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OK so my corvette is down for the winter, removing all the interior and doing a full stereo install. Over the years I've probably done around 2 dozen Stereo installs. Car audio has always been a hobby of mine and over the last few years I've started up my install game.
I used to spend a ton of money on amps, components, subs, ECT, and never really got the results I wanted. I'm a big fan of rock music as well as most other genres but I always found midbass to be lacking in every component set I purchased no matter the cost.
The last few installs I've done I have focused more on sound deadening and install quality. This has totally changed my view on car stereo. By focusing on door deadening and position, placement, and quality installation I've found that I can make much cheaper components sound as good or better than $500+ systems available.
Most of my install have been don't using active crossovers but for my corvette I have a goal of no change of the stock interior besides the head unit. I won't be cutting into any interior panels or making any visible changes. This will mainly look stock unless you know where to look.
The other goal is a super low budget. Under $600 is my goal. I used to budget 1500+ for even a low end install but I've found that I can get much more SQ by doing a proper install rather than going crazy on equipment.
That being said I have two little kids and barely time on the weekend to work on this. I started end of October and hopefully will be done by years end but we will see.
Most of the interior taking up alot of garage space. Everything out that is coming out!
Planning on doing 6.5" component set up front in the stock location, with passive crossovers because of budget reasons. Then doing a 10" sub in the center hole in the rear. More to come!
Cool, look forward to following. You are doing all, including HU for $600?
Yes, kinda. I'm using a sub I already have laying around. I will give an update soon and will include my prices paid for my equipment. I found an active capable HU for $99 which is crazy, even though I'm going passive I know in a year I will be fed up and get a dedicated sub amp and go active on my components. My ideal HU is the pioneer 80prs. Had that in my last car and can't say enough good things about it.
Why are active crossovers so much better?
Are you saying you are going to use a 4 chan amp rear bridged for sub, and then later use it only for the fronts and get an additional sub amp?
Why are active crossovers so much better?
Are you saying you are going to use a 4 chan amp rear bridged for sub, and then later use it only for the fronts and get an additional sub amp?
Yes sir that's the plan. To make it simple active crossover allows Controll of each individual speakers, with a nice head unit like a pioneer 80prs you can change the t/a, eq, and crossover points for each speaker. This gives maximum control. With passive crossovers they are set to a slope and point and are not adjustable, so you lose alot of control. The head unit or amp for a passive setup can only control the left or right speakers as a group not each individually. Doesn't sound like it would be that big of a deal but the imaging you can get with active setup blows you away when you compare it to passive setups.
Why do you like a dedicated sub amp, besides the extra power?
I could care less if it's dedicated. 5 channels are ideal but in this case I have a 4 ch and will add a mono block for the sub or just add a small 2 channel for the tweets in the future if I want to go active. Here's some pictures to a budget build in my old eclipse. This was ultra labor intensive, a ton of sound deadening and alot of wire in this sucker. Kid that bought it from me probably got the car for free considering the time I put I to the stereo on it. I used a 5 ch amp on this one.
I had probably 300 feet of wiring, over 90 connections all soldered, and 2 full packages of raammat. I think it was over 200 hours of labor when i was all done, plus around 100-150 hours of research. But for under $1500 it sounded better than $5000+ systems I've done before using expensive amps and component kits.
What sound deadening are you going to use?
Are you going to apply to the areas based on what others have done that gained the most benefit, or the entire car equally?
What sound deadening are you going to use?
Are you going to apply to the areas based on what others have done that gained the most benefit, or the entire car equally?
That's kind of why I chimed in on this thread. I would like to see where dewoof01 goes with this install. Particularly with regards to sound deadened as I have very little experience with it. I've done the foil kits on two previous C5's before and while they have their benefits, improving stereo sound quality isn't one. That said, I have another complete "foil" kit from Vettenutz along with these two kits I've had from a previous C5 that I sold before having installed them....
What sound deadening are you going to use?
Are you going to apply to the areas based on what others have done that gained the most benefit, or the entire car equally?
Raammat. Best bang for the buck. The product is not the most important thing. It's the install method. SEALING the doors is the biggest sq improvement you can make in my opinion. Otherwise you just won't be happy with the midbass response. The sound deadener is only one component in the door sealing process. Hopefully I'll have some more pictures up soon. Been a busy couple weeks.
I'd like to use as little sound deadened as possible. I give myself a guilt trip every time I add weight to my car. Luckily, besides the stack of stereo components I have ready for this install, I have a whole bunch more to stiff under the hood including and A&A SC kit, LG long tubes/off-road pipe, BTR cam and valve train components, aluminum radiator, gauges/pod, Cartek line lock, etc. going to be a fun car come springtime!! Hitting hard, bumping hard and running hard... If all goes "according to manual"!!
Anyway. Looking forward to some ideas on the sound deadening.
I'd like to use as little sound deadened as possible. I give myself a guilt trip every time I add weight to my car. Luckily, besides the stack of stereo components I have ready for this install, I have a whole bunch more to stiff under the hood including and A&A SC kit, LG long tubes/off-road pipe, BTR cam and valve train components, aluminum radiator, gauges/pod, Cartek line lock, etc. going to be a fun car come springtime!! Hitting hard, bumping hard and running hard... If all goes "according to manual"!!
Anyway. Looking forward to some ideas on the sound deadening.
You have some real work ahead of you this winter. Gonna be awesome once you get it all done though! I too am using as little sound deadener as I possibly can. I am not completely done installing the BXTII Raammat but the #1 kit is enough to do a decent job on the car, plus it only weighed like 20-25 lbs. There were 20 sheets on the #1 kit and that is enough to do a sufficient job, then theres 3 yards of the ensolite which probably won't be enough, but I haven't installed that yet. But once again the Raammat alone is not enough. You need to properly SEAL the doors, in order to have an improvement in the midbass speakers in the doors. And when you do the improvement is HUGE. This will be my 3rd hatch back car installing sound deadener into, and the areas to always hit are the doors, trunk/hatch floor, rear fenderwells. You need to cover the rear completely. I'm amazed how much road noise comes through the rear wall and trunk area with the fenderwells so close to you and also practically leaning back on the tranny. Also first time for me in sound deadening a basically plastic car. So far I don't think I've noticed as big of a difference as when its done on sheet metal so not sure how much difference it will be overall when done, but it will for sure be noticable.
Of those two links to the products that were listed, i would pass on both. Waste of money.
Rear hatch area. 1 full layer of BXTII on the floor and fenderwells. Smaller chunks on walls and well areas. Then one additional layer in middle of rear floor as that is a very flexible piece.
Rear wall behind seat with 1 full layer of BXTII
60% coverage of BXTII on outer door skins. This is all that is needed in this area. Just cut smaller chunks to fit through the access panels and cover all the larger areas.
BXTII coverage behind midbass driver. Then in this area another second layer 10x10" or so of BXTII on top. Then finally right behind midbass driver add a 8x8 or so layer of Ensolite foam.
This is all that is needed imo inside the door. Next up is the inside door panel which is alot more work and the actual "sealing" of the door. Basically the goal is to made the door a giant sub box for the midbass driver.
Ok so now only the actual "sealing" of the doors. There is one very large access area, then there is the hole for the speakers. I am going to be placing my midbass and tweeter in the factory locations. I am really a fan of a pillar mounted tweets but I don't want to cut into any panels, nor do I want to ruin the stock look of the interior.
To properly seal the door these holes need to be filled and sealed shut. I usually use MDF however, using high quality birch plywood saves alot of weight and since weight gain is a serious issue for me, I am going with 1/2" baltic birch plywood for these panels. The speaker baffle is used to seal the door hole up but also to add weight and strength for the speaker mount, this will help reduce vibration as well as produce better midbass response. I cut the panels out with a jig saw, then i drilled through the panel and the door, and inserted threaded rivets into the holes in the door i drilled.
Then after the cutouts were done I covered in 2 coats of rubberized undercoater to waterproof.
Before mounting the panels it is important to use non hardening clay or something similiar behind each panel, then when the panel is mounted it will squish the clay out from behind it making sure there is no voids or air gaps so the air cannot escape. I also put the clay behind the midbass as well before mounting.
The speaker and the baffles are mounting using washers and cap head screws.
If you have any questions or if I'm not clear on something let me know.
Raw cutouts of the door baffles
Midbass and tweeter holes cutout
Speaker baffle with t nuts installed in the back. These are a must, you get an incredible mounting of the speaker with these in the back of the baffle
These are the components I am using. JBL p660c These are supposed to be amazing for the price. Picked them up for $120 brand new. They run at 2 ohms so they should scream
Midbass test fitted
Tweeter test fitted in adjustable mounting. This way I can direct the tweets up a bit toward the middle roof of the car.
Undercoater sprayed on the baffles
All ready for speakers!
Tweet and Mid mounted. Reminded myself next time not to touch it before its dry. Thats why it looks like crap above the tweet
Nonhardening modeling clay on back of mid before mounting. This will seal the speaker to the baffle.
I looked up the HU, I was expecting a double din. I guess it fits the budget better plus not having to mod the console.
Not a fan of double din in smaller cars The shifter is always in the way. Plus I'm dedicated to not modifying the interior panels. If the budget allowed and I was for sure doing an active setup then the 80PRS would be my choice, best bang for the buck HU out there. I miss my old one.
This install i'm thinking about the Pioneer MVH-580BS It is active capable and i can get it for $99 Hard to beat that on price.
What tweeters did you pick? That crossover is passive? Looks pretty fancy.
Would plummers putty work?
I like those screw inserts, have never seen those.
11-05-2016, 10:26 PM
DeWoof01's C5 Coupe Full Stereo Install
I'm about to start on my 2nd C5 install... sub'd
