Need some suggestions from Car Audiophiles (Audi C5 allroad)

[///M-Spec]

I've been thinking about some upgrades for Wifey's Audi allroad and one of them is to add aftermarket navigation, satellite radio and improve the sound a little by swapping to better speakers, a hotter amp and (hopefully) find some space to hide a sub.

Here's a pic of the OE Audi Symphony II head unit with the in-dash 6 disc changer.

It's not bad sounding, but is a bit hollow and doesn't pack much of a punch. Now, I'm not exactly into glowing lights and thumping hip-hop tunes, but I do want a modest step up from the lackluster OE sound.

My goals are:

-DVD based Nav
-DVD/CD/Sat/MP3 playback
-Accurate sound reproduction and decent power for low to mid volume listening. We listen mainly to rock (classic), blues and jazz. I'm thinking 300-400 watts should be plenty.
-Factory look. Needs to fit with little or no cutting or expensive fabrication. Speakers need to fit in factory mounts, the amp and sub need to be small enough to fit in OE spaces. Red nighttime illumination on the head unit is a must. I can't stand it when the head unit is green or blue and the car's lighting is amber. I'm looking for a modest upgrade, not some crazy loud system to play at a show.

I was thinking about starting with a Pioneer AVIC D3, but I don't have any clue where to go from there. Speakers, amps, sub... where to get the work done. Not even sure if the AVIC D3 will fit in that space.

Educate me. If this were your (wife's) car, what would you buy and why?


M

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Did you try going to an Audi forum and asking if someone has attempted something similar and what kind of headunits would fit?

Crutchfield would have been a good source for picking out stuff, but it appears that they haven't researched the Audi allroad.

 

[///M-Spec]

Yeah, I'm in the midst of doing some of that research. Problem is, a lot of audio installs that end up getting documented on the 'net are much more high-end than I want to go. Big lights. Big enclosures. Big $$$$. Lots of 'yO MaD tyte systems that doesn't suit my needs or interests.

I know there are some audiophiles on GTP. Just wanted to know what they think.


M

 

[Joey D]

The Infinity BassLink sub/amp combo is pretty good, I had it in the Blazer. It won't shatter any records but for it's compactness it works out great. You can mount it either horizontal or vertical as well. It provided a nice woofer sound without sounding like a teenager driving some bucket of bolts and rattling your vehicle like a tin can. The back of the Blazer was tiny and with the sub I still managed to get stuff around it with no problem.

There is a newer version out now which is better but more expensive, I'm not sure what you are looking to spend, but I feel the BassLink is a very good deal.

http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/series.aspx?SerId=BSL

As for speakers, I'm pretty happy with my Harmon Kardon system in the MINI, probably the best sounding "factory" system I've heard in a car before. I would see what they have in the aftermarket to suit your needs. I'm sure there are people here who know a lot more then I do, but I'm just giving you my experiences...although I might not really be on track with what you are looking for.

===

Afterthought, I remember MTX made factory looking enclosures for a lot of different vehicles. You might want to look into that as well but I have no idea how MTX stuff is.