Start of a System ( with Pics )

[oejeffrey]

Fellow Piloteers
I have decided to start a post about the beginings of my Audio system in my 2005 Pilot. I read a little about some people having speaker concerns in the sub location and the doors. I personaly like the sound of the Polk Mobile Monitor system speakers as I find them very bright and detailed. Although I must say that these speakers are very bright and not for everyone. I even run a Sony and Klipsch system at home if that gives you any idea how bright a system I like.
I started off with a MA Audio HK1001F 10 inch sub in the back location. According to specs it takes a mere 3 and 1/2 inches of mounting depth. I wanted to keep a stock look back there and the MA Audio allowed me to plug that baby right in with no additional cutting or modifications. In other words...IT MOUNTED INTO THE STOCK LOCATION WITH NO ALTERATIONS WHAT SO EVER!!!!!!!
Handles 400 watts RMS and takes up to 800 watts peak.


Yes you need something to push that baby and I got a deal on a Kicker amp from Crutchfield. I got a open box buy and paid something like 200.00 + shipping. I got a Kicker SX600.2 with a actual power rating of about 665 watts. Now I do not have this amp mounted & wired yet but I put it in the back head rest storage area where you can atleast get a idea of what it will look like. I am going to be sacrificing some head rest storage but hey we can't have everything in life can we ?? I also got the end caps custom painted at a local shop. I figured why not spend 50 bucks for a little custom work ?? Three different views.




Well now for upfront I went with the brightest speakers I could find and went with The Polk Mobile Monitor component system. I went with the MM Coaxials in the back location. I did not take a picture of these as they mount in the stock location and you honestly can not see the difference. THESE ARE ALL BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT SPEAKERS!!!!!!!! Mounting was a lot trickier with the component speakers and my installer ended up spending a hour longer on these than he planned on.
These speakers were definitely custom and did not fit in easily like the sub did at all !!!!. But we got them mounted and will be pushing them with another Kicker amp as well.



I know I am also going to be switching the head unit out soon...probaly a double din Alpine with a DVD touch screen but that is not in the budget yet. Over time is my friend. I am also goint to be adding a 30 band EQ. This is definitely not going to be the loudest system in the world but I am hoping it will be sounding just right for my ears.

[charly]

Very nice set up..
Good choice on those polks and it may not be the loudest sound but most deff. be one of the clearest sound

[charly]

Just one more to show you mine..

[oejeffrey]

I see a lot of people went with the sail panels for instalation of the component tweeter. Not a bad spot at all. My installer talked me into putting my tweets in the door panel as you can tell. If I ever decide to resell the Pilot I might be in some trouble but for right now...the sound is sweet.
It looks like you went with the MoMos. GREAT speker....very accurate sound.
What did you do for a sub and what do you have pushing the Polks ??

[charly]

Here is a shot of my two subs,
Kicker..all the waaay..
for my Polks I got the 06ZX850.4 Kicker offcourse.

I forgot to mention, that's a nice amp you got there, did you paint or it came like that, blue?

[oejeffrey]

I got the amp custom painted at a local shop. I figured why not ?? I am going to go ahead and order another 4 channel SX kicker amp to push everything up front. My installer said I could go with a 2 channel to just the front and let the head unit push the rears and I would never notice the difference but the price difference is only 50 bucks bewteen the two amps. You can go to crutchfield and see what the amp looks like originally. It is a kicker SX amp.I am going to carpet the rear head rest area and install a few fans to keep everything cool. Atleast that is the plan so far. LOL

[charly]

I thought of doing the samething to mine, putting two computer fans one to suck air in the the other to spit it out but after 1 year my amp runs cool, although it gets warm but that is all. And if you get to do it just keep us updated..

[moda_way]

Originally posted by oejeffrey
I got the amp custom painted at a local shop. I figured why not ?? I am going to go ahead and order another 4 channel SX kicker amp to push everything up front. My installer said I could go with a 2 channel to just the front and let the head unit push the rears and I would never notice the difference but the price difference is only 50 bucks bewteen the two amps. You can go to crutchfield and see what the amp looks like originally. It is a kicker SX amp.I am going to carpet the rear head rest area and install a few fans to keep everything cool. Atleast that is the plan so far. LOL

When I saw you put that amp in the storage area, first thought was to cool. You have two choices, do an in-ward facing fan to bring cool air in and and outward facing fan to pull the cool air across the chamber. Other option is to create a vent over the amp and have two outward facing fans on opposite sides of the amp to draw the cool air in.

What you give up are holes in the storage cover, but I think it would look pretty sweet.

I would also make sure you have a digital thermal gauge of some sort that you can monitor it. They are cheap enough in the PC world. No sense in blowing an amp over an easy solution.

[oejeffrey]

Good Idea guys as far as cooling is concerned. Here is what my installer recomended so far.
2 fans...one in and one out....his idea is that as long as air is moving back there I will be ok. The SX amps have internal fans but I do not think those will be enough. My idea was 4 fans. One on the far left and one on the far right to suck air in and two in the middle to suck air out. He said that would be over kill and that is why he is the installer and I am a nurse. I like the idea of a digital gauge mounted up front somewhere....that may be a happening thing...thanx for that suggestion. I am always ready to listen to a idea if anyone has one they would like to share. I am planning on a top end alpine dvd head unit...anyone got a opionin ???

[oejeffrey]

Well guys I have been busy buying equipment and thought I would share with you the most recent purchases. I picked up another kicker amp and now have a 600.2 and a 700.4
As you can tell by the pict I haven't gotten the top one painted yet. I got it off of E-Bay and this is one amp I am really excited about. This one is the 700.4 and it will power the front speakers and the back speakers at about 175 watts to all 4 channels if the specs are right.

The 600.2 will be run Mono and should put out this much power to the sub as you can see by the Kicker Power Sheet. You can scroll back up and see a pict of the sub if ya want. MA Audios website has been down for a while and I do not know if or when they will be back up but my installer told me that there is a new Alpine sub coming out in March of 2010 that will fit in the stock location without mods. I think it is a Type R shallow mount.

One great thing about the Kicker SX Amps is that they can be controlled by a remote called the SXRC. It is Din Mountable and allows control of the amps crossovers and a small parametric EQ. It also tells you temp of the amp,hours ran and allows you to name the amp as well.

If you notice the controls on the SXRC match the controls on the face of the SX Amps as well.

OHH YEAH !!! THIS IS GONNA BE SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!
The most recent purchase is a AudioControl DQS!! This is a 30 band 6 channel digital equalizer. This one also has a available remote control but I haven't got it purchased yet.

The last purchase is going to be a Double Din Alpine unit of some kind. My installer is gonna be busy !!!
More pics soon !!!!!!

[rocky]

I certainly want to get the stock speakers out inc the rear sub.

One dumbass car stereo newbie question for you. I presume that the extra amp needs its own power supply. Where have you taken the power from and how much is needed?

[oejeffrey]

Hey Rocky !!
Not a dumb question at all. The stock sub is pretty weak to say the least. If I did not have my installer I would have no idea.
Well to answer your question about this set up, it is a little more complicated than some but nothing that you can't handle. I will be running a power wire straight off of the battery. Probaly 2 gauge in width. That will be ran to a small battery otherwise my lights will dim when the AC and windshield wipers are on when the stereo thumps a little bit. Then another 2 gauge wire to a power distrubution block....then power to the amp. It sounds complicated but it really isn't it I promise.
There will be more pics to come!!!!

[charly]

Hope this will help you,
But you deff got to get the power from the batt to the Amp. but every amp has its own turn on line..what i mean is besides the main power of the amp it also has a small power imput that you tap it from any acc current.

Hey Jeffry how much did you paid for the DQS it looks gorgeus

[samc]

You mean a 2 gauge to a capacitor in the back then that to a distro block for your two subs?

And I do like the amp location, you could probably get away with using zelcro honestly. But yeah you would need to create vents for two fans.

But loving what I'm seeing so far, please keep updating.

[oejeffrey]

I think I paid like 180 plus shipping for the DQS...I know it was less than 200 total. Yes it is in good looking shape and that is a bummer as it will get hidden under a seat somewhere.
My installer is wanting me to use a small battery intead of a capacitor. He claims that he has seen capacitors blow up in accidents. I just gotta have faith in him as I could start a I.V without problem and he does installs. He said the price would be about the same as a cap though so I don't feel like he is ripping me off or anything. He has the same battery set up in his car.
This is a lot of fun.