Upgraded Stock (non-BA) Sound System (Amps + Sub + Speakers = GREATNESS)

[ecko04]

Well, I decided to create a new thread. Some of the same information can be found in my "Member Car Journals" thread

It seems like ******** has all the owners of the BA system covered but as for the rest of us, they left us high and dry. In fact, I reached out via PM and email a few times to ******** while I was organizing my thoughts on a system and the only response I received was in regards to mounting an amp behind their box, but I digress. They seem to be well loved here, but not so much in my book.

In any case, here's what I wanted:

• Retain stock HU
• Retain majority of trunk space
• Clean look
• Nice bass
• Nice highs & mids

With those things in mind I decided I would go with the following system components

• Polk DXi 6x9s
• Polk DXi 6.5 Components
• Kicker 11ZX750.1 (RMS 925w @ 2ohms)
• JL XD 400/4
• Dayton Audio RSS265HF-4 10"
• Custom drivers side 10" sub box (.7 cu/ft)
• ******** Factory Amp Mount (I didn't have a factory amp but I used it to mount the JL in the factory location)
• PAC AA-GM44
• Installbay (Metra) 4-channel Speed Wire
• x2 Kicker DB1448 (Distribution Blocks)
• Kicker ZCK4 (4 Gauge Amp Kit) used for mono block
• Kicker ZCK84 (8 gauge amp kit) used for 4 channel
• Kicker XI46 (4-channel shielded RCA's)
• Kicker XI24 (2-channel shielded RCA's)

Install your speakers and your rear speakers. This has been covered in great detail. If you need a little guide, see the attached PDF.

I don't have pics of this part but in order to use the PAC AA-GM44 for a 4 channel, you need to modify the harness a little bit.

You cut the harness in the middle. Take the speaker wires from the car side and wire them into speed wire. The radio side you wire into the AA-GM44. Go ahead and turn the levels all the way up on the AA-GM44 (this will keep you from having the remove the radio again). Go ahead and wire your AA-GM44 to 12v constant and accessory while you're doing the wiring. You won't find a switched power source behind the radio so don't worry about the remote wire in the speed wire for now. Plug in your 4 channel RCA's and run them to the back of the car.

Now grab a remote wire from one of your amp kits. What you want to do, while the center console is still apart since you needed to take it apart to remove the radio, go ahead and grab your remote from the cig socket. The wire color will either be red or green (most likely green). However, when in doubt, use your DMM (digital multi-meter). The last thing you want is to put everything together just to remove everything again. Now, run your remote along side your RCA's.

Take your amp and mount it on the Sub Thump bracket. Now you'll need a 12mm bolt to secure it to the factory location but you'll have some time to do that as this will be one of the last things you do.

In the spare tire well you'll notice a factory ground point (i.e. you don't HAVE to use the battery). Run your ground from that point into your distribution block. You then take a 8 awg and run it from the distribution block to your 4-channel amp (make sure your fuse is in-line). Next you'll take a 4 awg and run it from the distribution block to your mono amp (make sure your fuse is in-line). Next you'll be the exact same thing with the other distribution block for power, which you will grab from the battery.

Now you have almost all your wires ran.

Next, you'll take your mono block amp and make it look nice and pretty. What I did was drill a hole in the back of the amp rack to run all my wires. I used spacers to "float" the amp. Go ahead and splice the remote wire, you'll need one going to the mono and another going to the 4-channel. Understand by powering the amps using switched accessory, you will lose some functions. For example, the door chimes when you mistakenly leave your lights on and the ability to play music without your key in the ignition. Now, you can use DC offset for amp turn-on but DC offset isn't foolproof and doesn't work with all speakers and amps.

I used 10 awg wire for subwoofer speaker wire. I took the 2-channel RCA's and plugged them into the input of the mono block amp. You might ask why. Well because i'm using the pre-out from the 4-channel as an input to the mono block. The reason for this is that it eliminates the need for a line-output converter (LOC).

Next go on over to the side where the 4-channel will mount and wire in your speed wire, RCA's, power, etc. Once again, do not mount the amp as you'll need to adjust your gains prior to installing the sub box.

Well that's about it. Everything is is cake if you made it this far. Oh and don't forget to tape and wire loom everything. Remember, we like the factory look.

Now for pics.

*Notes*

My Dayton Audio sub was backordered so to hold me over I put in my friend's Polk DXi 10" DVC, which is an amazing sub but I burned it out while testing its limits. It is rated at 250w RMS, well I pushed double that to it and burned a voice coil. I already ordered a replacement for her.

I picked up a Kicker CVR, which I am accustomed to and while it's loud, I don't think it sounds as good as the Polk. I'll only be using it for a few days though. Then again the Polk won't sound anywhere near as good as the Dayton either. To each his/her own though. If you want it loud there are subs for that. If you want better sound quality, there are also subs for that. The days of wanting people to hear me before they saw me are over.















Then I blew a coil on the sub so I took a little break.






Ok time to replace the sub.







Yes, it is a lot of work but it's worth it to achieve amazing sound. Luckily for me, i've done this so many times that it's pretty simple. I got most of it done between 7am and 11am because I had a meeting at 11:30am. After the meeting I finished up.

[Iwantone2]

You sir, are a beast!!! What was the total time for install?

Great pics, btw!

[ecko04]

Originally Posted by Iwantone2

You sir, are a beast!!! What was the total time for install?

Great pics, btw!

Thanks!

Probably close to 8 hrs altogether.

[Abstrak]

nice I think im going to upgrade my system in june

[ecko04]

I've been geting lots of inquires about how to wire a line-output converter, which one to buy, how to do it for a monoblock amp, how to do it for a 4 channel, what about both, etc.

When I get back in town i'll take some pics of how I did the wiring.

I basically got fed up in another C5 thread with a member swearing me up and down his "method" was different. After doing these installs for 6 yrs+, i'm very certain it is not. In any case, i'm here to give others a hand and that's what i'll do. You guys (and gals) can expect more pics soon...weather permitting.

[jeepguy_1980]

Looks good. I'll post my pics tomorrow. I ran too large wire to my sub, and the fiberglass box is too tight of a fit for it. The when I pulled my carpet, I couldn't get it to go back completely under my sub enclosure and lay flat.

As for my method being different, well it is, but only slightly. I didn't need a true LOC for my amp and didn't want to confuse the tuning process by adding one, or having another point of failure in my system.

A true LOC converts the speaker level signals to pre-amp input levels, that's why they have circuity and knobs to adjust their output, see here. My adapters have zero circuitry. The signal runs directly from my radio to my amp with zero alteration (other than the natural resistance of the wiring itself). There are no gain adjustments on my adapters, because they do not de-gain the signal from my head unit.

I can't even tune my system properly as it is, so adding another piece to the puzzle would only make it harder on me.

[ecko04]

Originally Posted by jeepguy_1980

Looks good. I'll post my pics tomorrow. I ran too large wire to my sub, and the fiberglass box is too tight of a fit for it. The when I pulled my carpet, I couldn't get it to go back completely under my sub enclosure and lay flat.

As for my method being different, well it is, but only slightly. I didn't need a true LOC for my amp and didn't want to confuse the tuning process by adding one, or having another point of failure in my system.

A true LOC converts the speaker level signals to pre-amp input levels, that's why they have circuity and knobs to adjust their output, see here. My adapters have zero circuitry. The signal runs directly from my radio to my amp with zero alteration (other than the natural resistance of the wiring itself). There are no gain adjustments on my adapters, because they do not de-gain the signal from my head unit.

I can't even tune my system properly as it is, so adding another piece to the puzzle would only make it harder on me.

I figured I would try your method today (using 2 ZISLs), cutting the harness and ditching the huge LOC and all I can say is

The AA-GM44 LOC is genuinely a POS. Using the ZISL I could instantly tell the signal had cleared up significantly. I did have to use 2 pairs of female couplers from the ZISL to my 4-channel RCAs. My sub amp is using the 4 channel pre-outs and the sub now recognizes frequencies that it merely glanced over using the AA-GM44 LOC. Even with the levels turned fully up on the AA-GM44 LOC I had to adjust the gains on the 4-channel amp. With the ZISLs connected, I had to turn the gains back down. The front speakers gain is as low as it can possibly be, while the rear speakers are turned up approximately 1/8.

I wasn't expecting such a drastic change. I don't know how PAC managed to FUBAR this. The harness is great, the LOC is a POS.

On the other hand, using the blue wire on the PAC harness is indeed a remote turn-on. If you look, the blue/white wire is in the PAC harness but has no wire associated with it on the vehicle side. The remote wire has 12v when the radio is on or the vehicle needs to alert you (i.e. leaving the headlight switch in the on position).

With that being said, PAC is exactly what I thought they were...POS. The harness is great, if you modify it. If you plan on using the PAC LOC, prepare to deal with signal quality degradation.

So...

[ecko04]

Removed the PAC LOC and went with a different conversion













While I was at it, I changed my sub box and subwoofer.













In comparison to a Kicker CVR





In the new box

[jeepguy_1980]

Originally Posted by ecko04

Removed the PAC LOC and went with a different conversion

So it looks like you are using a 4-channel amp. Did you run the wires from your amp directly into the doors? I didn't even bother trying to tackle that problem. I ran my wires back into the PAC harness, which I admit is a compromise.

[ecko04]

Originally Posted by jeepguy_1980

So it looks like you are using a 4-channel amp. Did you run the wires from your amp directly into the doors? I didn't even bother trying to tackle that problem. I ran my wires back into the PAC harness, which I admit is a compromise.

Yes, this is for a 4-channel and Mono.

I ran the wires from the vehicle (cut the middle of the AA-GM44) to the amp. Ran the RCAs up from the amp up to the ZISL. I saw you ran your wires into the AA-GM44 which I saw as being a little odd but it works for you. Not to mention if you're only doing a mono, it makes perfect sense.

[jeepguy_1980]

I'm using a 5 channel amp. But running the wires into the door looks like a pain.

[ecko04]

Originally Posted by jeepguy_1980

I'm using a 5 channel amp. But running the wires into the door looks like a pain.

Is there a reason why you're not using the factory wiring?

[2010SLVRBULIT]

Hehe..thought a wee bit too much power for the entry level Polk. Nice Dayton, how does it does it sound?

[jeepguy_1980]

Originally Posted by ecko04

Is there a reason why you're not using the factory wiring?

I am using the factory wiring for the front speakers but not the rears. I thought you weren't using the factory wiring. Because I don't see where you're feeding back into in the pictures.

Mine is wired up as follows:

Front speakers:
PAC harness > ZISL > RCA > amp > PAC harness > my wires > factory wires > speaker wire adapter > crossovers > speakers

Rear speakers:
PAC harness > ZISL > RCA > amp > my wires > rear speakers