New Audi A3 instrumentation color and empeg lenses

Ok, so I decided to get a new Audi A3. Not that I was planning to get a new car now, but I was forced to do so.

While waiting that it arrives to my dealer (and that my bank account dries as a consequence), I am wondering if anybody has any suggestion regarding what lens color I should use. The new A3 has white/red instrumentation, so I was thinking to use red lenses on the empeg. I assume that the new A3's red is the same as the "old" A3, so maybe somebody here had the chance to test the different red lenses available and has some recommendation?

Also, just out of curiosity, is there any color which could match the white, instead? I was assuming not, but maybe...

Thank you all in advance (and once again thanks for the kind words concerining my car theft in the topic linked above).

Hi!
I don't have a red lens unfortunately, otherwise I would compare the colour in my dad's Audi. I think red should be ok; I was thinking that if you added illumination you could keep the buttons white, and the display red so it would sort of match the looks.

Another question: how is the situation about the original A3 stereo? I mean, isn't that really heavily integrated? I hope not, of course, but I only saw cars with nav system, so maybe there are differences?

I was thinking that if you added illumination you could keep the buttons white, and the display red so it would sort of match the looks.

That's a good idea, but to tell you the complete truth I don't like illuminated buttons that much. I really love the great work behind getting them on an empeg, but I prefer the way non-illuminated buttons look like since they let the display stand out at night. Just my humble idea, of course
Also, I have a Anoface (Newface) which I really like and I was thinking to use that, which is black and hopefully will look nice.

how is the situation about the original A3 stereo? I mean, isn't that really heavily integrated? I hope not, of course, but I only saw cars with nav system, so maybe there are differences?

Fortunately it is not heavily integrated. It is slightly larger than a standard DIN, but Audi provides some plastic components that will fill the holes on the sides od any standard DIN head unit (like the empeg).
Since I was planning to install my empeg, I got the bas stereo system. I am now wondering how good is the amp+speakers installed by Audi (I don't know how many amps, 6 speakers, no sub). If it's decent, which I expect in such a high quality car, I may keep those at least initially to save some money...

Oh, it has an amp already? Wow, didn't know that!
In that case I presume you'll need some adapters, because I think that the amp will have only speaker-level inputs. I may be wrong, though.

I noticed a really huge difference on my dad's cars, he once had an Audi with the factory BOSE sound system, and it was pretty decent (for a factory install); his car now hasn't that goodie and, well, you clearly hear the difference. OTOH, the factory speakers on my Lupo were pretty good; as long as I kept my Blaupunkt they were enough. So you may have luck!

I see you have a radio module too; as I live in europe too, how is the reception with the module?

Hi, I bought the new A3 last friday. I had already an A3 before.

For the color I think red lense will be good.

But how do you intend to install your empeg ?

I have a Concert radio on my new car, and I wonder how it is possible to do. Do you want to remove the Concert radio or to keep it with your empeg ?

I don't have the Bose system and the sound is good, but I think I'll change for Bose if it is possible.

I'm thinking about the Phatbox too...

I don't know anything about the amp. I was told it comes with one by the dealer, but I did not ask more since I am anyway planning to install my own system. I would not be surproised if the guy was worng. I'll let you know if you're interested. I did not even buy the Bose system because it required to buy a more expensive head unit and anyway I did not want to spend anything on it since my installation would have been surely better.. And the empeg deserves the best, right?

see you have a radio module too; as I live in europe too, how is the reception with the module?

I USED to have one. That was stolen with my car, since as you know the radio module is permanently in the car. My radio module must be on the desk of somebody who has no clue about what the heck that thing is.

I'll definitely buy another one, because the quality of reception was excellent, at least according to my experience. I also loved the display in radio mode. I really enjoyed the empeg as a radio, I have to say.

The REAL problem is RDS+V2.00final. AF doesn't really work well, and it will keep changing stations automatically trying to find a better reception BUT without realizing it should nonetheless stay on the station you chose firstly . Radio experience with v.2.00final becomes somewhat hysterically funny until it drives you completely crazy and you give up.
Since one of the bugs od RDS in v.2.00final is that you can't switch neither RDS nor AF off, I had to revert to 2.00b13, which works fine (but has no AF and TA functions yet, which is not a big problem anyway).

Anyway, knowing our good old empeg team, I am sure problems on V2.00 final will be solved in 3.00beta.

Aside from this, I really recommend that you get a radio module. I have been enthusiastic about it.

I USED to have one. That was stolen with my car, since as you know the radio module is permanently in the car. My radio module must be on the desk of somebody who has no clue about what the heck that thing is.

I'm sorry....I din't remember that the module is permanently in the car...

I'm in Patrick's list for one of his tuner kits...hope the moment arrives soon

You can let me know what kind of an install there is as standard in the A3. I used to go at my dealer (VW and Audi) almost every day, but now since I don't live at home anymore (studying in Germany) I haven't that possibility anymore

Contratulation SE7EN!

Now, you mean you already have the car? No waiting at all?
Maybe because I included some (well, a lot of) optional equipment, but I'll be getting it at the end of July, hopefully!

Let me know if the empeg red lens are ok. I also have some othe red lens I got from Darkstorm design which are very nice, as usual, but don't know if they'll match.

I am defintely planning to remove the Audi head unit. I lived without a tape/cd reader for two years without EVER wanting to have one, and I really would not give up my empeg for that.
If you remove it, you'll have to buy an adapter from audy which will reduce the size of the hole in your dash so that you can fit a standard DIN head unit. Not a problem at all.

I have an Audi TT that sounds like it has a very similar dash color scheme. The standard empeg red matched very well, but as previously discussed visibility in sun light was terrible. Especially problematic in a convertible.

I ended up using the darkstorm neon red. When I first installed it, I was disappointed that it was not red, but mostly white/gray. When I installed it in the car, I was pleasantly surprised that it matches the white numbers in the dash. I think it looks right at home.

morrisdl,

Thanks! Your car interior looks great. Dashboard color scheme is virtually identical to the new A3, as far as I can tell from the picture.
I think I'll try to use the empeg red lenses and probably also order a neon red from Darkstorm design.

I remember I found the empeg red lens quite readable, but my old car was not a cabrio...

I'll know if the empeg lens are ok if I keep my empeg because I'm thinking seriously about Phatbox.

I didn't wait for my car because I've commanded it during april.

It's an Ambition Tdi, and it looks like the TT inside so the picture above is good for you to have an idea.

I hope the adapter from Audi is easy to have, and I wonder what I will find behind the head unit....

I got a TDi Ambition too What color?

The adapter should be easy to find, according to my delaer. I precisely asked to have one and they said they had plenty in their local stock.

Mine is black pearl (sorry for the translation...)

If that so easy to do, I think I'll stay with my empeg and keep money for amp and other things to make the sound better.

Where do you live ? I'm french.

I guess in English it is Pearl Black. And guess what, that's the same color I got!

I am from Rome, Italy (I know there's a "Rome" in New York state, am I right?) ...

So you had to wait almost two months, right? Here delivey time is 90 days maximum, but the dealer said they expect it sooner since it seems that - so far - Audi is being able to handle all the orders quite well.

So how do you like your Audi? I envy you so much! I wish I had mine already...

Wow! The man gets a the prize for obscure upstate NY geography knowledge! Rome NY is mighty small...

There's also Ithaca and Syracuse NY; Mediterranean city names are sort of a theme in north western areas of New York.

Thanks. Prize accepted happily. Reason why I know is because once I said I was from Rome and somebody replied "Rome, NY?". I though either that guy was lacking basic geography knowledge, or I was lacking some not so basic (for somebody living in Italy) NY State geography. So I found out about Rome, NY

Thanks! Just remember that with out the button lights the red neon effect will be less noticeable.

We don’t have A3's here in the US, so I had to look one up. The dash is surprisingly similar:


Including having the steering wheel on the proper side

Yes I have it in Pearl Black with parabolic wheels (very nice).

I haven't really waited because the new A3 will be available this week in France, and I have it before because I asked for it the sooner I could.

My "interni" (italian word ) is like that:

http://www.audi.it/gamma/na3/interni/a3_interni.html , choose Matrix, then the third color.

I really like it but I miss my music collection...

I'm just a bit scared about the forthcoming S3... the top-of-the-line A3 already has 250 hp...you do the maths

I like it very much, and I recommend you to download the movie at www.audi.de

Hey, ALMOST identical!

I chose the SAME interni , but I have different wheels. I've been long undecided between parabolic and the "standard" ones that come with the Ambition (which are same size, same material, different design), then decided to get the latter when I actually saw them at my dealer and liked them slightly better.

Lupo, I had seen the movie, very nice.
Yes, I think next S3 will be really super. And very expensive!

SO beautiful, SE7EN!
Thank for the pic! Now it's even harder to be here waiting from mine!

??

So you can see a picture ?

I can't see anything !

Well this is really MINE !

There are other pics of it here:

http://www.audipassion.com/fr/forums/viewthread.php?tid=5756&page=3

About my radio, I think I'm going to replace it by Bose system, but I will remove the Concert and add my empeg. Because there is nothing better today in my opinion.

Click on the "attachment" link below your name, on the left of your post

I also saw the other pictures. Congratulations!

Sorry...

A friend here in Minnesota had a TT for a while (sold it to another friend in favor of something with lower payments), and we got to experiment with a few things.

The red lense from empeg looked almost orange in comparison to the TT's blood red instrumentation. Looks red elsewhere, but when installed it just seemed orange. I guess it's the VFD underneath adding it's own color to it. The Darkstorm "deep red" lens was much better though. Not perfect, but a lot better for color matching. Unfortuantely being a darker red made it harder to read, though the flip-up "thing" over the radio did help to shade it. Never did try a neon red. Ultimately he went with the standard blue lense, since we couldn't find anything that matched just right, may as well not worry about it at all. This is how I remember it going anyway!

I have a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse where I went through something similar. The dash instruments are orange from the factory. I installed red bulbs behind everything though, and when combined with the orange filters (the stock bulbs were just white and shined through these filters) give a nice dark red color very similar to the Audi. I have ended up with the Darkstorm "smoke" lens. For me, his deep red lens was a great match, but also just hard to see during the day (nothing to shade the display like the TT had, and I've got a sunroof that lets a lot of light through). The smoke lens can be read in full daylight, and the green tint it has at night is just not a problem for me. Doesn't match everything else, but the tradeoff of legibility during the day is worth it to me.

Ok, now that I got my car, I'll send some pics as soon as I get the adapter from audi-hole to din and my empeg install looks decent. Now there are some unpleasant small holes around the empeg.
However, it does come with an amp for the back speakers and the sub, while front speakers are connected directly to the head unit. So I had to add a small amp fro the front in order to install the empeg. I am however planning to change both amps and speakers as soon as I have some money to spend on it.

Ok, one more thing.

I am uncertain on whether I should use a deep red by darkstorm that matches the red of the interiors, or to use any other lens color that matches the white of the instrumentation. For some reason, my empeg original red is quite orange if compared to the audi's red, so hopefully darkstorm's deep red will be ok.

Anyway. do you know of any lens color that will match the audi's white? As to neon red, I am afraid that the orange in it may look bad. Is there anything which will make the empeg simply look white?

Thanks!

Anyway. do you know of any lens color that will match the audi's white?

The whitest would be a clear or smoke lens - that'll give the greenish tinted white that is common on home stereo electronics.

It'd be very much more readable in daylight than the red lenses...

/Michael

You can actually get a little closer to pure white with a gel lens. There is a strange (unobvious) color that, combined with the VFD, will give almost a white illumination. But you sacrifice brightness to get it. You might want to check out Steve's page to check the gel colors. If I remember correctly, it was some weird color... Like "Medium Bastard Amber" or "Light Rose". That, combined with the natural VFD, gave off a nearly white illumination...

Meanwhile, I did receive an email from Steve a few days ago. He said that he has been in the hospital from pneumonia, but was released a few days ago. As I here anything more, I will post.

Thanks for the suggestion Paul. Steve's website seems to be down right now. I'll check back later.
I hope Steve recovers soon. Also, as soon as he is ready I'll order few lenses...

Heres my audi TT with a neon red. The Red and the White are spot on matches. My only complaint is it looks a bit pink when the unit is off in the day light.

En réponse à:

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So I had to add a small amp fro the front in order to install the empeg

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I did exactly the same. I think the sound is quite good even without Bose System.

Another thing: I use the blue lense, did you try it ?

Wow, I am now looking at "light rose" and on the monitor it looks really white enough. This is for suere a lens I'll order. "Medium Bastard Amber" looks too greenish to match Audi's bright white.
Well, again, if anyone has a light rose lens, which I doubt, I'll buy it. PM me

Se7en, I anctually used the blue lens for 1 day, soon after the install was complete, and I think I would like a proper red or a proper white better.

Yes, the system sounds well even without a bose, but I remember the install I had on my old Polo had better sound quality, even consiering the car was not even nearly as good as the A3 and was more noisy. I think in few months I'll replace speakers and amps with something of better quality. The A3 is conmfortable enough to deserve this

Se7en, quick question: does the empeg siwtch off when you remove your car key, or does it stay on? Unlike my old Polo, the empeg stays always on, in my case. I have waited for 10 minutes after removing the key, and the empeg was still playing. My installer said it is normal due to the way Audi's wiring is, but I just wanted a confirmation here... ?

The AUDI Wiring harness is not exactly DIN – The Empeg plug (shown in my install here ) fits right into the AUDI plug but 2 wires are reversed. The constant 12w power and the switched 12v power wires are backwards in the AUDI. It was easier to change them on the Empeg plug – so swap the yellow and orange

Is this the A3 Dash?

It looks just like a TT.

Thank you morrisdl. I will!

Yes, it is a A3 Dash. Mine looks exactly like that, except for the colors.

Well...

Well?

I think I was too late to answer...

But I had the same problem...

So it doesn't have CAN-BUS only? Glad to hear that! Shops are going crazy because of that; because it's really difficult to use a non-factory HU...