my stereo install (with pics)
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100mm mid 25mm tweeter will fit, which converts roughly to a 4" and 1". although i was very surprised by the factory speakers, they are pretty good. i don't know that i would replace them with mbquart separates. i would change the amp is it is way under powered for the setup.
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i ran the wires through the big grommet behind the battery. Then i put in two 1/2" grommets near the amp (where it is a single layer of sheet metal). The wiring route on this car was particularly easy!
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it was a mixture of radioshack and stinger. The power & ground wires were stinger, the rest was radioshack. There are a couple things we should all be aware of:
1. the gauge of the wire and its flexibility is important - not its brand.
2. for RCA cables, a good quality radioshack cable is more than sufficient for the length of cable that we need in this type of car install.
3. the manner in which the stereo is installed is the most important. the guiding principles are:
a) don't create ground loops (short ground cable, isolate amp from the grounding body of the car.
b) select sufficient gauge for watts that you will draw.
c) isolate power, speaker and low-level wires from unshielded wires.
d) run equal length of wire for left & right speakers.
Hope that helps...
1. the gauge of the wire and its flexibility is important - not its brand.
2. for RCA cables, a good quality radioshack cable is more than sufficient for the length of cable that we need in this type of car install.
3. the manner in which the stereo is installed is the most important. the guiding principles are:
a) don't create ground loops (short ground cable, isolate amp from the grounding body of the car.
b) select sufficient gauge for watts that you will draw.
c) isolate power, speaker and low-level wires from unshielded wires.
d) run equal length of wire for left & right speakers.
Hope that helps...
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From: SoCal
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it was a mixture of radioshack and stinger. The power & ground wires were stinger, the rest was radioshack. There are a couple things we should all be aware of:
1. the gauge of the wire and its flexibility is important - not its brand.
2. for RCA cables, a good quality radioshack cable is more than sufficient for the length of cable that we need in this type of car install.
3. the manner in which the stereo is installed is the most important. the guiding principles are:
a) don't create ground loops (short ground cable, isolate amp from the grounding body of the car.
b) select sufficient gauge for watts that you will draw.
c) isolate power, speaker and low-level wires from unshielded wires.
d) run equal length of wire for left & right speakers.
Hope that helps...
1. the gauge of the wire and its flexibility is important - not its brand.
2. for RCA cables, a good quality radioshack cable is more than sufficient for the length of cable that we need in this type of car install.
3. the manner in which the stereo is installed is the most important. the guiding principles are:
a) don't create ground loops (short ground cable, isolate amp from the grounding body of the car.
b) select sufficient gauge for watts that you will draw.
c) isolate power, speaker and low-level wires from unshielded wires.
d) run equal length of wire for left & right speakers.
Hope that helps...
Would twisted pair cables on the rca help with noise rejection? I mean, instead of standard rca cables?
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Here is a close-up of the grommet Boris mentioned
Then you have to pass through another wall and you can use this existing grommet on the passenger side. I kept the power and speaker wires separated a minimum of 2".
When you do 3-way components up front, you must run an extra set of wires for the 4" mid range, as the door speaker uses the factory run and the dash only has one set of factory wires, which you should use for the tweeter. The additional wires required for the 4" mid range follow the path above and are very easy to route up into the dash area. The other wires that run along this same route are the RCA wires from the head unit.
Here is an overview of the general path. Like Boris said - this is relatively simple and is probably the easiest part of the entire install. The running of wires was very quick - speaker fitment is what takes the time. I would recommend having a dremel tool handy before you begin.
Then you have to pass through another wall and you can use this existing grommet on the passenger side. I kept the power and speaker wires separated a minimum of 2".
When you do 3-way components up front, you must run an extra set of wires for the 4" mid range, as the door speaker uses the factory run and the dash only has one set of factory wires, which you should use for the tweeter. The additional wires required for the 4" mid range follow the path above and are very easy to route up into the dash area. The other wires that run along this same route are the RCA wires from the head unit.
Here is an overview of the general path. Like Boris said - this is relatively simple and is probably the easiest part of the entire install. The running of wires was very quick - speaker fitment is what takes the time. I would recommend having a dremel tool handy before you begin.
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How Would You Rate The Factory Bose Speakers? I Was Wanting To Run A Quality Aftermarket Amplifier, But Am Not Sure If They(bose Speakers) Can Handle Alittle Extra Power.... Please Inform.....
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I am no expert, but I don't think they will provide very good sound regardless of power, although I'm sure each component upgrade will offer some benefit. I had a high end system in my previous 993TT and the Boze sound was a huge downgrade. Boris seems to know a lot about this stuff - I'm sure he can explain.
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i would rate the factory bose speakers as pretty good! i would rate their crossovers as lousy! knowing what i know now - here's what i'd do:
a) use a sound deadening solution behind the factory speakers and remove capacitors.
b) change the crossover (buy a good 3 way crossover - very cheap!) If you go this route you want adjustable xovers. reason is the 3 way spekers are separated from one another and because the dash speakers are in a very bright location. so you really need to adjust the individual gains of each speaker to get a good sound.
c) tap into the factory wiring at the amp using .083" pins and wire the new crossover in
d) buy a new amp (the bose amp sucks!) and install it
e) add a subwoofer
as for cost - here's my estimate:
a) $20
b) $60
c) $2 (connectors at frys)
d) $300 for the amp i used
e) $350 for the sub box and jl audio sub
i suspect this very inexpensive setup will make a huge huge difference in the car! as for installation ease - this should take someone a couple hours.
a) use a sound deadening solution behind the factory speakers and remove capacitors.
b) change the crossover (buy a good 3 way crossover - very cheap!) If you go this route you want adjustable xovers. reason is the 3 way spekers are separated from one another and because the dash speakers are in a very bright location. so you really need to adjust the individual gains of each speaker to get a good sound.
c) tap into the factory wiring at the amp using .083" pins and wire the new crossover in
d) buy a new amp (the bose amp sucks!) and install it
e) add a subwoofer
as for cost - here's my estimate:
a) $20
b) $60
c) $2 (connectors at frys)
d) $300 for the amp i used
e) $350 for the sub box and jl audio sub
i suspect this very inexpensive setup will make a huge huge difference in the car! as for installation ease - this should take someone a couple hours.