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2018 golf R - upgrading "Premium" fender audio system


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***UPDATES, PHOTOS AND CHANGE OF SCOPE STARTING ON PAGE 3!***

 

Hello everyone,

Been a little while since I posted!

Had a pretty decent sound system in my 2011 Subaru STI - I had put a Pioneer touch screen, some JBL C508GTI components in the front running off of a Pioneer GM-D8604 4-channel amp (great amp), some JBL power series speakers in the rear doors as "fillers", and also a Clarion DPX11551 running a JBL 10-inch GTI-series sub (pretty monstrous!) definitely blew the stock Subaru sound system out of the water!

I swapped cars a few years back and moved to a 2018 golf R (absolutely LOVE it!) I was quite impressed with the factory "premium Fender" system, specifically for a stock system, but of course the 6.5-inch excuse for a sub in small plastic bucket in the trunk was not sufficient. Many golf R owners have done a cheap and easy upgrade of replacing the small 6.5-inch sub with a Rockford-Fosgate low profile R2SD2-12 subwoofer in a low profile box, to fit under the trunk floor, running off stock amplifier. I went this route and it worked great, and have been happy with it for a few years.

Now, I am looking for a new project since I decided I will keep the car a few more years, besides performance upgrades (going stage 2 in fall/winter) I would like to get back into the car audio game. I was hoping to re-use some of the stuff from previous builds. Here is the equipment I still have (not installed);

- JBL C508GTI 5.25-inch component speakers (125W RMS each!) - one set.
- Pioneer GM-D8605 4-channel digital amp, can also run sub.
- Clarion DPX 11551 amplifier (monstrous!).

Currently installed in the car:
-all factory system with exception of
- Rockford-Fosgate R2SD2-12 low profile sub, in a 0.95 cu.ft box.

Purchased recently for my "upgrade":
- Audiocontrol LC2i
- Knukonceptz 4-gauge amp wiring kit

Goals for this build is for it to be a compact system, good sound quality but can get reasonably loud and balanced but not SPL, keep the trunk space (so if I re-build a box it would be in-floor) and keep the OEM head unit/radio since everything is integrated into it and it is a nice 10-inch touchscreen. The OEM head unit has no pre-amp out, hence the Audiocontrol LC2i.

My first instinct is to begin by adding the Audiocontrol LC2I (fed from OEM amp sub outputs) and the Pioneer amp to power the current Rockford R2SD2-12 sub I have installed - it will probably play harder and cleaner vs being powered by OEM amp outputs.

Then I got to thinking, how would the JBL C508GTI perform in the fronts versus stock speakers? I could easily use the audiocontrol to tap into the OEM speaker outputs at the head unit, separate to two amps (sub amp and 4-channel amp), and run the JBL C508GTI in front, and use OEM speakers in the rear (all powered from new amp) - I would also make use of the OEM wiring to the doors for ease of install. I would add sufficient sound deadening in the doors while I have them open to help as well.

But would 5.25-inch front components give enough midbass? I know they'll get decently loud and clear, but then I would probably need to also upgrade my subwoofer to something that is still compact but that can handle more power and give more thump to match - I am not opposed to using my clarion amp to power the sub, but it is a decently large amp, and pretty overkill from what I am hoping to achieve (it is capable of around 1550W RMS at 2ohms, 850W RMS at 4ohms) - I am not opposed to changing the amp for a smaller, more compact amp, but don't want to put a ton of money into the build (+- $500 CAD max would be ideal)

Another question, given the magnitude of my build (small, compact, SQ with decent volume capabilities) would the 4-gauge power wire from battery be sufficient, or should I bite the bullet and order a 0-gauge amp wire kit (more difficult install for sure but I have done it before)?

Really appreciate any input, opinions, guidance, personal experiences - THANKS!!!

 

2018 Golf R - Stealth SQ system build - C508GTI front (active), 2x Pioneer Z10LS4, Zapco DSPZ8, Clarion DPX11551 (Mono amp), Pioneer GM-D8604 (front stage amp), Pioneer GM-A3702 (rear fill amp)

SOLD! 2011 Subaru STI - 'modest' passive sq system - JBL p660c component (front) JBL P662 (rear) JBL W10GTI (sealed enclosure) 4ch JBL GO1004 (150RMSx4), Clarion DPX11551 mono amp (+-1200RMS@3ohms)

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I have no actual experience with any of that equipment, but I looked them up. That pioneer amp is pretty beast! Lol. 

Anyway, those JBL components have a good, wide frequency range, and the FS is pretty low as well. The midbass from those might not "wow" you, but I'm confident (especially if you're going to sound deaden the doors) that it will be present. I think they'll sound pretty damn good! 

As far as running the stock rear speakers on that pioneer, they'll pop real quick. I know you don't want to spend too much money, but even just a decent set of coaxils back there would be a ton better than those stock speakers, and be able to handle that amp as well. 

As far as the sub, how much mounting depth do you have and air space do you think you have to play with? I'm thinking of you could fit a decent 8" sub down there, or maybe even 2 6.5's (I know, 6.5's right? They've come a long way though) running off that clarion amp (tuned back a little) would sound pretty damn good! 

That's just my 2 cents anyway

2011 Chevy Silverado under construction

My build log here. Check it out! 

 

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12 hours ago, Dafaseles said:

I have no actual experience with any of that equipment, but I looked them up. That pioneer amp is pretty beast! Lol. 

Anyway, those JBL components have a good, wide frequency range, and the FS is pretty low as well. The midbass from those might not "wow" you, but I'm confident (especially if you're going to sound deaden the doors) that it will be present. I think they'll sound pretty damn good! 

As far as running the stock rear speakers on that pioneer, they'll pop real quick. I know you don't want to spend too much money, but even just a decent set of coaxils back there would be a ton better than those stock speakers, and be able to handle that amp as well. 

As far as the sub, how much mounting depth do you have and air space do you think you have to play with? I'm thinking of you could fit a decent 8" sub down there, or maybe even 2 6.5's (I know, 6.5's right? They've come a long way though) running off that clarion amp (tuned back a little) would sound pretty damn good! 

That's just my 2 cents anyway

hey thanks for the response! You make some valid points and I appreciate your insight.

 

I think I will take the plunge with the front speakers - I think I remember those JBL sounding pretty badass - plus I have them sitting here so why not!

 

For the rear speakers, it makes sense to me that I would swap them out for something with a little more power handling even if they are only filler speakers. Not like it would take me a ton more time either.  Since it has been a while since I have been in the design game, anything in particular I should be looking for in terms of rear "Filler' speakers? 

 

For the sub, the only issue is the space underneath the floor - it's only about 4-inches of clearance. The box I built takes up a good portion of the space underneath the floor, the size is 32 inches wide by 24 inches deep, by 4 inches tall - this gives me about 1 cubic foot of airspace, sealed. See photos attached of what I have now. 

 

I am definitely open to making another box so long as it leaves me my trunk space (so an in-floor box, I could also make the box the actual floor and put grilles on the subs to make the box slightly taller, removing the OEM floor cover) 

 

Curious if one powerful 12-inch low-profile sub (maybe 400-ish WRMS) would do better than two 8-inch subs with around 200-250wRMS each? I have only had 10-inch and 12-inch subs in my vehicles, and so less experience there!  

IMG_20180417_1936034.jpg

IMG_20180417_2126512.jpg

 

2018 Golf R - Stealth SQ system build - C508GTI front (active), 2x Pioneer Z10LS4, Zapco DSPZ8, Clarion DPX11551 (Mono amp), Pioneer GM-D8604 (front stage amp), Pioneer GM-A3702 (rear fill amp)

SOLD! 2011 Subaru STI - 'modest' passive sq system - JBL p660c component (front) JBL P662 (rear) JBL W10GTI (sealed enclosure) 4ch JBL GO1004 (150RMSx4), Clarion DPX11551 mono amp (+-1200RMS@3ohms)

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7 hours ago, BboyTaktix said:

hey thanks for the response! You make some valid points and I appreciate your insight.

 

I think I will take the plunge with the front speakers - I think I remember those JBL sounding pretty badass - plus I have them sitting here so why not!

 

For the rear speakers, it makes sense to me that I would swap them out for something with a little more power handling even if they are only filler speakers. Not like it would take me a ton more time either.  Since it has been a while since I have been in the design game, anything in particular I should be looking for in terms of rear "Filler' speakers? 

 

For the sub, the only issue is the space underneath the floor - it's only about 4-inches of clearance. The box I built takes up a good portion of the space underneath the floor, the size is 32 inches wide by 24 inches deep, by 4 inches tall - this gives me about 1 cubic foot of airspace, sealed. See photos attached of what I have now. 

 

I am definitely open to making another box so long as it leaves me my trunk space (so an in-floor box, I could also make the box the actual floor and put grilles on the subs to make the box slightly taller, removing the OEM floor cover) 

 

Curious if one powerful 12-inch low-profile sub (maybe 400-ish WRMS) would do better than two 8-inch subs with around 200-250wRMS each? I have only had 10-inch and 12-inch subs in my vehicles, and so less experience there!  

IMG_20180417_1936034.jpg

IMG_20180417_2126512.jpg

Man, with only 4" mounting depth, I think thin subs are your only option. Even the 8's I looked at need at least 6".

JL's TW5 12" only needs a little less than 4", but I know you don't want to spend a whole bunch on the build, and that's an expensive sub. 

2011 Chevy Silverado under construction

My build log here. Check it out! 

 

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funny because I just looked at that JL TW5 12" like half an hour ago lol. price here is $1000 though - OUCH!

 

Would you know of any other decent shallow mount subs that would fit the 350-400wRMS criteria? my other option is go with two shallow mount 10'' and give them each 0.50 sq.ft of sealed box volume, I could probably swing that...

 

currently looking at options for rear door that won't break the bank - seems like rear door speakers are components as well, the mids are 5.5-inch so might do 5-1/4 inch set of components, preferably under $120 CAD since they will mostly be fillers. 

 

2018 Golf R - Stealth SQ system build - C508GTI front (active), 2x Pioneer Z10LS4, Zapco DSPZ8, Clarion DPX11551 (Mono amp), Pioneer GM-D8604 (front stage amp), Pioneer GM-A3702 (rear fill amp)

SOLD! 2011 Subaru STI - 'modest' passive sq system - JBL p660c component (front) JBL P662 (rear) JBL W10GTI (sealed enclosure) 4ch JBL GO1004 (150RMSx4), Clarion DPX11551 mono amp (+-1200RMS@3ohms)

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1 minute ago, BboyTaktix said:

funny because I just looked at that JL TW5 12" like half an hour ago lol. price here is $1000 though - OUCH!

 

Would you know of any other decent shallow mount subs that would fit the 350-400wRMS criteria? my other option is go with two shallow mount 10'' and give them each 0.50 sq.ft of sealed box volume, I could probably swing that...

 

currently looking at options for rear door that won't break the bank - seems like rear door speakers are components as well, the mids are 5.5-inch so might do 5-1/4 inch set of components, preferably under $120 CAD since they will mostly be fillers. 

I've been looking. The fosgate slim sub P3S needs about 5" mounting depth (it says 3.65", but with the vent on the back of the motor, you need to add another inch to that). But it is half the price of the Tw5. 400 ways RMS as well. 

I'll keep looking around. See what I can find. What brands are available to you? Might be able to narrow the search down a bit

2011 Chevy Silverado under construction

My build log here. Check it out! 

 

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3 hours ago, Dafaseles said:

You ever thought about 2 or 3 of these? 

 

https://skyhighcaraudio.com/dc-audio-m3-6-5-subwoofer/

 

I don't know if you can get DC where you are. They only need .3 cubic feet ported, 300 rms

Hey thanks a ton for your help on this! I’ve wanted a DC audio sub for like ten years lol unfortunately I don’t really have access to them here in Canada.

 

i did find some alternatives however, I heard a lot about sundown audio as wel as Skar audio in the past. Here are the models I could get:


Sundown Audio SA series 6.5” V1 - $149CAD each (I would buy two)

 

SKAR audio EVL-65 6.5 inch sub - $109 CAD each


the upside to going with these is they require very little sealed enclosure size. 

Still not convinced that going that route would be better than going with one higher powered slim sub such as the Rockford P3S  (I have no experience with smaller subs) - as for the mounting, I could easily get 5 inches inside the box for venting, since the center of my trunk has a bit of a dip where the spare tire would go (car doesn’t even come with spare tire) so I would make a hole in the bottom of box and glue a 3/4inch outside of the box to recoup the thickness of the wall at least underneath the sub - if you get what I mean! 
 

one other question - I am thinking my knukonceptz CCA 4gauge kit will not be sufficient for this build - I was debating ordering either the knukonceptz OFC 4-gauge kit (good for 120A) or the knukonceptz bassic 0-gauge kit (good for 200A and I’ve used it in previous builds) - I would go with an OFC 0-gauge kit but it’s crazy expensive here (like $200) and way overkill. The clarion amp calls for 200A fuse external (it isn’t fused) but since we won’t be using all the power from it, maybe 4-gauge OFC would be sufficient? Opinions? 

 

2018 Golf R - Stealth SQ system build - C508GTI front (active), 2x Pioneer Z10LS4, Zapco DSPZ8, Clarion DPX11551 (Mono amp), Pioneer GM-D8604 (front stage amp), Pioneer GM-A3702 (rear fill amp)

SOLD! 2011 Subaru STI - 'modest' passive sq system - JBL p660c component (front) JBL P662 (rear) JBL W10GTI (sealed enclosure) 4ch JBL GO1004 (150RMSx4), Clarion DPX11551 mono amp (+-1200RMS@3ohms)

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Have you checked these out? 

 

https://caraudiobargain.com/sundown-audio-sd-4-12-neo-600-watt-sd-series-d2/

 

600 watt RMS (but we all know if it's Sundown, it can handle more). 5" mounting depth. The venting is actually on the side of the motor, so you don't have to have a big space behind the sub so it can vent the heat. And it's a little cheaper than the fosgate. I think that sub would be pretty good! 

Me personally, I'd go with the 1/0 OFC kit. Just because you would know for sure you'd have plenty, and, if you decide for whatever reason to use all of the clarion in the future, you don't have to spend more money on an upgrade. So knows, you might decide later screw it, I want 2 of those Sundown subs. Then you could use all of that clarion. 

What I would do is, whatever sub you decide to go with, is go with a dual 2 ohm, or single 4 ohm sub. Let's just use that Sundown for an example. That sub is 600 RMS. If you run it at 4 ohm, that clarion does 850 watts at 4 ohm. You run that Sundown at 4 ohm, you could still use all of that clarion amp. Then, if you for some reason decide to buy another one, that's 1200 watts RMS at 2 ohm, you could still use all that amp. Just a little planning for the future, just incase so you don't end up spending more money you didn't have to spend. 

That's what I'd do anyway. 

2011 Chevy Silverado under construction

My build log here. Check it out! 

 

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Cool - thanks again for the help.

 

thet sub looks like a pretty solid choice - mounting depth could work, plenty of power (probably more than I need) and comes to about $415 tax and shipping included. Sealed enclosure size is also right there at 0.8-1.0cu.ft - I would make a new box that is a bit longer on the sides, to leave some room to mount the amps above the box but under the floor still (right behind where the back seats are) for a 100% stealth build. I’ll probably wait a few weeks though since our wedding reception is coming up (finally after all this COVID mess) and, well, that ain’t cheap even with only around 40ppl on the list LoL 

 

 

one other question - still looking into cost effective rear replacements but found some options at the 50-75wRMs range. What I am wondering is if I could tap into the OEM wire harness from the stock amp (which will be removed) that goes to the door speakers, as opposed to passing new wire through to front and rear door speakers? At what point do the OEM speaker wires become too small? With the stock fender system, it was putting out a “claimed” 480watts (probably not RMs) but wires are sized decently - enough for up to 80-100w rms in the front JBL components though? It would save me a ton of time and make it much easier to go back to stock. 

 

2018 Golf R - Stealth SQ system build - C508GTI front (active), 2x Pioneer Z10LS4, Zapco DSPZ8, Clarion DPX11551 (Mono amp), Pioneer GM-D8604 (front stage amp), Pioneer GM-A3702 (rear fill amp)

SOLD! 2011 Subaru STI - 'modest' passive sq system - JBL p660c component (front) JBL P662 (rear) JBL W10GTI (sealed enclosure) 4ch JBL GO1004 (150RMSx4), Clarion DPX11551 mono amp (+-1200RMS@3ohms)

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