / artists unless you specifically set up play lists which are structured in this way.

Please don't tell me to RTFM.

 

.... goto disc 6 on the headunit and select using >> (from memory?) iPod tells you to disconect from cradle, wait a few seconds until menu appears on iPod, reconect and use iPod controls without crashing car.... :roll:

I got into the habbit of having this mode - finding the album or albums I wanted to play then just pluging the unit in whilst it was playing... but the playlist thing is the way to go really - its not that difficult... RTFM :wink:

 

You and your bloody manuals! ! ! ! hahahaha

 

page 6

http://www.densionusa.com/support_files ... manual.pdf :wink:

 

Guys,

Following on from my failed Phatbox attemp, I'm looking at getting an i-pod & going the denison icelink route.

How does the ipod actually connect to the head unit (a chorus, twin knobbed one in a 2001 TTR)? Does it connect via the cable that plugs into the back of the CD changer? (I only ask cos it is still free cos Audi haven't yet reconnected my changer after I took the phatbox back out)

I hear everyone say it was just 'plug and play' but then go on to say about having to remove the stereo :?

What is actually involved in getting the system up and running? I am not bothered about a mount for the ipod as if it can be controled via the head unit I will just keep it in the glove box or somewhere out of sight. I just need to know what you have to do to physically connect the ipod to the stereo.

Sorry for the obvious question asking, but I am not really that technical & after parting with A LOT of hard earned for a poor installation of the phatbox, I am just a little wary now.

Cheers,

Mart.

 

hi Mart

the only reason to remove the stero is to plug the iPod connections into the back of the head unit - easy!

The instructions provided are straight forward and the kit is specific for the audi - its as easy as connecting a DVD player to your TV via the SCART socket!

sit the unit in the glove box if you like - but I think its preferable to have it sitting in the cradle that charges it... either way its a plug and play job

 

Cheers Dee,

Sorry for sounding stupid (I am) - but do you just unplug the cable that goes to the CD changer on the back of the head unit & plug in the cable to the ipod?

How do you get the cable to the back of the head unit? Is it really that simple, or is a kak handed fool like myself better off paying an ICE dealer £25 to do it for me?

Mart

 

Mart,

I'm assuming that you don't have the copy of AbsoluTTe that gives a pictorial install guide (by Ronin)?

Did you read the very brief install details earlier in this thread?

I'm pretty dubious myself when it comes to installing and fixing stuff but this is a piece of cake.

Install will take all of an hour. Get a drill to the mounting clip and mount the holder. Remove stereo, unplug ISO connectors, insert harness / wiring, replace ISO's. Then feed cradle cable up under top of where the centre tunnel flap goes back into (I have small hands so this was easy for me, I reached all the way down and grabbed it). Plug cradle cable into Icelink unit, stuff everything back behind stereo, replace stereo - job done.

Any questions just ask - I've had to install this three times as I got a faulty cradle first time out so I know it inside out now.

Guy

 

Ok, quick question from ME...

Does anyone know if it'll plug into the back of the Symphony unit (which has its OWN built in 6cd changer...) AND still allow the use of the CD changer.

I'm looking for a combined MP3 & CD option, and the iPod idea is a good one, providing I can retain support for my existing head unit mounted cd changer...

 

Read it and forgot it straight away - it is too hot in my office!

Nice one, this deffo seems to be the route for me to go then, just as soon as I get my refund from Audi!

Mart.

 

Dear ME,

Lifted from Cooltopia website:

This variant of ice>Link Plus is suitable for the Audi A2, A3 (excluding DVD 16:9 navigation), A4 (excluding DVD 16:9 navigation), A6 (1997-2004), A8 (pre 2003) and TT models equipped with Chorus, Chorus2, Concert, Symphony, Symphony2 and NaviPlus head units and with/without BOSE upgrade. Connection is made via the miniISO connector designated for CD changer control on the back of the head unit.

Assume that's a yes to your question? I guess this means that the Symphony will also support an external cd changer as well as the internal one.

 

Mart,

It really is a piece of cake and the sound quality is as good (if not better than my CD changer).

Just get the right stereo removal keys from Audi not the rubbish Halfords ones.

Good luck with your refund, shout if you need any help

(PS talking of reading things properly, just noticed I got your name wrong in post above, apologies, its been edited)

Guy

 

Cheers Dee,

Sorry for sounding stupid (I am) - but do you just unplug the cable that goes to the CD changer on the back of the head unit & plug in the cable to the ipod?

How do you get the cable to the back of the head unit? Is it really that simple, or is a kak handed fool like myself better off paying an ICE dealer £25 to do it for me?

Mart

aplogies if this has been answered already - been banging my keyboard on another thread :roll: ... but Yes - its that easy...

 

Ok, quick question from ME...

Does anyone know if it'll plug into the back of the Symphony unit (which has its OWN built in 6cd changer...) AND still allow the use of the CD changer.

I'm looking for a combined MP3 & CD option, and the iPod idea is a good one, providing I can retain support for my existing head unit mounted cd changer...

Tim AFIK - unless something has chnaged in the past few weeks - no - its CD changer OR iPod - not both..

although I'm not clear on how you would have a built in cd changer...? if by built in you mean it was standard with the car, but you are able to unplug it from the head unit and replace the connection with the denison then you dont have a problem... do this sell the cd changer you dont need both - honest!