Full Sound System Install ( Lots of Photos )

[miamiheat3332]

Ok well this past weekend i got around to doing my door speaker install.

Before my system consisted of:

Stock Bose Headunit

Stock Bose Door Speakers and Tweeters

2 12" MTX Roadthunders in a sealed box

350w RMS Blaupunkt Amplifer for the subs.

And after:

Clarion VX400 Headunit

4 Kenwood KFC-P709PS Door speakers ( 80w RMS each, 4 Ohm)

2 Kenwood 1" Tweeters mounted in factory tweeter location

SPL GRLA 4 Channel Amp ( 100 RMS X 4 Channels at 4ohm )

2 12" MTX Roadthunders in sealed enclosure

Blaupunkt 2 Channel Amp ( 350w RMS for subs )

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Ok now before in terms of Musical quality and stuff, after i installed my headunit and before also, the system would be playing close to max, id have bass but the stock speakers sucked. On the new Headunit the volume goes up to 40 max and it would be on that and it wouldn't be loud at all, also the clarity sucked and there were no mids because if i turned them up it would distort even more.

Now after tuning my new amp ( still needs a little small fine tuning ),door speakers, and subs and all, and the head unit, it is very loud, almost too loud at the volume of around 25-29 Depending on the song, i still haven't gone up more since i need to break in the speakers.

The mids are amazing, and so are the highs, no distortion whatsoever, clear and crisp sounds, along with clear and crisp bass.

On a 1 to 10 scale, 10 being the best

the bose system gets a -2/10 while the new system gets a 10/10

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These are the products i have used for the WHOLE install ( even though subs have been previously installed )

8 Gauge power wire for Sub amp, 8 gauge Ground wire, EFX RCA Cable, Remote Turn on wire, and 10 Gauge Speaker wire.

4 Gauge Power wire for 4 channel amp, 4 gauge ground wire, 2 Monster RCA Cables, Remote turn on wire, 14 Gauge Speaker wire, 18 Gauge speaker wire to extend the tweeter wires.

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I decided that i would not be removing the stock bose wiring as it looked like just to much of a PITA, and this install took my at least 20 hours working at a slow pace and figuring everything out(where i wanted my amps etc.). I left the original wiring, but i did remove the bose amp in the rear, and the 2 front ones.

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Onto the pictures, they aren't the best, just general shots of what was taken apart, and other things like that. I will post up how everything is now finished probably tomorrow, where i mounted my amps etc.

What i started out with:



onto the install:











stock tweeters










































All in all for everything i have installed for the sound system right now including everything, it cost me about $900, in early 2011, i will be purchasing the navigation module for my Headunit which will add another 80-90$

So in total right below under 1k for all of it.

If you don't need a touchscreen unit, and subwoofers, a normal HU with just door speakers, 4 channel amp, and wiring would have run me around $300 including the same kenwoods i have and the same 4 channel amp, i gave about 70$ for a normal HU should get you a good one.

Questions/Comments/Compliments, whatever, just ask.

[Innovazn]

any plans for a 4 channel?

[miamiheat3332]

...... what?

[Innovazn]

...... what?

edit :: woops scratch that just noticed you got it already.. sorry im sick and running with a fever

[miamiheat3332]

Haha alright, i was like you either didn't read it, or have mental processing issues.

[Innovazn]

Haha alright, i was like you either didn't read it, or have mental processing issues.

yeah.. .been sick the past week and missed alot of work so its gunna hurt my wallet

[Alfredo24PR]

I heard Kickers are the best for the hardest bass sound. I agree on Bose not being good enough because when I installed my system, two of the speakers actually broke. Looks nice though, how many watts for the speakers and bass? I did not understand what you said in your post very well

[fueler]

kickers in general are just alright i got a pair of CVR's in my QX4 right now.

the hardest hitting bass gonna be like RE XXX, Fi BTL, Kicker L7, JL W7, and so forth

nice photos miami looks like you doing a good install. what kind of music do you listen to

[CanuckQx4]

mainstream brands..... much more bang for your buck out there

install looks good though, I like how you went through the gronmets on the doors to instead of just going under them and pinching or drilling holes, some 1" wire loom would make it look factory fresh though

[miamiheat3332]

@ fueler:

Mostly rap/hiphop, club mixes/remixes and techno. Sounds awesome with any of these.

and canuck, i will probably get some loom later on to hide the other color wires.

[Empty V]

Looks solid Miami but where's the dynamat? I'd get a few door kits at the least. I know it's not cheap but worth every penny. Keep up the good work bro!

[miamiheat3332]

It was more of a budget build, i would have dynamatted the whole thing like you, but thats probably an extra 200-400$.

Also i mean there probably is a diff with the sound deadening but it sounds good as hell now. Im happy.

200-400$ extra bucks torwards a full custom exhaust. Or repainting the hood, front bumper, and color matching the side mirrors and door handles.

[Towncivilian]

Which speaker adapter brackets did you use? I realized that I installed my new speakers improperly and now require some speaker adapter brackets, but the reviews for the ones on Crutchfield are less than stellar.

[miamiheat3332]

I used the ones that came with the kenwood door speaker pairs.

Even with the multiple ways you could mount those, i still had to rig it, because of the stupid screw hole locations and stuff.

All of them have only 2 screws, because thats the max amount of screw holes i could align, and then wherever else there was a hole, they are zip tied in at least 2 more spots, but it holds really solid and strong.

[Towncivilian]

I guess I'll just get two pairs of the $15 Scosche brackets from Crutchfield and hope they'll work. Somebody with an Xterra said they fit, another with an Xterra said he had to make a new hole, another with a Frontier said it left giant gaps resulting in horrible sounding speakers... doesn't seem like very good odds!

[miamiheat3332]

Yeah mine didnt come out perfectly centered as you can see in one of the pics, but the speakers sound great.

[JonathanPrem]

Nice work Miam . Our Suv's basically have the same mods. Stop copying me . I dont remeber or seeing a thread since i dont really visit the pathy section but do you have exhaust system yet?

[JonathanPrem]

One more thing. After your done your setup can you help me tune my system. I'm nooby at audio system. I've got alpine type R components powered by 4 channel amp but when i try to hit max volume on my indash, it starts to distorts?

[miamiheat3332]

list me exacly everything you have and ill help, as in

what type HU,

Door speaker type, rms wattage, ohms,

4 channel amp type, rms wattage per channel @ what ohms.

And also if you have subs what type of amp, rms wattage, ohms

And sub speaker rms wattage/ohms.


Also im not copying you bro, you may have had the audio system but you sure never posted about it, and 2, you copied me dropping my car


and no i dont have the exhaust system yet, as i dont want just some muffler/catback bull, i want to do it right including custom headers, this will most likely be done 2011.

[GRNMACHINE]

Great Writeup and Thanks for the pics!!

[MCNPathfinder]

I was wondering how people were getting speaker wire into the doors. So no one runs them through the door boot? Just zip tying them outside of it? Has anyone been successful in running the wire through the door boot? I have the same problem that you had, I have to turn it nearly max to get any sound out of it, the subs are no where near proportional to the mids and tweeters. Looks good!

[miamiheat3332]

I didnt want to cut the factory wire loom and its tight in there anyways so definatley no more room for speaker wire, so i did it like that for now, and later on in the spring or something i will get bigger wire loom and put it around the factory and speaker wires and it will look OEM

[SOUTHSHOREQX4]

Quick question...i saw that you put the same Kenwoods front and rear....where did you place the tweeter in the rear??? I'm thinking about doin the same thing, but i just dont want the highs in the front

[miamiheat3332]

I ended up not putting in the rear tweeters, reason is because i didnt want to drill holes anywhere to mount them.

And for my front tweeters though, i extended the wires and ran 18 gauage and connected them to the rear speakers because it was easier to get it in the door, the fronts were a pain in the a** just to get the wire in for the speaker itself and i wasnt spending another 2 hours trying to get them in both doors.

And a good system has good highs and mids in the front always

no point in putting them in the rear as your front wont sound as good and well your the one that drives the car the most.

[asnorton44]

Has anyone on here done "the big three"?

1. Battery positive (+) to alternator - From the positive terminal on your battery to the alternator positive (+) post
2. Engine block to chassis ground - From engine block to chasis. This is to strengthen the ground.
3. Battery ground (-) to chassis ground - From the negative terminal on your battery to your car's chassis.

The "Big 3" is a very easy mod to your car's electrical system that will help it maintain higher voltages for more power hungry amplifiers. I think I am gonna do it soon.

[miamiheat3332]

Im probably gonna do it in the summer, and maybe get an optima yellow top, because when im playing it, and the bass hits, my taillights definatly dim along with the license plate lights, and if you look closley the interior ones do too.

But ill probably do the big three and if that helps, then i dont need the battery, if it helps halfway ill get the yellow top.

[sicwitit]

for you guys wondering how to run your wires through gromemets, this is what I, and most other installers use. it lets you simply punch through grommets, and run your wire through the center of it. then just pull the tool out and your golden...



this is my official yearly Pro's tip

[Chuck Tribolet]

Has anyone on here done "the big three"?

1. Battery positive (+) to alternator - From the positive terminal on your battery to the alternator positive (+) post
2. Engine block to chassis ground - From engine block to chasis. This is to strengthen the ground.
3. Battery ground (-) to chassis ground - From the negative terminal on your battery to your car's chassis.

The "Big 3" is a very easy mod to your car's electrical system that will help it maintain higher voltages for more power hungry amplifiers. I think I am gonna do it soon.

I presume you mean "install heavier gauge wire on the 'big three'".

#2 isn't going to affect your sound system at all. And the alternator frame is grounded to the engine block pretty well through the
alternator mounting bracket.

I'd think if you have a serious sound system, it's wired direct to the battery or alternator with some really heavy gauge wire anyway.

[sicwitit]

2 other things I'd also consider..

1 Fr capacitor
and
contact a company like Ohio Generator to build you a stronger alternator

[loudest qx4]

very nice set up bro. extremely clean! i will throw up some pictures of my system in a few days. have you ever put your truck on a termlab and see what db you are at?