stankoam

Just bought an '04 A6 2.7T S-Line. It's got the stock Symphony audio set up.

I'd like to make a few upgrades (nothing crazy). Can anyone tell me the number, size, watts, etc. of the speaker setup?

If I want to keep the factory head unit (don't want to mess up the clean look), will I need an amp to power upgraded speakers?

Assume I know nothing about car audio (which is close to true). Thanks! And yes I'm posting this on the Audio Forum also.

absolutcq20v

My driver's door woofer is shot, but I'm not paying 160 to get ONE speaker. You can deactivate the Bose on the Symphony, which may eliminate any complaints it may have...but I don't know enough to comment.

I installed a Navigation Plus...I wonder if it has the Bose feature...and if I can turn it on/off. Hmmm.

stankoam

This may seem stupid, but I don't know if it's got Bose or not. Would it say "Bose" on the head unit somewhere? It doesn't.

Assuming I don't have Bose, what's the best way to proceed? I can't believe there isn't a nice diagram somewhere with all the speakers mapped out, along with their sizes, watts, etc.

Maybe I'm just the only REALLY ignorant person out there about this stuff.

schnellmb

and bose as the head unit display comes on.

absolutcq20v

What schnell said. I know the door woofers are 6"...but that's about it, so I'mm ignorant too. :P

tommytm

I have some nice speakers I could use to upgrade, but I'll probably bypass the Bose sub and add my own for now.
I wish I had that hidden EQ!!

stankoam

It says Bose in neither place. Therefore...no Bose for me.

So I think I've got 6.5" component speakers in all four doors (separate tweeters by the door handles), but that's it. Does that sound right?

Are there speakers elsewhere in the car that I'm missing? Can't be, can there? None in the back deck or dash that I can see.

schnellmb

the basic system sounds better than Bose IMO.

I think it is at least 6 speaker.

Murph

Bose uses low impedence and cheaper transducers and EQ's them so upgrading a Bose system can be difficult as you need to work around the EQ. I would upgrade your system in 3 steps depending on your needs:

1. Better component speakers. This alone may do it for you. The door panels are easy to R & R.

2. Upgrade the amp. If you find you need more power or you notice that the bass lines are modulating the singers voice for example.

3. Subwoofer. I am not sure what the non-Bose uses but a good sub and amp make a difference. I am not advocating the thumping that your neighbor's kids have but rather a good sub provides nice smooth extension of the lower frequencies.

Good luck.

odoboyusa

I replaced the BOSE amp with a sony xplode XM604-EQX 60w x 4 channels and it is louder and clearer with the original bose speakers.
I have had it now for a few months and the speakers are holding up just fine.
The BOSE amp is easyly replaceable with any other 4 channel amp. It's all a matter of wiring it
I will still add a subwoofer, but that's just me...i like to keep the base on a subwoofer and set the crossover for the speakers in the car on a high pass filter. The door speakers can't really handle low frequencies without making everything in your door pockets rattle like a can. So, with a subwoofer and a different amp for the speakers in the doors, the audio system will sound 100 times better and no visible modifications will be made (except for the sub in the trunk...)
Just my 5 cents...