HiFi 3
The goal of this build was pretty straight forward. We wanted the ride to be quiet while adding an upgraded audio system that still respects the OEM design.
First, we wanted to strip the entire interior, including the headliner and fully sound treat all of the exposed metal and behind interior panels. We used a combination of Hushmat followed by SoundShield Acoustic Foam treatment.
For the front midbass, Illusion Carbon c6 woofers were used in the OE location. We wanted to use a 3 way for the front, so we had to get creative in order to keep a clean look in place. We chose Illusion Carbon C3CX which is a point source midrange and tweeter. We fabricated the pillars to flow over the OEM tweeter location. We were able to use the depth and put the speakers on axis to the center of the vehicle. The pillars were finished off in matching Alcantara suede. A press fit trim and grill finished off the look of the pillar to make it appear OEM.
The factory subwoofer was removed and a JL Audio xd600/1 was installed in this area. This allowed us to place the amp in a location that was hidden but also easily accessible by removing the subwoofer grille. This amplifier powered a single JL Audio 13TW5 subwoofer. This subwoofer was hidden in a downfiring enclosure that sat on the rear cargo area. It trimmed into the immediate panels in the trunk for a seamless and integrated look. We sourced matching carpet, alcantara suede and used brushed aluminum inserts to follow the OEM design.
A JL Audio VX800/8i DSP amplifier was used to power our front 3 way active along with our rear speakers. This DSP Amp also has an EQ output to a set of preamp outputs which went to our XD600/1 subwoofer amplifier. A Alpine Halo radio was used to modernize the signal source and allow for Apple carplay and Android Auto. The Halo 9 is a good choice for most European cars considering its sleek and modular design. The OEM rear view camera was retrofitted with a new Alpine backup camera to retain the OEM look.
