7
Upgraded Sound System
- Thread starter Pogger56
- Start date
Snoogal
New member
- Location
- North West UK
Hi there - yup, I have one fitted and have had the car for a week now. Have been doing a fair bit of listening to MP3 music on SD card and IPOD.
To my ears, it's very good - nicely balanced for general rock music, orchestral and speech, with good clear separation of the bass, midrange and treble (I can pick out words and instruments in the music that were lost on my old setup).
It is possible to crank the bass way up without distortion (not my own taste though - I do have the ears of a geriatric!). Treble is clear but not harsh even when set high.
That's comparing with the standard SE spec audio system in my old MK5 SE spec Golf (a standard 6 or 8 speaker setup that I always thought good) - but I can't compare with Dynaudio systems, which I don't have personal experience of.
With the SE spec Discover Media head unit, you do still only get the 3 band "equaliser" adjustments of treble, mid-range and bass though - so if you wanted more to tweak, you would be disappointed.
The niggle for me is the complete loss of the spare tyre well to the bass amplifier unit. So I'm currently shopping for a couple of cans of Tyreweld to avoid having half the luggage space used up by a spare tyre - and I may investigate using self sealing tyres or run-flats...
To my ears, it's very good - nicely balanced for general rock music, orchestral and speech, with good clear separation of the bass, midrange and treble (I can pick out words and instruments in the music that were lost on my old setup).
It is possible to crank the bass way up without distortion (not my own taste though - I do have the ears of a geriatric!). Treble is clear but not harsh even when set high.
That's comparing with the standard SE spec audio system in my old MK5 SE spec Golf (a standard 6 or 8 speaker setup that I always thought good) - but I can't compare with Dynaudio systems, which I don't have personal experience of.
With the SE spec Discover Media head unit, you do still only get the 3 band "equaliser" adjustments of treble, mid-range and bass though - so if you wanted more to tweak, you would be disappointed.
The niggle for me is the complete loss of the spare tyre well to the bass amplifier unit. So I'm currently shopping for a couple of cans of Tyreweld to avoid having half the luggage space used up by a spare tyre - and I may investigate using self sealing tyres or run-flats...
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Snoogal
New member
- Location
- North West UK
Do you have any ide of how much of the interior they had to take out to put the cables from the front to back?
Not sure - I'd asked the dealer to install the Plug and Play sound upgrade before their initial delivery to me, so didn't see what it involved. The amp unit is firmly bolted into the spare tyre well, and all the cables to it are completely hidden, and there's no evidence of any panels being moved or out of place afterwards.
I think it was a few hours work though - they had scheduled in a day's delay on delivering the car to me to do the fitting. First one the dealer had installed, and I got the impression that it was a larger job than they expected - maybe 2-3 hours.
The total price for supplying the unit AND doing all the fitting work was included in the standard £500 inc. VAT figure of course.
Incidentally, I did ask for a discount (I'd got one on the car itself and the factory fitted options) - but couldn't get one on this particular option as a dealer fit.
Sound System
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like I'll be getting what I ws looking for.. Pity the dealers don't have a demo rig which would be easy to set up.. My dealer didn't know anything about the unit, I had to tell him about it.. They won't sell many that way...
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like I'll be getting what I ws looking for.. Pity the dealers don't have a demo rig which would be easy to set up.. My dealer didn't know anything about the unit, I had to tell him about it.. They won't sell many that way...
Snoogal
New member
- Location
- North West UK
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like I'll be getting what I ws looking for.. Pity the dealers don't have a demo rig which would be easy to set up.. My dealer didn't know anything about the unit, I had to tell him about it.. They won't sell many that way...
I suspect you'll be happy - it sounds more impressive to me the more I listen.
It was a bit of a punt (£500 worth) when I ordered it too - but it was pretty clear that the standard Mk7 installation wasn't that great sound-wise, and I couldn't have lived with it. I've had a few passengers now remark how good the upgraded setup sounds though (and without prompting from me!).
Completely agree that they could demo/sell it better.
Good luck!
ColinStone
Ready to race!
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Car(s)
- MKVII 2016 Match BM
Just wondering if you got the dongle with your system?
What's the dongle?
ColinStone
Ready to race!
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Car(s)
- MKVII 2016 Match BM
Avanti - it is a small box and ethernet cable to load the sound profile for each car type into the DSP unit. G7 has different profiles for the 3 and 5 door hatchback.
Why it isn't done by laptop, I don't know.
Why it isn't done by laptop, I don't know.
Its basically a Fischer Audio Match PP system that VW sell as an official accessory. I guess with their package they supply one of the DSP amplifiers (I expect they fit it under the front passenger seat) and the powered spare wheel sub.
Good bit is that I believe all the wiring isnolug and play (a harness that taps into the ISO connectors to take 4 x line level inputs for the amp and a 12v feed, also wiring from the DSP to the sub which I believe carries both the signal and 12v power feed)....so essentially you couls pull the system out and return the car to absolute stock if you so desired.
Still requires a fair bit of trim removal to get it all in though, not a big deal though if you know what you are doing.
I believe this "Dongle" is a VW specific thing.....when the dealer does the install they'll upload a DSP file depending on whether its a 3 or 5 door....expect Fischer have worked with VW to make this as automated and foolproof as possible.
If you buy a system off the shelf I think you get software with it and can download a DSP file for the car (as its made for lots of different vehicles) and upload via USB from a PC.
Id wager the amplification will be better and no doubt the amp will defeat the speaker protection thats built into the standard headunit by some margin if not entirely.
The sub will add considerable depth to the system....actually I expect with just a sub alone it makes quite some difference to the stock system.
I actually dont think the stock sounds are that bad....certainly better than the Octavia Mk3 I ran previously........can sound a bit wooden on occasions but its normally more down to poor audio source than the system sounding "bad". As much as id have liked Dynaudio, now I have the car I dont think id order it now.
Good bit is that I believe all the wiring isnolug and play (a harness that taps into the ISO connectors to take 4 x line level inputs for the amp and a 12v feed, also wiring from the DSP to the sub which I believe carries both the signal and 12v power feed)....so essentially you couls pull the system out and return the car to absolute stock if you so desired.
Still requires a fair bit of trim removal to get it all in though, not a big deal though if you know what you are doing.
I believe this "Dongle" is a VW specific thing.....when the dealer does the install they'll upload a DSP file depending on whether its a 3 or 5 door....expect Fischer have worked with VW to make this as automated and foolproof as possible.
If you buy a system off the shelf I think you get software with it and can download a DSP file for the car (as its made for lots of different vehicles) and upload via USB from a PC.
Id wager the amplification will be better and no doubt the amp will defeat the speaker protection thats built into the standard headunit by some margin if not entirely.
The sub will add considerable depth to the system....actually I expect with just a sub alone it makes quite some difference to the stock system.
I actually dont think the stock sounds are that bad....certainly better than the Octavia Mk3 I ran previously........can sound a bit wooden on occasions but its normally more down to poor audio source than the system sounding "bad". As much as id have liked Dynaudio, now I have the car I dont think id order it now.
golfdave
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Scotland (U.K.)
- Car(s)
- Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Hi
The niggle for me is the complete loss of the spare tyre well to the bass amplifier unit. So I'm currently shopping for a couple of cans of Tyreweld to avoid having half the luggage space used up by a spare tyre - and I may investigate using self sealing tyres or run-flats...
It shouldn't be! I have the Dynaudio setup from the factory & I have the variable height boot floor & the skinny spare wheel & the big sub which fits inside the spare wheel with the spare wheel face down in the well.
All factory fit on my estate & should be the same on the hatch as the well is the same (except R)
As for is it worth it? Yep saves having to rip apart the interior to fit new speakers, amps & wiring! Also the sound is very good, just with the normal Discovery it cannot accept FLAC files! Which is very annoying as my music collection is on FLAC so I have to convert to MP3 (320), but it still sounds way better way the standard setup!.
You also get a amp under the front passenger seat (you still get the storage drawer)
I haven't noticed an amp under the seats. Although I know there is an amp somewhere in the car.
golfdave
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Scotland (U.K.)
- Car(s)
- Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Slide the front passenger seat all the way back & under the black plastic cover on the floor is the amp!.
Gonna check now
ETA
Just checked it is near the front of the seat under a plastic cover.
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HELIX AMP & SuB will be bigger in diameter than the Dynaudio one that goes on top of the spare tire therefore you will need to remove the spare in order to fit the HELIX sub but i guess that you could secure it on top of it and cover it with the false floor/shelf