Stock Audi Sound System setup

Hi guys,

New here, really don't know much about car audio.. I have a rather dumb question I guess, my 2015 Audi S3 has the factory 10 speakers setup (9VD Audi Sound System) I wanted to add the factory B&O upgrade's tweeter and mid to my existing system but not sure if the built in amp could handle it. There's a shop who claimed to have done many setup like this but I'm just not sure so wanted to get some advise before I blown any amp or speaker...

The is the current standard Audi Sound System setup


This is the intended add on in red. The standard 8 ohms 10W tweeter will be replaced by the 4 ohms 20W. And the mid will tap into the tweeter/bass at 4 ohms 20W in parallel. Would the 180W built in amp be able to handle this or am I pretty much looking for trouble?


If this is indeed a very stupid idea, would JUST replacing the 8 ohms 10W front tweeter with 4 ohms 20W works? Thanks and sorry about the stupid questions...

Stock is 1.6 ohms for the front, if you hook up the way you have shown you will be a 1 ohms, and if you replace the mid you will be a 2 ohms. The safer bet is to replace the mid. The output will be a little lower, but you don't risk going below what the amp can handle. If the amp is 1 ohm stable then yes you can add the mid and replace the tweeter. IF not then replacing the mid will be the safer way to go.

lurch228 wrote:

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Stock is 1.6 ohms for the front, if you hook up the way you have shown you will be a 1 ohms, and if you replace the mid you will be a 2 ohms. The safer bet is to replace the mid. The output will be a little lower, but you don't risk going below what the amp can handle. If the amp is 1 ohm stable then yes you can add the mid and replace the tweeter. IF not then replacing the mid will be the safer way to go.

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Thanks for the reply!! But let me just make sure, you meant that ADDING the mid to the existing tweeter/bass in parallel is actually safer than replacing the tweeters? And I should only add the mids and replace the tweeters only if I'm sure the amp is 1 ohm stable? Thanks again!

If you replace tweeter and add the mid in parallel like you second diagram, that would be a 1 ohm load per front channel.

Otherwise replacing both (the tweeter and bass with the mid) would be a 2 ohm load per front channel.

The only way to match the original impedance exactly with 3 speakers(tweeter,mid, and bass) would be by having one 8 ohm, and two 4 ohm speakers all in parallel.

larbel wrote:

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Thanks for the reply!! But let me just make sure, you meant that ADDING the mid to the existing tweeter/bass in parallel is actually safer than replacing the tweeters?

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THIS WOULD BE A 1.143 ohm load.

larbel wrote:

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And I should only add the mids and replace the tweeters only if I'm sure the amp is 1 ohm stable?

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Correct

Thanks for the detail explanation 😬 I could keep the 8 ohms tweeter, add the 4 ohms mid, and get a 4 ohms bass to keep it at 1.6 ohms, but do you think 4 ohms mid and bass would be better than a 2 ohms bass alone?

Depends on what your sound output goals are?
Are you looking for better sound quality, or more volume and at what frequency?
Are you going to cross off the mid both and high and low, if you add it to the current mix?

Well, I'm mostly happy with the current system except for wanting a little bit more mid up front. Right now, there trebles are located inside the A pillar, and a center dash mid, then the front door only has a bass inside so the clarity although isn't bad, it's a little bit more "forward" then I would like. Adding the mid to the front door would be the best solution but I'd have to give up some bass and not really sure how much tradeoff there would be.. Is there such a thing as a little small size power amp for application like this running only a pair of speaker?

The only other option that I can see working is too series the new 4 ohm tweeter and 4 ohm mid then you would maintain the same resistance as the original 8 ohm tweeter.

Connect POS from original tweeter to POS of Mid then NEG from mid to POS of new tweeter and NEG of new tweeter back to original tweeter NEG.

This should work as long as there is no crossover in the works. IE the tweeter is using a inline Capicator for cross off.

Thanks again!!! I just found out the stock B&O upgrade front bass is 8 ohms! So if I fit the B&O tweeter/mid/bass it would make it 1.6 ohms as well! But in your opinion, since my amp is only 180W, and given the B&O are SLIGHTLY better quality, do you think it would yield better sound? Which of the below would you think is better?

Standard setup


B&O Tweeter/mid/bass setup

The more speakers reproducing the full sound spectrum will have better sound clarity as you are narrowing the width of sound that any given speaker is trying to output.

Hi Lurch, if the stock front channel going by the speakers' max watt, it's 50W max channel with the tweeter getting 10W max and the bass getting 40W max correct?

So if I replace the tweeter and add the mid and run them in series and the bass in parallel, I will have 5W max tweeter and mid, and the same 40W bass from that channel.

Let's say the new tweeter is slightly more sensitive and better quality, which in your opinion will be better? Will this be a decent upgrade or very minimal at best? Thanks again!

It would actually depend on if your going to cross off the mid or try to run it full range. And the sensitivity per watt of the speakers.
Narrowing the frequency each speaker is going to reproduce will get better clarity overall. That's where a 3-way passive crossover comes into play. The wiring diagram shows the front bass is running full range and the tweeter is crossed off using a inline axial Cap.