Volkswagen Passat B7 (2010-2015)
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SYNOPSIS – STANDARD SLOTS IN THE CAR – UPGRADES & SOLUTIONS
Synopsis:
The Volkswagen Passat is a good compact sedan for a premium audio upgrade. The car has a total of between 9 to 11 speaker slots (depending on variant) which are evenly distributed and some are staged high up on the dashboard, mainly in front to give the driver and co-passenger a rich and clear music experience. These are positioned in appropriate slots and tuned to resonably clear audio response to the front seat occupants. Though this audio setup sounds balanced at low volumes packing reasonable amount of bass boom in the sound, it lacks head room at higher volumes, due to the system starting to jarr the higher you do up the volume range. The premium range of OE audio options were not released here on the Passat, so whichever Passat it may be, it can me made to sound far superior and balanced (likes of the B&O setups in Audis) compared to whatever OE setup came with the car, that too without any wire tampering or major modfications.
The OE audio setup in the Passat has basic built speakers which can sound good to passive listeners. But, just does not work for anyone who is used to a higher level of sound quality at home or in another one of their premium cars.
VW have installed large 6.5” speakers in the front doors in such a way that brings good lows (bass) right up front in the Passat. Some variants of the Passat have 3 way speakers in the doors comprosing of the earlier mentioned 6.5″ mid bass speakers, along with 4″ mid range speakers and a 1.5″ tweeter.
The problem actually lies in the actual build of the speakers and OE player amplifier, which are purpose built and are meant to sound average to the experienced listener.
Standard Speaker slots / locations of equipment :
10 speakers in 4 doors, optionally a center channel speaker up front in the dash board in some variants. The OE player is usually either a basic non-touch player or one of the Volkswagen RCD series touchscreen entrtainment system.
Pros:
Due to the mid sized build and overall cabin volume, the Passat does not need very powerful speakers in order to produce a clear and balanced music experience. The doors are built quite strong and often sealed off with a plastic cladding or aluminum cladding which produces strong bass response compared to some of the other cars in the same category.
Cons:
Almost all Volkswagen cars suffer plastic creaking and degradation on Indian roads due to the poor condition of the road surfaces, pockmarked with pot holes and ridges. Though this problem can be addressed with damping and soundproofing, some minor creaks here and there crop up in some VW cars. The rear parcel shelf inside which the factory fitted subwoofer is mounted, could jarr at higher volumes, though it can be rectified with some damping and sound proofing.
Solutions:
The solutions we are suggesting here are not for the ones looking for a cheap work around for speakers which have stopped to work after few years of use. Its more for users who want the cleanest sound output possible in their car. The most reliable method of upgrading the audio on any premium car is to follow the least invasive wiring method. The right way of upgrading the audio on the Passat is to start with configuring an aftermarket sound processor / signal processor connected to the Volkswagen OE unit acting as the master controller for the rest of the equipment to be added. The next step is to select set of speakers and matching amplifier(s) staying well within the provided space in the car, which in case of an Passat is a medium amount of clearance. The final speaker configuration can be a front 2Way or 3Way setup (Mid-range speakers and Mid-bass speakers in doors and tweeters) and Rear 2Way (Tweeter and Mid-range speakers in doors) speaker setup. A 10” to 12″ Subwoofer in a compact enclosure / box in the boot for a deeper and more powerful bass response. All of this eqipment has to be powered by amplifier(s) with matching power and sound signatures.
“ Some Tech Gyaan-
A Digital Signal Processor sums up the signals from the Volkswagen Main Entertainment Unit to flatten the input signal to provide a clean and controlled output signal to the aftermarket amplifier(s) to reproduce a very clear audio experience in cabin. “
Conclusions:
The Volkswagen Passat is a car which feels solid built to get in and drive, but like most premium car manufacturers today and changes in industry trends, in-car plastics are built light and are not as strong as older cars. This poses some limitations on how much power we can drive into the speakers, mainly the subwoofer. Our suggestion for seekers of a good sound experience is to look at upgrades which sound more balanced and clear, rather than something very powerful and loud.
