sound system install w/subwoofer mounted inside cabin: pics + guide
10-12-2010, 12:54 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
sound system install w/subwoofer mounted inside cabin: pics + guide
Yesterday I finished installation of a sound system in my recently purchased 2004 Z06. Following is a semi-detailed guide with pictures.
First, the components:
Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X994 head unit. Major selling points for me were: iPod control w/DAC bypass, 5-band EQ, 22 Watts RMS per channel, and general aesthetics. Purchased from Crutchfield so I'd have their tech support if needed. In hindsight I should've just eBayed it... probably would've saved $100 or more.
Infinity Kappa 680.9cs component speakers. I didn't want to use an external amp to drive the door speakers; this model has a low-impedance, high-efficiency design which will allow me to extract the most out of the head unit's amp. Purchased from eBay. That's heavy duty mounting tape on the back of the crossovers.
Blaupunkt THb200A powered slim 8" subwoofer, purchased from Midwest Electronics. Instead of installing a massive sub/enclosure/amp system in the trunk, I opted for a more modest self-contained system that I could mount directly in the cabin. This way I still get plenty of punch in my music but I'm not rattling the brain of the driver in the car next to me at the traffic light. It also saved on money, weight, and install time/complexity. Notice I glued bolts to the underside of the mounting hardware. This gives the sub some lift, allowing for airflow underneath it and thus maximum cooling for the amp.
Now onto the install. First, I completely stripped the interior to allow for installation of sound deadening mat and thermal insulation. This might seem intimidating if you've never done anything like it before, but it was pretty straightforward with the help of the following guides:
Detailed console and dash removal instructions: http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
Detailed door panel removal instructions: http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...or_handle.html
Another instruction set for interior removal: http://www.madvettemotorsports.com/p...lation_Kit.pdf
I also can't possibly overstate the usefulness of the C5 and General Audio FAQ: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/audi...audio-faq.html
Stripped cabin. To remove the driver side carpet you'll need a 10mm DEEP socket (a standard socket won't work because of the length that the bolt extrudes) to remove the dead pedal and gas pedal riser.
Stripped trunk.
Stripped door panel. A black rubber cover hides the highlighted hole; peal this off so you can load the door with vibration deadening material, then replace it when you're done. I used RAAMmat from RAAMaudio. A LOT of it. Even if you don't want to do the rest of the car like I did, deadening the doors is an absolute MUST.
Pre-cut insulation kit, courtesy of MadVette. It's a bit pricy but extremely convenient, and I don't mind paying for convenience. You can't tell, but underneath this is some more RAAMmat in strategic locations.
Trunk view of the insulation kit. Underneath this the trunk was completely covered in RAAMmat. The plywood was then glued to this, and the insulation kit was cut around the plywood. In case you didn't figure it out yet, the plywood will be used to mount the sub.
To install the head unit I had to cut this metal supporting bracket off with a mini hacksaw.
Both of these guys have seen better days
Speakers installed. Custom mounting brackets courtesy of MadVette. I reused the sticky, rubbery foam gasket from the Bose enclosure to create a solid seal with the door. From the interior kick panel area, peal back the black rubber square that leads to the door accordion; use a straight-ish section of a wire clothes hanger to fish the speaker wire through. The crossovers are installed directly behind the highlighted area. Hopefully that heavy duty mounting tape holds strong...
Finally started reinstalling the interior. Notice I cut the stock insulation around the plywood just like I did with the aftermarket thermal stuff. It turned out to be a similar thickness as the plywood, resulting in a smooth, stealthy appearance from above the carpet.
Finished product. It almost looks like I know what I'm doing... not quite sure how that happened
I used the seat bolt as the grounding point for the amp. To get the power line to the battery, you have to remove the big rubber grommet through the firewall from the passenger kick panel area. Then, from the engine compartment with the battery removed [I needed 6" of socket extension to reach the bolt that keeps the battery mounted down], identify where the wires come through the firewall and CAREFULLY put a slit in the thin rubber area surrounding the wires. I again used the section of wire hanger to fish the power line through. The trunk partition in the picture is courtesy of Southern Car Parts.
I had purchased a stock GM harness to wire the head unit with battery, ignition, and ground connections but the ignition wire didn't work. I would have never figured it out if not for my trusty handheld multimeter. So I tapped into the accessory power line from under the steering wheel since I had seen that someone else had done the same. It's the pale yellow wire in the small bundle that also includes grey, purple, pink, and sea green.
Head unit installed. I drilled a hole in the side of the dash for the mini stereo AUX plug.
...and wired the iPod connection directly into the glove compartment.
The last thing I did was replace the door panels. I removed the white styrofoam chunk so it would fit with the aftermarket insulation kit. When I did that I saw an awful lot of blank black plastic, so I went hog wild with the RAAMmat again. It was probably just overkill at this point, but I still had plenty of the stuff left over. TIP: make sure the window is down before reinstalling the door panel... I'm not sure it's even possible otherwise.
This project took me three full days (1/2 day for complete stripping of interior, 1 day for laying of sound deadening mat and thermal insulation material, 1 day for wiring and installation of electronics, and 1/2 day for reinstalling interior). But I was working alone in the basement garage of my apartment building, and I really took my time, and I took sporadic breaks to watch some football. If you have a proper garage or driveway and a friend to help, you might knock it out in half the time. I don't mean to downplay it, because I do classify this experience as a pain in the a$$. But I'm happy with the results and feel a great sense of accomplishment having done it myself, and it's comforting to know that it was all done correctly.
First, the components:
Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X994 head unit. Major selling points for me were: iPod control w/DAC bypass, 5-band EQ, 22 Watts RMS per channel, and general aesthetics. Purchased from Crutchfield so I'd have their tech support if needed. In hindsight I should've just eBayed it... probably would've saved $100 or more.
Infinity Kappa 680.9cs component speakers. I didn't want to use an external amp to drive the door speakers; this model has a low-impedance, high-efficiency design which will allow me to extract the most out of the head unit's amp. Purchased from eBay. That's heavy duty mounting tape on the back of the crossovers.
Blaupunkt THb200A powered slim 8" subwoofer, purchased from Midwest Electronics. Instead of installing a massive sub/enclosure/amp system in the trunk, I opted for a more modest self-contained system that I could mount directly in the cabin. This way I still get plenty of punch in my music but I'm not rattling the brain of the driver in the car next to me at the traffic light. It also saved on money, weight, and install time/complexity. Notice I glued bolts to the underside of the mounting hardware. This gives the sub some lift, allowing for airflow underneath it and thus maximum cooling for the amp.
Now onto the install. First, I completely stripped the interior to allow for installation of sound deadening mat and thermal insulation. This might seem intimidating if you've never done anything like it before, but it was pretty straightforward with the help of the following guides:
Detailed console and dash removal instructions: http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
Detailed door panel removal instructions: http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...or_handle.html
Another instruction set for interior removal: http://www.madvettemotorsports.com/p...lation_Kit.pdf
I also can't possibly overstate the usefulness of the C5 and General Audio FAQ: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/audi...audio-faq.html
Stripped cabin. To remove the driver side carpet you'll need a 10mm DEEP socket (a standard socket won't work because of the length that the bolt extrudes) to remove the dead pedal and gas pedal riser.
Stripped trunk.
Stripped door panel. A black rubber cover hides the highlighted hole; peal this off so you can load the door with vibration deadening material, then replace it when you're done. I used RAAMmat from RAAMaudio. A LOT of it. Even if you don't want to do the rest of the car like I did, deadening the doors is an absolute MUST.
Pre-cut insulation kit, courtesy of MadVette. It's a bit pricy but extremely convenient, and I don't mind paying for convenience. You can't tell, but underneath this is some more RAAMmat in strategic locations.
Trunk view of the insulation kit. Underneath this the trunk was completely covered in RAAMmat. The plywood was then glued to this, and the insulation kit was cut around the plywood. In case you didn't figure it out yet, the plywood will be used to mount the sub.
To install the head unit I had to cut this metal supporting bracket off with a mini hacksaw.
Both of these guys have seen better days
Speakers installed. Custom mounting brackets courtesy of MadVette. I reused the sticky, rubbery foam gasket from the Bose enclosure to create a solid seal with the door. From the interior kick panel area, peal back the black rubber square that leads to the door accordion; use a straight-ish section of a wire clothes hanger to fish the speaker wire through. The crossovers are installed directly behind the highlighted area. Hopefully that heavy duty mounting tape holds strong...
Finally started reinstalling the interior. Notice I cut the stock insulation around the plywood just like I did with the aftermarket thermal stuff. It turned out to be a similar thickness as the plywood, resulting in a smooth, stealthy appearance from above the carpet.
Finished product. It almost looks like I know what I'm doing... not quite sure how that happened
I used the seat bolt as the grounding point for the amp. To get the power line to the battery, you have to remove the big rubber grommet through the firewall from the passenger kick panel area. Then, from the engine compartment with the battery removed [I needed 6" of socket extension to reach the bolt that keeps the battery mounted down], identify where the wires come through the firewall and CAREFULLY put a slit in the thin rubber area surrounding the wires. I again used the section of wire hanger to fish the power line through. The trunk partition in the picture is courtesy of Southern Car Parts.
I had purchased a stock GM harness to wire the head unit with battery, ignition, and ground connections but the ignition wire didn't work. I would have never figured it out if not for my trusty handheld multimeter. So I tapped into the accessory power line from under the steering wheel since I had seen that someone else had done the same. It's the pale yellow wire in the small bundle that also includes grey, purple, pink, and sea green.
Head unit installed. I drilled a hole in the side of the dash for the mini stereo AUX plug.
...and wired the iPod connection directly into the glove compartment.
The last thing I did was replace the door panels. I removed the white styrofoam chunk so it would fit with the aftermarket insulation kit. When I did that I saw an awful lot of blank black plastic, so I went hog wild with the RAAMmat again. It was probably just overkill at this point, but I still had plenty of the stuff left over. TIP: make sure the window is down before reinstalling the door panel... I'm not sure it's even possible otherwise.
This project took me three full days (1/2 day for complete stripping of interior, 1 day for laying of sound deadening mat and thermal insulation material, 1 day for wiring and installation of electronics, and 1/2 day for reinstalling interior). But I was working alone in the basement garage of my apartment building, and I really took my time, and I took sporadic breaks to watch some football. If you have a proper garage or driveway and a friend to help, you might knock it out in half the time. I don't mean to downplay it, because I do classify this experience as a pain in the a$$. But I'm happy with the results and feel a great sense of accomplishment having done it myself, and it's comforting to know that it was all done correctly.
Last edited by skyavonee; 10-12-2010 at 02:56 PM. Reason: fixed pics
10-12-2010, 12:55 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
hmmm... images not showing up for some reason. I have them linked to my Flickr account - any ideas why this might not work???
EDIT: Fixed!
EDIT: Fixed!
Last edited by skyavonee; 10-12-2010 at 02:58 PM. Reason: clarification
10-12-2010, 02:00 PM
#3
10-14-2010, 09:00 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
SOUND CHECK UPDATE: I wanted to give it a few days of listening before commenting on the results of my new system. Overall I'm very pleased.
Kenwood head unit: Lots of features, high power, sexy design, and intuitive menus - I really couldn't ask for much more. Previously I was a Pioneer guy when it came to head units... now I'm with team Kenwood and not looking back.
Infinity components: Fresh out of the box I wasn't too impressed with them. Vocals and snare drum felt cold, and tom drums lacked depth. After tinkering with the EQ settings though, and possibly as a result of some speaker break-in, they sound much better now. Highs are sharp, as expected, but I'm surprised at how well these speakers handle lows. I've read many reviews that speak ill of the low-end response of Infinity Kappas, so I'm attributing the great sound of mine to two factors: 1) the large interior volume of the Corvette door, and 2) all that vibration deadening I packed in there.
Blaupunkt sub: It pretty much has exactly the punchy sound I was hoping for and expecting. I'm definitely missing out on the lowest bass sounds, probably starting at around 40 Hz or so, but I've always been a bigger fan of the range of frequencies from 50 or 60 Hz up to 100 or 120Hz anyway. One drawback, however, is that the grill currently rattles at high volumes. This is definitely unacceptable, but fortunately I have a couple different ideas to deal with this issue.
Kenwood head unit: Lots of features, high power, sexy design, and intuitive menus - I really couldn't ask for much more. Previously I was a Pioneer guy when it came to head units... now I'm with team Kenwood and not looking back.
Infinity components: Fresh out of the box I wasn't too impressed with them. Vocals and snare drum felt cold, and tom drums lacked depth. After tinkering with the EQ settings though, and possibly as a result of some speaker break-in, they sound much better now. Highs are sharp, as expected, but I'm surprised at how well these speakers handle lows. I've read many reviews that speak ill of the low-end response of Infinity Kappas, so I'm attributing the great sound of mine to two factors: 1) the large interior volume of the Corvette door, and 2) all that vibration deadening I packed in there.
Blaupunkt sub: It pretty much has exactly the punchy sound I was hoping for and expecting. I'm definitely missing out on the lowest bass sounds, probably starting at around 40 Hz or so, but I've always been a bigger fan of the range of frequencies from 50 or 60 Hz up to 100 or 120Hz anyway. One drawback, however, is that the grill currently rattles at high volumes. This is definitely unacceptable, but fortunately I have a couple different ideas to deal with this issue.
10-17-2010, 02:07 PM
#6
I'm curious about how you wired the subwoofer in. I'm assuming you used one set of outputs from the head unit for your door speakers, the other set for the sub, and you're not operating the rear speakers.
Is this correct?
Alan
Is this correct?
Alan
10-17-2010, 03:12 PM
#7
Race Director
That's a excellent install there. To answer A Marsh's question, I would assume a HU like that would have it's own sub woofer line level out connectors along with a full set of front and rear line level output connectors, right?
10-18-2010, 10:40 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Yeah, the head unit has 3 sets of preamps: front, rear, and sub. So I have the sub running from the sub preamp, and the other two aren't currently in use since I'm running the door speakers with the head unit's built-in amp.
10-19-2010, 07:41 PM
#10
Drifting
Nice! Thanks for posting all of the pictures of your sound deadening installation. I just installed a bunch of RAAMAT BXT II in the rear with a layer of ensolite on top of it. I have yet to tackle the doors for sound deadening and the speaker install. It looks like I will need some more BXT II to cover the inside of the door panels.
I also have a powered sub mounted inside the cabin on the rear deck. It's an Infinty Basslink, mounted vertically behind the driver's seat. I'll be changing it out soon for a JL Stealthbox w/ a 10" Sub powered by an ARC mini amp with some Image Dynamics Components
I also have a powered sub mounted inside the cabin on the rear deck. It's an Infinty Basslink, mounted vertically behind the driver's seat. I'll be changing it out soon for a JL Stealthbox w/ a 10" Sub powered by an ARC mini amp with some Image Dynamics Components
Last edited by jpandes; 10-21-2010 at 01:49 PM.
10-20-2010, 11:50 AM
#11
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Cool, if I were to do this over again I'd probably go with the Basslink or Basslink II; they're more capable than the Blaupunkt. I decided on the slim sub because I originally wanted to mount it vertically directly behind the passenger seat. But once I got in there, I realized it would be easier to just mount it on the rear deck.
The doors are pretty easy; you should have no problems if you already did the trunk. Definitely use some Ensolite in there too - I didn't, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting some reflections that are affecting clarity of the middle frequencies.
The doors are pretty easy; you should have no problems if you already did the trunk. Definitely use some Ensolite in there too - I didn't, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting some reflections that are affecting clarity of the middle frequencies.
10-21-2010, 01:47 PM
#12
I'm in the process of doing pretty much the same upgrade you've made except that I'm replacing both the front and rear speakers. I may eventually install a self-contained subwoofer. I don't feel the need to have a really powerful amp and a big subwoofer in such a small cabin. I also don't want to sacrifice the storage bins, at least, not the center one.
01-11-2011, 12:11 PM
#14
Team Owner
Nice writeup and good work there.
If you dont find I'll offer my opinion. Those Kappa's are rated at 90w RMS. Only 22w off the HU isnt giving them nearly enough juice to sound their best. A small X-amp would be easy to mount and make them sound tons better.
It seems theres are quite a few people selling used basslinks and moving up to other sub options. I've heard a basslink II in a C6. The volume and quality was lacking to say the least.
If you dont find I'll offer my opinion. Those Kappa's are rated at 90w RMS. Only 22w off the HU isnt giving them nearly enough juice to sound their best. A small X-amp would be easy to mount and make them sound tons better.
It seems theres are quite a few people selling used basslinks and moving up to other sub options. I've heard a basslink II in a C6. The volume and quality was lacking to say the least.
09-07-2016, 09:34 AM
#15
helpful write up! just a question.
Did you also use ensolite from Raamaudio?
I just ordered package #2 from Raamaudio for my c5 z06.
With the Rammat BXT II and the ensolite I should be good for sound and heat correct?
And i see your using the precut kit from madvettes.. That kits is just for heat right?
Thanks!
Did you also use ensolite from Raamaudio?
I just ordered package #2 from Raamaudio for my c5 z06.
With the Rammat BXT II and the ensolite I should be good for sound and heat correct?
And i see your using the precut kit from madvettes.. That kits is just for heat right?
Thanks!
