Brand new this forum, please bear with me. I have a 2006 Acura TSX and have been researching sound equipment and install necessities for an audio revamp, particularly JL audio stuff. I have been to several shops in my area and have posed several questions. Due to the uncertainty of taking advice from shops that want me to do a $20,000 custom job, i continue to find myself unsatisfied with what I know. My ultimate plan is have a clean and robust sound with a nice thump to it while keeping my insides looking stock (keep in mind my stock setup is an 8 speakers system: (2) front tweeters, (2) front door 6.5" woofers, (2) back door 6.5" woofers, and (2) 6x9's in the back). With that i am trying to make a list of what I need/want to make this JL upgrade, starting with a pair of 10w7 and a 1000/1 amp. As far as low to mid sounds I am looking into getting a set of component ZR-650csi to replace the front two 6.5"s and the two tweeters. As far as the back doors I am unsure if it is necessary to get another set of components. Looking at what JL has to offer I ran into coaxial speakers, what is the difference between coaxial and component? Would a set of coaxial in the back do me fine or will another set of components pay for themselves? Also, how critical are the 6x9's in the back after installing components and subs? What is recommended for premium sound?

In any case of speaker designations, I am also concerned control wise. As many cars have it nowadays, they fashion a nice, sorta-seamless dash. Also since I opted for the navigation when I bought the car, I am determined to keep my dash looking stock with the exception of a Pioneer TV unit to fit right underneath the navigation. Now with this in mind would it be better to run the new speaker setup with this pioneer head unit over the stock radio unit? If so, what confliction will i have with the navigation and the pioneer unit? Otherwise if control everything thru my navigation/stock radio, is it a good idea to run a cleansweep with it? What other equalization unit is recommended? Some places told me to get rid of my stock navi and replace it with a TV/Navi all in one unit. Not only do I not like the idea for aesthetical purposes, but my navigation controls my climate control, radio w/ indash 6disc cd, bluetooth handsfree link, and voice-recognition.

In the sum of it, I am looking for a great JL sound system with a nice in-dash TV/DVD player, keeping as much of the control and look I have now as possible. Please give me some advice and let me know what concepts I may have wrong for this setup. I am trying to keep within a moderate budget but am not afraid to spend for something worth the price. Thanks ahead of time for your help and i apologize for such a wordy thread.

 

Keep your factory deck, run JL Audio CleanSweep to integrate amps to the factory head unit. Will allow you to maintain the factory look & control while giving you the flexibility to add whatever amps & speakers your heart desires.

 

That's what I figured at first. Probably best if I go with my first hunch. So as far as the indash tv, do I just hard wire it to my standard auxilary input for sound?

 

Yes, that would work... Or, since you have Nav, why don't you look into one of the converter boxes that will turn your nav screen into a Video screen?? I'm not sure of the brand or name, but I think I remember FCM talking about it...

 

Something like this: http://www.gnetcanada.com/navv...0.asp

 

Component speakers have a seperate tweeter and a woofer. Coaxials have no external tweeter. Just one built in with the woofer itself. The components will sound much better. My suggestion is to go with the JL ZR series components if you want to keep it JL. If not you can get the FOCAL component sets front and back and a nice set of 6X9 for the deck. Don't go all out on the 6X9 because the components will most likely overpower them anyway.

FOCAL 165A1 are very good and relatively inexpensive component set.

 

As B18_EJ8 mentioned the JL Audio CleanSweep systems are the way to go... http://mobile.jlaudio.com/prod...id=94
There are more then a few "OEM navigation screen interfaces available, this is a pretty good one... http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust...=9231 then all you need is a DVD source, unit has two video inputs, you can add a VCR or gaming unit.
I would skip the 6x9s, remove the stock ones to allow bass from subs into pass. compartment, concentrate on the front speakers, install mid-bass/mid-range drivers in the rear doors, [no tweeters], even another set of ZR650-CSi just don't install the tweeter, and a 450/4 to drive them, [yes a little over powered for the fronts but just watch the front gain control on amp, you will get awesome "dynamic headroom" and very little power is needed for the rear speakers, [mid-bass/mid/range].
You may also want to look at a 12W7 and a 1000/1 to drive it, again lots of dynamic headroom. 94

PS keep in mind the install is everything, speaker installation is critical to good SQ, as is amp wiring. I have seen too many sound systems with "high end" equipment sound like Kaja because of poor install, or not sound as good as it could because of inadequate install quality.

 

Make sure you get a truck load of dynamat for that trunk if you put that 12W7 in there. If not it's gonna rattle like crazy and sound like ****!

 

Thanks for the info all. I can sort of get the idea of sound you think i should achieve. I guess i got the right idea in using components for the front speakers. As far as back, the mid range idea sounds good but if I remove the back 6x9's and just drive that area with the subs won't my highs sort of die out towards the back? Also, if i fire the back with a 12w7 won't the bass end of the sound be too massive? I figured using two 10's over a 12 because the 10's would give a great, not extremely massive, sound. One of the guys told me a 12" would pound my bumper clips right off. He even suggested just getting one 10"! I am planning on running them with 1000/1.
As far as the NAV to TV modules, the reason I wouldn't use them is because of poor resolution. The standard nav screen has a resolution good enough for maps, icons, and controls but trying to watch a dvd would look distorted or fuzzy. I know certain nav modules give you a better output but I personaly would like to use a unit that was actually made for viewing movies,etc. Plus, I want to use adaptive features that come with these head units such as ipod controls and various format play.
As far as installation, what angles or locations should be avoided. Sound is everything to me and I'm not overly enthused about making my trunk look like a JL demo station. My idea was to place the amps at the floor of my trunk and create a custom enclosure to fit my 2 10's (rear firing), crossovers, and cleansweep, located at the back of my trunk...leaving a decent amount of trunk space.

 

Two 10W7 on a 1000/1 will hit HARDER than a single 12W7. No doubt.

If you want good clean bass that can still hit and is responsive....get two 10w6 subs on a JL 500/1 or a single 12W6.

That way you won't blow your trunk to pieces and you can enjoy your music.

 

If you want the multimedia experience and you want to keep the factory screen, consider what the Vehicle Hub Pro (VPA-B222) can do for you from Alpine. It's not cheap, but it's an AWESOME setup.

Otherwise you probably don't NEED the cleansweep - I have not looked into the volume dependent frequency response of your headunit (or lack there-of). Unless you ahve a ton of frequency shelving across the volume ****, you probably don't need it. IT could be helpful as an ipod input however.

What I would recommend is to skip the JL amps and go right to the Zapco DC line. Digital processing built into the amps at a great pricepoint that would allow you full control over your system. Not to mention, you can use the zapco balanced line transmitters as line output convertors to get your signal straight from the stock head.

Run that to a component set up front, at most a set of cheaper midbasses in the rear doors (unless you are doing a TRUE surround system, rears are a waste of time, money, and they sound like **** imo).

Then I'd run the W6's - sound better than the W7's, are smaller, cost less, and will give you plenty of output.

But that's me...

 

Well if you are going to install a DVD/flip screen, then as mentioned you don't need the CleanSweep The HU you get will be your main source, the OEM system will just be a slave unit, all you need is a LOC, so you can use an AUX input to the aftermarket HU if you want audio from the OEM system. 94

 

This Vehicle Hub Pro looks to be an integration device that allows for the use of adding various modules to a stock entertainment system. But from the alpine website, I can't exactly see what grand benefits I will get from using it as my main switch. It seems to seemlessly allow for my head unit to function with all other devices but what's the need if I get an aftermarket head unit to run such things as DVD changers, IPOD, Gaming systems, etc.? The toggle seems to be between the use of the two HU's, factory and aftermarket. I initially thought my HU would make my aftermarket HU (pioneer) a slave through its AUX line. Thus I wouldn't lose my Navigation features and in theory have my pioneer deck installed how my ipod is now, as an audio accessory. FCM, you're saying that my OEM HU should act like a slave to my Pioneer HU thru IT'S AUX INPUT line? If i go that route won't I lose my navigation prompts (voice) unless my pioneer unit is tuned in to AUX mode whereas the audio will only come from the OEM in that mode. In such a case, there doesn 't seem to be a way to listen to the tv and hear for Navigation prompts when in use.
I don't know the freq. response for my OEM HU and wouldn't even know where to begin to look at the specs. so I'm guessing, to take full advantage of equilization for my new speakers whlie running everything thru my OEM, it would be key to have such a thing as cleansweep.
DSP sounds great for versatility in sound but what sizes should I get to run say 2 10w6v2's and the components and mid's as spoken of above? Being a hardcore JL fan it is hard to deviate from JL products but Zapco's DSP technology sounds nice I hope it doesn't compromise on strength tho.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blackEuro-R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This Vehicle Hub Pro looks to be an integration device that allows for the use of adding various modules to a stock entertainment system. But from the alpine website, I can't exactly see what grand benefits I will get from using it as my main switch. It seems to seemlessly allow for my head unit to function with all other devices but what's the need if I get an aftermarket head unit to run such things as DVD changers, IPOD, Gaming systems, etc.? </TD></TR></TABLE>

It basically allows you to interface an alpine "headunit" with your factory screen as the display.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The toggle seems to be between the use of the two HU's, factory and aftermarket. I initially thought my HU would make my aftermarket HU (pioneer) a slave through its AUX line. Thus I wouldn't lose my Navigation features and in theory have my pioneer deck installed how my ipod is now, as an audio accessory. FCM, you're saying that my OEM HU should act like a slave to my Pioneer HU thru IT'S AUX INPUT line? If i go that route won't I lose my navigation prompts (voice) unless my pioneer unit is tuned in to AUX mode whereas the audio will only come from the OEM in that mode. In such a case, there doesn 't seem to be a way to listen to the tv and hear for Navigation prompts when in use.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't quite understand why you would ever run two headunits - why would you want this?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't know the freq. response for my OEM HU and wouldn't even know where to begin to look at the specs. so I'm guessing, to take full advantage of equilization for my new speakers whlie running everything thru my OEM, it would be key to have such a thing as cleansweep.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The clean sweep won't give you any user adjustable eq - it will simply calibrate your unit back to flat.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">DSP sounds great for versatility in sound but what sizes should I get to run say 2 10w6v2's and the components and mid's as spoken of above? Being a hardcore JL fan it is hard to deviate from JL products but Zapco's DSP technology sounds nice I hope it doesn't compromise on strength tho.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can only assume you mean what zapco amps - I'd run the 360.4 and the 500.1 or the 1000.4 and the 750.2.

Compromise on strength? What do you mean by that? They took the existing Zapco Reference system and put a DSP front end on it....same great zapco power.

 

Thanks for the replies.

When im saying im going to run 2 HU's I am referring to my current navigation display and a future multimedia unit (having a brain of its own). The second display will also be an A/V receiver with features such as being fully ipod ready (full control onscreen), DVD changer ready including in-dash DVD/CD, TV Tuner Ready, etc. But reading more on this Alpine unit I see that the HUB Pro has all that included. I guess my confusion comes to mind when trying to understand if the HUB will display control on my nav screen? Please explain how this Hub works because I guess I don't fully understand.
I will look into the zapco amps as well. They seem like great products.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blackEuro-R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for the replies.

When im saying im going to run 2 HU's I am referring to my current navigation display and a future multimedia unit (having a brain of its own). The second display will also be an A/V receiver with features such as being fully ipod ready (full control onscreen), DVD changer ready including in-dash DVD/CD, TV Tuner Ready, etc. But reading more on this Alpine unit I see that the HUB Pro has all that included. I guess my confusion comes to mind when trying to understand if the HUB will display control on my nav screen? Please explain how this Hub works because I guess I don't fully understand.
I will look into the zapco amps as well. They seem like great products.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If what you want is all kinds of multimedia capability but to maintain your factory nav screen - look into the vehicle hub pro. Essentially it installs an alpine headunit into your car, but let's you use your factory nav screen as a display. From there you can plug in all of your peripherals - processor, ipod, changer, rear seat entertainment, etc.

You should download the user manual and read through it to get a better feeling.