Fixing What Audi Got Wrong: An E-Tron GT Audio Overhaul
Branded, But Is It Really an Upgrade?
This car had the Audi specified B&O audio upgrade. I want to be clear about this, the quality of this system was, in my opinion, awful!
The speakers were the same poor quality ASK units that come with the standard system. The dreadful amplifier only powered the bass and mid speakers along with the boot mounted sub. It also controlled the 3D sound but this feature is hopeless and should be turned off.
The rest of the speakers are still powered from the low power head unit mounted in the centre console.
However, there is a place you can spend time just sitting, often for long periods, your car.
Your car can be your space, alone or with others, here is a place and opportunity to really listen the way you want to listen. Epic pieces, pop favourites, guilty pleasures, all can be played the way you want to hear them.
I have often thought it odd that people will spend a small fortune on home hi-fi equipment that rarely gets used but baulk at paying a fraction of that on car audio when they spend much more time driving. A few might argue that in-car sound cannot be great, but I know that is not true.
‘B&O’ speakers! Really?
I think this system ‘upgrade’ is a new low for auto manufacturers. There are no dynamics, the general tone is muddy and unfocused and adjusting the EQ on the head set just makes it worse.
Because Audi in their wisdom have networked the audio system, the factory amp has to remain in circuit. If only they had stayed with the MOST 150 fibre like the Porsche Taycan the upgrade would have been much more straightforward. I needed a full range signal for the new Audison Forza amplifier so that meant pulling signal from the head unit and the original amplifier.
By combining these I could generate a front stage, full range signal which I could feed to the rear where the Forza amp would be situated. Fortunately, I was going to install a multi function controller for sub level and this could also be used to adjust the level of the rear speakers.
Speakers
Audi have chosen a ridiculous speaker array for this car but I was going to use a similar setup to the Porsche Taycan. I would install a three way front stage with co-axials in the rear doors and a replacement sub in the existing boot mounted enclosure. I use this array a lot and it always sounds superb.
I often use Hertz Legend front speakers but budget was tight on this one so we settled for Hetz Mille Pro front and rear. These are still great speakers and a massive improvement over the standard units of course. I installed a great deal of sound deadening to the doors and fitted speaker drip guards and baffles to maximise speaker performance. I used the Audison APS 8R sub to replace the factory unit. This is my solution for the Taycan and works very well. As I was going to be introducing a lot more energy to the sound, I thoroughly sound deadened the boot area.
Subwoofer
New front speakers
New rear speakers
My first choice of amplifier is the magnificent Audison Forza M12.14bit but to keep in budget I used the Forza C8.14bit. This is still a superb amplifier with plenty of power and the same powerful DSP as all the range. I mounted this amp in one of the boot recesses making it accessible but hidden.
Tuning
The biggest headache was matching the disparate signals from the amplifier and head unit. The amp was delivering a decent level but the head unit much less so. However, after much fine tuning, I had a signal I was happy with. The next step was to carefully tune each speaker and then combine the pairs to deliver a forward, driver focused image. Finally, the sub was introduced and tuned to blend seamlessly with the front stage.
PROBLEMS
Once I have tuned the sound to my satisfaction, I then play a lot of different music types to make sure it is going to perform across the board. It soon became very evident that there was a huge problem in the front doors of this car.
When playing bass heavy tracks there was a serious resonance despite my application of sound deadening to the door skins.
I quickly identified the culprit as the door card itself. On closer inspection it resolved as the panel fixings. Instead of using the tried and trusted method of plastic push pins or loop and hook like the Porsche, Audi use a metal pin on the door which mates with a plastic fixing in the card, a bit like a press stud. The plastic fitting has to float to a certain extend so is not fully secured in the card.
Now that there was much more power in the speaker system, these fixings would resonate within the plastic retainer. The solution was to individually wrap these fixings in sound deadening and loom tape for a much more solid connection.
Another issue was the large plastic access panel inside the door. These behave like a drum when there is more power for the speakers but I am used to this and always damp these with Skinz sound deadening when I find them.
All in all, I am not impressed with the build design of the door card but there is nothing that can’t be resolved.
The conclusion is…
It took a lot of effort but the final result was an excellent sound stage with a lot more power, detail and clarity than the awful factory system.
If you would like to know more about how I can improve your car audio experience, please give me a call on 01625 432707 or drop me a line at sales@carhomestereo.co.uk. Better still, call into my shop for a chat, we are on Sunderland Street in Macclesfield.
