Pictures of my Base audio upgrade

[mustank]

I have never done car audio anything before. This was a fun experience.

Parts:
Scosche dash kit
Kenwood DDX9903S head unit
JL Audio HD 700/5 v2 amp
JL Audio C5-650 woofers/tweeters/crossovers
JL Audio PowerWedgeCS112LG-TW3 12" subwoofer

This is my second Scosche unit. The climate control display would not always turn on. This one has been solid.

I made a shelf for the amp on the underside of the rear deck. I used carbon fiber tubes with aluminum rods inside, and a carbon fiber plate on top of plexiglass. There are rubber washer between the amp/plate, bars/plate, and bars/rear deck.

You can see the C5-650 rear woofers in the one amp pic.
Here are the crossovers I added because I needed to use High Pass from the amp and then the "low pass" side of the crossover to the rear woofers.

I put the subwoofer in the spare tire compartment. I also put dynamat down. I cut the stock trunk carpet for the sub and made (poorly) a carbon fiber ring with arches to keep stuff from sliding on top of the sub.

The tweeters don't sit super flush.

I mounted the front crossovers in the footwells.

I also ran the door speaker wires straight through the plastics.

I drilled through the firewall for the amp power cable. I used a self sealing metal grommet. I know there is a rubber plug that can be used, but I just wanted to route straight into the car.

The biggest annoyance for me is the door speakers don't line up with the original door plastic grill mesh.

I used an oscilloscope and tone files from JL audio to set the gains on the amp.

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[wireeater]

Could have fooled me. I bet it sounds great.

 

[thxultra]

Very nice install. How do you like your 9903s?

 

[mustank]

Very nice install. How do you like your 9903s?

I like it. It has more features than I will use but I got it for the capacitive touch screen and audio file support. The agreement you have to press every time you turn it on is annoying.

Could have fooled me. I bet it sounds great.

Thanks. I spent a lot of time on this forum and other audio forums before I started.

 

[thxultra]

I like it. It has more features than I will use but I got it for the capacitive touch screen and audio file support. The agreement you have to press every time you turn it on is annoying.



Thanks. I spent a lot of time on this forum and other audio forums before I started.

Ya they fixed the agreement in the 9904s that is coming out soon. That was part of the reason I got the 7704 and I don't play discs anymore. Mine is getting installed now so looking forward to getting the car back and hearing the difference. I like how you installed your sub and the amp rack... Great ideas

 

[vnzbd]

Nice install! Did you mount tweets in the rear as well or just the front? Do the C5-650s play well with the 75wpc? I have the same amp and am considering a speaker upgrade over my C2s.

 

[Cobra Jet]

The install looks nice, good work on the upgrades.

I would just like to make a minor recommendation:
The rear amp wires, it would look very clean if you opted to turn the amp around and the wires were facing the rear seat backs, instead of facing out towards the trunk opening.

Not nitpicking, just saying when trunk is opened, if the amp was flipped, the wires would be hidden.

 

[mustank]

Nice install! Did you mount tweets in the rear as well or just the front? Do the C5-650s play well with the 75wpc? I have the same amp and am considering a speaker upgrade over my C2s.

I did not mount the rear tweeters. The tweeters in the A pillar are already really bright. All the C5's play really well. The midwoofers even give some good thumps.

The install looks nice, good work on the upgrades.

I would just like to make a minor recommendation:
The rear amp wires, it would look very clean if you opted to turn the amp around and the wires were facing the rear seat backs, instead of facing out towards the trunk opening.

Not nitpicking, just saying when trunk is opened, if the amp was flipped, the wires would be hidden.

I thought for a while about the amp rotation. I settled on cables out because I like the look. The back of the amp is very plain looking, and I also wanted to show off the wires a bit since I used pretty high quality RCAs and speaker wire.
*side note: I wouldn't say that 12ga wire is too big (fits nice and solders well in the connectors), but the coating on the wire I got is extra thick which made it a little tight/difficult running it through the car.

 

[wireeater]

I did not mount the rear tweeters. The tweeters in the A pillar are already really bright. All the C5's play really well. The midwoofers even give some good thumps.



I thought for a while about the amp rotation. I settled on cables out because I like the look. The back of the amp is very plain looking, and I also wanted to show off the wires a bit since I used pretty high quality RCAs and speaker wire.
*side note: I wouldn't say that 12ga wire is too big (fits nice and solders well in the connectors), but the coating on the wire I got is extra thick which made it a little tight/difficult running it through the car.

Maybe install another plate underneath, like carbon fiber (wrap or dipped) and give it enough clearance for the wires to run through. Kind of sandwich them. That would probably look pretty clean.

 

[EcoBOSS]

The tweeters don't sit super flush.

IDK, looks pretty sweet in the picture!

 

[Nagare]

Maybe install another plate underneath, like carbon fiber (wrap or dipped) and give it enough clearance for the wires to run through. Kind of sandwich them. That would probably look pretty clean.

To keep his carbon fiber theme going, I'd say throw some kind of cover plate on it. I know I'd get tired of seeing the cables after long enough (even with my appreciation for some good cable management) and it would still allow quick and easy access in the occasion that he wanted to mess with/check any cables in a pinch.

 

[thxultra]

Only thing that would concern me is the cross over by the foot rest on the drivers side. I put my foot there all the time and would be worried about kicking it... That is just me though. Everything looks great.

 

[mustank]

Only thing that would concern me is the cross over by the foot rest on the drivers side. I put my foot there all the time and would be worried about kicking it... That is just me though. Everything looks great.

I have managed to avoid it(I'm 6'2"), but a couple passengers have knocked the cover off of the passenger side. Nothing more than that. The cover on the crossovers is actually pretty loose fitting. I let people know, they still manage to kick it, and then I make them get down and put it back on when we stop addle: .

 

[thxultra]

I have managed to avoid it(I'm 6'2"), but a couple passengers have knocked the cover off of the passenger side. Nothing more than that. The cover on the crossovers is actually pretty loose fitting. I let people know, they still manage to kick it, and then I make them get down and put it back on when we stop addle: .

HAHA can always make them sit in the back after that That will teach them quick!!!

 

[mustank]

To keep his carbon fiber theme going, I'd say throw some kind of cover plate on it. I know I'd get tired of seeing the cables after long enough (even with my appreciation for some good cable management) and it would still allow quick and easy access in the occasion that he wanted to mess with/check any cables in a pinch.

I know I am not using high wattage, but another reason for the amp mount/placement was to help it stay cool.
I have been using actual 3mm carbon fiber sheets/tubes. I am thinking about using carbon fiber to cover the holes in the doors when I widen them for the speakers, but this was already a pricey build for me.

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