Altea Speaker Project

Tell

Full Member
Staff member
Moderator
OK I said I would report in detail on my "Altea Speaker Project" once I got it connected up. I should thank Paul on Alt54 for his advice and replies to question when I asked him stuff about what he did.

Paul said that you could replace them with 17cm ones but since I wanted Infinity speakers and they don't do 17cm, I went to 16.5cm ones. The issue is that once you take out the factory base / mid range speaker the hole is set back 1.5" back or so.

If you put it there the speaker goes back into the back of the door, the windows drop down below that area and I suspect the two would meet. Hence the need to get the speaker plain back to where it was.

Paul mentioned MDF spacers and the Pioneer accessory. I find that Pioneer's web site was up the poke and the model code wasn't correct and the one you needed they don't make now so drew a blank, fear not I found AUTOLEADS-SAK-3103 16.5cm custom replacement speaker accessory for the Golf IV. A gamble that I could use this with the Altea. It arrives with the VW connection leads thrown in so you don't have to cut the custom VW plug off.

http://www.nexxia.co.uk/Speaker_adaptors/volkswagen.htm - for a picture. If you Google "SAK-3103" you can find other companies that supply this item. They delivered quickly.

Do they fit ?. Answer is yes, but you have to hacksaw off the lip of the Autoleads item. That's just cut around to remove the flange, which gets in the way of the unit dropping back into place at the back of the door. You are suppose to get all of this stuff "airtight" else it might effect the working off the side air bags, and as well you can't put the speaker grill back on if you don't get the speaker adapter back into place.

All screw holes align with the adapter kit, the speakers in the adaptor and the existing screw retension fittings in the car for the old speaker assembly, so :D. My brother hacked off the lip in about two minutes each, bless him with my birthday present saw he'd just given me, what a coincidence :redface: .

I should say that before you pull off the speaker grill with a large screwdriver, use a piece of cardboard or card under the screwdriver so you don't scratch the plastic, been there, done that the first time I took of the a grill:( .

Now we move onto disconnecting the built in tweeter. I think part of the problem is from that tweeter and the cheap bass / mid range speakers. They are Phillips speakers, the base / mid range. The tweeter feed is looped through the custom speakers, so what you do on the AudioLeads speaker adapter lead they throw into box you cut the connections 2 and 4. The plug is labelled up. Leads 1 and 3 are connected as per the correct polarity. You cut the end closest to the spade connector on the audio leads.

The cables go back into the door, with the plug and cut cables kept at the front. At this stage you have connected up the leads to the speakers and worked out how the cable does into the speaker mount from what direction;), you stand the new speakers on a chair close buy during this operation with the cables hanging. There is a rubber seal that holds the existing cable. This is pushed back into the car out of it’s place. The two cables that come forwards with the connection are brought forwards, with plug and cut cables and the rubber seal with existing cable pushed back into place on top of them at the back. Thus the rubber seal, seals off where new cables come in.

Hope your following :rolleyes:

On speakers I used Infinity 652.5i.

<that was the Spring 2005, these are now replaced by the Infinity 652.7i>

There is an external crossover box, which I threw inside the door so it drops to the bottom. It doesn't rattle:). These speakers have built in tweeters and you swivel the cone to the sweet spot. They also have extended cones, which give you good base response.

There is a cheaper version of these speaker but I decided to go for the "best". But these are the ones I bought with spec

http://www.infinitysystems.com/caraudio/product.aspx?ProdId='KAPPA652.5I'&Ser=KAP&Cat=MEL

[old speakers lattest model

http://www.infinitysystems.com/caraudio/product.aspx?ProdId='KAPPA652.7I'&Ser=KAP&Cat=MEL

these were used by Loadswine in February 2006 who followed this "project" and report that they work very well

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/t76991-p3-buzzy-altea-speakers-and-ice-upgrade.html

see his post dated the 10-02-2006 with pictures showing everything before and after... note you can see the rim cut off from the speaker adaptor kit that if left on leads to it not fitting flush...

]

Speakers are "personal" but if you go down this route I can say that you can use all of the black screws for assembling everything:). The long black screws in the Audioleads mount kit or speaker kit is used to screw the Audioleads mount in place and the smaller black screws can be used to screw the speaker into the mount. These are Phillips screws, the original speakers are held with a TX20 screw. It's TX, pretty sure it's 20. Have a range handy. They came out very easily with a TX screwdriver. I know it's not TX10 I tried that but then moved onto using my TX set of bits. The Audioleads info on the VW for the Golf IV said TX20 so I think that's the size.

Once one had worked out what need to be done I got the passenger side speaker in, in next to no time.

What else ?. What have I missed out.

Does it sound good ?. I've done the front speakers now. Yes it sounds very good. Lovely meaty base, good voice tones and the mush of the existing sound system have gone. Next Saturday, weather being fine, I'll be doing the back ones.

Thus to do all four all you need is two sets of speakers, and two sets of Audiolead speaker mount, a hacksaw, TX and Phillips screwdrivers, soldering iron or choc block for the connections, some black tape to seal off open wires cut / soldered / choc block.

Well that's one solution and it works :D ..... and the sounds :thumbup:

Now as the speakers wear in they should deliver better tone, but now they beat the custom ones hands down and you can feel the base in your feet:).

See also Loadswine post as mentioned for pics

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/t76991-p3-buzzy-altea-speakers-and-ice-upgrade.html

see post dated the 10-02-2006 with pictures showing everything before and after...
 
Last edited:

greeny

Full Member
Jul 23, 2001
134
0
Hants
Visit site
Nice work!!

Is that working via the factory fit amp??

Would not mind going for a speaker upgrade as the the sound is so wooly on mine.
 

Tell

Full Member
Staff member
Moderator
greeny said:
Nice work!!

Is that working via the factory fit amp??

Would not mind going for a speaker upgrade as the the sound is so wooly on mine.

Yes it is... the standard Blaupunkt headend without satnav. The instruction for the Infinity speakers mentioned to the "amp" thought, ah well, Hi-Fi talk.... and just connected them up, they are 4 Ohm. I know that Paul [Alt54] was impressed they had seperate external crossover. They are designed in America and made in China, unlike the custom Altea ones made by Philips in Belguim. Infinity is part of the fabled Harman company.

The Blaupunkt drives them nicely.
 

dp-parks

Guest
After reading this and many other posts about speakers, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE PLUNGE and fit new front speakers into my new (to me) freetrack.
What everyone has neglected to say is HOW EASY IT IS and the difference in sound is frankly astonishing - just shows how poor the oem speakers are.

Now I opted for fairly cheap Alpine speakers and disconnected the door handle tweeters by removing pin 2 from the autoleads set. Tried it with the oem tweeters first aarghhh!!!

All equipment from Halfords - could have got it cheaper on the web, but the nice people in HF let me open all the boxes and tinker to make sure it all worked before buying.

Used the autoleads adaptors for a golf with the modification to the speaker mount. Total fitting time 35 min for the 2 fronts. Not bad since I have not tinkered with a car sound system since I was a teenager - that's a fair while ago.
 

Tell

Full Member
Staff member
Moderator
Good to hear that it worked so well.... six years plus since I posted the thread up. My speakers are going fine and it was me who said cut the tweaters out if you buy with built in tweeters and also do the mod on the back speakers as well since you do hear the difference in the front

I think some Leon drivers moaned about water ingress (i.e. inside door is awash with water) with the modification but not an issue with the Altea.
 

dp-parks

Guest
Thanks Tell, the thread may be 6 years old, but it works just fine and gave me the confidence to proceed.
Read up on the possible water issue and was a bit concerned, glad to know that it should not be an issue in the Altea.
I did consider mounting the speakers to the back of the aperture (not using the adaptor) - not sure if this would have fouled the window and would have probably led to water issues.
Thanks again for a comprehensive guide.
 
Apr 4, 2011
572
0
woodford green
Thanks Tell, the thread may be 6 years old, but it works just fine and gave me the confidence to proceed.
Read up on the possible water issue and was a bit concerned, glad to know that it should not be an issue in the Altea.
I did consider mounting the speakers to the back of the aperture (not using the adaptor) - not sure if this would have fouled the window and would have probably led to water issues.
Thanks again for a comprehensive guide.

use the adaptor rings or the window may well be meeting the speaker

this is a spot on guide btw

have a peek at my build thread for some more pix's & ideas

MM
 
Adrian Flux insurance services - discount for forum members.