Well, what just started as a quick speaker upgrade has turned into a full blown SQ install that is ruining me financially

Just a quick run down on the project I have on the boil at the moment to get the Octavia sounding as good as an Audi with a B&O system, or a noncey Naim system in a Bentley.

(in bold = purchased/already fitted)

Head unit: Volkswagen RNS-510 "Columbus" with 80GB HDD, full european mapping, DVD player and iPod functionality, with an iPhone 4 connected with spotify premium

Line Output Converter (purchasing late november) This will allow me to take a signal from the OEM head unit (which will be switched into external signal mode) to give me high quality, high voltage pre-outs to feed the two amplifiers. It'll also afford me some fine grain control over frequencies and gain to give me the ultimate SQ (sound quality) experience. This is going to live in the glovebox.

Amplifier 1

An SQL four-channel amplifier producing 4 x 140W RMS (360w peak) driving the four component speakers.

Amplifier 2

An SQL Class-D digital monoblock amplifier. These amps have one job, and one channel. That job is crisp, precise quality bass and to drive a sub woofer.

Component Speakers

Helix Blue.

50wrms/320w peak.

These speakers are made by a German company called Helix. They're not a bright orange colour, they don't have any lights to flash with the music. They are purely for unsurpassed sound quality and performance. Restrained design and the highest end components available for under 300 quid. What you don't get is silly patterns and gimmicks. Just pure quality and engineering. I've ordered two sets, front and rear for a great 8.1 surround experience for when I'm watching movies on the Columbus.

Subwoofer.

Having had many subwoofers in the past of varying sizes, from a custom 8" ported enclosure to a free air 15" one. I have decided I want a ten inch cone as it'll be a good balance between constant bass handling and quick response punch. This will be installed in free air, and inverted on my boot floor (i'm having a custom boot build - photoshop to come)

I have settled for a Hertz 10" HX250. At 220 quid it's phenomanol value for money and will look really great in the boot with some nice white LED lighting. It handles around 450 Watts Continuous and is absolutely huge. And weighs 13kg!

installation and soundproofing

My Octavia has a variable boot floor which gives you a large compartment under a sturdy MDF 2 fold lid. I am going to mount the sub in the middle of this, and have it resonating into free air. I am also going to cut a releif into the box, and put a tray under it, for the amplifiers to live in, covered in perspex with a 'Skoda' logo laser etched into it. This will be complemented by white LEDs, and several hidden computer case fans to keep those puppies cold when they're working hard.

I am buying a bulk pack of Dynamat Xtreme and I'm addressing the Octavia's biggest weakness. Road noise.

The areas I'll be soundproofing are;

All door skins

Roof skin

under the rear seats

behind the dashboard

boot floor/spare wheel well

boot cubby holes

tailgate lid skin

and I'll also be spraying some Damplifier Second Skin in areas it's not practical to coat in roll soundproofing.

The sound proofing alone will add around 40-50kgs to the weight of the car but it's damn quick as it is, and for the sound quality I'll get from this project, it'll be a very small price to pay. All in this project should see me the bad side of a grand but I keep my cars for a long while, so sod it!

I know this has gone on a bit but it's really exciting for me to have another project that I can do now i'm better!

I haven't listed stuff like cabling, and fused distrubution blocks, but they'll be installed first!

Thanks for reading and I'll be glad to give you a demo if you want! (oh, and if you meet my girlfriend at a meet, it was bought for me by my parents and brother )

Nik

WOW

Thats going to be some install

Looking forward to seeing this

Thanks mate. I'm really excited about this project! My dad's a hobbyist carpenter and general craft legend so he'll be helping me do the boot install, he's been looking online for some inspiration! It's gonna look very very special and a real 'wow' when the boot's open!

Sounds good!

Are you registered with talk-audio.co.uk? Good place for info

A couple to research and consider...

Some say that running high level (speaker wire) signal to the boot and a very short RCA cable between the line converter and amp helps reduce interference (whine) often present with such converters.

Dynamat and other such products dampen vibrations. Therefore best applied to prevent resonance caused by the speakers themselves. For your setup, the door skins (inner and outer) and boot floor & 3/4 panels are prime targets.

To minimise road noise, products that block these frequencies work more effectively. Mass loaded vinyl with some closed cell foam to 'decouple' it from the panel is a favourite. Prime locations are floor pan, wheel arches and bulkhead.

If you haven't already, have a GOOD trawl and read through TA, as well as any links in their stickied threads on the subject. Be good to hear how you get on with the line converter (and which one you're using) as I'm looking to install my wee 8" sub in the Fabia

Matt

Sounds like a good plan, the "if you see my girlfriend" bit made me laugh too .