Hi all, I'm a new Fit owner. I wanted to get some information from those of you more knowledgeable than me. I'm planning on installing a new sound system and would like your input and suggestions on a few things. I'm only in the planning stages, so nothing bought yet.

First, here are the components in which I plan on buying:

Alpine PDX-5 (chosen for small size and convenience of a single amp)
Alpine PDX-5 Class D 5-Channel PDX Series Amplifier

Clarion CZ500 (3 x 4 volt preouts)
Clarion CZ500 Car Stereo CD/MP3 Player with Bluetooth, USB/Aux-In

Infinity Reference 860W (high sensitivity, small driver)
Infinity 860W 8" Single 4 ohm Reference Series Subwoofer

Possibly one of these sets of coaxils for the front (coaxils because I don't want to mess with mounting a crossover for components)
WoofersEtc.com - CL-6EX - CDT Audio 6.5" Coaxial Speakers
WoofersEtc.com - CL-E61NEOX - CDT Audio 6.5" Neodymium Slim Coaxial Speakers

Not sure on the rears, but probably a cdt set of midbass.

I need someones advice that's already done this on two parts of the install. First, I've looked through the few installs that are on these boards, and it seems like there's a grommet on the firewall by the steering wheel that can fit 4 gauge wire, is this right?

Next, while running wire, I plan on tucking the wire that goes from the front to rear under the plastic molding next to the doors. Is there enough space for all the wire under there? (power, remote, rca's (x3), speaker wire)

Also, I'm trying to find a good place to put the amp, but I can't find a place that won't either be in the way, or hinder the folding of the seats. The sub will be able to fit behind the passenger side (the 40 side of the 60/40 split) rear seat, but I don't want to take up much more room. If I've been thinking/looking at things correctly, the rear seats, when folded, will smash an amp if I put it under there. I also saw someone mount an amp in the spare tire, but that won't work for me due to size and not wanting to hinder the spare tire access that much. I don't want to/can't (due to warranty) mount the amp vertically. Is there some place that I'm not thinking of that an amp would fit? I'm pretty sure there isn't enough room under the front seats either.

Thanks in advance!

 

I recommend you get a component for the front doors. It will sound better even through you have to deal with the hassle of mounting the x-over.
There's a grommet under the dash on the driver side. Not sure if it can fit a 4 gauge. Wires can be run down the sides of the car. Put power/ remote on one side and speaker/rca on the other. This will help with space and no noise getting radiated from the power wire into the speaker/rca cables.
There's also a grommet on the passenger side as well if you wanted to use that.
AMp can be mounted under the front seat but most likely it will stick out . You can mount them to the back of the rear seat but you don't want to mount it vertical? Another option is to mount it to the sub box.

 

Thanks for the reply. I was planning on running the power and remote on the drivers side and the rca and speakers for the fronts and rear passenger side on the passenger side. The alpine manual mentioned that it voids the warranty if you mount vertical, probably due to heat dissipation. I'm sure they'd be able to tell if one side of the amp is fried. I guess I'll have to make a mock up of the amp with some foam board to see if it will fit under the seat, but when I looked and put my hand under the seat, it didn't feel like it could fit 2 1/2" under there. If I have to mount on the seat, I'll probably get a different amp. I was trying to avoid mounting the amp on the sub box since I plan on being able to do a quick disconnect if I either need the spare or the space.

Any other input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sorry, forgot to ask, should I plan on pulling the seats out to route the wires or can the lower panels that hide the wire easily removed?

 

I can address a lot of your questions, and show you the answers as well, my install log covers a lot of what you have asked here. https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...stall-log.html

As far as speakers go, components up front will be your best bet. The rear speakers are not necessary IMO unless you carry passengers a lot. You will not hear them enough to justify the extra labor and cost. I would sink the money from your proposed rears into the front components and buy a VERY nice set for up front. I use a set of JBL GTI MK series components that are outdated in the sense they are no longer sold in stores but there are plenty of brand new sets on ebay. For example here; JBL C608GTI MKII 2 WAY COMPONENT CAR SPEAKERS 6.5" NEW - eBay (item 130491124706 end time Mar-27-11 12:52:27 PDT) As far as crossover mounting there is plenty of space under the dash to use zip ties to mount them.

4AWG will fit through the same gromet I used on the driver side of the car all the way down to the back. I would run the speaker, turn on lead and RCA's down the middle of the car to avoid the off chance of engine noise. As far as the amps go, I used the back of my Sub box for one and the back of my 60 portion of the 60/40 seat for the other. I do not use my fit for carrying much that doesn't already fit in the back seats with the seats folded up. If you are in the same boat, then those options should work for you. Under the back of the upper portion of the back seat are a few large bolts you can use for ground or you can use a seatbelt mounting bolt in the same fashion, just be sure to burnish or scrape any paint off the metal beneath it to ensure a solid ground.

Another idea for your sub could be something like this, where it will sound good and save on space if that is a concern for you. BAZOOKA BT8018 8 ohms 300W SUBWOOFER SUB BASS TUBE NEW! | eBay

Something I like for amps is what I have so I will pass the info on, you may not like them and thats cool. I really love the Crown Series of amps that was put out by JBL, I was a JBL competitor back in 2003 and used several of there amps very solid and clean. Here is a sub amp, yes it's refurbished but don't that sway you, mine are and they work beautifully. JBL GTO601.1II 600WATT MONO 1-CHANNEL CAR AMPLIFIER 1CH - eBay (item 320670405110 end time Apr-11-11 16:46:17 PDT)

jbl power px300.4 amp | eBay This is the exact amp I have for mids and highs very clean and very nice. May have to search a bit to find one that is not used though.

Also here is a great forum for information, questions and also they have an AWESOME classifieds section due to mainly there are a lot of pro car audio guys on this site, you will see names of products you haven't probably ever even heard of on there but there is a great deal of good info and more on this site. DIYMA.com

If you have any questions feel free to ask again or you can PM me direct if you wish, good luck and happy building of your new audio system.

 

Thanks for the response. I actually saw your thread before, and thats where I got most of my info I already had, just needed some clarification.

I do need to have a lot of hauling room, which is why I want to be able to take out the sub quickly, so mounting the amp on the box is a no go.

This will be my third vehicle to install things, so I'm not entirely green, but just wanted some vehicle specific help. For mounting crossovers under the dash, did you have to take apart the dash, or is there enough room to do a reach around? If I get components, I'll probably still get midbass for the rears. I'm looking for sq, but I'm not an audiophile. I do like to think I can appreciate a good setup though.

I'm not a fan of bazooka, so I'm not looking at their products.

If I can't find a place to put the alpine amp,i might opt for something else that would mount to the back seat. Did you just screw into the seat or did you screw into the metal that supposed to hold the cargo cover?

Also, the floor trim next to the doors, is it hard to remove? Is the center area hard to remove as well?

I'll look into the jbl set you mentioned.

Also, my total system rms wattage will be in the neighborhood of 500-700, depending on what amp I settle on. Should I upgrade the big 3?


Thanks for your input.

 

4AWG will handle what you have, I use 4AWG and I am by far higher in wattage than you, remember it's not just about wattage but the amount of current drawn from the amps to produce that wattage. The FIT in general is EASY to take apart compared to say my last car a 2003 VW GTI. Yes I mounted directly to the back seat using a drill to predrill the screw holes and using 1 and 5/8 " long screws to ensure no one got a screw to the back if sitting there. The crossovers require just a little bending of your body to mount them, simply taking off the lower cover of the dash, which on each side comes out very simply is all you will be required to do.

Again for SQ front stage is everything, I was an IASCA Judge for a few years, and back in the late 90s rear fill as it was called then was used, now a days it's not. And with a very nice set of components such as mine you won't need them. My JBLs do plenty in the midbass range, and there are others that can as well.

If you have any other questions/concerns again post em up.

 

Are they not called rear fill anymore? Anyway, do you have any suggestions on the component set that would serve as a stand alone without rear midbass? I'm going to make a mockup of the amp either today or tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have a better idea of what can and can't fit. Either way, I'll probably change my amp choice so I can focus on 2 ch for fronts and one for sub. Either a 4 ch amp or 2 ch and a mono might be a better bet. I'll also probably change the head unit since I won't need 3 preouts. Any additional suggestions for any of these would be appreciated.

 

Depending on what you need in a headunit, my personal favorite is Alpine, they have a wide variety of different units. I personally favor the higher end units, I would also recommend my unit, though outdated it is by far one of the best made in the past 10 years by Alpine and highly regarded. Mine is the CDA-9835, you can find them on ebay or diyaudio but they sell quickly. They have a multitude of features, just missing a few things that most modern ones have such as USB plugin and ipod plug in, but you can get adapter cables for either one, I use one for my 16gig nano. Here is one on ebay, and this looks pretty good, these units go for $300 used all day. Alpine CDA-9835 CD/MP3 In Dash Receiver EXC COND - eBay (item 180642872043 end time Mar-26-11 16:30:33 PDT)

For components, I like my JBLs they have a TON of midbass, but there are im sure plenty of others out there that can do the same. CDT higher end models, Focal but they are not really known for beefy midrange speakers too much. As far as amps I would stick to a mono block for subs, and either 4ch or 2ch for mids/highs I went 4cha cause I had the amp on hand.

 

Couple updates and questions...

I'm mulling over mounting the crossover somewhere, but I caved and decided to get components. Probably these since I've read they do midbass well, so it seems like it would be a decent full range set:
WoofersEtc.com - CTX65CS - Image Dynamics 6.5" Component Speaker System

I realize I'll either have to cut up the factory speakers or make a spacer, but I've done that with a dremel and plywood before, so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

Also, for the sub, I found a prefabed sealed box that matches these subs, still debating how much space I want to lose. I'm going with the 8 unless the 10 offers a noticeable improvement. Unfortunately, I haven't read anything that compares the two, although both seem to get good reviews/impressions:
WoofersEtc.com - ID8V.3-D2 - Image Dynamics ID 8" Subwoofer
WoofersEtc.com - ID10D2 V.3 - Image Dynamics 10" Dual 2 Ohm V.3 Subwoofer

Although it has a lower than many preamp voltage, I may just get this since I know Alpine is decent, and my wife has a previous gen model of this:
Alpine CDA-105 (cda105) CD, MP3, WMA Receiver with Built-in iPod/

Also, I've read that the Alpine class d amps are being installed vertically without issue, so I may get either a PDX-4.150 or an Infinity Kappa Four:
Alpine PDX-4.150 4 Channel Amplifiers at Onlinecarstereo.com
WoofersEtc.com - Kappa4 - Infinity Kappa 4-Channel 600 Watt Amplifier

I made a mockup out of foam for this Pioneer amp, and I have an idea for how to mount this onto the wheel well so it's out of the way of the spare, and it will take up little storage space, but the depth is the main issue, so I'll need to go either 2 1/4" or thinner, which would rule out the Alpine amp.
Pioneer GM-D9500F (gmd9500f) 800W Max, Class FD 4-Channel

Thoughts on this setup?

Also, for the floor panels, did you have to take out the seats, or do they just pull out? If they just pull out, do you just pry up and away, or is there a certain way to do this correctly?
And if you have to take out the seats, do you just unbolt, take off the airbag connector, and pull it out of the car, or is there another way of doing this?

Thanks for your help in this!

 

Yup I picked to remove the seats, just unbolt them and unplug the airbag, might be a good idea to undo the ground on the battery first however just in case. As for the panels, most of them at just simple pull and push back in clips. And remember if you bust a clip don't worry Fits have been out long enough to get those clips at the dealer fairly cheap I think they are a couple bucks each. If you are going to go to this trouble to pull out the seats, you might as well put sound deadening down under your carpet at that time.

I would go with the 10" sub personally, it will give you a bit more in output. And if you are going with a premade box, I would at least try to find a ported premade that will suit the sub, sealed is nice however ported IMO is just better all around. Of course a custom built one would be even better but I understand if you are not able to do that.

Amp wise I would probably go more with the Alpine of the two, but that again is your choice. If you have more questions just post em up!

 

Yea, I realize that a ported enclosure would be higher output, but prefab ported boxes are a risk. Most boxes don't have the port frequency, or port volume, and the volume of the enclosure itself is usually too small. I'll keep looking around. If I find one that matches either the 8 or 10, I guess that will determine which I get.

 

I know bestbuy has some of the nicer prefab ported boxes I have seen in a while. Might not be a bad idea to check them out, you can always research the company who's making them online and get the spec's for the box before buying it.

 

I saw that you want to make your setup easy to pull out - try using Metri pack connectors. GM developed them for quick disconnect purposes, then modularized them and now they are readily available - Or you could go with the Amphenol (Deutch) style disconnects instead. I took a little extra time running things, ran all wires through one of the taillight access covers, with disconnects, and now if I pull my amp / sub for space or appearance reasons, I just tuck my leads into the body cavity, pop in the spare cover I picked up (The one I didn't notch for the wire harness), and the back end looks stock. A fabric cover velcroed over the disconnects cleans the appearance up. Oh yeah, I used one of the "tie down" clips on the floor to mount everything.

 

Thanks for the tips. I'm ok with just having to unscrew a connector if need be for moving my sub.

An update:

For some reason, I never thought of pulling out my sub from my old truck, which is an Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1d, so I'm going to be using this either for now or permanently. What sucks is that it's a 4 ohm dvc, so I'm going to have to either find an amp that can output to 2 ohms bridged, or do some other creative wiring. I guess I'll see what I can dig up, but if you guys think of anything, I'd appreciate suggestions.

 

Question, how long of a power wire and rca's would I need? I've been trying to use string to map out how long, and I'm estimating 17 feet to get to the trunk area (not including crossing the trunk since I'm either going to mount the two amps on the passenger side, or have one on each side).

Update on component list: I'm killing myself over the details of how things will fit. I've found good price on well matched amps to the power ratings of my sub and speakers, bu they don't fit in the areas that I want them to fit (ironic since it's not fitting in the Fit). Anyway, I think I may get these:

Hifonics HFi1000D (HFi 1000D) Class D Monoblock Car Amplifier/Amp
Hifonics HFi100.2 400W RMS, 2-Channel HFi Series Amplifier
JVC Arsenal KD-A815 CD receiver at Crutchfield Signature
WoofersEtc.com - CTX65CS - Image Dynamics 6.5" Component Speaker System

Plus I'll be using my Infinity perfect 10.1 D 10" DVC sub @ 2 ohms

Thoughts?

 

In case someone has input that didn't see my previous question, how long power cable and rcas did you guys use?

 

I think I got 20Ft RCA's just to be safe, nothing wrong with a little longer than you need, but a little shorter and you are hosed. Same with Power wire, I think I bought 22ft just to be safe. But I bought raw cables, not a kit it's cheaper and you can get better quality cables for less. Oh and be wary of those HiFonics amps, I bought one brand new and it was a total piece of trash, very cheaply made and the QA for HF is obviously very bad. Try checking out http://myworld.ebay.com/harmanaudio&...MEFSX:SELLERID that is the JBL page for ebay, they sell new and refurbished gear, that's how I got my 1200watt sub amp for $220.

 

My wife has a HiFonics amp from a couple years ago. Although the outside feels cheap, it's been working for her daily. Regardless of that, I've decided to get different amps. I'm going to get these:

PowerBass ASA400.2x (asa4002x) 800W Max, Auto Sound Series 2-
PowerBass ASA400.1x (asa4001x) 800W Max, Auto Sound Series

I've also made an amp mount,and I took pictures of it, but it's on my phone. I'll upload it later. It's just wood now, but I'll hopefully either cover it with some type of carpet, or at least paint it black.

 

I have the PDX-5 and the Alpine SPR-13C/13S, I removed my spare tire and had the installers put the PDX-5 and the CrossOvers in the Wheel well, check my gallery

Steve