HYDE16 Reviews Surpreme Sound’s Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure

[HYDE16]

Address: Kinnelon, NJ
Phone: 973-283-8777
Email: supremesound23@gmail.com
Website: Supreme Sound, Supreme Sound 23 Kinnelon, NJ Kinnelon, NJ Home

Supreme Sound is a New Jersey based car audio retailer located in Kinnelon, NJ. They carry the latest car audio equipment, GPS systems, wheels and tires, ipod car accessories, electronic starters and auto security systems on the market all at a reasonable price. Supreme Sound has developed an exceptional understanding of the numerous, high performance, state of the art audio and video systems on the market.

Let me preface my review by saying: this thread is not designed to debate which subwoofer, enclosure, setup, etc. is better. This thread is just to review a custom enclosure I had made and installed specifically for my 2011 GTI.

My 2011 MKVI Autobahn GTI came with the factory Dynaudio speaker system which is a great audio setup for my personal taste and in my opinion.
I’m not a crazy audiophile but I do occasionally crank my dance, rock or jam music. The high and mid-range sound is very clear to my ears but the bass lacked a tad at the 0 setting. I could crank the bass setting all the way up and live with the added bass but I read somewhere that the factory settings were tuned for optimal performance and balance. I didn’t want to throw the factory speakers out of alignment or even get crazy with the treble and mid-range levels. I wanted to leave every level setting at 0 and add just a subwoofer for the bass.

At this point I wanted to add bass but not by using just the factory components. I also wanted to add a little custom flare to my GTI since the trunk is so stupid boring aside from my LED trunk light bulb upgrade. Audio options are unlimited and all based on one’s personal taste and budget. My main goal was to add a subwoofer and enclosure with keeping the existing trunk storage space (baby stuff). I searched online for a “slim” option and came up with the expensive JL Audio Slimline subwoofer enclosure. We all know JL Audio is a great company but the price was a little too much for what I wanted to spend after purchase, shipping and install.

I came across Supreme Sound through my Route 23 Weekly Northern NJ Tri-State Meet for European Car Owners. One of our club members had talked with the Joe, the owner, a few times so I figured why not stop in and get a quote on a custom enclosure? The shop was clean, spacious, organized and ready to take on work.

I explained to Joe that I wanted to retain as much trunk space as possible and add a little more bass to balance out the audio system. I mentioned the JL Audio Slimline design and how I liked the placement and leftover trunk space for storage. Joe immediately went to work, taking my driver’s side carpeted trunk panel out in order to mold a Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure to the contour of the trunk wall while not protruding too far out over the trunk floor space.

Joe wanted to make sure that we chose the right subwoofer and amp combo for my needs. I explained that I only wanted a minor amount of additional bass with a bass control knob for when I was cruising alone or with the family. We originally chose a Digital Design 8” subwoofer which Joe said would produce a great amount of bass if not more than what I was looking for. He also showed me a Digital Design 6.5” subwoofer just for comparison. When have you seen a 6.5” subwoofer in a custom enclosure? I knew that’s what I had to have for my GTI; it was small, clean and would retain some of that OEM look.

One neat thing about Supreme Sound was that while they were building my Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure, they sent me pictures to keep me updated on how it was coming. Now, Supreme Sound would most likely not do this for all customers but it was just a testament to their customer service and keeping their customers informed. Since this was their first Volkswagen MKV & MKVI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure they were just as excited as I was to see how it turned out.

A few days later I came in with the car to hang around while they ran the wires, amp and mounted the custom enclosure.
First, Isaac pulled the trunk floor up and went to work on the driver’s side foam tire support block. He cut into some of the foam to secure the Memphis amplifier inside the foam block with plenty of clearance for the trunk floor. It fit perfectly level after Isaac trimmed and sanded some of the foam. It was hidden perfectly for that OEM look I wanted for the trunk.

Now if you’re a wuss like me and reach your anxiety peak when you see panels come off your car this section is not for you...
I almost passed out myself but regained my strength after seeing how this audio shop handles their business with confidence.
Isaac dug into the floor to lay the wires throughout the car. He carefully pried the floorboard panels up then worked his way back to the trunk.
He laid 8 gauge wire to the battery for the power supply and for the ground. He then installed a line converter (must have for our cars) and then the included Memphis remote control knob which was cleverly placed right under the dash above the front hood release lever.

After everything was buttoned up, Isaac re-installed the driver’s side carpeted trunk panel and fit the Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure in place. The carpeting used to cover the enclosure was spot on, I would say the match is about 90% to the grey carpeting found inside the trunk of my 2011 GTI. Before installing and connecting the Digital Design 6.5” subwoofer, Isaac used several screws to mount the enclosure to the inner body of the car after first locating an area of dead metal paneling away from the exterior body of the car. The enclosure was solid as a rock and was ready for the Digital Design 6.5” subwoofer with it’s massive magnet. I couldn’t wait to fire this up.

When the car was complete, I quickly selected some DubStep from my media card that username: “upgrad3” provided me with. DubStep was a great test for highs and sustained lows to get that subwoofer rumbling. With the remote bass control knob dialed half way up and the factory bass setting at 0 I turned up the volume and waited for the first set of bass notes to play through. Clean, smooth and deep bass flowed through the car! I immediately reached for the bass control knob to dial it all the way up. The first thing I thought in my head was wait, did we go with an 8” or larger? I had to remind myself that this was truly a 6.5” Digital Design subwoofer. Instant relief and satisfaction poured over my face, this was more than enough bass for me and anyone looking to compliment the Volkswagen GTI Autobahn system. I can’t even begin to imagine what the 8” would sound like (too much for me).

Over the next few days I tested several different genres of songs from dance to rock to jam bands. They all sounded amazing with little changes made to the bass control knob. The only other main concern I had was possible rattling from taking the panels apart when originally installing the wiring needed to power the amplifier. To this day I don’t have any panel or clip rattling. I even have a 3” exhaust system (TBE) which adds to the in cabin resonance and which could only amplify possible rattling.

The pricing was extremely fair for the quality of custom fiberglass work and care when working around my car. At the end of the day the total cost for the Supreme Sound Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure, 6.5” Digital Design subwoofer, Memphis amplifier and installation ran me $1,200 out the door. For the same price I could have opted for the 8” Digital Design subwoofer, but the 6.5” subwoofer suited my needs perfectly. The best part is that Supreme Sound is willing to ship their custom slimline ported enclosure and your choice of 6.5” or 8” Digital Design subwoofers to your doorstep. If you are looking for a great priced subwoofer addition for your Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche or any other car, Supreme Sound can truly provide what you’re looking for without the JL Audio tag price!

Option 1: Custom slimline ported enclosure, choice of 6.5” or 8” Digital Design subwoofer, Memphis amplifier and installation = $1,200
Option 2: Custom slimline ported enclosure, choice of 6.5” or 8” Digital Design subwoofer = $600

Supreme Sound Shop (and Joe)



Driver’s Side Carpeted Trunk Panel





Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure





Digital Design 6.5” Subwoofer





Finishing Touches on the Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure





Memphis Reference Series Amplifier Fitment





Driver’s Side Foam Tire Support Block Trimming











Amplifier Mounting






Amplifier Wiring













Completed Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure






Custom GTI Slimline Fiberglass Enclosure Side Profile with Trunk Storage Still Available

[HYDE16]

So after a few weeks of enjoying the SD card playlist I made, I flipped back to the radio for a change and came across some varying static on each preset station. I went back to Supreme Sound where they double-checked the connections then determined it was the amplifier. The original Memphis Reference Series amplifier did not like working with the factory VW head unit and threw off some frequency levels that didn’t mix. Joe swapped out the amplifier with a Cadence amplifier and trimmed the foam tire support to have it fit flush like before. The radio was crystal clear again so Joe hopped in the trunk with all doors shut to tune the bass. I can’t believe how much power this little 6.5” Digital Design subwoofer cranks out!