[scotiacustom]

As promised some pics...

I missed the door speaker install I had an appointment when he was doing it.

Pic1
Pic2
Pic3

Thanks for all the help all, i appreciate it. Im happy with the new sound in the Focus!

[Drivesthebeast]

Looks pretty good, but if you are the only person, or primary occupant of the car, then I'd shift the box to the right side of the hatch...it will sound better in the drivers seat that way...

[installman]

Drivesthebeast,Mar 3 2007, 03:30 AM Wrote:Looks pretty good, but if you are the only person, or primary occupant of the car, then I'd shift the box to the right side of the hatch...it will sound better in the drivers seat that way...
[right][snapback]228740[/snapback][/right]

If the cables are long enough you could move it to listen to the difference but being that it's bass and we're talking about a foot, I wouldn't worry about it. The chances of your hearing any difference are next to none.

[scotiacustom]

Thanks guys... I might mess with what was mentioned. But you might be right one foot wont matter. However i dont think the cables are long enough.

Only problem i have now is that its not loud enough :] (i knew that would happen somehow lol) Maybe im going deaf anyway.

[ANTHONYD]

That's the problem with I.C.E.

At least I have this problem I bought all the best stuff (for what I could afford) got it all installed nice and clean and a month later, wanted it louder :lol:

I've gotten over it. My stereo is just fine for my uses.

[tippmann]

i had the same problem of my stereo not being loud enough. i changed my subs 3 times, my amp twice and interior speakers of my old car twice

[ex1z7]

This appears to be the best place for me to put it .. I'd like some help from you guys as well :)..

my SE Focus, with the single-cd deck, and from what I've been told, no amp preouts.. Just isn't what I want in a deck anymore, I have 2 10" Rockford Fosgate subs, and a pioneer premier amp.. I like my stock speakers for now, but, would upgrade when I get another amp for speakers, which I'll get at the same time as the newer amp I guess..

What I'm curious about is.. The audiophile deck that comes in the .. zx3/5? has amp outs doesn't it? If not, the blaupunkt does.. right?

I really like the stock look, makes it less likely that I'll wake up in the morning to my car window broken and my deck ripped out.. Is there a better stock~ deck to use instead of aftermarket.. something I can connect 2 amps to? Or in all reality, is going aftermarket the only reasonable way for me to go..

I don't want crazy loud dB for competitions .. I just want something daily I can listen to, and perhaps get loud when, you know, it isn't 11 pm and illegal ;).

For a stock system I find my speakers are actually really good, but I want more bass.. Hence the sub..

Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

[Drivesthebeast]

Keep the stock deck, and use the Speaker level inputs on your aftermarket amp (if it has this option). I did this for over a year, ran my amp for my box off the rear speaker leads, and it worked just fine, until I went to a larger setup...

[scotiacustom]

Im far from an audio expert. But there is 1000% improvement from stock to aftermarket door speakers. Im not sure about the systems you mentioned but my car had papercone speakers with no tweeters.

The ones i put in sound soooo much better.

[ex1z7]

Drivesthebeast,Mar 11 2007, 06:34 PM Wrote:Keep the stock deck, and use the Speaker level inputs on your aftermarket amp (if it has this option).  I did this for over a year, ran my amp for my box off the rear speaker leads, and it worked just fine, until I went to a larger setup...
[right][snapback]229814[/snapback][/right]

But how do I connect my deck to my amp? I thought the stock single disc SE deck didn't have a way to do that..

And the amp I have is a GM-X822, uhhh.. specs from Pioneer are...

Specifications

* Continuous Power (20Hz-20kHz, 0.04% THD)
o 2 ch: (4 Ohm) 80Wx2
o 2 ch: (2 Ohm) 120Wx2
o 1 ch: (4 Ohm) 240Wx1
* Maximum Power (EIAJ)
o 2 ch: (4 Ohm) 160Wx2
o 1 ch: (4 Ohm) 480Wx1
* Frequency Response: 10Hz - 50kHz (0,-1dB)
* Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.004% (1kHz, 4 Ohm)
* Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 102dB (IHF-A Weighted, at 1kHz)
* Dimensions: 10" x 2-3/8" x 10-3/8"

Features

* Bridgeable 1/2/3 Channel Capability
* 1-Ohm Stable Operation
* PWM Regulated MOSFET Power Supply
* Balanced Isolator Input Circuit
* Gold-Plated Screw-Type Power/Ground Terminals
* Gold-Plated Screw-Type Speaker Terminals
* Gold-Plated RCA Inputs
* Gold-Plated RCA Outputs
* Hi-Volt Input Level Control (400mV-6.5V)
* Top-Mount Controls
* Variable Crossover: 50-120Hz, -12dB/oct. (LPF/HPF)
* Variable Bass Boost (40-120Hz, 0 to +12dB)
* Single Fan Cooling
* Illuminated Logo
* Premier Two-Year Warranty

It used to power both subs, but I was thinking, perhaps.. running 2 speakers and a sub off it, if it's dual channel that is..

Or would it be better to use one channel and 1 sub, and get another amp for speakers..

I don't know what I'm doing :(

[Drivesthebeast]

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/pna/produ...DetailComponent

They say in the specs for it that it's got Hi-volt input capability...I'm not certain if this means you CAN use speaker level inputs or not. Usually, if an amp is capable of doing what I suggested, it will have either an additional set of connections that look like speaker wire screw terminals that are actually meant to be an input, or there will be a square shaped hole in the side of the amp with a connector in it meant for 4 wires (2 pairs of wires). They also sometimes have just 2 or 4 spade connectors that you can see sticking out of a rectangular shape cutout in the side of the amp. Some older amps did it that third way, and required soldering to make the terminations.

If you see ANY of the three input types I mentioned, then you just need to see if the amp is labeled that they ARE inputs.

Now, if this isn't an option, you can get line-level converters, which take the wires for your rear speakers, and convert them to RCA...allowing you to connect to the rca input of the amp. This is another option, if you wanna keep the stock deck. If at all possible, try and use the route I mentioned...splice into the speaker wires for the rear speakers, and run the 2nd pair of wires to the back of the car, and go to the local stereo shop and get a 4-wire adapter that will let you plug the wires into the amp.

Hope you understand what I mean...

[ex1z7]

Drivesthebeast,Mar 12 2007, 11:22 AM Wrote:http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/pna/produ...DetailComponent

They say in the specs for it that it's got Hi-volt input capability...I'm not certain if this means you CAN use speaker level inputs or not.  Usually, if an amp is capable of doing what I suggested, it will have either an additional set of connections that look like speaker wire screw terminals that are actually meant to be an input, or there will be a square shaped hole in the side of the amp with a connector in it meant for 4 wires (2 pairs of wires).  They also sometimes have just 2 or 4 spade connectors that you can see sticking out of a rectangular shape cutout in the side of the amp.  Some older amps did it that third way, and required soldering to make the terminations.

If you see ANY of the three input types I mentioned, then you just need to see if the amp is labeled that they ARE inputs. 

Now, if this isn't an option, you can get line-level converters, which take the wires for your rear speakers, and convert them to RCA...allowing you to connect to the rca input of the amp.  This is another option, if you wanna keep the stock deck.  If at all possible, try and use the route I mentioned...splice into the speaker wires for the rear speakers, and run the 2nd pair of wires to the back of the car, and go to the local stereo shop and get a 4-wire adapter that will let you plug the wires into the amp.

Hope you understand what I mean...
[right][snapback]229930[/snapback][/right]

Uhhh I don't fully understand .. Does my image help answer your question? ha..

:|

[Drivesthebeast]

Glad you posted that pic...gives the answer right away. You will HAVE to get a line converter/driver to use THAT amp, and your stock deck.

That's easy enough. Brands like Scosche, Metra, etc make them. It will be a little black box that has speaker wires coming out of one side, and RCA connectors on the other side. You will have to cut the wires from your rear speakers, and splice them onto the speaker wire inputs on the converter. Then, once you've done that, you will have to run an RCA cable from the converter box to the amp, and there should be small holes in the top of the converter with round switches inside of them that you'll need a mini flathead screwdriver or philips to turn, to adjust the amount of volume/voltage it allows to pass...

This is what I'm talking about:

http://www.scosche.com/scosche_caraudio.as...29&ItemID=LOC80

You need a little box like that, and most car audio shops either will have one, or will be able to get you one. The one like in the link will be easy to find, as Scosche is one of the biggest providers of adapters and installation hardware for vehicles out there.

With a controller/converter like that, you'll be able to keep your fader control, and you'll only run the amp in your stock deck a little under 4 ohms (which it can take, as I mentioned I used the stock deck to interface an amp in my car originally too, with zero issues).

Because of that amp, you'll have to hook up your system this way...

Hope this info helps

[ex1z7]

So with that little box, I can connect my stock deck to my amp, and a 10" sub to my amp as well.. Correct? That's really the only thing I want at the moment..

I'm getting all confused with the rear speaker thing.. I don't believe I have rear speakers in rear as in, under the window.. Only in the rear doors, those are the ones you refer to, right?

I hope I'm at least SLOWLY getting it,

[Drivesthebeast]

Yes, because of the type of amp you have, and that you wanna use the stock deck, you will HAVE TO use a converter like that.

You will need to pull the deck out of the dash, and find out which wires go to your rear door speakers. Once you've done this, you are going to need 2 runs of speaker wire (just small like 18 guage) going from behind the deck, to the rear of your car. Now all you need to do is determine what way you wanna do the splices of the wires. You can either: A: just strip some of the jacket off the stock wires, and braid the new speaker wires around them, and solder them together or B: Cut the stock wires, take some of the jacket off BOTH ends of the stock wire you just cut, and braid both of them back together with the new wires, and then put a B-type connector on them, and then use heat shrink tubing.

Either of those splices will work, and when you are done that, just splice your newly run speaker wires to the speaker wires on the converter. Then just run short RCA cables from the converter to the amp. You COULD just do short speaker wire joints under the dash, and shove them and the converter into the dash, and use a long RCA to run to the back, instead of the speaker wires, but I would do the speaker wire method, so that way you can have the converter near the amp if you need to fine tune the volume output going to the amp.

Hope this info isn't too tricky to understand...

L8tz

[ex1z7]

Drivesthebeast,Mar 13 2007, 01:18 PM Wrote:Yes, because of the type of amp you have, and that you wanna use the stock deck, you will HAVE TO use a converter like that.

*snip*

Hope this info isn't too tricky to understand...

L8tz
[right][snapback]230281[/snapback][/right]

Man that's so snazzy ! Thank you ! I 100% understand now.. K I'm lying, 90%, but I can figure the last part out soon !

I'm really excited now, hopefully in a few weeks I'll have this all sorted.. Still a little nippy at the moment, and I'd like to do it right.. so having a solid day to focus on this would be great.. I just don't have the time right now.

Thanks again! You've helped so much :D