full review, writeup, and installation steps: ctr subs, amp, center channel, and door speakers

[ctrmofo]

Sweet, thanks. I have the fleece tape so I'll just use that. Hoping to finish tonight.

i ordered 5 rolls of the tesa tape from amazon at 25 meters each roll! i use tons of it cuz i keep going back to remove and retape from all the wiring and rewiring for evals and reviews work.

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[preeble]

Thanks for insight. I am leaning toward a two-stage approach - first replacing the sub only with the RF sub - it is dual coils @ 4 so I can wire down to 2.

Knowing that this will likely not little impact, I will look to add an amp - perhaps one of the ones you cited above. I'm doing this in phases as this stuff is new to me so I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

Any thoughts/opinions on the RF sub - it's the one that has been mentioned elsewhere in this forum.

 

[ctrmofo]

Thanks for insight. I am leaning toward a two-stage approach - first replacing the sub only with the RF sub - it is dual coils @ 4 so I can wire down to 2.

Knowing that this will likely not little impact, I will look to add an amp - perhaps one of the ones you cited above. I'm doing this in phases as this stuff is new to me so I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

Any thoughts/opinions on the RF sub - it's the one that has been mentioned elsewhere in this forum.

yes stepping stones is good on the wallet too. doing so much at one time like me takes a lot of time and work!

one of the low profile rf sub was on my list (can't remember which) but decided not to go rf sub since they're more known for their amps than subs to be honest. kicker is more known for subs vs. rf so went kicker.

make sure the mount depth on any low profile sub you choose is no more than 3-5/8" to be exact, and you'll be fine with your stage 1.

 

[Muggsy]

Thanks for insight. I am leaning toward a two-stage approach - first replacing the sub only with the RF sub - it is dual coils @ 4 so I can wire down to 2.

Knowing that this will likely not little impact, I will look to add an amp - perhaps one of the ones you cited above. I'm doing this in phases as this stuff is new to me so I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

Any thoughts/opinions on the RF sub - it's the one that has been mentioned elsewhere in this forum.

I took the same approach, doing it in phases, both to save money and to avoid getting in over my head. I love learning how to do stuff like this that I haven't done before. Swapping out speakers (if they fit in the stock enclosure) is easy, but adding an amp ups the complexity. That said, it's still easy if you follow the pictures and take your time. Except for feeding the power cable through the hood release grommet, that was a pain in the ass.

As for the specific components, I went with the Pioneer 8" sub that's a drop-in replacement for the OEM sub, plus the RF T500X1br amp. Found a lightly used amp on ebay, and got the whole setup (sub, amp, RF wiring kit and punch control) for $360. Hoping to finish up tonight....

 

[ctrmofo]

Thanks for insight. I am leaning toward a two-stage approach - first replacing the sub only with the RF sub - it is dual coils @ 4 so I can wire down to 2.

Knowing that this will likely not little impact, I will look to add an amp - perhaps one of the ones you cited above. I'm doing this in phases as this stuff is new to me so I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

Any thoughts/opinions on the RF sub - it's the one that has been mentioned elsewhere in this forum.

PS - Pioneer is straight fit with 8 holes and screws to stock holes. Kicker does NOT fit with stock 8 holes but must drill new holes for it to sit properly. Reason being the hole radius of the Kicker is smaller than stock hole radius.

The Alpine is also a straight for the 8 holes but my kit uses a 1” spacer ring so the ring installs into stock 8 holes and screws first then the sub installs to the ring on top.

 

[Muggsy]

Finished the install last night and need to do the amp tuning. @ctrmofo, where did you set the crossover on the RF amp when you had the Pioneer sub?

 

[ctrmofo]

Finished the install last night and need to do the amp tuning. @ctrmofo, where did you set the crossover on the RF amp when you had the Pioneer sub?

At 80 Hz was where I liked it most.

 

[Muggsy]

At 80 Hz was where I liked it most.

Thanks. That's actually where I have mine set, just wanted to double check. Did the tuning this morning and enjoyed the extra bass on my way to work. The RF amp and better sub really tightened everything up, sounds much more musical with better balance top to bottom. Didn't crank it up 'cause it was before 7 am, but I will definitely do so on my Friday afternoon commute home. First impressions are very positive.

For those who haven't upgraded anything yet but are looking to do so, I'd do the center dash speaker first because it's a nice upgrade for 15 minutes work. The sub/amp combo is costlier and will take at least several hours of your time, but well worth the investment since most of my music listening these days is on the road.

 

[ctrmofo]

Thanks. That's actually where I have mine set, just wanted to double check. Did the tuning this morning and enjoyed the extra bass on my way to work. The RF amp and better sub really tightened everything up, sounds much more musical with better balance top to bottom. Didn't crank it up 'cause it was before 7 am, but I will definitely do so on my Friday afternoon commute home. First impressions are very positive.

For those who haven't upgraded anything yet but are looking to do so, I'd do the center dash speaker first because it's a nice upgrade for 15 minutes work. The sub/amp combo is costlier and will take at least several hours of your time, but well worth the investment since most of my music listening these days is on the road.

Nice job!

Note that at a certain high volume the cone/cover of the Pioneer sub will hit the back of the stock grill. You’ll hear a loud rattle. It means you’re playing loud and cone extension beyond clearance behind the grill...ala my custom design grill and where I got the inspiration originally.

It only happens with the Pioneer because they put a flat cover on the cone so looks like a flat cone. It does NOT happen with Kicker because the cone is concave.

 

[ctrmofo]

I posted this in my FK8 CTR Product Reviews Group but reposting here for folks to see as well. Lots of questions and messages about what is the best approach, so hope this helps by bringing all of the research work into one place...

——-

REFERENCE - Complete Recommendations for Audio System Upgrades and General Guide

——-
We’ve done a lot of testing and have virtually upgraded all of our speakers in the champ white car...learning a lot along the way. Below are our recommendations if you want to pursue a phased in approach to upgrading your own audio system - focused on very good improvements without too much investments and complexities while allowing you to enjoy the audio system a lot more than stock design. Of course tackling everything at one time will require a lot of time and patience not to mention proper planning to avoid pitfalls. Also, if you want to go all out and have a total custom system built, that is beyond the scope of what we do and recommend here.

Many questions have come in asking for a guide. Please take our recommendations as a general guide and decide on your own which speakers, amps, subs, and general materials to use. You may also choose to combine steps for your own circumstances (i.e., front door tweeters + 6.5” speakers at the same time). The post link for each step are copied here for your quick access.

STEP 1 - Upgrade center/dash speaker, ~$50

This is the 1st step we highly recommend, takes 15 mins and biggest bang for the buck results you’ll see immediately due to the new speaker’s coaxial/2-way design. Pair up with another owner to split the cost since all parts are sold in pair.



STEP 2* - Upgrade sub and add optional sub amp, $250+

Upgrade the stock sub with a low profile/mounting depth sub such as Pioneer or Kicker using the stock amp to drive it. This will result in about 25% improvement in bass. Additionally, you may want to add an external mono amp to power the new sub for real results. Since this is very limited to 8” sub options, see footnote (*) for alternative option coming.



STEP 3 - Upgrade front door tweeters, ~$100+

Next is to get more clarity for the high musical notes since the stock door tweeters are rather muted.



STEP 4 - Upgrade front door 6.5” speakers, ~$150+

Once you’ve done the front door tweeters, it’s a good idea to upgrade the 6.5” speakers to coaxial/2-way ones for much more solid mids and mid-bass sounds.



STEP 5 - Upgrade rear door tweeters and 6.5” speakers, ~$250+

This is the same process as doing the front doors. Please combine and follow steps 3 and 4 above. As we’ve documented and once all 4 doors are upgraded, the stock HU and amp will adjust itself and attenuate/cut the signal to the sub dramatically. See step 6.

(Post links same as steps 3 and 4.)

STEP 6 - Add signal correction for the sub signal, ~$70

After step 5 above, you’ll need the AudioControl LC2i line out converter (LOC) which will bring back the sub signal to properly power your sub. You may choose to do this step anyway when doing step 2 above to ensure having a clean sub signal to start with.



* ALTERNATIVE STEP 2 SOLUTION - Palindrome Labs deeper sub grill kit, ~$$$ TBD

This is the solution we had posted the prototype for which will enable deeper 8” subs to be mounted in the stock sub enclosure - opening up many more choices of 8” subs (i.e., Alpine, JL Audio, Focal, Skar/SunDown/CT Sounds, etc.), retain close to stock and stealth look, and not add any weight or complexities of having a big custom sub box designed and built. Availability of the Palindrome Labs deeper sub grill kit TBD in the next couple of week.



Hope all the above helps and enjoy!

 

[Muggsy]

Nice job!

Note that at a certain high volume the cone/cover of the Pioneer sub will hit the back of the stock grill. You’ll hear a loud rattle. It means you’re playing loud and cone extension beyond clearance behind the grill...ala my custom design grill and where I got the inspiration originally.

It only happens with the Pioneer because they put a flat cover on the cone so looks like a flat cone. It does NOT happen with Kicker because the cone is concave.

Didn’t you say that you removed the inside plastic layer of the stock grill to deal with this? I assume you mean the concentric plastic rings, but I couldn’t see an obvious way to remove them. I haven’t had the rattle yet but if there’s an easy fix I’ll do it.

Here are some lousy pics of my finished installation.

 

[ctrmofo]

I've decided to make my "Deeper Sub Grill Kit" available on a limited basis. Here's the announcement. Pre-order starts Oct. 6th and first shipment to go out week of Oct. 15th. List being captured and date/time stamped via comments/replies on FB.

This is just a hobby and all made by me. 50 units to be available at pre-ordering pricing and 250 units total to be made. Great solution without having to build heavy custom sub boxes yet keep as close to stock/stealth look as possible.

Excerpt of announcement...

SOLUTION OFFERED: We’re introducing a deeper sub grill kit which will come with the following components and options to be made available. Kit includes:

• - Custom handmade 1” thick MDF grill frame finished in black flock/fleece
• - Custom handmade black aluminum mesh sub grill
• - Custom handmade 8” x 1” thick MDF black spacer with dual sided sealant tape
• - All required mounting hardware and screws
• - Optional: 1) Choice of red, white, or blue LED accent/glow light kit, and 2) red lighted on/off switch for trunk light
• - Optional: Made to order for additional cost to accommodate subs requiring 5” to 5-1/2” mounting depth (i.e, Skar/Sundown/CT Sounds)

 

[tdsounds]

Put me on the list!

 

[ctrmofo]

Put me on the list!

will do...you're #26 of 50 now.

 

[ctrmofo]

about less than 10 left of 50...interesting response!

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