2013 DCSB Simple SQ - Pioneer, Hybrid Audio, Audison, IDQ

I've been mostly finished for over a week and have finally found the time (read "not listening to the system") to create a thread of the install. Like the title reads my requirement is SQ (with the goal of getting loud). I reached that goal as it sounds great and gets as loud as I need at less than 70% of total volume limit. Mind you I used a DMM to set my gains at a volume of 60 out of 62, so there is definitely reserve power on tap to push the limits. Some guys on DIYMA have bench tested this HU with an o-scope and didn't observe any clipping at full output. It gets loud, stays clean, and best of all the interior is completely buzz-free. Not even a noise from my son's car seat.

Here is a rundown of the equipment:
Head Unit - Pioneer DEH-80PRS
Front Tweeters - Hybrid Audio Technologies L1 Pro R2
Front Midbass - Hybrid Audio Technologies L6V2
Subwoofer - Image Dynamics IDQ10V3D2
Amp - Audison LRx 5.1k
Misc - Stinger Battery Terminals, Stinger 4AWG Power and Ground, Audison Interconnects, Kicker Speaker Wire, IPod Classic, RAAMat BXT II, Ensolite, and very sweaty North Carolina nights in the garage. Subwoofer enclosure and amp rack provided by Mr. Marv (great guy to talk to about car audio...he is a true geek with a lot of knowledge)

Now to the Pics

Here is a pic of the actual truck from a recent family beach day on Carolina Beach. The truck handled the soft sand like a champ and didn't give me any issues. I was amazed at the number of full size Chevy and Ford trucks that got stuck. I guess the lighter truck really helped to keep from sinking down.


Here is the 80PRS shortly after UPS dropped it off.


The Stinger shoc-krome battery terminals. One 0AWG, one 4AWG, and two 8AWG connections. I'm using 4AWG power for the amp, so I have the 4AWG starter solenoid cable connected to the 0AWG output. No issues with the cable connections.

Now before anyone tells me I need 2AWG power wire for the amp, I will let you know that the amp is internally fused at 100A. 4AWG is very sufficient for a 100A system. The internal fuse will blow well before I ever need the extra capacity 2AWG gives me.


Here is the PAC SWI-RC steering wheel interface and an adapter for the factory USB port. Although I'm very handy with electronics, I had zero desire to attempt to hack into the factory USB connection. I'd rather pay to relieve some install pains. Trust me, there's already enough pain with this install.


Since the 80PRS has two USB ports, I purchased a 160GB Ipod Classic to have permanently connected to the system. Over 6k songs and just over 50% capacity utilized. I ripped my whole CD collection as WAV files.


Here is the true star of the show; an Audison LRx 5.1k. My original plan was to use a JL 500/1 from a previous install and add-on an Alpine PDX-F6 to run the fronts, however, I could not turn down the awesome deal for this Audison. This amp is purrrfect for a two-front + sub system. 50W for the tweets, 160W for the mids, and 650W for the sub...at 4 ohms. The sub channel will put out 1150W at 2 ohms (just in case I want to run two IDQ10s). Previous owner bought it from an authorized dealer and ran it for only two years. Besides a few cosmetic scratches, the amp is in great shape and has ZERO noise problems.




Crossovers on each channel with bandpass on the mids. I'm using the crossover on my 80PRS, but built-in crossovers is a nice feature.


Another nice feature of this amp is the ability to hide your cables. The RCA cable connection card is reversible to face outward (normal install) or inward (to hide the cables). On the power and speaker side of the amp is a couple plates to hide the wires - one to go on the side and the other to cover the top.



The guy I bought the amp from threw in a 6 channel Audison RCA cable. I already purchased another set of Stinger RCA cables before I bought the amp, but hey I'll take free cables! The dude spent $120 on the cable - waaaaaaaaay more than I'd ever spend. I connected the shield (drain) to ground and have zero noise issues. I know, I know, really not necessary, but I wasn't willing to take any chances on this install. I can play the Autosound 2000 zero-bit track at full volume and not a single hint of noise.


Here is a pic of the SEXY Hybrid Audio L1 Pro R2. It's a ring radiator with great off-axis response.


Sorry, but I didn't get any pre-install pics of the L6 midbasses or IDQ10. I was in a rush towards the end of the install and failed to take pics. I will add pics of the IDQ10 when I finish off the rear panels this weekend.



Now to the install pics! Install pics not shown:

• full layer of RAAMat on the roof, with double application at the center of the roof
• RAAMat on the front doors - outer shell and inner metal - and in the concave areas of the rear wall
• ensolite covered the inner door metal (on top of the RAAMat) and on the whole rear wall. I believe the ensolite went MILES to keep the panel buzzes at bay
• IDQ10

Here is a (boring) pic of the 4AWG power and two pairs of 16AWG running down the driver's side. The passenger's side looks the same minus the 4AWG power (for obvious reasons).


The Audison RCA cable is only 5m (16ft) and I wasn't certain it would be able to reach the back had I routed it with the power cable. Therefore, I decided to run it down the center to be 100% certain it would reach the rear wall. The biggest PITA was routing it down through the dash console behind the head unit. As you can see from the pic above, the molded plastic at the ends of the cable is pretty big. Here is the cable coming down the center console after I finally got the connectors pulled through.


I used the wire brush attachment on my dremel to clean an area for the ground. This is right next to a rear seat bracket. I used a #6 bolt and nylon nut on the underside. This ground is very secure.


Here is the driver's side door after the speakers were installed. Yea, I didn't do the cleanest job with the ensolite, but oh well. No one will even see this and I didn't have issues getting the door panel back on.


Here is a pic of the amp after it was mounted. The end nearest to you is where the power wires are. I used my dremel to cut a slot in the amp rack, which allowed me to the pull the wires through hiding them from view. I used 1/4" spacers under the amp screws to provide some additional space for ventilation. Essentially the spacers are sandwiched between the amp and rack. The last thing you want mid bump is the amp going into thermal protect.


Here you can see where the wires come out from behind the amp rack. Again here I used my dremel to cut a notch in the amp rack for the wires to come out the side. I will need to cut a similar notch in the pastic trim piece to completely hide the wires from view.


Some pics of the engine compartment. I upgraded the battery ground to 4AWG and also used my dremel to clean up the grounding spot. I used a Stinger 150A circuit breaker for protection. The "bracket" I made from a piece of sheet metal I got at Lowes and spray painted it with a rustoleum rubberized undercoating. I attached it to the body using the spare threaded holes.



Here is the HU after the install. It does look dinky with a single-din, but there isn't a double din on the market that has comparable sound adjustment capability. The 80PRS met my wants: ipod integration and bluetooth. What I do hate is the fact that I need to search through my ipod using the head unit. I'd rather use the ipod click wheel to scroll through songs. The head unit is NOT the most efficient way to search through 6k songs.


I drilled a hole in the small compartment next to the ignition to route the wire for the ipod. I originally went with this location to have the ipod easily accessible for searching, but since I can't use the ipod directly I might as well have put it in the glove box. Oh well.



That's all the pics I have for now.

So, how does it sound? Awesome. The midbass sounds very clean with good impact and the single IDQ10 digs pretty deep. I'm still trying to work out the tuning on the tweets as they can get harsh on sibilance. I'm hoping I can EQ-out this problem.

The sound adjustment capabilities on the DEH-80PRS is sweet. Easy adjustment of crossover, EQ and time alignment. The menu interface took a while to learn, but once you get the hang of it it's easy to find what you need. The remote helps tremendously for setting time alignment - you can make adjustments while keeping your head still in the "driving position".

Next steps: let the speakers break-in and tweak adjustments. I'm getting more satisfied with the system after each day, so I'm planning to rock this equipment for quite some time. The most-probable future upgrade would be going to a DEX-P99RS for more adjustment capability.

 

Nice. Been waitnig to see the pics.

I like the bracket you put in for the breaker. That 99RS is a chunk af change. If you are getting rid of the PRS, let me know, I might take it off your hands.

I would like to audition your set-up. Guerrilla is looking at a similar set-up.

 

I will definitely let you know if I ever get rid of the 80PRS. The 99RS is pretty expensive. I can probably get an external processor for less, but I like the idea of a simple signal chain and not introducing the opportunity for noise.

If you're ever in the Raleigh or Wilmington area let me know. I live in Cary most of the time for work purposes, but go back to my house in Wilmington almost every other weekend.

The head unit and sub are a really good value. As for the front speakers, you can certainly get good performance for less. The amp I got for pretty cheap, but if you're looking for something new then I'd go with the JL HD900/5 or maybe a PDX-F6/M6 combo. The JL amps have nice, clean power, but are a little pricey. PDX amps are much cheaper, but it's hit or miss on the quality. Some folks have fine amps while others have noise issues. It's a gamble.

I really wanted to go a two amp route to keep use 500/1...I even bought fused and un-fused distro blocks for power and ground. I freaking love that amp. It played my 12W6V2 every day for 8 years without a single problem. Rarely got hot. I'm contemplating listing it, but really want to hold on to it for the next ride and I don't think I can get much for it used. Once in a while you see old school gear installs that brings back memories.

 

ike3K...thanks for the write up and pics...planning out my system as we speak and your pics and descriptions will be a great help.

 

I agree, I can't justify the $1200 for the 99, not yet.

I have worked out there before. I did some contract work at the Brunswick Station. If I head that way again, I will give you a heads up.

I haven't heard a better amp than the Audion. I know they exist, but I can't break off for the likes of a Sinfoni, Zapco, Mosconi, McIntosh or Audison's Thesis line-up.

 

you're welcome. sorry i didn't take more in-process install pics. i figured there's already a good amount on this forum if you search around.

the two things i wish i would have read up on more before i started was routing the power wire through the firewall grommet and getting speaker wire through the front door rubber boot.

you REALLY need to use some dish soap to get power wire through the firewall. especially if you're going with 4AWG or larger (2AWG or 0AWG). once i got it started i thought i could be a man and just brute force pull the wire through. well i ended up pulling some of the grommet along with it. about half of the grommet was inside the cabin. that firewall grommet is an extremely tight fit to get a proper seal, so it was a major PITA to pull part of it back into the engine compartment. i had to use my fingers because i couldn't get any flat head screw driver in there. it's a tight space under the brake cylinder.

for the front door boots, you really need to use a five step process
1. pull the boot grommets loose in both the kick panel and doors
2. pull the wire through the kick panel grommet opening
3. fish the wire through the boot itself (use dish soap here, too)
4. pull the wire through the door grommet opening
5. re-connet the boot grommets

i didn't pay attention to this detail in Marv's sticky thread and spent nearly 45 mins trying to fish the wire through the kickwall and boot at the same time. i finally got frustrated and took a break to search this thread for info. that's when i finally realized the details of the multistep process in Marv's thread. the second door took me less than 10 mins.

these two parts caused by far the biggest headaches. everything else takes time, but the process is pretty straight forward.

feel free to PM if you have any specific questions. GL!

 

I used a broken down bic pen. Pushed the pen through then pulled the wire. Easy.

 

You can search using your iPod instead of the deck. In fact you can switch back and forth at your leisure. Just hit the band button (lower right button) and it will switch search modes.

Your welcome.

 

Thanks man! I like that you can switch between the two search modes on the fly.

So I've been able to clean up the horrible harshness in (what I thought was) my tweeters. I had the mid/tweet crossover set at 5k and would experience a 5k/8k harshness. Well I lowered the crossover point to 3.15k and it totally cleaned things up. I can only assume it was cone break-up from the mids. I didn't think I would experience break up at 5k since the legatia passive crossovers are set higher than 5k. Well now it sounds so much clearer and focused. And I can actually enjoy not-so-great recordings without cringing from the sibilance. Now I can focus on making my sub sound better.

 

Forgot I finally took a pic of the sub. Not the greatest angle. I had the seat removed so I could stuff some poly fill in the enclosure. I only put 8oz since the enclosure is already the perfect size for the IDQ10. I could tell a difference in the lower end. Not night and day but it does feel stronger.

 

Sure thing Ike.

I was just playing around while riding with the lil lady and stumbled upon it. It is a GREAT feature.

Like the sub. I might try and pick one up for my buddy's ride. I'd like to hear it.

 

it definitely makes searching easier. although i'm starting to get used to scrolling through the head unit. have you upgraded her speakers? and maybe added an amp?

the IDQ10 is a great sub. you get that sub bass sound, but it's not overwhelming. it will definitely show it's face when you turn up the volume. it's not enough if you're a bass junkie, though a bass junkie is hard to please in a DC without taking up some backseat space. i ride around with the wife and kid in the truck a good amount of the time so it's perfect for me. it makes music sound more full and adds that extra dynamic. this morning had 2 Live Crew's Hoochie Mama left playing from the night before (don't ask) and as soon as i turned on the car and heard it playing i turned around to the back seat to see how my son would respond and he just smiled and bobbed his head. if a 17 month old bobs his head, then it's a sure sign that it's not overpowering.

i just looked on the ID website and they finally released specs for their IDQV4. i was thinking something must have been up, because sonicelectronix hasn't had the V3 listed for the past few weeks. according to the specs the V4 requires a much larger enclosure. universal is 1.1^3ft for the V4 vs. 0.75^3ft for the V3. the Fs has gone up, too. xmax has increased by 9mm!!!! cone area decreased so they may have put on a much larger surround to handle the extra excursion. i'm curious to hear the reviews on the V4. i read a lot of posts online that people preferred the V2 over the V3, which makes reviews of the V4 that much more interesting. someone over at DIYMA is destined to buy one.

BTW, funny you worked at Brunswick. I'm at Shearon Harris.

 

I installed the Morel Virtus 603 3-way with a Primo 10" in a custom box in the Jetta. The install came out pretty damn good.

I am waiting for the Mark IV from Stereo Integrity. They should be out later this year. Apparently they are the pinacle of shallow mount subs. Try and find one. They disappear instantly when up for sale.

What do you do a Shearon Harris? I have been in the industry as a contractor for 12 years. I've been almost everywhere.

 

Sweet! Does that 3 way have a dome midrange? If so, do you think it would fit in a tacoma tweeter location?

I've heard great things about stereo integrity but never heard about that model. I'll have to check it out.

 

Yes it does have a dome mid. And yes, with a little fab work they could fit in the stock locations. Besides the mounting bracket, the only other reason would be because of the little amount of permeation that the door card has. The mid is 3" in diameter and I think that we would need more than the stock door card has to offer. That doesn't mean I wouldn't go for it.

I am greatly anticipating the release of of SI's new sub.