Zenclosures sub boxes

[shahram72]

OK, I'm ready to do this, but I'd like to do it myself. How do I get the signal from the FRONT speakers to the trunk and back again? Just adding a sub is not going to cut it. It needs a high power system on all the speakers. I am leaning right now toward the Kicker Front Row for a sound processor. I have the single sub and the equipment will go on the other side. I will need a 4 channel amp that is high quality and compact to sit next to the front row and the Hifonics Thor.

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[Swartz]

I did a bunch of research on this and decided to go with an AudioControl LC7i. I am grabbing the front and rear line out from the head unit, passing it to the LC7i, then from there it is converted pre-amp level sound. There are RCA outputs for front, rear and a 3rd for a sub. Then of course, from the amp back to the speakers. I've got the same box config as you - I'll get it all installed next weekend and see how it goes.

 

[mumbles]

OK, I'm ready to do this, but I'd like to do it myself. How do I get the signal from the FRONT speakers to the trunk and back again? Just adding a sub is not going to cut it. It needs a high power system on all the speakers. I am leaning right now toward the Kicker Front Row for a sound processor. I have the single sub and the equipment will go on the other side. I will need a 4 channel amp that is high quality and compact to sit next to the front row and the Hifonics Thor.

I bought something like this to run from front to back;
http://www.amazon.com/Carwires-SW90...422&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=streetwires+iCS920C

Then you would purchase on of these plugs listed in the sticky;
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=34690-0160

Solder the plug to four of the wires in the conductor and plug into the back of the head unit and use the other end of the wires to feed the Front Row.

That leaves you four wires plus a turn-on lead to run to your front speakers.

 

[shahram72]

So the speaker out from the head unit is a separate plug? This would be great cause I would prefer to not cut any of the stock wiring. Usually it's all one huge or two plugs. I was trying to not to pull the head unit, but... So then how to get the wires into the speakers? If I have the plug to the speakers then pulled, then I can use that, not ideal. Then still have to route wires from doors to tweeters. No good clear cut way to do this. I should just pay a shop to do this, but I live in a POS town and not sure about the shops. There is one good shop but and install will probably cost $1000 and they sell JL Audio which is good, but too much money. I'm not spending $3000 on the stereo.

 

[Swartz]

So the speaker out from the head unit is a separate plug? This would be great cause I would prefer to not cut any of the stock wiring. Usually it's all one huge or two plugs. I was trying to not to pull the head unit, but... So then how to get the wires into the speakers? If I have the plug to the speakers then pulled, then I can use that, not ideal. Then still have to route wires from doors to tweeters. No good clear cut way to do this. I should just pay a shop to do this, but I live in a POS town and not sure about the shops. There is one good shop but and install will probably cost $1000 and they sell JL Audio which is good, but too much money. I'm not spending $3000 on the stereo.

Well I wish. My stereo is the Sync 3. I really like it, but the power is a POS and the speakers were about as good. So, here is how I have things running:

• Sync 3 to
• AudioControl LC7i to
• Rockford Fosgate 5 channel amp to
• Speakers (doors + tweets, rear, sub)

The speakers are all Rockfords - they are good enough for my ears. The box is the 1 speaker Zenclosure.

The bummer part is YES you must cut the speaker wires to lead them to the LC7i. I have all of the side and lower molding off on the passenger side which gives me full access to everything I need to do. My total cost on my project will be just under 850.

I am also wiring it so that I can disconnect and remove the box which weighs a ton when I want to go to the track.

I won't let anyone touch my car anyhow. With 40 miles on it a lot attendant backed it up through a door - destroyed the window and the center tail light in the window :doh:

 

[shahram72]

I'm just gonna have to have a shop do it. I can't get enough info together and can't take the car apart and leave it like that. I can't see taking the car apart until I know exactly what I'm going to encounter. This was so easy in the 90's. New head unit and start from scratch.

I like the Audiocontrol stuff but it has no crossover for some stupid reason. Don't want to add yet another component into the chain. I don't think there's room for the Front Row and amps as it is. I don't know why this is so hard.

 

[shahram72]

I need to read some more posts and the sticky. There has got to be a right way to do this. I just don't know it.

Swartz, so you say you can reach the radio back from the passenger side? Then if I can build a harness that plugs into the radio and then into the plug that was removed from it I should not have to cut anything I am thinking. I honestly would be honestly surprised if there was not already a harness for another Ford car that worked...

 

[mumbles]

I'm just gonna have to have a shop do it. I can't get enough info together and can't take the car apart and leave it like that. I can't see taking the car apart until I know exactly what I'm going to encounter. This was so easy in the 90's. New head unit and start from scratch.

I like the Audiocontrol stuff but it has no crossover for some stupid reason. Don't want to add yet another component into the chain. I don't think there's room for the Front Row and amps as it is. I don't know why this is so hard.

Most newer multi-channel amps have crossovers built in, and some also have speaker level inputs, so you don't need a LOC. If you are looking for a crossover with a built-in LOC, Audiocontrol makes several. Example;
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1616XSG/AudioControl-6XS-Gray.html?tp=61661

 

[mumbles]

The bummer part is YES you must cut the speaker wires to lead them to the LC7i.

Not necessarily. With the method I mentioned above, you build a harness that will use low level outputs from the head unit to connect to the RCA inputs of an amp.

 

[Ap8823]

So I installed this weekend. The sub isn't loud at all. I noticed when I set the radio crossover to the back right, you can hear the speaker and sub, but when I ,once it to back left, nothing, it's dead silent. I'm thinking I have a bad connection somewhere and the sub is only getting half the power. So I'm taking it to audio express to have the, take a look today. Also, I'm thinking that maybe it's not getting enough bass because the HU is sending all the bass to the shaker sub (which is now unplugged) so the rear speakers are only getting so much bass since it's supposed to have the stock sub.

 

[shahram72]

Not necessarily. With the method I mentioned above, you build a harness that will use low level outputs from the head unit to connect to the RCA inputs of an amp.

This is what i want to do exactly! Just only seeing schematics and part numbers for the premium audio. I need to know what to do for the base. Very comfortable soldering and making the harness. Help?

 

[dasUB3RNOOB]

Thinking about picking one of these boxes for two twelves. However, I'm having some trouble building a system around the box. I have a couple of Rockford P3 15's that I love, and was thinking about getting P3 12's, but their specs say they want a little over 1 cubic foot of air space. The zenclosure has 0.87 cubic feet of air space per speaker. Is this an acceptable difference? I would imagine so, but I wouldn't want to cause mechanical stress on the cones by not having enough space.

If anyone has a suggestion for 12's that work well in something closer to 0.87 cubic feet, I'm open to suggestions. I just want to stick around 600w per sub.

Thanks guys! Sorry if anyone of this has been covered already, I looked and didn't see anything.

 

[shahram72]

I have had great success with standard Kicker competition (cheap) series in small sealed enclosures. I once had a Kicker C-15 in a tiny enclosure and it sounded great! I'm sure there's better but when in doubt use what works!

 

[OZDAZ5.0]

Do the cabin facing subs bang the back of the seat when they're cranking and the seats are up?

 

[mumbles]

Thinking about picking one of these boxes for two twelves. However, I'm having some trouble building a system around the box. I have a couple of Rockford P3 15's that I love, and was thinking about getting P3 12's, but their specs say they want a little over 1 cubic foot of air space. The zenclosure has 0.87 cubic feet of air space per speaker. Is this an acceptable difference? I would imagine so, but I wouldn't want to cause mechanical stress on the cones by not having enough space.

If anyone has a suggestion for 12's that work well in something closer to 0.87 cubic feet, I'm open to suggestions. I just want to stick around 600w per sub.

Thanks guys! Sorry if anyone of this has been covered already, I looked and didn't see anything.

These Rockfords are listed as needing an enclosure from .6 - 1.2
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_575P3S212/Rockford-Fosgate-P3SD2-12.html?tp=111

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