How to add amp to stock radio (non touch screen)

[jajur]

Hi everyone,
after living with mediocre sound from my CX-5 sport manual, I'm seriously considering adding new speakers and an amp to the stock radio. I'm new to car audio in general, so I was wondering how it would be possible to add an external amp considering the stock radio does not have RCA outputs? Is this possible?

I'd like to install some Focal speakers, but I've never installed anything in my car, so I'm a bit afraid of screwing up anything. I'm willing to try though if it's not too difficult (hey, I'm an electrical engineer after all...)

Thanks in advance to everyone,
Jajur

 

[ukulele]

From one electrical engineer to another... WAAAASSSUUUPPP!

Okay now that the pleasantries are out of the way, you don't really need RCA outputs, they are nice to have but many stock systems just don't have them. What I do is I shop at crutchfield.com. The prices are a bit higher for the same product you might get on eBay or amazon cheaper, but the trade off is you get a factory warranty, really good hassle-free service (like if they send you a bad unit, they ship a replacement to you right away), you get tech support PLUS they send you pics/drawings/detailed steps of the installation procedure in case you are like me and don't assume you know everything before you begin to rip panels apart.

If you go to their website you can filter external amps that have "speaker-level inputs" and that basically means that the amp will have a pair of slots (per channel) with some kind of set screw or locking mechanism so that you can splice-tap your current speaker lines and plug them into the amp directly. Many ppl do this to conserve their factory radio, matter of fact I was on the phone with them a few weeks ago because my Mazda5's speakers seem to be made of chinese cardboard it seems, so I will need to boost the signal as well as get new speakers. They pointed me to this Alpine "Power Pack" unit its really tiny, perfect for fitting in behind the dash or even behind the glove compartment it's like a foot long by 2 inches x 3 inches it's like a stick almost. Not the most powerful amp but it does have speaker-level inputs. From there you run the outputs to your speakers (or crossovers if you have component speakers).

I've seen they carry the Focal brand but they seem expensive, nothing wrong with JBLs, Infinitys or Polks, and you save money. What I would do is fill up your bottom-end sound first with maybe a powered subwoofer, they don't take up a whole lot of space and many times are easy to unplug if you need to get it out of the way to move a sofa or something. Then if you feel your mids and highs are still lacking you can always upgrade the rest of the system, many times just filling in the low end does it.

I always apply sound deadening material to the doors and back panels where the speakers are, it does help to eliminate some road noise while helping absorb some of the energy that comes off the speaker frame and into the vehicle's body, which distorts the sound and sometimes creates rattles. This can be tedious and messy since butyl-rubber sticks to everything but well worth the install in my opinion.

First things first, take stock of how much room you have, take measurements, then you can start to figure out things like How large can the amp be? and Will I want to add a power capacitor? I usually don't advise ppl to install an amp or anything else like that under a seat, especially if you live in a cold state where snow and rock salt are a problem, it's easy to kick salty water onto an amp and you know what that will do if it gets inside. By the same, the amp, which outer case usually is a heat sink itself, will need to be ventilated property to prevent shutdowns.

Good luck, let us know what you do, and take pics!!

 

[jajur]

A few more questions

Thanks Ukelele for your reply. I had no idea that there were such amps that didn't require extensive installation. The amp should be small enough to fit behind the dash or so Alpine says. Now my question is the following:
- Do I need to access the dash from behind the engine or do I need to remove the stock radio from the cabin area and attach the amp to the back of the stock radio?

Has anyone installed the Alpine amp on his/her CX-5?
If i wanted to add component speakers, should I install the crossover right next to the amp?

Thanks so much to everyone!

Jajur

 

[ludicious]

I don't think you'll find any amps that would fit behind the dash, nor would you want to it would overheat for sure. And there is no access to that area from the engine bay, the large sheet of metal between the engine bay and the passenger compartment is a firewall. The head unit comes out easily, but again, you're not going to want to put the amp there.

 

[Lando]

The first place to start with the sport is to put 3.5" speakers in the dash. They are pre-wired, but there are no speakers behind the dash grills in the Sport model. It is a relatively easy job. I went with JL Audio. This alone will make a huge difference. Next replace the 6.5 front door speakers. Do a search on this forum and you will find illustrated instructions that are easy to follow as well as speaker recommendations. When you have that done you may find that you don't need an amp.

 

[jajur]

I finally got a pair of Focal 165KR Power (which might be overkill for my needs but I got a great deal) and now I need to decide whether I should replace the headunit with something like the Pioneer AVH-X4500BT or simply add an amp like the JL Audio XD400/4. What do you guys think should be the best approach?
Also, the Focals come with fairly big passive crossovers. Any idea where I should place them inside the car? Will I need to rewire the speaker cables?

Thanks so much!