Nine years ago, Sound Depot and Performance in Gainesville, FL, built the amazing stereo system in this 2004 Audi S4. The system played flawlessly – until just recently. The client noted that the amount of bass the subwoofer was producing had diminished. He dropped by the shop so we could check it out.
Subwoofer Repair and Upgrade
Older subwoofers with foam surrounds are subject to deterioration. Sure enough, the surround on this subwoofer had disintegrated. Luckily, the fine folks at JL Audio offer a reconing service for any drivers for which they still have parts. We sent the subwoofer off for repair.
While we were removing the subwoofer from the vehicle, the client was browsing through the different products on display. He came across the Kenwood DNX-893S. He had heard of Apple CarPlay, and seeing the logo on the screen prompted him to ask some questions. It did not take long before he decided that he wanted it in his car.
The Original Speakers
When we first built the system, the client had a goal of outstanding audio performance. We used two sets of Focal Utopia Be No. 6 sets in the vehicle. The front stage received the most work. We built enclosures inside the front doors to create a perfect environment for the woofers. We flush-mounted the tweeters into the A-pillar trim panels, then wrapped them in black grille cloth. With the grilles on top of the tweeters, they almost disappear into the vehicle. We installed the second set of Utopia Be speakers in the rear door locations.
Trunk Construction
The trunk comprises three major components. We built an enclosure for the giant adjustable passive crossover networks that Focal includes with the Utopia speakers. An easily removable trim panel conceals the crossover networks. On the right side, we constructed a fiberglass subwoofer enclosure for that JL Audio 8W7 Subwoofer. We covered the entire face of the enclosure with grille cloth to conceal and protect the subwoofer.
On the left side of the trunk, we built an amp rack for a pair of JL Audio Slash series amplifiers. A JL Audio 300/4v2 powers the front and rear speakers, while a 500/1v2 powers the subwoofer. A fiberglass trim piece makes the amp installation neat and tidy when the factory storage panel is open.
The combination of the complex adjustable passive crossovers and a Rockford Fosgate 360.2 DSP processor gave us lots of adjustability.
Audi S4 Stereo System Ready for Ten More Years
The client had enjoyed his system for more than a decade, and now he plans to keep the car for a while longer.
Call Sound Depot and Performance or drop in to see how we can create the audio system of your dreams.
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