need help with C6 speaker/amp upgrade
 

hi guys. after reading through a lot of threads, i am still a little confused as to what i need to do for a speaker/amp upgrade.

first- does anybody keep the 2 factory door mounted speakers? seems like everyone just disconnects the center channel speaker and uses one door mounted speaker and the rear speakers for a total of four. (i am also adding a sub in a vettenuts enclosure)

second- i will be using a 5 channel amp to power everything. the amp has inputs for front and rear and for a sub. where do i get this last sub input from?

third- there are two different adapters i could use to provide inputs fo the amp. which of the two is the better choice?

any help will be greatly appreciated...

1 No, ditch all of the oem speakers. 6.5" components in the doors and 5.25" coaxials in the rear

2 Split either the front signal or rear signal with a pair of Y cables. Check out this post for options and advantages of each choice.

3 The AOEM is plug-n-play. It has 4 channel output and a trigger wire for the amp, but some have complained about the box changing the audio a bit (not all seem to notice, if it even happens). Or you can DIY one of these and tap the wire at B3 for your trigger.

Contact member C5 BearsFan, he owns DoubleDmods.com :thumbs:

where can i get the y cables?

Any local audio shop should have them, but may charge up to $20 each.

These would work just fine (remember you need 2 of them).

markcz, thanks for all the info. one more thing:

i really dont want to go through the hassle of installing component speakers on the doors. do you think a high quality 3.5" amplified speaker will be enough?

i am not really looking for a super powerful system, just something for me in the car.

The biggest hassle of replacing the door speakers with components is putting the door panel back on. If you're going to be in there, you might as well do components or at least some 6.5" coaxials. Doubledmods and RAAMAudio both have adapters to put components or 6.5" coaxials in the doors. For my time and effort, just replacing the 3.5s wouldn't be worth taking the door apart.

ok you convinced me. what 6.5 speakers fit in there with the adapters?

also, should i buy the door panel clips?

You shouldn't need the door pins, just be careful to have them lined up properly when reinstalling. Most of the ones I've broken were from missing the hole on the way back in. Be warned, when you pull off the panels for the first time it will sound like you just ripped your door in half, but that's normal.

Any 6.5" speaker will easily fit on the plate.

:iagree:

It's helpful to have a panel tool when removing the door panel. Pretty much a small plastic crowbar to loosen the pins without scratching things. I got a set off Amazon.

when connecting the amp's power wire, should i connect it to the battery or the fuse box under hte hood?

I put mine on the terminal beside the fuse box. It's connected directly to the + battery post, and easier to put a ring terminal on.

i thought about that. it is just a lot easier to keep the wire inside hte car instead going through the firewall.

alrght, just finished installing the door speakers. it went a lot smoother than i thought. now a couple of questions about the amp installation:

first, where to install it? is there cleareance under the passenger seat? (the amp i am using is 2 3/8" high)

second, this being a composite car, where do i ground the amp to?

If you remove the trim panels around the door sill and look under the carpet behind the passenger seat, you will see a threaded stud that makes a good ground point.

No room under the seats. Some people mount it behind one of the seats - if you go this route, remember - No screws into the wall behind the seats!. That's where the gas tank is. You can put a plywood (or MDF) board under the carpet, secure it with liquid nails, and then place the carpet back over the board.

Some people mount the amp in one of the storage cubbyholes (if using a low heat amp - like the Alpine PDX, or Arc Minis).

Or you can add a mounting board to the far back wall.

Those are the most convenient ways to keep them out of sight.

orange06, thanks for the info. i looked into installing behing the passenger seat, but it takes up quite a bit of travel form the seat. i do like your idea for mounting to the far back wall. will start planning/measuring for that in the morning.

ok, removed all the trim on passenger side. i found 2 places where there are factory grounds. one is higher on the pillar and has a huge ground lead attached to it, i assume that is the battery negative. the other is lower on the pillar. which one of there should i ground the amp to?

Behind the seat, about 8-10" off the floor IIRC, it will have at least one stock wire already attached to it.

yep, i saw that one. but there is also another one on the hump that divides the cockpit from the cargo area. it is a big bolt with a thick wire attaced to it. seems to me like a better ground.