Advice on new sound system in 2011 A4

hk3948

hk3948

hk3948

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25 Oct 2004
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510
Hi guys, as above. Essentially, i have no clue on car sound setups and was just after a bit of advice. At the moment, i have the stock system in place.

Does anyone know of a relibale UK based car audio forum where i could ask for advice. Where do i even begin trying to find the right setup for me and then somewhere to have it fitted?

Cheers
:confused:
 
[TW]Fox;21610251 said:
Sounds like a world of pain in a 2011 car :(
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Pretty much what fox says. I cant recall the exact setup of the a4 but most modern cars have so much integrated in with the audio it becomes a nightmare. It's not like the old days where you could just whip out the head unit and door cards to get at the speakers. Like I said i dont recall the a4 setup but i suspect this may apply.
 
This kind of thing puts me off newish cars. Changing the speakers and adding a subwoofer on my ZS was a piece of cake for someone like me. I'd like to drive something nicer one day but I really couldn't put up with a lame sound system that wasnt easily replaceable.
 
Looking at some pics of the A4 interior, good luck with that. You'll have to cut up that unit to be able to do anything to it, it's going to look crap, may not work and it'll screw your warranty.
 
And why did car manufacturers started doing that? Surely they know that ICE is one of the most common upgrades that people want do on ANY car. Because hardly any of them come with 200+£ amp powering 200+£ speakers from a 200+£ source...

Car is meant not only for driving , but for listening to music too. I will never buy a car for everyday use that compromises my music:)

All they need to do is separate the main control screen from audio stuff, doesnt cost much does it?
 
Borsch said:
And why did car manufacturers started doing that? Surely they know that ICE is one of the most common upgrades that people want do on ANY car. Because hardly any of them come with 200+£ amp powering 200+£ speakers from a 200+£ source...
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You can usually spec Audio upgrades on new cars.
 
Talk audio is probably your best bet. If you don't mind looking through some US stuff, DIYmobileaudio is another option.
 
I sat in an A4 with the B&O upgrade and that wasnt much better than stock tbh.

Its not so difficult actually.

The door cards will pop off and you add some decent speakers behind them. But yes adding a new headunit is impossible, but you could add a compact 8" sub into the boot and run a line convertor from the rear standard fit sub to a new amp and sub combo.

Have a search on audi-zine for good tips on how to remove the trim, audi enthusiasts are pretty good too.
 
Tinders said:
I sat in an A4 with the B&O upgrade and that wasnt much better than stock tbh.

Its not so difficult actually.

The door cards will pop off and you add some decent speakers behind them. But yes adding a new headunit is impossible, but you could add a compact 8" sub into the boot and run a line convertor from the rear standard fit sub to a new amp and sub combo.

Have a search on audi-zine for good tips on how to remove the trim, audi enthusiasts are pretty good too.
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Is it possible to wire speakers to run from he amp as well? Decent speakers will not sound good without a decent amp;)
 
You could reroute the speaker cables from the speakers into the high level inputs on your amp, then run new cable to the speakers.
Is it that bad really?

I'd just put in an amp as Tinders suggested and then reduce the bass to the speakers so you can increase the volume without distortion, then let the sub fill the gap.
 
Really appreciate your help guys. Sounds like a complete nightmare and definitely way over my head. Essentially I am quite happy with the clarity of current setup, I'm just after a bit more punch.
Would it be a bad idea to let a car audio specialist take on the job (if I can find one in the south west)
 
Not sure if it goes for other manufacturers but cough too loudly in a VAG car and it will demand to be plugged into a laptop just to put out some random warning light. Best to leave it alone.

Having said that I've a 2007 A4 and already taking it apart :)

Try audi-sport and look in the B8 section (your 2011 A4 will be a B8 version)
 
Borsch said:
Is it possible to wire speakers to run from he amp as well? Decent speakers will not sound good without a decent amp;)
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Most cars have reasonable mid range and top end, but the bass tends to be terrible, so just adding a sub can make a massive difference.
 
Tinders said:
Most cars have reasonable mid range and top end, but the bass tends to be terrible, so just adding a sub can make a massive difference.
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As above, I am relatively happy with mids and highs,just lacking a bit of punch. So would a sub be worth considering? How simple would this be? Is it possible to do a discrete job. I tend to shove my bike in my boot regularly.

Also wondering,what exactly does an amplifier achieve? Does it just increase the Max volume or is there more to it?
 
Why not go for something like this that will go under your seat then you don't lose any boot space at all.
 
hk3948 said:
Also wondering,what exactly does an amplifier achieve? Does it just increase the Max volume or is there more to it?
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To put it simply, amplifier provides more current to the speakers (good speakers need lots of it) and the result is higher resolution sound with more detail, more texture, more transients, less mud during busy passages etc
Increase in max volume is just a side effect to the above.
 
hk3948 said:
Hi guys, as above. Essentially, i have no clue on car sound setups and was just after a bit of advice. At the moment, i have the stock system in place.

Does anyone know of a relibale UK based car audio forum where i could ask for advice. Where do i even begin trying to find the right setup for me and then somewhere to have it fitted?

Cheers
:confused:
Click to expand...
caraudiodirect
 
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