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OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 10:28 am
by OzzyQashqai
Hi All

I have recently finished my audio build and wanted to share.

After purchasing my Qashqai about 6 months ago I quickly realised that the OEM audio system didn't cut it for me and I wanted to upgrade from something adequate into something that would be a pleasure to listen to day-in day-out.

I opted to stick with the OEM head unit due to integration issues and after a number of auditioning sessions, chose the FOCAL PS165fx 6.75" component speakers for the front stage and the FOCAL P20f 8" subwoofer, both from their Expert Flax line of drivers.

The brains and brawn of the system would come from a MOSCONI D2 100.4 DSP unit. Whilst tiny in size, this unit packs 4x100w RMS (280w RMS bridged) with full digital sound processing capability in something with the footprint of an A5 sheet of paper!

The intent of this upgrade was never to build a "banger" but rather a system with an SQ tilt to it.

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Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 10:35 am
by OzzyQashqai
First task of the build was to prep the doors and spoil them to a bit of sound treatment.

This meant stripping off the trim and cleaning up the cavity for the install of Dynamat Xtreme and SoundSkins Rings.Image

Outer skin lined with Dynamat
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Inner skin lined with Dynamat
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Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 10:53 am
by OzzyQashqai
Time to wire it up.

For wiring I installed all KnuKoncepts OFC cabling. 4AWG for power and ground, 16AWG for speakers and 12AWG for the subwoofer.

Power was run from the battery to fuse then through the firewall into the left side of the cabin where it was routed to beneath the passengers seat. I also ran additional grounds for the battery and engine in 4AWG cabling.

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Battery ground

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Power fuse

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Power cable.

OEM front speaker lines were cut and signal redirected to beneath the passenger seat to provide a high-level input into the DSP/Amp while 16AWG routed from the passenger seat back up to the front of the cabin. All routed via the right hand side of the cabin.

12AWG was routed rearward to the back corner of the car.

The MOSCONI D2 100.4 DSP was mounted to a trimmed board and secured into its new home under the passenger seat and wired up. This bad boy will have channels 1+2 powering the fronts and channels 3+4 bridged to power the subwoofer.
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Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:17 am
by OzzyQashqai
Building the "box"

Because the Qashqai is my daily driver and family car, loss of cargo space was a non-negotiable. This meant a custom approach to getting the best out of the subwoofer without sacrificing practicality.

This is where I built it.
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Laying the mould
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Mould front
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Mould back
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Front baffle
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Bog. Sand. Smooth. Repeat.
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Trimmed and in place.
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Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:41 am
by OzzyQashqai
Front stage

In order to install the front door speakers I needed new baffles but instead of making new ones out of MDF I chose to use aftermarket plastic ones. They felt a bit light so to add mass to them I covered as much as I could with Dynamat.

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Prior to fitting the drivers I installed the SoundSkins Rings which include backwave diffusers, foam gasket seals and front wave rings to couple the speakers to the interior door trim.

With the aftermarket baffles the front drivers installed with no fuss or clearance issues.
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The tweeters on the other hand needed the factory mounting locations opened up with a dremel before they could be fitted. But once done, it was a nice snug fit.
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The components crossovers were mounted safely up under the dashboard.

Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:02 pm
by OzzyQashqai
One last step

Now with the physical install completed it was time to setup the amp and hit the laptop.

After setting the gains and hours upon hours of manipulating what the DSP in the MOSCONI had to offer, all I can say is WOW! Rich, clear, powerful sound with artists seemingly performing for you from just below the rearview mirror! So much more than the OEM system could ever offer.

Final tuning is still in progress but it is slowly getting better and better. All in all this was a very satisfying DIY project in which I achieved the goal of enhancing my car into something even more pleasurable to drive :)

Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:55 pm
by duncho
Very nice! Didn't you want to make the subwoofer box bigger?

Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:25 pm
by OzzyQashqai
A little bigger would be nicer but the enclosure came close enough. Manufacturer recommendations were 10L and 15L (sealed) for this 8".

Final volume for my enclosure is 19L net, a bit over 1L short of an "ideal" Qtc 0.707 enclosure.

Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:45 pm
by duncho
What is your audio setup freq. response, if you measured it? I was thinking of Mosconi too, when I was deciding what to go for, but in the end I found it not powerful enough, therefore I decided for Audison AP 8.9

Re: OEM audio system upgrade

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 2:38 am
by OzzyQashqai
I have it running at +9dB at the low end rolling off to flat at 160 through to about 3k (+/- a couple of dB for tuning) then rolling off again to -6dB at 20k.

Its still a bit "hot" up top but its a work in progress.

The Mosconi has been a good unit in my case as I only need 80w per channel front and 250w for the sub. Next stage (when money allows) is to get a Mosconi 150.2 piggy backed to the 100.4 and bridged for the sub, freeing up the 4 channels and going active fronts.