Amp & Subwoofer install in my S7 Bose - Video

[achan]

Keep us updated on this setup. Do you have Bose currently?

Yes, I have the Bose system on a 2013 S7

[luv2sleep]

I'm having mine done as I type. I had a 10" Rockford Fosgate sub enclosed in a box that I used on my A6 so all I had to pay for was an amp, LC2, and install, all for $400. The stock sub will be disabled. I initially wanted to put the new sub where the stock sub is located but the installer said that the sub would sound better enclosed in a box. That's where the S7 wins since it's already enclosed and part of the car. I've never liked having a box in the trunk but it's worth it for some louder tight bass!

[solorx7]

great thread , got me subscribed...
Has anyone upgraded the interior speakers before?

[Djpeaksd]

I'm having mine done as I type. I had a 10" Rockford Fosgate sub enclosed in a box that I used on my A6 so all I had to pay for was an amp, LC2, and install. I'm having a local stereo shop install it for $400. The stock sub will be disabled. I initially wanted to put the new sub where the stock sub is located but the installer said that the sub would sound better enclosed in a box. That's where the S7 wins since it's already enclosed and part of the car. I've never liked having a box in the trunk but it's worth it for some louder tight bass!

Yessssssss! I just got you to admit that the S7 is better!!!!!!!!

[luv2sleep]

Yessssssss! I just got you to admit that the S7 is better!!!!!!!!

lol!

[CASoxFan]

I'm having mine done as I type. I had a 10" Rockford Fosgate sub enclosed in a box that I used on my A6 so all I had to pay for was an amp, LC2, and install, all for $400. The stock sub will be disabled. I initially wanted to put the new sub where the stock sub is located but the installer said that the sub would sound better enclosed in a box. That's where the S7 wins since it's already enclosed and part of the car. I've never liked having a box in the trunk but it's worth it for some louder tight bass!

Mind sharing what installer you went to?

[luv2sleep]

Shot u a PM.

[luv2sleep]

I need some. When I'm at a stop light, my sub rattles (droning?). The installer says that it's the noise cancelling and that he needs to disable it. What are your thoughts?

[Djpeaksd]

I need some. When I'm at a stop light, my sub rattles (droning?). The installer says that it's the noise cancelling and that he needs to disable it. What are your thoughts?

How bad is the drone? Like crazy loud drone all the time or just at a stoplight?

[luv2sleep]

How bad is the drone? Like crazy loud drone all the time or just at a stoplight?

Crazy loud. Ended up having the stereo shop take everything off. Complete waste of a day. Oh well.

[viren.89]

B&O system owners seems to have it easier -with just replacing subwoofer to a better one plus new wire.

So I guess B&O so far seems to be a better system since it has a high power output AMP and better speakers.

Am I wrong?

- - - Updated - - -

Someone post if they do the upgrade on their B&O , so far Bose owners are doing the upgrade

[mjfloyd1]

B&O system owners seems to have it easier -with just replacing subwoofer to a better one plus new wire.

So I guess B&O so far seems to be a better system since it has a high power output AMP and better speakers.

Am I wrong?

- - - Updated - - -

Someone post if they do the upgrade on their B&O , so far Bose owners are doing the upgrade

See post 18 for B&O upgrade

[fantaxp7]

Glad I came across this thread.

Questions on the B&O install. What exactly is involved in re-forming? Also on replacing the sub wire...did you just run it down to the amp and replace it?

[janthony6]

Just got the JL 8W3V3 and QuaTTrings worked his magic on my car. The B&O systems is alive now. I had the Bass on max before and it was weak. Now I have it half way and it's perfect. Such a huge difference.

[Pampedout6]

I did a system in my car and had to disable my ANC (active noise cancelation) to keep my amp/subwoofer from reverbing...just an FYI. Obviously went through VAG. Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[luv2sleep]

I did a system in my car and had to disable my ANC (active noise cancelation) to keep my amp/subwoofer from reverbing...just an FYI. Obviously went through VAG. Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Did the reverbing happen when you were idling at a stop or anytime the engine was running? More of the reason to buy a VAG cable! Thanks for the info.

[CanuckRS]

Did the reverbing happen when you were idling at a stop or anytime the engine was running? More of the reason to buy a VAG cable! Thanks for the info.

Indeed. That cable from ross-tech i've owned for a very long time and used it on 5 different vehicles from my B7RS4, TTRS, wife's Jetta, 2 RS7s. Best long term mod i've ever purchased by far. I'll be doing my own write-up on my Bose equipped RS7 shortly, hopefully it works! :)

[Djpeaksd]

Crazy loud. Ended up having the stereo shop take everything off. Complete waste of a day. Oh well.

Ah man that sucks! I think our cars are very sensitive to where the amp gets grounded. Im bummed you threw in the towel buddy. I did experience that so I do know how horrible it was.

[luv2sleep]

Indeed. That cable from ross-tech i've owned for a very long time and used it on 5 different vehicles from my B7RS4, TTRS, wife's Jetta, 2 RS7s. Best long term mod i've ever purchased by far. I'll be doing my own write-up on my Bose equipped RS7 shortly, hopefully it works! :)

Looking forward it-Vag cable and your write up!

[Djpeaksd]

B&O system owners seems to have it easier -with just replacing subwoofer to a better one plus new wire.

So I guess B&O so far seems to be a better system since it has a high power output AMP and better speakers.

Am I wrong?

- - - Updated - - -

Someone post if they do the upgrade on their B&O , so far Bose owners are doing the upgrade

Well as far as speakers and wattage yes the B&O is better however I'm in my system for $300 bucks so it is just something to consider. I do think my car hits harder than the B&O with a sub upgrade but the B&O has some nicer mid range and highs.

[luv2sleep]

Ah man that sucks! I think our cars are very sensitive to where the amp gets grounded. Im bummed you threw in the towel buddy. I did experience that so I do know how horrible it was.

The funny thing is that I'm okay with the way the stock system sounds, for the most part; I'd give it an 8 out of 10. Like I've said, the stock system (non-upgraded Bose) puts out more bass than the "Bose". I'm probably partially deaf from banging on the drums in my youth anyway. I haven't completely given up. I'll take my time with this upgrade and lurk some more on these forums.

[janthony6]

The RS models don't have "active noise cancelation." That's only in the A7 and S7.

Interesting part of the install, the stock B&O sub magnet doesn't work. It's super light weight and couldn't grab a screw.

The JL sub is noticeably heavier in the box and the magnet is powerful. It took a while for the plastic to heat up and form to it. Probably about 30 minutes of hearing it and fitting it, pushing it, heating again, fitting again, heating, etc until it fit. Then it was screwed in to let the plastic cook and form to it before being stuffed and installed back into the car. This is definitely a mod that I don't think I could have done but one that I could try now that I've seen it done all the way through.

If you want to i improve your sound for a minimal cost, buy the sub and do it.

[dumbledore]

Looks like the stock sub may use a light weight neo magnet under a cover. They are super strong and a fraction of the size. Since it is under the cover, you may not have been directly trying to stick a screw to it....

The RS models don't have "active noise cancelation." That's only in the A7 and S7.

Interesting part of the install, the stock B&O sub magnet doesn't work. It's super light weight and couldn't grab a screw.

The JL sub is noticeably heavier in the box and the magnet is powerful. It took a while for the plastic to heat up and form to it. Probably about 30 minutes of hearing it and fitting it, pushing it, heating again, fitting again, heating, etc until it fit. Then it was screwed in to let the plastic cook and form to it before being stuffed and installed back into the car. This is definitely a mod that I don't think I could have done but one that I could try now that I've seen it done all the way through.

If you want to i improve your sound for a minimal cost, buy the sub and do it.

[TheNuke]

There is some reforming of the enclosure to fit the 8W3V3. Unfortunately the space behind the subwoofer in the B&O enclosure is much smaller than Bose enclosure. It takes a little more time but worth it. My car did not have a spare, so the foam tool holder is tight against the enclosure. I haven't modified that to fit yet. For those that have a spare tire, check your available space between the tire and the B&O enclosure.

I ordered the JL from Sonicelectronix.com for $169 with 2 Day delivery. (Not sure if the price went up this week) They are JL Authorized, A stock.

Unfortunately it looks like the 8-ohm version (8W3V3-8) shows as discontinued and out of stock from all authorized retailers. I'm looking to upgrade the stock B&O sub in my 2012 A6 and like my bass. Are there other options you would recommend that are fairly straightforward in terms of installation? As far as I could tell the 8W3V3 is plug-and-play...I like that, but I'm willing to do a little more work for a little more bass. The lack of lows was a total disappointment when I fired up the B&O for the first time.

Thanks!

[janthony6]

I have the 4ohm version. It's not exactly plug and play though.

You still need to heat the box to get it to fit. Stock sub is small. Also need to use a better wire. I have 12 gauge now.

[flyfishing]

I have never upgraded a speaker. I have the B&O

If I got the exact sub mentioned in post 18 and unscrewed the sub enclosure out of the car, do I just remove the old sub and put this in?

This may sound silly, but do I just plug the existing wires into the new sub and tighten it? Is that all I have to do? Sorry if this sounds too basic. Thanks.

[dumbledore]

The Polk MM840 DVC model has dual voice coils and can be wired 8 ohm if you do series wiring. Looks as good as the JL Audio..... Plus cheaper.

It is 1/2 inch less total depth but the basket support is a little deeper. Relatively fat for the 3.4 inches. Then the last .75inch is the small neo magnet protrusion. Total depth is 4.088" for the Polk and 4.63" for the JL. Thiele small box parameters similar to the JL.

The mismatch of the 4 ohm JL speaker to amp likely results in the amp driving the speaker more and adding a little more sound. At the risk of frying the amp. The Polk has close to 2 db more sensitivity than the JL. This likely makes up for the load mismatch effect. I think the Polk is about $110 (Crutchfield, Amazon, etc)

I will likely try this!

http://www.polkaudio.com/mm840-dvc/d/1155C2790

Unfortunately it looks like the 8-ohm version (8W3V3-8) shows as discontinued and out of stock from all authorized retailers. I'm looking to upgrade the stock B&O sub in my 2012 A6 and like my bass. Are there other options you would recommend that are fairly straightforward in terms of installation? As far as I could tell the 8W3V3 is plug-and-play...I like that, but I'm willing to do a little more work for a little more bass. The lack of lows was a total disappointment when I fired up the B&O for the first time.

Thanks!

[fantaxp7]

I was going to ask about dual voice coil as I do like Image Dynamics and this looks like a good option

http://www.woofersetc.com/c-23-subwo...subwoofer.html

[janthony6]

What is a dual voice coil?

[Djpeaksd]

I have never upgraded a speaker. I have the B&O

If I got the exact sub mentioned in post 18 and unscrewed the sub enclosure out of the car, do I just remove the old sub and put this in?

This may sound silly, but do I just plug the existing wires into the new sub and tighten it? Is that all I have to do? Sorry if this sounds too basic. Thanks.

This will not work for the reason that the plastic sub box needs to be heated up with a heat gun to be able to fit the new sub magnet. Other then that it's super easy.

[Winterk80]

Nice work Jesse!

[fantaxp7]

What is a dual voice coil?

Gives flexibility in wiring and the ohms.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VIqTgaU...fers_dual.html

Given the wiring diagram here I assumed I could pull 8 ohm from the dual voice coils. But I am not certain it will work now...as that is a 2 channel amp.

[justcured]

Gives flexibility in wiring and the ohms.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VIqTgaU...fers_dual.html

Given the wiring diagram here I assumed I could pull 8 ohm from the dual voice coils. But I am not certain it will work now...as that is a 2 channel amp.

It does not matter that the example shows a 2 channel amp. All you care about is that the amp is rated to make a given power level at an 8 ohm load. If that is the case, you can use a 4 ohm dual voice coil sub and connect is as shown to present an 8 ohm load to the amp.

[fantaxp7]

It does not matter that the example shows a 2 channel amp. All you care about is that the amp is rated to make a given power level at an 8 ohm load. If that is the case, you can use a 4 ohm dual voice coil sub and connect is as shown to present an 8 ohm load to the amp.

Thanks, that is what I initially assumed. Good to have it confirmed!

[dumbledore]

Hey guys..... I found the perfect B&O replacement sub. The Audison Prima APS 8D. Dual voice coil for 8 ohm potential. 250 watt continuous power handling (500 peak). 3.1 total depth! My sources tell me it will be available in September. Pricey though. Maybe $200 street?

http://www.audison.eu/download.php?f...eet_tech_sheet

http://www.audison.eu/index.php?page=product&id=84

I suppose there is a regular single voice coil version that would drop in the Bose box with little or no reforming as well. For those that want to not alter the car.

[subterFUSE]

B&O system owners seems to have it easier -with just replacing subwoofer to a better one plus new wire.

So I guess B&O so far seems to be a better system since it has a high power output AMP and better speakers.

Am I wrong?

- - - Updated - - -

Someone post if they do the upgrade on their B&O , so far Bose owners are doing the upgrade

Except that for the cost of the B&O, you could replace the entire Bose system with aftermarket gear and have much, much better results.

[cohall]

I would be forever in debt to someone who does a step-by-step write up for doing this subwoofer upgrade to the Bose system in an S6/A6! I would love to attempt it, but I'm a car audio neophyte, so I would certainly screw it up. I was thinking something like this (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...s-Package.html) would be an affordable and easy option. It's the wiring, the ANC, and the general install that scares me.

Any takers? :)

[fantaxp7]

Hey guys..... I found the perfect B&O replacement sub. The Audison Prima APS 8D. Dual voice coil for 8 ohm potential. 250 watt continuous power handling (500 peak). 3.1 total depth! My sources tell me it will be available in September. Pricey though. Maybe $200 street?

http://www.audison.eu/download.php?f...eet_tech_sheet

http://www.audison.eu/index.php?page=product&id=84

I suppose there is a regular single voice coil version that would drop in the Bose box with little or no reforming as well. For those that want to not alter the car.

That does look pretty good. Less or no reforming sounds nice.

[CanuckRS]

Hey guys..... I found the perfect B&O replacement sub. The Audison Prima APS 8D. Dual voice coil for 8 ohm potential. 250 watt continuous power handling (500 peak). 3.1 total depth! My sources tell me it will be available in September. Pricey though. Maybe $200 street?

http://www.audison.eu/download.php?f...eet_tech_sheet

http://www.audison.eu/index.php?page=product&id=84

I suppose there is a regular single voice coil version that would drop in the Bose box with little or no reforming as well. For those that want to not alter the car.

No guarantee it will work until you try it out. I'm doing this mod right now and it's not super easy unless the sub is a direct drop-in replacement. My sub is very shallow as well but the issue with the aftermarket subs is not so much the depth (although that's important) but that the sub is that deep all the way around unlike the oem sub which is more conical shaped as opposed to the more rectangular aftermarket ones. The conical shape oem is designed to fit the box obviously, not the aftermarket thicker ones. I'll have a write-up soon ;)

[flyfishing]

im gonna do this mod soon after my car goes to dealer for work. it sounds like just a PITA and boring heating it up back and forth and molding it