WHY?
This customer contacted us because he wanted to improve the audio system in his Volkswagen Passat, but it had been ages since he last shopped for an aftermarket audio system. Needless to say, he had no idea where to start or what to expect in terms of options and pricing.
This customer said that some of their favorite things to listen to were Dave Matthew’s Band and Norah Jones, so that told us we were aiming for a more refined and accurate sound.
During the free consultation, our System Designer and Master Technician, Don and Aaron, were able to suggest solutions that would put high fidelity sound in this Volkswagen.
WHAT?
Replaced the OEM head unit – We upgraded the OEM head unit to a Kenwood DNX996XR with integrated wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto. We used the Maestro MRR module to retain factory features, such as steering wheel controls.
Replaced front door woofers – We replaced the factory door woofers with the Morel Elate Titanium 6.5” mid drivers. These are one of Morel’s top-end speakers and they are very unique in that they can handle a ton of power while still sounding exceptionally clean.
Built customer A-pillars for active 3-way setup in the front – We utilized the OEM tweeter location in the corner of the dash and Aaron built custom A-pillars to house the new 3.5” mid driver for the 3-ways in the front. The 3.5” mid driver on the Morel Elates is very slim, which allows for a cleaner look on the new A-pillars. This customer did not want anything obnoxious on the dash, so these mid drivers served our needs for sound and utility.
Added two amplifiers – We needed two amplifiers to properly power this audio system, so we used the JL Audio VX800/8i to run the front 3-ways and the JL Audio HD750/1 to run the new subwoofer.
We wanted to ensure that we could push the Morel Elate speakers to their max potential, so we bridged a pair of channels for each 6.5” woofer, and then gave each 3.5” mid driver and tweeter their own channel. When tuning for an accurate image, it is very important that each speaker has its’ own channel on the DSP. We want to assign each individual speakers its’ own timing and EQ adjustments in order to achieve the best possible results.
If you clicked on the previous link, you already know the benefits of DSP. If not, here’s that link again!
Since we were using a JL Audio W6 for the subwoofer, we wanted to provide it plenty of clean power. The JL Audio HD series amplifiers deliver clean power, and their R.I.P.S. technology ensures that we get all of the advertised power. Essentially R.I.P.S. provides optimum power, at any impedance between 1.5 ohm and 4 ohm per channel, at any vehicle voltage between 11V and 14.5V.
Channel Layout
1 and 2 – Tweeters
3 and 4 – 3.5” Mid Drivers
5/6 and 7/8 – 6.5” Mid Woofers
Add a subwoofer in a custom fiberglass enclosure –
We were going for a refined sound on this audio build, so we used the JL Audio 10” W6 subwoofer because it has incredible range and control. This subwoofer can handle a lot of power, which translates to plenty of output, but more importantly this subwoofer is extremely dynamic and accurate. Impressively, this subwoofer also only needs .55 cubic feet of airspace.
The customer wanted good bass without sacrificing trunk space, so Aaron was able to build a custom fiberglass enclosure to occupy the driver-side cavity in the trunk. This box ended up looking factory and the customer loved it!
HOW?
Elevated Audio is known first and foremost for our customer’s overall experience from beginning to end. Winning the North American 2018-2019 Customer Choice Award in the 12-volt industry-validated our commitment to provide trusted interactions between our store in Denver and our customers.
We are using some great equipment in this install so it would be a shame to perform a bad install. Good thing we have a North American Top 12 Installer on our team!
Here’s how we performed the installation.
WIRING
We used AudioQuest Golden Gate interconnect cables to run signal from the Kenwood head unit to the JL Audio VX800/8i. We also used AudioQuest Golden Gate interconnects to run subwoofer signal between the JL Audio VX800/8i and HD750/1. The VXi amplifiers, with integrated DSP, have a pre-out so you can incorporate another channel on the DSP tune. In most cases this would be used to incorporate a stand-alone mono-amplifier.
Power is supplied to the amplifiers utilizing our four gauge pure copper wiring. Never use copper clad aluminum (CCA) if you want the best current flow!
MOUNTING AMPLIFIERS
There was not enough clearance to mount the amplifiers under the front seats, so we decided that the cleanest place to mount them was underneath the rear deck in the trunk. We try to avoid mounting amplifiers on the back of seats and subwoofer boxes, so this was the best option available on this build. The amps were completely out of the way, thus keeping all of the customer’s trunk space available.
That was the main theme for this build, get great sounding audio without taking up space anywhere.
All wiring is wrapped in Tesa tape for a factory look and feel. The wiring routes in factory channels throughout the vehicle and is not merely “tucked” under panels, which always find a way to wiggle out after a few months. It’s our goal to make it hard to differentiate factory wiring from aftermarket.
DSP TUNING
Since the 8 Channel is a DSP amplifier and allows us to modify the whole audio experience, we set a microphone in the vehicle to capture the pre-tuned sound. We use this data to offset any peaks and valleys in the acoustic response to meet a particular response curve that our ears love. This creates music that sounds like the artist intended it to sound.
Another powerful tool in the DSP is the ability to time the sound. We measure the distance from each speaker to determine the firing order of the speakers. This process allows them to all hit your ears at the same exact time.
This process, along with level matching, allows a stage and image to be created on top of your dash. This is just what we did in this Telluride. Now our customer can hear and imagine the artist and their band playing on top of his dash.
LEVEL CONTROLLER
The DRC-205 controller is flush-mounted for easy access and a factory-look. The lights on this knob represent which DSP tune is active and the light colors are programmable, which means the customer can choose their favorite color of illumination.
SPEAKERS
Speaker plates were manufactured to allow for proper clearance of speakers and to allow them to sit perfectly against the door panel. Fast Rings foam baffles (not pictured), create a seal against the door to ensure the midbass does not get trapped in the panel, causing unnecessary rattles and loss of clarity.
Speaker wiring is soldered directly to the Morel speaker terminals, eliminating any connectivity issues later.
The Morel Elate tweeters are also mounted in the factory locations with custom fabricated brackets.
SOUND DEADENING
While you’re performing any upgrade to your sound, it is crucial to slow down the transfer of energy throughout the door panel and to cut down the external road noise. At Elevated Audio, we use Sound Shield premium sound deadening to achieve both results.
THE RESULT!
This build was a lot of fun and the customer was a pleasure to work with. This was one of my favorite builds because it sounded incredible, but the A-pillars came out perfect as well and really made for a clean build with top-tier sound.
Overall, I would consider this build a great success. We were able to deliver the customer exactly the sound they were in search of, while delivering something truly unique and one-of-a-kind. This customer can drive away knowing that he is the ONLY Passat on the road with this exact setup.
Please contact us for your own Volkswagen system design consultation, because while this is an AMAZING setup, it may not be what you need. We tailor each build to our customer’s needs and expectations, so we must build something special just for you.
Best writeup I’ve seen in your industry. Very in-depth and informative. Thank you for the information! It was just what I was in search of. My wife and I will need to bring our VW’s down sometime.