# 2010 Jetta TDI "Premium 8" radio - is it really this bad?



## julianv (Mar 10, 1999)

My ladyfriend just took delivery of a 2010 Jetta TDI with the "Premium 8" head unit. This is the model with the 6 hard buttons on either side of the touch screen - not the nav model with 8 buttons. The sound quality, on any source, is really awful. Lots of resonances, distorted, no bass. The 2010 Jetta brochure says this is a 10-speaker system. The VW web site says it has 8 speakers. It sounds like a 2-speaker, $50 clock radio from WalMart.
The 6-speaker system in my '99 GTI VR6 sounds MUCH better, and it's just the original VW radio and optional CD unit (not the Monsoon option).
Have VW audio systems been downgraded, or is something wrong with this car? We are not interested in blowing bucks on a custom aftermarket audio system - it's not that important to us. But is it possible to get an improvement by replacing the stock speakers? Will that void our warranty? The owner's manual is full of warnings about how mods to the interior might interfere with airbags, etc.


_Modified by julianv at 11:29 PM 2-4-2010_


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## WISVW (Aug 25, 2003)

*Re: 2010 Jetta TDI "Premium 8" radio - is it really this bad? (julianv)*

I just came from an 09 GTI with the base unit. I added only a subwoofer, and it was really quite nice.
I now have an 2010 Jetta TDI with the premium 8 as well. I think it has more clarity than the GTI had, and I am really excited to hear it with the sub added back in. 
There are 3 speakers in each front door, and two in each back door, for a total of 10. There may be something wrong with yours?


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