Hi Everyone..
I been a avid reader in the forums but unfortunately haven't contributed much at all...but i thank all of you who do as this is the first place of call when i have issue regarding my 2011 Accord Euro (TSX).
I have installed a New Pioneer AVH-Z9250BT head unit and taken the factory radio out ( i think i have the non tech package with premium audio..)
anyway the installer told me he would have everything ready to make it work and that the factory amp was good enough to give you nice clear sound with the stock speakers however for the factory amp to work he needed to install a CANbus decoder to activate the amp and steering wheel controls.
now before i gave him the go ahead.. i read these forums for 3 might strait to give me an idea what problems i may face and to give me a picture of what to expect.
after the install this issue i am having now:
1. Steering wheel function works with the unit but i am unable to use the HFL of the telephone pickup and hung up button on the steering wheel. how i have read the forum post Here Here here and forwarded the post to him including a video on and asked if he can do a similar workaround with the PAC-ControlPro 5 (SWI-CP5)... he told me it is not possible with you head unit ... i beg to differ but i dont have the technical expertise or background to prove him other wise.... would the use of the can bus converter (pictured below) and the PAC unit together cause issues ? or is it possible to use the SWI-CP5 alone ... the reason why he wanted to use the CANBus converter is to activate the factory AMP (which in his opinion is a extremely good amp??)
2. i was told that after install with the Factory amp i would have 5 channel sound and able to tinker each speaker level individually .. but now i only have Left and Right balance sound from all speakers .. i have lost Forward Rear balancing ..as soon as i select rear it goes silent... wtf?? what happened to the ELS or 5 channels he was telling me about.....
3. The head unit has an auto dimming function but it does not seem to dim automatically could it be he missed a wire? or issue with the head unit?
4. when i turn the volume of i get a lot of distortion from the speakers and seriously considering replacing the stock speakers from the car .. i like my sound clear crisp and good bass to match.. i was tossing up to idea of either replace the factory sub with a another 10" sub but would this be possible without cutting the parcel tray? ( i want the interior as factory stock as possible..). Replacing the speakers would therefore mean replacing the AMP as well ... would this mean i no longer need the CANBus converter?.. and the what i have in mind is theAlpine PDP-E800DSP - 8-channel amplifier as it has DSP built into it... would this be adequate to run all the door speakers tweeters and sub? or would anyone else recommend another AMP?
5. Any recommendation for front, rear door and rear parcel tray speaks ?
6. would there be enough juice on a normal battery to run this or would i have to beef up the battery or need to get a bigger output alternator?

sorry for the intrusion guys but unfortunately i live in work in geographic location were car modding (electronics wise) is in the stone age but more importantly everyone one says they know what they are doing but have frig all idea about what they are doing.. and the last time i did this type of work was well over 15- years ago when i was teenager ripping the wires apart on a old rust bucket

 

It sounds like you have the tech package so you will need a good DSP... good luck

 

That's incorrect, looking at the pics posted it's definitely a base.

OP, someone else has had this issue, I don't recall the fix for it. Best bet is to search a little deeper.

 

My bad I thought he was referring to a center channel when he was referencing a 5th channel but now that I actually look at the pics I see it's a base model like mine. So I pulled out my factory amp day 1 and replaced it with aftermarket amplifier(s) so I can't speak with any experience about how to retain OEM amp functionality with an aftermarket HU but I did retain my factory stereo for awhile before ultimately pulling it and putting in a Kenwood DDX9903s. IF you're really considering replacing all of the audio components then you should definitely do that so you're not fussing with interfaces other than a steering wheel control. HU -> Amp -> speakers/sub -> done. The amp/DSP you've chosen is fine but you need to ask yourself how deep you want to go down this rabbit hole because if you're talking a good simple system with great sound then you can go with traditional amps (non-DSP) and use the robust audio features on your new Pioneer unit. Lastly, anything under approximately 1000 watts total power can be added safely without upgrading your alternator but upgrades are always recommended and performing the "Big 3" is a must.

 

thanks for the replies...

judging by the information here i think it would be less problematic option just to replace the amp and not fiddle with any other interfaces... i was just going what the installer was saying about the factory amp and how good it is ....

i am not the one to free fall in to the so called rabbit hole but occasionally i like to abseil down in a control matter deeper than i should

which comes to the other questions ..

1. Which Amp to select...??

Alpine PDP-E800DSP
JL Vxi1000/5i
AudioControl D-6.1200 6-Channel

2. Any recommendation for front, rear door and rear parcel tray speaks ? and more importantly i was thinking of replacing the sub in the rear with a 10 or 12 inc version... now i know most people would cut a bigger hole and stick it in but would it be possible to maker a spacer/bracket than install on top face of the sub and attaching it to the parcel tray from underneath ..I rather screw 4-5 holes than cutting a bigger opening on the tray? has this been done? other option would be to make a custom fiber enclosure on the far rear right (aft) passenger side to the boot where the tail light is... as i still need to utilize the boot

something like this


thanks again for the info !!!

 

I can only recommend products that I've personally installed so these are just recommendations based on my own personal experiences with proven products Having said that, do yourself a favor and go with a new sub in the rear with the custom enclosure type (pictured) or a traditional boxed subwoofer. There may be a "simpler" solution like a shallow or thin type subwoofer to replace your existing OEM subwoofer but they're all garbage compared to a traditional sized subwoofer replacement. Your amplifier options are fine but if it were me I would go with this amplifier: Arc is a direct descendent of the original Zapco designers from back in the day which ruled the world of sound quality for quite some time. As far as components go, anything from these guys https://www.audiofrog.com/ will provide you truly amazingly sounding products that will make your ears happy. True audiophile components here... A little pricey but the owner Andy is a car audio genius and provides personalized customer support that is worth it's weight in gold.

 

You cannot mount a larger sub in the factory location without making the hole bigger.



If you are not looking for earth shaking bass. Infinity makes an 8" freeair sub that should just drop into the factory hole. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_108KAP....html?tp=68847




They also offer the same series sub in 10 & 12" variants, but you will have to open the hole. It is very unlikely a 12" would fit on the rear deck.


.

 

Mounting in the rear deck is a challenge due to the rattling that is inherent with that location even with sound dampening applied. A rear side firing woofer custom enclosure is highly recommended.