# just to confim my pioneer install



## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

*Audi TT ICE Install: Pioneer Z120BT*

_Hey guys, hope all of you are enjoying your holidays! Before, this thread was about which install items you need to install this headunit. Now ive decided to turn this into a small project/diy for anyone interested in changing out their headunit for this one. So i picked up one of these bad boys for the TT:_


*Pioneer Z120BT*








​
There are a few positive and even less negative reasons why one should swap out their RNS-E for this unit:

*PROS:*


Tilt Screen Capable - this allows you to beat the glare or if youre unable to view the unit from your position. At a touch of a button, all your viewing problems are solved!
Rear View Camera Ready - looking at the installs ive seen in regards to the RVC, Pioneer makes it an daunting task with hacking/retrofitting your RNS-E, an idiot proof task

*CONS:*


Will never have that "OEM look" the RNS-E
When not using an amplified antenna, one is subject to white noise when using the AM/FM


*WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE INSTALL:*
Pioneer Z120BT Headunit that comes with the following out of the box:


USB/Micro USB/Data Wire
GPS Antenna
RCA Connector
Power Cord
Microphone

_The install manual is a great place to look at when youre making sure what comes in the box and if theres anything missing prior to the install - http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/S...gation/AVIC-Z120BT_InstallationManual0129.pdf_

*Additional Installation Parts:*


Connects2 Fascia Kit - CT23AU05A
Although it may seem pricey at first, its a great part in which everything is included to "mount" the unit and have a nice clean look. It includes a the fascia, trim piece, cage, removal tools and brackets. If youre seeking an alternative, such as the Pogea Double Din [part# 8J3400400DD], you will need the Pioneer Trim & Cage [Pioneer ADT-VA133] as well to mount it securely to the center console.

Connects2 CTSAD002
Connects2 CT27AA56
Connects2 CTPIONEERLEAD



PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES.
-TJ


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## DarthTTs (Dec 7, 2009)

I need one of these!!! :thumbup:


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Just curious...But what's the major advantage of a system like this over the stock Audi Nav system? Other than the cool buildings on the box. 

(I'm assuming that it's replacing the Nav system, but I guess you might not have that.)


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## iMod.:R (Nov 14, 2005)

DrDomm said:


> Just curious...But what's the major advantage of a system like this over the stock Audi Nav system? Other than the cool buildings on the box.
> 
> (I'm assuming that it's replacing the Nav system, but I guess you might not have that.)


Here is 4 good reasons:

1. The fact that the iPod integration actually works is a major plus. 
2. Nav updates are easier and cheaper if not free.
3. Ease of use over stock since its a more intuitive touch screen. 
4. Pretty buildings on the box.
:beer::thumbup:


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## iMod.:R (Nov 14, 2005)

TJ- I saw that you posted this up here and on the UK forums and I would love to be able to offer you some advice, but I think the only person who has done it so far is RobO from the UK. What double din facia plate are you fittin' to use?


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

iModTTS said:


> TJ- I saw that you posted this up here and on the UK forums and I would love to be able to offer you some advice, but I think the only person who has done it so far is RobO from the UK. What double din facia plate are you fittin' to use?


Connects2 double din fascia, its a crazed hit over in the UK. i was looking to source one in the US but it seems that they are asking $130 ughhhh i think im going to resort to buying it in the UK and having it shipped over here since its roughly $65 shipped downside i have to wait longer to get it in the mail


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

iModTTS said:


> Here is 4 good reasons:
> 
> 1. The fact that the iPod integration actually works is a major plus.
> 2. Nav updates are easier and cheaper if not free.
> ...


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

few things to add from a demo i tested, more or less did what the RNS-E does plus:
- voice commands are far superior to the audi's, seems like the feature itself is easier to use and less of a headache
-pretty views of buildings: 3d models of landmarks
-ipod integration includes video and audio and Pandora
-bluetooth in which you could use youre phone or any bluetooth device to stream music
-built-in amp is a huge plus to those that dont have bose
-aftermarket units are easier to expand youre ICE in the car in regards to speakers, amps, subs, etc.

the negative is that the unit will never have that PERFECT OEM look to it


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## DgonzTT (Oct 8, 2009)

TJ_MK2TT said:


> :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
> 
> few things to add from a demo i tested, more or less did what the RNS-E does plus:
> - voice commands are far superior to the audi's, seems like the feature itself is easier to use and less of a headache
> ...


pix or it's all lies i say!


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

DgonzTT said:


> pix or it's all lies i say!


you got it:thumbup:
wheres the Pierre as of lately? havent seen his updates with tthe TTS


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## iMod.:R (Nov 14, 2005)

TJ_MK2TT said:


> you got it:thumbup:
> wheres the Pierre as of lately? havent seen his updates with tthe TTS


Pierre and his wonderful TTS are stuck in about 30" of snow in Jersey! Well, they were as of yesterday according to his fB pics. 

as far as this post and keeping t on topic....

PBFTW! (PRETTY BUILDINGS FOR THE WIN!)


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

iModTTS said:


> Pierre and his wonderful TTS are stuck in about 30" of snow in Jersey! Well, they were as of yesterday according to his fB pics.
> 
> as far as this post and keeping t on topic....
> 
> PBFTW! (PRETTY BUILDINGS FOR THE WIN!)


what! he could have called me. im just outside of NYC!!! and yes we did get hammered with snow, what made a bad was the snow drifts


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## iMod.:R (Nov 14, 2005)

I know man, and we didn't go visit my Wifes fam across the river in Suffern this Xmas. We stayed in Cali, or I would have hit you up. I'll be out there in the spring. Can I get a ride and a listen (to the new audio) in the whip?

BTW, I would group buy that double din adapter facia with you. I may change out the head unit someday too and always liked the Pioneer stuff.

Maybe we can do these instead. I like the stuff Eduardo does and these double-dins seem to be high quality.

*[POGEA Double Dins]*


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

iModTTS said:


> I know man, and we didn't go visit my Wifes fam across the river in Suffern this Xmas. We stayed in Cali, or I would have hit you up. I'll be out there in the spring. Can I get a ride and a listen (to the new audio) in the whip?
> 
> BTW, what double din adapter facia are you going to use?





TJ_MK2TT said:


> *Connects2 double din fascia*, its a crazed hit over in the UK. i was looking to source one in the US but it seems that they are asking $130 ughhhh i think im going to resort to buying it in the UK and having it shipped over here since its roughly $65 shipped downside i have to wait longer to get it in the mail


i think the part number for that fascia is CT23AU05A for sure as i dont see anyone else having such a great reputation like C2 does
http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=CT23AU05A

and of course jason! not sure ill have the subs and amps all installed by then, but the headunit and exhaust will be in, and since i have a point to prove with my bagged friends, ill probably go as low as i can for a week or so


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

iModTTS said:


> BTW, I would group buy that double din adapter facia with you. I may change out the head unit someday too and always liked the Pioneer stuff.
> 
> Maybe we can do these instead. I like the stuff Eduardo does and these double-dins seem to be high quality.
> 
> *[POGEA Double Dins]*


that looks like a solid product, im highly interested...lets see what type of GB we can get going here


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## TJ_MK2TT (Jun 21, 2009)

bump for thread facelift and install parts ordered


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

finally got 1 of 2 orders from the UK from Connects2 retailer! PM me if you would like the seller info and product links i ordered (i have to look for the seller name and such, but dont wanna right now ) both orders were done off eBay, i checked them out prior to ordering, and so far it looks legit and good parts! Enfig does have the same exact parts in the US for those that rather not wait 2.5weeks, but the price i paid is half what US retailers charge including shipping from the UK to the states.

the first order that came in was the fascia kit, the harness should be in with a day or 2 since both were ordered at the same time:


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## nahf14 (Jul 22, 2004)

Does this unit allow you to watch video from an iPhone as well or just an iPod??


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## iMod.:R (Nov 14, 2005)

nahf14 said:


> Does this unit allow you to watch video from an iPhone as well or just an iPod??


I like that question. So whats the verdict?


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

iModTTS said:


> I like that question. So whats the verdict?


both. and you opt to wait for the Z130bt, scheduled to be released in March, youll be able to watch videos from apps like safari and youtube from your iPod device including iphone :thumbup:


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

TheSandeman said:


> both. and you opt to wait for the Z130bt, scheduled to be released in March, youll be able to watch videos from apps like safari and youtube from your iPod device including iphone :thumbup:


 i cant confirm the iPhone4 or the iPad since no1 that i know has one, but the iPhone 3G/S workss:thumbup: just thought i should be more detailed


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

the last portion of my UK parts have finally came in, packaging was perfect and professional. Now off to Enfig to pick up the PioneerLead for the Connects2 harness and im ready for the install! Should be within the next week or so depending how swamped i am with the projects:thumbup:


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## Fissues (Nov 6, 2008)

What are you doin online? 

It's the pedal on the right, step on it! 

Can't wait.


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

Fissues said:


> What are you doin online?
> 
> It's the pedal on the right, step on it!
> 
> Can't wait.


 :laugh: of course Fissues, i hope remember to document the install with pictures, if not, youre only going to have my write up :facepalm:  i will get it done asap, as im tired of the Concert2 i have bought in the mean time, i feel like ive gone back in time with loading one cd at a time and having a big stack of them in the door panel :laugh:


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

Had a fellow member PM me, figured this would be helpful to the thread:thumbup: 



> Hey there Erich!
> 
> I previously had a RNSE and sold it to a guy in the UK not so long ago! Great unit, but it was lacking in the sound quality and entertainment aspects.
> 
> ...


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

i figure i could give you guys all a heads up, ill post up in the other thread this same review. having owned the Z120BT for a weeks now and giving it time to experience it and such i feel i should give my thoughts and concerns to those looking into the unit:
I picked this unit up around the holidays for a pretty good bargain ~$800. i was in the market for a headunit that had everything that the RNS-E was lacking but still kept a great interface and navigation. Z120BT seemed to offer it all and when messing around with it in stores, it blew the competitors (Kenwood & Alpine) out of the water.
there was one thing that the instore demos should have had, the ability to demo the commands and bluetooth. i had to switch back numerous time to my BB because the connection wasnt clear enough or the caller couldnt hear me. command feature was the same, i found myself yelling numerious time at the unit for a simple radio command that the headunit wouldnt receive. i took it back to the installers, Pioneer Certified, and they verified that all the connections were perfect and that how they installed it, i shouldnt have reception and clarity problems. that was the main problem and the most frustrating. the nav was an ok feature, did what it needed to do and 3D mode only worked around the city. Pandora is a nice feature, but i rarely used it, but when i did it was spot on. the address input was just as cumbersome as the rns-e, even with the updates, the navi wouldnt recognize some of the addresses i put in. I had to resort to using Google Maps on my BB to get me there when the navi couldnt. iPod features are one thing Pioneer hit out of the park, the intergration is flawless! i cant confirm iphone4 compatibility but as for Touch, its flawless. Videos and mp3 play with virtually no down time.
i can assure you that there are better options out there for less amount of money. indeed the Z120BT has the potential to be great, i feel like Pioneer has failed to execute this one properly like other units such as Z110BT, 920BT, etc. OR i got a faultly headunit. Dont get me wrong, i still think Pioneer is the best in the industry but this experience has definitely made me second guess buying Pioneer. thankfully the online seller was nice enough to acknowledge a exchange from the Z120BT to the Sony 770BT. From the beginning he suggested the Sony, maybe i should have taken his advice from the beginning ill be reporting back about the sony soon


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## beckermanex (Jan 25, 2011)

TheSandeman said:


> i figure i could give you guys all a heads up, ill post up in the other thread this same review. having owned the Z120BT for a weeks now and giving it time to experience it and such i feel i should give my thoughts and concerns to those looking into the unit:
> I picked this unit up around the holidays for a pretty good bargain ~$800. i was in the market for a headunit that had everything that the RNS-E was lacking but still kept a great interface and navigation. Z120BT seemed to offer it all and when messing around with it in stores, it blew the competitors (Kenwood & Alpine) out of the water.
> there was one thing that the instore demos should have had, the ability to demo the commands and bluetooth. i had to switch back numerous time to my BB because the connection wasnt clear enough or the caller couldnt hear me. command feature was the same, i found myself yelling numerious time at the unit for a simple radio command that the headunit wouldnt receive. i took it back to the installers, Pioneer Certified, and they verified that all the connections were perfect and that how they installed it, i shouldnt have reception and clarity problems. that was the main problem and the most frustrating. the nav was an ok feature, did what it needed to do and 3D mode only worked around the city. Pandora is a nice feature, but i rarely used it, but when i did it was spot on. the address input was just as cumbersome as the rns-e, even with the updates, the navi wouldnt recognize some of the addresses i put in. I had to resort to using Google Maps on my BB to get me there when the navi couldnt. iPod features are one thing Pioneer hit out of the park, the intergration is flawless! i cant confirm iphone4 compatibility but as for Touch, its flawless. Videos and mp3 play with virtually no down time.
> i can assure you that there are better options out there for less amount of money. indeed the Z120BT has the potential to be great, i feel like Pioneer has failed to execute this one properly like other units such as Z110BT, 920BT, etc. OR i got a faultly headunit. Dont get me wrong, i still think Pioneer is the best in the industry but this experience has definitely made me second guess buying Pioneer. thankfully the online seller was nice enough to acknowledge a exchange from the Z120BT to the Sony 770BT. From the beginning he suggested the Sony, maybe i should have taken his advice from the beginning ill be reporting back about the sony soon


Dude, how's the Sony working out? After hearing your thoughts on actually using the Pioneer I've put some serious thought into the 770BT and am pretty close to pulling the trigger, unless it blows lol


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## iMod.:R (Nov 14, 2005)

beckermanex said:


> Dude, how's the Sony working out? After hearing your thoughts on actually using the Pioneer I've put some serious thought into the 770BT and am pretty close to pulling the trigger, unless it blows lol


x2 (tapping foot impatiently) Give us the inflo! :laugh:


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## DjSherif (Apr 27, 2005)

Does that mean some of you guys are going to have some RNS-E's for sale here pretty soon?


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## beckermanex (Jan 25, 2011)

I wish I had an RNS-E. I got my TT cert pre-owned so it only had a Symphony II in it, its the cheapest thing I've ever seen since the awesome cassette player in a 2000 S-10 I once drove. 

Surprisingly enough I've found the Sony for much cheaper than I was finding RNS-E's on eBay and the like, lowest I've seen a Navi is $750, about what the Sony is going for, but I couldn't muster the expense at that time.


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

DjSherif said:


> Does that mean some of you guys are going to have some RNS-E's for sale here pretty soon?


mine's been long gone to the UK :thumbup:



beckermanex said:


> I wish I had an RNS-E. I got my TT cert pre-owned so it only had a Symphony II in it, its the cheapest thing I've ever seen since the awesome cassette player in a 2000 S-10 I once drove.
> 
> Surprisingly enough I've found the Sony for much cheaper than I was finding RNS-E's on eBay and the like, lowest I've seen a Navi is $750, about what the Sony is going for, but I couldn't muster the expense at that time.


i have the Concert II in the mean time and it isnt that bad coming from a RNS-E, standard radio in a MK5 GTI and the Pioneer Z120BT. i would wait it out for another 2 weeks quiet honestly, i think they will drop prices a bit more since the new units (Z130BT from Pioneer and Kenwood) should be released then, pushing the consumer to purchase the cheaper units :thumbup:



iModTTS said:


> x2 (tapping foot impatiently) Give us the inflo! :laugh:


i know i know im slacking! wheels, adapters and ride height adjustments just took over as my next project - this weekend - so hopefully i can finally install the Sony this weekend as well if i have time. Static "slammed" stance hopefully will be a success - that was a bit too scenester :facepalm: :laugh:



beckermanex said:


> Dude, how's the Sony working out? After hearing your thoughts on actually using the Pioneer I've put some serious thought into the 770BT and am pretty close to pulling the trigger, unless it blows lol


havent gone around to installing it  its a shame, i know, the damn box is accumulating dust in my closet along with my other parts :facepalm:


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

ok, so to justify me putting off this HU install i figured i would post a pic of the current project :laugh:










before adjusting coils :thumbup:


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

install to be done this weekend I PROMISE


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## NeverOEM (Dec 17, 2007)

if you got RSs, I'm going to have to sigh heavily and facepalm.


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

NeverOEM said:


> if you got RSs, I'm going to have to sigh heavily and facepalm.


 didnt get RSs, what do i look like a scenster?:laugh: but i did get BBS RS-II 










tons more to go lower after this headunit install of course :thumbup: 

SPEC: 18 x 9 - 47et - 5x120 
Adapter: 15mm Wheel & Hubcentric 
Final SPEC: 18 x 9 - 32et


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## NeverOEM (Dec 17, 2007)

saw those on your facespace; looks good


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## beckermanex (Jan 25, 2011)

Hey I came back after being gone for a long while and as part of my catch-up process I took a look at this thread and was dismayed, dismayed!! to see no update on how the Sony worked out!

Actually, after heavy consideration, I've downgraded my prospects to looking at a non-Nav system and saving the extra $400 for other enhancements. I've been seriously considering the Pioneer AVH-P3300BT and bypassing the parking break lock on video while driving (for my passenger) but wanted to see what you thought of the Sony and how the final product came out looking.


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## xBassi (May 26, 2011)

is that a different front end for the 3.2? those bbs are soo sexy


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## TheSandeman (Jan 12, 2011)

xBassi said:


> is that a different front end for the 3.2? those bbs are soo sexy


TTS front bumper and splitter. Stock grille retained. Direct fitment :thumbup:


Sorry about the delay I will try to give a full update soon. Quick review is that I love the headunit but it really makes the stock speakers sound like poop. But that's the next step, something like Jason's setup but less custom.


Sent from my iPhone4.


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## beckermanex (Jan 25, 2011)

So I pulled out my Audi Symphony (with an in-dash changer) and it looks like it ONLY has a diversity antenna hook up. So this begs two questions: 

1. Is that normal? 

2. How can I aftermarket that to a single hook up for a Pioneer head unit? 

Thanks for any advice! 

Cheers!


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