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I'm doing my install tonight...have a few ?s

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    I'm doing my install tonight...have a few ?s

    This is my first post here, but I have been reading for quite some time and value each and every one of your opinions.

    I have a 2003 ES with just under 10,000 on the odometer. I've had enough with the factory stereo and plunked down some cash for a new system last week. Well, everything has arrived and I plan to start (and hopefully complete) my install tonight.

    I have the following equipment to install:

    Infinity Kappa Perfect 5.1 component system

    Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1 sub

    and a Kicker KX800.4 amp (rated at 100x4 RMS)

    My first question is for the techies out there. My amp has speaker-level inputs, which I plan to use. Is there any TRUE advantage to using one of those LOCs and using RCA inputs as opposed to simply using the speaker-level inputs? I've heard mixed stories on this one, and for now, I'm going with speaker-level inputs.

    Second question is where to tap into a turn-on lead. Is it safe to tap into the pink/black wire at the head unit to use as my turn-on lead for the amp?

    My third question is where, in the engine compartment, should I try and run the 4 gauge power cable in? Is there a grommet somewhere that EVERYBODY uses?

    My last and final question is where to apply the Dynamat. I definitely plan to do the area surrounding the door 5.25s. Do you guys think it's really necessary to do the trunk floor? What about the rear deck? Does the rear deck rattle a lot in our cars?

    Again, thanks to anyone who can help me out. I will be taking pictures of everything once I get it installed and I'll share them here in this forum.

    Peace!

    -Huffy

    #2
    dont use speaker level inputs. RCAs will get the signal to the amp better with less distortion from the power lead that goes to the amp.

    as for the turn-on lead, your hu should have one made specifically for amplifiers. if it doesn't you should be able to hook it up to the power antenna lead and it will work fine.

    as far as the power lead from the engine bay, hehe that's up to you. on my 94 lx, i just busted a small hole in one of the rubber grommets in the firewall. but then again, im only using 8g wire. Try to find one of those rubber grommets like i found and squeeze it in if you can so you don't have to drill. other than that, it's time to break out the bits.

    don't dynamat anything. not until you've heard your system after it is installed. listen to it at a volume you would normally have it, then at a volume a bit louder than normal. find any spots that are rattling and go from there. don't go wasting money on ****loads of dynamat when u dont need it.

    btw, welcome to our humble cause.
    Tag Team

    Comment


      #3
      THere is a rubber gromet on the driver's side above the clutch where some wires run through. If you slit a hole in it and poke a screw driver through it, you will see the other end in the engine compartment. 4 gauge can be run through the opening with no problem and just continue it under the door sills. As for RCAs or Speaker level inputs, I agree with JProtege in that you are going to get a better signal with RCAs versus speaker level inputs. Also, less chance for noise to enter. Be sure and run RCA's on the opposite side of the car (like under passenger side door sills) to eliminate alternator whine or engine noise. THe worse rattles will occur where your panel covers your rear deck. I removed mine and it is amazing how much better the bass sounds. I would recommend dynamating that area or using EDead, a similar product. You can use it in the doors and such, but it's entirely up to you. Welcome aboard
      2001 ES (Featured at SoundDomain)

      Pioneer/SoundStream/JBL/Coustic/Elemental Designs/Focal/
      KnuKonceptz/Lightning Audio/SoundQuest/Tiff/
      Gel America/Dynamo Deep Cycle Battery/
      Groundkit

      Comment


        #4
        if you have the stock radio, then try using the speaker inputs on the amp and see what happens, and if its bad, then use the converter to rca. if you have an aftermaket radio, then only use rca's. as far as the turn on lead it would be best to get a relay and use it inline with like that wire that you want to use. as far as where to dynamat your trunk, if you haven't bought any yet, then don't. buy edead from www.edesignaudio.com its so much cheaper and its the same stuff. to be safe, you would want to rip up all the fanels, trunk lid and everything, put down the deadning and then put it all back in, including the trunk lid and roof of the car. but thats very time consuming and more money. if you don't want to spend very much on the deadning, then just do around where the speakers mount and where it raddles in the trunk. let us know how those perfect components sound b/c i've never had a chance to hear them. btw, i would recommend building a fiberglass kick panel for them though to get the best sound from them
        '02 classic red p5
        currently enrolled in AA.

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks for the welcoming and all of the advice. I'm going to try the speaker-level inputs first and see how that works. I'm using the factory head unit, so RCA's are not an option without a LOC.

          I can't wait to hear these Kappa Perfect belt out the tunes!

          Pictures soon!

          Comment


            #6
            I hear the Kappa's are nice especially when amplified! Sounds like your system is in the right direction! Post pics and let us know how it is.
            2001 ES (Featured at SoundDomain)

            Pioneer/SoundStream/JBL/Coustic/Elemental Designs/Focal/
            KnuKonceptz/Lightning Audio/SoundQuest/Tiff/
            Gel America/Dynamo Deep Cycle Battery/
            Groundkit

            Comment


              #7
              first try the speaker inputs on the amp, and if it just doesn't get loud, or it doesn't sound very good, get one from david navone:


              i'm not sure on taping into the wire from the HU to turn on the amp. i tapped into my fuse panel.

              use the grommet misterT suggested, since you'll keep the power wire as short as possible by running it down the same side as the battery

              sound dampening should be applied to where speakers mount, and any other place that rattles really bad. the rear deck is going to rattle like a bitch, and weather stripping will work best to take care of it. you need to put it everywhere the plastic cover is close to the metal under it, or the window

              Comment


                #8
                o yea, infinity's are hella tight. they are some quality speakers. my wife's got infinity's all around the cabin of her geo prizm... that's 4.5" in the front and 5.25" in the rears. hella nice sound. i've been tryin to convince her to get a multichannel but she doesn't care cause she's not AA like we all are :-)
                Tag Team

                Comment


                  #9
                  My old buddy David Navone also sells an expensive but really nice relay to turn off and on the amp for you. If you are a handy, you can do the same with a good relay from radio shack.
                  I like and support the use of Line Out Converters (POCs). Many stock headunits provide an outstanding signal source for an afterunit amp. Sorry but our ears can't tell the difference between a good and bad CD player unless we are talking a really bad CD player. In turn I have yet to meet a person who can tell a well done LOC based install from a pure RCA install.
                  In your case, you have a speaker level in at the amp, try it first and see how it sounds, if it is a decent amp what merely have the guts of some LOCs in the amp! IF you don't like the sound, then go to LOCs.
                  I prefer the relay method of turning the amp on, that way it is not on all the time the car is even if the stereo is off.
                  You got a ton of input of the clutch cable location for wiring. Nuff on that.
                  I would suggest if your budget can afford a little, do deaden at least around the speaker locations, that will cut down of the tranferance of the vibration of the cones into the chassis- that translates into that annoying cheap sounding rattle, and it helps keep road vibration from causeing cone movement other than that of the music.
                  Wait on the trunk until you live with the sub for a while, then think about deadening, that is another whole project and challange.
                  Good Luck on the install and let us all know how it turns out!!
                  David A. Cameron
                  "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men
                  stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

                  Ex Protege Owner- and I still love em!
                  2004 Cooperworks Mini
                  2003 Acura TSX

                  And I swear not another car until my daughter gets a drivers license!!

                  De Oppresso Liber
                  Sine Pari

                  Comment


                    #10
                    do you have an update on your install, pics?
                    '02 classic red p5
                    currently enrolled in AA.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I've ended up taking a bit of a detour late in the summer with the accura. I did not mess with the headunit, and while tempted I did not mess (yet) with the stock itty bitty amp, but I did up grade the speakers and deaden the car. It took about three weeks out of my time. Also my daughter Allison had her tonsuls out in July and was down most of the month. No excuses but I have promised myself always that she comes first in all cases regarding work or play, and she likes fiddling in the car about as much as me. She is my number one helper.
                      In short I have the deadening done, the wiring done, the dash about half way back in, the front pods are built, and I have the amp rack but it is not installed. The sub hole where that rear tire thing used to go is ready for install. The leather is on the seats, and the dash has it's stretched on but it is not back in the car yet. The LCD video is built into the inside of the trunk lid, and I have the trunk lid actuators but I do not have them installed yet in a flip up and open style. The minilite wheels are now on and I like them.
                      Next up is install of the rack, it is metal and is an electronic folding and sliding system, it should be pretty slick when done. Then a total finish of the interior of the trunk, and work forward to the cabin, new sound deadening carpeting, and on to the dash. I figure an additional six weeks at the rate I am working now and again on it. I want to get the fabrication complete prior to the weather seriously changing, cold weather is not a good time to use adhesives... Then during the winter I will work on the tuning of the system.
                      The photos and streaming video, are still pretty mumms until the car is ready for competition entry by nessicity. Hope folks understand-
                      Thanks for asking!!
                      David A. Cameron
                      "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men
                      stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

                      Ex Protege Owner- and I still love em!
                      2004 Cooperworks Mini
                      2003 Acura TSX

                      And I swear not another car until my daughter gets a drivers license!!

                      De Oppresso Liber
                      Sine Pari

                      Comment


                        #12
                        So how is your install going huffydmb? I'm guessing slower than you expected. When I installed my amp and 4 speakers I had planned on doing it in 1-1.5 days. But it ended up taking me 3. Of course it was my first install.
                        02 Protege ES

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Yep, taking a LOT longer than I had planned. I even took a sick day yesterday and worked on it for quite some time. I did all of the work at my brother's office, which has a nice, wide open garage for us to use. Unfortunately, I forgot my damn camera! The doors are complete. The amp and sub are installed, but not working yet.

                          Why, you ask? Because I couldn't get that ****ing bitch of a head unit out! I tried for a good hour. I tried the coat hanger idea. I tried the two sets of Ford removal tools. I got it loose a few times, but could not get it out for the life of me! I'm going to a local shop on my lunch hour today to have them get it out for me. I was pissed off to no end yesterday trying to get that damn thing out!

                          I WILL take pics once I get everything installed.

                          Based on what I hear so far, the Infinity fronts sound incredible, and that's with a whopping 15 or so watts of dirty head unit power. Basically, all I have left to do is run the speaker leads to the unit and then back again to amp and I'm done.

                          Thanks again for everyone's help. The running of the power cable was the easiest I've ever had to do. This is my fourth install and I was amazed how easy that part was!

                          Pics will follow soon, don't worry!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by dacinokc
                            . .
                            I prefer the relay method of turning the amp on, that way it is not on all the time the car is even if the stereo is off.
                            . . .
                            im fairly sure the amp turns off if you turn off the HU. that's the purpose of the remote turn-on lead that goes from the HU to the amp(s). im not 100% positive though, i'll go check in my car to see what happens.
                            Tag Team

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Head unit removal was the hardest part of my install too! Every thing else went well considering. I did have a faulty component which when removed, noise was out of my system. It just got to the point of no turning back :p: I AM going to get this thing out!!! After removing, I slammed the Factory HU on the concrete to let out frustration! My Alpine unit is an old one, so if I ever trade in, it will go with the car. I kept all of my factory speakers and adaptors though.
                              2001 ES (Featured at SoundDomain)

                              Pioneer/SoundStream/JBL/Coustic/Elemental Designs/Focal/
                              KnuKonceptz/Lightning Audio/SoundQuest/Tiff/
                              Gel America/Dynamo Deep Cycle Battery/
                              Groundkit

                              Comment

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