ImmortalFreak 10+ year member
Member
So I can't say I'm entirely too happy to be here. I've always wanted to do a build log 100% start-to-finish, but never saw myself doing it at this point in my life.
A little background on me and where I've been-
I started out in this car audio thing at 16 with a 2000 Ford Ranger. I paid $600 for a stereo shop to install 1 Kicker 12 CVR in a sealed box, powered by a Z-Edition (I know, I still haven't even heard of another "Z-Edition Amp" aside from mine) bridging 2 channels and pushing the other two channels to miserable door speakers that came with the truck. They were never 100% identified, but we "think" they were Orion's from years and years before. I acknowledged the need for new speakers and invested in my first set of components, which I installed myself: Image Dynamics CTX65CS. Same setup, 2 channels bridged to the Kicker, the other two to the CTX comps.
In 2010 I bought a 2008 Scion TC, which I purchased another set of CTX65 components for, as well as 2 ID10V3 subs. The Z-Edition stayed with me and was put in the car (but at this point 2/4 channels blew out and 2/4 were going to the comps), I bought a Cadence ZRS-C65 to push the ID10v3's, and a Pioneer AVHP4200DVD HU and I was ready to rock. I built my own box (2 chambers at .70^3 in each chamber) and mounted my amps to the box, worked with an amazing person by the name of IDHorsemanwill, whom I met here on the forums and was able to do the entire install myself from brute labor to tuning. For what I had, the system sounded fairly good.
Well, now it's 2014 and I'm at it again. I bought a 2014 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab and sold the Scion as well as the POS Z-Edition amp and the ID CTX65 comps (and I'm never looking back). I'm here with you all tonight looking for some coaching as I take on the new challenge of setting up my Tacoma because I can't afford the $1500 in labor that the stereo shop wants to do the install for me... That said, as we speak I'm looking at a brand new ARC Audio FD2200 amplifier, ID CXS64 Chameleon Comps, an Audison BitTen, and my old trusty Cadence ZRS-C65 as well as the 2 ID10V3's that it powers. I'm going to be purchasing a sealed GroundShaker 1.85^3 shared double chamber box, the wiring kits, fuses, etc tomorrow in hopes of getting the ball rolling on this thing on Saturday.
I'm looking forward to this log, and I would greatly appreciate any questions, comments, concerns, etc that any of you care to share with me. I know out of the gate I'm going to be dead in the water when it comes to installing this Audison BitTen, and as such would be beyond grateful to anyone who can help me in this respect. I am open to paying someone, but just so you know I don't have $1500. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif
On that note, let the log begin. I'll be checking in tomorrow as soon as I purchase my wiring kits and such. For now, it's time that I get myself some sleep. Again, please let me know what you think on this. Some big questions I'm asking myself right now are:
Thanks in advance! Again, I don't mind paying someone to answer my noob questions.
A little background on me and where I've been-
I started out in this car audio thing at 16 with a 2000 Ford Ranger. I paid $600 for a stereo shop to install 1 Kicker 12 CVR in a sealed box, powered by a Z-Edition (I know, I still haven't even heard of another "Z-Edition Amp" aside from mine) bridging 2 channels and pushing the other two channels to miserable door speakers that came with the truck. They were never 100% identified, but we "think" they were Orion's from years and years before. I acknowledged the need for new speakers and invested in my first set of components, which I installed myself: Image Dynamics CTX65CS. Same setup, 2 channels bridged to the Kicker, the other two to the CTX comps.
In 2010 I bought a 2008 Scion TC, which I purchased another set of CTX65 components for, as well as 2 ID10V3 subs. The Z-Edition stayed with me and was put in the car (but at this point 2/4 channels blew out and 2/4 were going to the comps), I bought a Cadence ZRS-C65 to push the ID10v3's, and a Pioneer AVHP4200DVD HU and I was ready to rock. I built my own box (2 chambers at .70^3 in each chamber) and mounted my amps to the box, worked with an amazing person by the name of IDHorsemanwill, whom I met here on the forums and was able to do the entire install myself from brute labor to tuning. For what I had, the system sounded fairly good.
Well, now it's 2014 and I'm at it again. I bought a 2014 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab and sold the Scion as well as the POS Z-Edition amp and the ID CTX65 comps (and I'm never looking back). I'm here with you all tonight looking for some coaching as I take on the new challenge of setting up my Tacoma because I can't afford the $1500 in labor that the stereo shop wants to do the install for me... That said, as we speak I'm looking at a brand new ARC Audio FD2200 amplifier, ID CXS64 Chameleon Comps, an Audison BitTen, and my old trusty Cadence ZRS-C65 as well as the 2 ID10V3's that it powers. I'm going to be purchasing a sealed GroundShaker 1.85^3 shared double chamber box, the wiring kits, fuses, etc tomorrow in hopes of getting the ball rolling on this thing on Saturday.
I'm looking forward to this log, and I would greatly appreciate any questions, comments, concerns, etc that any of you care to share with me. I know out of the gate I'm going to be dead in the water when it comes to installing this Audison BitTen, and as such would be beyond grateful to anyone who can help me in this respect. I am open to paying someone, but just so you know I don't have $1500. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif
On that note, let the log begin. I'll be checking in tomorrow as soon as I purchase my wiring kits and such. For now, it's time that I get myself some sleep. Again, please let me know what you think on this. Some big questions I'm asking myself right now are:
- Is 1.85cu ft sealed for 2 ID10v3's too big?
- How the hell am I going to install this BitTen? More particularly, I have 5 RCA outs on the BitTen, 4 for speakers (Front Right, Front Left, RR, RL) and 1 out for my subs... But I need 2 outs for my subs, no? Since I'm not powering the rear speakers with my amp, but rather the stock Entune HU, can I use the rear outs for the subs and leave the "Subwoofer" RCA open?
- If I did decide to move from active to passive later on, would I be able to just add another FD2200 as a third amp, or will I need to can the current FD2200 that I have and buy a 4-channel?
Thanks in advance! Again, I don't mind paying someone to answer my noob questions.