Replacing Speakers - A4 B6

[AlexGSi2000]

Unfortunately I blew a speaker last night on my way back from work.
Rather than replace the speaker for a standard one, iv been thinking about the possibility of replacing the factory speakers for decent component speakers.

My plans are below, but want to make sure it all makes sense to yourselves (its been a while since I played around with ICE).
I'm wanting to keep the Audi Symphony head unit - I upgraded from the Symphony II to a Symphony II+ from a 2008 B7 model (which increased sound quality, added MP3 functionality.etc)

Would I see gains from just replacing the standard speakers at the front and rear using the existing outputs from the Symphony head-unit, or is there no point unless I add an amp for the new speakers? - I'm thinking about a decent set of Alpine or Focal components.

Before the speaker blew I was thinking about replacing the standard subwoofer by taking the current high level inputs and adding a 12" subwoofer via an additional amp.

My budget is around £350 max - any thoughts?

Cheers!

 

[dualmono21]

keep the standard headunit and change the speakers first
to something like focal access or rainbow
if you still dont get the improvement you want then look at adding one multi channel amplifier to drive the whole car properly
there are some bargains to be had on ebay if you know what your looking for

 

[AlexGSi2000]

keep the standard headunit and change the speakers first
to something like focal access or rainbow
if you still dont get the improvement you want then look at adding one multi channel amplifier to drive the whole car properly
there are some bargains to be had on ebay if you know what your looking for

Thanks, do you think the standard headunit will be enough to drive a decent set of components?
Do you by any chance know what size speakers to go for? im guessing 17cm with adapters?

 

[dualmono21]

speakers for a b6 will be 6.5" diameter
provided the speakers are easy enough to drive then a standard headunit will be able to drive them to moderate levels when pushed but you may get a little distortion from the headunit
an external amplifier will allways be better

 

[AlexGSi2000]

Thanks, will take a look around and see whats to be had.
Its not massive volume I'm after - just something that can be pushed to moderate / loud volume whilst still maintaining clarity - to be fair the standard Audi speakers did this fairly well.

The Symphony II+ headunit gives good clarity in my opinion - iv had a few Alpine CDA-7894 and similar headunits in the past and the symphony is a definite contender on that front.

If a set of front components do the job, then I will leave the rear speakers as they are and maybe add a sub, so I can move the bass away from the component speakers (I know I will need to leave in the standard amp to drive the rear speakers)

 

[AlexGSi2000]

Just bought a set of Infinity Kappa 65.9cs speakers.
It looks like they get pretty good reviews - they state they can be driven by any head-unit.
Do you think I will need adapters so they fit in the standard speaker recess?

Only ever used Alpine & Boss audio components previously, so looking forward to getting these!

 

[dualmono21]

the standard audi units arent a patch on even the cheapest of the alpine units
once you put the speakers on a decent amplifier you will hear this quite clearly

as regards adaptors in honesty i would make your own from mdf , use the original as a template then simply drill holes where needed
they will need to be of the same thickness as the plastic originals or it wont sound correct

if you do make your own adaptors then i would make sure they are painted or protected from rott before installation

 

[AlexGSi2000]

New speakers arrived today, plan on fitting over the weekend.
One thing I probably should have researched before purchasing is the Independence.
I'm unsure of what the factory headunit specifies, or what the original speakers were (guessing 4 ohm)?

The speakers I have purchased are 2 Ohm and state;
"2-ohm impedance for extra power (compatible with all factory or aftermarket car stereos)"
Would these be ok to run from the Symphony II+ headunit?

 

[dualmono21]

you will be putting a lot of extra strain on your headunit by running those speakers at that impedance
the headunit may well not last long
some cars are fitted with the bose system which do use 2 ohm speakers but these are run off a seperate amplifier which is capable of running at 2 ohms stereo

in all honesty my advice would be to change the speakers as they are not suitable for a headunit
id personally send them back and replace them with 4 ohm speakers from either focal , rainbow ,hertz or jl audio

 

[AlexGSi2000]

Only just read your reply!
I finished fitting the speakers a few hours ago.

Going to run with them for the time being as I modified the tweeter to an extent so it fits in the standard recess (hacked them to bits pretty much).

I was pretty shocked at the standard speakers, I actually thought they sounded ok when they were working. Completely unbranded, with the cone foam torn all the way round.

The new speakers on the other hand are a vast improvement - I know they are still classed as budget items but the sound is clearly better - a lot more definition and handle lower frequencies really well.

Would be interested to hear what a full amped set-up sounds like.

Half tempted to disconnect the rear speakers, amp the fronts and add a sub. Will alleviate strain on the head-unit at the same time, payday has just been too... Temptation!