1.4 Lupo sound system

[S33VYS]

Hi all,

 

Hope you're all ok!

 

I'm looking for sound system recommendations please? I've got a standard blaupunkt and sub leads under the rear seats but I'm looking to maybe change the speakers & add a sub? Nothing major, just something that means I can listen to my music loud and it's not tinny but not so bassy the whole car vibrates 😂

 

Any suggestions please 🙏🏼

[mk2]

The standard door speakers in vdubs from '98 to around '08 are actually some of the best they ever fitted- if they still work. Before replacing them with an 'upgrade', try replacing them with the same from a breakers yard. From Golf, Phaeton, Passat, Polo or Bora, but check that the plug is the same type to make your life easier.

Oh, and you can buy a plug-in bluetooth module that allows you to control the standard old head unit from your phone. Works really well.

[S33VYS]

Amazing, thanks mk2! I'll try to find some and go from there. Apparently the car has after market up rated speakers in but the passenger side is starting to go a little crackly and I'm not 100% the drivers side works 😫 

[S33VYS]

So I got my partner to take the door cards off to look at the speakers and this is what we found. We have dbx series speakers installed.

[mk2]

Uh, ok. Looks like all the wiring has been hacked. So perhaps you can go for mk4 golf or Phaeton speakers, they have the highest power rating. They sound awesome.

Make absolutely sure once fitted, the inner rain seals on the doors are completely watertight else everytime it rains, you'll get a wet carpet. Condensation, mould, steamed up windows and ultimately rust. 👍🏻 One of my Lupos came with mod'd speakers and the seals were completely missing... and then it rained.

[lupogtiboy]

You've got the basics for a sub install already there! The thick red wire is a power cable, the black cable is the earth, the blue is the remote to turn the amp on and off, and the RCA's are there too. There are plenty of options when it comes to subwoofers and amps, it depends on budget, space you don't mind losing(!) and what kind of sound you are after.

I wouldn't change those front speakers, and I certainly wouldn't fit anything that VW supply, all paper cones and rubber edges that tend to die over time, and they're only really meant for the measly power the OE headunit can chuck out. The best upgrade you could probably do is invest in a decent headunit, far better sound, more options to tweak the sound to how you want it, bluetooth, possibly carplay or android auto, just makes more sense than the OE stuff.

Pop down to your local car hi-fi shop and see what they recommend, they can probably demo a lot of stuff to see if you like how it sounds, and find things within your budget, and possibly install it all if you are unsure. 

[ObjectiveAway]

You already have aftermarket speakers in the front doors, along with crossovers (frequency splitters). That means step one now is to unscrew a speaker, check its RMS power rating, and find a suitable head unit. If the RMS power is too high for a head unit, you’ll need an external amplifier placed between the head unit and the speakers—just like the one usually bolted onto a subwoofer box.

You'll also notice a massive improvement in sound if you install rear speakers. The Lupo is so small that they end up positioned practically right next to your ears. If you pull off the side trim panels by the rear seats, there are factory speaker cutouts built directly into the bodywork on both sides.

Then, of course, a subwoofer. The easiest baseline upgrade is simply throwing in a solid head unit and a subwoofer.

And someone even added extra sound insulation in your Lupo!

[S33VYS]

Amazing, thank you all so much 🙏🏼 this makes much more sense and has pointed me in the right direction 😃