Well, seeing as this forum is turning into an ICE forum... :p

Just finished fitting some rear speakers into my Octavia - opted

for just improving the standard 13cm ones.

This was brought about through trying the rear tweeter trick

as described in the FAQ - rather than disconnecting the rear

tweeter by prising off the grille and unplugging it, I went into

the boot and unclipped the two innermost plugs on the

underside of the rear speaker. This silenced both tweeters,

and also unfortunately the rear right speaker

So with reference to the FAQ, I'd say it's the plugs on the

driver's side of each speaker that need unplugging, rather than

the innermost ones.

Silencing the tweeters proved very good for using increased

volumes - the really do distort a lot! However, I could hardly

hear the rear speakers - like driving a car with only front

speakers. Tried messing with the balance and that, but they

just distort at moderate volumes. Also, I didn't want to

leave my rear passengers without any treble.

So, a quick stop into Halford's to pick up some 2-way 13cm

speakers - the Infinty 552i's would've been good, the only

problem being they cost as much as the 652i's! So I opted

for the Pioneer TS-G1316's, as they're a shallow design and

also half the price of the Infinity's. The cones are also water-

resistant, so when the water from the tailgate runs onto them

it shouldn't do any damage...

Also in the box are two cables with spade connectors at one end,

saving the expense of having to get these. And the hassle of

crimping.

Only two tricky bits of the installation:

1. The screws nearest the side of the car and the back of the

rear seats are real pains to get in and out, really needs a

short screwdriver.

2. Those damn VAG plugs! Trimmed and stripped-back the

cables that came with the speakers, then scratched my

head for a while wondering how to connect the bare speakers

to the plug. In the end, got a pointy screw and used it to push

the wires into the plug - was fairly secure, but wrapped it with

a bit of masking tape just to be sure...

Sounds great now! :speaker:

Rob.

ive now fitted infinitys in the front. and now i plan to fit 6953i in the back which involves cutting parcel shelf, so will get someome to do that for me. But you have done sounds good option for price and not having to use a saw. hmmmm

jon :rainbowaf

I don't know if this helps but when I made enquiries about upgrading the ICE in my standard RS I was told to leave the head unit in, change the large front speakers and remove the protective carpet stuff round the rear speakers. As 90% of the time you drive around on your own, or with just a passenger, this made sense. The carpet stuff protects the speakers but restricts the sound. Apparently.

Jon - yeah, I was tempted by a parcel shelf install like that, but

decided that price and reversibility were the most important

factors I'm pleased with the results - the rear speakers

now produce a nice controlled rumble of bass, while the Inifinty's

in the front deliver nice crisp mids and trebles.

Rich - this might be a difference between the RS and non-RS,

but the only carpet I've got in my boot goes up the sides, ie.

I can see the bottom of the speakers without having to move

it. Is this the same as the RS?

Rob.

I've gone for Infinities all round. The front units were easy enough but I got Halfords to install 6953is in the the rear parcel shelf as I didn't have sufficient faith in my skill with a jigsaw. They did a decent job and cabled them so that the shelf is still easily removable when necessary.

Having changed the speakers, I think the overall sound quality is pretty good and can't see there's a need to change the head unit

Stuart

Just been and checked in case I dreamt it.:confused: I have a 'pudding bowl' shaped piece of carpet attached to the underside of each rear speaker. The chap I spoke to reckoned that this would restrict the sound.

Yeah i have the same bit of carpet under my rear speakers , would this need removed to fit components in the rear speaker position?

Hi All,

the standard HU with upgraded speakers (particularly at the front) will sound good as Rob can testify.

I'm no audiophile but a (very) general rule I use is that if you change to a good HU and have crap speakers, the system will still sound crap. It is also worth mentioing that if you get very good speakers and retain the standard HU, it will give improved output but not to the potential of the speakers.

So I'm changing my HU to one which has the features I require not because the standard HU doesn't produce a good sound. The new HU will also then drive the new, upgraded, front speakers nearer to their potential sound quality.

For those who have pre-face lift models (before 2001 I think) I would suggest a HU and speaker upgrade. My 2000 (W reg) TDI SLX was the top of the range model (back then) and the original single Grundig unit was poor IMHO. Changing the HU made an improvement but then high-lighted the limited ability of the standard front speakers. So they were changed.

I haven't mentioned anything about rear speakers as I've done so in another previous thread and it can get very "messy" when talking abuot things like "staging", of which I don't really know anyting about.

I would say though that just replacing the standard rear speakers is probably good enough for the majority of people and then just tweeking the front/rear bias.

Keep all your experiences coming as it's all been really good stuff.

Cheers.

Adrian.

That carpet pudding bowl will really kill the sound, as it will

reduce the amount of bass you can build up in the boot

cavity!

I'd imagine it would also need removing when you changed

speakers as the screws are under the shelf that holds the

unit in place. If you wanted to put it back then you'd have to

make sure the replacement units would fit in the bowl also!

Another thing I was thinking about...when you buy hi-fi you're

suppose to allow 10% of the budget for interconnects and

speaker cables. Anyone know how easy it is to replace all

the speaker cables in an Octavia? :eek:

Rob.