Hi Guys,
I've had a number of people ask if I put together a Build log for my system... and I've always responded; "no", mainly because I didn't take many pics while doing the work.
In hindsight, it would've been nice to document the build, but I got so involved with it, that I didn't really stop to document it.
With that said, I do have a few pics I could share, and I will try to describe the build, as best I can.
First, the vehicle:
2015 Audi SQ5.
Factory Bang & Olufsen system - 14 speakers.
The criteria for the Build was:
pure sound quality
stealth install
practicality - this is my daily driver
The factory B&O sound system is good... but not great. I had an Audi S4 prior to this, so I am familiar with the vehicle's electronics. Audi uses a fiber optic MOST network for almost all the electronics. The best way to tap into this fiber network is by using a mObridge unit. In my S4, I had a mObridge DA1, in conjunction with a Mosconi DSP. For this build, I decided to simplify the build, and use the new mObridge DA3, which combines the MOST interface and Digital Sound Processor all into one unit. I must say, it is a very slick unit. The software is fairly straightforward, and it does everything I need it to do. I was a bit of a guinea pig for mObridge, when the DA3 first came out, but after a few firmware updates, we got all the bugs worked out (for Audi), and now it works flawlessly.
Not much to show here... the unit is mounted where the factory amp was (rear corner, behind the wheel well).
MOST fiber cables plug into the back side. 8 RCA cables come of the front, and connect to the amps.
The unit needs a constant 12 volts, and uses the signal from the fiber network to switch on and off.
It also has a switched 12 volt + to trigger the amps on and off.
FYI: the two thicker 'ribbed' looking cables (mid picture, to the right) are the MOST fiber optic network cables. They loop through the entire vehicle, and almost everything electronic is run through this network.
The switch that is at the bottom right is to manually switch the mObridge unit off, when I bring the Car into Audi for servicing. Audi is very anal about their vehicles, and keeps a database of any modifications made. Even for a basic oil change, they plug the vehicle into their system, and run a full diagnostic. I don't want to give them any 'ammo', in case I ever needed to bring the vehicle in for warranty work...
MOST DA3 DSP Professional | mObridge
I wish I'd taken pics of the vehicle, when it was all ripped apart... but I didn't, so here's where the 'described' part comes in:
I used KnuKonceptz for all my wiring and sound deadening. You can click on the web-links for detail on the products.
All 4 doors, as well as the rear trunk area were deadened with Kno-Knoise Kolossus deadener. It's 100mil thick butyl material, that is very heavy...
Kno Knoise Kolossus Edition Super Bulk Pack 105sq ft - Merchandise
RCA cables are Knu - Krystal Kable.
Krystal Kable 2 Channel 2M Twisted Pair RCA Cable - Merchandise
One of the nice things about Audi, is that they put the battery in the trunk. So my Power runs are very short. I ran 1/0 from the battery, to a KonFUSED Power distribution / fuse block. And then ran 4awg to the amplifiers.
KonFUSED 2 Way Power and Ground Distribution Block - Merchandise
The fuse block is very slick. It uses a threaded grommet to lock the power cables in place, and trust me, they are solid once threaded in. I've read a few guys complain that they had issues with this system (not being able to get the thread started), but it worked flawlessly for me. Way better than a set screw...
For the Speaker wire, I used Knu - Karma twisted pair cable. 16 awg. to the door components, and 10 awg. to the subwoofer.
Karma SS 16 Gauge Speaker Wire - Merchandise
I also put a boot on each end of the cables. This serves no practical benefit... but it looks cool, and gives it a tidy appearance.
One of the challenges I had with this install, was the fact that the vehicle has LOADS of electronics. When I went to run my speaker cables through the Molex plug in the doors, I found that they were completely full of wires! There was nowhere to drill a hole... I did a bit of research, and found the proper Molex pins at Mouser Electronics. I bought a bunch of them, and soldered the speaker wires to them, then disconnected the stock Molex pins, and refitted the spots with the new pins. I wish I'd taken pics of the Molex door plugs, but I didn't. Here's a shot of the Molex pins, fitted onto the speaker cables. I had to use a special pointed tool to get the old Molex pins out of the socket. The new pins just snapped in (they have a Wire barb that holds them in the socket)
With all the power and speaker cables run, it was time to move onto the components. Again, I didn't take any pics of the actual install, but I do have a couple shots of the actual components:
The front stage is an active 2-way, crossed-over at 2600Hz, and consisting of:
Sinfoni Tempo 10 tweeter. This is the newer version of the Maestoso tweeter, and it might be the best tweeter I've ever heard. It is definitely the best small format (1") tweeter I've ever heard.
Prior to this, I was running a ScanSpeak D3004/6020 tweeter... and yes, the Sinfoni sounds better than the Scan. Way better... but it's also twice the price.
The entire grille and bezel is brushed aluminum. I painted the honeycomb grille black, to better match the interior of the vehicle (and give it a bit more blended/stealth appearance).
The driver is a Dynaudio Esotar E650... considered by many to be the ultimate 6.5" driver.
I know there are drivers that will play lower, and there are drivers that are probably better for a 3-way system - but in a 2-way setup, I doubt there is a better overall speaker.
The Esotar will take anything you throw at it, and deliver clean sound every time. I'm running it from 80Hz to 2600Hz.
Now, I know there are many on DIYMA that bash rear fill... but I have kids, and often passengers in the back seat, so I wanted to build a system with rear fill. With that said, I used a set of Focal Polyglass components for the rear doors. These were leftover from my previous Audi S4 build. Again, didn't take pics of the install.
When I did the Audi S4 build (about 4 years ago), I used MDF to make spacer rings for the speakers. When I removed the equipment, I found that the MDF had absorbed water over the years, and had deformed at the bottoms.
This time around, I went out and bought a sheet of 3/4" thick HDPE plastic.
And made the speaker rings out of it.
Again, no pics of the installed speakers, but the HDPE was a good decision. It's a lot more solid than MDF (keeps the speaker baskets straight and solid), and it's impervious to moisture.
The sub is a JL audio 13TW5... but I've been experimenting with the JL 12TW3. It is considered to be the 'little brother' of the two, but I think I like the sound of the 12TW3 better. Anyways, here's a shot of the 12TW3 installed in a sealed enclosure, that I built myself. It's made of 3/4" MDF, with the left-hand side molded to the shape of the wheel well and finished with fiberglass. It is bolted to the rear seat. The rear seats are 60/40 split, and they fold down. So I built the sub enclosure to be the width of the larger (60) split seat, this takes advantage of the width, and keeps my enclosure as shallow as possible. It is exactly .80 ft. in volume, and is filled with acoustic poly fill. Each seat can still fold down independently (practicality - daily driver).
Finally, the amplifiers:
I've always been a sucker for Zapco amps. They were my first real quality pieces of equipment (back when they were big surfboards in the 90's). I've had a number of different amps since then... but when Zapco released the new Z-LX Series of amps, I knew I wanted them. These are pure sound quality amplifiers. No fancy add-ons. Not even a crossover. Just quality components, straightforward design, and built like a tank.
LX Series
I got a Z150-6LX for the doors. Channels 1 through 4 run the active front doors, and channels 5 & 6 run the passive rear doors. I got a Zapco ST1-KD mono amp for the subwoofer.
The rear tire-well of my vehicle has a lot of extra room for storage. So, I built an amp rack, that fits in there. I made the rack out of perforated board, with a couple 12 volt muffin fans underneath, to allow the amps a bit of extra 'breathing room'.
The 6-channel sits on the top, and the mono sits underneath.
Here it is, mounted in the car. It is totally stealth, and can only be seen by lifting the rear cargo area floor. The 6-channel is a monster. It almost straddles the full width of the vehicle! (that's a 21" spare tire sitting behind it)
There's a bit of a rats-nest of extra wire on the right hand side, but that extra wire was done on purpose (extra slack), in case I need to access the battery compartment or jack/tools, which are below the amp rack. If I get a flat tire, I don't want to be unhooking the amplifiers, just to get to the vehicle jack...
As with any system, the install took about 20 hours. Then the tuning took another 20 hours! Sitting in the front seat with a laptop plugged into the mObridge, and listening. Picking crossover points that sound best. Time aligning all the speakers. Trying different EQ adjustments to compensate for the huge dip I had at 500Hz, etc... Pink Noise can get tiresome after many hours.
In the end, it is totally worth it. I've accomplished what I wanted:
1. Pure Sound Quality - this is a VERY clean system, with amazing sound at any volume level.
2. Stealth Installation - with the exception of the Sinfoni tweeters (which blend nicely with the interior), you can't see any part of the install.
3. Practicality - I use this vehicle as my daily driver, and other than the shallow sub enclosure, I have retained full use of every part of the vehicle.