C7.5 RS7 Sub Upgrade

[CanuckRS]

For those that are interested in a Sub upgrade for the RS7, here is my take on it. I'm no audiophile nor do i need crystal clear musical perfection at all times. The Bose system blows by all accounts but it's adequate for my listening needs. ie., radio, spotify via BT. As everyone has mentioned there is a definite lack of low end bass in this stock RS7 and thanks to our S7 friend, his mod inspired me to do the same on my own vehicle.

I like to tinker and mess around with simple mods like this so if you like to do the same, this DIY project might be something to consider pursuing. If on the other hand you are not that adventurous or skilled, i would recommend getting a professional involved as it is time consuming and you need at least a little bit of patience :)

I did an initial audio recording with the stock sub. I have a video at the end to compare before and after.
http://i.imgur.com/Gdq0DIe.jpg

************************************************** ****
Items purchased for the install. Rather than online purchase i went to my local audio store to see what they had in stock. I checked online first and had an idea of what i wanted and they had it all in stock and on sale.

1. Kenwood KFC-XW800F (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-el0JUse8KlB/p_113XW800F/Kenwood-Excelon-KFC-XW800F.html)
I was looking for an 8" size to replace the stock size. Also wanted a single coil rather than dual coil but either was fine. Simpler the install the better. This one is 4ohm so it matches the amp perfectly. I was also open to a dual 2ohm as well but this was in stock. Additionally, i wanted a low profile sub that would have a shallow mounting depth to fit into this tight oem space. Mounting depth on this one is 2-3/4" and fits well.

2. Alpine MRV-M250 Amp (https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-MRV-M250-V-Power-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B00BLQ2T9M/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)
There are a few important points to consider when choosing the amp.
a. make sure it RMS ratings match up. ie., don't use a 500W RMS amp with a 150W RMS sub, you'll blow it up. Also, consider how much wattage you really need. Do you need 1000W or will 150W suffice?
b. Buy an amplifier that has speaker level inputs (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-qYtPJoikiPN/fg_120_AG_General_Features%7CYCSpeaker_Level_Input s/Speaker-Level-Inputs-Car-Amplifiers.html#&nvpair=FFBrand|Alpine&nvpair=AG_General_Features|YCSpeaker_Level_Inputs) . This means you won't need a line output converter because the stock wire for the sub can be connected directly to the amplifier for a signal. Makes life easier and cheaper.
c. Make sure the amp only turns on when a signal is detected. On the Alpine amp, this is called "remote sensing function". Most decent amps will do this, just make sure yours does!
So the reason i chose this amp was for all of the above and it matched the 150W RMS @ 4ohm on my speaker perfectly. I didn't think i would need more power than this for my listening tastes but perhaps if you want a huge amount of bass, you can go higher but remember this is an 8" sub so it's not going to perform as well as a standard 12" sub.

3. A generic 8 gauge amplifier wiring kit. This power cable is beefy enough to run a 500W amp and it was cheap. You can find tons of these online.

4. Polyfil for the sub box. (https://www.amazon.com/Fairfield-Poly-Fil-Premium-Polyester-12-Ounce/dp/B000YZ7G44/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470515933&sr=8-2&keywords=polyfil)

5. Expanding sealant tape from your home improvement store. See further down for more details.

6. Assorted tools including a heat gun, electrical connectors, wire...

http://i.imgur.com/9Q7dQPh.jpg


************************************************** ****
Ok, on to the install portion.

Stock view of the trunk with mat and plastic tray removed. To remove the sub, you'll need to remove the foam tray obviously and a socket driver and a 10mm socket attachment to remove 2 screws and one bolt, and then unclip the speaker wire connector. Easy stuff.
http://i.imgur.com/Qqh7X0C.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QMAmRWi.jpg


Now to remove the sub, you'll need a Torx T20 bit. Sub comes out nicely.
http://i.imgur.com/E3OLaZZ.jpg



Even the cheap Kenwood sub is miles better quality than stock. What a shame the stock speakers are so brutally cheap and piss poor quality. Almost makes me want to upgrade the whole damn system!
http://i.imgur.com/KNowl6M.jpg



The side profile shows the conical shape of the stock sub and why, at least partly, it fits so easily into the stock sub box. The Kenwood shallow depth sub doesn't go as deep but it is deeper all the way around which is more important when it comes to getting it to fit.
http://i.imgur.com/j81qDlh.jpg


Now here we are getting to the most difficult part of the job. Getting the sub to fit the stock box. Firstly, i had to get rid of all these little plastic bits that were sticking out of the plastic and getting in the way of a flush sub install. They are there to orient the stock sub perfectly with its cutouts. I had to clip some off and then shave some of them down as well, there are a number of them to do.
http://i.imgur.com/JLtq8Kj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EJQ50Ic.jpg


Next step will be to heat the plastic surrounding the sub opening so you can get it to fit. You'll need a heat gun for this so the plastic becomes moldable but not too hot! Don't melt it and ruin the box. This is going to take you some time and fiddling. If i had to do it again, i would basically head up the surrounding plastic and quite a bit and then drop the sub into the hole and push it around until it sits almost flush. I couldn't get it to be perfectly flush as you can see in this photo, there is a few mm gap that i couldn't get any better unless i spent a lot more time. It was easier to make a seal all around that needed to be done anyways. This solution is in the next step.
http://i.imgur.com/ELB7nIl.jpg


I visited my local hardware store and picked this up. Very sticky, can be aligned easily around the circular opening, and expands to exactly what is required to minimize air movement. This is what made a good seal all the way around to even out any imperfections in the plastic sub box.
http://i.imgur.com/pc2w7Vp.jpg


You can see in this photo after applying the seal, the gap has been closed.
http://i.imgur.com/SJgashE.jpg


At this point i would recommend drilling some small pilot holes for your metal screws. I used the 6 stock screws and 2 of the ones supplied with the kenwood sub. You'll notice that the kenwood has 8 holes for screws, the stock has 6 so the aftermarket sub won't line up with them all, you'll have to drill. Key here is to make sure you have the sub exactly where you want it to be and then drill the holes and screw down firmly, but not too tight to crack the plastic. The sealant will take care of the rest. I also wrapped the speaker wire going into the box with a bit of the foam seal to make sure there wasn't any air getting through that hole either. Before you get the sub installed, make sure you have filled the box with some polyfill. As mentioned, connect your speaker wire before closing it up. I used a nice 14AWG speaker wire. Most sites recommend 12-16Gauge and my setup is pretty low power so 14gauge should be more than enough.


Here is the sub installed and ready to go back in the vehicle. Looks stock, can't even tell if you didn't know.
http://i.imgur.com/Qr8Kaq7.jpg


Now I wanted to use as much of the stock setup as possible to make my life easier. I unclipped the wires right at the stock sub and used those to make my speaker level input connection. Now you'll extend that wire and fashion some connectors to get that signal all the way to where you want your sub to sit. I have mine sitting right on top of the stock bose amp using a few strips of velcro. Here is the speaker wire in the first picture. Second picture is how it connects to my amp (not in final location, just positioned in the trunk to see clearly).
http://i.imgur.com/RJsjoxQ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Q1Q3Ulo.jpg


Ok, time to re-install the sub back into its original location and on to the power. Firstly, unhook the negative terminal of the car battery so we can work in relative safety! I believe it's a 10mm socket for this to loosen the nut and take it off.
Here is the location of the finished power cables for you to peruse. Make sure you run your power cable (blue in my photo) as far away from the speaker/input wire as you can to avoid any interference in the signal.
1. connect the ground cable (brown) to a bolt in the trunk. There is a perfect one left back trunk area for this. Run that cable as you see in the photo to the amp and connect.
2. connect the battery/power(blue) cable to the amp on one end first, and then connect the other end to the battery terminal. you'll have to remove the plastic protector to get access to the connectors. i can't explain how to do it but it's easy, just remove the hinge by prying it sideways on both sides and it'll pop right off without having to remove the metal brace holding the battery in place.
3. once you're done with all the connections to the amp and everything is secure, then lastly, re-attach the negative terminal of the battery.
http://i.imgur.com/ux4Hf8e.jpg
***********************************
http://i.imgur.com/piEtpru.jpg

Now, re-install all the stock foam and trunk material. Looks perfectly stock but with a lot more bass. Adjust your bass settings on your amp and enjoy! I hope this helps some people out here planning on doing the same.


Here's a sample of some audio before/after. I think it comes through pretty well. Once YT processes it, should be available in 4K. Suffice to say, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference before vs after.
The Kenwood 150W 4ohm sub seems to be plenty powerful for this scenario. More bass gain than what I have now ends up vibrating the whole back end a bit too much. lol. Cheers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMPM92fiMew

[Webtoker]

Awesome post! Thanks for the taking the time to document. My next project!

[HeelBuff]

I don't need a replacement sub, but I enjoyed reading your post. You'd be a formidable technical writer if you ever quit your day job!

[hex808]

Great write up on your install. What is that device near your cup holder? [confused]

[CanuckRS]

I don't need a replacement sub, but I enjoyed reading your post. You'd be a formidable technical writer if you ever quit your day job!

I have no idea what that job is, but thanks ;)


Great write up on your install. What is that device near your cup holder? [confused]

H6 (https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H6-Six-Track-Portable-Recorder/dp/B00DFU9BRK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470524584&sr=8-2&keywords=h6)
I do some video recordings occasionally and i need a decent audio recorder device. My camera does 4K and the audio sucks on it. Love this thing. Thanks.

[Don Draper]

Whats the ohm rating on the stock sub? Also Bose isnt exactly known for their quality of materials , so it doesn't take much to upstage them [>_<] .

[davelong9050]

CanuckRS- Great job!! Thanks for taking the time to get the detail added to this mod that Djpeaksd and QuaTTrings got started. Awesome "team effort."
Ironically I stopped by my local "high end auto audio shop" today and discussed this exact upgrade.
You are "right on" with the the input control. Although you don't have Noise Cancelling in your RS7, I'm almost positive this is where a few other S7's have gotten hung up with reverb and other funky feedback issues. My guys were quite familiar with the issue and pointed to line balance as the culprit. I will post the results in a few weeks for those with Noise Cancelling and get more details. I have no desire to turn off Noise Cancelling just because I'm not smart or patient enough to figure it out.
Not sure how you mounted your amp but Velcro is a sub standard attachment method. My guys are fashioning a bracket that uses the same attachment screws as the Bose amp yet leaves space between the two amps. Can't imagine Velcro will hold up after miles of vibration.
Again- Great Job!

[ntsantos]

You, Djpeaksd, quattrings are badass for this info. Definitely my next mod. I'm done with engine power, need moar tunage power!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Djpeaksd]

Amazing write up!!!! Doesn't it make a huge difference? Hope your happy with the end result.

[kouzman]

amazing writeup guys! the install looks simple enough!. I am going on amazon to find the parts! :)

[ntsantos]

Everything ordered from Amazon, including a heat gun. Just need to get the foam strips.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[ntsantos]

The gang is all here. Ready to install!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160813/350c16198aecaac82083b48bd908d27a.jpg

[CanuckRS]

Very nice, keep us posted on the progress! :)

[Winterk80]

Fantastic write up! Thanks for taking the time to do this! [:D][up]

[davelong9050]

Very nice, keep us posted on the progress! :)

Just sent you a PM.

[ntsantos]

Canuck - what did you use for the remote trigger? Is there an existing signal wire you used?

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[CanuckRS]

Canuck - what did you use for the remote trigger? Is there an existing signal wire you used?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

As mentioned in the post, i used the existing wires that were attached to the sub. The alpine amp i used has "speaker level inputs" so you just connect the sub wires to the channel inputs on the amp. See photo in the post.
http://i.imgur.com/Q1Q3Ulo.jpg

[zee007]

Brilliant write up. You helped me with a write up to disable the tpms error and now this. Parts ordered and a six pack ready for you at some point. Thanks fella.

[ntsantos]

As mentioned in the post, i used the existing wires that were attached to the sub. The alpine amp i used has "speaker level inputs" so you just connect the sub wires to the channel inputs on the amp. See photo in the post.
http://i.imgur.com/Q1Q3Ulo.jpg
Right on, easier than i thought. Thanks!

[agent47]

Always a great write up from @CanuckRS. Now I am also getting the itch to do this. I was thinking of it when I read @Djpeaksd's post. Now I am literally looking at parts.
I have a question- a 10" sub wont fit or wont be ideal, right? Asking this question since there is one brand new alpine 10" sub someone is selling near me for 75 bucks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[ntsantos]

Here's an update on my "attempted" install. Started off very bad due to my failure to look at what sub I had already. I have an A7 with the base sound system. My dumbass assumed that the enclosure would be the same as the Bose but with a shittier speaker. Wrong. It looks like this:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/56546b09377460d8ff9b0b5804138dc2.jpg

Is it an 8"? 6.5"? Nope, it's a 5"!!

So, feeling like a turd, I checked online to see what is available in 5". I found a Pyle (o'shit) for a whopping $12 available next day. Done. Here's what the POS looks like next to the oem POS and what it looks like installed:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/21dc1556e49bdfc2375e5db4966238a5.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/7000100efc2f3c005f38854e579f358a.jpg

I first tried it out by swapping it with the oem and using the stock amp. From a scale on 1 to 10, 10 being Canuck or Djpeaksd level system, I would give the stock speaker a 1. The Pyle however raised the scale to about...a 1.8. Much better.

About 5 minutes after stepping off the podium from receiving my "worst audiophile of the year" award, I ordered a used A7 Bose sub from ebay. So in the meantime, I installed the amp a la "CanuckRS" method so at least when the real sub comes in, I'll just need to fit Kenwood sub in the enclosure and the rest would be plug n play.

So with the new amp connected to the 5" Pyle (o'shit), the previous 1.8 out of 10 now jumped to a 5.5! Not bad at all. If I already didn't have the Bose enclosure on the way I might have just returned the sub and kept this setup. Not earthshattering by any means, but for a total cost of less than $150, not bad at all.

So overall, it was a good lesson learned and hopefully provided some knowledge for those with the non-Bose, non-B&O systems.

Can't wait to install the real deal. Thanks again to the pioneers of this thread.

[flyfishing]

Ntsantos it's 1 am, I have a 102 fever, can't sleep and dunno if it is delirium or what but your post is hilarious and I just woke up my fiancé.

Can't wait to do my install and gonna wait for that shallow audison sub so I won't have to mold box cause I'm lazy

[CanuckRS]

Always a great write up from @CanuckRS. Now I am also getting the itch to do this. I was thinking of it when I read @Djpeaksd's post. Now I am literally looking at parts.
I have a question- a 10" sub wont fit or wont be ideal, right? Asking this question since there is one brand new alpine 10" sub someone is selling near me for 75 bucks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

A 10" sub won't fit the stock box, not even close. You can give it a try though, let us know how to do it. Would be nicer having a larger sub back there.

[CanuckRS]

Here's an update on my "attempted" install. Started off very bad due to my failure to look at what sub I had already. I have an A7 with the base sound system. My dumbass assumed that the enclosure would be the same as the Bose but with a shittier speaker. Wrong. It looks like this:

Is it an 8"? 6.5"? Nope, it's a 5"!!

So, feeling like a turd, I checked online to see what is available in 5". I found a Pyle (o'shit) for a whopping $12 available next day. Done. Here's what the POS looks like next to the oem POS and what it looks like installed:

I first tried it out by swapping it with the oem and using the stock amp. From a scale on 1 to 10, 10 being Canuck or Djpeaksd level system, I would give the stock speaker a 1. The Pyle however raised the scale to about...a 1.8. Much better.

About 5 minutes after stepping off the podium from receiving my "worst audiophile of the year" award, I ordered a used A7 Bose sub from ebay. So in the meantime, I installed the amp a la "CanuckRS" method so at least when the real sub comes in, I'll just need to fit Kenwood sub in the enclosure and the rest would be plug n play.

So with the new amp connected to the 5" Pyle (o'shit), the previous 1.8 out of 10 now jumped to a 5.5! Not bad at all. If I already didn't have the Bose enclosure on the way I might have just returned the sub and kept this setup. Not earthshattering by any means, but for a total cost of less than $150, not bad at all.

So overall, it was a good lesson learned and hopefully provided some knowledge for those with the non-Bose, non-B&O systems.

Can't wait to install the real deal. Thanks again to the pioneers of this thread.

Another option you may want to consider is buying a pre-enclosed sub and installing it in the location of the stock Audi sub.

pioneer sub (https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-TSSWX2502-Shallow-Mount-Pre-Loaded-Enclosure/dp/B00JQTU3QC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1471357055&sr=1-1&keywords=pioneer+subwoofer)

I thought long and hard about this one and for just a few bucks you could get yourself this or another similar setup and figure out a way to firmly attach it to the vehicle. It would sound better than stock for sure with the sub being 10" and it's in a box made for that particular speaker. I may even attempt this myself down the road for better bass. Good luck with the journey though!

[wwhan]

Always a great write up from @CanuckRS. Now I am also getting the itch to do this. I was thinking of it when I read @Djpeaksd's post. Now I am literally looking at parts.
I have a question- a 10" sub wont fit or wont be ideal, right? Asking this question since there is one brand new alpine 10" sub someone is selling near me for 75 bucks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Since you have a 2016 A6, is the subwoofer in the rear deck shelf (like my 2016 S6) or in an alternative location? I am pretty sure a 10"subwoofer will fit in my 2016 S6 rear deck.

The A7/S7/RS7 do not have a rear deck and subwoofer is placed elsewhere.

[agent47]

Since you have a 2016 A6, is the subwoofer in the rear deck shelf (like my 2016 S6) or in an alternative location? I am pretty sure a 10"subwoofer will fit in my 2016 S6 rear deck.

The A7/S7/RS7 do not have a rear deck and subwoofer is placed elsewhere.
Its in the rear deck shelf! I will check how it looks and if a 10" seems plausible that area. Also, there is something I noticed- the bass is not terrible as a lot of 7 owners have mentioned with the stock Bose. Maybe the placement makes that difference on 6 vs 7??

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[ntsantos]

Another option you may want to consider is buying a pre-enclosed sub and installing it in the location of the stock Audi sub.

pioneer sub (https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-TSSWX2502-Shallow-Mount-Pre-Loaded-Enclosure/dp/B00JQTU3QC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1471357055&sr=1-1&keywords=pioneer+subwoofer)

I thought long and hard about this one and for just a few bucks you could get yourself this or another similar setup and figure out a way to firmly attach it to the vehicle. It would sound better than stock for sure with the sub being 10" and it's in a box made for that particular speaker. I may even attempt this myself down the road for better bass. Good luck with the journey though!
I thought about doing that, but didn't do enough research on fitment before I pulled the trigger on your setup.

Are you still happy with the Kenwood sub?

[CanuckRS]

I thought about doing that, but didn't do enough research on fitment before I pulled the trigger on your setup.

Are you still happy with the Kenwood sub?

Only had it a few weeks now but yes, lots of bass for a reasonable price.

[Speedemon]

Great Install. I am thinking of doing this. Where did you apply the Polyfill on the inside of the enclosure?

[ntsantos]

The Bose sub came in today and I immediately went to work. Fitting the Kenwood sub in the Bose enclosure was a little more work than I thought. It took about 2 hours total and that's with the amp and wiring already complete. I'll only post one pic as I did a carbon copy of Canucks setup.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160820/824a919595c30a34e4151be5b3b2d445.jpg

When I hooked everything up the first time, no sound. So I had to unmount the sub and found a wire had slipped out of a connector. So that set me back almost a half hour. If I had to do it again, it would probably take 3 hours total, amp sub, and wiring.

As far as the sound? So the previous POS setup ranked a 5.5 right? Basically, the new sub is a 10 and the POS gets downgraded to a 3.96. The bass is just so much cleaner, warmer, it just. hits. hard. period!

I would recommend the POS setup for those looking for a super cheap upgrade, but spend a few extra bucks and do it right, you won't regret it.

Many thanks again to all the OG contributors!

[viren.89]

DAMN BRO! THAT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE LOL

Thanks for the write up!

Seems like one doesn't need B&O and spend money here instead and still end up saving for tune and what not lol

[CASoxFan]

Its in the rear deck shelf! I will check how it looks and if a 10" seems plausible that area. Also, there is something I noticed- the bass is not terrible as a lot of 7 owners have mentioned with the stock Bose. Maybe the placement makes that difference on 6 vs 7??

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Yes, I can confirm a 10" will fit in the rear deck, it is what I have installed in mine. Note you will need to do some reinforcing of the rear deck with a substructure as well as dynamatting for rattle.

[Speedemon]

Having a huge problem sourcing the amp and sub in South Africa. I can only order online and the shipping costs to SA are almost more that the components.

[ntsantos]

After rockin' the new sub for almost a week now, I figured I'd give a quick update. Man this mod rocks! Both literally and figuratively. Definitely one of the top 3 must haves. I've been playing with the settings and think I have it dialed in. The bass is very tight to where it doesn't cause any "high school" level vibrations. It's one of those mods that makes driving so much more enjoyable. I've been playing some of old school drum n' bass play lists just to push the system to its limits. Love it love love it!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N915A using Tapatalk

[TurtleHaste]

Can this be done on the C7 s6 with no issues?


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[subterFUSE]

I have seen C7 owners fit a 12" subwoofer in the rear deck location with some minor modification.


That said, I believe that an 8" in the tire well location is probably going to sound better than a 10 or 12" in the deck. Subwoofer location is probably the single most important factor for performance. The further you get the woofer to the back of the car, the less phase cancellation there will be from the back wave coming off the trunk lid. The best possible place to install a subwoofer is usually all the way at the back of the trunk, firing directly into the trunk lid where the license plate is. Not very convenient, but it sounds better.

[QuaTTrings]

Adding to the thread. I just completed a custom fiberglass enclosure for a 10" subwoofer over a couple of weekends. The 8" retrofit sounded great, so no issues there. I just had this 10" sub sitting on the bench so I figured why not...

Went with a sealed enclosure for better sonic integration with the factory speakers and sized it to the manufacturer's specs. Covered with carpet for the factory look after deciding against using the yards of carbon fiber twill /resin for the face of the enclosure since its hidden anyway and I was over the smell of resin fumes/spending any more time on this project. Obviously no comparison in sound quality to the factory B&O driver, but compared to the 8" retrofit into a factory B&O (or Bose) enclosure, it drops deeper with more emphasis around the 30-40Hz and under range while similar or possibly very slightly less (comparatively to the 8") up higher.

It will only fit in a car without a spare tire though ( which my car obviously doesn't have anyway) so that may or may not detract from its attractiveness of the project for some. It's by no means necessary as the 8" retrofit sounds amazing. I just wanted to show another option path and report back its effectiveness to the forum....

http://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.audiworld.com-vbulletin/1634x1222/80-jl1_ca5fd252b8c819c5a2c39e98420cab13ed852149.jpg


http://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.audiworld.com-vbulletin/914x1222/80-jl2_d3bfab497c506c5e9c49c2e902527487e14cb489.jpg

[TSpoolin]

QuaTTrings, nice job. Are you still driving this custom setup with the stock B&O amplification? Would you do the custom enclosure again, knowing what is involved (I have made custom fiberglass enclosures before, so I know how it goes) or just 'settle' for the 8" W3 in the OEM enclosure?

[QuaTTrings]

Thanks Spoolin. I am using the stock B&O amplifier so full output level with the same wattage isn't dramatically increased under most conditions. Even though I'm now running a less efficient sealed configuration, I find that the factory power is sufficient so that the other speakers aren't overpowered with bass. With certain tracks that contain deep bass, it is noticeably louder at those deep frequencies over the previous 8" retrofit. To be fair, my comparison is based on my OEM B&O enclosure that I have ported (diameter and length spec'd to the sub manufacturers recommendations). With the external port, the 8" is tuned to the 35 Hz range and sounds amazing and louder in the B&O box than it did before the port. The OEM B&O enclosure is fully sealed unlike the ported BOSE so the difference was significant. Not pretty since it's an external port but I did not want to reduce the overall volume of the relatively small OEM enclosure.

Would I do the custom fiberglass enclosure again? That's a great question. Well I love a 10" subwoofer and since I already had it sitting around, and didn't have to drop an additional $250 for another sub, the cost was only in materials - I probably would. Although what's nice is that I know the potential of this 10" sub with 500 RMS watts of class D piping to it, so if I get bored in the future there is an upgrade path too.


QuaTTrings, nice job. Are you still driving this custom setup with the stock B&O amplification? Would you do the custom enclosure again, knowing what is involved (I have made custom fiberglass enclosures before, so I know how it goes) or just 'settle' for the 8" W3 in the OEM enclosure?

[TSpoolin]

Thanks Spoolin. I am using the stock B&O amplifier so full output level with the same wattage isn't dramatically increased under most conditions. Even though I'm now running a less efficient sealed configuration, I find that the factory power is sufficient so that the other speakers aren't overpowered with bass. With certain tracks that contain deep bass, it is noticeably louder at those deep frequencies over the previous 8" retrofit. To be fair, my comparison is based on my OEM B&O enclosure that I have ported (diameter and length spec'd to the sub manufacturers recommendations). With the external port, the 8" is tuned to the 35 Hz range and sounds amazing and louder in the B&O box than it did before the port. The OEM B&O enclosure is fully sealed unlike the ported BOSE so the difference was significant. Not pretty since it's an external port but I did not want to reduce the overall volume of the relatively small OEM enclosure.

Would I do the custom fiberglass enclosure again? That's a great question. Well I love a 10" subwoofer and since I already had it sitting around, and didn't have to drop an additional $250 for another sub, the cost was only in materials - I probably would. Although what's nice is that I know the potential of this 10" sub with 500 RMS watts of class D piping to it, so if I get bored in the future there is an upgrade path too.

Appreciate the feedback!

[davelong9050]

In adding to this excellent thread, I an adding an alternative way to mount the Power Amp and Signal Adapter by utilizing the existing Bose Amp mounting plate. This was done by a local car stereo shop here in NorCal, so I can’t take any credit.

1) Removed the Bose Amp then the OEM mounting plate
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/medium/Bose_Mounting_Plate_1.JPG (http://www.audizine.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=85420&title=bose-mounting-plate-1&cat=500)

2) Added carpet as padding to the back of the OEM plate
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/medium/Bose_Mounting_Plate_2.JPG (http://www.audizine.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=85421&title=bose-mounting-plate-2&cat=500)

3) Mounted the new Power Amp and Signal Adapter to the back leaving enough slack to service if needed, making use of all the factory slits behind the Bose amp on the mounting plate for mounting brackets.
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/medium/Bose_Mounting_Plate_3.JPG (http://www.audizine.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=85422&title=bose-mounting-plate-3&cat=500)

This is one of the best “mods” that can be done to your car (for the money) and I would make this the #3 mod, next to tuning and lowering your car.

[1_sic_rs]

Can this be done with a C7 RS7 with B&O?

[justcured]

Can this be done with a C7 RS7 with B&O?

Check the related thread on this topic for replies by Quattrings. As I recall, he has replaced just the speaker in B&O systems, continuing to use the B&O amp, with much success.

[1975audi]

has anyone tried fitting a JL W3 8" or even a JL W7 8" in the stock location.
would like to squeeze the biggest 8" sub in there as possible.
does anyone know the exact depth of the stock enclosure?
B&O in a 2014 S6
stock location in the spare tire location.

[ScottyBLaZe]

has anyone tried fitting a JL W3 8" or even a JL W7 8" in the stock location.
would like to squeeze the biggest 8" sub in there as possible.
does anyone know the exact depth of the stock enclosure?
B&O in a 2014 S6
stock location in the spare tire location.
I actually just bought a 8 w3 to install in my a7. I'm going to pair it with the JL jx250. Will keep you updated with how it goes. Just waiting on the amp to arrive in the mail.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Audizine mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)

[Average_guy]

I have appreciated this thread and the others like it. Thank you all.

Tomorrow I'm having a local shop put in an Alpine PDR-M65 & Alpine SWR-T10. The subwoofer is going to go in where the Bose subwoofer sits currently, as I want to keep the back of the car clean. I think we're going to fit the amp down where the spare tire would be if the RS7 had a spare tire. The install will include a wired remote for the amp sitting in the front coin tray.

When I was younger I would have done this myself, but am going to pay an expert it do it this time.

This will be the end of my mods for awhile. Don't want to hijack this thread with the other stuff I've done, so I'll post up here with my impressions of the Alpine gear versus the factory Bose sh*t this weekend, and start another thread with a summary of the whole car mods to date (nothing mechanical, just paint protection, tint, clear bra, leather).

Kirk out.

Update 3/11/17
It took no time at all to figure out the Alpine SWR-T10 was too large for the space available. Instead I had them put in a JL Audio 8W3, and instead of the amp listed above I got an Alpine MRV-M250.

I just picked up the car. As noted by others, this upgrade sounds so much better than the factory Bose subwoofer. To my ears it sounds like a completely different system. I used to lust after the BO, and have had a couple of P-cars with Burmesters, but I'd have to say that to my 55 year-old ears and for the music & sources I listen to, the Bose/Alpine/JL system is the cat's meow.

I'll get some pictures up this weekend. The installer did a very nice job building a box, so I'll get some snaps of that & the location of the amp and the Alpine RUX wired remote.

Hope everyone has a great, and safe, weekend.

[IowaRS7]

I was very excited by this thread and some others about changing out the sub in the stock RS7 Bose enclosure. I ordered a JL 8W3W3-4 sub to install paired with a JL Amp based on comments in this and other threads. From my initial assessment there is no way that sub is going into the stock enclosure, without serious work. The depth of the sub quickly hits the other side of the enclosure. Did others actually use the stock enclosure with this sub? If you did, did you have to drastically heat and mold the backside of the enclosure to do so? I planned to install tonight, but need to reassess now. I did try just adding some polyfill to the stock enclosure and while it helped a little, it is not enough. For those wondering about the JL 8W7, no way would it fit in the stock enclosure.

[stingvb]

I was very excited by this thread and some others about changing out the sub in the stock RS7 Bose enclosure. I ordered a JL 8W3W3-4 sub to install paired with a JL Amp based on comments in this and other threads. From my initial assessment there is no way that sub is going into the stock enclosure, without serious work. The depth of the sub quickly hits the other side of the enclosure. Did others actually use the stock enclosure with this sub? If you did, did you have to drastically heat and mold the backside of the enclosure to do so? I planned to install tonight, but need to reassess now. I did try just adding some polyfill to the stock enclosure and while it helped a little, it is not enough. For those wondering about the JL 8W7, no way would it fit in the stock enclosure.

Yeah it was a bitch. Took several hours of heating and pressing the sub in to stretch the plastic. It could be that I did not have a powerful enough heat gun to effectively heat the entire area.
Here is a pic with the sub installed. You can see how far the enclosure sticks out. I can barely get my spare back in.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170420/e49ea006c775adacbeb785c9ec8fe1b6.jpg


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[Djpeaksd]

Here's an update on my "attempted" install. Started off very bad due to my failure to look at what sub I had already. I have an A7 with the base sound system. My dumbass assumed that the enclosure would be the same as the Bose but with a shittier speaker. Wrong. It looks like this:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/56546b09377460d8ff9b0b5804138dc2.jpg

Is it an 8"? 6.5"? Nope, it's a 5"!!

So, feeling like a turd, I checked online to see what is available in 5". I found a Pyle (o'shit) for a whopping $12 available next day. Done. Here's what the POS looks like next to the oem POS and what it looks like installed:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/21dc1556e49bdfc2375e5db4966238a5.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/7000100efc2f3c005f38854e579f358a.jpg

I first tried it out by swapping it with the oem and using the stock amp. From a scale on 1 to 10, 10 being Canuck or Djpeaksd level system, I would give the stock speaker a 1. The Pyle however raised the scale to about...a 1.8. Much better.

About 5 minutes after stepping off the podium from receiving my "worst audiophile of the year" award, I ordered a used A7 Bose sub from ebay. So in the meantime, I installed the amp a la "CanuckRS" method so at least when the real sub comes in, I'll just need to fit Kenwood sub in the enclosure and the rest would be plug n play.

So with the new amp connected to the 5" Pyle (o'shit), the previous 1.8 out of 10 now jumped to a 5.5! Not bad at all. If I already didn't have the Bose enclosure on the way I might have just returned the sub and kept this setup. Not earthshattering by any means, but for a total cost of less than $150, not bad at all.

So overall, it was a good lesson learned and hopefully provided some knowledge for those with the non-Bose, non-B&O systems.

Can't wait to install the real deal. Thanks again to the pioneers of this thread.

Someone just revived this thread and I can't believe I missed this post!!! Really gave me a good late night laugh. Hahaha, a 5!!!

It reminds me of, "you right they 10's, I keep em clean though"

[IowaRS7]

Yeah it was a bitch. Took several hours of heating and pressing the sub in to stretch the plastic. It could be that I did not have a powerful enough heat gun to effectively heat the entire area.
Here is a pic with the sub installed. You can see how far the enclosure sticks out. I can barely get my spare back in.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170420/e49ea006c775adacbeb785c9ec8fe1b6.jpg


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Did you install the JL 8W3W3? Good to know, so I can move forward but be patient and try to to melt right through the box :)

With the polyfill added I certainly notice a difference from in bass performance with certain inputs at higher volumes, but low volume performance on any source simply sucks. Hopefully getting the sub off the stock amp and getting the new stuff installed will be a good resolution.

[stingvb]

Did you install the JL 8W3W3? Good to know, so I can move forward but be patient and try to to melt right through the box :)

With the polyfill added I certainly notice a difference from in bass performance with certain inputs at higher volumes, but low volume performance on any source simply sucks. Hopefully getting the sub off the stock amp and getting the new stuff installed will be a good resolution.

Yeah that is the sub I used. Here is a picture of it installed. I was able to reuse some of the original holes, but for the others that didn't line up I just screwed the factory self tapping screws in to the plastic.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170420/ebabe21627842ae432f383a5fc164da1.jpg

The key to heating up the plastic is to heat a large area at once. You can tell when it gets soft because it will look glossy, almost runny. It took me several times of heating, pressing the sub in to stretch and then repeating. The last 1/4 inch was the worst and I was heating both the inside and outside of the enclosure. Honestly I am surprised that the plastic did not split, especially on the seam.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170420/818093a69389e8e51342a03b6af8b1ef.jpg


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[IowaRS7]

How well does this sub blend into the system? Is it too much?

[stingvb]

How well does this sub blend into the system? Is it too much?

I have the B&O system so I didn't replace the amp, I am just running it off the stock B&O amp. It definitely adds some serious low end thump, so much so that I turned my bass settings down from where I had them before. I had thought the B&O was pretty decent, but after swapping the sub, it is much tighter deeper bass. I would think the difference on a Bose system would be even greater.

[IowaRS7]

I have a 2016 RS7, not sure if designs are different between years, but guessing your box looks different than mine due to being Bose and not the B&O system. I am going to play with it today and see if it's worth using this sub or if I should just pick up one of the nicer shallow design subs. Either that or maybe build an enclosure to work with the 8W3W3 and not mess up the stock enclosure. I didn't realize the stock Bose box was ported. When I measured the depth from the outside it looked pretty good, but when I took the stock sub out, you see a channel that creates less space for the sub to drop in, and it is how the box is ported out the end.

[IowaRS7]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170422/30362e9f8cffa44f7c9ffaf5c1cdcc8d.jpg

Port

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170422/e58ca422b49851ca5877fc1848d45b3a.jpg

Inside


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[IowaRS7]

Used a digital heat gun at 800 degrees and really hit the channel and the area along the back where the magnet would hit. Amazed at how the plastic molded when it hit the right temp. With the right areas at that temp, placing the sub into the box resulted in the plastic taking shape. I ended up using a 2x4 to help hold the plastic to form so as not to expose the sub to too much heat. The plastic would kind of rebound if pressure was taken off for minor adjustments. Overall it will fit well and the box didn't really show much impact as most of the change was to the channel for the porting. The porting is still open too. Will capture some pics once complete and things cool down. Glad this monster will end up fitting. For anyone that doesn't want it to be at all noticeable that there was modification, I would recommend a much shallower sub.


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[RAF_S7]

Anyone tried this option yet for replacing the sub?

Basser (http://sklep.basser.pl/en/fit-box-enclosure/714-audi-a7-fit-box-subwoofer-enclosure.html)

[IowaRS7]

I have seen some threads with this box. I finished my install today and have been tweaking the settings on the MMI and the sub amp. I am blown away by the improvement!! I spent about $500 on JL Audio parts and cabling and did the install myself following this thread and others. I now feel like my system competes with my wife's Cadillac and it puts a big smile on my face!!

[csaba.meszaros]

I plan to upgrade my A7's factory standard audio with the setup mentioned by ntsantos. I don't have the bose system (and amp) so I have plenty of room to fit the alpine amp in the left bracket of the trunk.

Because JL audio is way to expensive in Europe I have ordered an Audison - APS 8R sub along with the Alpine MRV-M250 amp. I have also ordered the Bose enclosure from eBay, should arrive in the next two weeks.

@ntsantos

I would highly appreciate if you could help me out with a few information, I have researched all the forums and didn't find an answer:

1.) Does the Alpine amp fit on the top of the factory unit without cutting?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152126.jpg

2.) I have a blue and a brown with blue wire going into the sub. Which one is the plus and which one is the minus?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152414_small.jpg

3.) I saw in a post on another thread that you have to join all the + and - wires from the speaker inputs(amp) channels to make the amp turn on/off properly. Have you used just one channel or you did the same?

4.) Can I use the common ground from the picture below to power the amp?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152151.jpg

It's just too bad that the pictures and videos from the original post are not available anymore.

Thanks in advance!

[ntsantos]

I plan to upgrade my A7's factory standard audio with the setup mentioned by ntsantos. I don't have the bose system (and amp) so I have plenty of room to fit the alpine amp in the left bracket of the trunk.

Because JL audio is way to expensive in Europe I have ordered an Audison - APS 8R sub along with the Alpine MRV-M250 amp. I have also ordered the Bose enclosure from eBay, should arrive in the next two weeks.

@ntsantos

I would highly appreciate if you could help me out with a few information, I have researched all the forums and didn't find an answer:

1.) Does the Alpine amp fit on the top of the factory unit without cutting?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152126.jpg

2.) I have a blue and a brown with blue wire going into the sub. Which one is the plus and which one is the minus?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152414_small.jpg

3.) I saw in a post on another thread that you have to join all the + and - wires from the speaker inputs(amp) channels to make the amp turn on/off properly. Have you used just one channel or you did the same?

4.) Can I use the common ground from the picture below to power the amp?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152151.jpg

It's just too bad that the pictures and videos from the original post are not available anymore.

Thanks in advance!
I'll try to respond the best i can, it's been a while since the install.

1.) Yes the amp fit on the black bracket without any cutting. I just used zip ties to secure it.
2.) I guessed on the +/-, 50/50 chance and I guess I got it right. Although any way would work, I think one way may sound better than the other. Mine sounded fine so I never tried the opposite.
3.) I used just the two wires on one channel and zip tied the others. Once the amp sees the signal, it will turn on. Then after you shut off the ignition, it will take a few seconds and the amp will shut off. Check it to make sure it's working properly so you don't drain your battery.
4.) I used a screw in the trunk very close to where the amp bracket is located. Anything to the chassis should work.

I plan to upgrade my A7's factory standard audio with the setup mentioned by ntsantos. I don't have the bose system (and amp) so I have plenty of room to fit the alpine amp in the left bracket of the trunk.

Because JL audio is way to expensive in Europe I have ordered an Audison - APS 8R sub along with the Alpine MRV-M250 amp. I have also ordered the Bose enclosure from eBay, should arrive in the next two weeks.

@ntsantos

I would highly appreciate if you could help me out with a few information, I have researched all the forums and didn't find an answer:

1.) Does the Alpine amp fit on the top of the factory unit without cutting?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152126.jpg

2.) I have a blue and a brown with blue wire going into the sub. Which one is the plus and which one is the minus?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152414_small.jpg

3.) I saw in a post on another thread that you have to join all the + and - wires from the speaker inputs(amp) channels to make the amp turn on/off properly. Have you used just one channel or you did the same?

4.) Can I use the common ground from the picture below to power the amp?

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170423_152151.jpg

It's just too bad that the pictures and videos from the original post are not available anymore.

Thanks in advance!


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N915A using Tapatalk

[csaba.meszaros]

My upgrade kit has just arrived. I have measured everything and prepared all the cables. For anyone wondering the Audison 8R subwoofer also does not fit into the BOSE enclosure without modification.

This is my Kit:

1.) Alpine MRV-M250
2.) Audison APS 8R ~ 250W RMS 4ohm
3.) Audison FSK 350 connection kit.

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_162444_resized.jpg

This is how the Audison 8R looks out of the box and in comparison with the original.

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_180008_resized
https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_180313_resized.jpg

Not much photos are available on how the interior should look like after heating/modification, this is how mine looks like. I have used a tea cup to shape the plastic, I wanted to make sure I do not damage the sub with the excessive heat.

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_192043_resized.jpg

This is how the sub looks after the installation. I was able to reuse two holes, for the rest I have drilled a lead hole and used the screws from the subwoofer kit.

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_194413_resized.jpg

Because I don't want to cut any factory wire, I have used the wire from the original subwoofer to make the speaker level inputs, have joined all the 4 minuses and all the 4 pluses as it was suggested on another thread. With the isolation from the wiring kit, I think it looks pretty OEM/

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audio/20170502_203403_resize.jpg
https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_203952_resize.jpg

I don't have a garage, so I have prepared all the cables and connected the ground already to the amp, tomorrow it should be plug and play under the clear blue sky.

https://www.codelinks.hu/docs/audi/20170502_224935_resized.jpg

[csaba.meszaros]

Even if this thread looks dead, I will leave this just here so maybe I'll save someone from doing the same mistake I did.

I have just installed the kit above, everything was working perfectly, except the subwoofer which I have realized that it's just too much for such a small box.

The 250W RMS Audison subwoofer makes the whole back of the car shaking, and not in a good way, with all the settings at minimum on the amp and with two lines below the middle on the MMI. I think such a powerfull subwoofer should be used in a bigger box and not installed in the stock BOSE encolsure

I have just switched back to the tiny BOSE subwoofer and I have to say it fits better the BOSE box in combination with the Alpine amp. I have kept all the settings on the minimum on the amp just the LP filter set at 120hz and the MMI on the middle for the subwoofer.

Maybe I will consider switching to an aftermarket subwoofer in the future, but for sure not bigger than 120-150W RMS! I'll have to sell now the Audison.[headbang]

[R.Cade]

Even if this thread looks dead, I will leave this just here so maybe I'll save someone from doing the same mistake I did.

I have just installed the kit above, everything was working perfectly, except the subwoofer which I have realized that it's just too much for such a small box.

The 250W RMS Audison subwoofer makes the whole back of the car shaking, and not in a good way, with all the settings at minimum on the amp and with two lines below the middle on the MMI. I think such a powerfull subwoofer should be used in a bigger box and not installed in the stock BOSE encolsure

I have just switched back to the tiny BOSE subwoofer and I have to say it fits better the BOSE box in combination with the Alpine amp. I have kept all the settings on the minimum on the amp just the LP filter set at 120hz and the MMI on the middle for the subwoofer.

Maybe I will consider switching to an aftermarket subwoofer in the future, but for sure not bigger than 120-150W RMS! I'll have to sell now the Audison.[headbang]



Is it rattling or just too loud?

If its a rattle, is it from the box or else where on the car? If from the box, could be you didn't make enough clearance for the magnet and they are touching. You can also add pollyfill to make the box act like it has more volume, and also add many coats of sound dampening spray to the inside. I used 'Noico 80 mil 10 sqft car Sound deadening mat' on the rear deck of my rattling A5 and it made a HUGE difference.

If it's just too loud and you can't turn the gains down more, then get a weaker amp.

[IowaRS7]

The JL Audio setup I installed works great! The bass is tight and quick and is not hard to turn down or up. Couldn't be happier.

[csaba.meszaros]

It's not rattling, it's simply just too much for my taste with the Audison. I keep already all the settings on minimum on the amp. I have used polyfill in the box and the magnet is not touching anything.

Don't forget that I have the base audio, no bose / Bang and olufsen.

[Sir-Delta]

Great tread, will try this soon on my A7 - 13'.
Have bought Alpine MRV-M500 / Alpine SWR-8D4 - Hopefully I can make it fit. :)

I am a little bit worried about the power connections, as I do not want to mess anything up. Can someone please post how they did?

PS: Pictures does not work anymore, is it possible to get them working again tread starter?

[RAF_S7]

Just had to completely remove mine and return to stock, before dealer would do any warranty work on my MMI [headbang]

[OlyS6]

Just had to completely remove mine and return to stock, before dealer would do any warranty work on my MMI [headbang]

Sorry to hear that- seems silly since everything is downstream of the MMI and couldn't affect it directly...

[OlyS6]

Has anyone had a custom subwoofer box made for their S6? I've seen the one from Bassers in Poland for the A7/S7, but it appears that won't work for an A6/S6 since the hinge arm for the trunk is very close to the passenger side cubby in the trunk. Some options include getting a custom box built into the floor of the trunk (would need to be willing to lose the spare), or having a custom box along the back of the rear seats, in which case I'd lose the use of the 60/40 split- both options are suboptimal, but both are better than having a box just sitting in my trunk, which is what I currently have. Any thoughts/suggestions? I love the JL subwoofers, and feel they are superior sound quality as compared to the 'infinite baffle' subs that are on the market.

[RAF_S7]

Sorry to hear that- seems silly since everything is downstream of the MMI and couldn't affect it directly...

If they plug the MMI into diagnostics, it fails on the subwoofer test (obviously as it's disconnected) at which point they halted the test and said they won't continue unless it's returned to stock [headbang]

[Sir-Delta]

Hello guys, just did the update with Alpine MRV-M500 and Alpine Type R 8 inch sub.

Each time amp shuts down, the bass is making loud booming sounds in 3 secs. Did you guys have similar problem? - How to fix?

[Sir-Delta]

Paired the plus and minus to all 4 speaker inputs solved the problem :)


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[dtprkr]

Awesome thread,very good writes up from everyone! Has anyone tried to use a shallow depth subwoofer? I've seen one made by Kicker. I'm not sure how it's size would compare to the others used. I look forward to do doing this mod but heating up the enclosure makes me a little nervous.

[Kevman9]

For the guys that have done this, has anyone also installed a remote bass knob? If so where did you place it?

[JGood]

Paired the plus and minus to all 4 speaker inputs solved the problem :)


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I am about to buy this exact alpine setup, how does it sound? Was it hard to fit the sub in the Bose box?

[Prlme]

Awesome thread! I just wish the photos still worked, 🙃

[Roccorace]

I used the Alpine 500w monoblock amp with a knob adjust. I also used high level input parallel split to right and left channels. Paired to it I used the JL 8 3w3-4. Had to modify the box quite a bit as mentioned from previous posters but it sounds fantastic. It is better than I had hoped, clean and clear and sounds like a 10".

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

[Horti Kris]

Even if this thread looks dead, I will leave this just here so maybe I'll save someone from doing the same mistake I did.

I have just installed the kit above, everything was working perfectly, except the subwoofer which I have realized that it's just too much for such a small box.

The 250W RMS Audison subwoofer makes the whole back of the car shaking, and not in a good way, with all the settings at minimum on the amp and with two lines below the middle on the MMI. I think such a powerfull subwoofer should be used in a bigger box and not installed in the stock BOSE encolsure

I have just switched back to the tiny BOSE subwoofer and I have to say it fits better the BOSE box in combination with the Alpine amp. I have kept all the settings on the minimum on the amp just the LP filter set at 120hz and the MMI on the middle for the subwoofer.

Maybe I will consider switching to an aftermarket subwoofer in the future, but for sure not bigger than 120-150W RMS! I'll have to sell now the Audison.[headbang]

When you had the Audison sub installed did you have the LP filter on the amp set at 120HZ? Thats too high for a sub IMO, opinion based on being involved in pro car audio in the late 1990's. Quite possible i'm totally wrong 20 years later, but back in the day most subs would be crossed over at 80-100 HZ.Of course it depends on the frequency response of your other speakers....

[bhamcarnut]

For the guys that have done this, has anyone also installed a remote bass knob? If so where did you place it?

I installed the knob in the lower center console. I will try to get a pic later.


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[Roccorace]

I installed the knob in the lower center console. I will try to get a pic later.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)I have to grab the instructions for removing seats and console. I have mine run along the side temporarily. Pics would be great.

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[CanuckRS]

Awesome thread! I just wish the photos still worked, 🙃

they were hosted on photobucket and i axed them before they killed linking. will have a look and see if i can get them up again, takes time though...

[bhamcarnut]

I was able to fold down the rear seats and use a fishing wire to the console under the carpet. I just took apart the rear console where the ac controls are and fished it up through there.
84466

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[Pilchard99]

Apologies in advance for a stupid question : I see that the B&O stock driver unit can be replaced and the B&O amp used. What happens if I just swap out my stock Bose driver and leave the Bose amp in situ to power it? Are impedances compatible? ( I would use the 8" Alpine driver). I am amazed we hear any bass when the sub unit is under the trunk floor. What would it sound like with the unit above the floor? Could be stowed below when more space is required. I'm happy to add the extra amp but just wondered if it would damage the Bose amp if I try this cheaper option first.

[Roccorace]

Apologies in advance for a stupid question : I see that the B&O stock driver unit can be replaced and the B&O amp used. What happens if I just swap out my stock Bose driver and leave the Bose amp in situ to power it? Are impedances compatible? ( I would use the 8" Alpine driver). I am amazed we hear any bass when the sub unit is under the trunk floor. What would it sound like with the unit above the floor? Could be stowed below when more space is required. I'm happy to add the extra amp but just wondered if it would damage the Bose amp if I try this cheaper option first.Not enough power from the stock amp to make much difference. If you power it more and leave it below it sounds great.

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[Lyons]

CanuckRS I just read through your guide- very informative! However despite the text being detailed, things are so much easier with photos! Any chance you still have the originals? The links seem to be dead.

[parthpmp]

CanuckRS I just read through your guide- very informative! However despite the text being detailed, things are so much easier with photos! Any chance you still have the originals? The links seem to be dead.

Maybe I can help ya. I recently installed a alpine sub with a kicker amp into my factory Bose system in a ‘18 A7. Here’s some pics of it.
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[John336]

Thanks Spoolin. I am using the stock B&O amplifier so full output level with the same wattage isn't dramatically increased under most conditions. Even though I'm now running a less efficient sealed configuration, I find that the factory power is sufficient so that the other speakers aren't overpowered with bass. With certain tracks that contain deep bass, it is noticeably louder at those deep frequencies over the previous 8" retrofit. To be fair, my comparison is based on my OEM B&O enclosure that I have ported (diameter and length spec'd to the sub manufacturers recommendations). With the external port, the 8" is tuned to the 35 Hz range and sounds amazing and louder in the B&O box than it did before the port. The OEM B&O enclosure is fully sealed unlike the ported BOSE so the difference was significant. Not pretty since it's an external port but I did not want to reduce the overall volume of the relatively small OEM enclosure.

Would I do the custom fiberglass enclosure again? That's a great question. Well I love a 10" subwoofer and since I already had it sitting around, and didn't have to drop an additional $250 for another sub, the cost was only in materials - I probably would. Although what's nice is that I know the potential of this 10" sub with 500 RMS watts of class D piping to it, so if I get bored in the future there is an upgrade path too.

Nice work on the enclosure.

S7 2016 here with B&O, going to replace the OEM sub with an 4+4ohm audison 8" driver, utilizing the original enclosure.
Should I keep the enclosure sealed or make it ported?
https://www.audison.eu/products/aps-8-d/

[EdSawyer]

If the original is sealed, keep it sealed. (its ported on the blose system). And that driver is designed for sealed box anyway.