My new speaker job!

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Mazdaspeed3, Mazda2 Yozora Ed., RX-8 R3
Just finished the install on my 2's speaker upgrade and I'm very pleased! (cabpatch)

Fronts are JL C2-650 and rear are JL C2-650x, and to fill in the bottom a single CPL108LG-W3v3 powered by a small Kenwood 350w amp.

Really nicely balanced sounding system! That little 8" W3 really kicks and gets those lower octaves very tightly. I'll eventually upgrade the amp to a JL 250/1 but at the moment I'm really impressed. The sound is much fuller and far far more immersive than the stock or even just having my fronts as C2-650x.

I'm actually quite impressed by how tight the car is too. Even with some MSTRKRFT really cranked there were no substantial rattles or shakes, and from outside the car there's nothing but bottom. No license plate rattle and only the tiniest bit of shake from the rear hatch window.

A great system all around, nice balance not too sub heavy but very solid down below. So far the best $1000 (All in) I've spent on my car!
 
I'll see what I can do. I WAS at the shop for the 4 hrs it took them to do the install, but I didn't get a single pic cus I'm lame. And it's quite well hidden under the stock door panels, Though I'm seriously considering a way to remove the stock grills and put the JL ones overtop. Right now other than the tweeters the cabin doesn't look any different! And the little W3 8" box is so small that you'd barely notice. I'll try and get some this weekend over the holiday though... As long as it doesn't get too cold out there!

DaleNixon said:
Pics!
Click to expand...
 
Got some pics this weekend as I installed an Alpine m-500 sub amp in place of the low end kenwood. Will post asap!
 
I'm very interested to see pics of your install. My friend who works at Best Buy Mobile Audio, installed my Alpine CDA-9885, Swi-Jack, Bluetooth module and dash kit maybe a month ago. My next step is some Polk 6.5 components in the front, 6.5 coaxials in the rear with an Alpine power pack for juice. As for subs...(2) 8" JL's, 1 under each seat, powered by an Alpine MRP M500. I as well am very lazy with pics but soon enough, I'll have mine up too, lol.
 
I'll get some more pics tomorrow, but here are some initial ones. The Alpine M500 is great, but WAY overpowering now for the mid-highs being driven by the factory deck, so I've just picked up a JL XD400/4 to drive the mains. So today I started by building the board to mount the amps and distribution blocks. Eventually the plan is to run a JL CleanSweep in front of it all.

The Alpine in its original mount:
IMG_0245.jpg
The JL tweeter
IMG_0255.jpg
Door panels... Rocking it stealth style...
IMG_0258.jpg
Interior.. Very stealthy
IMG_0259.jpg
The new amp rack...
IMG_0271.jpg


Tomorrow I'm going to attempt pulling off the doors and doing the 4 mains so I'll get more pictures inside the door panels etc... I won't be happy until I get a cleansweep on there, but at the cost, it's a ways off for me...
 
I plan on using a Kanatechs kit when I upgrade the deck in my 2. I have seen the kits for other Mazdas and the quality is much higher than the metra.

parts_t007_b.jpg


-Derrick
 
The kit I used was the Metra 99-7518B. I purchased a brand new kit from a vendor on Ebay for approx $60/shipped. I agree the Kanatechs Kit looks a lot better just from the above pic, but I do like the finished job that my roommate/friend did for me. It certainly wasn't easy fitting the deck, BT and swi-jack modules in the car, then finding out that the car takes a Honda FM antenna adapter which is funny in itself, but my friend go it all to fit nice and it works great.

The only thing to worry about when installing a deck in the Mazda2, is that once installed, you lose the functions of the "Info" button on your steering wheel, even with the Swi-Jack installed. My roommate said he's game for ideas on a fix for it but that he was stumped for now. So, with that being said, when you install a deck, make sure you have your Info button set on the option you use the most (miles left before fill up was my choice) before installing. The option you leave it on will still work, you just can't switch back and forth to anything else. Oh well, I have my phone for the temperature outside, lol.

BTW, as a side note to Corksport, I'm loving my AutoExe short antenna my Fiance' ordered for me for Christmas :)
 
Everything is all done up now... Mostly... INstalled a high level adaptor as the 'high level' that the XD400/1 can take isn't quite up to the task. Now I've got a bit of alternator whine to get rid of, which I think is caused by not grounding the high level adaptor...

All 4 speakers are being driven by the XD400/1 and everything seems to sound pretty solid now. Just doing a bit of tweaking to levels, and getting the gain staging right.

The last two things on the list now, are to install the second high level adaptor for the rear speakers so that I can have my 'fade' back, and then, finally, to pick up a CleanSweep to null out the stupid factory output EQ.

Pics to follow!
 
Hey man
Nice system btw! I use a RF 3sixty, RF p500-4, splits and a 900w rms sub! I love bass.
The most common problem is at the left front speaker as all the vehicle's power goes through there.
Do u have a pic of the boot?
 
Pics Coming soon...


But oh my tale of woe!


I picked up a Kinetic 600 power cell, installed it, removed the crap speaker level adaptor (the XD400 can take the voltage output of my amp)...

And now... WAY high levels of noise, and massive alternator whine... I wired up the Kinetic cell in parallel the way they recommend, grounded in the trunk (can't easily get a negative wire to the front of the vehicle) and I have the worlds worst noise floor. :-(

I'm gonna have to see what else I can do to fix this :-\

Pics of the compartment soon...
 
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