Some reference material in case anyone is interested.
My series 5 A8 has the factory sound system in it. I've decided to upgrade it (well, I think it's an upgrade at least) so I thought I'd share what I've found as a reference to anyone else interested
Factory system
- There is no head unit to the system, just a 3.5 mm jack to plug into inside the glove box
- There is a Alpine MRV-F300 50w power amplifier fitted under the plate that the passengers feet rest on (4 small allen key screws to get to it)
- The rear speakers are middling 6 x 9" Pioneer units fitted underneath plastic covers inside the hood storage compartment
- I THINK the door speakers are 4" round Pioneer units (yet to be confirmed). In my opinion these are the weakest point of the OEM system
The original system works pretty well. I've added a £25 bluetooth interface that plugs into the audio jack - So now it's Iphone / Spotify - Bluetooth link to £25 interface - Output to 3.5mm jack - Into concealed Alpine Amp - Pioneer speakers.
My particular problem with this setup is that the 4" door speakers really cannot deal with Low frequency sounds very well, they overload at roughly 30% volume. PS - I'm not a Drum N Bass yoouf .... think Clapton, John Mayer maybe SRV if I'm feeling a bit racy.
Changes
- I've removed the Alpine Amp and adjusted the output settings (you can download the user manual on the Alpine website by searching for the model No) On my car everything was switched off and / or set to 5/10 on the dials as installed, there's a decent gain to be had from doing this alone
- I've bought "Kicker" 6x9 and 4" speakers to replace all the originals. Total cost about £450 and I've only fitted the rear ones so far (straight in, no mods, wiring or cutting needed) they are MILES better !
- This weekend's job is the fronts, watch this space
