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Installing aftermarket parts on my VW Polo to fulfil my music needs

I wanted to add some bass to round up the stock sound & some nice tweeters to increase the soundstage.

BHPian vedirah recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

ICE'd my Polo!

So I had been thinking about this since the time I was a kid and my dad owned an Indica - I wanted to install some kickass JBL subs and amps and some JBL components at the front. Too bad my dad isn't into music as much as I am. Fast forward to now, I purchased my own car and now I have the chance to install these. So that's what I did. I liked the stock sound as it is, so did not want to change much. I wanted to add some bass to round up the sound, and some nice tweeters to increase the soundstage.

Here's what I've installed so far

  • Head Unit: Stock
  • Amp: JBL Concert A652 (2-channel)
  • Speakers: Infinity Reference 6530CXF Components
  • Sub: Sony XS-AW8 under-seat subwoofer
  • Damping: Blaupunkt Damp 3.0 (or was it 2.0? I don't remember)

The installation was done at Feel Up Car Accessories in Narayanapura, Bangalore. To be honest, the installation was not up to the mark - I expected them to do clean wire splicing using wire tap connectors, but they did it the old-school way by removing the insulation and tapping manually. So they did touch factory wiring, and I'm worried about my warranty now. I'm hoping there shouldn't come a time when I need to use the electrical warranty in the next four years.

One more complaint I have is that they did not cleanly reinstall the plastic panels - there were a few gaps and they broke a clip on the driver-side door panel.

Coming to the audio quality

  • Bass: The bass has definitely improved a lot from the stock setup. It is tight and punchy with a good low-end presence. The Sony under seat subwoofers come with a remote gain controller which looks and feels nice, and it is very handy to have.
  • Mids: To be honest, I was expecting much better. There isn't much of a step-up from the stock speakers which were actually pretty good at mids already. I think I'm spoiled by my excellent bookshelf speakers at home.
  • Highs: The Infinity tweeters add a nice edge to the highs. They are tight and come on strong. I prefer a bright sound, and these do exactly what I want. I still have to spend some time getting used to the bright highs, but the clarity is amazing. Vocals are brought out very nicely.
  • Soundstage: The soundstage has definitely improved. I could tell this from the song "Too Shy - Kojagoogoo". However, the soundstage is more in your face than laid back. Will take some getting used to.
  • Damping: To be very frank, I thought damping the doors was a gimmick. I felt the Polo is already well damped. But holy-moly! The damping actually made the cabin a lot quieter! I was pleasantly surprised at the improvement. I highly recommend damping.

While I'm overall satisfied with the setup, the lingering question in my mind is whether the splicing of wires behind the head unit will render the electrical warranty null and void? Please please tell me the answer is no!

Will post some pictures soon.

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