2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Aftermarket stereos

[cwarner]

After listening to my friends system in his Excursion I'm thinking about doing something to my truck. This Excursion just plain rocks, two 10" subs , six by nines , mids and tweeters.

Just wondering what some people have done in these trucks. kind of looking for ideas.

I want to use the stock head unit though.

I'm thinking six by nines in the doors tweeters in the a pillars mids in the rear doors and two 8" subs under the seats. I wonder how this would sound and how hard it would be to do.

 

[Muleskinner]

Remember. The rear speakers are powered speakers. If you change the radio system, you will have to deal with the 12 volt power wire feeding the speakers. Not that it is a big deal, just something to think about before selecting a system.

 

[KLockliear]

The old truck:

• Older Alpine CD headunit
  
• RF Power 551x (70x4 or 140x2) pushing Infinity 60. 5CS 6-1/2" mid driver and 1" tweeters in the doors
  
• RF Power 1001bd (500w x 1 @ 4 ohms) pushing a single Infinity Kappa Perfect 12. 1 12" sub behind the seat.

Didn't sound bad, mainly because the cab (standard cab) was so small.



I get the new to me 01. 5 QC this weekend though, and that will get:

• Alpine CDA-9813 head unit
  
• RF Power 551x (70 x 4 @ 4 ohms) pushing Infinity Kappa 60. 5CS's up front (6. 5" mid w/1" tweeter)
  
• most likely Infinity Kappa 52. 5's in the back (5. 5" co-axial) also on the 551x
  
• 2x RF Power 1001bd's (1000w x 1 @ 2 ohms) each pushing one Resonant Engineering XXX 12" subwoofer in a custom enclosure under the back seat.

I think this one will sound very good.

 

[cwarner]

Kieth,

sounds like I will hear it thumping over here in

Michigan!

 

[DHoleman]

You can get a molded box under the back seat, kinda pricy though or have one costum built for a decent price. I replaced my stock unit with an after market unit and didn't have any problems with the stock speakers, but there going to be up graded real soon. rock on. DH

 

[Duluth Diesel]

Ditch the stock head unit if you want to improve sound quality. Then quickly ditch the stock speakers. I've replaced factory speakers with better ones, but kept the stock head unit, and did not improve sound much.

In my 2002, I have an Alpine deck with MB Quart speakers. Real nice, clear, accurate sound. Not high school punk thump the neighborhood stuff. I like quality, not quantity. If your serious about improving the audio in your rig, be willing to ditch the factory deck. They're overpriced junk. Just my opinion.

 

[Chipstien]

Did someone say "stereo"... ... .



#ad








This was taken before I installed the carpet. And YES the rear seat is still in the factory location.

 

[2ndgen2500]

I second diting the stock head unit, the stocker has no preamp outputs which greatly redcuces your SQ, i put 2 jl 10s under my back seat, mb quart components in front and rear, and an alpine head unit, jl 300/4 and 300/1 amps.

 

[Mille4212]

NICE Chipstien!!! I agree with everyone on here, ditch the stock head unit. I went with a Alpine deck, Boston 6 1/2 Components with 2 10" Boston subs and a Xtant amp. It sounds good but nothing like what Chipstien has lol.

 

[duaneparks]

I don't have any pics of mine, but I have an Alpine head unit with 4V pre-outs (that has now been in 3 trucks), the stock Infiniti speakers, and an Eclipse 200W amp (that's been in 2 trucks) pushing an 8" JBL tube. It's not "rock your world" loud, but it is clean sounding, and in an '01 4x4 with a ton of ambient noise at speed, it does quite well.



With the exception of the 4 year old amp, it's all 7 years old. My only real gripe is the volume on the Alpine is starting to act up, as they do when they get older. When I go to turn it down, sometimes it will go up instead, and vice versa. Otherwise the head unit has performed flawlessly as long as I clean the CD player regularly.



Duane

 

[2ndgen2500]

i bought my jlaudio stealthbox on ebay for 125$ lol its 800$ and it sounds mint. sometimes you cant beat ebay, but either way, my truck is WAAAAAYYY to loud not to have a good sterio

 

[SCox]

I did MMatts audio components in front (6 1/2), 6 1/2 midbass in the rear with 25mm silk dome tweeter, then used q forms 12" sub with a audiobahn aw1200q enclosure that acts as a center console in the rear, can be easily removed if needed. Have a 4 channel mmats amp under pass seat, 2 channel under drivers all driven by a panasonic cyvmd 9000 (flip out 7" dvd/cd surround receiver). Makes long drives to and from mx tracks allot shorter! You must change the head unit to increase your sound quality, its totally worth it. Oh yeah, tied factory steering wheel controls in to panasonic head unit. Now if I can just get the truck to drive itself while I watch a movie... ... .





Chipstein, awesome setup! Love clean creative installs, I like to hear "you can't fit that in there!"... . then proceed to use a little creativity to prove em wrong!!!

 

[cwarner]

I know ditching the stock head unit is the way to go but two trucks ago I had an after market unit and it was snatched by some punks.

I guess I'm willing to give up some SQ to not have to worry about theft.

My friends Excursion sounded awesome with the stock unit.

 

[McCRam]

I didnt want to change the deck on my old truck either. 97 GMC xcab. I wired A 5 channel amplifier w/internal crossover into the factory deck. I attribute most of the sound quality improvements to it. Some pioneer component speakers in the front and a 10in sub under the rear seat. It wasn't the most impressive system, but it did sound pretty good until it got cranked. I do believe that the gm factory radio is better than the radio that came with my 97 Ram.

CHIPSTEIN Do you have any pictures of the finished product?

 

[2ndgen2500]

scox, wow, you wired the steering wheel controls into the after market head unit... well i'll bedamed, want to do mine? pay is gooD!!!!!

 

[SCox]

Not to hard wiring steering wheel controls into aftermarket head unit. PAC makes a SWIX (steering wheel interface) that works on most vehicles , if you are mechanicaly inclined they are relatively easy to put in. I'd be happy to do it for ya.

 

[Eric_77]

I did the Alpine head unit with the cd changer mounted in the passenger side cubby (the passenger side air bag equipped trucks lost this cubby for airbag) looks perfect there and easy access to change CDs. Then I went with Polk speakers thoughout (today I would not go this route as the sound was great for first 2 years then it went to crap) Installed 6" in the door in stock location 3 1/2 in the optional tweeter location. did 5 1/4 in the rear location tweeters in the ac vents left and right tweeter and super tweeter mounted above rear seatbelt attachment and 8" subs aimed up under rear seat. All powered by two Pioneer Premier class A amps with active and passive cross overs. Monster wire run everywhere and sound deadening added to the doors. Oh and had car phone installed in center console. It was the best system I had ever put together but I am never going to to spend 8g on a stereo again.



PS round speakers always sound better than ovals as do seperates from two or three way speakers. the subs are less directional while tweeters are very directional. I have heard of people using windshield to bounce the highs from tweeter towards listener but when aimed at you directly they sound 1000 times better in my book. When doing placement I always worked from the ground up bass low(under seats or mounted low in door) and highs aimed as close to ears as possible.