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Audio Install - Intimidated - Should I continue forward?

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Old Nov 30, 2010 | 06:09 AM
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Default Audio Install - Intimidated - Should I continue forward?

Last night, I took apart my passenger side door panel with ease - about 10 minutes. I pulled out my crossover (Diamond Audio D363.5) and could not figure out where to mount the thing and I think I scared myself out of continuing the install. I am trying to....

1. Splice into the stock front speaker wires before they enter the molex plugs leading into the doors and sending this signal to the amplifiers high level inputs (will these wires be extremely hard to find?).

2. Feed the amplifiers speaker output wires to the connection point above (the stock front speaker wires before they enter the door) and splicing the amplifiers output wires with the stock speakers wires leading into the door.

3. Splice into the stock woofer's input wires and sending this signal to the crossover (please advise on where to mount the crossover).

4. Send speaker wires from the crossover back to the woofer and tweeter as well.

Will all this be too complicated??? I have all the service manuals and wiring diagrams and all the tutorials on how to do most of this stuff. I am just curious if it will be that much more complicated in actuality vs. "on paper".

I think the crossover is my biggest hurdle at this point...if I could get past this I might be okay...
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Old Nov 30, 2010 | 08:14 AM
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get aholdof a ;local audio store, they have faxes they get that tells them exactly what wires are where and what colors. We used to do it all the time, it was called a fast fax.

ANyways, your x over should be tightly wrapped in a layer of thin bubble wrap after all your wires are connected, and tightly wrape it a few times w electrical tape. make sure you seal up any holes or point them down.

Inside your door will get wet.. but not THAT wet.
As scary as that sounds, it works, and lasts for years.
Enjoy. DOnt make it more work that its worth.
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Old Nov 30, 2010 | 08:30 AM
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What may look complicated is not. You have the knowledge to do it right.

a. If I am messing with audio video, I make a simple drawling.
b. Also tag wires with "from" or where does this wire come from.
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Old Nov 30, 2010 | 10:09 AM
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how did you guys figure out the best place to put the crossover and still get your panel back on...i feel like the crossover is rather large (diamond audio d363.5)...did you guys just go through trial and error???...did you have to trim or modify the inside of the door panel???...any help on the crossover issue would be greatly appreciated...thanks...

i really want to try to avoid drilling into the molex plugs because of all the horror stories...accidental cuttings...BCM issues...air bag issues...blood...gore...guts...j/k about the last two but still...looks way too painful / advanced / risky for a NOOB to be poking around in there...
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Old Nov 30, 2010 | 09:28 PM
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Are you planning to run an amp to power the components? Are you going to run an aftermarket headunit?
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Old Nov 30, 2010 | 09:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Voboy
Are you planning to run an amp to power the components? Are you going to run an aftermarket headunit?
I will be powering the components with only up to 70W RMS...which is also why I have no problem using the stock wires (18 Gauge)....

I will be keeping the stock head unit and using the front stock speaker wires as high level inputs to the amplifier...
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Old Dec 2, 2010 | 07:28 AM
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Just find a recess in the door panel that you took off and see if it fits. Then use double sided tape and you are done! I also installed Diamond Audio x-overs in my g35 coupe doors. Those suckers are huge but they fit up in the corner towards the door hinge.
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Old Dec 2, 2010 | 07:46 PM
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If you don't want to splice into existing OEM wiring this is what I'd suggest:
http://www.scosche.com/vehicle.searc...006&model=350Z
Pick up a reverse harness and regular harness. Wire them up together, it's color coded. Scosche shows you which wire is which also and you can just tap into what you need L/R:+/- and use as the level input. Plug and play the two (Scosche harnesses) together to the factory harness and radio.

Next,

70RMS each or total? Either way I'd ditch the stock wires and just run some new wires (16 gauge would be my recommendation) directly from your amp through the door connects to the crossovers and crossovers to the speakers.

Done.
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Old Dec 2, 2010 | 10:33 PM
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That speaker set is pretty nice.
Have you considered going active? It will still require you to run a separate set of speaker wires through the molex which isn't all that bad but man, are the results worth it! The only 'extra' thing you need is another 2 channel amp (or run a 4-channel just to the fronts) and of course another speaker wire run. Make sure the amp has high and low pass settings and you're good to go! Ditch the crossovers (which will rob you of power and generate unwanted heat which = distortion) and run 100% of your amp's power to the component set. Just a thought.
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Old Dec 3, 2010 | 06:46 AM
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Originally Posted by orgasm_donor
That speaker set is pretty nice.
Have you considered going active? It will still require you to run a separate set of speaker wires through the molex which isn't all that bad but man, are the results worth it! The only 'extra' thing you need is another 2 channel amp (or run a 4-channel just to the fronts) and of course another speaker wire run. Make sure the amp has high and low pass settings and you're good to go! Ditch the crossovers (which will rob you of power and generate unwanted heat which = distortion) and run 100% of your amp's power to the component set. Just a thought.
thanks for the input...i have a five channel amp (jumped the gun before realizing rears will not add much benefit)...i am only planning to use 2 channels (one for left / right)...so i guess that option is available for me...i just dont know if I am ready for the wiring...

I separated the molex plugs last night and checked out the situation in regards to drilling...seems very easy to slip and really mess things up...i almost slipped and drilled through my sub just screwing it into the box...lol...

Originally Posted by Voboy
If you don't want to splice into existing OEM wiring this is what I'd suggest:
http://www.scosche.com/vehicle.searc...006&model=350Z
Pick up a reverse harness and regular harness. Wire them up together, it's color coded. Scosche shows you which wire is which also and you can just tap into what you need L/R:+/- and use as the level input. Plug and play the two (Scosche harnesses) together to the factory harness and radio.

Next,

70RMS each or total? Either way I'd ditch the stock wires and just run some new wires (16 gauge would be my recommendation) directly from your amp through the door connects to the crossovers and crossovers to the speakers.

Done.
up to 70W RMS to each crossover...now I imagine I would never even exceed 10W RMS for daily listening...

the sensitivity on the speakers is 91 db (1 watt) which is already fairly loud...doubling the power = 3 db gain...so 8 watts = 100 db = almost twice as loud and comparable to a jack hammer at 1 meter (source = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_pressure)...

accounting for some loss through the crossover / wires...lets say 10W RMS might get me close to 100 db

did i get this right - please feel free to correct me if the loss from the crossover / wires will be greater...or if I just missed the whole concept period...thanks...
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