Grand Moff Joseph Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 To make a long story short, my old Alpine HU blew over a month ago, so I decided to do some audio upgrading since I was forced to shop for a new HU anyway. Anyway, my goal in this entire process was to improve the sound by adding more bass and overall depth/richness, not to win SPL tournaments. So, with that in mind, the Lumina went into outpatient surgery today at the local audio shop, but she turned out beautiful! The Goods: Pioneer HU (model DEH-P6800MP) Phoenix Gold amp (300w, 2-channel) Total Mobile Audio* sub (12", 150 watts RMS, using a sealed box) Pioneer speakers (existing speakers as of 09/04; 4-way in rear, 2-way in front) *Total Mobile Audio is the shelf name for JL Audio's entry level series of hardware The Pics: The Verdict: I am absolutely, 100% satisfied with the outcome, as it is EXACTLY what I wanted: more depth, noticeable bass, but not overdone in any way. The amp really boosted the output from the speakers, and the sub has just the right amount of kick for my tastes. I may not win a SPL tourney with this system, but I love it! Thanks to all for their advice and info! -GMJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 thats awesome man! nice job question tho...where did you put your ground wire in your trunk? i'd love to turn my box in that direction to hide my mess of wires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkinternational Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 yeah looks prety nice man rlly cleann btw prepare to get moved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Joseph Posted September 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 question tho...where did you put your ground wire in your trunk? i'd love to turn my box in that direction to hide my mess of wires I'm not sure, as I was not able to watch everything that the audio shop guys were doing. From what I could tell, the ground must have been run to either the lip of the metal that supports the back seat, or up to the tower where the torque rod bars are. btw prepare to get moved You mean to the Car Audio forum? Yeah, I thought I should have put this there. Looks like I guessed wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 ooh ok. i thought you did the install. cool tho, thanks for the possible locations! i've gone over my entire trunk to try to find an ground(without drilling and whatnot) but i'l have to look on the seat back a little more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 I want your HU. I love those Pioneers. Awesome setup, sounds exactly like what I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam'ron Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 ooh ok. i thought you did the install. cool tho, thanks for the possible locations! i've gone over my entire trunk to try to find an ground(without drilling and whatnot) but i'l have to look on the seat back a little more any of the metal in there will work just fine, just remember to grind off all the paint wherever youre attaching the ground loop to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Joseph Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 I want your HU. I love those Pioneers. Awesome setup, sounds exactly like what I want. If you are just going for improved sound quality with moderate bass and improved depth, I'd recommend this setup to anyone. Obviously, your choice of hardware is up to you, but all I have is a 350w amp and a 150w sub, and that put plenty of balls into my stereo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puggsley456 Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 I like the headunit and amp. Old school PG stuff is KILLER! But you said that your speakers are amped? With what? The sub I am not a big fan of.....with only a 7.9mm xmax. But If you like it......that is all that matters! Edit: Just found this......Damn that company has some good lineage JL Audio, manufacturer of aftermarket automotive auto sound systems, has acquired Total Mobile Audio. Total Mobile Audio was founded early in 2004 by industry veteran, Dan McLeod and his wife, Deb McLeod. Prior to founding the new company, Mr. McLeod held the position of VP-Sales & Product Development with the Rockford Corporation. Total Mobile Audio offers a compact line of attractively priced auto sound components including amplifiers, component speakers and subwoofers. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Joseph Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Well, what I meant was, is now that I have an amp in the mix, the speakers seem to sound much better than they did before I put the amp in. So, in other words, I think the amp has allowed the speakers to reach their potential. Speaking of the amp, I picked it up off of a friend for less than $100, figuring, 'hey, it's old, cheap and it works'; I did not realize Phoenix Gold's reputation until the installers at the audio shop complimented me on my choice of an amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStudd Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Looks good, man! Does she rattle the doors off? ooh ok. i thought you did the install. cool tho, thanks for the possible locations! i've gone over my entire trunk to try to find an ground(without drilling and whatnot) but i'l have to look on the seat back a little more any of the metal in there will work just fine, just remember to grind off all the paint wherever youre attaching the ground loop to A good spot is up high on the "rear firewall" hidden behind the carpet. As was mentioned, be sure you scrape off the paint underneath where you attach the wire to the chassis. Hell, I drilled a pilot hole and used a "license plate" screw with a giant head to connect my ground wire. Works great, but I gotta remember to loosen that screw if I ever remove my back seat . Well, what I meant was, is now that I have an amp in the mix, the speakers seem to sound much better than they did before I put the amp in. So, in other words, I think the amp has allowed the speakers to reach their potential. I know what you mean there, but I think it's the sub's presence that's making everything seem louder. When I added a tiny sub to my system, I didn't need to crank the volume as high to get the intended sound level as I did w/o the sub. And I have amped separates in my doors! A little "bump" is better than none, I guess ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 sweet thanks for the info...maybe i'll work on that tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 looks good dude!! Too bad they didn't flush mount your H/U.....but anything else looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 I want your HU. I love those Pioneers. Awesome setup, sounds exactly like what I want. You want mine? Ive been thinking about selling it and getting something with high preout voltage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Joseph Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 looks good dude!! Too bad they didn't flush mount your H/U.....but anything else looks great! I honestly did not know that you could do that with an aftermarket H/U. I thought it was just a standard fact that the headunit would stick out a bit due to the dash kit that has to be used. (oh well... ) As for the rattling, it doesn't rattle the doors off. Come to think of it, my door handles are broken, so they wouldn't come off anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 That looks pretty solid, I like your choice in tuners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 do you mind.....but what did you pay for the H/U? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Moff Joseph Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 do you mind.....but what did you pay for the H/U? $189 plus shipping from Etronics.com. I checked this price at Bizrate against other major retailers, and this was the best price hands down. Not a bad deal considering Short-Circuit City/Worst Buy wanted over $300 for it plus installation, and Pioneer had an MSRP of $249 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 not bad at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcutty Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Glad to hear you got it all done and you like it. It has been awhile since i have even seen a PG amp. They were very good amps back in the day, i wouldn't expect anything less now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 I want my stereo to be more loud or I want better ears, ones that can go below 20hz and above 20,000hz... Damn dogs, I am jealous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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