Here is a photo layout of a Kenwood DNX8120, with NAV, back up camera, Bluetooth, iPod control:

The beginning:


The tear down ... ouch:


Boxes of toys:


Like magic, installed:


Amp board ready for install:


Amp board installed:


Amp board and sub:


Picture of trim piece trying to hide radio knob cutouts:


Back up/Reverse camera:



Pics of various screens:






This upgrade was not without its small problems, cuts, scrapes, cussing.. but in the end, I like it, it sounds so much better than the factory unit.

 

That was an awesome install. Very unique in that you only had to remove the 6-Disc changer and tape deck. How much was the budget on this project? I was thinking about doing that before installing my carPC but was not sure about how feasible it was. Enjoy the non-factory options. Just for kicks be sure to show your Acura dealership your installation so they know that their 4k tech package doesn't cut it...

 

Thanks, it wasn't cheap. The 8120 is $1400.. speakers, amps and all, I spent close to $3,000. What I have now blows the factory unit away.

 

Awesome install. Looks clean and functional!! More power to ya.....

 

Nice install.

I see a few similar amp installs and I've been wanting to ask...

-Did you use the cardboard method to trace the contours for the shape of the board?
-How do you mount the amp board?

I want to avoid making a false floor.

 

Also, what type of connector did you have to use to interface the unit with the stock audio system?

 

I did use a cardboard template for this to make it fit all the curves and shape. I used 2 metal "L" brackets, screwed to the back side of the board facing towards the back to screw into the side panels.

 

I used the connector from Crutchfield that connects to the blue connector. I only connected the red, yellow and black wires from that harness connector for the new unit.

I tapped into the wire @ pin 3 on the factory connector for the PAC SWI-JACK steering wheel controller, then cut and grounded the brown wire from the same connector.

 

with the steering wheel controller adapter, does that answer your Incoming calls? or is it just stereo controls?

 

Just the steering wheel controls ; Mode, vol up/down, track change.

My head unit will answer/ dial calls

 

Great Job!!!

Very clean. I'm glad you overcame your obstacles. It must sound 100X better that stock

 

Stew...great job. What an install !!!

 

Thank you! I worked my azz off this weekend to get it done.

LOL, the funny/sad part of it is that I will have to tear it back down to install the missing "accessories" to enable the FM, Sirius and the iPod.. just 3 little cables.... until then, I'll be listening to my CDs and DVDs

 

Do you have any extra trim to make me a set of Volume and Tune knob deletes??? Cash in hand.

 

Damn I'm rude! Great Install. Cant wait till i grow some and go do this. I guess I'm going to wait till the warranty expires. Great job, Again.

 

thats a GREAT unit!! i wonder if you will be using all those functions??

 

The problem I found with making these cutout pieces is getting a piece that has the cross hatch design that runs the same direction as the trim piece.

I am thinking about ordering some new trim pieces from Acura Parts (damn they have cost me $$) and just epoxying in a filler piece and then sanding it smooth, then painting it a silver color, sort of a flat silver. The trim pieces are 74$ each, plus shipping. I replaced the passenger side one from my last tear down when one of the tabs broke off. Heck, I might just go for it and do it to these.

 

Nice install....are you planning on hiding the amps, etc... or just leaving them exposed? did you switch out mids and tweets as well?

What had you choose the kenwood over the pioneer or the new jvc? I'm looking at all three and haven't made a decision yet.

 

I have thought about adding a beauty board to that amp board with cut outs for the amps.

I switched out the deck and door speakers for JL VR600's with seperate tweets.

Here's a pic of the dash tweeter install:

and here is the rear deck tweeter:


I chose Kenwood because I hae owned several Kenwoods in the past and I like the features this unit has... bu tpretty much the same as other mfgs. players. I think it's a chioce thing. the 8120 is an awesome unit. If you choose to go with that, let me know and I'll fill you in on what all you will need.

 

Wow dude...that us super Effing clean man!

 

Holy crap you were busy this weekend man! I can not imagine doing all of that work in one weekend - good job!

Nice work on the amp wall too.. :GRIN:

 

I started on it Friday morn, wrapped it all up on Sunday morn. I'll be tearing into it again this coming weekend, hopefully for the last time (for a while).

I added a wing spoiler to it too

 

I personally think that this kills the DASH OEM Looks. When I look at that picture, I kinda miss the 2 silver Volume and control button. But still looks good and seems to be professionally installed.

Would love to hear the difference.

Good job with your unique install!!!

Vmt

 

Trust me, I keep reaching for the volume knob and wanting to push the 1-6 buttons!

The difference is amazing.. I do mean amazing. I had upgraded the speakers using same amps before this big one and it still wasn't "right" to me... now it sounds much much fuller. The full spectrum is there.. deep bass to high highs

 

Nice install man.

Looks like you ditched the center OE sub location? If I recall you upgraded to the kicker. Any comments on the kicker sub?

 

Thanks you for the compliment.

Yes, I had the 8" shallow mount, free-air Kicker installed but it just didn't have the ooomph I was looking for. That and the rattle caused by the mis-alignment of the Kicker's bolt holes to the deck mounting seemed to cause a very nasty rattle.

I took the Kicker back out and left the hole open. I did not dynamat the deck and I hear no rattle when the trunk sub hits.

**If anyone is interested: I'd make a deal on that sub PLUS, I changed out the door speakers from JL 5.25" (JL VR525csi) to JL 6.5's and have the 5.25's I'd sell. These are component type speakers with seprate tweets and x-overs. PM me if interested

 

NICE INSTALL!!....very clean!!

 

how was the wiring from the stock harness to the aftermarket harness? is it complicating?

 

Not complicated at all. Crutchfield sent me a harness plug. I only used the switched power (red) always on power (yellow) and black (ground) wires from that harness. I ran line out cables to the amps.

Another DINGER is that Acura uses a funky antenna connector and you'll need an adapter for that to get FM/AM signals.

 

Stew,
when you tapped into the wire at pin 3, where did you run the other wire to? Do you have images of the connectors and where you make connections? When you mention that you grounded the brown wire did you connect it to the base of the car or do you mean Vcc-?

I have a few more questions. First, the unit says that it can interface with USB devices. What types of devices have you utilized this with? I am thinking of interfacing this device with my current carPC in that the latter would essentially become a giant hub for storing audio and video that I could play on the Kenwood. What type of music player interface does the Kenwood unit have for when you use external USB accessible files? Also, for the blue tooth functionality where did you install the microphone?

This is the type of device I am interested in installing next. I do have factory navigation on my 2005 TL, but now I can dedicate the top screen to being a pure DVD player and have my car PC used as a file vault to interface with this Kenwood device.

HS

 

Since there was no connection on the adapter plug (empty spot for pin 3), I just piggy back tapped onto that wire which is the steering wheel audio control wire. The brown wire at pin 11, I cut it and tapped it to the black wire at the connector.

You can plug hard drives and thumb drives in the USB cable and it reads them (MP3s, WMAs not sure of other formats)

I stuck the mic on top of the steering column, back up near the instrument panel as a temporary location. I haven't decided where I want to mount it in its final position

 

I'm so happy to see this. That's the same unit I am lookinmg at getting. I might just PM you with some questions.

Do you still have steering wheel controls for Volume/bluetooth, etc?

 

I do have both, though the bluetooth is not via HFL anymore. The Kenwood has BT built-in.

I added the PAC-SWI-JACK adapter for the steering wheel controls. It works like a charm. The previous post I made outlines which wires the adapter connects to. The other thing was that I had to add in the supplied 3100 ohm resistor from the white adapter wite to ground.

Feel free to ask me questions and also let me know what you plan to connect to it (iPod, Sirius... back up cam..etc) so I can fill you in on what adapter cables you'll need which I found out after install that I need... grrrrr. Still waiting on these things.... so, for today, I can only listen to CDs/DVDs.. even need a special adapter for the FM antenna thanks to Acura using a funky plug instead of the semi-world standard motorola type connector.

 

I'll let you know... The other great thing about that unit is that it pulls all your contacts staright from your phone via bluetooth.

 

Nice install Stew. I would be biting my nails on that one. It looks complicated, and expensive. I know it is worth it for the extra sound quality. I am definitely interested in doing the same with a double din unit. I have a few questions for ya:

1. Was the stock XM unit able to be transferred over to the aftermarket deck?

2. If you did have to get a new satellite unit, were you able to still use the stock antenna that is already installed on the roof?

3. Did you need to get a special device to make the steering wheel controls compatible with your aftermarket deck? If so, what was it, and how much did it cost?

4. I noticed that TL's don't have a nice rectangle shape to fill with a double din. There is a bit of angled space that exposes some of the guts. Do you know if they make any adapters to clean this up any?

 

Thanks for compliment

Answers in red.

 

This is a beautiful set up. I just purchased a 04 Acura TL non navi and I have a Polk Momo 6x9 speakers and Polk DB 401 "4" with an Alpine PDX 4x100 Amp and a Alpine PDX 1000 Monoblock amp and an Alpine 12" type X sub. I know the sub and the amp will work fine but will the speakers fit in the car? Circuit City says they can. Crutchfield says they don't. I also asked if a double din goes in and Crutchfield says no and Circuit City says yes. I also heard from Circuit City that there are microphones in the car that try to block out road noise. Did you come across this?

 

I must say you did a heck of a job

 

6x9 won't bolt right in. You'd have to modify/cut metal to make them fit.

The mic for the hands free I ma using now is seperate from the hands free from the factory unit. By removing the factory head unit, I have disabled the hands free link

 

Thanks again for the sub D! I mounted the sub with the factory welded nuts and special fasteners. I notched the sub edge and used washers w/ collars on longer button cap bolts, mounted on tight. As soon as I removed the factory sub and checked out the rigidity of deck, I figured it would vibrate/rattle without dynomat, mods, ect. Sure enough it was vibrating pretty bad even at low volume, just not rigid enough in oe form to handle that type of sub. I'm going to box it in the trunk for now.

Question. For now I want to keep the oe sub. Can I just split/tap the wires to the sub and run the oe sub and amp/kicker at the same time, off the same wires?

FYI, my 05 sub is completely different than your 07-08 oe sub. The weight on my sub is way closer to the kicker, looks like a normal sub too. Yours wouldn't even fit in my deck, the kicker was pretty damn tight too.

Thanks for any help.