Dension Gateway 500 iPod Adapter - Any Experience?

[S6Guy]

I have a 2007 S6 and am looking for some info on this unit and its compatibility with my car. Anyone?

[kjg110]

Hi, go gateway 500 in my 2007 A6 3.0TDI, great bit of kit works perfectly through MMI display and turns MMI wheel into Ipod trackwheel. Never had any problems with it and CD changer still works as before. Definately recommend.

[S6Guy]

Thanks for the info. Did you have satellite radio? If so, did you lose it when you added the Gateway?

[craigyb]

With MMI you should not lose anything when you connect the Dension gateway 500.

All other modules will continue to work.

[S6Guy]

Thanks for your help with this. For some reason the local installer recommended to me by the Audi dealer seems to be giving me misinformation, as though they do not want to do the install. I'll let you know the outcome after I find one who will make the install. (Wish we were closer!)

[fo2203]

hi,

the reason is that the alternative solution ( AMI) is more expansive. i can confirm: gateway500 is the best solution.

[S6Guy]

Well, we'll know how it works Monday. I have the unit in my hands and will have it installed locally here in Tucson Monday. I'll post the results after I have a little time to check it out.

[S6Guy]

I finally gave up on finding anyone in Tucson who knew anything about the Dension Gateway 500 unit and bought it direct from Mass Electronics in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (there is no US distributor). Cost was Cnd$549 + $40 overnight shipping.

I took it to a well regarded local installer this morning, and though he had never seen the unit, he had in and operating perfectly in two hours. He says the install would be 1.5 hrs max with this experience.

Unit goes in my glove box behind the CD changer. On top sits a small switch to select CD or iPod, plus two leads - one for the iPod and one USB for software upgrades. Very clean, and I lost almost no room in the already small glove box.

I have total control of the iPod from the MMI screen - I can select by play list, album title, artist title, song title, recently purchased, most played, etc. I can scan by any of them.

My left steering wheel thumbwheel will take me through tracks of whatever mode I'm in.

Sound quality is absolutely excellent. (No cross-talk with satellite radios as with the Audi adapter.)

Based on one afternoon's experience, I would recommend this unit highly. I will post a follow up no later than mid-April after we do a 2,000 mile road trip back to the Seattle area.

Update after trip: Turns out Tucson installer (and Dension instructions) did not know how smart the Audi MMI is. Had the unit rewired upon return to Seattle area ($40) to cut the manual switch out of the system. Now when you select CD, you get the 6 disks plus the iPod menus - artists, albums, songs, playlists (no genre). This made a great unit even better. I recommend this unit highly.