Updated 08072023-073831
Just wanted to pop in and express my appreciation for this video. I can't remember from where I found it or how many others I watched from my own YouTube search for Soundaktor help before finding it, but something about it made it the first one to be actually helpful.
I have a 2017 GTI S and - to be honest - I assumed what mechanical knowledge I have would be far too outdated to apply. That's the closest explanation I have as to why I put off investigating what it would take to remove the Soundaktor for some 30+ days and nearly 3000 miles of driving. For this, I am deeply pissed with myself.
The folks I've talked to in person about their cars have been about as on the fence as what seems to be the general consensus among automotive media + forumgoers, but for the love of gourd, please at least give disconnecting the hateful thing a try as soon as you can if you own an automobile with one.
My car seems to be relatively high mileage - just passing 90,000 - for its age, which could perhaps explain why the difference in experience was so jarring, but let it be known that this little mf pumps vibration into the cabin at all gosh darned times, regardless of what driving mode you're is in. It is nothing less than a torture device, and I promise I'm not just being melodramatic.