brandonis

I'm curious to see how/what/where you have installed a subwoofer.

I have the stock B&O system and the deepness is deeply dismal. I've contacted a couple installers to get their opinions on what they can do but I would like to see what you guys have actually done and what equipment you used before I decide.

Thanks.

adg44

You have a sub behind the passenger seat.

aaronz

Is that the roadster only? I took a quick glance and didn't see it but I could be looking in the wrong spot

steve1ddd

I did in the Coupe. Not sure if that does you any good though

brandonis

I don't think so, or if they are, they are not working. When I adjust the fader to both or either the left/right rear speaker, it just sounds like a muted low-end speaker. No deep bass coming from them, actually no bass at all compared to the doors and dash speakers. The two rears are not nearly as loud as any of the other speakers.

The main bass is only coming from the doors and dash.

brandonis

I've actually watched your video about 30 times back in NOV/DEC when I got my roadster!

I thought about a box like yours but was wondering if other roadster peeps have used the small trunk area - the spot just underneath the top when folded down and the section just behind the seats. Right by the ski pass-thru.

Does the box move around when you're taking corners? ...how does it stay in place? Do you get car parts rattling?

I am not looking to show off but I do want a fuller spectrum of sound when I have the top down and driving fast - so that I can hear it over the wind noise.

steve1ddd

since the box is carpeted and heavy, it doesn't move at all. I also use the cargo net to add extra holding power. This solution gives me all of the lows that i want, but to be completely honest, i find the mids and highs a bit lacking. I think replacing the stock speakers may be in order if i end up keeping this car. Although, that would be a first lol. no car lasts more than a year with me.

brandonis

This is what the roadster has according the B&O website:

12 fully active loudspeakers

Front:
2 tweeters in the dash 2 midrange (one in each door)

Dash Centre:
1 centre
1 tweeter

Each door:
1 woofer (dual coil configuration) in a sealed box enclosure with optimised volume of 9.1 litres

Rear:
2 tweeters
2 woofers/speakers

Amplifier
14-channel DSP (Digital Signal Processing) amplifier with 680 Watts

...so woofers in the door and in the rear.

I don't know much about audio stuff but if "woofer" is the same as "subwoofer" then my setup is terrible. If a woofer is just a speaker, then I don't really have anything providing deep bass. I think.

SimianSpeedster

The sealed enclosures in the doors with dual voice coil woofers are what Audi and B&O call subwoofers for the purposes of the TT/TTR. They provide decent mid-bass and solid impact at some frequencies, but they are not subwoofers by the usual definition because there is little reproduction of the bottom octave. Also, the mid-bass response is often uneven; some frequencies jump out unnaturally which suggests that the door enclosures have some significant sympathetic resonances which is unsurprising given their size, shape, and location.

The HK system in my 128i isn't as clear in the mids and highs, but BMW locates thin 8" sub enclosures under both front seats, and they offer far better bass and a solid, even impact in comparison. I can't fault Audi too much because there isn't really a natural spot to locate a proper subwoofer given the limited interior space in such a small car (at least not without a significant sacrifice somewhere), especially in the roadster. That said, I wonder if it would be possible to stuff anything under the seats -- I haven't looked to see how the space looks.

Overall the system sounds fairly good to me at speed, but meaningful low bass is definitely lacking. It's been an adjustment, I'm getting used to it, and I think it's a fair price to pay given the size and weight of the car. By way of comparison, you don't read many positive comments about the base or Bose stereos in the Boxster/Cayman, and some people are even unimpressed with the Burmester setup, especially given the eye-popping price tag.

One thing that has helped is use of the speed dependent DSP in the TT. Unlike the feature in my BMW which only affects volume as speed varies, the Audi system changes the EQ curve as speed changes. I was not terribly happy with the way the system sounded using the bass and treble controls alone, but I've done a lot of listening and tuning, and I've arrived a formula that works pretty well for my ears: treble and bass set up 1-2 ticks from center (dependent on the material), and the speed-dependent DSP set to the 3rd lowest setting. With these settings, I hear the gradual introduction of additional bass to offset the road rumble that comes with speed, and it sounds more natural than simply cranking the bass at all times.

Your mileage may vary, but it's worth a try if you haven't done some tuning. Still, if you're used to a true subwoofer experience, time to start hacking...

Huey52

Great tip on the speed dependent DSP utilization and its manipulation of the EQ curve. Thanks and I'll be sure to revisit that setting in the MMI.
The subwoofer is a large woofer dedicated to relatively low frequency bass tones and their skeletal transmission to the inner ear. But unlike the big box in your home theatre, which may be placed anywhere in the room, Audi/B&O had to work within the very small volumetric confines of the TT. The dual coil "subwoofer" is therefore a clever compromise. But as we all know given compromises....
Still, at least at my preferred low volume setting, I find the B&O quite good. But then I don't have home theatre expectations in a small sportscar, especially one with large door windows and somewhat high relative wind noise.