TL;DR it depends on the level of integration you’re after, and what you’ve got currently installed.
If you’re coming from an RCD500, and RCD510 with basic bluetooth or lower/equivalent mk6 units , the RCD330’s are a good upgrade, especially for the money and features.
If you have an RNS510 with the nicer BT modules, then you lose features/RCD330’s are a downgrade in some areas.
Empirically the Discover/Composition Media units have :
- A CD Drive
- Built in GPS Navigation (Discover only)
- MFD Integration
- Native MFSW Support
- DAB Radio Support (model dependant)
- RDS Support & Station Icons
- Dual Fakra Antenna Input
- Media playback album art
- PDC display support
over the RCD330 units.
Where as the RCD330 units :
- Lack a CD Drive
- Only have Navigation through CarPlay/AndroidAuto
- No MFD Integration
- MFSW for MK6 only (MK5’s work with a Harness adaptor, but for Volume Only)
- No DAB Radio
- Single Fakra Antenna (Worse radio reception)
- No RDS or Station Art
- No media playback art
- No PDC display support
Both unit's support :
- Carplay/AndroidAuto/MirrorLink (Depending on HW/FW versions for the RCD's, and if those features have been activated on DM/CM)
- Playback of common music formats from SD/USB/AUX/iPod
- A composite video input for RVC
- Bluetooth for Phone Calls and Media Playback
Neither units (to my knowledge) support :
- DVD Playback
- Native Video Playback
- Media playback/media copy to Internal Storage (tho both accept large SD Cards)
Subjectively many people report the Discover/Composition Media as :
- sounding better,
- being a little more responsive, and
- being less prone to hardware failure.
In saying that, I have an RCD340 187B in my MK6 TDI Golf wagon (CP&AA) as well as a RCD330 187A (no CP or AA) in my MK5 TFSI Jetta.
They are great value units for getting basic Bluetooth/USB/SD music into 2005 onwards VW’s, especially with the CarPlay/AndroidAuto variants thrown into the mix.
Having 'been there and done that' with the RCD330's, I have a Discover Media DAB unit heading my way (huge shout out to kamold for the help with that one).
I’d recommend an aftermarket backup camera, as there are plug and play options out there that don’t require timer boxes or converters and camera’s have come a long way from the 10+ years that MK5/MK6’s VW’s shipped with.
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