Superb SE-L Retrofit Subwoofer

[chrisoverson]

Hi Chaps

 

Loving the Superb, but finding the bass a bit lacking in my non-canton SE-L, even compared with my previous Seat Toledo.  

 

Is there a way to retrofit a sub/amp to the boot without messing with the wiring too much?   Don't want anything powerful at all, just want to actually hear/feel the low frequencies a bit.

 

I know on some cars you can pick up the high input to the speakers and pass it straight to an amp, is there a sensible way to do this?   I'm fairly technical and have fitted new speakers and amps to cars in the past, but worried about damaging my expensive new shiny.

 

Thanks guys!

[chrisoverson]

Nobody?   Thought someone might be interested in this one :P

 

 

[roo]

Of course it can be done. As you say the problem is where do you tap it all off.

I think most superb owners that like music would have specced the canton upgrade. 

I would guess the best place to get a speaker feed would be either by one of the doors or from behind the control unit in the glove box. The power feed would just be a switchable live from the fuse panel.

[chrisoverson]

12 hours ago, roo said:

Of course it can be done. As you say the problem is where do you tap it all off.

I think most superb owners that like music would have specced the canton upgrade. 

I would guess the best place to get a speaker feed would be either by one of the doors or from behind the control unit in the glove box. The power feed would just be a switchable live from the fuse panel.

 

Thanks roo, I might have to look into that.   I'll admit I was slightly tempted, but didn't want to fork out £600 extra for a car I may only keep for 3 years on PCP, I'm not THAT into music.   Plus I thought the standard speakers would probably be okay.  I think the highs and the mids are, but the lows are lacking is all.

 

I suppose a totally non invasive way is to use an external music source (e.g. phone) and split the output and have that feeding the amp and the car at the same time... hmm

 

 

[JackySi]

I was talking to a mechanic at dealer ship today and they told me these new cars like Superbs are built the way there is no actual "radio" inside head unit. At least not amplifier and stuff like that. I can't say for sure where and how u can do these things, but I was just replacing my Media screen (it was scratched) and its very very thin (like a tablet) so I don't think amplifier is in there. What I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't be trying to retrofit woofer inside a 2017 - 2018 car. They're built the way U can't just add stuff like that. It may mess up electronics (my friend was stupid and added 1000w sub, after a week his electronics locked up in middle of driving because of too much energy draw from Alternator and Battery - he crashed ofc, luckily he was alive). I have Canton and I'm not sorry for a cent I paid for it. Its also very "compact" you don't even know its there (amp is under driver seat, woofer inside "left trunk storage" and rest is inside doors/dash board. Basically space wise its really cool.

Just my five cents  your choice what u want to do. I am not saying any thing for sure, just expressing my opinion and what I've heard. Could be invalid data!

Edited 16 October, 2017 by JackySi

[JR RS]

thats right - infotainment systems in cars these days r not ur old school standard headunit + speakers.

 

the components in the mk3 consists of:-

- a seperate screen

- a seperate "headunit" in the glovebox

- speakers

- an amplifier (if specced with Canton)

- a subwoofer (if specced with Canton)

- "intimate" integration with the other car electronics

 

the speakers (incl.the sub, if fitted) is then "tuned" to the car's interior layout and materials for optimum sound acoustics.

every component (speaker, sub, amp) is built to fit cleverly in and around the car.

 

to achieve the same with aftermarket components, and marry it up seamless and peacefully, will be complex and challenging.

then again, i'm no expert. 

 

but i know wat "a hassle" and "a pain in the a55" is, so..........

[JackySi]

4 hours ago, JR RS said:

thats right - infotainment systems in cars these days r not ur old school standard headunit + speakers.

 

the components in the mk3 consists of:-

- a seperate screen

- a seperate "headunit" in the glovebox

- speakers

- an amplifier (if specced with Canton)

- a subwoofer (if specced with Canton)

- "intimate" integration with the other car electronics

 

the speakers (incl.the sub, if fitted) is then "tuned" to the car's interior layout and materials for optimum sound acoustics.

every component (speaker, sub, amp) is built to fit cleverly in and around the car.

 

to achieve the same with aftermarket components, and marry it up seamless and peacefully, will be complex and challenging.

then again, i'm no expert. 

 

but i know wat "a hassle" and "a pain in the a55" is, so..........

Indeed, I also forgot to mention that my car has because of canton 140A Alternator and better Battery (I compared with other Style editions without extras I have and they have 100A Alternator and smaller battery).
But agreed to above, something like that was explained to me as well. Nothing is impossible of course  but it probably costs more than 500-600€ extra which is paid for Canton at the purchase

[IJWS15]

I'd have a look around the car to see if the wiring is already there.

 

Once fitted a rear wipe to a Sierra (long time ago) using the Ford kit and all the connectors were already there, just had to run the loom and the water tube, fit the units and the tank and plug it in.  Took a morning including drilling the hole in the boot lid.

 

If it wasn't an option on the original car then the connections won't be there.

[chrisoverson]

Thanks guys for your input :).

 

I doubt that there'll be any connections there ready for a sub/amp, as the canton seems like a large system upgrade.   If I did manage to fit something, I'd be very careful not to draw power from the main system.   On my last car I had a second battery fitted in the boot using a split charger with a controller to regulate the current usage, I'd probably do something similar and use this to power the amp.

 

Main thing I need to figure is getting an audio signal to feed the amp with

[icedchicken]

On 19/10/2017 at 14:09, chrisoverson said:

Thanks guys for your input :).

 

I doubt that there'll be any connections there ready for a sub/amp, as the canton seems like a large system upgrade.   If I did manage to fit something, I'd be very careful not to draw power from the main system.   On my last car I had a second battery fitted in the boot using a split charger with a controller to regulate the current usage, I'd probably do something similar and use this to power the amp.

 

Main thing I need to figure is getting an audio signal to feed the amp with

Hey Chris, digging up this thread from years ago - did you ever figure out where to get the audio signal from? I'm kinda in the same place now, not really sure where I should be getting an input for the subwoofer amp from. I'm thinking of using an AudioControl LC2i  or LC7i (so I can upgrade the other speakers later) but not sure where the input for the subwoofer would come from for non-canton models. Any chance you'd know?

[brettikivi]

I used the fronts from directly behind the glove box. Be aware the numbering of the connectors doesn't make sense (doesn't go FR+ FR- FL+FL-, it's weird). Check the electrical diagrams (available from ErWin) for the colours you need.

Going to have to do this again in a few weeks, so... and that car has Canton. But I've heard it and I'm not impressed, and I have the gear, so...