GunRelated
Well-Known Member
Car audio, home audio, portable or headphones, I like it all. If you have a cool setup, share it.
Spent a couple years collecting equipment for my crew cab truck and finally got it all basically finished up last year. I've had a thing for audio since I was young but really never had the extra funds to buy above average quality, so I have to say, I am extremely satisfied with the way this setup sounds - and I still did it without breaking the bank. This was a lot of work and giving the fact that this is my daily driver, it was hard to commit to tearing it apart to get everything done in a timely manner.
Here's a list of the equipment :
Pioneer AVH-2400 NEX was already in the truck when I bought it
Focal Expert PS 165FX 6.5" components for front sound stage - got these from crutchfield for at almost 50% discount before they phased in the new model which is basically the same exact thing.
Two JL 10w3v3 in a foxbox for bass - bought these local in like new condition for $400 with the box.
JL Slash v1 300/4 pushing the Focals - bought this on eBay in like new condition for $250 shipped
JL Slash v1 1000/1 pushing the subs - bought this local in used condition. I bought 2 of these amps, one brand new in the box and one used for....$300, for both! Probably the best deal I've ever ran across in my life. Sold the new one for $700 on eBay and kept the used one - basically paid for the one I kept and the subs.
NVX 10 farad hybrid capacitor - bought this on eBay like new for $100 shipped
I also recently added a portable Bluetooth receiver / DAC (EarStudio ES100), just to clean up the signal and overall sound quality and it definitely made a difference, not a HUGE difference, but it definitely sounds better.
I won't list all the wiring but I used all OFC wire from KnuKonceptz, except for the 1/0 power and ground which I ordered from a welding supply, and KnuKonceptz high end RCA's.
Used NVX silicone speaker baffles and some thick, sturdy plastic mounting rings to mount the 6.5's in the doors. I like the baffles because they cup to the inside of the door panel and create a fairly decent seal. They also prevent water from draining or splashing onto the rear of the speaker.
I installed Noico 80mil sound dampening on the front doors. I ordered this from Amazon and I have nothing to compare it to as this is the first time I have used sound dampening, but I had no problems installing it and it seems to do its job well. For the $ compared to some of the more popular brands, I personally can't justify paying basically double or more for something else.
I have nothing hooked up in the rear doors and don't plan to, but I do plan to install sound dampening on them at some point.
I did have plans to have a center console built to hide two JL 12w6v3, which I picked up local in good condition for $500 in a well built box. As of now, I have scrapped that plan because I'm not willing to fork over the money to have the box built and installed and I can't have my truck in a shop for an extended period of time. Plus, I was unable to find a local shop that had the time and availability to do it. I was wanting something that looked close to a factory console, which would have been possible, but a tight fit for those subs. They won't fit under the rear seat without a lift. I have put them on the back seat just to hear them and - damn they sound so good. I try not to think about them too much because it makes me want to get them in the truck some kinda bad. But I have to say, the two 10w3's sound great and they definitely get down - I have them running at around 500-600 RMS each. I am unsure what that slash 1000 actually puts out, I'm guessing somewhere around 1100-1200 RMS. I set the gain with a multimeter to just under 600 watts each if I remember correctly.
The Focals sound amazing. Crystal clear with a great soundstage and loud enough to keep up with the bass. I was shocked to see them priced at such a discount at a time when I was actually in the market for that specific model. I was considering running active and going with JL C7 mids and tweets but when I saw the Focals at that price, it was a no brainer and I am well pleased with them.
I have never used a capacitor before, and I have read a lot of conflicting information about their use, but I figured I'd give it a shot. I can't say if it makes much of a difference or not to be honest.
The truck already had the big 3 installed when I bought it. I'm just running standard batteries though, for now. I just replaced the truck system battery as it was shot, and I will be replacing the audio system battery soon. I'm unsure what I will replace it with, but am leaning towards just a standard "high end" battery. I do not have a battery isolator installed yet, but a friend has a new one that he has no use for, so I will likely end up using it. If anyone has any input on the next battery replacement, I'd like to hear.
The pics uploaded a bit out of order for whatever reason.
Spent a couple years collecting equipment for my crew cab truck and finally got it all basically finished up last year. I've had a thing for audio since I was young but really never had the extra funds to buy above average quality, so I have to say, I am extremely satisfied with the way this setup sounds - and I still did it without breaking the bank. This was a lot of work and giving the fact that this is my daily driver, it was hard to commit to tearing it apart to get everything done in a timely manner.
Here's a list of the equipment :
Pioneer AVH-2400 NEX was already in the truck when I bought it
Focal Expert PS 165FX 6.5" components for front sound stage - got these from crutchfield for at almost 50% discount before they phased in the new model which is basically the same exact thing.
Two JL 10w3v3 in a foxbox for bass - bought these local in like new condition for $400 with the box.
JL Slash v1 300/4 pushing the Focals - bought this on eBay in like new condition for $250 shipped
JL Slash v1 1000/1 pushing the subs - bought this local in used condition. I bought 2 of these amps, one brand new in the box and one used for....$300, for both! Probably the best deal I've ever ran across in my life. Sold the new one for $700 on eBay and kept the used one - basically paid for the one I kept and the subs.
NVX 10 farad hybrid capacitor - bought this on eBay like new for $100 shipped
I also recently added a portable Bluetooth receiver / DAC (EarStudio ES100), just to clean up the signal and overall sound quality and it definitely made a difference, not a HUGE difference, but it definitely sounds better.
I won't list all the wiring but I used all OFC wire from KnuKonceptz, except for the 1/0 power and ground which I ordered from a welding supply, and KnuKonceptz high end RCA's.
Used NVX silicone speaker baffles and some thick, sturdy plastic mounting rings to mount the 6.5's in the doors. I like the baffles because they cup to the inside of the door panel and create a fairly decent seal. They also prevent water from draining or splashing onto the rear of the speaker.
I installed Noico 80mil sound dampening on the front doors. I ordered this from Amazon and I have nothing to compare it to as this is the first time I have used sound dampening, but I had no problems installing it and it seems to do its job well. For the $ compared to some of the more popular brands, I personally can't justify paying basically double or more for something else.
I have nothing hooked up in the rear doors and don't plan to, but I do plan to install sound dampening on them at some point.
I did have plans to have a center console built to hide two JL 12w6v3, which I picked up local in good condition for $500 in a well built box. As of now, I have scrapped that plan because I'm not willing to fork over the money to have the box built and installed and I can't have my truck in a shop for an extended period of time. Plus, I was unable to find a local shop that had the time and availability to do it. I was wanting something that looked close to a factory console, which would have been possible, but a tight fit for those subs. They won't fit under the rear seat without a lift. I have put them on the back seat just to hear them and - damn they sound so good. I try not to think about them too much because it makes me want to get them in the truck some kinda bad. But I have to say, the two 10w3's sound great and they definitely get down - I have them running at around 500-600 RMS each. I am unsure what that slash 1000 actually puts out, I'm guessing somewhere around 1100-1200 RMS. I set the gain with a multimeter to just under 600 watts each if I remember correctly.
The Focals sound amazing. Crystal clear with a great soundstage and loud enough to keep up with the bass. I was shocked to see them priced at such a discount at a time when I was actually in the market for that specific model. I was considering running active and going with JL C7 mids and tweets but when I saw the Focals at that price, it was a no brainer and I am well pleased with them.
I have never used a capacitor before, and I have read a lot of conflicting information about their use, but I figured I'd give it a shot. I can't say if it makes much of a difference or not to be honest.
The truck already had the big 3 installed when I bought it. I'm just running standard batteries though, for now. I just replaced the truck system battery as it was shot, and I will be replacing the audio system battery soon. I'm unsure what I will replace it with, but am leaning towards just a standard "high end" battery. I do not have a battery isolator installed yet, but a friend has a new one that he has no use for, so I will likely end up using it. If anyone has any input on the next battery replacement, I'd like to hear.
The pics uploaded a bit out of order for whatever reason.
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