Maverick61

After doing a ton of research here before ordering the car and while it was on order, I decided the best approach to upgrading the audio was to get the base audio system and upgrade it once I had the car. This proved to be the right decision for me as I think the final result sounds way better than the base system as well as the Bose and B&O systems - at a cost far far less than the B&O option. As I learned, the base speakers are actually pretty good (other than the factory installed sub) - they are just severely underpowered. probably because Audi doesn't want people overdoing things and blowing out the speakers resulting in warranty claims

I followed Sgroer's recommendation of the DLS OA10D Subwoofer. rather than do the install myself, because I wanted to take it further than the just the subwoofer, I worked with Chris at Innovative AutoWorks near Pittsburgh

http://iawpgh.com/

Chris was great to work with and he had a lot of different suggestions / options. In the end, I went for the:

JL XD 600/6 amp

Audio Control LCQ-1 OEM integration, six channel signal processor and equalizer

DLS OA10D Subwoofer

Dynamatted rear deck

The results sound spectacular. Great sound stage and separation, bas when I want it, improved clarity, etc. /

A few pics:



JL Amp and LCQ-1

bakman

Was this upgrade about1500 installed...looking at upgrading for awhile now

Maverick61

Yes, in that range, maybe $50 or so less IIRC.

Well worth it IMO

looking@audi

Nice!

I love hearing about sub upgrades - because it makes such a huge difference in sound.

Can you provide some more details / pics on the dynamatted rear deck.

Maverick61

Thanks. Yes, a huge difference indeed.

On the dynamatted rear deck, unfortunately I can't provide any pics. My installer showed me pics of what he did but the results are now hidden.

In essence he fully removed the rear deck to work on it, and dynamatted it while he had it out of the car. Once reinstalled, the results are hidden unless I would pull the deck out again

bggifford

Hi,
Do you think this type of upgrade could be done to the Bose system as well? ....or would the original setup of that system pose other challenges with respect to an upgrade?
Thanks for your posts!
Brian

subterFUSE

You can very easily add a subwoofer to the Bose system. You simply need a line output convertor or DSP processor to grab the audio signal, and then add a subwoofer amp and the subwoofer itself. Some of the newer breeds of car audio amplifiers might even have speaker-level inputs built into them which would negate the need for an LOC or DSP.

If you want to change the Bose speakers or Bose amp, this may present more of a challenge. The reason why is because Bose is notorious for using non-standard impedance levels for their speakers (Bose uses anywhere from 2 Ohms down to 1/2 Ohm, Normal car speakers are typically 4 Ohms) Most car audio amplifiers can run 4 Ohm speakers just fine, but if you cut the impedance down to 2 Ohms or 1 Ohm they will likely overheat and shut down, or possibly cook themselves. There are some higher-end, competition-grade amplifiers which can handle low impedance loads, but they are so expensive that you wouldn't want to use them with Bose speakers. That would be like putting 15 inch wheels on a Ferrari.

So, bottom line is... If you want to upgrade your Bose then you have 2 general options:

1. Add a subwoofer, and keep the rest Bose. (Easy to do)
2. Change out everything. Amp, speakers, and add subwoofer. (More involved)


My vote is always for full system replacement.



Oh.... there's another small challenge with the Bose systems in the newer Audis. Apparently there are some microphones inside the car which detect road noise and then use active noise cancellation via the stereo system. If you do decide to do a full system replacement, you will probably need to locate these microphones and cut the wires to them to disable them.

bggifford

Gotcha.....now with respect to a full system replacement, are there any risks with respect to integration with other electronics in the car....or does the audio system sit pretty much "stand-alone"? I would assume with a full system replacement you're still interfacing with the audio system using the MMI?

Thanks so much to all for their helpful posts. I am really anxious to purchase my first Audi (A6 2013/14 Prestige) but I'm struggling with the audio. Apparently it's important to me....I suppose my time in the car is the primary opportunity I have to listen to music.

subterFUSE

I have been an avid car audio enthusiast since I was 16 years old. The car is probably the best place for me to listen to music, so I have always placed a heavy emphasis on my car audio systems.


As for integration, there are some options in this area but they will depend a lot on how the Bose system works.

The first, and probably most important, piece of advice is to find a really good car audio shop that has experience with high-end cars. They will be able to advise you on system design and will have the experience to do the install. You might need to travel to find the right shop.

You will need is a good quality DSP Processor like the Audison BitOne, Arc Audio PS8, JBL MS8, or AudioControl LCQ. This will become the brain of your new system. The processor will take the signal from the factory stereo and then allow you to process it and then send out a good quality signal to your amplifiers.

Any of the units mentioned above will get the job done, and there are certainly many other brands which offer something similar. I will focus on the Audison BitOne since that is what I have in my BMW, and therefore have the most experience with it.

The BitOne offers many different input options:

8 x Low Level inputs (Analog RCA plugs)
8 x High Level inputs (Analog Speaker inputs)
2 x AUX RCA inputs
1 x Optical Digital input
1 x SP/DIF Digital input


The easiest and least intrusive way to grab the audio signal from the Bose system would be to use the High Level inputs. To do this, you would locate the Bose amplifier and then disconnect the speaker wires at the amp and run new speaker wires to the processor. This is what I have done in my BMW.

Another option would be to try and get the audio signal before it hits the Bose amp. There is a device called the MoBridge which can do this in many newer German cars, but I'm not sure if it has been approved for the newest Audis yet. But the MoBridge will take the digital signal from the MOST-Bus and convert it to Optical Digital out. That can feed the Optical Input on the BitOne processor. This is a higher quality solution, but also more expensive. I think the MoBridge runs about $800. It may also require the car to be reprogrammed (it does for BMW, at least). Again, I'm not sure if the MoBridge has been tested in the newest generation Audis yet. It has been approved for the 2004-2011 A6, however. (MMI2G & 3G)


Once you have fed the processor with the audio signal, you can add your own amplifiers and speakers. This is where your budget will really dictate a lot. There are many choices and a wide range of cost. But when you consider the $6000 pricetag of the Bang & Olufsen upgrade, there's a lot you can do for that.

Maverick61

subterFuse gave you some good advice. I would simply add the following:

1. If you have not yet bought the A6 - why are you considering the Bose system. You would be better off IMO to get the Base Audio system, and use the $ you would have spent towards the Bose system to help you upgrade the base system. To do what I did, you would be halfway there in costs. Really, the Base system speakers are very good except the useless subwoofer. The system is just very underpowered.

2. I would reiterate would subterFuse said - find a local high end car audio shop and talk to them. I contacted half a dozen shops in my area and most were pretty clueless except the one I went with. they wowed me with their knowledge, and I saw / listened to examples of their work

Good luck