# Audi Q7 SQ build



## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi!

I figured it was time to put up a build log for my Audi Q7. 

So, the car is a fully loaded 2010 Audi Q7 in Mugello Blue 2 x S-Line appearance, this is what it looked like when picked up from the dealer:














I have done a couple of mods since the above pictures, for instance blacked out/vinyled the surrounding chrome trim - made a world of difference - pictures of that later.

From an audio perspective, the care came with:


MMI 3G
BOSE Surround System
DVD Player
CD-changer
SD-card reader x 2
Harddrive (jukebox)

Only option missing is AMI, but since I have AMAS in the Mosconi 6to8v8 it becomes irrelevant. It's an ok sounding factory system with some tweaking options but nowhere near the level of SQ I'm hoping to achieve. Having built in newer type vehicles before (latest one an F10 BMW) I know from experience that retaining the stock headunit is typically a preferred option, and I also figured it would make sense in this case (literally everything runs through MMI..).

In order to get a good signal output there were two options to consider:


Tap into the high level outputs from the stock BOSE amp
Tap an optical signal from the MOST system (pure digital)

I chose the MOST option and started looking for viable candidates in the market and there really only were two that made the cut:


moBridge
Audion (bit DMI)

However, I was not able to track down a retailer for moBridge in Sweden so ended up with the Audison bit DMI (which literally is the same product in different housing):













Looks to be a solid product, I'm sure I will be happy with it!

With this piece of the puzzle in place, i started on the general system design. The objectives were:


Achieve a high level of SQ
Retain all stock functionality
Complete OEM appearance
Solid dry bass with adequate SPL

The system as it stands now with all components purchased looks like this:








So.. The build has officially started (now that I can finally work outdoors) and I will follow this post up shortly.

Happy Easter!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

On with the fun (or not so..).

The Q7 has doors the size of football fields and already just using the stock BOSE mid-bass there is substantial energy loss in terms of vibrations and some rattle of the door card. It was apparent from day one that some serious dampening was likely to pay off big time. Firstly I will turn my attention to the front doors and the trunk and secondly to the rear doors and floor/center console.

Build day one was spent dampening the driver side door (slow ass I know...). The products I will be using for the dampening efforts are:


Gladen Aero Butyl
Gladen Aero Multi
Gladen Aero Neoprene
Gladen Aero Fill (Butyl rope)

I started off by removing the inner door card which went relatively easy (just one broken clip is probably an official record for me :blush: ). The door appears quite well sealed off, with just the one opening in the back section:


Another positive observation at this point was the very flat mounting surface for the mid-bass. I can use the original mount as a template for a reinforced baffle for the Gladen 6.5" going into that location further on:


I started out applying Aero Butyl to the outer sheet metal in the door, working my way from up front/high towards the back/lower section of the door. It wasn't exactly easy reaching into all the areas of the door just having the mounting hole for the mid and the cut-out in the rear section of the door but I managed. I'm using two different types of rollers, one aluminium and one rubber-ish variant.
  

I also took the opportunity to apply some deadening to the guide bars for the window mechanism as well as the cover for the cut out in the sheet metal. Before re-installing the cover I also applied a string of Aero Fill around the edges to ensure a proper seal.
 

I then moved on to the inner sheet metal and applied the Aero Multi followed by a layer of Aero Neoprene.
  

Once the work on the sheet metal was completed I moved on to the door card itself. I applied Aero Butyl and then re-installed the damping mat that came from factory.
 

It was a bit tight getting the door card back on but I think I managed quite well, it seems a good snug fit back on. All in all I'm happy with the result of this first effort and the mandatory knock-knock test showed a clear difference between the two doors.

Knock-knock Test

And yes, I know the car is really dirty :blush:

Next I will crack on with the passenger side door and then the trunk, let's see how much I can get done now during the Easter holidays and how long my hands will last 

Happy Easter!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Subbed!! As I am going to start my 2013 VW Touareg build soon. 

1st Question I have the upgraded factory dynaudio system. I assume it is similar to the bose correct? 

2nd I would need one of the audison digital converters also then?

3rd Have ran into the need for any special tools?

I will be watching this build closely!


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

I did a '12 Touareg Lux a couple years ago, and I don't remember needing any "special" tools. The one I did didn't have Dynaudio. Simplicityinsound did one after the one I did and I believe theirs did. 

I was unaware of the Bit DMI, but have seen several people here use the moBridge piece, so it might be easier to get in the US. It's how I would go...then you'll also need a processor with optical in.

Or check Connects2's interface parts. After I did the one I did, they came out with an interface module that allows you to change the radio and keep the factory backup camera and the HVAC controls come up on the screen.

Jay


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

JayinMI said:


> I did a '12 Touareg Lux a couple years ago, and I don't remember needing any "special" tools. The one I did didn't have Dynaudio. Simplicityinsound did one after the one I did and I believe theirs did.
> 
> Jay


Thanks Jay,

I was reading over yours and SIS build thread this morning. I will look into the pieces you suggested also.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> 1st Question I have the upgraded factory dynaudio system. I assume it is similar to the bose correct?


I think the Dynaudio may be a step up from BOSE, option-wise.



#1BigMike said:


> 2nd I would need one of the audison digital converters also then?


I think going with a MOST converter of some sort is ideal. As JayinMI suggested, probably a lot easier to get hold of the moBridge in the US, go check out: Volkswagen Touareg 7L GL Facelift @ moBridge.us



#1BigMike said:


> 3rd Have ran into the need for any special tools?


Nope, not really. Seems you can take the complete car apart with a couple of torx bits and a 10 mm socket 

Let me know when you put up a build log, would be interesting to follow, cheers.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

So today I made some more progress and finished the passenger side door dampening. My hands are now completely useless 

Won't bore you with more pics of the other door as it is a pure repeat of what I did to the drivers side door yesterday. Did however snap pics to keep for the documentation should I choose to enter in any competitions in the future with this car.

Also stripped the trunk to see what potential there is, will share results in the next post, cheers


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Any and all pics are welcomed. 

Cant wait for the trunk!!!!!

Keep up the good work and documentation.


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## Yawar538 (Aug 28, 2013)

Subscribed


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

carlr said:


> Nope, not really. Seems you can take the complete car apart with a couple of torx bits and a 10 mm socket
> 
> Let me know when you put up a build log, would be interesting to follow, cheers.


The most specialized tool I used was an inverted Torx so I could flip the seat forward to get to the battery.

Jay


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi again, short update!

So, I managed to squeeze in some more time on Sunday to review what options for layout the trunk offered. The Q has a pretty big trunk, but the key challenge for me is I want to retain the use of the third seat row (this is my daily driver after all), this drastically cuts down the amount of available space. When opening the cargo floor and removing the storage compartment, this is what you are left with:

 

Pretty well stuffed!  Now, if you clear out a lot of stuff like the compressor (the one for the deflated spare, not the air suspension ), spare, BOSE subwoofer (what a laugh...), tools, jack etc. you get a small but I guess adequate volume to work with:



I measured the dimensions and depth of the compartment as you can tell from the picture. The tank on the left is for the air suspension, so not much to be done about that one, and to the right an electronics box. So practical limitations are as indicated in the picture (for those not reading metrics, that's 33 by 15.4 inches roughly). Considering I need to fit 2 Mosconi AS200.4 and a 6to8 it may be tight, may have to stack the AS 200.4's. The sub will have to reside side firing in the left or right trunk side panel in a glassed enclosure!

Cheers!


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

If you have a car that is compatible with the mObridge DA1 preamp, then it's a really good way to go if you can't change out the OEM head unit.


The Audison Bit DMI is the same hardware in a different case. Generally speaking, if you can get the mObridge version that's what I would recommend. Audison is notoriously slow with software releases. Although, I think I read somewhere that you can load mObridge firmware on the Bit DMI directly.


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

carlr said:


> Hi again, short update!
> 
> So, I managed to squeeze in some more time on Sunday to review what options for layout the trunk offered. The Q has a pretty big trunk, but the key challenge for me is I want to retain the use of the third seat row (this is my daily driver after all), this drastically cuts down the amount of available space. When opening the cargo floor and removing the storage compartment, this is what you are left with:
> 
> ...



My wife's new SQ5 trunk looks almost the same. Luckily, there is actually a lot of room to work with. I think we are going to be able to get two 12" subs in a sealed enclosure, plus 3 amps into the tire well.

We will remove the spare tire completely. My wife can't change a tire anyway, so what good does it do her to have a spare? :laugh:


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

subterFUSE said:


> My wife can't change a tire anyway, so what good does it do her to have a spare? :laugh:


I was thinking the same thing for my wife's Touareg. I passed the idea by her and she shot it down. I said, "babe at your 100 pound weight, I don't think you could lift it any how!" lol. I guess she will never really know :laugh4:. Thats what AAA is for.

OP thanks for updates. Keep up the great work I am enjoying the process.


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

#1BigMike said:


> I was thinking the same thing for my wife's Touareg. I passed the idea by her and she shot it down. I said, "babe at your 100 pound weight, I don't think you could lift it any how!" lol. I guess she will never really know :laugh4:. Thats what AAA is for.
> 
> OP thanks for updates. Keep up the great work I am enjoying the process.



Just show her that it isn't even a real spare, not even a donut. It's a deflated space-saver that needs an electric pump.

Not only can my wife not change a tire, but she can't inflate a tire either. So there's 2 strikes against the spare. :laugh::laugh:


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

^^^. Lol oh wow you guys are really in trouble then. I've only showed my wife two things when it comes to maintaining the car, how to change a flat, and when TO call AAA.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

My wide doesn't drive the Q at all - so no worries on my part


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

subterFUSE said:


> My wife's new SQ5......My wife can't change a tire anyway, so what good does it do her to have a spare? :laugh:


You bought it because it has SQ in the name, didn't you? lol




#1BigMike said:


> I was thinking the same thing for my wife's Touareg. I passed the idea by her and she shot it down. I said, "babe at your 100 pound weight, I don't think you could lift it any how!" lol. I guess she will never really know :laugh4:. Thats what AAA is for.
> 
> OP thanks for updates. Keep up the great work I am enjoying the process.





subterFUSE said:


> So there's 2 strikes against the spare. :laugh::laugh:



Or 2 strikes against the wife. LOL

Jay


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

JayinMI said:


> You bought it because it has SQ in the name, didn't you? lol



I only buy German cars, and prefer the faster versions of them:

I wanted an A6, so I got the S6.

Wife wanted a Q5, so I got the SQ5. 









> Or 2 strikes against the wife. LOL
> 
> Jay


Touche, Jay. Touche. :laugh:


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

The Touareg I did had the AdBlu tank under the spare. If it hadn't, that's where I'd have put the box/amp.

Jay


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

JayinMI said:


> The Touareg I did had the AdBlu tank under the spare. If it hadn't, that's where I'd have put the box/amp.
> 
> Jay


Yeah, the Diesels are a ***** like that.


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Yeah. Luckily the customer is awesome. We worked around it.

Jay


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

So - i did manage to squeeze in a limited amount of work on the car over the weekend. One thing that became obvious is that one of my initial goals to retain the third seat row is not likely to happen due to the real estate available vs. footprint of products and a complete lack of space behind the side panels.

I asked myself what was worth most:


Retaining the third seat row which is rarely used but impact on the width of the cargo space
Loosing the third seat row but retaining the proportions and size of the trunk

Retaining the proportions/size won  As you can see from these shots, there was very little room behind the side panels:

   

So - out they came! (the seats I mean ) and sound dampening process started:

 

Also took the opportunity to apply some dampening to the side panels as they were out of the car anyway:

 

I'll be back with further updates if it ever stops raining...


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## deeppinkdiver (Feb 4, 2011)

Im in for watching this one as well, Ive been looking at these vehicles for the wife. We love the Audi Q7.. This is looking great so far! Im curious about the Gladen deadening products.. Knock Knock test seemed legit.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

I am so liking where this is headed. 3rd seat removal is a good move, especially since you don't use it.

Damn your sound deadening looks of thought out. Mine is just pasted on in full sheets lol . I guess as long as it gets the job done thats all that matters.

Will you be adding any other sound deadening material back there?

Keep up the good work. I will be starting the Touareg build log sometime this week.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

deeppinkdiver said:


> Im in for watching this one as well, Ive been looking at these vehicles for the wife. We love the Audi Q7.. This is looking great so far! Im curious about the Gladen deadening products.. Knock Knock test seemed legit.


I'm quite happy with the results of the Gladen products. Seems to be a well thought through concept in terms of what material goes where and why.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> I am so liking where this is headed. 3rd seat removal is a good move, especially since you don't use it.
> 
> Damn your sound deadening looks of thought out. Mine is just pasted on in full sheets lol . I guess as long as it gets the job done thats all that matters.
> 
> ...


I will add some of the Gladen Neoprene material where it seems to make sense as the build in the trunk progresses. I hope to be able to start some fabrication really soon but the weather has been absolute crap for a couple of days and I do all my stuff outside. Also struggling to keep up with workload in general


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Quick update on the planning phase. I'm currently trying to decide how to best utilise the real estate at hand in the trunk area. My current thinking is along these lines:

 

I'm struggling with the placement of the 6to8 and the distributionblock. Not sure if i'm going to shoot for OEM look and simply tuck them away out of sight and only display the amps or if i want to display it all.

I have also drawn up the subwoofer box:



Now back to the drawing board...


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

I take it you are asking for suggestions?

If so, since you have decided to display the amps why not go ahead and display the other pieces (6to8 & db). I think by displaying the Mosconi amps you are already veering away from the OEM look. The 6to8 is a very small, nice looking piece. Its not an eye sore for sure. There are also very nice distribution blocks out there as well. 

Would there be a crap ton more work for you to get those 2 pieces to show along with your amps? This could possibly be the crimp in the hour glass if so for me.

This is just me being apart of your "brainstorming session."  All in all, I am liking the gear choice you have started with.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> I think by displaying the Mosconi amps you are already veering away from the OEM look.


My thoughts as well at this point to be honest. Either go OEM and tuck it all away or go for display as long as it's kept consistent.



#1BigMike said:


> This is just me being apart of your "brainstorming session."  All in all, I am liking the gear choice you have started with.


Thanks for the feedback, appreciated!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

So, a delayed update (due to work travel). I did manage to get some stuff done over the weekend even though my daughter had soccer tournament on saturday and league games on sunday.

I got started in small scale on friday, cutting all the 3/4" MDF pieces for the subwoofer fabrication:


MDF was then glued/bonded together usnig Sikaflex adhesive:
  

Chamfered circular openings for the subwoofer and port were routered:
 

The double baffle was glued together:


Test fitting the subwoofer box in the car:


Next fabrication of the amp/component rack:
 

And finally, poth pieces being test fitted in the car:
 

Still a long ways to go - but always reward to see your designs come to life


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hey,

So, things are progressing slowly (with emphasis on slowly) but steadily. Work on the amp rack continues, component placement likely to end up something like:



Holes drilled to allow for hidden cabling under the rack:



Now working on the finishing touches and upholstery of the rack and the subwoofer box, then on to covers and wiring!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Damn this is looking great. I love the boxes/racks you have made. Now that I can "see" the boxes in the car, it looks right. The rear seat removal helped a ton.

So I take it you have decided to display everything? 

How was it getting all the interior pieces off in the rear? I would like to do some sound deadener back there as well in my build (mine is slooooooow also) lol.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> Damn this is looking great. I love the boxes/racks you have made. Now that I can "see" the boxes in the car, it looks right. The rear seat removal helped a ton.
> 
> So I take it you have decided to display everything?
> 
> How was it getting all the interior pieces off in the rear? I would like to do some sound deadener back there as well in my build (mine is slooooooow also) lol.


It will be "stealth" - as in completely covered in the trunk but with removable panels to display the components. I have some drawings of this, can maybe post them later 

With regards to removing the panels it was quite straight forward. I'm subscribing to the AllData DIY service for the Q7 - so have access to proper step-by-step instructions as well


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## audio+civic (Apr 16, 2009)

Love the SUV and the build!!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

audio+civic said:


> Love the SUV and the build!!


Thanks


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

A small update on the little progress I've had over the last week or so. In between work and family life there is not much time left right now, but at the same time I want the build to progress, so it gets stressful at times. At one moment during the weekend I just said f*ck it left the car in bits in the driveway. 

So anyaway..

I got busy on the amp rack. Started out blackening all holes and corners before upholstery:


I then wrapped the inside (what actually will be visible) in black superstretch vinyl. I'm sort of ok with the result given the fact I really haven't wrapped anything in vinyl since -93  (god I feel old now...)
 

The scalpell was put to good use in order to clean up all holes I had drilled for wiring. One learning here was to mask these prior to applying the glue, not doing this resulted in a lot of effort to get it out. I got so agitated I had to cool my nerves with a whiskey 


Moved on with the wiring and fixing of components, processor and distribution block. In the middle of this I realised with the orientation of the components I had worked out, the mosconi logo on the 6to8 ended up upsidedown compared to the amps. This was easliy solved by disassembling the 6to8 and flipping the cover as it was perfectly symmetrical:
 

Powercables were cut to length (3 AWG from distro to the amps) was braided and and heatshrunk according to this model:


The pieces of the puzzle was starting to fall into place now, but getting the powercables in place was _by far_ the hardest part of this build to date! A learning here was to work with greater tolerances than I had in this rack. The angles/bends on a couple of the powercables were so tight the braiding/heat shrink slid a bit along the cable. Not a big thing, but annoying nonetheless. I just didn't have the energy to change this a the moment...
 

"Below the surface" a fair amount of cable management was required. I cheated myself and bought ready made lenghts of RCA's, something I had promised myself I would not do for this build, but rather fabricate and solder custom lengths. But then again, maybe good to have som future room for improvements as well 
   

All cables are braided, heat shrunk and color coded use wire strips. This will be updated using proper cable labeling further on.
    

Last but not least, the rack was treated a RGB LED strip for some lighting effects:


That was more or less the amp rack completed. I'm quite happy with the overall result, some details can be improved for sure and I will deal with those in due time. Focus now is on completing the remaining tasks in order to get the system up and running!

To be continued in the next post!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Next part of the process was to start preparations for hooking up the Audison bit DMI, the MOST interface. This will replace the stock BOSE amp. The BOSE amp was fitted to a really nice and sturdy mounting bracket which I chose to reuse. I traced the contours of the BOSE amp onto a piece of MDF which I also painted in black for looks and protection against the elements. Alongside the bit DMI I fitted the small distribution block for remote turn on, relay and accessories (e.g. fans and LED's)
 

I also took the opportunity to tidy up the wire harness to the bit DMI quite substantially:


And fabricated really tiny cables which I braided and heat shrunk to be used on the small fuse block.



Right about here is when I thought to myself "what the f am i doing.." and so did my wife :laugh:

Mounted in the original spot in the car (but not completed, power and remote turn on leads etc missing).


The bit DMI has a valet feature which is operated by a switch, so you can temporarily disable it when the car is with the dealer for instance. I found a sweet spot for it in the rear right fuse box:
 

That's all for now, I'll check back in later in the week when back from business travel.


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

carlr said:


> The bit DMI has a valet feature which is operated by a switch, so you can temporarily disable it when the car is with the dealer for instance.



Just a small tip.....


When the car is started with the OEM amp disconnected from MOST, it will cause a fault code to be logged. Even if you flip the valet switch, the fault code will still be there until you clear it manually.

I recommend disconnecting the Bit DMI from MOST and plugging the MOST cable back into the OEM amplifier before service, and then clear the DTC codes with VCDS. That way the fault code will be erased and won't pop up again until the MOST cable is disconnected after you finish the service.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Damn good job my friend. Keep up the great work. I am watching this closely.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Started the day early since I woke up earlier than usual (for a day off) - about 06:30 - figured I might just as well get on with it. 

Started out by organising the lenghts of cable coming out of the rack as a preparation for the final fitment and install further on.


I then moved on to removing the drivers seat to gain access to the battery and power distribution in order to prepare for running the power wire back to th rack.
 

I decided to mount the fuse holder as close as possible and found a decent spot on the cover of the distribution box which resulted in a cable length of about 22 cm.
 

That's all for today, to be continued!


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## Detroitvseverybody (Feb 15, 2015)

It looks good! We need more &#55357;&#56397;


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Detroitvseverybody said:


> It looks good! We need more ��


Ok, here's some more 

Continuing from where I left off last time, the power wire (1/0 Zealum techflexed and heatshrunk) was fed along one of the wire bundles and secured using zipties every 10 cm or so:

  

When entering the trunk i passed the wire over the trunk floor towards the right where the distribution block is located in the amprack. the amprack is positioned directly above this area of the trunk floor with the upper most part trailing the edge of the seat compartment. Once again secured using wire strips and anchors:
 

The ground wire was earthed using the stock grounding point in the rear right quarter of the trunk (cable was not techflexed because I ran out of heatshrink tubing at this point - this will be fixed later) and then ran along the side up towards the front part of the amp rack:
  

The bit DMI was finally hooked up with the TOSlink cable from the Mosconi 6to8 and the small distribution block and the remote turn on relay and everything connected:


And Hey Presto - it's alive 


I was somewhat content at this point  To be continued in the next post.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Now that I had everything wired up, i turned my attention to get the rest of the trunk assembled. In order to secure the amp rack to the car, I used threaded inserts in the subwoofer box and M5 bolts and washers through the amp rack side piece, here being fastened using an allen key:
 

This is how it is oriented in the trunk:


I also wanted the subwoofer box to be securely mounted to the vehicle, so I used some really sturdy brackets that I secured to a couple of the cars stock mounting bolts in the trunk:
 

As you can see, there is some space left on the sides of the box - I considering what to prioritise here in terms trying to get some of the stock items like the jack, compressor etc. The objective is still to have full use of the car as well as stock appearance, so next order of business was the false floor. I started by cutting an MDF sheet to fit the trunk space:
 

Once I was happy with the fitment, I started to draw the cutouts:
 

Test fit in the car:


To secure the false floor I'm using the stock cargo holders. There are four in total, two on each side of the trunk held down by two M6 bolts each:


All cuts done in the false floor:


And once again test fitted in the car:


So... Am I happy about this trim piece? No... In fact, this is one of the parts I'm certain I will redo almost immediately. It looks great from an elevated view, but as you can see in the last pic, from outside the vehicle it doesn't really come out nice. I will probably let this pass for a "v1" of the trunk, just to ensure progress is made on the final parts of the build, still have wires to run and front stage to mount. What doesn't show in these pics is I have prepared, techflexed and heatshrunk all speaker wires and they are hooked up to the mosconis - so just need to run them to their respective locations in the front. Also need to mount a speakon connector to the sub box.

That's it for now - will now again be a few days before I can do anything on the car as I'm off on business travel, cheers.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

So, some small progress over the last days. Been working more on the false floor and focusing on the insert pieces. To start with they were cut to size:



The piece going over the subwoofer box was fitted with steel mesh that was cut to size and AC glued into place:



The pieces were then wrapped in carpet. This how it looks in the car:



Quite stealthy if you ask my opinion  Only thing im not happy about is the color matching of the carpet to stock. It is closer than it appears in the picture but still off, will have to wait for the next iteration of the build.


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## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Bad Ass, Now please do my trunk  Ill do the rest hehehe

Great Job!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

quickaudi07 said:


> Bad Ass, Now please do my trunk  Ill do the rest hehehe
> 
> Great Job!


No worries mate, just have it shipped over!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Looking great my friend!!! Bravo for the wiring. I don't know where the hell to start in my touareg lol.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> Looking great my friend!!! Bravo for the wiring. I don't know where the hell to start in my touareg lol.


Yeah wiring was a PITA to be honest - and I'm only half way there as well 

Still have the wires for the front to route alongside the passsenger side of the cabin as well as under the dash to the drivers side for left channels.

And fabricate baffels for the mids... And mount the front speakers... And the list goes on :blush:

At least today i confirmed two key things:


The Audison bit DMI does indeed work and pass the digital signal to the 6to8 as expected
The Gladen Zero 12 Pro is a badass woofer 

I planned out my wiring by designing the electrical system in CAD before even starting the build - that helped a ton because I could pretty much wire everything up outside the car (I think this showed in some of the pics where I literally had three main wire bundles organised out of the rack). The only wires actually run inside the car at the moment are power and ground leading to the distribution in the rack and power and ground for the Audison but DMI ran off the main fusebox in the rear compartment.


----------



## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks, update time!

My objective to have the car in a "install complete" status ready for a competiton event today was not met, but not due to me not being able to complete the actual install, but rather the car being with the dealership since yesterday. I had an issue with a warning indication on the AdBlue level in the car which turned out to be a faulty sensor which requires replacement. 

At least I made some good progress on the build thursday. Started out by tearing down the dashboard and glove compartment etc.:

    

Stock BOSE configuration holds three 3" midranges on the the dash, I'm replacing left and right (center not used) with the Gladen Zero PRO 80:



Cable connections and wire labeling on the right midrange:

 

I also laid down a ring of butyl as an additional seal before bolting down the speaker:



I then moved on to the speakers that goes into the door. It was a PITA getting two bundles of techflexed speaker cables into the door, but finally got it done. The Gladen tweeter was mounted in the stock location in the sail panel and additionally sealed (probably has no gain but felt right ) using butyl:

  

I canibalised (?) the stock mounting adapter for the BOSE woofer as it had a near perfect form factor and mounting depth for the Gladen 6.5" midbass. I fabricated a new baffle in MDF and also added a layer of dampening:

    

Before I had to call it a night and reassemble the car, I managed to get started on the drivers side (was a necessity in order to reassemble the dash..). Wire labeling and the left midrange mounted:

 

So left to do at this point is mounting the tweeter / midbass in the drivers side door, it is getting closer now


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Sorry to read about missing your first show with your new setup. You have done very well my friend. Very solid build you have going on here.


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## Hugg727 (Sep 17, 2009)

Very nice work going on here. sub'd


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Yeah so not much going on here.. Car is still with the dealer waiting replacement of the faulty sensors (yes sensors as in plural...). Quite expensive replacement so awaiting verdict from the insurance company..

But then again, been traveling at work as usual and didn't get back home until the wee morning hours today anyway, so wouldn't have had time to work on the build. Hope I can get the car sorted this week so I can put in a few hours over the weekend and finish the front stage and move onto tweaking :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Ok - good news and bad news...

The good news: Got the car back day before yesterday, fully repaired at no cost. Insurance company stepped up and fast-tracked, so did the dealership! So I got around to completing the tweeter/midbass mount in the driverside door. So in essence, the "stage 1" build is now "completed". I did a basic config with the 6to8, crossovers, time alignment and some basic levels.

The bad news: As soon as I adjust the gain upwards a bit I get a nasty noise level. Seems purely related to gain, does not vary with volume or alternator or anything like that - just pure static. The noise level and character remains identical regardless of source (digital via Audison bit DMI or AMAS directly to the 6to8).. 

I'll try to set aside some time today to continue working on it, but at least the system plays!!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Pm sent. Very happy you got the Audi back!


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## Hugg727 (Sep 17, 2009)

carlr said:


> Ok - good news and bad news...
> 
> The good news: Got the car back day before yesterday, fully repaired at no cost. Insurance company stepped up and fast-tracked, so did the dealership! So I got around to completing the tweeter/midbass mount in the driverside door. So in essence, the "stage 1" build is now "completed". I did a basic config with the 6to8, crossovers, time alignment and some basic levels.
> 
> ...


I was also getting the static in my tweeters as well. I turned the gains down and it pretty much went away. If I am in the car with it off and there is no noise outside and I put my ear next to the tweeter I can barely hear it. I can live with that.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hugg727 said:


> I was also getting the static in my tweeters as well. I turned the gains down and it pretty much went away. If I am in the car with it off and there is no noise outside and I put my ear next to the tweeter I can barely hear it. I can live with that.


Problem for me is that is in all channels pretty much. Will continue to look into it.


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## subterFUSE (Sep 21, 2009)

If you are using a mObridge or Audison Bit DMI, then you need to run your MMI volume at full to get the best signal to noise.

I always test my equipment with an oscilloscope during my initial setup.

I found that in my car (2013 S6) with mObridge DA1, I need to run the head unit volume at 33 out of 34. For some reason, when I put the volume at 34 the oscilloscope was showing a distorted wave form. But 33 was perfect, so I just keep the volume at 33.

My DSP has a master volume control so that's what I use.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

subterFUSE said:


> If you are using a mObridge or Audison Bit DMI, then you need to run your MMI volume at full to get the best signal to noise.
> 
> I always test my equipment with an oscilloscope during my initial setup.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tip, but I dont think it applies to my issue. I have the exact same noise level regardless of source - so even when i switch to AMAS which is directly on the 6to8, so guessing MMI level is not relevant. But good to know for the MMI source!!


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## hatemi (Dec 23, 2011)

Could the noice be caused by the power control module sending noise in power lines of equipment?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

hatemi said:


> Could the noice be caused by the power control module sending noise in power lines of equipment?


Anything is possible i guess. I am looking into different options. I had another tuning session yesterday and sound/level wise things are definately coming together nicely. Still have a low noise though, so will continue to chase this issue down.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

This very nice build you have. The attention to detail is second to none! Thanks for sharing it !


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

optimaprime said:


> This very nice build you have. The attention to detail is second to none! Thanks for sharing it !


Thanks, appreciated! I hope it will inspire some as so many build threads on here has inspired me!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks!

So it's been a few weeks since my last post due to many reasons. Lots at work, little time off and so on....

I have spent the very little time I have had in the car mainly on tweaking. Was looking into levels using a crappy RTA off the iPhone (with internal mic) and by the time I was looking at a somewhat flat response, the car sounded like absolute **** 

So i disregarded the RTA and used the only tools at hand (e.g. ears). Stepped some up, some down and after a few iterations I had, what I thought, a good overall sound. I did however step some of the mid-bass down a couple of notches because I thought it might be perceived as a bit too high. Struggled a bit after this with TA but didnt have time to listen in so defaulted back to my initial settings.

Just to try this build out, on Saturday I went to an EMMA SQ competition in Trollhättan in Sweden. Entered in Rookie and finished in first place. On the install I got deductions on first optic impression because the sleeving on one of the power cables had slid out a bit from under the heatshrink and on mounting because of my very "temporary" mounting of the Mosconi DRC in the ashtray compartment in the center console - let's just say I expected both these going in as I was plenty aware of them 

Sound judge was overall very pleased but thought the overall was missing a bit of "brilliance" in the absolute highs and just a tad of mid-bass, so shame on me for taking it down a couple notches just the day before 

Other than that, center was not spot on, something I was also aware of, struggling with the TA and not getting it right.

So now at least I have some concrete action points to deal with, question is will I make it before the next event


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## SJWVW (Jul 7, 2015)

Congrats on such an impressive build
And greatly appreciate the informative pics and dialog
Am about to start on a 2015 Touareg Rline which has a rubbish dynaudio 12 ch 600w factory system. It is seriously awful and being replaced by hertz Mille speakers and 2 x 4 ch hertz hdp4 amps. Currently investigating most bus adapters dsp options and sub amp locations. I think the spare is going to become a can of foam and the wheel well a sub n amp hideaway Similar to your exceptional setup

Any advice on compatible most adapters or dsp / preamps greatly appreciated

2015 VW Touareg RLine TDI 
Factory dynaudio 12 channel system 
RCD 850 head unit 

Regards 

Steve


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## JimmyDee (Mar 8, 2014)

Very well done.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

SJWVW said:


> Congrats on such an impressive build
> And greatly appreciate the informative pics and dialog
> Am about to start on a 2015 Touareg Rline which has a rubbish dynaudio 12 ch 600w factory system. It is seriously awful and being replaced by hertz Mille speakers and 2 x 4 ch hertz hdp4 amps. Currently investigating most bus adapters dsp options and sub amp locations. I think the spare is going to become a can of foam and the wheel well a sub n amp hideaway Similar to your exceptional setup
> 
> ...


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

SJWVW said:


> Congrats on such an impressive build
> And greatly appreciate the informative pics and dialog
> Am about to start on a 2015 Touareg Rline which has a rubbish dynaudio 12 ch 600w factory system. It is seriously awful and being replaced by hertz Mille speakers and 2 x 4 ch hertz hdp4 amps. Currently investigating most bus adapters dsp options and sub amp locations. I think the spare is going to become a can of foam and the wheel well a sub n amp hideaway Similar to your exceptional setup
> 
> ...


Thanks, appreciated. With regards to MOST adapters, the Touareg is CANBUS as far as I know, which means there are no MOST adapters to tap into the network. You'll have to tap into the high level signals and sum up through a DSP. Would recommend checking out #1BigMike's build thread on his '13 Touareg!

With regards to DSP's / Processors I have only ever used Mosconi 6to8v8 and Alpine H800 (in previous build). Both very capable units but my personal preference leans towards the Mosconi.



jimmydee said:


> Very well done.


Cheers!



#1BigMike said:


>


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

As the install judge at the last competition decided that my "highly temporary" mounting of the DRC wasn't ok (wonder why ) I decided it was time to ensure a more "permanent" solution.

So - tore the center console down again and uninstalled the DRC along with the temporary fix:


The intention was to continue using the small compartment in front of the gear lever as this is a good, non-intrusive, location. The compartment box was dismounted and cleared out (there is a rubber liner type thing inside). I chose to work with HDPE this time and started out by farbicating a cutout section which was CA glued to the compartment:


Then the shape was built up with a center piece for the DRC itself and some surrounding pieces to align to the center console:
 

Not exactly sure what happened next with my "trusty iphone" - or not so trusty iphone - for the life of me i cannot locate the rest of the fabrication pics i took 

Anyways, at this point i applied filler, a lot of sanding followed by upholstery in vinyl. I also countersunk two 7kg neodymium magnets into the back section to ensure a proper hold of the DRC.

And finally mounted back in the car again:
  

That's all for this time, now hoping for full score on "Components & mounting panels securly mounted"


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Looks damn good my friend!


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I can say if I were judging it, you would get a 10 for your efforts.


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## deeppinkdiver (Feb 4, 2011)

Looks fantastic in there. Colors are spot on to the Audi oem dash colors. If the outer ring of the controller were black, may not even beable to tell it isnt a factory pc.

Good job.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> Looks damn good my friend!


Thanks buddy!



Coppertone said:


> I can say if I were judging it, you would get a 10 for your efforts.


Cheers, let's hope the install judge on saturday is of the same opinion 



deeppinkdiver said:


> Looks fantastic in there. Colors are spot on to the Audi oem dash colors. If the outer ring of the controller were black, may not even beable to tell it isnt a factory pc.
> 
> Good job.


It's funny - i was surprised how well the colors blend in with the OEM and also that I found vinyl that matched almost perfectly!


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## idelgado782 (May 25, 2015)

Hey carlr. I too have a q7. I'm getting a Mobridge da1 and 6to8 in a few days. Where exactly is the most interface located at? I'm trying to map everything out ahead of time so that it's as straight forward as possible when I'm ready for the install. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

idelgado782 said:


> Hey carlr. I too have a q7. I'm getting a Mobridge da1 and 6to8 in a few days. Where exactly is the most interface located at? I'm trying to map everything out ahead of time so that it's as straight forward as possible when I'm ready for the install.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well, it depends really. You got the BOSE system in your Q? If so, the BOSE amp (which is what you'll be looking to replace with your moBridge) is located on the right side of the trunk, just below the base of the D-pillar as shown in this picture:


You can also review one of the earlier posts in this build thread for more info on how i hooked up my MOST interface in the stock BOSE amp location.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

So, I went to my second EMMA SQ event last saturday, another win. Sound stage was improved from last time but overall spectral balance rendered a lower score, so not quite sure how I managed to screw that one up 

Seems though, due to the fact that I completed the build too late in the season, that I wont have time to qualify for the nationals this season, but I don't mind. It was good preparation getting it tested out a couple of times and also to get some objective feedback.

Plan now is to focus on next season - and I think I will shoot for Advanced 7 channels most likely. I know it is built for OEM as it stands today - but I already have big plans for the front stage . I'm hoping to be able to complete some of this during fall, as I have to do everything outside due to the lack of a garage :worried:

Cheers.


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## Tom Westling (Feb 13, 2011)

Awesome job! Sub'd for inspiration for my Macan build.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Good job my friend. I will have to go back and read the thread from the beginning now.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

JayinMI said:


> The most specialized tool I used was an inverted Torx so I could flip the seat forward to get to the battery.
> 
> 
> 
> Jay



VW/Audi use a triple square for their seats, not a Torx. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

This is what is required to remove the seats in Audi (and a heap of other stuff):



Like quality_sound said, a triple square. But I guess it helps seeing one if you are unfamiliar with the name. These are also referred to as *XZN* bits.


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## idelgado782 (May 25, 2015)

carlr said:


> This is what is required to remove the seats in Audi (and a heap of other stuff):
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for posting this pic. I wouldn't have known what I needed. What size is the triple square you used for the seats? 8 or 10mm? I'm trying to pick one up now to get to my battery. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hugg727 (Sep 17, 2009)

Congrats on completing this fantastic build.

Did you ever resolve the noise issue?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

idelgado782 said:


> Thanks for posting this pic. I wouldn't have known what I needed. What size is the triple square you used for the seats? 8 or 10mm? I'm trying to pick one up now to get to my battery.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It's a 10 mm.



Hugg727 said:


> Congrats on completing this fantastic build.
> 
> Did you ever resolve the noise issue?


I still have a very low level hiss, but at a level which doesn't disturb really. Also, the EMMA sound judges give me clean scores on system noise, so must be negligable. At least I'm no longer bothered by it


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## Phil Indeblanc (May 27, 2015)

forget the car, that closet wall came out amazing! I'd love to do something like that!

 Ok so the car does look amazing as well. well done. You are a fabulous fabricator.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Phil Indeblanc said:


> forget the car, that closet wall came out amazing! I'd love to do something like that!


lol


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## idelgado782 (May 25, 2015)

Another quick question Carl. Did you run new speaker wires to the doors? Do you have any pictures of it? I'm working on getting my front set up active and I need to get wires from the tweeters to the amp. The guy who initially installed my stuff just tapped into the speaker wiring before the Bose amp and sent that to the amps. Do you have a wiring diagram to know which colors are positive and negative? 
Here are some pictures of the what the wiring currently looks like in my car. I appreciate your help 



Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk


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## Phil Indeblanc (May 27, 2015)

Not that it is bad, but all those tapes would look much better with shrink tubing.or some wire sleeves. Maybe something you can do when you get the wire info from Carl or someone.


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## idelgado782 (May 25, 2015)

Phil Indeblanc said:


> Not that it is bad, but all those tapes would look much better with shrink tubing.or some wire sleeves. Maybe something you can do when you get the wire info from Carl or someone.


I agree with you 100% Phil. I had a bad experience with the installer and it seems I found more things to annoy me at every corner. He took so many shortcuts and some sloppy work. That's definitely the plan to do once I get back there again I will clean it up and make it look much better. 

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

idelgado782 said:


> Do you have a wiring diagram to know which colors are positive and negative?


I ran all new wiring from my amps and never tapped into the BOSE outlets at all since I used the MOST apapter. But sure, i have the wiring diagrams, have a look at the attachments! 
View attachment Diagram 92-3 (Tracks 15-28).pdf
,
View attachment Diagram 92-4 (Tracks 29-42).pdf
,
View attachment Diagram 92-5 (Tracks 43-56).pdf



Phil Indeblanc said:


> Not that it is bad, but all those tapes would look much better with shrink tubing.or some wire sleeves. Maybe something you can do when you get the wire info from Carl or someone.


Sure the tape isolates and all, but doesn't look pretty 



idelgado782 said:


> I agree with you 100% Phil. I had a bad experience with the installer and it seems I found more things to annoy me at every corner. He took so many shortcuts and some sloppy work. That's definitely the plan to do once I get back there again I will clean it up and make it look much better.


Probably a good idea to help you sleep better at night


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## idelgado782 (May 25, 2015)

Thanks so much Carl! ???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Killer build ! Detail is fantastic


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

idelgado782 said:


> Thanks so much Carl! ???
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You're welcome :blush:


optimaprime said:


> Killer build ! Detail is fantastic


Thanks, much appreciated


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## odj23 (Jul 13, 2010)

You must be an engineer 

I love the thoroughness... CAD design, wire labeling, how you build and route things. I read the thread and thought... "This is how I'd do it if I weren't so lazy!" hahaha.

Really dig the build. Nicely done and good luck for future competition.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

odj23 said:


> You must be an engineer
> 
> I love the thoroughness... CAD design, wire labeling, how you build and route things. I read the thread and thought... "This is how I'd do it if I weren't so lazy!" hahaha.
> 
> Really dig the build. Nicely done and good luck for future competition.


Indeed I have a degree in construction engineering, but I have never worked in that field. Been in Business Solutions and IT for the past 20 years.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

So, it's been a while since the last update. I have simply enjoyed the install, done some minor tweaking and am presently quite satisfied with the overall sound and performance. However, things haven't been standing still completely on the install. I have reviewed some things I may want to change:

Eventually redesign the amprack, make it about 5-7 cm's wider to provide a bit more real estate for the wiring to the amps
Redo the power wire distribution (same reason as for the rack)
Route a USB cable from the 6to8 to the front console
Fabricate a new false floor in the trunk

In addition to this - as I eluded to in an earlier post, I'm considering swapping from OEM to Advanced for next season - so a-pillar fabrication housing midrange/tweeters is happening right now, will be back with a more comprehensive post with pics when completed.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Holy **** balls ! Keep this up and Audi will be shipping cars to you for their new audio option up up up grade! Just fantastic work my friend !


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## rxonmymind (Sep 7, 2010)

Well done!
Something similar I'd like to tackle and that is to reorganize my amp/subwoofer layout in the configuration you have. Mine is stealth just not happy with it now from an aesthetic point of view. Yours seems simple & to the point. Thanks for posting pics. Gorgeous car btw. If Lexus(RX) doesn't step up their game might have to look at Audi.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Install is sick. I also will be looking into my amp rack situation (love yours by the way). 

How would you explain the sound of your system now that all the pieces are together and you have a few tuning sessions/comps with her?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

optimaprime said:


> Holy **** balls ! Keep this up and Audi will be shipping cars to you for their new audio option up up up grade! Just fantastic work my friend !


Cheers mate :blush:


rxonmymind said:


> Well done!
> Something similar I'd like to tackle and that is to reorganize my amp/subwoofer layout in the configuration you have. Mine is stealth just not happy with it now from an aesthetic point of view. Yours seems simple & to the point. Thanks for posting pics. Gorgeous car btw. If Lexus(RX) doesn't step up their game might have to look at Audi.


I like the Audi, no doubt. However I'm not too happy with the new version of the Q7 - looks more like a station wagon  With that said, I might end up getting me one of those anyway, they're a delight to drive.


#1BigMike said:


> Install is sick. I also will be looking into my amp rack situation (love yours by the way).
> 
> How would you explain the sound of your system now that all the pieces are together and you have a few tuning sessions/comps with her?


Analytical without any "harshness" (is that even a word?!?). A great deal of warmth and body - stage and imaging has really come together and depth is the best I've had in any car (note I HAVE HAD in any car - I have heard better cars than this of course). It has a balanced tonality and it sure packs a punch!

The Mosconis and the Gladens do complement each other fantastically. What I did notice is that both tweeters and midrange levels increased after they had more break in time - i have had to go back a couple of times now to adjust levels and EQ to compensate and to keep the overall sound "where I want it" - especially with the highs.

I'm happy :blush:

And maybe just a quick couple of teasers on the a-pillar build...

3D printed baffles:


Aiming of the baffles using fabricated dummy midrange with centered laser:


Rage gold applied and rough sanding of right pillar in progress:


Cheers!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Just to give an idea of where the a-pillar build is going at the moment...


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice installation!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

BP1Fanatic said:


> Nice installation!


Thanks, appreciated!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

You're welcome carl!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

So, not much in terms of updates here over the past couple of weeks, mainly due to me almost taking a finger off with a power saw two weeks back (was building non-audio related stuff). This kinda put me off big time as I couldn't properly use my left hand for anything useful.

The finger is starting to heal up nicely now and I feel the inspiration slowly returning, so hope to be able to crack on with the a-pillar build over the weekend.

Swedish EMMA finals are also over the weekend but I'm not competing as I didn't have a chance to get the required number of qualifying events as I came out with the build so late in the season. I'll see if I swing by on sunday to check things out or if I dedicate sunday for some proper build-time 

Have a good weekend all!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Just wanted to take the opportunity to wish all the DIYers out there a









See you next year!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Back atcha!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Thank you sir and same to you and your family!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

So - the build in the Q has come to and end. I have disassembled everything and equipment is taken out. The car is completely restored to original again. Reason for this is I got the urge to buy a new car again, so ordered a new one with delivery sometime in May, just in time for spring 

Of course the new car will see some (if not all) of the equipment that I had in the Q, so watch out for another build thread later this year 

Some short reflections on the install in the Q:

A lot of factors of this car lended themselves to a quality OEM type build:

Placement of midranges (3,5") on top of the dash, way out in the corners combined with tweeters in the sail panels offered a high and wide stage after some processing
Doors easily swallowed up to 8" midbasses, i opted for 6,5" which was more than enough
When the third seat row was removed, the trunk offered ample space under the original floor which allowed for a proper ported box for the 12"

I was awesome to be able to jack straight into the MOST network for a pure digital signal using the Audison bit DMI and through this utilise all the OEM sources in the car while at the same time being able to stream via BT directly in the processor (which is what I ended up using most of the time - also during competitions). The body required some dampening to minimise rattles and noise, mostly becasue of the big sheet metal areas in the doors, this is also the area which rendered the biggest improvement of the overall dampening efforts.

Overall I was very happy with the performance of the install. Very clear and crisp, with good tonality and stage. It performed quite well with most types of music and I found myself just hanging around in the car for quite some time after parking it in my driveway


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## deeppinkdiver (Feb 4, 2011)

This was enjoyable to read through, curious though. What is the new purchase?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

deeppinkdiver said:


> This was enjoyable to read through, curious though. What is the new purchase?


Thanks. The newcomer is a BMW F36 Gran Coupe, xDrive, M-Sport, Carbon Black / Saddle Brown leather and most options. Looking forward to getting back to a BMW (not that I didn't enjoy the Audi, I certainly did, I'm just not an SUV type of guy I guess).


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## deeppinkdiver (Feb 4, 2011)

Well then.. The new 4 series, love the look of these new cars. Congrats sir, your color combo sounds amazing btw. This one should be quite the performer on the road also!


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## greg09 (Jun 10, 2015)

I look forward to seeing the build for the BMW. I had a 550 before my current Audi. They are both great cars!


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Can't wait to see the new car and a new build!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

deeppinkdiver said:


> Well then.. The new 4 series, love the look of these new cars. Congrats sir, your color combo sounds amazing btw. This one should be quite the performer on the road also!


Yes I think the combo is quite nice (and not too common). I have a bunch of beemers in the past - all of them carbon black 

This is how it comes out in the configurator:









greg09 said:


> I look forward to seeing the build for the BMW. I had a 550 before my current Audi. They are both great cars!


I also had a F10 M-sport prior to the Q.



optimaprime said:


> Can't wait to see the new car and a new build!


Yeah - mid-may seems very far away at the moment :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Even though this build is officially dead and buried by now, I figured I could share what went down during winter / off-season  Warning issued - lot's of pics 

Coming out of last season, plans were made and thoughts about a slight rebuild, but not for OEM. I wanted to give it a shot and see how much could be improved by getting mids/tweets into the a-pillars, in some type of pods. I also had a brief discussion with a couple of SQ judges at one of the events who meant this approach could provide a good result because of issues with unwanted reflexes (in this type of cabin) with a typical a-pillar mount.

With this in mind i set off to design and build some sort of pods integrated into the a-pillars 

I started out by getting a pair of used a-pillar trims which were quickly procured. I figured it would be difficult to get the pods a decent size, not too intrusive, a somewhat serious design for the baffle was in order. I designed a baffle in 3D and got it printed in sturdy ABS plastic:
    

I also sourced original grills for the Gladen Zero 80's to match the tweeters. Below are the a-pillars in their original form, my base so to speak. The area on top of the dash offered some nice real estate but the small vent outlet would have to be covered/obstructed by the pods i realised:
 

I started out by trying out different angles with the drivers in the baffle and realised a fairly "agressive" angle towards the c-pillars gave me a good feeling. Eager to get proper alignment and symmetry, I marked two spots on the c-pillars that I could aim the laser at:
 

The pillars were stripped and i fabricated a small copy of the midrange containing a laser that I could use to aim the baffles:
     

Once the baffles were properly aimed and I had made sure the drivers would actually fit (previous experience ) they were secured to the pillar trim using wooden sticks and hotglue and subsequently wrapped in grill cloth. The grill cloth was very stretchy and allowed for the desired shapes to be formed:
 

Continued in the next post


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Next step was to apply polyester followed by a few rounds of glass which rendered a very sturdy construction:
    

Followed by a few rounds of Rage Gold and sanding, sanding, sanding... 
  

Happy with the base finish I applied primer and sanded another few rounds and test fitted them in the car:
      

The idea was to wrap these babies in vinyl and I gave it a go myself which turned out to be a bad idea. The shape was way too complicated to wrap without at least one seam somewhere. I started to look around for a shop who could wrap them for me and this is roughly where this whole build came to an end (e.g. yours truly decided to get some new wheels )

I gave these quite some listening time with the drivers mounted, adjusted levels and TA and also started some EQ. I experienced the sound as more open and transparent and also a bit brighter (in loss of a better/more descriptive word - english is not my native language..). Stage height was good before and now I experienced it to also be wider. It was easier to TA Center and easier to distinguish, for instance, between Left <-> Left Center <-> Center, likely because of the increased stage width? I think this could have been a succesful option in this car, would have been interesting to get some SQ judging done with this setup!

That will be all about the Q, see you again soon in another build thread


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## BoostedGerman (Dec 5, 2014)

great overall detailed build
have one coming in for a full Gladen system next week


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

BoostedGerman said:


> great overall detailed build
> have one coming in for a full Gladen system next week


Thanks!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Those pillars came out nice. Cant wait to catch the new build.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> Those pillars came out nice. Cant wait to catch the new build.


Cheers mate!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice pillars!


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