Firstly, allow me to explain how the audio system in the Aston Martin works in respect of the fibre optic MOST bus. The Aston’s audio system is based around the Volvo MOST (Media Orientated System Transport) Bus. This is a closed fibre optic loop that connects all the audio and navigation components, CD changer, display, radio tuner, GPS tuner, Navigation DVD drive and amplifier.
To give the best quality (the only proper way to do it), we need to add another ‘node’ into that closed fibre loop. The vast majority of the time we use a Dension Gateway 500, this acts as a CD emulator (the existing CD Changer is still retained), because of this we can have control and display through the car’s system and not have anything else on show. We were instrumental in getting Dension R&D over from Hungary to enable Aston to have an iPod option prior to them having it as a factory fit in 2008.
As technology has moved on and music is now no longer held on devices but streamed from cloud-based services like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer etc, also the demand has been to make the connection wireless. This we achieve with the addition of a small Bluetooth receiver onto the Gateway 500 to receive A2DP streamed music from a compatible handset.
Cost for the Dension Gateway 500 is £599 fitted inc VAT, adding the Bluetooth receiver is £76.