crankTT

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'm looking into a stealth upgrade that would replace the 6" woofer with a shallow 8" sub and possibly the amplifier. The amplifier seems to be hidden, maybe behind a side panel. Would anybody with a Bose amplifier be able to confirm if that amplifier is visible (there's an empty space where I suspect it may go)? A picture or the layout and part number would be a bonus.

alex904

First of all, you guys should decide on what exactly you're blaming, because previous posters blamed Bose 19-speaker Bose system, not the default one (which is noname?). I personally like Bose in the the Prestige. It sounds clear, bass is adequate. Yes, subwoofer sits far back in the trunk 1000 ft from you, so it may be too quiet for some, but I don't listen to the music where subwoofer is important. I'm not an audiophile, but I've played acoustic and electric guitar for many years, was in a band and have decent collection of classic music and progressive rock, where sound reproduction plays important role. 19 speaker setup is very very good. Take my word. My general observation is that when people complain about subwoofer and bass distortions in car audio, they care more about loudness than quality and substance of the sound. I don't hear any distortions at any frequencies at volumes I can tolerate.

P.S. Can't say anything about default sound system.

jaywagenaar

We are referring to the default system (base system) not the Bose system.

crankTT

After doing some digging, it appears that there is no separate amplifier for the OEM system (non-Bose, non-B&A). The amplifier seems to be integrated into the unit inside the glove compartment.

This will be harder than I thought to retrofit (unless the same harness is used and extra wiring is hidden). I'll post an update if I figure anything out.

Is there an emoji for 'regret not buying Bose upgrade'?

CBailey

Same issue: just got a 2017 Q7 last month and love everything about it except the audio. I also made the mistake of not paying for an upgraded sound system, assuming the standard system would be of high quality. Instead, I find the bass is weak and distorts at relatively low volume. I've tried adjusting the bass, treble, balance and fade, and also tried different kinds of music but haven't found anything satisfying, let alone worthy of a vehicle of this calibre. Worse, I had a rental Dodge SUV for a few days recently and the audio sounded much richer.

Any idea if Audi can improve the standard system, or do I need to upgrade?

Thanks.

beefcake`

These sound like design/component quality issues. Your best bet is to go to your favorite shop and get upgraded. I'm sure they can find a way to put a good system in, stealthily. You should have space for an amp where the Bose AMP is. Upgraded speakers and a decent sub will go a long way.

bokertov

I made the same mistake of not upgrading the default speakers in 2017 Q7 premium plus and found the sound quality terrible. It's much worse than my previous 2015 Passat which cost about $30K and has Fender sound system.

Why does Audi put such a poor quality sound system as default one of a $65K+ car?

Jackald1918

Had no idea that the base audio system in a toyota tercel would sound better than the base system an Audi Q7. Distortion even at

Jackald1918

Had no idea that the base audio system in a toyota tercel would sound better than the base system an Audi Q7. Distortion even at 50% volume, depending on what type of music is playing.

Lookout57

One thing I have found that is an easy fix for improving the sound in any Audi is turn the surround setting off. I find it's accenting the highs to give the false sense of surround at the expense of the mids and bass. I've also found that depending on which system you have that setting the sound focus to the front also helps and even then adjusting the front to read fader in some cases. I've tested this on a 2013 Q5 with B&O, 2014 A7 with Bose and a 2017 Q7 with B&O. I've found by doing this the Blose does not blow as bad as it did before tweaking.