[burty]

Due to a change in my work I am now spending much more time in my 2008 so am finding the fairly flat audio quality starting to irritate me. Has anyone done anything to their car to improve the audio and to perhaps add a bit of depth? Don't necessarily want real high end quality, just something that improves what we have at a reasonable cost. I have contemplated adding a small sub under the seat (I don't want anything that robs boot space), but am open to other solutions. Particularly if someone can speak from experience.

I've searched the web and 208 forums but can't find anything that really gives any experience for something that should work with the 2008. I don't mind breaking the ice myself but I am keen to hear from any other experiences first.

 

[Dan_2008]

Hi
I agree, there is no depth in the sound at all. Seems in some countries you could upgrade the speakers to a JBL system but I wasn't offered it, and I didn't see it on any options list. I think it would have made the difference.
So maybe just investing in new door speakers could do the trick?
Dan

 

[burty]

Hi Dan, Thanks for the response. For some peculiar reason I think that the JBL option is not available in the UK. I certainly didn't see it in any brochure when I ordered, and I don't think it features in UK brochures now. I tend to think that this might have been the solution too.

Reading various bits of info on 208 forums it seems that some owners have upgraded door speakers, so that may well be an option, although all the info I have found appears to be short on detail.

 

[burty]

Update:

After checking the various solutions to similar problems with the 208 on the 208 forum I decided to install a set of Hertz ESK165.5 component speakers.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310674459103?

The sound is improved, much crisper and clearer. I still think it lacks a bit of depth though but the speakers should wear in.

By the way the How-to guide on how to remove the door cards was absolutely spot on for the 2008, the exception being that the 2008 only has one screw on the lower edge of the door card (pretty obvious when you do the job).

http://www.208ownersclub.co.uk/forum/front-door-card-removal_topic577.html

 

[spinneruk]

Looking at doing this in my 2008, are the speakers a considerable improvement over the factory fitted ones ?

 

[george2104]

The standard speakers have small magnets, the middle range frequency is good, the high freq.from tweeters is fine, but low ones for bass is piece of wreck.
In order to change them and have a decent sound (not powerfull bass from woofer, but very decent bass) you need to take Alpine or Pioneer with Midwoofer specifications.
Also you need to rebuild the housing of speaker as the new one will make vibrate the door if is not very good insonorized in back.
I advice you for model MbQuart Premium PVI164 or Pioneer TS-E2002i.


Is a model for midwoofer specifications.

You need to see the size of actual speakers and also the power and ohm resistance. If is different, you will damage the amplifier or the new speaker.

Not needed to tell you that when you open the door plastic cover, will not fit exactly the same as factory, and in time you will hear "crickets"...Is our expression for strange sounds made by door when you drive on roads with small bumps.

 

[burty]

Looking at doing this in my 2008, are the speakers a considerable improvement over the factory fitted ones ?

Yes.

I think it really still needs a sub.But the Hertz speakers are a huge improvement over standard. It's worth doing, in my opinion.

 

[spinneruk]

Great thanks for that, did you have any issues fitting them ?

Any drilling needed etc ?

 

[burty]

There were some fitting details. The speaker hole patterns are different so there was a need to drill one or two holes.The Hertz speakers are a fair bit deeper than the originals.I was concerned that they didn't foul the windows so I padded the mounts out with some foam but it probably would have been better to had cut some mounts from mdf or similar as the foam I used was a little too soft.(there is enough room in the door panel for the speaker to be 5mm+ proud of the door frame, without issues)

I used the original main speaker wire as the source using some connectors to connect to the plug on the cars wiring.

I needed to find a home for the crossover so that was mounted on the bottom of the window frame inside the door, and a new cable run to the tweeter (the original wiring to the tweeter was redundant do I just taped it up).The replacement tweeter is mounted in the original space in the door panel, held in place with zip ties.

Be careful as the wiring is permanently powered.

 

[Rpalmer1]

Hi burty how did you fit sub to the screen and also what sub isit thanks guys

 

[burty]

I have not yet fitted a sub.I think it really does need one but I have not yet got round to it. There may be some useful information on the 208 owners club forum if anyone on that forum has done anything similar. (they are a bit more adventurous than the average 2008 owner).

 

[alex2jz]

I was also intrigued by the poor sound quality, compared to the 2014 KIA Ceed i drove before and even compared to my old 207. I did some tweaking through the audio settings menu, ( picked the "Rock" preset and manually added more BASS) and it has seem to improve things. But definitely not ideal.

I think some obvious cost cutting has been done on the audio system. Definitely worth replacing.

 

[burty]

The speakers are particularly cheap tiny units.


I have a tendency to believe that the poor music quality is a French thing. Certainly it is a Peugeot thing. I've had many Peugeots over time and many of the higher end trim cars and none have had particularly good sound quality, although the 2008 does appear particularly poor in comparison.

Now I did have a Fiat Punto Grande and that had an exceptional sounding stereo, by far the best standard system of any car I have driven in recent years. It's a shame the rest of the car didn't match up.
Edited by: burty

 

[uncletone]

I must admit that the sound system in the Peugeot is a little....shall we say wanting.

Madam has already picked up on this. After having Bose Systems in the Audi's we were wondering if the Music system in the Peugeot was actually based on the old "crystal sets" we used to make in school.

This is the first Peugeot we've had and so cannot pass on any experience of other systems the French may have used. But we don't want to discuss French Electrics do we.

As for the Fiat Punto, something had to be good in it as nothing else would be.

I've looked at those speakers you mentioned Andrew and they look to be excellent with great write ups and good value for money. And I appreciate the time you've taken in researching this topic and you've obviously burnt some midnight oil. I may well be tempted to invest in some of those on the back of your recommendations.

Thanks for the details ref the installation, I'll probably follow that route, although fixing the tweeter with zip ties, I take it there is no other way to do that. Also did you protect the crossover form the elements inside the door or is that the internal side of the vapor barrier.

Edited by: uncletone

 

[burty]

The zip tie arrangement sounds terrible but it works and it's not visible, but there is no reason why you couldn't fabricate some brackets.

The crossovers are outside the vapour barrier, rightly or wrong didn't consider this an issue.It's a fair time ago that I fitted these so I can't recall the detail of the crossover construction but I think they can tolerate that environment. If you wanted to house them inside the carcar this would mean running additional cables which isn't something I wanted to do.

There may be other speakers or solutions that are as good or better.The biggest issue here is finding speaker units that are good enough and small enough as there is limited depth in the door before anything starts to foul the window mechanism. Edited by: burty

 

[uncletone]

That's a good shout Andrew, and well done with that for doing all the leg work.

I've had a sneaky preview behind the door. I had to do it late at night a s"madam" wouldn't be best pleased if she saw me dismantling her car, or messing as she says.

I'll be talking to your friend on The Bay Of E later and investing in a set of those Hertz Speakers.

Thanks for the update on the installation.

 

[Rpalmer1]

Finally got my front door speakers and tweeters upgraded to jl audio ones plus also got a jl audio subwoofer fitted sounds so much better

 

[burty]

Excellent. Where did you put the sub?

 

[Rpalmer1]

sub is in the boot sounds great have to upload some pics at the weekend also fitted footwell lighting

 

[Mik207]

I got perfect sound in my 2008 now by turning off radio ahhhh silence.