Upgrading 9 speaker system

[jojo4711]

I have a 2019 gt with the 9 speaker system (not shaker) and want to upgrade all the speakers, add 2 amps and a sub but keep factory HU. Here is what I have:

Focal RSE-165 (front door component)
Focal RCX-165 (rear fill)
Infinity REF-3032 (front door mid)
Not replacing center dash speaker
Sundown SA-10 sub
Sundown SFB-1000D
Sundown SFB-200.4D
Audio Control LC7i

I have a couple things I’m not sure of:
1. When I replace the tweeters, how am I wiring them up with the crossover, speaker in the door and the LC7i? I can’t get wire from the speaker in the door to the tweeter.

2. Where should I grab the speaker wires and signal from for the LC7i, from the wires coming out of the factory amp or behind the HU?

3. I don’t care if the mid range speakers are run off of the stock amp, so if I connect them to the factory wire that’s there, will they still get power from the factory amp?

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[Cathul]

I have a 2019 gt with the 9 speaker system (not shaker) and want to upgrade all the speakers, add 2 amps and a sub but keep factory HU. Here is what I have:

Focal RSE-165 (front door component)
Focal RCX-165 (rear fill)
Infinity REF-3032 (front door mid)
Not replacing center dash speaker
Sundown SA-10 sub
Sundown SFB-1000D
Sundown SFB-200.4D
Audio Control LC7i

Except for the LC7i it's good equipment. The LC7i is good, too, but not needed in this application.
There are far better options than an LC7i.
Search for ForScan and variable line output.
I would definitely invest the money for the LC7i into a DSP.

I have a couple things I’m not sure of:
1. When I replace the tweeters, how am I wiring them up with the crossover, speaker in the door and the LC7i? I can’t get wire from the speaker in the door to the tweeter.

Why the tweeters into the door? Put them into the A-pillars. Much easier to wire them.
If you buy the Maestro HRN-AR-FO3 harness and you even get connectors to wire your own wires into the stock speaker wires without cutting anything.
Btw. if you get this harness, maybe get the DSR1, too. Then you don't even have to fiddle with ForScan and get a decent starter DSP, too.

2. Where should I grab the speaker wires and signal from for the LC7i, from the wires coming out of the factory amp or behind the HU?

Nowhere... these days there are way better ways for integration.

3. I don’t care if the mid range speakers are run off of the stock amp, so if I connect them to the factory wire that’s there, will they still get power from the factory amp?

Ok, i thought you want better sound after all this work?
If you got a 2-way front component set ditch the stock midrange and remove the stock amplifier. Ditch the infinity midrange speakers, too, which frees budget for the DSR1 option.
Mixing all these things together while running the Focals front with a passive crossover and the infinity mids from the stock amp is a receipt for bad sound.

Ditch the midrange speakers, ditch the LC7i.
Get a DSR1, get the HRN-AR-FO3 harness.
Configure the DSR1 for front, rear, sub and use the supplied connectors to integrate into the factory system (signal and speaker wires).

 

[jojo4711]

Except for the LC7i it's good equipment. The LC7i is good, too, but not needed in this application.
There are far better options than an LC7i.
Search for ForScan and variable line output.
I would definitely invest the money for the LC7i into a DSP.



Why the tweeters into the door? Put them into the A-pillars. Much easier to wire them.
If you buy the Maestro HRN-AR-FO3 harness and you even get connectors to wire your own wires into the stock speaker wires without cutting anything.
Btw. if you get this harness, maybe get the DSR1, too. Then you don't even have to fiddle with ForScan and get a decent starter DSP, too.



Nowhere... these days there are way better ways for integration.



Ok, i thought you want better sound after all this work?
If you got a 2-way front component set ditch the stock midrange and remove the stock amplifier. Ditch the infinity midrange speakers, too, which frees budget for the DSR1 option.
Mixing all these things together while running the Focals front with a passive crossover and the infinity mids from the stock amp is a receipt for bad sound.

Ditch the midrange speakers, ditch the LC7i.
Get a DSR1, get the HRN-AR-FO3 harness.
Configure the DSR1 for front, rear, sub and use the supplied connectors to integrate into the factory system (signal and speaker wires).

As far as the tweeters in the door, I just meant wiring. They will go in the A-pillar, just wasn’t sure how to run the wiring connecting the new speaker and new tweeter since one is in the door and one is inside the car.

I thought the LC7i was my best option lol. Guess I’ve been out of the game too long. I will do some research on the Maestro harness. Will that allow me to just place all speakers in factory locations with factory wiring? I will also look at the DSR1 and ditch the mid range. I wasn’t sure if I was going to use them anyway, that’s why I asked about if they would even still work.

Thank you for the quick reply!!

 

[StangTime]

The tweeters and the 3.5" door midrange are wired in parallel. If you skip on the midrange thus doing a 2-way system then you can use the existing wiring in the A pillar to power your new tweeters. It won't matter that the wiring is still running into the door, just unplug the connector at the midrange. I also recommend you just remove the midrange all together and seal the hole. The design is terrible from an audio quality perspective. The back wave from the 6.5 bass driver exerts pressure on the midrange cone because there is no separation of those cavities.

 

[jojo4711]

The tweeters and the 3.5" door midrange are wired in parallel. If you skip on the midrange thus doing a 2-way system then you can use the existing wiring in the A pillar to power your new tweeters. It won't matter that the wiring is still running into the door, just unplug the connector at the midrange. I also recommend you just remove the midrange all together and seal the hole. The design is terrible from an audio quality perspective. The back wave from the 6.5 bass driver exerts pressure on the midrange cone because there is no separation of those cavities.

If I hook the tweeters up to the existing wiring, how do I connect them to the crossover?

 

[StangTime]

If I hook the tweeters up to the existing wiring, how do I connect them to the crossover?

You can use the HRN-AR-FO3 harness to interface to the connectors that now plug into the factory amp. There is a black connector for signals, grey and brown for speakers. The harness is marked which lead connects to which speaker. It's a matter of running wires from your aftermarket amp to those connections on the HRN-AR-FO3 harness.

 

[jojo4711]

Apparently the DSR1 is very popular, out of stock everywhere

 

[Cathul]

If you don't mind shipping from Italy, you could get one from amazon.com for 299,-- $ plus shipping.
But yes, they are sold out everywhere, but not because they are very popular (which they are), but due to the worldwide shortage of DSP chips.

As you got the 9-speaker non-B&O system you should already have line level output from the ACM. So if you got the Maestro harness you could modify it to use it with a generic DSP of any brand, i.e. solder RCA connectors to the line level wires, use a relay to transform the 6V audio enable in the black connector to a 12V remote turn on and attach any DSP to the now modified connector.
Should basically the same if not better than a DSR1, but not as easy to integrate due to the modifications.
You would still be able to use the speaker wire connectors of the harness though, so no need to change or modify that.

But be aware... DSPs are on backorder almost everywhere for the more reasonable priced units.

 

[StangTime]

You don't even need to solder RCA's. I like to use these for DSP hook-ups: RCA Screw Terminal Adapters

 

[Cathul]

Soldering is a much better connection...

 

[StangTime]

Soldering is a much better connection...

I've seen how some people "solder" I recommend they use these with wire ferrules. Solid connection.

 

[Cathul]

Ok, wire ferrules are good.

 

[jojo4711]

I have wire ferrules on the way. Just not sure which route to take. I don’t really want to wait 2-3 weeks for the DSR1, but not really sure how the other options would be wired. Is there a wiring diagram or something I could follow to show where all the wires would connect?

 

[StangTime]

I have wire ferrules on the way. Just not sure which route to take. I don’t really want to wait 2-3 weeks for the DSR1, but not really sure how the other options would be wired. Is there a wiring diagram or something I could follow to show where all the wires would connect?

These should help (note ACM is the head unit and DSP module is the factory amplifier):

Low level signals are on the black connector (C2385A). (ignore the noise cancellation ones).
You are going for Pins 1 through 8. Observe the numbering they are not sequential on the diagrams but they are on the physical connector itself.
If you are going to run the signals to the back of the car make sure they are twisted pairs and shielded for noise immunity.

Speaker returns from the aftermarket amp run back up to the grey (C2385B) and brown (C2385C) connectors, regular speaker wire "zip-cord" or Metra 9 conductor speaker cable work well for this.
The door midrange and the A-pillar tweeters are wired in parallel at who-knows-where under the dash. Best way to handle this is to use factory wiring for the door midrange and run new wires for your tweeters back to your amplifier.

Note that the "Audio enable" from the ACM is only 6V. Many aftermarket amps have problems turning on with anything less than 7V. (Thanks Ford!) You will need a PAC TR4 to give you 12V from the 6V enable, or grab the BLUE/WHT wire in the trunk lid harness that provides 12V to the rear camera circuit when the car is in ACC or RUN mode and use that to turn on your aftermarket system.

If you buy the idatalink HRN-AR-FO3 harness, it has all the necessary plugs needed to interface with the car without cutting the original factory wiring.

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