Sound system upgrade

[LiviuTincu]

Hi guys , I was always asked myself what other people listen to in their cars and how they like it . Is it standard stereo setup , have you changed the stereo, or maybe the speakers ,do you have a subwoofer with a LOC installed ? But what I would like to know the most is how you decide to make the "upgrade" , if you did so, which means if you listen to the setup before to made the change , and where .
For me was quite of a struggle to get what I have now , changed few times and never listen to any other cars setups or in store demos (except crappy tire and Best buy displays , not a good place to go and check imo). As usual , decisions were made after reading over internet on different forums like here too , and as of now I am quite content with my sound . I am not saying is the best you can get , not at all , but for what I paid is not bad .
My actual sound configuration :

Deck -Sony XSP-N1BT
Front -Infinity Kappa 60.11CS
Back -Infinity Kappa 52.11i
Sub -Image Dynamics IDQ10 V.3 D2
Amp1-speaker -Sony XM-N1004
Amp2-sub -Audison SRX2S

Please post yours if you please and let me know how you like it , if you want to share it or if you want to listen to any other member setup probably . Thanks.

[jaimie08mazda3]

Well I tell you in my old car I went through quite a few different setups to get to exactly where I am now which has taken a lot of money and time. But in the last few years I haven't changed it up and now it's in my 08 GT. So here we go:
Deck- Alpine Ina 900W BT
Front speakers- Focal PS 165s
Rear speakers- JL C2650s
Extra set- RE XXX 6.5cs
Subwoofer- JL 13W7
Sub Amp- JL 1000/1 Slash V1 anniversary edition
Speaker Amp- JL 300/2 Slash V1 anniversary edition.
1/0 wiring from front to back. Needs more work now. Funny enough years ago I used to run a LOC. I actually have a stickied post on TM3 on how to run one. Mind you now they have become a lot easier to run then they used to. But once you start with car audio, you never stop lol.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171121/64c4dd7bc88361999375c76217e83b41.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171121/64c4dd7bc88361999375c76217e83b41.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171121/05d9822821691e00dcc68da2a342235e.jpg


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[S.F.W.]

I upgraded the sound system on my original 2004 Mazda 3. Before embarking on that upgrade I listened to many different setups and did a lot of reading before making my decisions. Then after the '04 met it's demise, I originally moved the components over to my speed, before making some changes.

Original 2004
Pioneer Z100 BT deck
JL ZR Font component speakers
JL VR Coax Rear Speakers
JL 10W3 in JL wedge box Sub
JL 300/4 Amp for door speakers
JL 250/1 Amp for sub

Current setup
Qualir Double Dine OEM style deck
JL ZR Components Front
JL C5 Coax Rear
2*JL 10W3 subs in false floor
Amps are both pioneer forget the model .

I first changed out the JL 300/4 in the '04 as it was giving me issues, then when I moved to the speed and the dual 10" sub setup, I needed more power so I upgraded the 250/1 .

Maybe next spring I might change out the deck. I like the look of the Qualir(similar to Eonon), but it needs updating, and I want a deck that has Android screen mirror capability.

[jaimie08mazda3]

I upgraded the sound system on my original 2004 Mazda 3. Before embarking on that upgrade I listened to many different setups and did a lot of reading before making my decisions. Then after the '04 met it's demise, I originally moved the components over to my speed, before making some changes.

Original 2004
Pioneer Z100 BT deck
JL ZR Font component speakers
JL VR Coax Rear Speakers
JL 10W3 in JL wedge box Sub
JL 300/4 Amp for door speakers
JL 250/1 Amp for sub

Current setup
Qualir Double Dine OEM style deck
JL ZR Components Front
JL C5 Coax Rear
2*JL 10W3 subs in false floor
Amps are both pioneer forget the model .

I first changed out the JL 300/4 in the '04 as it was giving me issues, then when I moved to the speed and the dual 10" sub setup, I needed more power so I upgraded the 250/1 .

Maybe next spring I might change out the deck. I like the look of the Qualir(similar to Eonon), but it needs updating, and I want a deck that has Android screen mirror capability.

You should get a 500/1 slash on them.

And buy another W3 to make them match [emoji6]. Or just do what I did and go W7.

It's not that loud [emoji23]


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[S.F.W.]

You should get a 500/1 slash on them.

And buy another W3 to make them match [emoji6]. Or just do what I did and go W7.

It's not that loud [emoji23]


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I considered the 500/1 but the price I got for the pioneer was great, and I figured for a mono amp, the requirement is minimal.
Yes, over the winter or in spring have to unify the W3's , I currently have a 10W3v2 and 10W3v3 . I can't go to the W7, not even a loud issue, but the depth the sub requires will not work with my false floor solution.

[LiviuTincu]

Where do you get the parts from ? Is it online or in store ?

[S.F.W.]

Where do you get the parts from ? Is it online or in store ?
My head unit I bought online, everything else was retail.

[jaimie08mazda3]

Where do you get the parts from ? Is it online or in store ?

Between kijiji, eBay and a shop called autosonics ive found everything I have and I'm happy. Mind you buying what I have new puts you to around 8k roughly. Kijiji is the best place to find some decent setups. Always has been. And the 13 the 1000/1 and the 300/2 was sold to me by a buddy of mine that I used to work with.


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[LiviuTincu]

I am using Kijiji as well , some of what I have it came from there . Also get it from Amazon .com , haven't tried Ebay . Best Buy for my components . Not so many choices here as you can find in US though , I wish they were more. Installation I think you did it yourself , same as me .

[LiviuTincu]

How is the sound like in cars with 10-15 speakers and sub ? Is it worth is do have more than 4 speakers and sub ?

[Kiewan]

You should get a 500/1 slash on them.

And buy another W3 to make them match [emoji6]. Or just do what I did and go W7.

It's not that loud [emoji23]


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Your rear window shook to the point where we all thought it would break. Your reverse lights also shook and looked like mini-subs.

IT WAS LOUD :P


What would you guys recommend as a good starter setup in terms of value?
I'm interested more in clarity, but definitely need added base.

[jaimie08mazda3]

I am using Kijiji as well , some of what I have it came from there . Also get it from Amazon .com , haven't tried Ebay . Best Buy for my components . Not so many choices here as you can find in US though , I wish they were more. Installation I think you did it yourself , same as me .

Kijiji has made it so much easier. Just gotta find good quality for a good price. Do your research. Like do you wanna amp the speakers. And if so don't go cheap. How loud and how clear and what you wanna spend. Kijiji is great for that.


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[jaimie08mazda3]

Your rear window shook to the point where we all thought it would break. Your reverse lights also shook and looked like mini-subs.

IT WAS LOUD :P


What would you guys recommend as a good starter setup in terms of value?
I'm interested more in clarity, but definitely need added base.

It wasn't thaaaaaat loud lmao ;). It needs to be louder. I have so much work to do with the GT to get it to where I was with the GS. I'm still disappointed I never broke my rear window lol.

And well a good clarion setup all the way around will be a decent starter setup. I loved my clarion subs. But the 13 was just too good to not want.


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[LiviuTincu]

I am not trying to go boom with mine , more SQ oriented . I like crank it sometimes on some tracks , but I want it clear .

[gabbygenier]

Oh the good old days of a crazy stereo. I miss it

I've had many different things in my 04 but here is what i had in the end and for the longest
Deck- Pioneer X8600BT with all the addons
Front speakers- JL audio C2 components
Rear speakers- JL TR Coax
Subwoofer- 2 pioneer TS-W2504SPL
Sub Amp- JL 1000/1 Slash V2
Speaker Amp- JL E4300
Kinetix HC700SE Battery

In the truck, so far i have JL C1's all around and that's it haha. The deck is actually pretty descent and really integrated as part of the truck so changing it would not be worth spending money on IMO. i will eventually put a small sub/amp under the center console since i don't want to lose the back seat of the truck. I may also eventually amp the speakers but that wont be for a bit.

I wish manufacturers came out with small amps that would just go for one speaker. so one in each door. It would make things so much easier for this truck

[gabbygenier]

And well a good clarion setup all the way around will be a decent starter setup. I loved my clarion subs. But the 13 was just too good to not want.

Clarion make good products. loved my Clarion subs till i blew them haha.


Kijiji has made it so much easier. Just gotta find good quality for a good price. Do your research. Like do you wanna amp the speakers. And if so don't go cheap. How loud and how clear and what you wanna spend. Kijiji is great for that.

Ebay was where i found the best deal for me. I swear that JL 1000/1 fell of a truck somewhere. i mean, i paid 300$ for it on ebay shipped 10ish years ago lol. I made money selling that thing after using it for that long haha.

you just have to have a lot of time to look on ebay for good deals


I am not trying to go boom with mine , more SQ oriented . I like crank it sometimes on some tracks , but I want it clear .

This is more what im doing with the truck lol. no more crazy bass unfortunately

[LiviuTincu]

I see that JL is widely used in car audio , except one amp , I have no other experience with this brand.

[S.F.W.]

I see that JL is widely used in car audio , except one amp , I have no other experience with this brand.

Typically very well regarded, but also on the more expensive side. The door speakers are typically exceptionally clear. However, you must remember the input source also has significant impact. Flagrum_3 needs to chime in.

[LiviuTincu]

Typically very well regarded, but also on the more expensive side. The door speakers are typically exceptionally clear. However, you must remember the input source also has significant impact. Flagrum_3 needs to chime in.

I know about the source of signal , XSP-N1BT has 5V preouts and it's clean and loud (no comparison with eonon I had before ). Also the previous JVC was good at 4V , I kept the Sony for 5V and cradle option to hold the phone .

[Flagrum_3]

Typically very well regarded, but also on the more expensive side. The door speakers are typically exceptionally clear. However, you must remember the input source also has significant impact. Flagrum_3 needs to chime in.
S.F.W. Ami you have more JL components then I do lol. I've just got the speakers, sub and CleanSweep from them. But since he has a aftermarket HU he won't need the CleanSweep.

I agree, its hard to beat the clarity of the JL component systems.


_3

[LiviuTincu]

S.F.W. Ami you have more JL components then I do lol. I've just got the speakers, sub and CleanSweep from them. But since he has a aftermarket HU he won't need the CleanSweep.
But I agree, its hard to beat the clarity of the JL component systems.


_3

I have the Audiocontrol LC2i , sealed yet . jsut in case I change the car and can't replace the deck due integration with the stuff , but on my current drive It was easier just to replace the deck.

[LiviuTincu]

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag316/Cosmin_Tincu/IMG_20171122_173525084_zpsecvv7ibe.jpg (http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/Cosmin_Tincu/media/IMG_20171122_173525084_zpsecvv7ibe.jpg.html)

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag316/Cosmin_Tincu/IMG_20171122_163552900_zpsisdsu01v.jpg (http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/Cosmin_Tincu/media/IMG_20171122_163552900_zpsisdsu01v.jpg.html)



http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag316/Cosmin_Tincu/IMG_20171122_173616703_zpslfl1pzay.jpg (http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/Cosmin_Tincu/media/IMG_20171122_173616703_zpslfl1pzay.jpg.html)


http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag316/Cosmin_Tincu/IMG_20171122_173622789_zps398ydvmk.jpg (http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/Cosmin_Tincu/media/IMG_20171122_173622789_zps398ydvmk.jpg.html)

[LiviuTincu]

sorry for the blurry pics

[LiviuTincu]

Curious to know how the sound is like in new 2017 (2018) Mazda 3 , Bose or not , better than previous gen or do you still want to upgrade the sound ?

[gabbygenier]

Curious to know how the sound is like in new 2017 (2018) Mazda 3 , Bose or not , better than previous gen or do you still want to upgrade the sound ?

it sucks! haha. Wife's 2017 GS 3 non bose definitely needs an upgrade. even the truck (2017 silverado) had actually descent sound stock compared to the 3.

[LiviuTincu]

it sucks! haha. Wife's 2017 GS 3 non bose definitely needs an upgrade. even the truck (2017 silverado) had actually descent sound stock compared to the 3.That is not what I want to hear, clearly Mazda doesn't care about sound in this car.

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[natspriceless]

That is not what I want to hear, clearly Mazda doesn't care about sound in this car.

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More like they want you top upgrade. I've got a 3rd gen with the Bose system and it's great.

[Flagrum_3]

In my experience you will never find an OEM sound system that's good, doesn't matter what manufacturer. You simply can't get the sound comparable to a custom built aftermarket system. Ofcourse it depends on the person, but as a audiophile a Oem system will never do.


_3

[LiviuTincu]

In my experience you will never find an OEM sound system that's good, doesn't matter what manufacturer. You simply can't get the sound comparable to a custom built aftermarket system. Ofcourse it depends on the person, but as a audiophile a Oem system will never do.


_3Then is not worth it to have"premium" sound system . When it comes with other stuff, is probably worth it, but just alone is not, I suppose.

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[Flagrum_3]

Then is not worth it to have"premium" sound system . When it comes with other stuff, is probably worth it, but just alone is not, I suppose.

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Exactly, I would never make a buying decision based on the audio system offered, as they all suck. Now if the choice of vehicle comes standard with the premium system then I would choose to rip it out and put a real system in, but that's just me.

_3

[gabbygenier]

More like they want you top upgrade. I've got a 3rd gen with the Bose system and it's great.

Probably right. But IMO Bose is overpriced garbage lol. they have an excellent marketing department like many other manufacturers of overpriced stuff. COUGH Apple COUGH


That is not what I want to hear, clearly Mazda doesn't care about sound in this car.

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I don't think it's that they don't care. It's more of a factor that most ppl don't care about the audio too much. but like Flagrum said, some of us are audiophiles and actually care about it.


In my experience you will never find an OEM sound system that's good, doesn't matter what manufacturer. You simply can't get the sound comparable to a custom built aftermarket system. Ofcourse it depends on the person, but as a audiophile a Oem system will never do.


_3

Exactly this. The truck is better then the 3 but in no way compares to any aftermarket stereo that i can add to it.

[LiviuTincu]

So what are the options for "audiophile" like experience?

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[LiviuTincu]

Probably right. But IMO Bose is overpriced garbage lol. they have an excellent marketing department like many other manufacturers of overpriced stuff. COUGH Apple COUGH




This is not Bose fault , it's Mazda's . Bose can do much better I think , it's just how much Mazda is willing to spend on this , and the result is their cars . For Bose is profitable to just produce crap because the car manufacturers are asking for it . For me as an example , I can't afford to pay 3x more (I don't want to spend that much money) in like Focal speakers for let's say 20% "audiophile" experience over Infinity Kappa. I am trying to get the balance between good sound @ good price . My car is worth it $5000 maybe and to spend $1000 on speakers it's just stupid .

[Flagrum_3]

LiviuTincu - You are not considering the fact you can take the system with you with your next car purchase. When I finally get rid of my 3 I'll take the system with me, and if possible put it in my next car purchase or sell some components if not.

You can also purchase high end stuff through kajiji as mentioned by others in the other thread...

Some things to ponder anyways.


_3

[LiviuTincu]

LiviuTincu - You are not considering the fact you can take the system with you with your next car purchase. When I finally get rid of my 3 I'll take the system with me, and if possible put it in my next car purchase or sell some components if not.

You can also purchase high end stuff through kajiji as mentioned by others in the other thread...

Some things to ponder anyways.


_3Yes, that is true, you can always install it in the next car, 100% in my case. The stuff I have now was bought at good deals, is not worth sell it with the car , unless the buyer is willing to pay for my work too.

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[gabbygenier]

The odds of the person you are selling the car to next wanting your system are very low. And if you trade it in, you may as well take it out and sell it for extra since the dealer probably won't even want in the car.

Like Flagrum said, take it to the next car. The only thing that you probably won't take, specially if you buy a brand new car, is the deck. In my case, the new mazda 3 has its own thing that is a pain to change to aftermarket unless you go with an android system from a crappy Chinese company. And the truck has a surprisingly really good deck that's integrated with a lot of features of the truck. so even with the decks I had in my old car and the one in my wife's old car (05 mazda 3) I sold them both.

Kijiji is awesome if you're patient. same as ebay like i mentioned above.

[LiviuTincu]

The odds of the person you are selling the car to next wanting your system are very low. And if you trade it in, you may as well take it out and sell it for extra since the dealer probably won't even want in the car.

Like Flagrum said, take it to the next car. The only thing that you probably won't take, specially if you buy a brand new car, is the deck. In my case, the new mazda 3 has its own thing that is a pain to change to aftermarket unless you go with an android system from a crappy Chinese company. And the truck has a surprisingly really good deck that's integrated with a lot of features of the truck. so even with the decks I had in my old car and the one in my wife's old car (05 mazda 3) I sold them both.

Kijiji is awesome if you're patient. same as ebay like i mentioned above.That's the reason for LC2i , if is too much integration in the new deck I have to use it instead of loosing features. I'm just afraid not to fry something due 8v vs 5v thing.

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[jaimie08mazda3]

This is not Bose fault , it's Mazda's . Bose can do much better I think , it's just how much Mazda is willing to spend on this , and the result is their cars . For Bose is profitable to just produce crap because the car manufacturers are asking for it . For me as an example , I can't afford to pay 3x more (I don't want to spend that much money) in like Focal speakers for let's say 20% "audiophile" experience over Infinity Kappa. I am trying to get the balance between good sound @ good price . My car is worth it $5000 maybe and to spend $1000 on speakers it's just stupid .

The Bose systems put into these cars aren't for people like myself or Gab or Ron etc. They are decent stock systems with a little more oomf then then stock speakers that come in GX and GS. And you know what they are? Cardboard speakers that sound like shit after too long.

Now when it comes to myself and the trial and error and different setups I've gone through in my car, the amount spent is not far off what i paid for the car back in 2007. I learned long ago that you gotta spend money for quality. Now I'm not saying go and spend upwards of 1k ore more on door speakers, but if your wanting quality that will last, your gonna wanna spend more then 129.99 on a set of kappas. I found my focal Ps 165s for 275 off kijiji, and my RE XXX 6.5cs brand new off eBay for 460 all said and done. Not to mention the 700 for the 13 and everything else.

Is car audio cheap? Not a hope in hell. But if you want to have a real crisp and loud setup your going to want to spend the money.

But if your after a decent sound and nothing crazy, spending under 1k for everything (speakers, sub/amp, deck etc) is easily done. It's just what one person thinks is pointless is one persons passion in life. And I'm not even close to done lol.


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[LiviuTincu]

The Bose systems put into these cars aren't for people like myself or Gab or Ron etc. They are decent stock systems with a little more oomf then then stock speakers that come in GX and GS. And you know what they are? Cardboard speakers that sound like shit after too long.

Now when it comes to myself and the trial and error and different setups I've gone through in my car, the amount spent is not far off what i paid for the car back in 2007. I learned long ago that you gotta spend money for quality. Now I'm not saying go and spend upwards of 1k ore more on door speakers, but if your wanting quality that will last, your gonna wanna spend more then 129.99 on a set of kappas. I found my focal Ps 165s for 275 off kijiji, and my RE XXX 6.5cs brand new off eBay for 460 all said and done. Not to mention the 700 for the 13 and everything else.

Is car audio cheap? Not a hope in hell. But if you want to have a real crisp and loud setup your going to want to spend the money.

But if your after a decent sound and nothing crazy, spending under 1k for everything (speakers, sub/amp, deck etc) is easily done. It's just what one person thinks is pointless is one persons passion in life. And I'm not even close to done lol.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI might try Focal one day, who knows. As for the price you can get them for today, nope, I don't think I will. They could be magical, hell no I'm going to pay 3-4 hundred bucks for it. All comes to how much you are going to spend on this. Same as for me Kappa is enough and you say Focal is ok, there are other guys that may think Focal is not enough for their expectations. We can talk about it years, this is how it is. I was curious to know where the good sound system starts, what's minimum to have to achieve that.


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[LiviuTincu]

See for example Bentley audio upgrade is $8000 and is not considered the best by some, vs Range Rover sport sound system upgrade ranked 1 with$3200 . Just an example to understand what I am after.

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[Default User]

See for example Bentley audio upgrade is $8000 and is not considered the best by some, vs Range Rover sport sound system upgrade ranked 1 with$3200 . Just an example to understand what I am after.

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Anybody that can afford a Bentley - can afford $8,000 for the upgrade.


I dumped $5 grand into my old VW. Sold the system for $3,500 and gave the car with it for free LOL

[LiviuTincu]

Anybody that can afford a Bentley - can afford $8,000 for the upgrade.


I dumped $5 grand into my old VW. Sold the system for $3,500 and gave the car with it for free LOLI found some good deal on Amazon.de , it shows Postage & packing but doesn't say duty, custom or any other fee. Those will be extra, right?

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[LiviuTincu]

I bit the bullet and bought Focal PS165 . Have to wait 2-4 weeks .

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[S.F.W.]

I bit the bullet and bought Focal PS165 . Have to wait 2-4 weeks .

Sent from my Moto G4+ using TapatalkWill have to take a listen at a meet. Very curious.

[LiviuTincu]

Will have to take a listen at a meet. Very curious.I hope is worth it to replace Kappas

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[LiviuTincu]

Question: is my amplifier powerful enough at 70W RMS for Focal PS165 which are 80W ?

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[LiviuTincu]

it's here

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag316/Cosmin_Tincu/Screenshot_20171211-102912_zpsgzxq85hf.png (http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/Cosmin_Tincu/media/Screenshot_20171211-102912_zpsgzxq85hf.png.html)

[LiviuTincu]

Got ithttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171212/cce9524ee929e8fadfecef5e36e94f5a.jpg

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[Flagrum_3]

Question: is my amplifier powerful enough at 70W RMS for Focal PS165 which are 80W ?

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Do you have the full specs for your amp? Otherwise I'd say your underpowered for those new speakers for proper sound and reliability.

Your PS165V1 show a rating of 80 Wrms, the rule I've always followed is your amp should be rated atleast 10-15% higher per channel Wrms, as most amps will distort by the time they reach their rated Wrms and that would not be good for your speakers.


_3

[LiviuTincu]

Do you have the full specs for your amp? Otherwise I'd say your underpowered for those new speakers for proper sound and reliability.

Your PS165V1 show a rating of 80 Wrms, the rule I've always followed is your amp should be rated atleast 10-15% higher per channel Wrms, as most amps will distort by the time they reach their rated Wrms and that would not be good for your speakers.


_3Bridged it's 175W . Sony xm-1004n , I have nothing in between

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[LiviuTincu]

According to Crutchfield. Min RMS for amp is 75% of speaker RMS, max is 150% . Also I'm using the gain to match the deck at 5V, so it's turned down .on my Kappa which are 90w but 2ohms sound is good without distortion.

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[LiviuTincu]

I've got them installed, definitely better midbass , sounds awesome.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171222/bcaa6fb689eaa31b13eedfa68fa610b6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171222/a2168263be84d7e83bb125ad30ac8f6a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171222/c5ad5ea12cfff6e3c18918976e8873d0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171222/1aaebe7c0b12094cb9e381ae7e1333a0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171222/7b39a22b0adbfc28b2b1383061a86517.jpg

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[LiviuTincu]

And this" little" guy, just a twelve in1 cuft 1" MDF box. Best Buy had these on sale few weeks ago $100/ , it's braking in still , but sounds gooood .https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180113/80df34902240b78b93aad237b25870bb.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180113/a83dd29ce66c0cf0def72a5e9447a9a3.jpg

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[LiviuTincu]

Is anyone here using Faital PRO or Beyma raw speakers ? Very tempted to try Faital PRO .

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[LiviuTincu]

updated to:

Deck -Sony XSP-N1BT
Front -Focal Performance PS 165V1
Back -Focal Performance PS 165V1 - no tweeter (in quarter window space)
Sub -Image Dynamics IDQ10 V.3 D2
Amp1-speakers -JL Audio RD400/4
Amp2-sub -Audison SRX2S

[LiviuTincu]

Ready for 4" dashboard podshttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180419/7aab7ab5512c93704b17c2859a3038d2.jpg

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[jaimie08mazda3]

God I love the look of those focals.


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[LiviuTincu]

Dayton's in front A/C ventshttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180526/58453f2ed6cd60154117e8fd2819f34e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180526/ac3c8ebc0856733e35a30ee83066e165.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180526/47b0d83347d59a2cd51d00ba0af015c3.jpg

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[jaimie08mazda3]

Looks awesome. I wish my Focals hadn't welded shut :(. It was a depressing day when that happened.


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[LiviuTincu]

New gear https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181214/f49c68813d7a7cf01bb724d5c32fb211.jpg

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[LiviuTincu]

Installedhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181222/c8576f5e754fe7d9dbffc4be6f400bea.jpg

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[Destarah]

If a mod would be so kind to remove the previous failed attempt at posting with pictures that would be great ...

Upgraded my wife's 2012 GS-Sky hatchback last March and meant to share, just been super busy lol. Installed a Kenwood DNX6990HD the day after we bought the car in 2012, but didn't touch anything else until last year.
Here we go ...

Front - Morel Virtus 602
Rear - Morel Tempo 602
Sub - JL Audio 10TW3-D4
Amp - JL Audio XD700/5v2

The primary goal for this installation was stealth, we have 2 dogs that ride in the back of the car. Had the shop build a MDF "subfloor/amp rack/sub enclosure" that had the same dimensions as the stock foam subfloor. Threw out the spare tire and jack - who needs those anyways :)
Here are some pics ...

http://i66.tinypic.com/m8nz0p.jpg
How the dash looks with the DNX6990HD installed ... I really like the fit and finish of the adapter that replaces the stock trim.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2mx4t20.jpg
Close up of the head unit.

http://i68.tinypic.com/29l029v.jpg
This is how the back looks with the factory option cargo mat in place ... winter has been a bit rough lately (what a mess)

http://i65.tinypic.com/6ie4ph.jpg
With the cargo mat removed, lot cleaner (inside at least) ... you can see the carpet dip towards the front of the car where we cut the stiff backing off to allow for better air movement from the sub.

http://i64.tinypic.com/15yc0me.jpg
The did a nice job with the enclosure, although it is not exactly what I had in mind. Eventually I will rebuild it myself, but that's not a priority for now.

http://i68.tinypic.com/xfc6wy.jpg
Tricky to get a decent picture of the fit, sucker is heavy ... but given the weight it just sits snug in the back, so no screws to end up making the body rust which is nice.

I trusted the installer for speaker/sub/amp choices. I had Morel Maximo 6 in my truck, Morel Tempo in my van and was very happy with them.

Initially I was thrilled with the results, but after spending some time listening and tweaking I am convinced that some things need to change to make me truly satisfied. For certain the Virtus speakers are far to bright, I have dialed them WAY down to keep my wife happy ... not sure if it is a placement issue or if they are designed to be like that but we had Focal K2 Power in her previous ride (2005 Toyota Rav4) and we found them to be far superior (such a shame that vehicle was stolen).
To listen at volume, the mats have to be removed from the back or they buzz like crazy ... I believe I can resolve that by rebuilding the enclosure the way I intended originally. It was my vision that the channel you can see in the picture be much larger and an additional layer of MDF placed on top so that the air pressure from the movement of the sub would not cause the mats to vibrate. Not sure how that will sound until I try it, but at least when I get around to playing with it I can just attached layers onto the existing setup to see how it works.

I pushed back on installing amplified speakers in the rear doors, we didn't have that with the Rav4 ... but they insisted it would be worth it. Not even running them right now, just have the fade dialed all the way to the front. Once the warm weather is back I will probably start experimenting with settings to see if I can find a setup that does use them. I prefer my sound stage in front of me is all ...

End result is that it is difficult to install a sub without compromising the cargo space, but possible. JL Audio did manufacture a Stealthbox for this car, but it has since been discontinued so you would have to find one used. Oddly enough they still have a picture of it on their website (http://www.jlaudio.ca/car-audio-stealthbox-mazda)
That option actually allows you to retain the spare tire, which is truly impressive ... they included a new false floor with it that raised the finished height by 1" over stock.

If you don't need to haul around animals in the back, you can cut out a hole in the mat and install the grill for your sub ...

Cheers,
Dan

[LiviuTincu]

Replaced the JL RD 400/4 with the Slash 300/4 v2 and I can say WOW . BIG difference in sound quality for my Focal PS 165 FX, I can hear now sounds that were missing before with the other amp.
So I guess the price matter after all.
Don't get me wrong, RD is a good amplifier, but Slash is at totally different level.
The whole odyssey begun 3 or so years ago, I have changed many amps, speakers and subwoofers, also few decks.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190220/566718a2a782f38f8e5f88777a16ba13.jpg

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