BrianH

Love my Q5 but really disappointed with the stock sound system.
Was researching "MATCH PP52DSP" as an upgrade.
Does anybody have any input regarding sound system upgrades to 2012 Audi Q5 with Nav?

Jonathan S

Hello -- new member here.

I recently purchased a used 2012 Audi Q5 that was loaded with all the options including the Bang & Olufsen sound system. I didn't have a chance to listen to the sound system before buying the car but read a lot about it online and was looking forward to an amazing experience . My previous car was a 2010 BMW M3 and it had an amazing loud and clear sound system~ 700W -- so i had high expectations. My first experience listening to the stereo was extremely underwhelming and matched the opinions of others -- not loud enough and no bass. Since I listen to hip hop music a lot -- I was compelled to change this immediately. There's not a lot on the internet to see that is similar -- so I thought I would share my design on this forum.

I brought the vehicle to Ralph's Radio here in Vancouver - the oldest and most experienced shop in my city. They suggested I use the spare tire area as the place to put the amp and sub assembly since I wanted a stealth installation. I felt little need to keep a spare tire there as I am city dweller and can call a service station if I have a flat. If I go on a long trip I can always throw the spare in the back. I was very surprised at how heavy the spare is -- it must be at least 30 kilos - like a huge load of groceries. No sense carrying all that dead weight around.

I wanted a lot of bass so I decided to go with a 12" sub. My install uses the Audiomobile Elite Series Shallow mount subwoofer -- its very cool in that is only needs a 5.9 inch mounting depth -- which fits in the spare area easily. The sub is very high quality and is capable of handling up to 1200 watts.

PASMAG | PERFORMANCE AUTO AND SOUND - Audiomobile Elite 2212 12" Subwoofer

The best part about this sub it that it only needs a 1 cubic foot enclosure (29L) which is tiny! A box that small is easy to fit in the confines of the spare tire well. A custom cover was made with carpet that very closely matches the OEM carpet so the cargo capacity of the rear of the vehicle is unchanged (my #1 priority).

The amplifier is a Hertz HCP1DK Compact series running at a 4 ohm load putting out a clean 740 watts RMS.
http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/wp-co...14_HCP1DK1.pdf

I also have the Hertz HRC Sub volume remote control so I can adjust how much bass there is. I recommend one because sometimes you need to turn it down or off

I added a 1 Farad capacitor to back up the current running to the amp. That's the big black thing attached to the side of the sub box

The back of the vehicle was reinforced with extra sound damping vinyl to reduce vibration and I'm very glad I did because this sub is incredibly loud and powerful. The bass output is outstanding now and is as loud as a Vegas night club. Even though the bass output is astounding it surprisingly does not overwhelm or drown out the rest of the stereo at all . I highly recommend this combination if you like hip hop or EDM. The transformation is incredible

Resoom

Nice clean install. Is that a cap on the left side of the box? Looks like a sealed box. Nice, looks good. Enjoy!

Jonathan S

Yes it is a 1 Farad cap that I had from my IASCA sound off days in the early 90s

Box is sealed yes -- I wanted to run in 4 ohm. Bass is amazing - super clean and tight

You could run two 12's in 2 ohm but honestly the vehicle would shake apart from the extreme vibration. One 12 is plenty

55cadillacking

Man, that is a crisp and clean looking setup. I don't hold on to cars long enough to justify the expense and effort, but I am envious of what you have here. I bet it sounds pretty amazing. Good work!