The Mk 7 stereo upgrade thread

[Paul_R]

One more

[bammbamm]

That's cheap junk and looks shocking, not much power either at 4 x35rms @ 4 ohm at 14.4 Volts, imho far better to go and see a specialist and have something fabricated to aesthetically blend in with the car interior. If you are going to just drop a big black box in the back you can use just about anything. If you wanted to keep the factory head unit I would be looking at something like an Audison Bit10, JL Audio XD700/5, quality speakers and subwoofer(s)to suit your musical tastes. All in one solutions have never previously been any good, happy to be proven wrong here but I doubt it will happen

[Kesh]

Yeah doesn't look too great. I'm trying to find the best prices for installing 2 fronts, a sub and an amp. Will get more info today.

[VW7R]

Paul_R:
Just replied this to you on the UK forum:

Yes, that actually does not look too huge in the pictures but I think you'll get annoyed with it if and when you wish to drop your seats.

I have asked the UK Importers for Audiotec-Fischer - Synergy - to try and design a sub for me that will sit in the spare wheel for an R. The boss there (Nick by name and very knowledgeable) will go and measure up an R from a local dealer. I will contact him in the next 2 weeks to see how far he has progressed.

I think that fitting the Audiotec-Fischer door speakers will also make a huge difference, especially with the Silk Dome Tweeters.

I think Dynaudio use metal dome tweeters and I dislike the sound of these as they are too bright sounding. I have heard the Dynaudio in a Golf 6 GTI and it sounded too bright and sibilant.

I have a Harman Kardon sound system in my BMW with metal dome tweeters and they too are a bit bright and sibilant.

[Paul_R]

Welcome to Oz VW7R.
I agree on the bright Dynaudio tweeters. I have the treble turned right down on the Mk 6. I think what you are suggesting might be the way to go. I'm going to see what Nick at Uberstealth comes up with in terms of a sub box that fits around the wheel a la the one I've got. Then as you say replace the front speakers and sort out an amp and DSP from some where.

[Paul_R]

I would be looking at something like an Audison Bit10, JL Audio XD700/5, quality speakers and subwoofer(s)to suit your musical tastes.

Now I do like the sound of that idea. Have to see what sort of money it would be. Don't want to spend more than $2000 or so.

[VW7R]

Welcome to Oz VW7R.
I agree on the bright Dynaudio tweeters. I have the treble turned right down on the Mk 6. I think what you are suggesting might be the way to go. I'm going to see what Nick at Uberstealth comes up with in terms of a sub box that fits around the wheel a la the one I've got. Then as you say replace the front speakers and sort out an amp and DSP from some where.

Thank you.

Damned Dynaudio and VW for dragging their heals in making a sub for the 7R. But then if I was able to get the Dynaudio, I could not live with the chromium plated sound from the tweeters and would have to change them to silk domes.

I just don't wish to spend more than £700 max. ($1260). One way out is to get the VW Plug and Plug (£503=$905.4, fitted), dump their massive sub, and replace it with a custom one which sits inside the spare. Swapping the subs would just be an unplug/plug job.

[Kesh]

Was quoted 550 for an install of my own gear! Not bad I say.

[dtpearson]

I have just had the Helix VW Plug & Play system installed in my MK7 Golf R by Euro Car Upgrades in Marochydore. It cost about $800 from Amazon UK (inc freight) and cost about $500 for the install, so about $1300 all up.

This is what you get:

Plug & Play sound system for the Polo5, Beetle, Jetta, Golf VI, Golf VII and the Scirocco
Power output, max. [W]: 300 sine
Power output, max. [W]: 480 music
Channels: 5 (four for existing speakers in vehicle, one for subwoofer) 55Wx4 (to factory speakers and 160Wx1 sub)
Package content: subwoofer with integrated DSP amplifier, wiring harness, assembly materials and assembly instructions
Note: the sub replaces your spare wheel. This is of no concern to me as it has been 10 years plus since my last flat tyre, and i can always get a mate to run me mine out to me if i get a flat.

There is two models that are very similar, the one i got was the 000051419 one which fits a range of VW vehicles and needs a dongle to be tuned for your model. What i SHOULD have got was the 5G0051419 which is already coded for the MK7 4 door.

I havent found a supplier for the dongle yet, so mine is still tuned for a polo..... no I'm not kidding.

But it still sounds very good. Impressive powerful sub base, and somewhat surprisingly a MUCH improved top end. The front speakers are given roughly double the power of the stock setup, and as they are relieved of the base duties by the sub, they sound MUCH better than stock, not just louder, but far better imaging focus and clarity.

The sub base is as powerful as any normal person would want it to be, but its never going to sound like a pair of twelves driven by 1000w mono blocks in a 3cu/ft sub box taking up the entire boot

I like my music loud, and while i can reach the subs limits, i cannot listen to it that loud for more than a few seconds at a time without my ears giving out. This may not be enough for you, but if it is, you should probably have yourself checked.

I cannot wait to get the tuning dongle, so the system is properly tuned for my car, i think that there is a "gap" in the frequency response where the front speakers are crossed over a bit too high. This means that there is a little bit of disconnect between the sub base and the front end. I am not sure if this "disconnect" is due to the frequency response, or just down to the timing of the DSP being out. Its not bad, but the goal of good car audio is to make it sound like all the sound is coming from the front end, and there are no subs elsewhere.

This upgrade is never going to sound as good as a full replacement of all the speakers, addition of amps and well designed subs, but i just did not want to butcher the car (and spend big $$$). This setup is completely invisible to anyone that doesnt lift the boot floor, and dosent require cutting or damaging the car in any way. It can be returned to stock in about 2 hours, and you can even buy a blanking plug for the wiring if you need to put the spare wheel back in, and the system reverts to stock sound.

I was going to do more, maybe order the Dynaudio front speakers and tweets and see if they made a difference, maybe install some Focals etc. But it is just so good as it is, i don't think i will do anything else (except tune it with the dongle).

[CWR]

I'm not sure about the mk7 but dynaudio typically never use metal dome tweeters. The dynaudio speakers in the mk6 R are silk dome as are their home hifi tweeters.

It was mentioned above that if you spent the money on a processor youd have to replace the tweeters too. The whole point of the processor is to EQ the sound flat. If a tweeter is bright or sibilant, it's usually either a terrible quality speaker or in the case of dynaudio, the eq of what you're driving them with.

The stock dynaudio amp is woeful however and the head units are OK but they have a mid scooped sound, but setting the HU to line out, driving a processor into a decent 5 channel amp for the doors and adding a small sub to allow the bass crossover point for the door mid bass drivers to be around 80hz would be the ideal setup for the least money.