ICE Upgrade For My VW Jetta


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Hello everyone, i am planing of upgrading my car's ICE. I am planning to upgrade speakers and add sub, Kepping my stock HU. my budget is around 1.3 lakhs max.since I don't follow ICE these days am pretty clueless. I listen to all types of music, so kindly suggest me the best components,amps woofer, etc which will be under my budget.

Car : VW Jetta highline 2014

Budget : 1.3 max including installation, damping etc

Preferred brands: Rockford Fosgate Or any other brands which can be accommodated in my budget and availability

Current setup : stock HU (RCD 510), stock component speakers front and rear,
Right know things I have in my mind
Sub: Rockford fosgate P2D4-12
Comp: RF P165-SE for both front and rear
Amplifier: remote subwoofer controller is a must since I am using stock HU.

And I listen to all kinds of music don't have any specific genre .
All ICE guru's and enthusiasts out there kindly help me out and thanks in advance.
 
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Your car must be in warranty right? Do you really want to risk it? VW makes note of aftermarket upgrades in our files, as i observed from my vento.

I saw an OEM audio accessory on VW website that includes a sub and an amp in a removable box. Enquire about that before thinking of any upgrades.
 
Thread Starter #3
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Your car must be in warranty right? Do you really want to risk it? VW makes note of aftermarket upgrades in our files, as i observed from my vento.

I saw an OEM audio accessory on VW website that includes a sub and an amp in a removable box. Enquire about that before thinking of any upgrades.

I have couple of months left in my warranty period haven't opted for extended warranty. But ICE bug has bit me hard after listening to one my friend's system.All i could find was a replacement HU like caska,Blaupkunt,dynavin etc.
 
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Hi.

Jetta's ICE from the factory is really poor for the price. If you plan to keep it for 3+ years, consider those options first which will keep your warranty intact (enquire from VW dealer) and opt for extended warranty as VWs are pretty expensive in spare parts pricing and Jetta is itself a complicated car. Since you have the money, going for a lesser powerful setup will be better if it keeps your warranty intact.

Any way, set aside 20k from the 1.3 Lac for damping, water guard spacers, labour, couplers, MDF boards, connectors and other small bits and pieces. You need front 6.5" components (2 way) and 6.5" rear fills, a 4 channel amplifier and a subwoofer (12") with a mono amplifier for it. For rear fills, you can opt for components at the rear if you are looking for more clarity as coaxials at the back would give a muddy sound with overpowering bass at the rear seat. Since you have the budget, go for components (6.5") at the rear also.

You can divide the budget (1 Lac net after setting aside 10k for wiring) as follows :

6.5" Components (2) - 30 to 35k
Subwoofer - 13 to 17k
Mono Amplifier - 15 to 20k
4 Channel Amplifier - 15 to 20k
LOC - 6 to 8k

Total comes at around Rs. 1 Lac. Now read below for the options -

LOC : If you are looking at a basic setup, a converter (active/passive) from a good brand like Scosche, JBL or Audison would do.

Wiring : Scosche RCAs are good, but since you have the budget, you can opt for a complete kit from Focal, Scosche, Ground Zero or Kicker. Ensure that they are original.

Subwoofer : If you are looking for a total SQ subwoofer, then Hertz and Rockford Fosgate are good but won't be much powerful as they sound sweet (RF) and a bit muffled (Hertz). You can go for Infinity 120.9w if you want slightly louder SQL type sound, obviously provided that you use a ported box. For a sealed use, Infinity 120.9w is pretty much SQ oriented and blends well with sedans also. Polk Audio has a good punch if you are looking for hard hitting bass in large sealed enclosures. I am having MM series DVC (1240DVC) from Polk which sounds perfect in a sealed box. P2D4 from RF is also good but it lacked a more agressive output. You have many options like Focal, Ground Zero, Infinity, Image Dynamics, Hertz, Kicker, Morel and RF.

Amplifier Mono : You can have a powerful Pioneer amplifier with 800w RMS at 2 Ohm (stable upto 1 Ohm) in the budget. There is a lesser powerful (500w RMS) from Pioneer for 14k, if your subwoofer doesn't demand much. Focal Solid 1 is a good option (with bass control knob) and gives out 470w RMS IIRC and will cost around 15k. Gladen RC series is also good and would cost around 15k for 560w RMS amplifier.

Speakers : This you will have to hear and decide as you are spending the big bucks. Hertz Energy series, Polk, RF Punch and Morel, Infinity, Rainbow and Flux audio are also good. A good ICE shop will let you audition these brands and then let you decide.

Amplifier 4 Channel : You can decide on Polk 660.4 (slightly more expensive) or Focal Solid 4 or Gladen RC series or even the powerful yet cheap GTO1004 from JBL. Options are endless and you have to decide which brand you prefer and compare the specs with the competitors. Do match the RMS ratings of your amplifier and speakers, so that speakers are able to perform at their best.

Damping : You can go for Noisekill, Dampmat or Dynamat Extreme. Dynamat Lite series aren't effective and Dampmat is a better choice in this case. A bulk pack of 9 sheets, 36 sq. ft., will cost you under 18k (Dynamat Extreme, dampmat and others are cheaper by 4-6k) and will be enough for doors plus boot. Avoid Stinger and other low quality brands like X Scorpion.

My advice would be to opt for a DSP or an Equaliser to tune your music requirements in depth. It is pretty much affordable in your budget and you will have good control over precise functions. Audison Bit 10 is a good choice (and RF360 something also) if you are on budget, else Bit One is very capable. JBL MS8 is discontinued now and you may get discounts on it for old stock. For subwoofer enclosure, get 0.75 inch MDF box made and get a sturdy MDF rack (board) for mounting the amps. If you want tight hard hitting bass, go for a sealed box and if you want low growling but loud bass, go for a ported box. You can even consider putting 2 subwoofers in the boot if you want the setup to be bass-friendly. Also see if your amplifiers have hi-level (speaker level) inputs as this would eliminate the need for a passive/active converter, saving you bucks and lesser chances of audio quality degrading. Get the install done from a professional shop as Jetta is a complicated car with so many systems which the local guys would not be able to handle. And you can prioritise your requirements (of what you prefer - 2 subs? Hard hitting bass? Clear vocals? Muffled bass? Great tuning capability? Where do you sit in the car? Ready to sacrifice some boot space? Preferred brands? Front biased or rear biased setup? More bass or more clarity?) and limit your choices to make a good decision as a budget of 1 Lac plus invites lots of options and ultimately confusion.

I have also installed a setup for 1.05 Lac in my Swift, but it included everything like damping, wiring and all.
 
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I think i posted this in another ICE thread also, if you are adding an amplifier make sure your stock audio system doesn't get damaged by it.

The damage may be by-
Different RMS/power spec
Poor Wiring.
 
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I think i posted this in another ICE thread also, if you are adding an amplifier make sure your stock audio system doesn't get damaged by it.

The damage may be by-
Different RMS/power spec
Poor Wiring.
I don't think this is totally correct. The HU has no/negligible chances of getting damaged by an external amplifier with proper connections and install.

Different RMS/Spec : He is upgradimg the speakers also which would be capable of handling high RMS power.

Poor Wiring : He is changing the wiring also. 8 Gauge is sufficient in this case and I don't think that the amplifier would ruin the wiring in normal functioning.
 
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@MithunLegend

- You can look at front components above 19000inr from Morel,Hertz,Polk & also Focal
- You can look at woofers from Hertz & as fellow member "ice_wise" said the MM series of Polk is widely accepted & goes same for the woofer also.
- RF seems over rated & priced,people are blindly going(including online forums with sheep mentality saying i bought it & so should you) for it & vendors are pushing them aggressively as i believe they offer juicy profits as every store in Bangalore tries suggesting RF with glee. I am talking about todays products not products many years back which were supposedly good.You can look at their amps(good reviews) but speakers i feel are majority paper based or reinforced paper dont do well for long in our conditions(personal view & a view some share) although they sound good.

- If you want Serious tuning options you can go for DSP ,it sits after your oem headunit & tunes each channel by assistance of a laptop(Installer work). So you need a real passionate professional who can do this & not a businessman store who is pushing products. So you can avoid Digital Signal Processor(DSP) & try a good headunit if your oem headunit does not have a good Equalizer setting features.

- Damping you can do the front doors well & boot area, in your car(Jetta) doing the floor etc would not be a necessity i feel.

- I am in process of getting a SQ setup(Active) myself. But do take the advice here lightly as your ears & listening experience matter, so you should take the final call. Your budget seems pretty decent for your needs.
Good luck & do let us know what you finally installed. Dont leave us hanging [:)]

PS - If you were in Bangalore i could suggest the installer i am planning my setup with, but guess Mysore has some decent places which you are happy with & better to have your installer nearby to fix glitches.
 
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@ ice_wise
Even I agree jetta's ICE is average,will be keeping the car car for another 2-3 years minimum, regarding warranty if I change only the HU like blaupkunt etc which are plug and play then warranty will be applicable. If i add an amp or upgrade speaker warranty will be void.

I would prefer components both at front and rear, For subwoofer I prefer tight punch and hard hitting bass. Is infinity 120.9 better than RF?
Need to check Hertz and focal also I was planning to get a fiber glass enclosure to get that OEM look, what are the pros and cons of fiberglass enclosure.
I think 500w RMS amp would be fine well again it depends on the sub which I will opt for.

Speaker :The problem here in Mysore where I stay is I can't audition most of the brands u have mentioned, even if I go to a reputed one all I could get is some basic kicker ,jbl and RF components

Amplifier 4 Channel : I am tilted towards JBL GTO 1004.but don't know if it has speaker level inputs,have to keep that as a priority since I won't be changing my HU anytime soon.

Damping : I have read pretty good reviews about Dampmat, was planing to get 4 Doors and complete boot damped.

And adding a Dsp would take my budget way above its limit. For installation I would be taking it to Blr.

And thanks a lot for making my selection much easier now I have a idea about what to buy.

@ Prads
can u suggest some autoshops in Bangalore where I can get audition of speakers and installation done professionally.
Here in Mysore there are very few good installers but they are not much familiar with Jetta.

Even I thought damping of floor is not required,4 doors and boot would be fine.
 
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@ ice_wise
Even I agree jetta's ICE is average,will be keeping the car car for another 2-3 years minimum, regarding warranty if I change only the HU like blaupkunt etc which are plug and play then warranty will be applicable. If i add an amp or upgrade speaker warranty will be void.
It depends whether the installer does the install without any wire cuts or not. A plug and play job of changing the speakers only has no chances of warranty getting void, but would not make much change without an amplifier.

I would prefer components both at front and rear, For subwoofer I prefer tight punch and hard hitting bass. Is infinity 120.9 better than RF?
Infinity 120.9w will perform well if it gets the rated power (470w RMS I guess) at least. It is more of an SQ sub (so you would have to keep the enclosure sealed and small) and can go sufficiently loud if you use in a ported enclosure. It is a very famous subwoofer with excellent reviews, completely bang for the buck. Polk MM1240DVC is also a capable subwoofer, I am having one. It will cost a bit more than 120.9w (which I have used previously) and is better in response time than the Infinity. As Prads said, RF is overrated and the Punch series that performs well is not VFM. Still if you like, you can audition them and decide.

Need to check Hertz and focal also I was planning to get a fiber glass enclosure to get that OEM look, what are the pros and cons of fiberglass enclosure.
I think 500w RMS amp would be fine well again it depends on the sub which I will opt for.
Hertz subwoofers (unless you go for smaller 8" or 10" ones) are very late in response and lack the hard hitting quality. Kicker L7 series is very famous and you can try that out also. You can audition what you like and then decide. But for hard hitting bass like no other, Polk MM Series is the one.

Fiberglass enclosures, eh? I can think of the following pros and cons now (as compared to MDF)

+ Looks better
+ Can create different shapes and fit into small spaces
- Difficult to make one if the installer isn't professional
- Difficult to calculate the volume (internal)

When it comes to sound, if the enclosure sizes (volume) is same, there will not be much difference in MDF or Fiberglass.

Mono Amp which I am using is Pioneer GMD8601, which is a less powerful version of the GMD9601. Both are very powerful amplifiers for the price, are class D and are stable upto 1 Ohm. Output is 500w RMS of the former and 800w RMS of the latter at 2 Ohm. First decide the subwoofer to decide on the power requirements.

Speaker :The problem here in Mysore where I stay is I can't audition most of the brands u have mentioned, even if I go to a reputed one all I could get is some basic kicker ,jbl and RF components
Go to Bangalore as Prads said.

Amplifier 4 Channel : I am tilted towards JBL GTO 1004.but don't know if it has speaker level inputs,have to keep that as a priority since I won't be changing my HU anytime soon.
I am using GTO1004 for my speakers. It does not have speaker level inputs. Otherwise it is a very capable amplifier (100w RMS per channel at 4 Ohm, at around 12k rupees), although a bit old (class AB).

Damping : I have read pretty good reviews about Dampmat, was planing to get 4 Doors and complete boot damped.
Yes, Jetta would already be good on NVH part and overall cabin insulation, though I haven't been in one. So doors and boot is enough.
 
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@ Prads
can u suggest some autoshops in Bangalore where I can get audition of speakers and installation done professionally.
Here in Mysore there are very few good installers but they are not much familiar with Jetta.

Even I thought damping of floor is not required,4 doors and boot would be fine.
Well i am going to PM you number of two professionals so choose who you want to go with but install will be done at a common place,but both installers have little difference.

Audio Profession number 1 - Deals with various respectable brands & has a line up of components & brands which are hard to find including which cost 2.2 lakhs also,so these guys are what you call serious & cream of the crop.
Also chances are if you walk in saying 1.3 budget you will walk out with 2.4 lakh budget [lol]but rest assured you have various choices & Sony,JBL are not the type you will find here. Person is very dedicated but you have to be stern about you budget if you are strict about it.


Audio Professional number 2 - He is an expert in DSP tuning & works with limited brands of audiophile speakers,also responsible for some competition wins. He will take time & you mite need to commit 2 or 3 days for work to be done. He will be able to work with for a 1.3 to 1.4 budget & get you what you call a high sound quality active set up.

I am guessing your the rich music type & prefer good bass like hiphop music & play it loud at an outdoor party, in which case i would suggest professional number 1, if you want to enjoy a real audiophile sound quality & with dedication & strict budget then professional number 2(Similar to Bose Audi Q5 audio which is an active setup)

PS- Better walk in with low ego & tell them your budget is 1 lakh then you mite get things done under 1.4 [:)]

I will PM you the details!

Their dampning work is excellent so you can just have the doors & boot done.


I am unable to Pm you maybe cause of newbie,do leave me your email.
 
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Thread Starter #11
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Well i am going to PM you number of two professionals so choose who you want to go with but install will be done at a common place,but both installers have little difference.

Audio Profession number 1 - Deals with various respectable brands & has a line up of components & brands which are hard to find including which cost 2.2 lakhs also,so these guys are what you call serious & cream of the crop.
Also chances are if you walk in saying 1.3 budget you will walk out with 2.4 lakh budget [lol]but rest assured you have various choices & Sony,JBL are not the type you will find here. Person is very dedicated but you have to be stern about you budget if you are strict about it.


Audio Professional number 2 - He is an expert in DSP tuning & works with limited brands of audiophile speakers,also responsible for some competition wins. He will take time & you mite need to commit 2 or 3 days for work to be done. He will be able to work with for a 1.3 to 1.4 budget & get you what you call a high sound quality active set up.

I am guessing your the rich music type & prefer good bass like hiphop music & play it loud at an outdoor party, in which case i would suggest professional number 1, if you want to enjoy a real audiophile sound quality & with dedication & strict budget then professional number 2(Similar to Bose Audi Q5 is the audio which is an active setup)

PS- Better walk in with low ego & tell them your budget is 1 lakh then you mite get things done under 1.4 [:)]

I will PM you the details!

Their dampning work is excellent so you can just have the doors & boot done.


I am unable to Pm you maybe cause of newbie,do leave me your email.
U are absolutely right about the type of music which I prefer [clap]and Bose system in Audi lacks the punch in low frequencies but SQ is top notch.

As u suggested I think audio professional 1 would be more suitable for me and I am very strict about my budget i think so.

My mail id is mithunkmrr@gmail.com
And thanks a lot.
 
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U are absolutely right about the type of music which I prefer [clap]and Bose system in Audi lacks the punch in low frequencies but SQ is top notch.

As u suggested I think audio professional 1 would be more suitable for me and I am very strict about my budget i think so.

My mail id is mithunkmrr@gmail.com
And thanks a lot.
Actually the Bose strength is the DSP & tuning it has from the multi speaker setup, As for lower frequencies i am guessing everything 25 to 60hz is missing. They use paper speakers & good sub is mising. I have sent you the email so you can go through the contact details & google things about them.

They also do fiberglass subwoofer installs.

@ice_wise
Any pointers on 4 channel amps under 20k to run active through a DSP. Do you have the approx prices for the Gladen amps?
 
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@ice_wise
Any pointers on 4 channel amps under 20k to run active through a DSP. Do you have the approx prices for the Gladen amps?
Look for Rainbow Beat 4 or Digital Designs C4C for pure SQ. I assume you will be running speakers with this amplifier. If yes, you can also look at Focal Solid 4, as it heats up quite early in bridged mode for subwoofers. If you can increase your budget by 10-15k, then the Mosconi 100.4 is a bliss for active setups. Gladen RC70C4 and RC600C1 (Mono) were for 15k each in March this year. You can contact BBW Distributors for exact pricing.
 
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Thread Starter #14
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@ Prads and ice_wise

Finally some updates
Decided on equipments
Front comps - Morel ultra 602
Rear comps - morel maximo 6
Sub - Gladen RS 12
Amps Rainbow beat 4ch, and for mono Digital design AM1

Kindly share your opinion guys.
 
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@mithunLegend

Thats a nice list,although i am not a big fan of the morel basic end speakers like the maximo as i feel they wont last long but i guess they wil do well for 3 to 4 years. And since its the rear i wont worry that much. Digital design mono seems good too,if it was 4ch i would have said no because i have seen one car give up & go for a Gladen/mosconi but that was a sq setup running high-quality audio like flac,,wav format. So what you have appears good & probably better than what your friends cars have. :)

I am guessing its the installer i suggested? If yes they do alot of high end cars so am sure work will be good but give them 2 days time if needed , i have read they sometimes have trouble finishing everything in one day.

Do keep us updated :)
 

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