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XC70: Stereo speaker upgrade

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Old Oct 17th, 2017, 12:28   #1
djkenn
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Default XC70: Stereo speaker upgrade

Hi all

My 63 plate D5 SE Lux Nav does not have premium sound. The sound from the stereo is probably the only thing about the car I don't like.

I don't want to touch the head unit but has anyone upgraded the front tweeters and speakers? What did you choose? Did the door cards get damaged?
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Old May 10th, 2018, 22:45   #2
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Originally Posted by djkenn View Post
Hi all

My 63 plate D5 SE Lux Nav does not have premium sound. The sound from the stereo is probably the only thing about the car I don't like.

I don't want to touch the head unit but has anyone upgraded the front tweeters and speakers? What did you choose? Did the door cards get damaged?
My 64 plate V70 D4 SE Lux has High Performance Sound but I feel that the speakers let it down, so I'd also like to know if anyone has upgraded their speakers to get around this.

And apologies to djkenn if he thought that someone was finally going to reply with a useful answer.
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Old May 10th, 2018, 22:50   #3
1monkey600
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I recall that 'volvosweden' upgraded some speakers on his xc70. Check his channel on youtube.
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Old May 12th, 2018, 09:04   #4
BertTwildge
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I fitted Focal flax 2 way speakers to the front & rear doors, sound deadened the doors, put a Audison DSP in the boot near the parking sensor module & put a small Pioneer sub behind the spare wheel so I can use the boot without a sub getting in the way. The difference is huge! I've not damaged the door trims by this work.
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Old Jul 14th, 2018, 00:31   #5
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I fitted Focal flax 2 way speakers to the front & rear doors, sound deadened the doors, put a Audison DSP in the boot near the parking sensor module & put a small Pioneer sub behind the spare wheel so I can use the boot without a sub getting in the way. The difference is huge! I've not damaged the door trims by this work.
I have a 2014 D4 V70 SE Lux with the High Performance Sound system. It's OK if I bend the EQ a bit, but the sound is a bit processed and ultimate grunt isn't impressive. What's also present is an uplift in the upper bass that will immediately impress but will ultimately just be heard for what it is.

The other day I drove a 2004 V70 SE with the standard P2 SE sound system as a courtesy car and the sound in that was phenomenal. Getting back into my own car was therefore a bit of an anti-climax.

So... something needs to change, and the speakers are the only option that doesn't involve loads of expenditure and some sort of loss in functionality.

I therefore read your reply with interest and have a few questions: -

1) Are the Focal speakers more efficient than the standard units?

2) Do they allow the unit to be run with flat tone and EQ settings. In other words do they have a largely flat response curve?

3) Have you been able to listen to the Focal speakers without the DSP and sub and, if so, what was your impression?

4) Does the overall character of the system change with the Focals in place, or is much of what I hear down to the amp itself?

Many thanks in advance.
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Old Jul 21st, 2018, 19:59   #6
BertTwildge
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Hi

1) I don't know if the speakers are more efficient, I don't drive with the OEM amp so I can't compare before & after. The OEM speakers were pretty naff to be honest.

2) I run an Audison and so I flatten the Volvo curve with the DSP. I've also used an SPL meter and then my ears to flatten the curve further. I want SQ, not heavy bass.

3) Very briefly during testing. The Audisons provided a lot more bass than OEM iirc. The Focal's sounded better but as I only ran like this for a few minutes I can't recall how much difference it made. I also sound deadened the doors at the same time as fitting the Focals so I couldn't attribute the changes to just the Focals.

4) I didn't run with just the Focals and no DSP for long so I couldn't say. The DSP & Focals made a big difference, and I would recommend this as an option.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2018, 10:47   #7
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Originally Posted by BertTwildge View Post
Hi

1) I don't know if the speakers are more efficient, I don't drive with the OEM amp so I can't compare before & after. The OEM speakers were pretty naff to be honest.

2) I run an Audison and so I flatten the Volvo curve with the DSP. I've also used an SPL meter and then my ears to flatten the curve further. I want SQ, not heavy bass.

3) Very briefly during testing. The Audisons provided a lot more bass than OEM iirc. The Focal's sounded better but as I only ran like this for a few minutes I can't recall how much difference it made. I also sound deadened the doors at the same time as fitting the Focals so I couldn't attribute the changes to just the Focals.

4) I didn't run with just the Focals and no DSP for long so I couldn't say. The DSP & Focals made a big difference, and I would recommend this as an option.
Many thanks for this.

You achieved all of this whilst retaining the original head unit?

After so many years in the late 90s and early to mid-noughties where even the most basic V70s had good sound, it’s such a shame that it ended so royally.

I have no doubt that the Focals will sound better than the standard Volvo units so, for me, I’ll need to try to get some sensitivity figures for the Volvo units.
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Old Jul 31st, 2018, 13:54   #8
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Many thanks for this.

You achieved all of this whilst retaining the original head unit?

After so many years in the late 90s and early to mid-noughties where even the most basic V70s had good sound, it’s such a shame that it ended so royally.

I have no doubt that the Focals will sound better than the standard Volvo units so, for me, I’ll need to try to get some sensitivity figures for the Volvo units.
I've been reading the infotainment manual online and it seems that the system puts out anti-noise through the loudspeakers.

What I don't know is how attuned all of this is to the factory-fitted speakers and whether or not, therefore, installing, say, Focal loudspeakers will have an impact upon cabin noise.

Has anyone got any views on this?

Mr Twildge?

(I miss the days of buying a Clarion head unit plus some better speakers and not having to worry about anything else.)
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Old Aug 1st, 2018, 20:33   #9
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Originally Posted by Sotosound View Post
I've been reading the infotainment manual online and it seems that the system puts out anti-noise through the loudspeakers.

What I don't know is how attuned all of this is to the factory-fitted speakers and whether or not, therefore, installing, say, Focal loudspeakers will have an impact upon cabin noise.

Has anyone got any views on this?

Mr Twildge?

(I miss the days of buying a Clarion head unit plus some better speakers and not having to worry about anything else.)
Having done a Google search, I found a thread on the US Swedespeed forum which suggests that my V70 doesn't have active noise suppression.

Phew! (For several reasons, including the fact that anti-noise would detrimentally affect music reproduction.)
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