Jrodhotrod's Audio Install Log - Mazdaspeed 6

jrodhotrod

Contributor
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2003 Mazda Protege5 (Mine) 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE (Wife's)
I have seen other members in forums give this a go with other car related projects so I'll try it with my very own Mazdaspeed 6 install thread.

I personally find the BOSE system to be okay. Obviously better than many factory sound systems, but not up to my standards. I had some money to play with after selling off parts from my Mazdaspeed Protege and it went straight into the stereo. Many of the things I am going to do I have never done before so it's going to be a learning process for me, but I look forward to a fantastic end product.

The primary (major) components for my stereo system:

Factory Headunit - Yup, that's right, no Metra kit for '06 models and it's gonna keep it stealthy.
Audio Link iPod Adapter - Allows me to use the iPod and or any other audio device with the factory stereo and even use the steering wheel controls to control the iPod. Awesome product, I love it.
Sylfex AuxMod - Using this as a dedicated input for my Satellite Radio Tuner or anything else I happen to put in the map compartment.
Audiovox Xpress XM Radio - Originally went with this unit because it has an excellent modulator built-in and was the only XM radio with an Aux-in. I have been happy with it thus far so it's staying.
Magellan Roadmate 800 GPS - No factory nav in my car and using a product like this it is easy to remove from the vehicle and use it other vehicles. So far I have been very happy with it, and in fact I like the screen/display more than the GPS in my folks Prius which is the only other factory NAV I have used

On to the good stuff....

Rockford Fosgate 3SIXTY.2 - The heart of the system. What appears to be an awesome signal processor/EQ/Pre-Amp. This unit offers more adjustability than the majority of aftermarket decks and should let me really dial in the system.
Rockford Fosgate 25 to LIFE Limited Edition Amplifiers (Punch 45, 75, 150) - In all my previous builds I have used JL Audio amps, but these amplifiers look like great amps, and the price as absolutely right at Sounddomain. I have 3 amps total, all 2 channel amps. The 45 will be powering the rear doors, the 75 the front doors, and the 150 the sub. All of these amps are highly under-rated and should match very well to the speakers I have selected. Reviews are good on them and they should do the job for me. I know I don't really need rear doors in an SQ set-up, but this is the way I want to do it, so please don't start a discussion of rear doors vs. no rear-doors in this thread
Image Dynamics - iDMAX 12" Sub - An excellent SQ sub with high power handling that also offers high SPL. Again, I have used JL subs in the past and the ID will be new for me, but I think I am going to love it.
Custom 12" Sub Enclosure - Purchased from a member here, the price was right and it came in under what it would have cost for me to have a local shop I trust build a box for me. I am pretty happy with what I got, just made a few changes that will be detailed here.
Focal 165 K2P Components - I listened to a bunch of different speakers from many many brands, including those that were more expensive than the Focals, but the Focals were the clear winner for me. As soon as I heard them I fell in love with them, best sounding car speaker (for me) ever. They blew everything else away, can't wait to get these in the front doors.
Focal Polyglass 130 CV1 - After debating for a long time about whether or not I should do speakers in the rear doors at all, this is the pair I decided upon. They should be a very nice complement to the K2Ps for rear fill.
Optima Yellow Top Battery - Have had Optima batteries in my previous cars and have been very happy with them. This should help the electrical system out with the three amps and the iDMAX in the car.
Sound Proofing with RAAMMAT, Ensolite, and Dynamat Extreme, etc... - I had some sound proofing material left over that I had purchased for my protege yet never used, and some I purchased specifically for this project. I know it's going to add some weight to the vehicle, but it will keep the better half happy, especially if I Mod the car down the road with performance parts. Also on our local roads the road noise in this car was kind of surprising so a quieter ride will be welcomed.

There are several other pieces to the system, but for the sake of keeping it clean I'll just mention them below in those spots when I am actually working with them. No need to list all the cables and other odds and ends here.

Most of the cabling and other odds and ends were purchased from sounddomain.com I could have gotten some things at other places cheaper, but once you add in shipping/sales tax, etc... it just made sense to get it all in one place. Plus where warranties apply, it's good to know you have a manufacturer's warranty.

That said, let's start the install. I have been working on it for a little while already and will be posting pictures and updates as I get everything formatted and put together. Most of the work still lies ahead, but at the moment I should be done taking the center console apart and the headunit in and out of the car.
 
jrodhotrod said:
Sound Proofing with RAAMMAT, Ensolite, and Dynamat Extreme, etc... - I had some sound proofing material left over that I had purchased for my protege yet never used, and some I purchased specifically for this project. I know it's going to add some weight to the vehicle, but it will keep the better half happy, especially if I Mod the car down the road with performance parts. Also on our local roads the road noise in this car was kind of surprising so a quieter ride will be welcomed.

That's Pricey...

Here..
https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)
 
I already have all the RAAMMAT, I'll keep that in mind if I need more, but I made a conscious decision to use RAAMMAT after reading all the reviews available, and it really hits the price performance sweet spot.
 
Those RF amps are nice...but I'm not sure if you are going to get the most out of your Focal speakers with only 37w per channel. The sub might be a little under-powered too, depending on where it is installed.

Normally I would suggest at least 50-75w per channel for nice components and about 250 for a subwoofer. Those are the values that I would pick for moderate listening. For loud listening (enough to overpower wind noise on the highway with the windows open) I'd suggest 75-125 for components and 500 for a subwoofer.

I think all your equipment will work well, but I think you're going to be cranking the gain on your subwoofer and probably closing all the windows on the highway because the system can't keep up. But if the RF amps are under-rated you might come in right on target. I don't know because I haven't used them. I do know that when these amps first came out they were great because they could handle crazy impedence loads and put out plenty of power when doing so. But at 4ohms, they weren't anything special.
 
What's the deal with the values listed on Sound Domain? Are those max power ratings? 171x2 for the Punch 75? If it will put out that power you're all set...but if that is just a max power rating and not RMS I don't know.
 
7/31/06 - Update... Modding the Sub Box

7/31/06 - Update - Modding the Sub Box

I purchased the sub box used from another member. It was exactly what I wanted and came at a cost less than what local shops that I trusted wanted to charge to make me something similar. The Sub box fits in the back passenger corner of the trunk and allows me to get a 12" speaker in with an appropriate volume while saving lots of trunk space.

The enclosure came with a JL Audio 12" W0, but that was removed and sold on ebay to make room for the iDMAX.

A full set of photos is available on Flickr.com here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/sets/72157594218443344/

Some of the highlights are here.

The Sub box as I originally got it. This is what it looked like installed in the previous owners car:



A view of the back of the original sub box. Note the pigtail for speaker connection. That is now gone. I opted to have a terminal installed that would facilitate quick connections and allow me fully seal the box.



Checking the sub box for depth. Before I purchased I asked the original owner to check the sub box for depth, as the last thing I wanted was to get this box and have to buy a different sub. This picture shows that I have my 8.25" mounting depth plus about another inch before it hits the back of the box. SWEET, I took it and have been happy with it.



The first thing to do to the box was having speaker terminals installed. I looked for some so I could do it myself, but ended up taking it to a box builder builds boxes and sells them at a local flea market that I drive by everyday on my way to work. The terminal is plenty high in build quality and the cost of the terminal and installation was extremely reasonable. I am happy with it, and I'll be using a banana plug with the speaker wire.



Here is the speaker terminal installed on the inside of the sub box. In this photo you can also the hole which I needed to seal from where the original pigtail was pulled through.



A shot of the gaping hole left behind by the original speaker wire pig tail. The next step in the box was to apply some silicone sealant to take care of the hole and keep things sealed up.



After some silicone sealant was applied to the inside of the box and just a little from the outisde the hole, massive air leak was sealed up. My sealed enclosure is now truly a sealed enclosure again. The hole from the speaker wire was the only hole I could actually find, but better safe then sorry I sealed up all seams with sealant and applied sealant around the fancy new speaker terminal just to be safe.





Last step for now. The sub box is almost ready to accept it's new speaker. I applied some pieces of Dynamat Xtreme along with some of the RAAMMAT that I ordered to the inside of the enclosure to be positive it was sealed and to help add some stability to the back. It felt just a tad thin to me so adding some additional thickness can't hurt. I have read mixed reviews applying material like this to the inside of an enclsoure, but the consenus is it can't really hurt anything and it might be beneficial. For me it was primarily an insurance policy to make sure everything was sealed, so why not?





That's it for the sub box for now. Once I get the sub actually installed I'll update you all on the progress and include new pictures.
 
chuyler1 said:
What's the deal with the values listed on Sound Domain? Are those max power ratings? 171x2 for the Punch 75? If it will put out that power you're all set...but if that is just a max power rating and not RMS I don't know.

The values are RMS values. I'll add the birth sheets that came with the amps when I get a chance. So all my amps should be an ideal match to the speakers.
 
chuyler1 said:
What's the deal with the values listed on Sound Domain? Are those max power ratings? 171x2 for the Punch 75? If it will put out that power you're all set...but if that is just a max power rating and not RMS I don't know.

Here are the numbers from my RF birth sheets. They state that these are RMS CEA-2006 numbers. All numbers are at 14.4v so you'll need to knock a little off and you'll have the actual power ratings. All end up being ideal for my speakers.

Punch 150 (Sub Amp) - 970 Watts @ 4ohms when bridged
Punch 75 (Front Doors) - 218 RMS Watts per channel @ 4 ohms
Punch 45 (Rear Doors) - 81 RMS Watts per channel @ 4ohms
 
jrodhotrod said:
Here are the numbers from my RF birth sheets. They state that these are RMS CEA-2006 numbers. All numbers are at 14.4v so you'll need to knock a little off and you'll have the actual power ratings. All end up being ideal for my speakers.

Punch 150 (Sub Amp) - 970 Watts @ 4ohms when bridged
Punch 75 (Front Doors) - 218 RMS Watts per channel @ 4 ohms
Punch 45 (Rear Doors) - 81 RMS Watts per channel @ 4ohms

Might I be the first to say HOLY s***!! (omg)
 
That's pretty sweet...especially for the price. I saw those RF prices a while back and if I were planning a project for anyone, I would definitely make use of those. Alot of industry people are upset with the price SD has been selling them at. Many consumers paid full price for them thinking they were limited-edition but now that market will be saturated with them.

What voltage were the RF birth certificate numbers taken at? 12.5? 13.8? 14.4?
 
Oh, and a quick tip...

202735931_1193e43600.jpg


Place your IDMAX into the hole, use a razor blade and cut the carpet around the edge of the basket, remove the sub, and peal off the extra carpet. Sand down the MDF if there is glue residue.

You will get a better seal by not putting carpet between the subwoofer and the MDF.
 
FoxPro5 said:
Might I be the first to say HOLY s***!! (omg)

My thoughts exactly. When I found these amps, I couldn't make an argument for spending more money. They are really helping me keep this build on a "Budget"

chuyler1 said:
What voltage were the RF birth certificate numbers taken at? 12.5? 13.8? 14.4?

14.4V so I can't expect to get the numbers listed, but that's quite all right, there is plenty of power there.

I am not gonna complain about Sound Domain selling them for the price they are. But I have heard the same thing as you, lots of dealers complaining about the price. But hey Sound Domain is authorized and I get a warranty so I am happy. If I had the money I would pick up a second set and hang on to them, but I don't.
 
chuyler1 said:
Oh, and a quick tip...

Place your IDMAX into the hole, use a razor blade and cut the carpet around the edge of the basket, remove the sub, and peal off the extra carpet. Sand down the MDF if there is glue residue.

You will get a better seal by not putting carpet between the subwoofer and the MDF.

Thanks for the tip, I'll do that for sure. I assume that you should still use the "foam tape" that ID provides with the sub between the MDF and the woofer?
 
Yes.... I think you can actually put the foam tape on the back of the subwoofer instead of on the box. That way you can reuse it when you build another box. It goes without saying that the foam would be pointless if you were mounting it to carpet.
 
7-31-06 Update - Making RCA Pre-Outs

7/31/06 - Update - RCA Pre-Outs

The Mazdaspeed 6 comes with a BOSE system that has a non-powered headunit. This is perhaps it's only saving grace when it comes to using it with aftermarket gear. Despite all the other challenges of working the BOSE system the fact that the headunit is not powered and has flat pre-outs for each channel goes a long way.

Instead of slicing up some nice cables or just tapping into the existing wiring I chose to create my own RCA Pre-Outs off of my factory headunit. It's not the quickest process in the world, but the end result is something I am happy with. I should be done taking the headunit in and out of the car for quite sometime. I tried to do everything I would need to do for my stereo system all at once even though I won't be finished with it for awhile.

On to the pre-outs...

A full set of photos is available on Flickr.com here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/sets/72157594218443344/

Some of the highlights are here (click on any image to go view the full size image on Flickr):

I tried Radio Shack and couldn't find a donor cable that was marked with Red and White for Left and Right. Ridiculous? slightly. I found something that was perfect for the job at my local Fry's electronics.

Red and White markings, nice cabling and a good length to work with. And the price was right on. :)



After cutting the cable up I had 2 cables for my first pair of pre-outs. Inside there is a thin cable that runs down the center (+) and copper shielding cable surrounding it (-). I carefully separated the two and was ready to move on to the next step.



A closer look at the separated cables.



The last step to get the cables ready for installation is stripping the center cable (+). It's a very fine gauge cable so you need to be careful when stripping it. Every strand counts. Strip just enough to make your connection with the factory wire.



This is what the factory harness looks like before. Soon it will have RCA pre-outs!



Now we start cutting up the factory harness. Remove the electrical tape and protective covering over the harness for a few inches to make sure you cut far enough back in the harness to give you a good amount of wire to work with. This is especially important if you are going to be using heat shring tubing. You need enough wire to slide the tubing on so it is far enough from the soldering iron that it won't shrink while you are doing soldering. Cut only Two wires at a time so as not to get them confused. Do the +/- wire from each channel (FL, FR, RL, RR) so as not to get your wires crossed.

Carefully wrap the wires together to prepare for soldering. Remember the (+) wire is going to go to the thin insulated wire going down the center of your RCA cable and it's thin. So twist together carefully.



Next step, Solder that bad boy. If you have never soldered anything before and have always used crimp connectors, get a soldering iron and learn to solder. It's not hard, I taught myself not long ago (long time crimp connector user). The connection is much stronger and with how thin the cables are in the RCA cables a crimp connector likely won't last long.

As you can see in this picture, I forgot to put the heat shrink tubing on before soldering. No biggie, if you forget, just do a good job wrapping in electrical tape and all should be fine. On some I remembered and some I forgot. Putting heatshring on hasn't become second nature to me yet, but I am getting there quickly. Here is what it looks like soldered together:



The finished connection. As I moved along I got better. Here is what the finished connection should look like, complete with heat shring tubing. Make sure none of the bare wires are exposed from your connections.



After you have soldered your connections and heat shrink and or electrical tape wrapped each individual cable, tape them all together for added strength and this is what you have, one RCA Pre-Out Channel. Repeat 3 more times.



After doing all the others you have a finished product. You can see on mine that one of the fronts is a little shorter than the others. That is because it was the first one I did and my technique improved as a I went along (having never done this before and not having seen pictures of it done) Just as functional, just not as pretty. You can see that I labeled my harness to keep track of Front and Rear.



All hooked up to my 4 channel cable and ready to go.



As I said before, because my install is taking place over a period of time when I do what I can when I get a chance, I wanted to maintain the use of my Bose Amp while I work on the rest of the system. So I repeated the process there and when the time comes I just have to remove the BOSE and and move the cables over to my 3Sixty. This also makes it very easy to go back to stock should that day ever come.

The System sounds just as good as it did before hooked up this way and I am all ready for the rest of my install.



Another post coming soon with some of the other work I have completed over the last week.
 
Last edited:
8/1/06 Update - Sylfex AUXMOD Install

8/1/06 Updated - Sylfex AUXMOD Install

Another update from the work I completed last week. This time around it is the installation of the Sylfex AUXMOD. The installation of the AUXMOD itself is actually very simple and as easy as plugging something in once you have the center console apart and the radio out of the car. You literally have to remove the backing from two pieces of foam tape, plug it in and press the tape to the headunit. DONE.

I added a ground loop isolator to my install. Details below.

Full set of pictures is available on Flickr.com here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/sets/72157594218443344/

Additional details and pictures from my install....

This post details the installation of my Sylfex AUXMOD. This handy device plugs into the open port on the bottom of the factory headunit and gives you a line-in that uses the "media" button on your factory stereo. For me it is going to be a dedicated input for my XM radio as I also have an iPod Audio Link that gives me iPod input and another stereo input. More details on that later.

Parts used in this install:

Sylfex AUXMOD Basic - http://www.sylfex.com/products/AuxMod/
PAC 3.5mm Ground Loop Isolator - http://www.crutchfield.com/S-b0ib2EfCmDI/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=ground+loop&i=127SNI135

Underside of the factory stereo. This is where we will be installing the AUXMOD and ground loop isolator. That empty area is where the tape option can be installed if you get it.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/202736777/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/59/202736777_78af4122ea.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Underside of the Factory Stereo" /></a>

AUXMOD Installed. Easily done. Two pieces of foam tape, plug-in, and you are set.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/202736809/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/61/202736809_3fc379dbe5.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="AuxMod Plugged In" /></a>

The AUXMOD basic does not include a ground loop isolator and I know from experience that without one my XM receiver makes all kinds of noise. The upcoming AUXMOD Advanced will have an isolator integrated but it won't be available until late this year or early next. So I purchased my own. I found this particular one at Crutchfield and what makes it nice is I don't need any adapters to use it. It has 3.5mm stereo plugs already and it's the perfect size for hiding in the underside of the stereo.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/202736829/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/75/202736829_caa0a423bb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="PAC Ground Loop Isolator" /></a>

To secure the isolator I used my own double sided tape to attach it to the "shelf" on the underside of the factory stereo.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/202736873/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/61/202736873_a2bfd28255.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Ground Loop Isolator Mounting" /></a>

Once the Isolator was taped down I secured the input and output wires with zip ties to make sure everything stay put. One end plugs into the AUXMOD and the other end goes out from the back of the stereo and has a wire plugged into it that goes to the audio out of my XM tuner.

Fully Installed:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/202736971/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/63/202736971_2bcf16f0b9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Finished Install" /></a>

Plugged into the wire that will be running up through the map compartment and into the cabin for use with my XM tuner or anything else I want to plug in with it. I taped the cables together to be certain that they didn't come undone.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfergeek/202736944/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/70/202736944_a6d978ddb9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Cable that goes into the cabin" /></a>

Next step... Audio Link Install.


 
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