jrodhotrod
Contributor
- :
- 2003 Mazda Protege5 (Mine) 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE (Wife's)
I have seen other members in forums give this a go with other car related projects so I'll try it with my very own Mazdaspeed 6 install thread.
I personally find the BOSE system to be okay. Obviously better than many factory sound systems, but not up to my standards. I had some money to play with after selling off parts from my Mazdaspeed Protege and it went straight into the stereo. Many of the things I am going to do I have never done before so it's going to be a learning process for me, but I look forward to a fantastic end product.
The primary (major) components for my stereo system:
Factory Headunit - Yup, that's right, no Metra kit for '06 models and it's gonna keep it stealthy.
Audio Link iPod Adapter - Allows me to use the iPod and or any other audio device with the factory stereo and even use the steering wheel controls to control the iPod. Awesome product, I love it.
Sylfex AuxMod - Using this as a dedicated input for my Satellite Radio Tuner or anything else I happen to put in the map compartment.
Audiovox Xpress XM Radio - Originally went with this unit because it has an excellent modulator built-in and was the only XM radio with an Aux-in. I have been happy with it thus far so it's staying.
Magellan Roadmate 800 GPS - No factory nav in my car and using a product like this it is easy to remove from the vehicle and use it other vehicles. So far I have been very happy with it, and in fact I like the screen/display more than the GPS in my folks Prius which is the only other factory NAV I have used
On to the good stuff....
Rockford Fosgate 3SIXTY.2 - The heart of the system. What appears to be an awesome signal processor/EQ/Pre-Amp. This unit offers more adjustability than the majority of aftermarket decks and should let me really dial in the system.
Rockford Fosgate 25 to LIFE Limited Edition Amplifiers (Punch 45, 75, 150) - In all my previous builds I have used JL Audio amps, but these amplifiers look like great amps, and the price as absolutely right at Sounddomain. I have 3 amps total, all 2 channel amps. The 45 will be powering the rear doors, the 75 the front doors, and the 150 the sub. All of these amps are highly under-rated and should match very well to the speakers I have selected. Reviews are good on them and they should do the job for me. I know I don't really need rear doors in an SQ set-up, but this is the way I want to do it, so please don't start a discussion of rear doors vs. no rear-doors in this thread
Image Dynamics - iDMAX 12" Sub - An excellent SQ sub with high power handling that also offers high SPL. Again, I have used JL subs in the past and the ID will be new for me, but I think I am going to love it.
Custom 12" Sub Enclosure - Purchased from a member here, the price was right and it came in under what it would have cost for me to have a local shop I trust build a box for me. I am pretty happy with what I got, just made a few changes that will be detailed here.
Focal 165 K2P Components - I listened to a bunch of different speakers from many many brands, including those that were more expensive than the Focals, but the Focals were the clear winner for me. As soon as I heard them I fell in love with them, best sounding car speaker (for me) ever. They blew everything else away, can't wait to get these in the front doors.
Focal Polyglass 130 CV1 - After debating for a long time about whether or not I should do speakers in the rear doors at all, this is the pair I decided upon. They should be a very nice complement to the K2Ps for rear fill.
Optima Yellow Top Battery - Have had Optima batteries in my previous cars and have been very happy with them. This should help the electrical system out with the three amps and the iDMAX in the car.
Sound Proofing with RAAMMAT, Ensolite, and Dynamat Extreme, etc... - I had some sound proofing material left over that I had purchased for my protege yet never used, and some I purchased specifically for this project. I know it's going to add some weight to the vehicle, but it will keep the better half happy, especially if I Mod the car down the road with performance parts. Also on our local roads the road noise in this car was kind of surprising so a quieter ride will be welcomed.
There are several other pieces to the system, but for the sake of keeping it clean I'll just mention them below in those spots when I am actually working with them. No need to list all the cables and other odds and ends here.
Most of the cabling and other odds and ends were purchased from sounddomain.com I could have gotten some things at other places cheaper, but once you add in shipping/sales tax, etc... it just made sense to get it all in one place. Plus where warranties apply, it's good to know you have a manufacturer's warranty.
That said, let's start the install. I have been working on it for a little while already and will be posting pictures and updates as I get everything formatted and put together. Most of the work still lies ahead, but at the moment I should be done taking the center console apart and the headunit in and out of the car.
I personally find the BOSE system to be okay. Obviously better than many factory sound systems, but not up to my standards. I had some money to play with after selling off parts from my Mazdaspeed Protege and it went straight into the stereo. Many of the things I am going to do I have never done before so it's going to be a learning process for me, but I look forward to a fantastic end product.
The primary (major) components for my stereo system:
Factory Headunit - Yup, that's right, no Metra kit for '06 models and it's gonna keep it stealthy.
Audio Link iPod Adapter - Allows me to use the iPod and or any other audio device with the factory stereo and even use the steering wheel controls to control the iPod. Awesome product, I love it.
Sylfex AuxMod - Using this as a dedicated input for my Satellite Radio Tuner or anything else I happen to put in the map compartment.
Audiovox Xpress XM Radio - Originally went with this unit because it has an excellent modulator built-in and was the only XM radio with an Aux-in. I have been happy with it thus far so it's staying.
Magellan Roadmate 800 GPS - No factory nav in my car and using a product like this it is easy to remove from the vehicle and use it other vehicles. So far I have been very happy with it, and in fact I like the screen/display more than the GPS in my folks Prius which is the only other factory NAV I have used
On to the good stuff....
Rockford Fosgate 3SIXTY.2 - The heart of the system. What appears to be an awesome signal processor/EQ/Pre-Amp. This unit offers more adjustability than the majority of aftermarket decks and should let me really dial in the system.
Rockford Fosgate 25 to LIFE Limited Edition Amplifiers (Punch 45, 75, 150) - In all my previous builds I have used JL Audio amps, but these amplifiers look like great amps, and the price as absolutely right at Sounddomain. I have 3 amps total, all 2 channel amps. The 45 will be powering the rear doors, the 75 the front doors, and the 150 the sub. All of these amps are highly under-rated and should match very well to the speakers I have selected. Reviews are good on them and they should do the job for me. I know I don't really need rear doors in an SQ set-up, but this is the way I want to do it, so please don't start a discussion of rear doors vs. no rear-doors in this thread
Image Dynamics - iDMAX 12" Sub - An excellent SQ sub with high power handling that also offers high SPL. Again, I have used JL subs in the past and the ID will be new for me, but I think I am going to love it.
Custom 12" Sub Enclosure - Purchased from a member here, the price was right and it came in under what it would have cost for me to have a local shop I trust build a box for me. I am pretty happy with what I got, just made a few changes that will be detailed here.
Focal 165 K2P Components - I listened to a bunch of different speakers from many many brands, including those that were more expensive than the Focals, but the Focals were the clear winner for me. As soon as I heard them I fell in love with them, best sounding car speaker (for me) ever. They blew everything else away, can't wait to get these in the front doors.
Focal Polyglass 130 CV1 - After debating for a long time about whether or not I should do speakers in the rear doors at all, this is the pair I decided upon. They should be a very nice complement to the K2Ps for rear fill.
Optima Yellow Top Battery - Have had Optima batteries in my previous cars and have been very happy with them. This should help the electrical system out with the three amps and the iDMAX in the car.
Sound Proofing with RAAMMAT, Ensolite, and Dynamat Extreme, etc... - I had some sound proofing material left over that I had purchased for my protege yet never used, and some I purchased specifically for this project. I know it's going to add some weight to the vehicle, but it will keep the better half happy, especially if I Mod the car down the road with performance parts. Also on our local roads the road noise in this car was kind of surprising so a quieter ride will be welcomed.
There are several other pieces to the system, but for the sake of keeping it clean I'll just mention them below in those spots when I am actually working with them. No need to list all the cables and other odds and ends here.
Most of the cabling and other odds and ends were purchased from sounddomain.com I could have gotten some things at other places cheaper, but once you add in shipping/sales tax, etc... it just made sense to get it all in one place. Plus where warranties apply, it's good to know you have a manufacturer's warranty.
That said, let's start the install. I have been working on it for a little while already and will be posting pictures and updates as I get everything formatted and put together. Most of the work still lies ahead, but at the moment I should be done taking the center console apart and the headunit in and out of the car.