Basic Audio Upgrade Help

[19birel]

Hello All,

I have a 2021 GTI SE (base sound system, but with the nicer headunit) and am looking for a modest audio upgrade. My other car, a 2013 Audi A4, has a Bang & Olufsen system (with Infinity front door speakers) and it kicks the crap out of the VW's setup in terms of depth and clarity. I know in the world of car audio, the A4's setup is nothing to write home about, but I'd like to get the VW on par with it as I've second guessed grabbing the keys based on how much I wanted to really listen to music haha

I've seen that Focal offers a plug & play option, though at $700 it's a little pricey. I'm willing to pay up if the sound quality is worthwhile since it prevents me from having to solder new connectors to the car etc. , but would hate to spend the money for it to fall short of expectation. Has anyone done this upgrade or found a budget alternative?

I was looking around for wiring adapters and I can only find ones for cars up to 2019, can anyone confirm that the connector didn't change for 2019+ Mk7.5s? As an alternative I was thinking of getting a set of Infinity speakers, mounting adapters, and wiring adapters and tossing them in as that would be more cost effective, but would hate to buy everything to find the wiring adapters don't work...

Thanks for any and all insight!

 

[miikez.]

A lot of people (myself included) just add the Helix sub and call it a day. It's a direct plug and play sub that also has an amp included. The sub removes the lows out of the main speakers, giving them a better "quality" sound. Here's more info.

My MK7 gti se had Fender audio so you may be able to swap those over along with the Fender sub, but not sure on that one.

 

[19birel]

A lot of people (myself included) just add the Helix sub and call it a day. It's a direct plug and play sub that also has an amp included. The sub removes the lows out of the main speakers, giving them a better "quality" sound. Here's more info.

My MK7 gti se had Fender audio so you may be able to swap those over along with the Fender sub, but not sure on that one.

I'll definitely look into that, my coworker had the Helix sub in his '17 GTI Sport now I wishing I had gotten the chance to hear the system before he traded the car in haha. What your saying makes sense though, I could see that adding clarity by removing the lows from the main speakers.

My only hesitation would be losing my spare tyre to acomodate the sub

 

[miikez.]

Here's some more info about the clarity. You can also keep your spare without issue. Totally worth it imo and not too expensive. Install is pretty easy and only took about 30-40 minutes.

What should I expect from the Helix Soundbox Upgrade?

Overall you should expect improved clarity, increased bass output, and a better soundstage. This is accomplished by the Helix DSP (Digital Signal Processor) adjusting frequencies and timing based on the vehicles speakers, interior space, etc. Additionally, the Helix has its own built-in amplifier. Though no specs are listed in the Helix documentation, based on similar non-VW Helix DSP units it is likely ~40 watts x 4 for the door speakers, and 160 watts x 1 channel for the subwoofers.

That said, the DSP receives its signal from a speaker level input, which is then converted to a very low voltage “low level” input to be amplified a second time. This creates a more limited dynamic range and users have experienced distortion at higher volumes (>50%). To reduce the systems tendency to distort, it is best to use high quality audio files (high bit rate MP3, FLAC, WAV, or physical CDs).

Depending on your tastes, you might want to adjust the EQ on the head unit though the adjustments made by the DSP are much more “flat” than the factory radio.

There is a gain adjustment on the side of the Helix unit for subwoofer level. It’s not quite a full turn from left to right, but this can adjust the subwoofer output ONLY. This does not change the speaker output.

Can I upgrade Speakers/Subwoofers/Amplifers using the Helix DSP?

Within some of the threads linked here there are discussions about improving on the Helix setup, which is designed to be a plug and play upgrade. Many things are possible, but in general if you are wanting to replace all of the factory speakers, use separate amplifiers and a larger subwoofer, you would be better off with a more robust starting point. At some point the DSP’s programming won’t be accurate as it’s designed for all factory components and the Helix subwoofer, and re-amping an already amplified speaker level output will likely increase distortion.

Upgrading your factory speakers to aftermarket units with improved drivers will change the sound, and your overall results may vary by brand. The factory drivers (tweeters and mid-range drivers) are marked “4 ohm” which as a pair would result in a 2 ohm setup. Aftermarket speakers or separates are generally a 2 ohm or 4 ohm. This rating will affect the output of the speakers (2 ohm being a higher load will have a higher output, 4 ohm will have less output). Using 4ohm speakers would in theory allow for more volume level on the head unit to be used before distortion is heard, but would not eliminate the distortion caused by the DSP/Amp at certain output levels. This would also change the balance between the speakers and sub, so the subwoofer level may need to be adjusted.

This is a very “Your Mileage May Vary” section, as what sounds good will change person to person.

 

[19birel]

Here's some more info about the clarity. You can also keep your spare without issue. Totally worth it imo and not too expensive. Install is pretty easy and only took about 30-40 minutes.

Oh sick! This will likely be my next move then!