Amp Location

[Divemaster191307]

divemaster- sorry your thread got hijacked bro.

No harm, it's a healthy discussion. I'm getting good info...

... i was in the same boat as you with my 3rd gen w/ third row. what i ended up doing for my old 4-ch amp was mounting it under the driver side 2nd row seat. Im not sure how close in design my 3rd gen is to your 4th gen but most everything seems pretty close.

I think the design must be different: there is no way I can fit something 11"x10"x2.5" under that seat... It looks like my best bet at this point is going to be the 2nd row passenger side. With the 60/40 split, there is more room there. That just means I'll loose the ability to fold that seat into cargo mode.

... and you said you dont have aux climate, have you checked behind your rear, left panel yet. ive seen several 3d gen guys with amps hidden behind that panel.

I'm hoping I can squeeze a sub amp in there, when I get to that part of the upgrade (baby steps, baby steps!)...

anyways just make sure to spend the money and get a quality set of speakers, cuz thats what really makes the biggest difference. hope i helped a little.

I've got a set of Infinity 6820cs for the doors. I hope that's an improvement over the current OEM stuff...

 

[Divemaster191307]

jad2411, great pics! Saves me from tearing down that whole side (for now). Do you know roughly how big that amp is?

 

[deernet]

I think what Deernet is saying is this:
CDA-105 is 18W x 4 RMS (50W x 4 PEAK, which is in essence a useless marketing claim anyway)
KTP-445 is 45Wx4 RMS (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTP445/Alpine-KTP-445-Power-Pack.html?search=KTP-445&ssi=0&tp=115)

In any case, it is not really an option at this point anyway, since I'm not yet ready to consider replacing the HU. It would blow my budget...

Exactly. Also, sorry for hijacking your thread, I'm guessing that was mostly my fault. I think jad2411's amp install is pretty stealth. After seeing that I may try doing something like that myself with the passenger rear side panel on my sport. It'd definitely be better than having the amp sitting out on the floor of the cargo area.

 

[jad2411]

Here you go:

16-1/2 * 11-1/8 * 2-1/16

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-pVclu6...ch=p450.4&ssi=0&tp=115&tab=features_and_specs

 

[Divemaster191307]

Here you go:

16-1/2 * 11-1/8 * 2-1/16

Hmm... Other than maybe the depth, I could get an Alpine PDX5 in there, if I remove the OEM sub and amp. I could then use the JL Audio StealthBox sub enclosure for the opposite side for a real sub and still retain the OEM look and the "cargo" mode for the 2nd row. That's starting to look like a good option. It is only 75W RMS and a Class D, but it's only 10-3/16"W x 2-1/2"H x 8-3/8"D...

Then again a JL Audio HD900/5 is only 10-3/4"W x 1-15/16"H x 8-5/16"D with 100W RMS, which will accept speaker-level input... Sorry guys, I'm thinking out loud

 

[deernet]

I think you could get something more powerful than the stealthbox, and just as "stealth" for alot less money. That is if your paying anything close to retail ($649.95). You could make a box to fit into that side panel, or I'm sure find a local stereo shop that would do it for you.

Here's the link for the stealthbox from JBL's site, that's where I got the price:
http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/part_number=94302/1451.0.1.1

 

[Divemaster191307]

I think you could get something more powerful than the stealthbox, and just as "stealth" for alot less money.

Yes, it is rather expensive, even if the sub itself is around $240... But that got me thinking. The storage box on the driver side is about 4" deep:

I could get the HD900/5 in there, by cutting out that pocket and making a custom grill (which was also take care of airflow). Then I could upgrade the existing sub in its existing location and remove the OEM sub amp altogether...

I assume I won't run into problems running speaker wires (appropriate size) all the way back to the front?

 

[deernet]

I assume I won't run into problems running speaker wires (appropriate size) all the way back to the front?

You shouldn't. If you have a stock HU, then you'll need a line converter to switch over to RCA to go to your amp. Just put it under the dash and run the RCA's back.

 

[Divemaster191307]

You shouldn't. If you have a stock HU, then you'll need a line converter to switch over to RCA to go to your amp. Just put it under the dash and run the RCA's back.

Cool. Thanks.