plan | system | speakers | amplifier | interface | subwoofer | tweaks

I chose to install 2 sets of MB Quart RSC213 Reference Series Components in the stock door locations. They were purchased form US Car Audio for $166.24 apiece.

The entire door panel of the allroad must be removed to gain access to the speakers. This is a fairly simple procedure, and can be accomplished as follows:

• Remove the two black Phillips screws located on the upper door trim - they are on the left and right ends of the door.
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• Insert a long narrow tool such as a flat-bladed screwdriver into the round hole in the bottom of each armrest.
• Push up and forward on the tool to attempt to disengage the mechanism that attaches the power window switch plate to the armrest.
• Dislodge the power window switch plate from the armrest, starting from the front.
• Disconnect the switch from the wiring harness, and remove the switch plate entirely.
• Lift the entire door panel - it will disengage.
• Disengage the white plastic collet at the end of the door pull cable sheath.
• Unhook the door pull cable from the door handle mechanism - it is shaped like a question mark.
• There is a foam grommet around the power window wiring harness - pull it and the harness through the door panel.
• Disconnect the remaining wiring harnesses - speakers, seat memory, etc.
• Completely remove the door panel.

After I removed the door panel, I set it on my workbench and removed the foam pad.

I then removed the Bose components. They consist of a 6.25" driver and a 1" driver wired in parallel, with no frequency dividing network.

They will be replaced by the MB Quart components, which consist of a 5.25" driver and a 1" driver, and a passive crossover.

The 6.25" Bose woofer was attached to the door panel over a shallow tube that is approximately 5.75" in diameter.

The MB Quart speakers ship with a polycarbonate ring designed to trim the woofers and receive the grille when they are mounted on top of a flat surface.

I decided to use this ring to adapt the 5.75" opening in the door panel to the diameter of the MB Quart woofer. To do this, I first milled off about 0.375" of the four plastic bosses that received the Bose speaker mounting screws.

Because the woofers would be mounted inverted in the trim rings, I also milled off the alignment bosses on the rings.

I then attached the rings to the door frame with a liberal application of epoxy.

After the epoxy cured, I attached the woofers to the panel.

The inverted use of the MB Quart trim ring caused several small openings between the woofer basket and the ring itself. I used a hot glue gun to fill these holes, and also fill the slot normally occupied my the grille. At this time I also attached the crossover to the door panel, making sure that it occupied a space that would not interfere with the door panel fit, or the power window mechanism.

I milled away 2 tabs from the door panel which interfered with the mounting of the MB Quart tweeter, and checked the tweeter for fit.

I used more hot glue to capture the tweeter in its mounting place, and extended the leads from the woofer and tweeter to the crossover. I attached the factory speaker connector to the crossover input, and dressed all of the cables to the door panel.

I replaced the foam lining, making small incisions to accommodate the crossover.

I also re-badged the grilles.

I then reinstalled the door panels.

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