4 12s Behind the seat in a RCSB

[Cardsin2005]

I just finished my system so I figured it is time to share. My old truck was wrecked last summer and the subs and 4 channel amp from that setup

were saved and put in my new truck. Everything else is new except for the EQ and Crossover, I purchased them used form a local seller.

Here is the run down:

Pioneer AVH-4000NEX

Kenwood EXcelon XR-4 (3in Dash Drivers and Tweeters)
Powerbass ACA-480 (6.5in Mid bass drivers in doors)
CT Sounds 1400.1 (4 12in subs behind seat)

JBL GTE-422 (22/11 Band Equalizer)
JBL GTX 47 (7 Channel active crossover)

Dayton Audio AMT Mini-8 Air Motion Transformer Tweeter
Dayton Audio RS75-4 3" Reference Full-Range Driver
Rockford Fosgate Punch Pro 6.5" 4-Ohm Midrange
Kenwood KFC-W3012

My goal for this install was to build a very clean looking SQ system that would fit 4 12s in a regular cab truck without doing a blow through. I

knew I wanted to run a 3 way active setup from the start so finding room for all the amps was the first step.





Here we are running the power wires and RCAs. There is (1) 0 gauge power wire from the battery to the sub amp and (1) 4 gauge power wire to power

the front stage amps.









Under the hood I have 2 fuse holders. One 0 gauge and one 4 gauge. I wanted it to look stock so all wires are loomed and wrapped in black

electrical tape.









That is the factory battery bracket. The stud was pressed out and a longer bolt was put in it's place so we could get the ring terminals on it. I

like to keep it nice and factory looking.





The front stage is powered by a 4ch Kenwood - KAC-X4R and a 2ch Powerbass ACA-480. Luckily there is a lot of room under the seats in this truck so

I was able to fit the amps in with little effort.

Next came the front stage. For the low end I used Rockford Fosgate Punch Pro 6.5" 4-Ohm Midrange Drivers in the doors. Some how I forgot to take

pictures of that install.


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In the factory location for the 3in drivers I used Dayton Audio RS75-4 3" Reference Full-Range Driver




I wanted some better power handling and punch out of the 3in drivers so I 3D printed some enclosures for them that drop right in to the factory

location. I added some polyfill in the pod with them and they sound unbelievable for $22 drivers.

















For the tweeters I wanted to try something a bit different. So I went for Dayton Audio AMT Mini-8 Air Motion Transformer Tweeter. I can not say

enough about the amazing quality of these tiny tweeters. They are way louder then they need to be, this allows me to have a lot of headroom. These

tweeters are so smooth, there is no sibilance at all. They sound very natural and can be as sharp as you want them to be. Since they play up to

40,000hz they add one more layer to the sound. I know humans can't hear that high but the sparkle they add is amazing.

 

[Cardsin2005]

For the sub box I wanted to be able to have my seat stay in my normal driving position. This proved not to be a problem at all as there is plenty of space back there.









It is one large chamber that the 4 subs share. The area under the amp racks is open airspace that the subs still use.



First test fit looks good.



Using an active crossover and a 4ch EQ adds a lot of RCA cables.



7ch Crossover. Bi-amping provides amazing results. The power out put of each driver is increased because the power is not being split through a passive crossover. The Active crossover is outputting only the audio to be played by each driver individually, so the amp is only amplifying the audio that is actually going to the driver. The downside is you need more equipment. For this reason I have 6 different channels for the front stage and one for the subs. Definitely worth it.


22 Band EQ



Ct Sounds 1400.1



Test fit trim panel



BAM It's Done!!



The vinyl I used on the trim panel is a perfect match for the factory texture and color. I just took the seat bolt cover from the drivers seat to Hancock Fabric and this is what they had.



I am also really happy how the trim panel fits. It was molded to the side panels with fiber reenforced body filler.







I am also happy that the seat belt is not hindered either.



As you can see there is a gasket on the back of the trim panel where it meets the back window. This is the factory gasket from the carpeted panel that was on the back wall of the cab. I just pulled two staples and it comes right off. The 1/4 in MDF used for the trim panel was just the perfect thickness for the gasket to fit on with no staples.



The head unit looks great in this truck. It is a good compliment to the interior of the Black Edition Ram. I used the Metra dash kit 95-6518B. It is a high quality kit with a nice matte plastic texture that matches the dash bezel nicely.

So that is pretty much it. All of the goals I set were achieved. Nice clean looking SQ install that sounds absolutely amazing. There is still a lot of tuning to do. I will have to get out my RTA and get everything flat.

 

[DavidRam]

Wow dude! Awesome build!!!

 

[012RAMbo]

^^What he said! That is an awesome build man!

 

[bobbo7915]

want to mass produce some of those 3D printed enclosures??

 

[Etroze86]

Nice work, I like the 3D printed pods. Do you have a CNC or just a damn good set of power tools?

 

[Dubstep Shep]

That's awesome.

Did you remove the rear speakers I imagine?

 

[woojyee]

want to mass produce some of those 3D printed enclosures??

I second that, I wouldn't mind a pair of those for my dash speakers!

 

[Cardsin2005]

want to mass produce some of those 3D printed enclosures??

I second that, I wouldn't mind a pair of those for my dash speakers!

Sure I could make some if you guys are interested. What sounds like a fair price? I will upload some 3D rendered images so you guys can see how the interior of the pods look.

Nice work, I like the 3D printed pods. Do you have a CNC or just a damn good set of power tools?

No. I wish I had a CNC mill. The box and trim panel were built buy myself and 2 friends. One of my friends has been installing and building show vehicles for the last 20 years.

That's awesome.

Did you remove the rear speakers I imagine?

I did remove the rear speakers. In such a small cab I didn't want rear fill sound to muddy up the front stage. The stock GSP module that was mounted to the back wall was relocated to the driver side rear speaker location to clean up the back wall so the sub box would sit flat.

 

[loner5777j]

I definitely would buy some of those dash enclosures too, I have a set of Hertz 3 ways , hsk163 and want to mount the midrange in the dash too

 

[VegasDragger45]

Man that looks amazing, How do you like the output of the CT-Sounds amp? Where did you mount the bass knob?

 

[bobbo7915]

no idea what those printed pods should cost....how much is the material worth that the printer uses? PM if you want and we can figure something out. just think thats an awesome use for a 3D printer

 

[troutspinner]

Nice work! 4 12's! Insane! I hope you don't have any fillings.

Really nice job on that vinyl and I like those pods you printed. I was thinking of doing something similar with the pods but either using PVC or liquid plastic to create a mold or maybe a combination of both. I like those Daytons you have in there but their sensitivity rating has me perplexed....for the price though, worth a try I suppose.

 

[lilzilla2008]

Man that looks good, bet it does sound damn good also. Im just shooting for 2 12's I believe, might do 1 in an aero ported box but I think 2 would compliment the single cab very well.

 

[Boulevardvette]

Damn nice install!!

 

[Dubstep Shep]

I'm also down for a set of the pods.

 

[Cardsin2005]

Thanks for all the compliments guys. Car audio has always been a labor of love for me.

Man that looks amazing, How do you like the output of the CT-Sounds amp? Where did you mount the bass knob?

I love the amp so far. It puts out way more power then the subs are rated for, but having tested that there is zero distortion at full volume with a SMD Distortion Detector I can over power them safely. I have not mounted the bass knob yet. I was thinking about molding it into my dash but I might mount it inside my pull out drawer below my HVAC controls. Once I get it in I'll throw up a post and a pic.

Nice work! 4 12's! Insane! I hope you don't have any fillings.

Really nice job on that vinyl and I like those pods you printed. I was thinking of doing something similar with the pods but either using PVC or liquid plastic to create a mold or maybe a combination of both. I like those Daytons you have in there but their sensitivity rating has me perplexed....for the price though, worth a try I suppose.

I love big sound systems. My friend has a Grand Prix with 6 Sundown SA 12s in a wall behind the front seat, but his car is all about loud but clean. The front stage has 2 sets of 6.5in components. 3 batteries and a Sundown 4500 watt RMS amplifier.

As for the Dayton Tweeters you won't be disappointed. They are so smooth. What about the sensitivity rating look strange to you?

Man that looks good, bet it does sound damn good also. Im just shooting for 2 12's I believe, might do 1 in an aero ported box but I think 2 would compliment the single cab very well.

You can't go wrong either way. I like the sound of a sealed box myself because of the punch you get. If you want something with better low end response then go for a ported box. Ported boxes can be tricky too if the box and port length and area are not designed for the woofer you choose. 2 subs will also give you more flexibility with wiring options and ohm loads.

I'm also down for a set of the pods.

I have gotten quite a response about my 3D printed pods. I would not mind selling them to you guys. First issue is that the pods I have designed only fit the Dayton 3in drivers. When I was drawing them up I noticed that the Daytons are much smaller then an average 3 in. speaker. They are closer to a 2.75 in driver. I can design some that would work with a more stranded sized dash speaker and offer both. I would need time to draw them up and test fit them in my dash. Either way I could get this done. What kind of speakers is everyone running? If I can find a common ground then I can try and make it a one size fits all.

Here are some pictures of the pods in pre production. Tell me what you guys think.

 

[troutspinner]

As for the Dayton Tweeters you won't be disappointed. They are so smooth. What about the sensitivity rating look strange to you?

Not strange but my Scans and Focals are around 89 & 91 respectively so throwing a mid at 83 isn't as efficient. I'll just have to tinker with gains a little harder because I already placed the order for the Daytons.

I've been looking at them for months, the reviews are very good but now that I have seen a Ram install I know how they will fit which was what was holding me back.

I already have the adapter as I made some up for tweeters that have since been moved to the sails but I think I'll try a PVC enclosure beneath it with some poly as well. Thanks for inspiring me!

 

[Power247]

Insane build man! Well done!

 

[weeseven]

Awesome build [emoji122]


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