Buzzy Altea Speakers and ICE upgrade

[Tell]

Sounding good already then Loadswine.

What happended to me is that I got the speakers and then had to wait and sort out the speaker adaptor kit since at the time the Pioneer site was showing the wrong part up and they don't make the correct part. So I had the speakers about four weeks before I found the Golf IV part which you'll be using if you followed the instructions.

Yeah I think they are pretty good and you will be amazed by what they sound like.

 

[loadswine]

Yes Tell, I have followed the instructions. Ordered the Golf Mk iv adaptors from Nexxia. They've been dispatched and I should get them tomorrow hopefully.
I might try and take a few pics when I put them in.

 

[Tell]

I was lazy about the pics .

 

[loadswine]

Well, thanks to Tell and ALT54 (Paul), I put my speakers in this afternoon. Your help was priceless guys, if I can return the favour ,let me know.
The sound........WOW! what a difference. The Infinitys rock! Sound is so much clearer now, its like hearing my CDs for the first time. Instruments and voices are now distinguishable and some very useable bass too.
I was a little sceptical about having the tweeters mounted on the same axis as the woofers, but I needn't have been. The rotating tweeter arrangement and the gain adjuster for the upper range on the speakers ensure the stereo image is excellent.
And as promised, some pics (hopefully)

First 2 pics show existing speaker and connections

Third pic shows autoleads plug and connections for new speaker with the crossover, and also the autoleads sak 3103 speaker adaptor in place after some surgery to remove the flange. I ended up just cutting the No. 2 lead to disable the existing tweeter.

Last pic shows the Infinity 652.7i in position.
Thanks again folks.

 

[Tell]

Now Loadswine... they look amazingly like mine. I said you would not be disappointed. They will actually improve as you wear them in as all speakers do.

I was going to say it's the only time that I have heard the difference in play back between CD and MD, I got the Sony MD Changer in the boot. So whilst I go... hmmm I can now tell the difference, it's saying something about the speakers and the headend that it is delivering this type of sound quality where you can hear the difference. So as to not wind myself up I don't play CDs in the car .

 

[Tell]

OK Loadswine now editted this thread into the Altea Speaker Project thread so we're using your pictures and info on latest Inifinity speakers

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53080

tar.

 

[loadswine]

Good work Tell, hopefully other folks will see how to avoid naff sounds and do the upgrade. Can't believe I left it so long!

 

[loadswine]

Tell made the point about speakers wearing in over a period of time.
They definitely do, mine have been in almost two weeks now and the initial "brightness" has mellowed out and the sound is even clearer now. Bass is strong and smooth , mids clear and pronounced and top end is crisp and detailed.

Been listening to some Jools Holland and the songs sounded great. Even the end of tracks impress with the decay of the final cymbal sound , just like on live drums.
( I know , cause I play a bit myself).

 

[Tell]

Good news on the speakers... it is true that they do wear in the same as home ones. It's a bit amazing what you get out of them given they are stuffed in the door, none of that teak wooden box and reflex port .

 

[ALTEA DUDE]

Hi all

I've decided enough is enough with the factory fit speakers and have been reading with interest what you have all done. Have ordered the AUTOLEADS-SAK-3103. Sounds like this is a worthwhile project from what you have all been saying, but being technically imcompetent I have a few questions....

What is this "flange" part you are saying needs chopped off?

Is it totally necassary to cut the wire for the tweeters? The rubbish sound seems to be the big speakers, surely replacing them with quality units and using them alongside the existing tweeter will help? Has anyone tried this?

Whats the crossover Loadswine is talking about? Is that the silver box in the picture? What is it for?

Thanks for any help - the sound will be far worse if I cut all the wrong wires and make a mess of the install! Thanks!

 

[loadswine]

The flange section is fairly obvious once you get the adaptor. It needs to be cut off to fit the speakers into. The part was actually designed for a Golf mk4, so its a bit of a modification. Not too difficult, can be done with a jigsaw in a few mins.
The photo should show a slight rough edge where the surgery was done.
The wire for the tweeters needs to be cut for the best sound, but I don't think everybody has done this. If you get the adaptors , they come with plugs and wires that are shown in the pics. You only need to cut one wire, that breaks the circuit to the tweeters, I put block connectors on each end to keep it tidy, should show which to cut too.
The crossover is indeed the silver box in the pic, it manages the frequency distribution between the woofer and tweeter. Not all speakers have them, but the Infinitys do. Box was secured inside the door void with some self adhesive velcro, though Tell popped his inside the door and has reported no probs.
As for purchasing the speakers, I found ebay to be by far the cheapest, can probably give you the seller's ID if you like. (Reliable and quick)
Hope this helps, but have to say that Tell and Paul are the real architects of this mod.
Sure between us all we have enough info for you to get some good sounds going.

 

[Tell]

I see Loadswine has beaten me to reply so that saves the trouble . It was I who found the Golf Mk IV speaker adaptor could be used and comes with the wiring with a plug on the end, so you unplug the car's speakers and plug the plug into the plug that came with the adaptor and what you do is cut those wires, that I mention, not the cars wiring. The Altea sound system with the built is speakers is so crappy it doesn't have a proper crossover so it it driven via just wiring up the tweeters in parrallel which to a hifi buff is .

So it's not good at all to keep those tweeters connected if you are putting in new speakers, you are just bodging what is in already in, with some quality stuff. So it's no big deal, I do say in the notes as I recall which colours of the wires you snip.

Basically the speaker adaptor is a lump of plastic plus a sockets with leads. The leads you connect to the new speakers. You cut a couple of wires in the adaptor kit leads so that stops the pass through to the fitted tweeters and so they are silenced and you use the new tweeters and mid / bass range. It is a seperate unit just mounted on a plinth in front of it.

Yep and I did toss the crossover boxes inside the body of the door rather than keeping them in the body of the car. Everybody seems to be getting good sounds out of them .

 

[loadswine]

All the research for this install was done by Tell and Paul.
I just happened to follow their instructions and advice to good effect.
Follow their instructions,as I did and it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
I didn't use to use the stereo much before, but now have it on most of the time!

 

[Tell]

& I should thank Paul again for explaining how the tweeters were wired up and all the support I got before I did the work, as to whether the speakers would fit etc. Basically Altea Dude the existing speakers are "custom" speakers in how they mount in the car, it seems all VW branded cars go for this approach that the speakers are in their own built in mount. When you buy new speakers you need a mount adaptor i.e. the speaker adaptor kit which they screw into, this in turn, screws into the car.

For me at the time the Pioneer web site had incorrect information on it, so I bought totally the wrong adaptor, the diagram and part were not the same and it turned out that Pioneer don't make them now which was not a lot of use. So I had the speakers and a thin piece of plastic which was of no use so then I set about trying to buy the correct part. I also bought the leads as well. I saw the AUTOLEADS-SAK-3103 on line with picture and reasoned that a VW fitting part for a Golf Mk IV would probably fit an Altea being the same family brand. Apart from trimming off the lip with a hacksaw it does. You get the leads included with that kit, so I returned the leads that I had bought - getting complex now with these false starts. But basically with the Autoleads speaker adaptor kit and the speakers themselves you got everything except the TX screw driver and a choc block or soldering iron to do the job. I soldered, don't want screws coming loose.

In Loadswine pictures just above, the last two show where he has run over the flange of the speaker adaptor kit and hacked it off level, if you don't the speaker don't go into place since the flange gets in the way... bottom picture... the speakers would not screw back into the car with the flange present, and you can't get the speaker grill on if you don't get them back, I tried .... hence the saw came out. It's very easy to hack the plastic edge off as Loadswine said and others, I got my brother to do it . LOL. I'll do this, you do that. I did give him the crappy Phillips speakers as a reward.

 

[ALTEA DUDE]

Firstly, just want to say a big thanks for everyones quick and helpful replies. This forum is so helpful. I'm really looking fwd to getting the speaker upgrade done now despite my local dealer telling me today that the Autoleads speaker adapters had still not arrived

I really didnt want to disable the existing tweeters but I have read all your comments and you have convinced me to do it. I'm still not sure having all the sound coming out by my feet is best, but as you all had my current speakers before, I should trust you!

Anyway, have just spent another 10 mins reading through the previous posts and I cant see which wires I'm meant to cut to disable the tweeters, sorry if I'm being blind. Please let me know.

Thanks again.

 

[loadswine]

When you get the Autoleads kit, it will become clearer. Tell's earlier posts give the number of the speaker wires to cut, they are numbered on the Autoleads plug.
Between pics 3&4 above, I mentioned that I cut no. 2. if you compare the pic with your leads, it should be clear.
The sound stage that you create with these speakers doesn't actually feel at your feet. The Infinitys have adjustable tweeters that you can aim to suit . This gives the impression that the sound is actually much higher. You'll see when you get it fitted. I still am amazed at how 3 dimensional the sound seems.
Have you got your speakers yet? What prices have you been quoted?

 

[Tell]

Tell's earlier posts give the number of the speaker wires to cut, they are numbered on the Autoleads plug.

I use to do lots of stuff like this when I was a boy, you wouldn't know would you .... that's when I wasn't making Mercury capsules with the plastics kit in mothers cooker, extrusion, intrusion etc and so forth .

It does give you a very good sound, I have taken to playing Kraftwerks Minimum - Maximum DVD which is pretty amazing on these speakers, their live set I copied from DVD to MD, the copy protection stripper was another project of mine . LOL.

 

[ALTEA DUDE]

Great, thanks again. I shall make sure I'm really careful before snipping any wires once the kit arrives. My independant car accessories place has been messing me about with getting the autoleads adapters in so I just popped into my local branch of Halfords and ordered them for a very reasonable £10.99! Should be here in the next few days.....

Still not sure exactly which speakers to go for. Halfords have Infinity 65125i's for £69.99. Not sure how up to date or good they are.

Trying to source top line Panasonic's as the sound quality of Panasonics speakers in general is always fantasic. I guess any speaker, even ones off a market stall are better than the existing ones, there is just so much choice when it comes to speakers....

 

[Tell]

Think that's a typo Altea Dude the Infinity 652.5i were last years model and that what I installed, did it last year, they are now onto the 652.7i which is what Loadswine installed. Same size etc. I'd go for the latest model and buy them on the net.

 

[loadswine]

I wasn't sure on speakers either, as its along time since I went in for any serious I.C.E. stuff. I trusted Tell on this , as he seems to know what he's talking about and is a bit of an audio buff ,I believe.
Yes, I went for the latest version of the speakers that Tell installed, and they are ace. Here is the ebay link from the guy I got mine from. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/INFINITY-Kappa-652-7i-16-5cm-225W-2-way-car-speaker_W0QQitemZ5871269359QQcategoryZ18799QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Very rapid delivery 24 hrs!
Obviously if you favour a type of speaker from experience that's fine.
A lot of people recommend a listen first. I trusted that infinity products were top notch and read a few web reviews.
You pays your money and takes your choice!