Audi A6/A7 C7 Changing the Center Bose Speaker

Another thing about this car that has been bothering me since day one has been the buzzing sound coming from the center dash speaker. 3 weeks into ownership I even took the car back to the dealer and they replaced the center Bose speaker. When I complained again they said the buzzing is from the speaker assembly itself on certain frequencies and that they didn’t have a solution.

Thanks to this thread (credit to jpru2001) & thread (credit to gk1) for finding a fitting speaker to get rid of the PoS Bose speaker.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some people are reporting that the Kenwood speaker doesn’t fit on presumably newer cars due the reduced depth available under the dash. You might have to research and look for a lower profile speaker.

What do you need:

• Speaker alternatives:
  • Retrosound => Better compatibility with later model cars with shallower fitting
  • Kenwoord KFC-1065s …these things are dirt cheap at ~$30 a pair
  • GZIF 4001FX
• Filing tool
• Standard set of trim tools
• 1x 4E0972575 plug if you don’t want to splice wires or get creative. These don’t seem to be available in NA. but are cheap from sources oversees:
  

Instructions:

1. First step is remove the grille: This picture should guide you on what to pry. You want to only pry the grille and NOT the vent frame below it. Start at the bottom right corner and slowly move left. Use a soft cloth to prevent damage to the dash surface.
2. This is what the Bose junk looks like. Remove the two screws and pull the speaker out:
3. Kenwood vs. $150 OEM Bose PoS
4. Remove the extra tabs from the Kenwood speaker and grind down and smooth out the extra edges with a filing tool. If you do this then you wont have to remove the vent cover in the car!
5. While I’m waiting for my plug to arrive from oversees I just used single strand wires to plug directly into the car. This is actually quite secure. Just cover it up with electrical tape and you can theoretically call it a day:
6. Finish it up:

Cheers!