Well, my current sound system is in my sig, but in conjunction with my carPC install (click on link in my sig), I've decided to totally rewire, and install new amps.

Going to rip out the components in the doors, and the coax's in the rear, and put in the following:

Boston Acoustic Z6 components in doors
Powered by a JL 450/4 in bi-amp mode

Take the Polk Momo MMC 6500's (used to be in front doors) and put them in the rear
Powered by a JL e2150 (75w x 2 into 4 ohms, more than enough for rear fill)

Keep the JL 10w6v2 and 500/1 as is.

Get new wire, including 0 gauge from the battery and to ground to handle everything, including the increased load the carPC will put on it.

Add in more dynamat. Still hearing a couple of vibration spots.


Since I have to reqire some things due to the carPC install anyways, I figure it is time to rewire the sound system with high quality wire. So, on the upcoming three day weekend, my wife is leaving for a conference, and now I can spend the entire three days working on my car! (which she wouldn't normally let me do) And since amthar had to go and post about his sound system, I felt the urge to do so as well. Maybe this time I will start a cardomain.com webpage that I can reference....

Dave

 

poser

j/k, good luck with it all. Hope you aren't running new speaker wire to the comps. in the door... that's apparently a gigantic PITA. Good luck hiding that 0ga. wire... I'd love to see pictures of your progress so I can totally copy you later

I assume you're running your current car PC off of the same power feed going to the trunk that is running your sound system? If so, what gauge are you currently using?

 

Going to try running the wire through the doors. Yes, it will be a PITA, I thought about it before and decided not to, but it will be done this time. I think...

My carPC is not in yet, since the screen for the 05's is not done yet, but I have placed it in there and powered it up. Right now, I have 4 gauge running to the trunk, and then 8 gauge off a distro block.

Dave

 

I have a silly question:

Does your CarPC have good enough SQ on its audio card to justify the work in upgrading the wire?

 

Good question.

I have a sound blaster audigy 2 NX, which is an external, USB 2 based sound card, so it has pretty good sound quality.

But the real answer is that I am still using my stock head unit for radio, and CD's, and have an external mp3 player...

Of course, you may ask then, what am I putting a carPC in for?

Navigation, DVD's, mobile internet, and more mp3 storage. And just the fun factor of enjoyment I get from modifying my car...

Dave

 

Well, laid down more dynamat, and put carpet over everything today. Got some pics of the dynamat, none of the carpet. I'll try and take more pictures next weekend.

Dave

 

Ok, finished upgrading my sound system, some pics and info.

Here is the overall system:

Boston Acoustic Z6's in front, bi-amped by a JL Audio 450/4

Polk/Momo DB650 (coax) in rear, amped by a JL Audio e2150

JL Audio 10w6v2 in 4080 box in trunk, amped by a JL Audio 500/1

Audio Control LC8 as a signal distribution box for the signal from stock head unit

PhatBox 40gB MP3 player, wired through SAT interface

0 Gauge wire from battery to Streetwires fused power/ground distro block

12 gauge Streetwires twisted pair to all speakers.

Dynamat everywhere.

CarPC sitting in trunk waiting for final install with DigitalWheelz screen on order

1:24 scale GDub G for show in the middle of the install board

Pics:
Pic 1: This is all the equipment waiting to be installed (minus a couple of things already in there)

Pic 2: This is the equipment installed in the trunk. The thing in the bottom right is the CarPC

Pic 3: This is the view through the plexiglass

Pic 4: This shows my empty, fully usable trunk. The blue pouch is the first aid kit that holds real, usable stuff besides the wimpy little Infiniti kit

Pic 5: This is the Forged Internals shift ****, with the Nismo short shifter, and the Redline Goods shifter boot and ebrake boot. Little dressy, I like it.

Dave

 

Really really nice. A+

 

you are using the lc8, i am assuming you still have the bose in place????

 

Bose head unit. Amp is gone. All the Bose speakers are gone,including the 6x9's in the rear deck (those are now open to let the sub sound through)

I tapped the lines in the rear, prior to the Bose amp, ran those lines into the LC8, used the front for the front input, the rear for the rear input, and summed the front and rear for the sub input. The sub amp has a built in low pass filer, so it is fine.

Dave

 

Do you notice a difference in sound quality between head unit & car pc..thanks.

 

One of the best installs i've seen. very nice work.

 

CarPC isn't done yet, still waiting for the screen, so I can't comment on the sound quality difference. When it is done, though (next weekend, probably), I'll make some comparisons.

Thanks for the compliments, Corpstyle. I pride myself in doing my own work, and sometimes it looks like ****, sometimes it looks good.

Dave

 

Very very impressive, extremely clean, i really like it, and MAD props. Congrats.

 

So with all the slash amps, why do you have a cap again?