[ainarssems]

I would highly suggest to retain OEM radio, either repair or replace. I have tried aftermarket in Audi myself and also helped to install them for other people. The issue is that rear speakers in Audis are active with a built in amplifier and aftermarket radios use 1.5V line out signal but Audi use 3V or 3.5V so if you connect rear speakers to line out they are very quite, about half the volume, if you connect them to speaker level output they are very loud. You can play with fader control or use resistors with the speaker level output but I have found that quality is never the same. Then I think Audi speakers were 2 ohm while aftermarket units are generally meant for use with 4 or 8 ohm speakers. Audi has designed the whole system together and it work very well for the age, when you start changing components you disturb the balance, then there is OEM look.

I tried it once on one of previous Audis and did not like it so I have stuck to OEM since. I have done it for several other people for whom having radio with CD player or was more important than quality and balance.

I have also tried the OEM unit designed for A3/4/6 in S8 as mine is having the same volume problem in cold weather, it is better than aftermarket but I still don't like it 100%. It has more bass and less clear top end. So I have been looking for a good second hand unit for 8's but they are very rare, I think I will need to go the repair route for mine.

By the way while I am still using A3/4/6 unit in the S8 I am happy to sell it if anybody is interested. It is newer unit made in Japan by Matsu****a(Panasonic) rather than older Blaupunkt units made in Germany( and sometimes other European countries like Portugal or Hungary) and should not develop volume issue as that was only for older Blaupunkt units.


Edit:

O dear, it does not like the company name M A T S U S H I T A and has put stars in the middle of name thinking I am swearing.