I had HELL this weekend!

[phyregod]

Well, I finally got my stereo system installed in the phantom project.

Alpine CDA-9847 Head Unit
Alpine SPR-17LS 6.5" Component setup for the front
Alpine SPS-170A 6.5" 2 ways for the rear

Setup:
Front speakers mounted in stock locations
Front tweeters mounted in doors
Rear speakers mounted in custom made fiberglass pods in the rear
Crossover networks mounted under the passenger seat

12 gauge wire to the crossover networks
14 gauge to the door speakers
16 gauge to the tweeters
14 gauge to the rear speakers

10 gauge power straight from the battery (fused, of course)
10 gauge ground


The only factory wiring I used was the illumination and the ignition signal. Everything else was replaced. Sounds pretty good.. Although the HU has trouble pushing all of that with its stock power (50w/channel) I will probably have to add an amp before its all said and done. At a reasonable volume though, it sounds great.. when it starts getting unbearably loud it starts breaking up pretty bad. You can hear the speakers starving for power. The rear pods were pretty easy, although time consuming. I had to add a 7/8" spacer to the door speakers, as those type r woofers were really deep. I'm sporting 1/8th inch clearance for the windows, and about the same clearance for the factory speaker grill. Just barely got them in there, it was a TIGHT fit.

And Alpine's radio tuner still rules the world in recieving radio stations. They have always had the best.


Anyway, I got several pics and will be posting them, probably tonight.. And I've started the rear suspension install.. Should also be done tonight as long as it doesn't get too cold or bowling doesn't take too long.

 

[kyleirwin]

 

[VTECPOWER]

Quoted post[/post]]

But sounds nice man!

 

[hcivic.com]

1 problem, you need to have equal length wires from the left and right crossover

 

[Xaero3953]

It's only worthless if you don't know what he's talking about..
Nice setup, I am stalling on my install for no good reason...

 

[TommyTheCat]

hcivic, it doesnt matter that much.

Hope to see some pics *bump*

 

[phyregod]

Quoted post[/post]]
hcivic, it doesnt matter that much.

Hope to see some pics *bump*

The wires TO the crossovers are the exactly the same length, down to the mm.. But FROM the crossover, there is about 5' difference. But with the over sized wire I used, there won't be much of a difference. Nothing the human ear could detect anyway.

*edit*

PICS: Yeah, crappy pics, I was pausing every once in a while to snap a pic.. Didn't focus on pic quality much, and it shows. Oh well, you get the idea.

Front speaker with spacer

Showing the huge amount of clearance. It measures 1/8th inch.

Showing the front seats missing, lower console thingie and glovebox removed.

Rear wires running along the edge of the floorboard

Taped up with metal tape. This is done to prevent shifting and rattling.

Front wiring

Crossovers under the front passenger seat

MAD dynomat, and if you look close, you can see the rear left speaker wire taped along the edge.

Rear speaker pod installed.

Head unit

Front tweeter. In real life, if you look at it closely in the right light, it looks like an eyeball in there. freakin creepy.

Front speaker. And no, you can't see it that well, its the camera's flash that lights up the inside of the speaker area.. To the naked eye, it looks pretty much stock.

Crappy pics, I know.. I'll get better pics of the rear pods... Enjoy!

 

[TommyTheCat]

Quoted post[/post]]
The wires TO the crossovers are the exactly the same length, down to the mm.. But FROM the crossover, there is about 5' difference. But with the over sized wire I used, there won't be much of a difference. Nothing the human ear could detect anyway.

Why bother with wires matched to the mm at any stage of the game? Electricity is quite as fast fellow-heck, even sound does well for himelf-so I dont see the necessity.
I'm not much fan of voodoo's of any form.

 

[cheese9988]

Not bad!! Do you plan on adding more, subs, amps, etc?

 

[phyregod]

Quoted post[/post]]

Quoted post[/post]]
The wires TO the crossovers are the exactly the same length, down to the mm.. But FROM the crossover, there is about 5' difference. But with the over sized wire I used, there won't be much of a difference. Nothing the human ear could detect anyway.

Why bother with wires matched to the mm at any stage of the game? Electricity is quite as fast fellow-heck, even sound does well for himelf-so I dont see the necessity.
I'm not much fan of voodoo's of any form.

In high end car audio, when you have 1500 watts kicking through a speaker wire, wire matching makes a difference. But not with 50 watts and 12 gauge wire.. 12 is WAY more than what is needed there. Which is why I said "Nothing the human ear could detect anyway"

Mine are matched because they start at the same point and end at the same point, so I cut them a the exact same lengths.. Nothing more.

 

[micah]

ive been through tons of systems, currently running 2k to a single 10 behind my seat and ive never seen or heard a difference when matching wire lengths come into play.

ive personally heard the length of the ground to the amp make a difference, and crossing wires or running them too closesly together adding noise.

 

[TurboMirage]

looks like a very nice install to me.

i miss this part about my civic... i had everything from the firewall to the hatch foamed and dynamatted... even the roof. it was so damn quiet.

 

[kaoskustoms]

very nice install