My 6 to 10 speaker upgrade

veryverydarkblue · Post by **veryverydarkblue** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:32 pm

Z4C_er wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:20 pm
veryverydarkblue wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:09 am Definitely some trade offs between the 2 options so not a clear cut win for the RCAs just yet. Even loosely draped (triple insulated) RCA cables around the outside of the car seemed quite susceptible to alternator whine in certain positions so I’ll A/B test in situ for the final solution.
I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but if you just remove the rear storage compartment you can run it up the centre of the car. Might solve your issues?

Down the centre will be my plan with the RCAs. As you mentioned previously there might be an opportunity to feed them some of the way with even less trim removal, which I'll certainly have a go at. My test was with RCAs literally draped over the bodywork of the car!

Z4C_er · Post by **Z4C_er** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:34 pm

veryverydarkblue wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:32 pm
Z4C_er wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:20 pm
veryverydarkblue wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:09 am Definitely some trade offs between the 2 options so not a clear cut win for the RCAs just yet. Even loosely draped (triple insulated) RCA cables around the outside of the car seemed quite susceptible to alternator whine in certain positions so I’ll A/B test in situ for the final solution.
I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but if you just remove the rear storage compartment you can run it up the centre of the car. Might solve your issues?
Down the centre will be my plan with the RCAs. As you mentioned previously there might be an opportunity to feed them some of the way with even less trim removal, which I'll certainly have a go at. My test was with RCAs literally draped over the bodywork of the car!

mark_101 · Post by **mark_101** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:19 am

I put my car back on the road this month to enjoy some of the spring sunshine and remembered that I never got around to posting an update on where I got to with my Z4's audio. In short, it sounds fantastic!!

The final kit list was:
- Focal 165AS3 speakers in the front with some brilliant custom mounts made by Z4C_er, and new heavy duty speaker cables through the door grommet and crossovers under the front seats.
- High level speaker wire extension to the crossovers (for easy switch back if I decide to remove the amp) and then RCA cable through to the boot. (I was planning to modify the head unit as veryverydarkblue did, but in the end there was so little noise that I left it alone)
- Reckhorn D165 twin subs mounted into the original cavities behind the seats. I purchased some second hand original baffles and metal mounting plate (which I modified to fit the Reckhorns). I then added new speaker grilles and some fixings to use the original mountings.
- JL Audio class D amplifier mounted in the boot by the battery box with the cabling all run using the original cable channels on the right hand side. I took the switched live by soldering into the aerial feed on the passenger side rear wing.
-Bluetooth streaming via a Bluemusic adapter mounted at the head unit end in place of the CD changer.

Highly, highly recommended! Do it and you'll not be disappointed!

veryverydarkblue · Post by **veryverydarkblue** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:55 am

mark_101 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:19 am I put my car back on the road this month to enjoy some of the spring sunshine and remembered that I never got around to posting an update on where I got to with my Z4's audio. In short, it sounds fantastic!!

The final kit list was:
- Focal 165AS3 speakers in the front with some brilliant custom mounts made by Z4C_er, and new heavy duty speaker cables through the door grommet and crossovers under the front seats.
- High level speaker wire extension to the crossovers (for easy switch back if I decide to remove the amp) and then RCA cable through to the boot. (I was planning to modify the head unit as veryverydarkblue did, but in the end there was so little noise that I left it alone)
- Reckhorn D165 twin subs mounted into the original cavities behind the seats. I purchased some second hand original baffles and metal mounting plate (which I modified to fit the Reckhorns). I then added new speaker grilles and some fixings to use the original mountings.
- JL Audio class D amplifier mounted in the boot by the battery box with the cabling all run using the original cable channels on the right hand side. I took the switched live by soldering into the aerial feed on the passenger side rear wing.
-Bluetooth streaming via a Bluemusic adapter mounted at the head unit end in place of the CD changer.

Highly, highly recommended! Do it and you'll not be disappointed!

Glad to here it worked out for you Mark. Great summary and fully agree with your conclusions! I sometimes go for a drive now with the primary intention just to enjoy some music cranked up to a level that would be anti-social at home. Trundling along in slow traffic with the roof up is now a joy rather than a chore; blasting out some guilty pleasures on a sunny day on an epic road is what I live for!

Reamesy · Post by **Reamesy** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:59 am

Spriteracer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 3:22 pm Christian Wittich.

do you have a link to this module as I have the original and would like to remove the parrot as I hate seeing the controls for it?

BobbyBoucher · Post by **BobbyBoucher** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:59 am

Great write up there buddy.
Did you say the bluetooth adapter goes directly in the back of the business cd? Is that the same for all of the head units ?

mark_101 · Post by **mark_101** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:54 pm

Glad to here it worked out for you Mark. Great summary and fully agree with your conclusions! I sometimes go for a drive now with the primary intention just to enjoy some music cranked up to a level that would be anti-social at home. Trundling along in slow traffic with the roof up is now a joy rather than a chore; blasting out some guilty pleasures on a sunny day on an epic road is what I live for!

Exactly my thoughts - stuck in traffic, smiles... open road, smiles.

(And in my workshop taking it apart, smiles!)

mark_101 · Post by **mark_101** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:57 pm

BobbyBoucher wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:59 am Great write up there buddy.
Did you say the bluetooth adapter goes directly in the back of the business cd? Is that the same for all of the head units ?

Yep, that's the one. There are two options - one that goes into the multi changer cable in the boot, which has the advantage of being a two second install, or another that goes into the back of the head unit. The head unit one has the disadvantage of needing to remove the air vent to get at the stereo - this is actually very easy the second and third time you do it, but the first time will have you reaching for the swear box. I went for the head unit option since I planned to remove the multi changer and use the extra storage space. Good luck!

OJ343 · Post by **OJ343** » Thu Dec 16, 2021 7:39 pm

Hi guys, I'm looking into getting the Focal speaker set up which requires the 6.5" adapter plates, does anyone know if Z4C_er is still about? I can see he hasn't been online since April this year. Thanks!

veryverydarkblue · Post by **veryverydarkblue** » Thu Dec 16, 2021 7:46 pm

OJ343 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 7:39 pm Hi guys, I'm looking into getting the Focal speaker set up which requires the 6.5" adapter plates, does anyone know if Z4C_er is still about? I can see he hasn't been online since April this year. Thanks!

That’s not a good sign, but pop him a DM and see if he wants some beer money. The adaptors he made for me were for the 4” mids.

OJ343 · Post by **OJ343** » Thu Dec 16, 2021 7:58 pm

veryverydarkblue wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 7:46 pm That’s not a good sign, but pop him a DM and see if he wants some beer money. The adaptors he made for me were for the 4” mids.

Oh I see they're for the 4" mids, thanks for the heads up. I've fired him a PM, lets see what happens!

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