I'm keeping my factory head unit - Change My Mind

[The Analog Kid]

I just wanted to get some feedback before I spend any money. As of now I can go a different direction, but this is what I have planned:

My 2011 Nissan Altima has factory 6.5" speakers in front and rear doors, 3.5" in dash, 6x9's rear deck.

I am planning to keep the factory deck. I will put a T-harness behind deck to tap into factory speaker wiring. The speaker level signal will go into an AudioControl LCQ-1 which will function as both a line output converter and EQ to improve whatever faults the factory signal might have. From the EQ to the amps, then back up to the T-harness to send to speaker locations. I will replace the 6x9's in the rear, put 6.5" coaxials in the rear door locations, and a 6.5" component set in the front doors with the tweeters mounted where the 3.5" speakers are in the dash. I have a 12" sub box in the trunk.

My reasoning is: I already have bluetooth, USB input and AUX input in my factory deck. By keeping it, I dont have to mess with adding steering wheel controls or backup camera to aftermarket unit. I don't have to run speaker wires if I use the existing wiring. I can run RCA cables at the same time as my speedwire to the trunk, so that if I do decide to upgrade the HU in the future I can.

That is my plan so far. I am open to suggestions, especially if you have gone this route yourself and wish you hadn't.

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[Kickstand Premium Member]

I would have the tweeter closer to the speaker it's paired with.

 

[The Analog Kid]

I would have the tweeter closer to the speaker it's paired with.

Yeah, I had thought maybe the sail panel would work. The idea about using the dash location came from a thread on a Nissan forum, some positive comments about putting tweeters up there.

 

[huberoy123 10+ year member]

Sounds like you thought it out well. Seems like a good plan to me. Good luck.

 

[The Analog Kid]

Quick Update: Unless someone on here can point me in the right direction, it looks like my original plan to keep the factory HU needs to be scrapped.

It seemed simple enough: tap into the speaker outputs coming out of the factory deck and sends those to a LOC or just use high level inputs on the amp. I had already made a T-harness so that I wouldn't have to splice or cut the factory wiring.

I guess since my Altima has the Bose system, the factory deck does not have speaker outputs like we are used to seeing, and none of them are coming out from the harness that fits that deck. I can get the factory speakers that are still connected to factory amp to shut off only if I disconnect a small odd-shaped plug with three wires which might be some kind of control/signal to factory amp, and then the only actual speaker outputs are coming out of that amp.

I do not was to keep the factory amp, in fact I have plans to mount my new amp underneath rear deck in the spot where factory amp goes. So, unless someone has some super-secret info on how to get a signal to my amp, I will start shopping for a new deck.

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

, I will start shopping for a new deck.

Install the LCQ1 after the OEM amp, it can take quite a bit of power.

 

[The Analog Kid]

Install the LCQ1 after the OEM amp, it can take quite a bit of power.

I think I might have found the speaker outputs from the head unit... small plug that I thought was part of the xm/bluetooth unit. I really really want to just remove the OEM amp, I think I'm almost there...