The Thesis tweeters are mounted in the dash, facing upwards toward the windshield. This location originally had an OEM 3" midrange driver.
I was apprehensive about putting them in this location, but after firing the system up and tuning, I am absolutely stunned at how good they sound!
They're a magnificent tweeter, and I honestly don't feel like I'm losing much (if anything) by mounting them where they are.
I'm sure a set of custom pods would improve the sound slightly... but my goal was full stealth:

They were a pain to get in there... pretty sure I'll never get them out (without removing the dash).

It's pretty much never, that I can brag about stuffing 8 inches of anything into anything...
But I can happily report that my W800-NEO's fit perfectly into the Audi door's OEM location.
Extension rings were made from MDF, and then primed, and then painted with two coats of Plasti-Dip.

I didn't take any pictures of the Esotar 430's, but they are mounted onto the back-side of the door skin with custom brackets that I had a friend (with a shop) make for me.
Shoutout to: SoundsGood Auto Services Inc. Metro Vancouver, BC

This area (circled in red) is molded into the steel of the door, to accomadate the OEM midrange depth. It also is just deep enough to fit an Esotar driver!

The doors are all covered with Noico 80mil CLD sound deadener - yes, I used Noico. I had a pile of it leftover from previous builds.
The inner door skins are treated with Noico Closed-Cell PE foam deadener.


Factory integration was a nightmare in this car...
Typically, you would just unplug the fiber MOST cable from the factory amp in the trunk, and plug it into the Zen-V...
But Audi updated their MMI for 2021, and the brain unit (with the fibre access point) is located behind the glove box. So it all had to come out.
I also had to run a fiber line from the glove box, back to the rear of the car (where my Zen-V is located):

Here's the splitter cable, coming from the feed and then going into the MMI brain unit, and also feeding out to the line going to my trunk:

The Helix DSP is located in the spot where the factory amp was (behind the driver's side rear wheel):
The Zen-V is also tucked in there... but you can't see it.

On the passenger side rear wheel; is where the stealth sub enclosure is.
It's a custom enclosure, made by Basser (in Poland). He built it and shipped it cheaper than I could even buy the material for!

Basser - FBaudi11 Audi A5/S5 (F5) Sportback 2 Fit-Box subwoofer enclosure

FBaudi11 Audi A5/S5 (F5) Sportback 2 Fit Box subwoofer enclosure Fit box subwoofer enclosure is the ideal way to improve bass in the car. By matching to the vehicle takes little

sklep.basser.pl

I stuffed it with Poly-Fil to compensate for the fact that the enclosure is slightly undersized for the sub.

 

Back doors have Sinfoni Tempo 10 Tweeters, and Dynaudio Esotar 650 mids.
Total overkill for rear fill... but I had them sitting around from a previous build, so I used them here.

I used Noico butyl sound deadener on the steel frame of the doors, and Noico foam on the inner door skins (the foam is mainly to eliminate rattles)

I also put quick disconnect plugs on the tweeter leads (dangling on the left-hand side), in case I need to pull the doorskins off - they can easily unplug.

Now back to the stealth sub;
I drilled holes into the steel chassis, and inserted Riv-Nuts to hold the sub in place.
Then cut 5" lengths of threaded rod, and inserted them into the Riv-Nuts:
Also ran a length of 12awg wire from the amp area, to feed the sub.

Slipped the threaded rod through the pre-drilled mounting holes:

And secured it with Allen Cap Bolts:

Worked out great. That sucker is in there tight! Give it a tug... it's solid. Not going anywhere.
Also note that Basser has pre-cut a notch in the lower right corner, to retain the factory 12V power outlet.

 

Thanks to Amazon for the cardboard... I used it to make a template for the amp rack:

Amps and DSP sit perfectly flush underneath the floor piece.

I also made my own RCA's. They are all cut to size, to fit the application:

Super tidy... I'll never go back to regular store bought RCA's again.

OK... so the Audison amps lasted all of 3 months (my threshold for changing amps is sh!tty)
With that said; I do believe I may have hit Amplifier Xanadu with this new setup. Can't see myself swapping these out... ever.

Relocated the Helix DSP and the Zen-V back to the side cubby in the trunk:

And mounted a Zapco mono amp under the amp rack, for the sub. I've had this amp sitting in my basement for about 10 years... glad to finally use it!

Because of the long chassis covering the lugs; you have to wire these Brax amps upside down.

And the finished product:

Everything buttoned back up. Cover down... Fully stealth. I'm really please with how this turned out:

 

I want to give a huge shout-out to @AudioGal for tuning my system. She is an absolute Wizard!
Can't thank her enough... it sounds incredible! Way beyond what I was expecting. Tuning is what makes the system.

My pleasure JimmyDee , it was awesome being able to enjoy the massaging seat while tuning!!!

I am super happy that the system met your expectations. It turned out very nice !!

 

Wow this is outstanding! I've seen gut shots of those Audison amps they look pretty nice. The little compartments are really cool i cant believe you fit everything in there..

 

Class D amps have come a long way.
These Audison amps are VERY nice sounding. I give them THREE thumbs up!
They're solid too. The whole thing is aluminum. No plastic.

Audison - Car Audio Amplifiers, Speakers, Processors

Car audio DSP amplifiers, speakers, and subwoofers. Go beyond the ordinary solutions that are where our instinct comes in.

www.audison.eu

Audison - Car Audio Amplifiers, Speakers, Processors

Car audio DSP amplifiers, speakers, and subwoofers. Go beyond the ordinary solutions that are where our instinct comes in.

www.audison.eu

And before anyone asks... I would say; "yes, they sound as good as my old MMATS amps".

 

From one AUDI owner to another I say bravo…..


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Dang talk about an interesting way to update the thread!

Surprising the box could be built and shipped for that cheap!

 

That's come out really nice

 

Really, really impressive work! The rivnut/threaded rod combo is genius! Also, thanks for posting the effort needed for the Violino tweets, I just picked up a set and was considering putting them in the same location.

 

wonderful car,great components and a well thought out install, hope all turns out amazing for a fellow member.


just kindly wanted to ask though wont the 4.500 being bridged yielding +450rms on an already super efficient 8inch midbass going to be overpowering the 10inch subwoofer barely recieving 500rms?

why not go:

1 x 4.500 bridged to front midbasses
2 x 5.600 with the total 8 stereo channels powering rear mid+ tweeter,front midranges + tweeters and 2 sub channels powering a dual 2ohm subwoofer

that way you would actually cut down to 3 amps instead of 4,still have adequate power for stereo yet have 1100rms going to your sub duty instead of 500 with a more balanced front end/sub.

 

why not go:
1 x 4.500 bridged to front midbasses
2 x 5.600 with the total 8 stereo channels powering rear mid+ tweeter,front midranges + tweeters and 2 sub channels powering a dual 2ohm subwoofer

For anyone who has followed me... I tend to try a lot of new gear, and swap-out equipment often.
Then I hate selling the used stuff afterward - based on bad experiences.
Sell a guy a 6 month old amp for half price, and he still finds something to complain about... pisses me off, so I don't do it anymore.
Then, I end-up with a basement full of high-end equipment, just sitting around. Which pisses my wife off...

I already owned all of the speakers (from previous builds) and wanted to use them on this vehicle.
I mean, let's be honest; an Esotar 650 and Tempo 10 tweeter is WAY overkill for rear fill... but I had them sitting around for years.

Ya, the bridged amp to the front midbass might also be overkill... but that's where proper tuning comes into play.
Everything is blended nicely. The sub gets plenty enough power from that 1.500 amp.
It's a crazy loud system. Crystal clear. And none of the amps barely even get warm... that's what I wanted.

I have a friend who is an Audison dealer, and he gave me a great deal on those amps.
Shoutout to: SoundsGood Auto Services Inc. Metro Vancouver, BC

 

Dreamy build. Any plans to mod the rs5 beyond audio?

 

Any plans to mod the rs5 beyond audio?

Today, I say; "No".
But I also said I wasn't going to do a stereo in this vehicle...

The car is fully loaded... and stupidly fast already.

 

Yes, so leave it be ha ha ha.


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Looks like a great build. sweet car as well, Have to love Audi for not making things easy.

 

Have to love Audi for not making things easy.

They did seem to over-complicate it.
With that said; it's a massive upgrade over any of their previous MMI's... but not installer friendly.

But let's be honest; when they were designing it, I'm sure the last thing on their mind was: "how do make this easy for some chump to tap into, so he can beef-up the stereo..."

 

Neeeeeeat!

 

Updated the amp rack today...

 

Pics or it didn't happen...

 

The new amp rack update and pics are at the end of my Post #4...

Audi RS5 Build (updated again - September 2022)... Brax...

I bought a new Audi RS5, last summer. Originally, I wasn't going to touch the stereo... but the bug got hold of me! As with all my previous builds, I have 3 main criteria: Sound Quality (the best I can get, with what I have to work with). Stealth Installation (I don't want to see any of the...

www.diymobileaudio.com

But here's a recap picture of the finished rack:

 

Also finished the back doors today... pics updated in Post #3

 

I love the amp rack and custom RCAs... Its more work but sometimes it takes doing something done one way to realize you want it another way. Amp rack V2 is sweet!

I did mw own RCAs as well..a little tedious but after the first few it gets easier.. i noticed a little flux or flux core solder makes a strong bond pretty easy.

 

I believe I'm pretty-much done this project...
Sounds incredible! I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

 

Great build! I am sure it sounds incredible. About to start my own audio upgrade on a 2018 A6 with the base system. Do you feel the stock speaker locations are adequate for a good 3 way SQ build? The mid range speaker is the one I am concerned with most. Was thinking about modding the a pillars with aluminum pods or full custom fiberglass, but if in your opinion the stock locations sound good I would prefer the stealth factory look. This is my daily driver so does not have to be competition worthy just want it to sound really good. Also, did you run new wire through the doors? If yes how did you get the wires through the plugs?

 

The stock locations are fine. I was concerned about putting the tweeters in the dash (far away from the mids), but with proper tuning it blends nicely. The mid location in the door is totally fine.

I'm in the same boat. This is a daily driver car... and a $100k one at that, so I didn't want to mess with the interior. Plus, stealth builds are cool!

The beauty with Audi doors, is that they run two separate feeds of 16awg through the Molex to individually power the midrange and the midbass. You don't need to pull new wire through the Molex.

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The stock locations are fine. I was concerned about putting the tweeters in the dash (far away from the mids), but with proper tuning it blends nicely. The mid location in the door is totally fine.

i've looked at mimicking the mid location for my car. My wifes VW using a similar setup for the oem 3 way

 

Thanks for the feedback on the speaker staging. I am going to stick with the stock locations.
The base stereo does not have a mid driver in the location so I may need to fabricate something to house it. You mentioned having a shop make a bracket to hold the mid. Did this attach to the door card or door itself?
Great news on the Molex plugs. I may use components in rear now since I dont need to run wires. I have a set of Hertz Mille coaxial and components from previous build so not a big deal using “too much” speaker in the rear fill. Would run them through passive crossover and tune with Helix DSP. The 3 way fronts will be active.
Last question regarding the Nav TV Zen V unit. I am pretty sure I will be removing the dash head unit to hook up my Zen V. I have not found a factory amp to connect to. Should I try to locate Zen in the rear cubby hole (empty now) or do I need to leave in dash behind factory head unit and run a toslink back to DSP?

 

You mentioned having a shop make a bracket to hold the mid. Did this attach to the door card or door itself?

Yes. The mid is attached to the door card, and the bracket mounts from behind the speaker and holds it to the door card.

Great news on the Molex plugs. I may use components in rear now since I dont need to run wires.

I should clarify; The FRONT DOORS have two sets of wires going into them, for the mid and midbass. The rear doors only have one set of wires, as the mid and tweeter are passive in the OEM system. I installed a passive crossover in the rear doors.

Last question regarding the Nav TV Zen V unit. I am pretty sure I will be removing the dash head unit to hook up my Zen V. I have not found a factory amp to connect to. Should I try to locate Zen in the rear cubby hole (empty now) or do I need to leave in dash behind factory head unit and run a toslink back to DSP?

You can do either. I chose to run a MOST cable to the rear and locate the Zen-V back there, just to make it more accessible (in case anything went wrong with it and I had to pull it out). Trust me, you only want to pull your dash apart once...

 

I ordered the MOST cable from AliExpress. You'll want to do this about 3 weeks in advance of starting the build, as it takes time to arrive from China.

The cable I ordered is 13 feet (400cm). That gets it from the glove box to the rear passenger side wheel well of the car, but is not long enough to get it to the opposite corner of the car. If your intention is to mount the Zen-V in the cubby behind the driver's side wheel well, then you'll need a longer cable (a 500cm cable should do it). Also, your A6 is a bit longer than my RS5, so you'll probably want to get a longer cable anyways (maybe 600cm?).

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You will also need a splitter cable. Unplug the MOST cable from the back of the head unit. Plug one side of this splitter into the head unit. Plug the OEM MOST cable into the other side. And plug your MOST extension cable into the 3rd side. This is the one I ordered:

7.65US $ 10% OFF|Free shipping MOST Optic Fiber Jumper Cable Multimedia Connectors 2 Female to 1 male For Audi BMW Benz Porsche Amplifier unit|Flex Cables| - AliExpress

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And, just in case you don't have time to get your Zen-V hooked up the same day you run the MOST cable. I would also recommend getting a MOST loop. You need to keep the MOST network connected, in order for the car to function. You would plug this onto the end of your MOST extension (in the trunk). It just keeps the MOST network running, and gives you time to come back and finish the project later. I'm a bit nuts, and tend to work non-stop, so I got everything done in one day and connected to the Zen-V in the trunk. But I bought one of these, just in case:

5.98US $ 5% OFF|New Female MOST Optical Optic Fiber Cable Loop Connector Diagnostic Device Tool Navigation Systems for VW Audi BMW Mercedes Benz|Radio| - AliExpress

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I greatly appreciate your help on those questions. You saved me a ton of headache and trial and error! I will likely do the trunk mount DSP to improve serviceability.
Looks like I have some fun weekends ahead of me over the next few months. I have all equipment in my possession now and will get misc wiring and sound proofing on the way. Will post progress as time permits. May have some questions along the way. This is my 2nd build the past year (prior builds 25 +yrs ago). Will be using XT style connectors for all interior speakers in case the upgrade bug hits me. After seeing what you put in your car I have a feeling that will happen someday.

Zen V
Helix DSP Pro MK2 with Director
Hertz MPK 163.3 Active 3 way
Hertz MPK 165.3 Passive
Phoenix Gold SX 800.4
Left 3 way and rear components
Phoenix Gold SX 800.4
Right 3 way and rear components
Phoenix Gold 1200.1
2 JL TW3 12” in sealed forward firing box

*Need to buy a hi-res player - TBD

Love my Audi. Great car to put business miles on!

 

*Need to buy a hi-res player - TBD

You've got some nice equipment. No doubt, it'll sound great!

I don't like messing around with FIIO's or things like that while I'm driving, so I have all my music ripped to FLAC on a USB stick, and I just use the Audi MMI to control / select songs.

 

I was wondering about the SQ of the external drives in MMI have not tried it out yet. Bought the car a couple of months ago. I have Amazon Music HD now and it plays surprisingly well compared to sirius XM or even CD’s. There is some software out there that I could use to do the download files from Amazon. I like the idea of not having to mess with external players if I can get a really good quality FLAC file to play through my MMI. Not sure if tue 2018 MIB2 version is as good as the new though.

 

Not sure if tue 2018 MIB2 version is as good as the new though.

When you're using the Zen-V; it just extracts the digital signal from your source (mine being a USB), and sends it straight into your DSP via Toslink.
There's nothing filtered or altered by the MMI. It's just the flat raw digital audio signal going straight into your DSP.
The MMI is really just a means to control / select your music files. The newer versions have better graphics, but that's about it.

I've used this type of setup for years, and it is perfect. Never needed (or wanted) an external player.

• 2012 Audi S4 - I used a mObridge DA1
• 2015 Audi SQ5 - I used a mObridge DA3
• 2018 BMW 440i - I used a mObridge DA3
• 2020 BMW X6M - I used a Helix SDMI25
• 2021 Audi RS5 - I used a Zen-V

There is some software out there that I could use to do the download files from Amazon.

I have Tidal, and I use a 3rd party software to download the music files onto my home PC, then transfer it to USB for the car.

 

That definitely clarifies some questions I had on the MMI system. Seems like Audi was thinking about people who care about SQ with external drive options. I think you just saved me some $$…. Thank you!!