So, in my last picture thread a few people were asking about my stereo, so I went out and snapped a few pics of it today. The goal of my system is to get good sound while retaining a stealth/stock look. The only difference anyone looking in would notice is the head units.

Here is the setup as it sits currently. All questions and comments are welcome!

Alpine CVA-1005 6.5" flip out monitor/control center
Alpine DVA-5205 in-dash DVD player
Sony PS2 slim
Alpine 6 cd-changer
AudioControl Matrix line driver
JL Audio XS series 6.5"/tweeter separates in front (bi-amped)
MB Quart 5.25" separates in rear
1 JL Audio 12W3 in spare tire well
Phoenix Gold ZX-500 powering the sub
Phoenix Gold ZX-350 powering the JL Audio 6.5" mids
Phoenix Gold ZX-450 powering the MB Quarts (mid and tweeter) and the JL Audio tweeters

The PS2 has 6-ft extensions which are run under the carpet and poke out (and are velcroed down) under each seat, so when I want to play, I just plug a control into the extension.

The setup is about to change though, as I just bought an Alpine DVA-9861 in-dash DVD player to replace the old setup I have now. I just have to decide on a monitor to go in the factory nav location. Anyway, on to the pics:





Pic of my monitor paused on a dvd pic of my buddies 240. Last week this car made 508 rwhp before throwing a bearing!




Spare tire well amp rack and sub enclosure!




All covered up!


Bass ****, toggle switches so the DVD player will play while driving, and power to the PS2's power supply.


Glove box with 6-CD changer and PS2


Enclosure in factory sub location (behind driver's seat) that holds the CVA-1005's brain, the Matrix line driver, the JL Audio crossovers, and the power/ground distribution block




The new centerpiece!

 

wow cleanest install ive seen in a long time. Nice.

 

love the amps... don't like the fold out deck or the choice of sub

 

lovn the system !

 

Very sweet, competition quality install. Did the SQ meet or exceed your expectations?

 

Nice job!!!

 

Very nice clean job!

 

danm homie.....that z is ****in dope...have u felt a big difference with the added weight?

 

Sweet install...must sound nice. I love those classic PG amps. Do the amps overheat with the carpet over them? My friend had those amps in his truck and they keep shutting down due to the heat.

Love the wheels too BTW

 

The fold out deck problem is nearly solved. Like I mentioned, I have the new head unit, I just have to pick out a new monitor for the stock nav location. I'm leaning towards one of the Fahrenheit's so many people around here use, but admittedly I haven't done a ton of research yet.

The sub I like, but I've been thinking of upgrading. The problem is, there isn't a lot of depth to work with in this enclosure, so something along the lines of a W7 is completely out of the question (plus, it's too heavy!). Do you have any recommendations?

 

i think anything i recommend isn't going to fit properly.. so you are probably best with that JL on mounting dept..

but if depth wasn't an issue.. i would go with either an ID Max (http://www.imagedynamicsusa.com/) or an RE xxx Series (http://www.reaudio.com/html/#)

I love SPL... but SQ is my is my primary love... i had two ID Max 12's in my old car... those things were amazing... these two subs are LOUD.. but have perfect SQ

 

Yes, the sound quality has met MY expectations, but I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile, and don't know how the SQ would rate to a professional. What I look for in a system, based on my personal listening preferences, is clarity. I like tight, crisp bass, very bright highs, and strong mids. The mids and highs have to keep up with the bass.

For this particular setup, I chose stealthiness over imaging and soundstage. I didn't feel like there was enough room for a kick panel pod, and wanted the system to remain unnoticed, so I chose to use stock locations at the expense of perfect imaging and soundstage.

This system has definitely met my goals, and sounds great for the way I like to listen to music.

 

No, I really didn't feel much difference. I don't know how much all the stereo equipment weighs but I don't think I gained THAT much weight. I mean, the stock spare tire was huge, and the jack is gone now too. Those 2 had to save me a good chunk of weight. The bottom of the box is fiberglassed to the contours of the car, so the wood to build the top of the box, the amp rack, and the enclosure in the stock sub location where my crossovers, line driver, etc are mounted, and then the weight of the components is all I gained. I would guess I picked up maybe 100 pounds, if that? But that is really just a guess. I could be way off.

 

I haven't had many problems with the amps overheating. It has happened, but only to the sub amp. It has shut off once (for about 20 seconds) on a BLISTERINGLY hot day when I was playing it really loud. The only other times it has shut off is if I have something in the back that is sitting on the amps, like a suitcase. When I'm playing it hard, and there's something on top of them, the sub amp might shut off (has probably happened 3 times in the 1+ years that I've had the system. The carpet that's over them is just the thin piece that comes with the Z. The thicker piece, with the rubber backing, is no longer used.

 

Car looks nice!

 

gorgeous install!

 

I like it a lot. Personally I don't know if I'd be comfortable going w/o a spare tire, but that's just me.

The front and rear speakers fit in the stock locations ok? It's hard to believe there's not enought depth for whatever sub you'd want after losing the spare tire.

Looking forward to seeing the pics with the new head unit and monitor. Any plans to run navigation?

 

lookin good man, i still need to come check out your ride...

I should be installing my stereo this weekend if it arrives by friday

Also, did you have nav in your car or not? I noticed your cubby has the nav door that slides into the dash... mine just flops up and its extremely gay looking when it just sticks out.. I have a sirius satellite unit in there and hate driving around with that door just sticking out! lol

 

About not having a spare, keep in mind I live in Boise, Idaho. It's not a very big place, so I'm never too far from home, and always have cell coverage to call for help. I take the Z over to Seattle usually once a year, which does worry me a little if something goes wrong, but I have AAA, and can still throw in the spare for long trips if I want to.

The front and rear speakers fit fine. If I remember correctly, we had to use a small spacer on the fronts, maybe only on one side. The spare tire well is not THAT deep. There is barely enough room for the 12W3, depth wise, and the entire floor has been raised about an inch. But remember, some of the high end subs are HUGE!

I haven't planned on doing navigation. I have both a Tom Tom and a Garmin portable unit I can use if I want, but I doubt I'll go any further than that.

 

love the system.

i just ordered those same rims. what are the size and offsets?