Elegant Audio Upgrade for Mount Airy Golf GTI

A client from Mount Airy drove up to Westminster Speed and Sound to inquire about upgrading the stereo system in his 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI. The client wanted a system that played louder, had more bass and delivered a more realistic listening experience. After inspecting the vehicle and auditioning several speaker, subwoofer and amplifier options in our showroom, we put together a simple yet elegant upgrade that would sound amazing.

Golf Door Speaker Upgrade

The doors were treated with sound deadener.

The BLAM woofers were a big upgrade from the factory woofers.

A comparison of the new BLAM woofer and OEM woofer.

Foam was added to the back of the door cards.

The tweeters were replaced with BLAM models.

We started the project by removing the factory-installed speakers from the doors to make way for a set of BLAM Live-Series component speakers in the front doors. After creating a set of custom spacers, we treated the inner door skins with a layer of Hushmat sound deadening to control vibrations and reduce noise energy transfer into the vehicle. We also treated the door trim panel with Silencer Megabond to reduce buzzes and rattles that can detract from the listening experience.

The new tweeters from the BLAM speakers are mounted behind the factory-installed tweeter grilles in the A-pillar trim panel.

JL Audio Subwoofer System

We mounted a JL Audio PowerWedge CS110TG-TW3 enclosure at the back of the trunk. This compact subwoofer system features a single 10-inch 10TW3 shallow-mount subwoofer in a sealed enclosure.  The enclosure measures a mere 6.25 inches deep at the bottom, so it doesn’t take up much space in the vehicle.

Five-Channel System Amplifier

The small Match amplifier packs plenty of power.

Our technician works on setting the Match amplifier.

The heart of the audio system is a Match M 5DSP five-channel amplifier. The amp produces up to 60 watts of power to the mids and tweeters and an impressive 160 watts to the subwoofer. Two things make this amp very cool. First, its footprint is only 3.25 by 4.33 inches, so it’s easy to install. Second, it includes a digital signal processor with crossovers, signal delay and equalization that we can use to calibrate the system.

Once we wired the amplifier to the factory CarPlay-equipped radio and the new speakers and subwoofer, one of our technicians began the process of configuring the system. He set the crossovers and the signal delay settings, then used our RTA microphone to calibrate the output of each speaker in the vehicle to deliver a smooth and natural response curve.

Volkswagen Golf Stereo Upgrade Delivers Amazing Realism

After a day and a half of work, we had the new stereo system installed in this Golf and it was time for the owner to pick up his vehicle. He had a listen to the new system and loved its clarity, detail and impressive imaging. If listening to music in your VW doesn’t feel like you’re sitting in the front row of a concert, drop by Westminster Speed and Sound and talk to our team. You can reach us by phone or by e-mail to schedule a consultation or for more information.