Speaker upgrade

[Bignick]

Hi all i'm after some speakers to replace the standard cr@p in my 99 A3. I dont want to have to cut anything around i just want to remove the standard ones and screw in some replacements front and back i dont even want to replace the tweeters. All i want is something that will take a bit more volume and hopefully give a bit more base. Is this doable or should i be looking at amps and subs too .
I did get sold some sony speakers today which were supposed to fit staight in , it even said they would on the box, but they didnt come close so they will be returned tommorow. any suggestions would be appretiated.

Nick

 

[AndyMac]

You won't get any more bass or volume by just upgrading the speakers. The HU and rear/sub amp only kick out 2 x 20w which isn't really enough to do justice to a better speakers and all speakers are screwed to a flimsy door card loosely clipped to the bodywork, so even with more power the drivers struggle to produce anything approaching bass. You will get a slight improvement in quality, but only by swapping out the tweeters as well. There are no aftermarket speakers that are a straight swap, you will need adapter rings whatever you choose.
Upgrading the sub is the best thing to do, either for a stealth unit or a boot hogger.

 

[Bignick]

Ok cheers i have done the head unit and changer already and i've got some dynamat on order. I dont want a boot hogger sub , is there a sub i can put in the tupperware enclosure or is it simply not worth it?

 

[AndyMac]

The stealth sub replaces the tupperware enclosure (as that's half the problem with the Audi one), made from 18mm MDF and housing a JL Audio 6.5" sub, with a 250wrms amp hidden behind the rear speaker panel.

 

[Bignick]

Where would i be able to get one , and how much?

 

[AndyMac]

I build them to order. The enclosure is £95 but you need to add the sub (£115) and a half decent amp to drive both the sub and the rears (as the tupperware sub amp drives the rears as well). I can supply Alpine MRV-F405's for £70 which do the job nicely. The amp need to be 3 or 4 channel with at least 200wrms for the sub.
The amp is hidden behind the rear speaker panel so totally stealth.

 

[alijames]

Bignick. I can wholeheartedly recommend Andy's sub above. Makes an amazing difference to the sounds in the A3/S3.

Also, for the work involved in it it's an absolute bargain. Would cost at least twice as much for the enclosure alone, if it were made & sold commercially. Top Man Andy!!

Cheers,

 

[Andy_S3]

I too have the sub. I might be the first one to admit it but its not worth the money. Im forever having to change the bass as its not punchy enough one song, then farting like hell on the next. And i can only get to 16 or 17 without it farting all the time. Have spent hours taking the door card on and off to tweak the amp but ive had no real joy. The standard Bose one is just as good so long as the poor brackets holding it havent snapped, its not quite as punchy than the upgrade (after youve finished tweaking it) but sounds crystal clear right up to 30. Save the money and get a remap.

 

[AndyMac]

Yes Andy you are indeed the first out of 50+ people to think it's not a great upgrade. Guess it had to happen sooner or later. If you really are that unhappy with it and the Bose one was soooo great why did you want the upgrade in the first place? If you send it all back to me I'll gladly refund your payment.
I've given you advice on disconnecting the Bose EQ to give you better control and said you need to turn the amp gain down, neither of which you seem to have done.

 

[Andy_S3]

I have done both mate, with no joy. Dont get me wrong the Bose one isnt amazing, but this new one just isnt right. I was expecting to at least have it as loud as the Bose one without it farting. Maybe a faulty Sub?

 

[AndyMac]

So you've turned down the amps gain and it still farts at 16?
That's impossible. You need to use a bassy track, turn the amps gain to zero, turn off the bass EQ on the amp, then turn the HU up to wherever you feel the max is without distortion (and 30 is way too loud on the stock system) then turn the gain up on the amp until it starts to distort, then turn it back slightly.
It certainly wasn't farting when we tested it. Sounds like you've blown the sub.
With the system off slowly push the cone back & forth, if it feels crunchy then it's ********.

 

[Andy_S3]

I think I might take it to a specialist see what they say, as you know im no expert and I know me messing with it will just make matters worse. I knew it wasnt right when I got home but living 5 hours away I cant pop back round to yours so you can have a look at it. Friends/family who have been in the car have noticed the difference and I havent told most of them i'd had the sub changed! The Bose setup in my G/F's TT is a lot better but im guessing thats due to the accoustics of her car?

 

[dualmono21]

theres two very good specialist,s in your area which im sure can help you attain the sound which you want
the first is http://www.bassmechanix.com/
the second is http://www.turners-online.co.uk/intro/