Recommend Subwoofer and AMP for Audi S5

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 1, 2019

I have the usual complaint for S/A5 sportback owners. Audi pointed the subwoofer at the floor in the boot... Under the spare wheel... Under the carpet.... Under a boot protector... Under a carpet that sits in the boot protector... Under the shopping that goes on top of it all.

I'm would like to fit one I can hear in the recess on the right hand side in the boot.

Am I better with a normal size 8inch or a 10inch shallow subwoofer?

I would like to budget £250 for sub and amp, can anybody recommend a sub and amp that go together for this? I think the amp has to have high low to take a feed from the original subwoofer. Would also like the amp to sit in the wheel well as don't want to lose space in the boot. Will heat be a problem.

Any help is appreciated as the, ohm, coil, peak RMS figures have done my head in for the past week.

rich dj · Apr 1, 2019

have a look on here, its for the A4 but Ash187 may be able to help you https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/a4-b8-5-avant-subwoofer-tear-down.386577/

Ash187 · Apr 1, 2019

This is what I have installed in my A5 sportback:

Its a bit more than £250 but an awesome setup!

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 2, 2019

Thinking £250 is coming up short.

Now looking at a kicker 10" shallow subwoofer £150. (Link)

Still trying to figure out the amp to go with it, trying to keep it to £200. Ideally small enough to fit next to the spare wheel but thinking this might be a dead end.

Will make fibreglass mould from the existing trim panel that fits in the recess need to figure out if it's volume will meet the requires 11.3 litres minimum to match the sub but again thinking it won't.

Not fitting flush like yours atleast and that's what I want. I don't want to lose room in the boot.

Ash187 · Apr 2, 2019

So I have the 8" JL Audio 8W3V3 and the JL Audio XD600/1 amp which is tiny and does fit besides the spare wheel with some polystyrene to keep it from wobbling around. the amp supports remote sub volume which I have mounted under the climate control and mounted an Audi mirror switch to it to keep the factory feel!

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 2, 2019

I'm going 8"

I can't with ease fit the 10" and keep the cost to less than £550/600 or have it not protrude into the boot due to the 11.4 litres it requires for an enclosed box or then fit the larger amp required out of site into the spare wheel well. I would need to make a custom box and that would take a few weekends of fibreglassing.

Long and short for about £350/400 I get a system that goes in as easy as lego.

Pre-made sub box 8litres (LINK) £75
Kicker sub (LINK) £130
Kicker AMP (LINK) £170
Remote £24
Wiring kit I guess at £15

Still to find the best prices for the stuff but think this is the way forward and will still be 100 times better than the OEM setup.

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 23, 2019

MuPPeT_ON_TouR said:
I'm going 8"

I can't with ease fit the 10"

I didn't go 8" and was right, it wasn't easy.

I made a fiberglass box and then first tried to have it flush mount but the bolts for a 10 inch sub are just are just too wide and foul right where the edge where fibreglass meets the front. There is not enough material to make a secure mount. Not wanting it sticking right out into the boot I opted for another layer of wood. To give it more structure. This means the weight is supported by the boot floor and not the little hole it sits in. Screws are temporary it will get bonded on to seal it, the screws will add some mechanical strength.

It's just over 10 litres but with pollyfill this should boost that by 10 or 20% so right on the cusp of making minimum for the 10" and I only lost 12mm of boot space.

I've still to finish it off as I'm waiting on spiked tee nuts to secure to the wood, not wanting selftappers into MDF is they don't last.

What I need help with is the wiring, specifically the signal for the new amp and where to take the feed. The factory head unit goes to the stock AMP in the boot.

Does anybody know if the stock amp supplies the speakers and the factory subwoofer?

Does anybody know if I can get an unfiltered signal to the new amp or just take a feed that goes to the stock subwoofer?

Any help or suggestions are much appreciated at this point as never done anything like this before.

Amp and sub link if needed.

(Sub CLICKY) 300watt RMS
(AMP CLICKY) 300watt RMS

rich dj · Apr 24, 2019

looking good

Kondax · Apr 27, 2019

Hey @MuPPeT_ON_TouR, do you have B&O in your S5? If not, how do you plan on controlling sub volume? Install is looking good so far

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

I do have B&O in my S5 I've had alot of help from @rich dj in regards to set up and install as it's all new to me. I'm doing the wiring up now but rain stopped play most of yesterday.

I think you have an A4 so should have a subwoofer on your back shelf, when I had my A4 it sounded good to me but then my subwoofer died and I never found out if it was amp or the sub as I replaced it with an aftermarket sub and amp. It's common for these subs to break so that might be your problem.

Failing this you can install a free air subwoofer as an upgrade or just one of the many all in one boxes, I'm doing mine the hard was as I'm to lazy to want to remove the box ever time I need the space back in the boot.

This is the guide I used to do mine.
https://snapguide.com/guides/audi-a4a5-bang-olufsen-subwoofer-upgrade/

Do a search for free air subwoofer for info.
As for control, choose an amp with a remote..

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/223464673638

Kondax · Apr 27, 2019

MuPPeT_ON_TouR said:
I do have B&O in my S5 I've had alot of help from @rich dj in regards to set up and install as it's all new to me. I'm doing the wiring up now but rain stopped play most of yesterday.

I think you have an A4 so should have a subwoofer on your back shelf, when I had my A4 it sounded good to me but then my subwoofer died and I never found out if it was amp or the sub as I replaced it with an aftermarket sub and amp. It's common for these subs to break so that might be your problem.

Failing this you can install a free air subwoofer as an upgrade or just one of the many all in one boxes, I'm doing mine the hard was as I'm to lazy to want to remove the box ever time I need the space back in the boot.

This is the guide I used to do mine.
https://snapguide.com/guides/audi-a4a5-bang-olufsen-subwoofer-upgrade/

Do a search for free air subwoofer for info.
As for control, choose an amp with a remote..

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/223464673638

Thanks for the info. I was afraid that you'd day you had B&O, since the sub and amp are different to the ones found with the Audi Sound System..

I have to keep doing some digging to see what I can find. If it's too much hassle I might just do a B&O retrofit

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

I only got as far as locating the amp yesterday as rain stopped my fun.

First surprise was the size of the "small" mono amp. No chance of this going in with the spare wheel. But found a great place for it.

I have space under the stock amp... I'm not sure if I'm missing an option... CD changer or something or if that space is for heat control but I guess I'll find out if it's to hot in there with 2 amps as mine will switch off if too hot. I think a little 12v fan will solve that if needed.

With some plastic cut away and an MDF board installed the amp fits perfectly.

I used velcro to secure it and make it easy to remove. The reason for the "H" shape is before it was shaped like that I couldn't get me fingers under it and used too much velcro. I had to remove everything and use a screw drive to lever it off.... Velcro.. stronger than I thought.

If the rain holds off I'll get it wired up over the weekend.

Kondax · Apr 27, 2019

With the size of that heat shield I reckon you'll be fine with temperatures. You've convinced me to now want to start digging through my car to do this.. let's hope I don't break anything

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

Rain has pretty much ruined today fun but I've done what I can... BUT NEED HELP

Connecting the new amp to the stock subwoofer cables, can anybody tell me what colour the negative or the positive will be? the choice is

Blue and Yellow
OR
Yellow and White

Also the new amp takes RCA inputs for left and right do I just connect the stock amp output cable to the subwoofer, positive to both the left and right positive on the RCA cable and negative to both the negative on the left and right RCA cable?

sorry for crappy sketch but it makes it clearer.

Kondax · Apr 27, 2019

MuPPeT_ON_TouR said:
Rain has pretty much ruined today fun but I've done what I can... BUT NEED HELP

Connecting the new amp to the stock subwoofer cables, can anybody tell me what colour the negative or the positive will be? the choice is

Blue and Yellow
OR
Yellow and White

Also the new amp takes RCA inputs for left and right do I just connect the stock amp output cable to the subwoofer, positive to both the left and right positive on the RCA cable and negative to both the negative on the left and right RCA cable?

sorry for crappy sketch but it makes it clearer.

View attachment 181050

Not sure which colour wire is which, but something I read earlier this morning:

Connect a 9V battery to the subwoofer cables. If the sub goes up, the cables are in the correct orientation. If it goes down, the cables are opposite.

Regarding connecting to the amp, are you not using a line output converter (such as the LC2i)? From what I've read the past couple days, you won't get far without one..

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

Kondax said:
Regarding connecting to the amp, are you not using a line output converter (such as the LC2i)? From what I've read the past couple days, you won't get far without one..

My amp can accept high input.. this also has the benefit of providing the remote on signal meaning I don't need another cable.

Lovin' the battery speaker trick.. going to fry the stock sub now

might try a AA first. if no movement ill move up.

Kondax · Apr 27, 2019

MuPPeT_ON_TouR said:
My amp can accept high input.. this also has the benefit of providing the remote on meaning I don't need another cable.

Lovin' the battery speaker trick.. going to fry the stock sub now might try a AA first. if no movement ill move up.

Ah my apologies then, ignore what I put earlier!

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

Thanks..

Yellow+White=Positve
Blue+Yellow=Negative

Just confirmation of the RCA connectors to go.

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

Kondax said:
Ah my apologies then, ignore what I put earlier!

All input is welcome.

I had looked at the requirement for these line converters and to be honest it was more luck than anything that the AMP I choose accepts either and a bonus that a high input acts as the turn on signal aswell.

Oh and a 1.5V AA worked a treat.

Kondax · Apr 27, 2019

MuPPeT_ON_TouR said:
All input is welcome.

I had looked at the requirement for these line converters and to be honest it was more luck than anything that the AMP I choose accepts either and a bonus that a high input acts as the turn on signal aswell.

Oh and a 1.5V AA worked a treat.

Ahh that's good to know - didn't know high inputs act as the turn on signal.

Good to hear about the battery. For the RCA part, I did some digging and this is what I found: https://www.avsforum.com/forum/90-r...ors/1149539-using-stereo-amp-mono-signal.html

Seems like you can just use an RCA splitter (so your original diagram is correct, just split to both inputs)

This video reinforces what I've read:

(I know the video is for a stereo amp, but the stereo input should act the same)

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 27, 2019

IT WORKS!!!

Needs all tided up and everything bolted into place but it works... needs tuned.. it highlighted so many rattles in the car on the 10min test I had it going for but at 23:00 there wasn't much time.

Full pics tomorrow of the completed system I hope.

MuPPeT_ON_TouR · Apr 28, 2019

All done.. a 10" can completely over power the system, I've got the gain right down. That said, another sub-woofer is definitely needed to balance the stock system even if my 10" is only 10% used.

I would recommend people go for the easy 8"... but its not as much fun

Lost almost no room in the boot

Nice and stock location for the amp.

And I'm a bit of a neat freak it turns out.

rich dj · Apr 28, 2019

Nicely done.
Maybe upgrade the existing speakers and deadening behind them.
You can drop the subwoofer level from the stock sub adjust on the screen.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Recommend Subwoofer and AMP for Audi S5

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