Can anyone tell me where the 2010 sirius tuner is located? Is it in the trunk like previous models, or in the headunit? I have nav & b&o packages.

Reason I ask is sirius lacks good audio quality, while xm has much fuller audio... the sirius sounds like a crappy web stream on the B&O speakers.. I would like to see if I could swap it out for an XM tuner...

Can anyone tell me where the 2010 sirius tuner is located? Is it in the trunk like previous models, or in the headunit? I have nav & b&o packages.

Reason I ask is sirius lacks good audio quality, while xm has much fuller audio... the sirius sounds like a crappy web stream on the B&O speakers.. I would like to see if I could swap it out for an XM tuner...

I'm assuming you mean the antenna. You see that giant "shark fin" on the top-rear of your car? Pretty certain that's your Sirius antenna.

No I think he means the actual tuner, which would have to be swapped out for XM.

I think the tuner is integrated into the MMI system and cannot be changed as a standalone item. I think putting XM into the car would violate the terms of the contract with Sirius (stupid as they are the same company but nevertheless....)

I would have the signal levels checked when you bring it for service. Mine has excessive dropouts, as well as poor AM reception, which is usually an indicator of a bad antenna or cable.

Yes I meant the tuner... sucks it's integrated into the headunit... but I kind of figured that. My company car has xm, my personal has sirius... the company car sounds better with it's stock stereo. Audi should have listened to sirius on B&O before they decided on it... XM has much better audio... their streaming protocols are different. At times sirius sounds like a tin can, and it's a sin to listen to it on such a nice sound system.

I just read an article on streaming audio via A2DP bluetooth, wasn't aware that could be gone.. I think I'm going to listen to pandora or something and ditch the sirius... SUCKs that the traffic relies on it, and traffic requires the audio subscription... oh well...

I doubt it's in the headunit. The "control head" is literally just a display. All the antennas go down to the left rear of the vehicle. Pop off the trunk left hand side trim and look in the stack of electrics. You'll most likely find an XM box in the stack.

John.

It is in the trunk left hand side. Let me know what you find out I hate sirius.

I just read an article on streaming audio via A2DP bluetooth, wasn't aware that could be gone.. I think I'm going to listen to pandora or something and ditch the sirius... SUCKs that the traffic relies on it, and traffic requires the audio subscription... oh well...

I'm not so sure that the traffic requires the XM subscription. I used to have an old streetpilot (garmin GPS) that had XM built in, and it used the XM traffic information. However the B8 A4 uses TMC, which in my experience is FM transmitted by Clear Channel... but I am not sure.

I'm not so sure that the traffic requires the XM subscription. I used to have an old streetpilot (garmin GPS) that had XM built in, and it used the XM traffic information. However the B8 A4 uses TMC, which in my experience is FM transmitted by Clear Channel... but I am not sure.

while I do not have NAV, I have head a few people commenting on the sirius traffic fees, so I assume they use sirius for traffic...

while I do not have NAV, I have head a few people commenting on the sirius traffic fees, so I assume they use sirius for traffic...

So I actually just verified this on the way home. My Sirius subscription *has* lapsed - when I go into Radio and Sirius, I get no channel listing and a message to call Sirius for activation with the radio serial number. However, the traffic information is still present - both via the 'info' button below the nav button (incidents) and the green/orange/red highways on the nav map display. It's only been a couple of days, though, so stay tuned for further updates.

interesting, I was under the impression it was sirius traffic, but it could be FM-TMC based traffic like garmin and others use, over the FM band. Perhaps the traffic doesn't expire...who knows.. all I know is this sirius must GO, and I must get XM. I will look in the stack when I get home, but it's hot as hell, and I think I might wait a few days to go tearing into it.

anyone have a repair manual they can verify where it's located?

I have the 2009 Bentley and EKTA (parts manual).

I don't see a component move for the 2010 MY. Why not just pull the panel in the trunk to confirm yourself?

John.

unfortuntely it is all in one unit, the MMI, jukebox, etc. It looks like the GPS antenna, sirius antenna, fm antenna and optical connections all go into the one unit in the left trunk panel. I unplugged the wiring harness and MMI completely went away. Looks like I'm SOL for getting XM, I guess I'll be hoping they get bluetooth A2DP working in 3G MMI, or I might break down and buy an ipod.

unfortuntely it is all in one unit, the MMI, jukebox, etc. It looks like the GPS antenna, sirius antenna, fm antenna and optical connections all go into the one unit in the left trunk panel. I unplugged the wiring harness and MMI completely went away. Looks like I'm SOL for getting XM, I guess I'll be hoping they get bluetooth A2DP working in 3G MMI, or I might break down and buy an ipod.

I bought a cheap old nano that I just keep in the car...

I totally agree, coming from an older a4 with XM, the sound quality of Sirius is horrible. I've also noticed that the reception is also much worse; I think XM has more ground repeaters.

I got around this by downloading the Sirius/XM app for android and have the phone plugged directly into MMI through this:
http://www.audiwholesaleparts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getJointLocator&siteid=215295&chapter=&sectionids=0,2610&groupid=2644&subgroupid=2467&componentid=99110&make=2&model=A4&year=2009&catalogid=2&displayCatalogid=0

The sound quality is much better (depending on the signal quality/bandwidth) and I lose reception less often (especially when I have my windsurfing gear on the roof).

Can you take a picture of the components in the left rear of the trunk? Also, do you have nav? If you see any part numbers, make a note of them. That gives me a better chance of looking through the parts manual to find the right image/parts.

I'm surprised if Audi have moved to a radio/sat combined as different locations in the world need different SAT tuners - it makes sense to make it a module.

It doesn't surprise me that you lost everything when unplugging the harness - there will be a fiber optic cable in there.... opening that breaks everything :)

Cheers,

John.

I totally agree, coming from an older a4 with XM, the sound quality of Sirius is horrible. I've also noticed that the reception is also much worse; I think XM has more ground repeaters.

I got around this by downloading the Sirius/XM app for android and have the phone plugged directly into MMI through this:
http://www.audiwholesaleparts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getJointLocator&siteid=215295&chapter=&sectionids=0,2610&groupid=2644&subgroupid=2467&componentid=99110&make=2&model=A4&year=2009&catalogid=2&displayCatalogid=0

The sound quality is much better (depending on the signal quality/bandwidth) and I lose reception less often (especially when I have my windsurfing gear on the roof).
What's the "satelite radio unit" shown on that fische?

It looks as if it's up in th eheadunit / AMI area?

"I got around this by downloading the Sirius/XM app for android and have the phone plugged directly into MMI through this: http://www.audiwholesaleparts.com/pa...layCatalogid=0"


Also, anyone know if the Streaming BT audio unit shown on the fische will work with a '10? It says 09-10.




J

also, for those playing the home game, it looks like the satellite data subscription is on a different cycle than the satellite audio subscription. Over the past couple of days I noticed that the traffic data is gone as well, so I suppose they both are coming in over Sirius.

unfortuntely it is all in one unit, the MMI, jukebox, etc. It looks like the GPS antenna, sirius antenna, fm antenna and optical connections all go into the one unit in the left trunk panel. I unplugged the wiring harness and MMI completely went away. Looks like I'm SOL for getting XM, I guess I'll be hoping they get bluetooth A2DP working in 3G MMI, or I might break down and buy an ipod.

The antenna may be one unit for all systems, I didn't look that part up, but the Sat radio receiver sits under the MMI display in the dashboard. It is a serviceable unit with a part number and everything. However, I hate to rain on the parade, their does not exist and XM receiver for a swappable item. You may be able to swap in a XM receiver from a different vehicle, but in terms of available for the B8, nothing in North America.

I have the B&O and although the sound quality for Sirius isn't nearly as good as any other input (duh), the difference between inputs isn't NEARLY as big as in my B6 S4 with XM. In that car the XM was is compressed and dynamically challenged.

I have noticed a HUGE drop in reception with the B8. I lose signal every single time i drive under an overpass and that NEVER happened with XM in my B6. Also in my garage the B8 has zero Sirius signal and my XM had signal 90% of the time and only cut out every once in a while.

...just my observations.