Stereo Replacement for 2001.5 S4 w/ Bose
10-14-2003, 06:39 AM
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Stereo Replacement for 2001.5 S4 w/ Bose
Okay, I recently got this car and already the stereo is annoying me. I did STFA and found the following info (please correct me if its wrong):
Front Doors: 1" Tweeter, 5.25" Midrange (needs an adapter though?)
Rear Doors: 5.25" Midrange or is it 6.5"?
Rear Deck: 6.5" Woofer
What are some good mid-level speakers to replace these with? By mid-level, I'll use my home theater setup as an example, where I have B&W 303's and a Definitive Tech Pro100Sub. Basically, something above what would be found at Best Buy, but not something extremely high priced.
It seems like the favorite here is MQ Quart Q series, but I check www.tweeter.com and they retail for over $1000 per pair which is a bit much for me. What other brands/model levels work well here?
Also, how well does it work using the factory H/U, but replacing the speakers and amp? Any quality issues that would arise here?
Thanks.
Front Doors: 1" Tweeter, 5.25" Midrange (needs an adapter though?)
Rear Doors: 5.25" Midrange or is it 6.5"?
Rear Deck: 6.5" Woofer
What are some good mid-level speakers to replace these with? By mid-level, I'll use my home theater setup as an example, where I have B&W 303's and a Definitive Tech Pro100Sub. Basically, something above what would be found at Best Buy, but not something extremely high priced.
It seems like the favorite here is MQ Quart Q series, but I check www.tweeter.com and they retail for over $1000 per pair which is a bit much for me. What other brands/model levels work well here?
Also, how well does it work using the factory H/U, but replacing the speakers and amp? Any quality issues that would arise here?
Thanks.
10-14-2003, 07:19 AM
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Bose sucks :-p
Front speaks are 4", but you can (and should) replace with 5.25's. But to fit the 5.25's you need an adapter (mbquart makes some). You have a lot of choices for mid range speaks, id, infinity, mb quart, focal, jl. Stock HU sucks, but it is pretty "good" looking when comparing it to the rest of the dash.
To upgrade all those speaks you'll need to amp your speakers separately and you'll need to rewire everything too (much more simple than it sounds). By using the stock HU you will, without a doubt, lose some SQ. But a lot of people keep it, cause it looks good and is stealthy.
To upgrade all those speaks you'll need to amp your speakers separately and you'll need to rewire everything too (much more simple than it sounds). By using the stock HU you will, without a doubt, lose some SQ. But a lot of people keep it, cause it looks good and is stealthy.
10-14-2003, 08:43 AM
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Yeah I know Bose sucks
Funny thing is, the Bose system in my 97 Acura CL sounded better than the one in my 2001.5 S4. The soundstage/sweet spot was much larger than the one in the S4.
First off, thanks for the input. I just want to make sure I'm right in the following for speaker sizes:
Front: 1" Tweeter, 4" Midrange (5.25" fits with adapter)
Rear Door: 5.25" Midrange
Rear Deck: 6.5" Woofer
I understand the speakers and the amps in the car would have to be replaced. Although the HU doesn't have to be. Some questions about the HU, is the output from the HU line level or pre-amp level? Also would the HU be seriously hurting SQ with a mid range system (say one that is $2000-$2500 for all new speakers/subwoofers + amps)?
As I right now am a bit short on cash, this upgrade will be put off till next summer. But one glaring problem I have with the Bose system is it has a strong bias to the speakers on the left. That is, the sound doesn't appear to be centered, it feels like its coming from the left. I'd roughly say its the left rear door speaker that is probably causing me the most grief here, but I'm far and away not an expert on this. I've tried the quick mods listed in the Tech docs (fader/treble/midrange tweeks, hidden EQ), but they don't seem to help.
Any advice for a quick short term fix?
Thanks.
First off, thanks for the input. I just want to make sure I'm right in the following for speaker sizes:
Front: 1" Tweeter, 4" Midrange (5.25" fits with adapter)
Rear Door: 5.25" Midrange
Rear Deck: 6.5" Woofer
I understand the speakers and the amps in the car would have to be replaced. Although the HU doesn't have to be. Some questions about the HU, is the output from the HU line level or pre-amp level? Also would the HU be seriously hurting SQ with a mid range system (say one that is $2000-$2500 for all new speakers/subwoofers + amps)?
As I right now am a bit short on cash, this upgrade will be put off till next summer. But one glaring problem I have with the Bose system is it has a strong bias to the speakers on the left. That is, the sound doesn't appear to be centered, it feels like its coming from the left. I'd roughly say its the left rear door speaker that is probably causing me the most grief here, but I'm far and away not an expert on this. I've tried the quick mods listed in the Tech docs (fader/treble/midrange tweeks, hidden EQ), but they don't seem to help.
Any advice for a quick short term fix?
Thanks.
10-14-2003, 09:20 AM
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I put a 6.5" coaxial in my rear doors (98 A4 bose) to replace the 3" driver it came with
the 3" had about an inch and half of plastic around it to make it fit what looked like a 5.25" slot. i made a custom MDF ring to mount it and I just barely got the door on. I'm assuming my rear doors share the same mold that your S4 would have, but your S4 might really have a 5.25" speaker.
and yes. the stock HU would suck using even mid-grade speaker replacements. get an aftermarket HU also...
and yes. the stock HU would suck using even mid-grade speaker replacements. get an aftermarket HU also...
10-14-2003, 10:38 AM
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check out a/d/s/
they put out some solid products. A nice feature that their amplifiers have is the ability to recieve speaker level inputs from OEM source units. With this feature you can save the ergonomics of your dash by saving your OEM source. You can also upgrade your source later, since the amps also have RCA inputs.
here are some links.
a price list
www.evosport.com/product/mobile_elec/<ul><li><a href="http://www.adst.com">a/d/s/ website</a></li></ul>
here are some links.
a price list
www.evosport.com/product/mobile_elec/<ul><li><a href="http://www.adst.com">a/d/s/ website</a></li></ul>