Ordered my system! Here's how it turned out, what do you think?

[Chromatic]

Well, for those who have seen my multiple posts and questions you know I've been researching what to buy for my 350Z to replace the only two working factory 10 watt speakers in it.

Here's what I bought and ultimately ended up with thanks to you guys:

Headunit: Pioneer AVH-P4100DVD (Already have and installed) - AVH-P4100DVD - In-Dash Double-DIN DVD Multimedia AV Receiver with 7" Widescreen Display | Pioneer Electronics USA

Amplifier: PPI 900.5 (5 Channel Amp) - 70Watts RMS x 4 + 270Watts RMS x 1 (Sub) - Precision Power PPI P900.5 (p9005) 5-Channel Phantom Car Amplifier

Front Components: JBL MS-62C 6.5" Mids with 1" Tweeters (80 Watts RMS) - JBL MS-62C (MS62C) 6-1/2" 2-Way MS Component Car Speakers System

Rear Speakers: MB-Quart QM-160 KX 6.5" Mids with 1" Tweeters (Coaxial) (70 Watts RMS) - No link for these as these are from the 90's, and I had them stored. These are when MB Quarts were made in Germany. Purchased them in 1997 for $400-500.

Sub Woofer: JL Audio 10" w0v3-4 (300 watts RMS) - JL Audio 10W0v3-4 W0v3 Series 10" 4-ohm subwoofer at Crutchfield.com

Custom SRQ Sub Enclosure for the 350z: (10" Enclosure with .66 cu. ft of airspace, covered in Black textured finish, built to order, with Spring-loaded Terminal Cup.) - Nissan 350z Vehicle Specific Sub Enclosure 1-10"

Sound Dampening Material: (Versa Kit - 4 Square Feet of Sound Dampening Material) - I decided to get a little Sound material for the doors, as you guys told me it would help with sound quality. --

NVX SDVK4 Versa Kit, 4 Sq Ft of Sound Dampening (1 18"x32" Piece)

Wiring: 4 Gauge KCA Power Wire, 4 Gauge KCA Ground Wire, Inline Fuse Holder, with 80Amp AGU Fuse, 17 Foot Bassik RCA Cable with Remote Wire built in, 20 Feet TCA 14 Gauge Tinned CCA Speaker Wire (Gold plated Ring Terminals, and Spade Terminals). -

KnuKonceptz KCA 4 Gauge True 4 Gauge Amp Kit Installation Wiring Kit | eBay

2 More RCA Twisted Pair RCA Cables (Total of 6 RCA's) that are 18 Feet.

KnuKonceptz Twisted Pair 4 Channel Smoke RCA Cable 20ft | eBay

50 Feet of Kord Kable 14 Gauge Speaker Wire, Polarity Marked -

KnuKonceptz Kord Speaker Wire Ultra Flex Blue OFC 14 Gauge Cable 50' True AWG | eBay

I went with all of your recommendations, thank you!

I decided on the 5 Channel Amplifier because I already have the great MBQuart Coaxial 6.5" speakers here in my closet. The car has four 6.5" mids,.. two up front, two behind seats. (Fronts are components, rear are not). So I thought it would be a waste to not use these MB Quart 6.5" 70Watt RMS Coaxial speakers in the car since I already have them,.. The amp was only $20 more than the 4 Channel, so I hope I made the right choice.

That's the whole deal. What do you guys think? (The goal was just to upgrade the factory two 10 watt Clarion speakers a bit.. nothing major).

Also, I wanted to post this to see if there is anything I missed that I will need for installation? Any little parts, connectors, screws, etc?

IE: If I should order a box of X connectors for wiring, or any other thing that makes the job easier or better let me know. My goal is to have everything I need to the last detail with me so when I get the car apart I don't have to try to get anywhere with the seats out.

Again, thanks for all your help on this everyone.

Click to read more...

 

[Jmez36hz]

Female quick disconnects can be handy for wiring your door speakers, however, i prefer soldering if it is a permanent installation. I think you are going to be quite happy. lol going from 2 working stock speakers to that is going to be night and day difference. With the kind of power you are running it really isn't even needed, but you may want to consider getting a good AGM battery at some point just to give your amp a bit more stable voltage, and to ease any extra strain on your electrical system, also AGM batteries can be lighter //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif (maybe help offset some of the extra weight from the stereo equipment). Really, as I said, if you have a decent battery, don't stress it at all just something to consider. You are adding a little more draw to your electrical system, so it never hurts to solidify it a bit more. Good job working your way through the selection process and not just throwing a bunch of random stuff in your car, I've seen all sorts of good equipment in bad applications that people have tossed together... ya it works... but no where near how it should. I bet it'll sound nice //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Good luck with the install. Shouldn't need too much more than basic tools for that, if you have, or can get ahold of a fishtape, that can often be super handy for running wires, can save a good bit of headache running wires. If you don't have one, most electricians, or network techs will be likely to have one they might let you borrow.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I didn't know SRQ had started a web store. They have a top notch reputation for subwoofer enclosures.

 

[Chromatic]

Female quick disconnects can be handy for wiring your door speakers, however, i prefer soldering if it is a permanent installation.

This is the little bits of advice I need at this point while parts are coming in. Should I grab the Crimp female disconnects? Or? Any links to some good deals or maybe even some sort of multiple size kit with female disconnects of varying sizes, some inline connectors, and other odds and ends , maybe with some screws (I don't even have screws for the sub lol..) so I'll have a box/kit of pieces I can use as needed when wiring this thing up. I don't mind spending 30-50$ on a good kit that will have most everything I'd need.

But, I'm not afraid to solder. I won't say I'm great at it lol.. I've always used the plug in cheap irons,.. and I found a box of good solder (like an ungodly amount of solder (about 50 rolls in a new box of "1/2 lb (8oz) Oater (something Core) 95 Tin - 5 Antimony Lead free Electrical solder. -- Found it in my attic and no one else does this kind of electrical work but me.. so nice find, but wth? lol. So I'm good on solder for the next lifetime unless I go into business.

My cheap wired soldering iron broke.. -- So I went 6 months ago or so and was going to buy another cheap wired one.. and got pulled in by this battery operated wireless one. OMG, it was terrible.. it would barely melt the solder if I was lucky,. I took it right back, but didn't buy another soldering iron.

Suffice it to say I don't solder much. But should I just go to a hardware store and get a cheap, or spend a little more and get a mid range iron? I don't mind spending a little more if it works better and saves me headache. With solder it would always melt and then get stuck to the end .. bit hard to work with, but I managed. (used it mainly on PCB Circuit boards when fixing laptops for customers (ie: Power connections that have come loose, etc..)

So point me to a not expensive, but maybe not $10 radio shack soldering iron to grab. I'll watch some videos online on how to solder speaker wire.

If I've read it once, I have 20 times,.. that "Crimp connectors" are the devil. So, female quick disconnects should be soldered (everything soldered)?

Again.. I love me some links, even better links to stuff in Homedepts or Lowes or even Walmart stores that I can pick up locally .. but I have time to order stuff online for shipping if need be from ebay, or other online stores.

IE: Maybe a kit with heat shink tubing, tape, all sizes of connectors, from wire to wire splices, to spade connectors, female connectors, common screws for speakers/subs, wire loom (I need this stuff!) , and so on.

I think you are going to be quite happy. lol going from 2 working stock speakers to that is going to be night and day difference.

Mmhmm.. I'm looking forward to when I get the wiring done and I get to start tuning the amp (sounds like so much fun //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif ).

With the kind of power you are running it really isn't even needed, but you may want to consider getting a good AGM battery ..

Yeah, I figured running 550 watts max should run off my battery by itself without problem. I don't plan on listening to this with the car off. (Except maybe during install/tuning.. although for proper voltage going to amps it may be wise to have the car running so the alternator is cranking, so the amp is seeing what it will normally be seeing on current.) -- I JUST replaced the battery in this car a week after I bought it (2 weeks ago).. it had the factory June of 2008 battery still in it,.. so it was time. So fresh battery, even if it's not a $200+ Optima lightweight (I couldn't justify it, so bought a $110 battery.)

Good job working your way through the selection process and not just throwing a bunch of random stuff in your car, I've seen all sorts of good equipment in bad applications that people have tossed together... ya it works... but no where near how it should. I bet it'll sound nice //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Thanks.. I have all you guys to thank really for piecing it together (I'm still going to be doing some dremel work .. I'll be opening the Tweeter openings from 3/4" to 1" or so to flush mount the new 1" tweeters in there, and remove the stock grill.. ) -- Regarding this, I have a dremel with cutting attachments (just like linear cuttening) and a bunch of buffing/sanding bits. What type of bit is best to slowly work the hole bigger in a plastic Sail panel like this?:

Factory:

http://a248.e.akamai.net/pix.crutchfield.com/ImageHandler/scale/489/489/ca/learningcenter/articles/3146/tweeter.jpg

Good luck with the install. Shouldn't need too much more than basic tools for that, if you have, or can get ahold of a fishtape,

Thanks. I've the whole installed planned out in my head, will have to refresh as I'm removing some more complicated panels,.. so I'll be using a laptop in the garage while I do it, and working slowly and carefully while I'm stripping the car.. I expect a few hours to get the seats out,.. all panels out from kicks panels, door panels, door runner panels, rear panels, etc etc.. At that point I'm sort of stuck until I get it back together.. so I'm really trying to get all the odds and ends I'll need .. or I'll have to bolt the driver seat back in and get to a store, want to prevent that. (So I go back to my question about a kit.. or maybe piecing together a kit of all the odds and ends needed for wiring.)

As for fishtape.. You think I'll need it? I won't explain my wiring process I've laid out.. but the way I'm stripping this interior most wiring should be laying wiring down and then securing it with zip ties (I know tape (duct tape?) will be handy in some spots.. electrical tape of course.. anything else to secure wiring beyond that and zip ties?). The only area I anticipate a little "fishing" is when I run just under the factory door boot in the door jamb area.. and since I'm drilling and running the wire that way I'll be able to see everything.. the longest fish will be from kick panel through my new tubing into the door panels (18" to 2feet maybe?) I figured a coat hanger would do the trick for this short run. -- Then once in doors it's open city for wiring!

I'm assuming I run just 1 Pos and 1 Neg new speaker wire from amp Channel 1 to right door, and one set of my new speaker wire from amp channel 2 to left door. Then inside the doors that run will attach to crossover, and then from the crossover I'll run new short runs to the mid and tweeter respectively. It's a total guess, but seems like how that would work.

Thanks

 

[Chromatic]

I didn't know SRQ had started a web store. They have a top notch reputation for subwoofer enclosures.

Yes sir.. I ran across it of course,.. and someone actually linked it to me somewhere and I was like "queue angel music" that's THE box .. yes! I didn't learn how good Ryan Pepsin and SRQ was until after I was going to use him. Maybe he (or a staff) is working on my box now as we speak.. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Jmez36hz]

You'll most likely be fine, as far as the fish tape goes. I've just found it useful on some vehicles to help get the wiring from the deck down through tight areas, and if you are running any wire under carpeting it can be handy, not all vehicles need it. If you know someone you can borrow one from not a bad thing to have on hand, but really coat hangers normally do the trick too. As for the speaker connections, if you don't plan on removing the speakers once installed, i just solder the wire directly to the speaker lead, one less connection to add slight resistance to the signal paths. If you are going to go that route, just be careful to solder in a position where you don't drip hot solder onto the speaker. If you want to go with the female quick disconnect route, just find something to your preference that is made for your size wire. I got a ton of Xscorpion FD250NFY 12/10 Gauge Insulated Female Quick Disconnects male and female, they are pretty handy to have around anyway. You can also get ones that you can solder the wire to it, either way would work fine. In all reality soldering is probably overkill, but my electronics teacher pounded into my head that solder is ALWAYS the best possible connection for 2 conductors. So ya, I'm a little overkill... o well thought. People always say alot of little things aren't significant, and one little thing may not be, but what happens when u skimp on all of the little things... I imagine it has to eventually add up.

 

[Jmez36hz]

Oh as for the method of making that hole bigger, I would maybe start with a grinding, or course sanding bit and see how that works. Plastics vary so much it is hard to say. Just takes lots of patience and a little trial and error. Just be slow and gentle about it to start till you see how the bit works with the plastic.

 

[Chromatic]

Oh as for the method of making that hole bigger, I would maybe start with a grinding, or course sanding bit and see how that works. Plastics vary so much it is hard to say. Just takes lots of patience and a little trial and error. Just be slow and gentle about it to start till you see how the bit works with the plastic.

Thanks. On this part, for the tweeter.

Think I should grab a cheap glue gun? Or some type of spray adhesive? double sided tape? Or what would you recommend to keep the tweeter in the spot. I know I can and will likely make it snug fit which would hold reasonably,.. but I'm overkill a bit too.. and even with a snug fit I'd seal the back somehow just in CASE it got hit or whatnot and fell in.

I also ordered more sound deadener. Went ahead and found a reasonable deal on 25 Square foot of 25 Sq Ft Rattle Trap Super Stick sound deadener. Plus came with a roller, (bonus //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif ) -- I decided to go ahead and grab it .. (Since I only ordered 4 sq feet of deadener from sonic) -- Because my 350z is pretty noisy (road noise) anyway.. So I thought I'd pack the doors.. and if I CAN.. put some on the floors and such to quiet down the noise a bit.. and save 5-10 sq ft for AFTER I get things installed.. because I have a feeling I'll be taking the panels out of the hatch and deadening it for roadnoise and slight rattles anyways. Got 25 sq ft for $60.. compared to other prices I figured this wasn't a bad deal and while it's not "Secondskin" it isn't the worst product out there I don't think.

When I deaden the doors -- Do I just apply on the outside when I have the panels off? Or can I stick it in the inside of the door? I just don't want to interfere with the window or stick it to the window , etc. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[Chromatic]

You'll most likely be fine, as far as the fish tape goes. ..

The fish tape isn't expensive.. but nickle and dime stuff adds up.. I've pushed the install another $100-150 bucks with odds and ends already.. I think I can get away with a coat hanger .. Let's hope.

it, either way would work fine. In all reality soldering is probably overkill, but my electronics teacher pounded into my head that solder is ALWAYS the best possible connection for 2 conductors. So ya, I'm a little overkill... o well thought. People always say alot of little things aren't significant, and one little thing may not be, but what happens when u skimp on all of the little things... I imagine it has to eventually add up.

Well.. a ton of people will say a lot of stuff is "overkill" -- I call it doing the job right the first time. It's sort of like my posts and questions.. on another 350 forum a few members (one) has been giving me flack for asking questions.. and here I've seen "You're overthinking this" a few times. I think I'm ahead of the game really.. I researched, learned,.. still learning,.. and have everything ready to go. So I won't be prone to breaking things,.. or taking MUCH longer to install this than many because I have everything either in my head, or bookmarked and ready to go.

I don't see any thing wrong with asking questions,.. and being detail oriented and planning. And, yes.. I'm soldering the speaker wire. It's a better , stronger, connection and it's NOT hard .. in fact it's cheaper than using connectors really. Why not do it? Nothing is better than the BEST way.

And absolutely man.. It's really a shame that a majority of people do half-arse jobs at work and on stuff like this.. why? I mean if you are going to spend X hours doing it.. why not spend some time and figure it out properly and do it right ? It will sound better, be more reliable,.. likely take you LESS time,.. and doing things yourself, the right way, makes you feel good when you are done.

Plus -- with the quotes I got locally.. This will be about a $2500-$3000 system if I had this caliber of components, custom box, 5 channel amp,.. and this quality of install done at any of these places. Instead I do pay $750 and that includes doing the whole car in sound deadening.. at least 30 sq ft of it. It's a 2 seater, so it should cover a fair bit.

I'm not saying my "system" is something magical or uber.. but the quotes locally were for $100 components and such and as I said $1500 at the very MINIMUM. If I brought this stuff I ordered to one of these places it'd be $600 to install.. (I'm putting those rears in now).. No way in heck I'm paying someone $600 to probably take less care and do a less "overkill" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif, install.

But, yes.. You start cutting corners here and there.. where does it end? These things adds up. You can easily cut corners with something small be it splicing into stock 20+ gauge speaker wire ,.. grounding like a moron, etc and end up with whine or other noise in your system or worse.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

might want to get some foam weather strip tape to make a good seal for the speakers also.

here's a visual example


Follow this visual guide to deaden the doors. If you havent already seen it. http://www.caraudio.com/forums/speakers/579338-how-do-i-get-bass-out-my-door-speakers-2.html

you might end up using up all that deadener if you want to do it right with the inside layer and closing the gaps on the outside, with a little bit left over for rattle patching in other areas.

 

[Jmez36hz]

As far as adhesive to hold it in, any of the things you listed would probably work, except maybe the double sided tape, that just seems unreliable to me, never tried though so I couldn't say for sure. I personally... as silly as it sounds... use jb weld for most things like that.... good luck getting it out if you ever need to though lol....

 

[Chromatic]

As far as adhesive to hold it in, any of the things you listed would probably work, except maybe the double sided tape, that just seems unreliable to me, never tried though so I couldn't say for sure. I personally... as silly as it sounds... use jb weld for most things like that.... good luck getting it out if you ever need to though lol....

Yup, as unlikely as it is I'd remove the tweeters.. There is a chance I'd want to adjust them.. or replace them for some reason. So I'd like something that would hold them well, but be removable to some degree. JB weld,.. not so much. Liquid nails,.. not so much. So what am I left with?

Epoxy removable?

Maybe some velcro (seems like a poor options.. scratch that)

Needs to be a liquid of some sort to bead around the tweeter on the back side of the panel. So just give me a product or two that will hold through cold and hot.. yet be removable should I want to switch out tweeters if these sound too harsh, or one goes bad.. etc?

I'm going to probably post another thread (good lord we know I don't need another thread) -- But I'll just try to add here.

I'm really getting on board with this sound deadening the car thing. Initially was at NO material.. not gonna bother with it.

Then, decided.. ok.. Grabbing 4 SQ. ft. of it for $25 (some decent stuff apparently) just for the doors.

Then I was like.. ok let's do this better.. and I bought 25 more square feet of good Rattle Trap (extreme?) for $69.. or so.

Now, my car has some pretty good road noise, particularly from underneath. Example... I notice with radio off.. when I run over any sort of light gravel (I'm talking stuff you can't visibly see.. not rocks).. I can hear it VERY audibly in the car hitting the bottom of the car. So, I'm thinking I need something to put under the carpet under the seat area to help deaden that a bit.. BUT, can't be too thick or carpet won't look right. I've heard the rubber pads / mats work well for this application. What can I grab locally from a home depot, lowes, or other hardware type store that would be thing enough but help deaden some of that noise out for the bottom of the car under carpet?

Any reduction will be a success.. If it's 10 percent, that's fine. If it turns out to be significant and deadens it 50 percent that would be awesome.

So what do you recommend from a local store like home-depot, lowes, and other hard ware stores? That would still let the carpet sit and look "factory" essentially.

Thanks

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

The reason many of us use crimp connects is that we switch equipment constantly, or just drive a ton and go through cars quickly and think ahead to ease of removing things. There's absolutely no reason if you use a good crimping tool/method that it won't be a mechanically sound connection.

I very much like the butane powered soldering iron at Radio Shack. They don't last as long as they used to, but IMO you get your money's worth out of them and being portable is quite convenient and you have a few options for different tips depending on the job.

I'd recommend against buying a big "kit" with a million different connectors and heat shrink tape. If you don't do a lot of installs you'll be buying a lot of stuff you'll never use and it'll just take up space forever. If you're set on a "permanent" setup, use solder and electrical tape.

 

[Chromatic]

The reason many of us use crimp connects is that we switch equipment constantly, or just drive a ton and go through cars quickly and think ahead to ease of removing things. There's absolutely no reason if you use a good crimping tool/method that it won't be a mechanically sound connection.

Makes sense. My setup is very much permanent and long term. Will be sold with the car when that day comes.. I just bought this car a month ago.

As for crimping.. I know it will work fine,.. I don't have the tool to crimp 4 gauge wire.. (though I'm sure I could manage with some pliers, etc.. ) -- But, if I have the butane torch and solder already.. why not just solder it in, since it's permanent? It's cheaper than going and buying the proper crimping tool for that gauge wire. Nothing beats free.

I very much like the butane powered soldering iron at Radio Shack. They don't last as long as they used to, but IMO you get your money's worth out of them and being portable is quite convenient and you have a few options for different tips depending on the job.

I do need a soldering iron.. I use them for other things.. and mine burned up a while back. So Buying that isn't JUST for this one time install.. I'll take a look at that butane powered iron. I grabbed a "battery" powered wireless iron sometime back.. and took it back the same day. I should have known better.

I've just wondered whether to get a decent wattage regular iron.. or get a Gun. As the gun is going to be larger and harder in tight spaces. This butane wireless option sounds great. I don't solder enough for the butane running out often to really matter to me.

I'd recommend against buying a big "kit" with a million different connectors and heat shrink tape. If you don't do a lot of installs you'll be buying a lot of stuff you'll never use and it'll just take up space forever. If you're set on a "permanent" setup, use solder and electrical tape.

Yeah.. besides I didn't find any "kits" online.. or anything worth buying anyways. I ordered individually some heat shrink tubing for 5 bucks (144 pieces of all sizes.. ).. and I have zip ties, and wire strippers etc already. I also ended up ordering 30 Sq ft of sound deadener after thinking about it more. I think that will pay off in the long run. Got it for $60 or so.. was Rattletrap Extreme,.. probably not the best, but not the worst either.

So don't worry I didn't go buy a bunch of things I'll never use again. All that's left is going to be a run to the hardware store for some screws to mount the sub in the enclosure,.. 2 pieces of 1/2" wood (small) that I'm going to use to mount my amp and put a top on it.. some carpet to cover this wood.. few bolts for that , and maybe some wire loom. Nothing major. I'm not even drilling the doors anymore.. people said splicing into my factory wiring won't effect anything,.. so that will prevent me from drilling any new holes in the sides of the doors.

Only thing I'm not positive about now are the highpass/lowpass filters on the amp for front/rear/sub (and subsonic) settings (how to dial them in) since it's blind without markings to know where you are frequency wise. I can only guess playing tones while adjusting that is the way to do it.. but no ones confirmed that. I've only been told to not use the filters on the amp so far.

But I'm using solder and heatshrink tubing.. I assume heatshrink tubing is the replacement for electrical tape. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Thanks for the advice.

 

[mclerico83 5,000+ posts]

I didn't know SRQ had started a web store. They have a top notch reputation for subwoofer enclosures.

Yep I was there when he rated it. The picture of the 08 grand Prix trunk is my car