Need Info

I was just wondering what your system cost and what could be put in the Bose systems place for around the same money or maybe 500 dollars more.

Nick

Based on the Bose thread over the past few days, it seems as though $1200 could be better spent on a custom installed system. I would appreciate comments and suggestions from people who have installed custom systems in their TTs. Is is possible to keep the cost down around $1200? Is there anything that can be used from the stock non-Bose system, or is everything gutted? Would Audi consider running the wires and leaving everything else out? After all, it seems as though they are building the cars to spec, after they receive the specific order. Thank you.

Dr. Lane

For $1,200 you can get a PPI 650 amp, clarion pro cd head unit and phaze/butler speakers.
Add a solobaric 12" sub and you have a monster system for about $1,500 if you know where to purchase the goods. All cars are built with the wiring harness and the stereo systems are installed at the docks. So, you can order the car sans stereo if you wish. That's how I did!

Jenner

First let me say that each person likes a different sound. While most "good" audio equipment is well liked by everyone to pick out one brand for different people can't be done. There also comes the factor of price vs. performance. All ways keep these in mind. What one person hates, another may love and such is the spice of life...on with the answers I know I know.

Ok I am going to assume that your "maybe $500 more" means in addition to the $1200 Bose option.
Lets start with what I did.
I kept the stock head unit(for now) and 6 disc changer from the bose setup. If you just got the concert stereo I believe adding the 6 disc would be around $400 for parts and labor. Your better off using that money for a cd player head unit.(I'll be upgrading mine soon but thats a story
for another time.)

I had all the "hardware" from my previous car so my only expense was labor. But lets just say you want a 3 channel system(left, right, and sub).
There are several brands you can go with, but the size you want is 1" tweeter, 6.5" midrange component set with crossovers. Budget names are infinity kappas, polk, Boston Acoustics rally series. More $$ are Boston Acoustics Pro series and MB Quart. Unlimited $ is A/D/S for example($2000 a pair for car speakers!) Go to a high end shop and listen to some find what fits your listening style and budget.
Next the Sub. Do what you want here. I run dual JL Audio 10"s(a little overkill for the small size of the TT) I would recommend 1 10" of high quality and feed it 250watts+ power. You can buy just a woofer for $100-$300 and mate it with a stock box for around $100 or get a nice custom job for $300+
Lastly the AMP. The cheapest way to get the most power for a 3 channel setup is to bridge a 6 channel amp into three channels. Again you need to pick an amp that is in your budget and has the features you want.
Find a good installer(at LEAST $25 usually $45 an hour) and have it done to YOUR specs, not his.

Quick list of my costs and hardware:
Audio Control 3.1 Line driver/preamp/EQ/Crossover $399
Rockford Fostgate Amp 360.6 250X2 200X1 ~$500
Boston Acoustics 5.5 Pro Series component speakers $400
Dual JL 10" sub $300
Speaker wire and Monster cable $100
Labor $400
Total: $2100 give or take.
I still have to add a new head unit, and I did get the Bose with my TT(not by choice) so you figure I wasted $1200(resale value maybe?)

Not sure what else I can do for you. If there's anything else, email or post a reply to this.
HTH!

-Jenner
'00 180QX TT Garrett

Thanks

You have been very helpful thank you (nt)

D-TTrain

Hi Jenner,
First of all let me start by saying I filled out a credit apop for a silver TTQ tonight, so I may have my TT this weekend!! YAHOOO! I'm so excited I can't stand it! Getting it for MSRP too, with NO WAIT!

Anyway, my car has the stereo upgrade. So the first thing I will want is more bass. Can I/should I replace the stock amp (assuming it's separate from the head unit) with a more powerful 6 channel amp and get a subwoofer? What's better, a big 10" woofer in a box or a tube type subwoofer? What about adding a subwoofer tube that has a built in amp and keeping everything else the same? Are these types of subwoofers crap or what? I suppose an good aftermarket amp will have built in crossovers so I can control what frequencies are sent to the smaller speakers. You also said that the BOSE speakers are 1 ohm so I can't easily replace them with MBQ's or something that is 4 ohms. Is this still true if I replace the amp? Sorry about all the questions. I want an awesome sound system, but don't have the knowledge needed for working with what I already have. Thanks again!!

Ryan E.

Unfortunately all of our advice still boils down to "you'll just have to go listen to it." Take some of your favorite CD's down to the store and make them play it. Ask the salesman to make changes to the settings (bass, treble, loudness, etc...) so that you can hear all of the speakers' qualities. Keep in mind that they usually try to create a good soundstage in the showroom. You car is not the best soundstage, so things will be different after they are installed.

Is trunk space important? If so, you may consider a sub box/tube with built in amplifier that is easy to remove. However, you may find that the high end brands don't like to do this. Your best bet is to see how the sub sounds with YOUR music. My tastes are probably very different from yours. You may find that a Bazooka Tube sounds better than JL. It doesn't matter what brand you buy as long as your happy with it. I have two OLD Pyle 8 inch subs in a sealed box in the trunk of my Grand Am. It looks horrible, but sounds great. Most people are suprised at the amount of clean bass they can produce. It just works well with the acoustics of my car. An experienced installer should be able to help you with this. Don't let the installation end until YOU are happy with the sound.

One idea is to consider a 3-way component speaker set (Boston Acoustics Pro Series) and put the tweeter and mid up front and the Mid-bass in the back. This is similar to the current Bose setup. You could use one Amp to run all of this. See how it sounds, then if you still need more bass, add a subwoofer.

I would definitely recommend removing all Bose equipment (amp & speakers) and using the stock locations for the new equipment. Try to be innovative and use areas like the first aid kit hole or the spare tire well.

I don't have time to write more, but I wish I did. Email me if you have any more questions. I enjoy talking about it and thinking up new ideas. Feel free to bounce your ideas off me.

Regards,
Ryan