Ok here is Part 3:

The custom amp install. FINALLY DONE... for now

I decided on the following for amps:

Phoenix Gold 200.4
Phoenix Fold 100.4

The way the wattage is going and how the speakers are hooked up are the following:

(For the 200.4 here we go)
200 watts each to the front components (Diamond Audio s600s 175 RMS)

The other (2) 200 watts channels on the 200.4 were bridged to give 400 watt RMS to the single 10" Sub.

Then for the 100.4 we did the following:

100 watts each to the rear speakers (Diamond Audio m361i 100 RMS)
Then one of the remaining (2) 100 watt channels for the Infinity 3 1/2 center speaker that replaced the front stock center speaker.

If counted that gives me my 5.1 surround

There is one remaining 100 watt channel not used.

Now some people say that 200 watts each for the front channels is too much. That I must be a 'typical' consumer for buying into the MORE WATT thingy....well let me tell you something.

I am not a typical consumer. Most people don't realize that MOST speakers are blown NOT because of too much power....but because of too LITTLE power.

Anyway when doing a high end system, purchasing high end speakers, etc. there are a few rules...one of the most important being to match the RMS watts on the speaker to the amp.

So if you have 150 RMS watts on the speaker, then you should give that speaker 150 watts. That simple. That means that the speaker was MADE to run with that much power through it regulalrly...that is the way it was DESIGNED to play. When you under power a speaker you are making it work ALOT harder to get sound out, therefore being BAD and HARSH on the speaker.

The SQ (sound quality) of speakers that are getting the correct RMS power is BEAUTIFUL...

A mid quality speaker with proper RMS sounds a hell of a lot better then a HIGH end speaker with the INCORRECT RMS.

Anyway here are the amp install final picks..... Enjoy... I think it turned out VERY well.

THE GOAL: Get the amps mounted but leave the spare tire available and still have a trunk left!!!
(I didn't care about the pass-through)

Before carpet:







BTW Yes that small box on the left side is my 10" sub.... that is a temporary box, so no comments please!!

After Carpet:









PLEASE NOTE: There is a custom board above the amps creating a case. It is what is call a 'beauty board'. If I decide later to get some new amps...not a big deal!!! Just unscrew the beauty boards, remove old amps from base boards, and make a new beauty board (about $50 on average)

NICE!!!

Well for the record I am very happy.

Also I did NOT do the install of the amps, I found a local shop that does GREAT work for a GREAT price.

The WHOLE install cost me about $350 and that is including materials.

 

350??? very nice install for that much money........ but is that just the amps and install?

 

The amp and the amp install with materials.

I need to take some better pics...

 

Very nice. What route did you use to run the power and ground wires? They look plenty heavy in gauge.

 

man...those PG's are MONSTERS!

 

The ground wires are under the LARGE amp that is against the back seat. If you look closely at the middle bottom of the large amp, then slightly to the left you will see them grounded there. Each amp has their own ground. It is 4 gauge for each amp.

 

Yes they are....they just keep going and going....

 

How about the power wire? I'm assuming it's coming from the battery at the front of the car and not an auxillary one in the trunk. What route does that wire follow from the engine compartment?

 

Look at the first in the DIY to see the route of the power cable:

https://acurazine.com/forums/audio-video-electronics-navigation-22/questions-adding-sub-amp-120614/

 

I'M NOT TOO HAPPY W/ THE STOCK SYSTEM, NEITHER IS MY WIFE THR DRIVER OF OUR 05 TL, ANY SUGGESTIONS ON SPEAKER UPGRADES WITHOUT MESSING W/ NAV? I WAS THINKING ABOUT PUTTING SOMETHING SMALL(SUB-WOOFER) IN THE TRUNK W/ SMALL AMP AND DISCONNECTING THE FACTORY SUB, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T EFFECT THE SURROUND SOUND, IS IT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE ALL THE SPEAKERS AND GET BETTER SOUND W/ OR WITHOU GETTING THE DOOR SPEKAERS AND TWEETS ON AN AMP?

 

First off, please lay off the caps....very annoying to read.

Second do a search for my part 1 and 2 of this install and start from there. It should answer your questions.

 

Death to Toasters,

Now that you had system up and running for a while would you do anything different? Matrix? Amps? Speakers?

You mentioned you had some noise/humming issues. How did you correct them?

 

Some good points about speakers and power.....My focals recommend 75 watts, my amp gives them 100.....They sound beautiful.

Power = good
Distortion = bad

 

sorry bout the caps, i guess it is kinda annoying, thanks for the info will do the search, I'm glad it is a possiblity, I was told I would have to rip out the stereo which I believe is intergrtd w/ nav, anyway thanks

 

one of the most entertaining DIYs I've read in a long time. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I like your work, but what happened to putting the Matrix in the stock amp location? I'm curious why that didn't pan out.

I didn't quite catch what you did to get rid of the noise. Perhaps you could have another go with that description? I've got a small noise problem myself...

 

Ok, Sorry about the long term sabbatical I have been on....life happens. Anyway some people have written me about noise issues. So I thought I would post some of the questions and actions I did to minimize/remove any noise:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: My system sounds trebley (is that a word?) on one end with more bass at the other. I am looking for SQ not a lot of boom. Any help, insights would be appreciated.

A: Do you have anything equalizing the signals before it goes to the amps? Like a AudioControl Matrix or a Cleansweep?

I have a Matrix....FYI.


Q: Should I try to integrate the factory amp into my custom setup.

A: You CAN try. Most people who keep the factory amp, use it strictly for the voice navigation. My opinion is that you need to get rid of the factory amp all together. It is built on 75 watts, and that is not that bad, the way they have it setup. With additional watts, it will over strain it. No doubt at all.

Q: I have hissing and/or engine noise.

A: The hiss you have is engine noise OR just plain NOISE from going through the stock amp. Pushing it beyond what it is supposed to do.

Q: How do I set the controls on the Matrix:

A:. Basically what I did with the Matrix is set the amps at half way, then used the matrix to equalize the signal.

Q: Can I keep the stock Volume Steering Controls?

A: Yes and No....You can keep the volume control IF you keep the same head unit....if you change the head unit, you will need to get one of those IR volume control things which is not that big of a deal, you can mount the senor in the overhead light,...it will transmit to the HU IR without any issues. You will just need to trace or find a diagram for the volume control wires from the steering wheel into the head unit and splice in the IR Volume control.

Q: How do I hook into the Matrix:

A: You have to use the diagrams on the site that I refer to and others have traced (I don't have the brains for that) to find what signal off the stock amp is what channel and control. Then put the RCA ends on them and put them into the matrix...that is the only way to make sure it is done correctly.

Q: Will I still need those little adapters to get rid of engine noise?

A: You may still need to put some high frequency filters on to get rid of the engine noise and/or hissing.

Other Basic Tips that make things MUCH easier!!


1) Just follow the basic rules of not putting POWER and SPEAKER wires on the same side of the car.

2) I suggest soldering, because it is the best connection, but if you use a connector, make sure it is shielded.

3) Pay a little extra for shielded speaker wire. Make sure you run the wire you need...not alot of extra wire.

4) Make sure you run the wires on the baseboard sides, try not to run it all under the carpet over the tranny.

5) Use quality shielded RCA's.

All these things cut a BIT of the noise out...but when combined together, they cut out ALOT if not ALL the noise.

All this stuff costs a bit more...but when you are driving home from work and you want to hear some good 80's HAIR BAND METAL (I am an 80's kid) you will smile at the fact that there is no noise for a bit more money.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

DTT

 

Just wanted to add, and I'm not doing this to put down DTT's install at all, cuz it's a great install... but since his project was done, Rockford came out with the 3sixty which does an awesome job of integrating with our factory system. It's tunable via Bluetooth and takes the input straight out of the stock amp at speaker level so you don't need to solder on RCAs. I have it in my car with JL Audio amps and Boston speakers and it sounds incredible!

 

It's tunable via Bluetooth? I assume there's a PC interface/software install to go along with that. Just what I could use for the carpc.

 

Actually, it runs on PocketPCs and Palms. If you could find an emulator for a PC, I assume it would work on that too, but not sure. I used my Dell Axim to tune mine.

(Once again, sorry to thread hijack here...)

 

STOP HIJACKING MY THREAD!!!

Just kidding... That sounds like a great device and would in theory solve alot of the noise issues and also some of the soldering/connection issues that alot of people have had and do have.

At this point for someone like me at this stage it is too late to let me say that I am too tired to worry about it, since it sounds good :P

Anyway, that is a great item, and I would start a separate post about it just to make people informed.

 

DEATH...
I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Although I installed a slight variation of what you did. You were the guiding light that led me out of the cave that IS noise fuqqin pollution.
For the last 3 months I've taken apart and put back together and grounded and regrounded and moved and rewired and soldered and butt connected and tried EVERYTHING. No ridding myself of the dreaded alternator whine.

I recently figured out that it's my OEM amp that is producing the noise.
I bypassed it and ran my DavidNavone line output converter to the matrix in the trunk and it diminished the sound tremendously, but was still there and def. limited the amount of gain I could increase before making the whine/white noise unbearable again. I even went to the extreme of installing a kill switch on my remote wire to be able to completely silence the system when I wanted no noise. A solution, but not an acceptable permanent one.

Ok...here's where things get good. After breaking said switch for the remote wire last night...I decided I'd put in a nice LED blue one much closer to where I could reach it. Took apart my center console AGAIN and what do you know...I made the whine worse...by moving around my LOC...(I ran the RCA's down the middle of the car this last configuration)...so that was it...I had had enough...
I reread your thread and realized that I was GONNA make this thing work and eliminate the LOC altogether.

Today, I (for the first time ever) soldered all my sets of rca's, labeled and used quick disconnects to the signal behind the OEM headunit (here's one of the ways my install differs a bit)...I then ran the MATRIX and shoved it under the passenger plastic kick panel (yes, it fits...tight, but it does)....then disconnected the OEM amp altogether and ran my RCA's to the back. I DID have to install a DC filter on my sub amp because since it all comes on at once with the MATRIX I was getting a loud DEEP sub pop when I turned the car on. That stopped that. Also, I was working with a Hifonics Brutus class D amp for my subs...a hifonics zues for my mids (4 channel) and a hifonics titan (extra...due to my lack of earlier troubleshooting skills I had bought this to replace my zues)...I tried to think of a way to configure to use another amp to keep my center channel, but at the end of the day...I didn't feel like spending that money on a set of 3.5" speakers..AND wiring and having to house another amp back there. The center channel on +6 from the factory amp really doesn't account for much sound at all anyway and I don't own any DVD Audio's so I figured it was a sacrifice I'd make.

But the important part is that now...
I have NO ENGINE WHINE/NOISE/WHITE NOISE/CRAZY I WANT TO TRADE MY CAR IN AND I HATE IT DIE DIE DIE DIE NOISE at all.

Again, thank you for sharing your experience...you inadvertently are my hero. I will sleep well tonight.


-Jeremy.