Helix Soundbox Upgrade Information Post!

[Cuzoe]

Great description, I'm no longer using my Helix (I'm fairly certain I damaged it) but you put into words what I heard but could not describe.

Regarding the distortion, some folks here listen to things very loud. I might just be old, never even had it at 50% . I'm now running an AudioControl DSP but for what it's worth the signal out of the stock unit does not clip even at max volume.

I have no doubt stock radio and of course the Helix are capable of overdriving the stock speakers. But I think it's entirely possible the distortion some people hear is in their source. And the Helix is just bringing it out.

 

[slow83gti]

Does anybody have the extra pigtail that is in unneeded lying around? I bought mine second hand and don’t have the male part of the harness for the power supply.

 

[helushune]

Installed my Helix about a year ago and finally got around to programming it - bought a dongle on ebay because I could not get one from any dealership barring some sort of...."favor"...probably. Anyway, programmed to 57. I should probably preface this with stating that almost all of my music files come from hi-res 24/96+ FLAC or DSD and I convert them down to the maximum quality the car will play. I do have some 16/44 FLAC files and a few 320 Kbps MP3s in there as well. Sound quality does very much depend on the source file and more importantly the mastering of that song. I do consider myself an audiophile, just not so much for car audio any longer. All of my listening is inside where I have spent way, way too much money on headphones, DACs, amps, tubes, etc... lol

I agree with the source makes a big difference. For me, there is a noticeable difference between mp3/flac files on a sd card compared to playing files off plexamp with android auto; the sd card just sounds better.

Are you converting from 24/96 and 16/44 FLAC? My head unit has no problem playing those off a sd card.

 

[snobrdrdan]

Has it been discontinued?

https://www.suburbanautoparts.com/o...re-tire-mount-sub-woofer-sound-box-000051419b

 

[Cuzoe]

Just search 000051419B and pick the cheapest place. Your link is for 000-051-419-B... note the "-"s, the part number with the dashes has been discontinued.

https://parts.vwofmurrieta.com/p/vo...-Subwoofer--Soundbox/70346182/000051419B.html

 

[GTIfan99]

Just search 000051419B and pick the cheapest place. Your link is for 000-051-419-B... note the "-"s, the part number with the dashes has been discontinued.

https://parts.vwofmurrieta.com/p/vo...-Subwoofer--Soundbox/70346182/000051419B.html

That's a good price. It's saying programmed for Golf, so why does everyone reprogram with the dingle?

And will this work with the base system in mk7.5?

 

[Cuzoe]

That's a good price. It's saying programmed for Golf, so why does everyone reprogram with the dingle?

And will this work with the base system in mk7.5?

They have always, allegedly, been programmed for a Golf. Way back in this thread that was debunked.

If you install a fresh one, listen to music, then program it for a Golf. You too will know that it wasn't programmed for a Golf before .

It should work with any car that has a quad lock. Is the base 7.5 system the one with the all-in-one unit in the center of the dash? I understand that still has the quad lock, and the Helix harness is certainly long enough to reach, but I would still defer to someone who is done it on a base 7.5 before suggesting you spend the money.

 

[slow83gti]

They have always, allegedly, been programmed for a Golf. Way back in this thread that was debunked.

If you install a fresh one, listen to music, then program it for a Golf. You too will know that it wasn't programmed for a Golf before .

It should work with any car that has a quad lock. Is the base 7.5 system the one with the all-in-one unit in the center of the dash? I understand that still has the quad lock, and the Helix harness is certainly long enough to reach, but I would still defer to someone who is done it on a base 7.5 before suggesting you spend the money.

I installed it on my Rabbit edition that had to remove the touch screen. Installs as it should, but a bit more difficult with the head unit having to come out.

 

[sirnerdington]

They have always, allegedly, been programmed for a Golf. Way back in this thread that was debunked.

If you install a fresh one, listen to music, then program it for a Golf. You too will know that it wasn't programmed for a Golf before .

It should work with any car that has a quad lock. Is the base 7.5 system the one with the all-in-one unit in the center of the dash? I understand that still has the quad lock, and the Helix harness is certainly long enough to reach, but I would still defer to someone who is done it on a base 7.5 before suggesting you spend the money.

That's a good price. It's saying programmed for Golf, so why does everyone reprogram with the dingle?

And will this work with the base system in mk7.5?

Base system has center dash AIO, yes. Quad lock, yes. Helix length, you'll have plenty to spare at the end of the install. Difficult part is sending the harness connectors through behind the dash from the glovebox. That was a pain. Otherwise works fantastically, 100% worth it for what I paid (somewhere in the low 300's on a big sale from VW Murietta a year ago). If you reconnect the battery before plugging in the dash emergency flasher/passenger airbag light, you'll have a warning light in your dash that you'll need to reset with an obdeleven or other such tool.

 

[snobrdrdan]

Just search 000051419B and pick the cheapest place. Your link is for 000-051-419-B... note the "-"s, the part number with the dashes has been discontinued.

https://parts.vwofmurrieta.com/p/vo...-Subwoofer--Soundbox/70346182/000051419B.html

(I don't need it btw...I was just asking)

It's not the dashes though. If I put 000051419b in the search...it pulls up the 000-051-419-B part number by itself (it adds the dashes) and it says discontinued & that's my local dealer group.

Here's another site I order from frequently too, for another example:
https://www.bamwholesaleparts.com/o...re-tire-mount-sub-woofer-sound-box-000051419b

 

[Cuzoe]

(I don't need it btw...I was just asking)

It's not the dashes though. If I put 000051419b in the search...it pulls up the 000-051-419-B part number by itself (it adds the dashes) and it says discontinued & that's my local dealer group.

Here's another site I order from frequently too, for another example:
https://www.bamwholesaleparts.com/o...re-tire-mount-sub-woofer-sound-box-000051419b

It is the dashes. Both of the places you linked are using the part number (with dashes) that has been superseded. That part number has been discontinued. Those sites, not being part of the parts.vw.com "system," are probably doing a simple inquiry to parts.vw.com which is correctly kicking back the part number with dashes as discontinued. Those sites need to update their listings.

That doesn't guarantee that the part number without dashes is available at a given moment, but the part number without dashes is the current part number. The part number with dashes will always show as discontinued because it has been replaced with a part number that does not include dashes.

Note screen cap from my link, part number without dashes has a price, and it lists the old part numbers that were replaced, which includes the discontinued one with the dashes...


Better yet, screenshot from parts.vw.com, with no dealer selected, which is why it shows MSRP of $600. But again, part number with the dashes his listed as an old part number, discontinued...

 

[StealthGTI]

I don't think I've shared this, but I put my Helix subwoofer in the car for the first time since testing it in January 2017...

I decided to remove my trusty 10-inch addition to make room for additional communications equipment. The photo above shows a temporary placement of RF coaxial cables that I had run through the new electronics panel.

I have to say that I like the sound! Sure, it doesn't hit has low as my 10-incher, but it's filling-in some tones that I had forgotten were there. In light of this, I think adding my 10-inch sub to the full Helix setup could sound pretty darn good! But an honest assessment of my listening habits shows that Helix is a great fit for 95% of my listening desires.

And NO, there's not a spare tire under there. I still need the space for the new electronics layout, which still hides under the factory floor:

 

[HOONIGAN43]

Hey guyz, can u help me, i have few questions. I install helix, and i want to change front speakers. What kind of specs i need to know to buy new speaker for make it little louder? Stock speackers are suck after install helix system, near 50% of volume mid and low sound not good. And changing volume after 50% does nothing (make no louder).

And another question is. What to do this screw in amp?

 

[GTIfan99]

Hey guyz, can u help me, i have few questions. I install helix, and i want to change front speakers. What kind of specs i need to know to buy new speaker for make it little louder? Stock speackers are suck after install helix system, near 50% of volume mid and low sound not good. And changing volume after 50% does nothing (make no louder).

And another question is. What to do this screw in amp?

View attachment 269196

JL C1 or C2.

Crutchfield says they don't fit, but they do. You need a 1/2 adapter.

 

[HOONIGAN43]

JL C1 or C2.

Crutchfield says they don't fit, but they do. You need a 1/2 adapter.

Have some little cheaper? And I haven't this brand in my country (