Update - Speakers and amp upgrade questions

[LeeD]

Hi All,

I've finally decided on putting in the Kenwood Excelon component speakers
for the front door and dash along with the Excelon 5 channel amp.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113XP6903C/Kenwood-Excelon-KFC-XP6903C.html
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113X8025/Kenwood-Excelon-X802-5.html

For the rear doors I'll likely go with the Kicker CS series 6x9 speakers or the Kenwood.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_20646CC693/Kicker-46CSC6934.html?l=D
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_1136986PS/Kenwood-KFC-6986PS.html?tp=91

I already have the stock subwoofer enclosure with an upgraded subwoofer (300w 4ohm,Thanks Regal!).

My question is what all will I need to tie it all together to my stock radio? I know I'll need the power cables for the amp and wire harnesses but from all I've learned here I know it isn't going to be plug and play like everything I've done on other vehicles.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Mleads310]

Do you have the basic or alpine system?

 

[LeeD]

It's the standard 6 speaker system in a 2018 Sport CC.

 

[89grand]

Do you generally listen to the audio system alone, or is overall sound for passengers important too? Do you just want it louder and better sounding overall, or is imaging and frequency response more important? These are important question as they will determine some possible other options.

 

[LeeD]

I'd like a better sounding system overall. I do frequently have backseat passengers so I'd like it to sound good to them too which is why I'm upgrading the rear door speakers too.

I've read a lot of your upgrade posts and quite frankly they are above my level of audio knowledge since my first audio upgrade was installing a 8 track player in my new1970 Challenger-LOL

What I'm hoping to do is run from the stock radio to the amp and then back to the original speaker harness. Then run the sub output to the sub.

Thank you for your help!

 

[89grand]

OK, knowing that helps. I'd get these three things:

This t-harness.

https://netaudio.com/product/2013-18-dodge-ram-radio-t-harness-2/

And this Audio Control device:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_161LC6IB/AudioControl-LC6i-Black.html

And this wiring:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H1KAMQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



With the t-harness, it will go between the headunit and factory harness. The speaker leads are disconnected with this harness. From the radio side, connect the front and rear speaker wires to the front and rear inputs of the Audio Control LC6i. From the LC6i, run front and rear and subwoofer RCA's to the inputs of the Amp. The t-harness includes a fused yellow wire and a black ground. This will power the LC6i.

Use the wiring I linked to, to run the speaker outputs from the amp, back to the dash to connect to the t-harness on the speaker wire output side, and use the blue wire to connect to the Audio Control LC1 to provide remote turn on to the amp, so the blue wire will run from the remote turn on of the amp, to the remote output of the LC6i.

This will allow you to use the factory speaker wiring, and retain front to rear fading from the headunit. You can do sub level control from the LC6i.

 

[89grand]

You could probably do this without the LC6i, by using twice as much of the wire as I linked to, running it straight to the amp, and from the amp back to the dash, but you'd lose some benefits of having the LC6i.

 

[canadiankodiak700]

A better choice for aT Harness is this one from access for thier DSP. Cut the DSP plugs off and connect some speed wire/9 wire to the harness and you're all tied in, and this already has the proper load resistors wired in so no extra cost. Then the other plus, it's cheaper than the net audio on also already, without factoring in the added cost for load resistors.

I have this harness for my truck. Works great.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/ite...1DqkbEtucLhk91pwYgRmj0g8olPBSaG4aAk3bEALw_wcB

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[89grand]

If he uses the Audio Control LC2i Pro, which would work in his system, he just wouldn't have front to rear fade ability at the headunit, he wouldn't need load resistors. Several things I like about the Net Audio harness is it's very straight forward. The speaker wires are already separated, for input and outputs, and are nice and long if needed, and it has a fused power lead for the LC2i Pro. Only the wires needed are separated.

The other harness from Axxess looks like it would work, but I don't see it as a better option. A little cheaper, but not really "better".

 

[LeeD]

Thanks guys!
That's just the information I need!

 

[canadiankodiak700]

If he uses the Audio Control LC2i Pro, which would work in his system, he just wouldn't have front to rear fade ability at the headunit, he wouldn't need load resistors. Several things I like about the Net Audio harness is it's very straight forward. The speaker wires are already separated, for input and outputs, and are nice and long if needed, and it has a fused power lead for the LC2i Pro. Only the wires needed are separated.

The other harness from Axxess looks like it would work, but I don't see it as a better option. A little cheaper, but not really "better".

The speaker wires on the access harness are separated also. It's just as straight forward as you can get. Nothing complicated here at all.
I love the audio control products, but I wouldn't use a 2ch option, just due to losing fade control. But you are right, it would work fine. Resistors in it are hit and miss with some vehicles, which is why they offer the AC LGD line up.

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[89grand]

The speaker wires on the access harness are separated also. It's just as straight forward as you can get. Nothing complicated here at all.
I love the audio control products, but I wouldn't use a 2ch option, just due to losing fade control. But you are right, it would work fine. Resistors in it are hit and miss with some vehicles, which is why they offer the AC LGD line up.

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In my install the Net Audio t-harness and AC LC2i Pro worked great, but obviously not installs are exactly like mine which I understand.

I'd be able to figure out the Axxess t-harness easily, but audio is a hobby of mine. The OP is not like that. I'm not calling him dumb by any means, just that audio isn't a hobby of his or so I take it from his post. I think the Net Audio harness is slightly easier to use. Nothing to cut off, color coded per aftermarket standard, and specifically designed to use a LOC like the AC LC2i Pro, and only slightly more expensive.

He will or has read our posts, and will make his own decision based off of our discussion.

I am using the LC2i Pro, and have not had an instance where it didn't work as stated. Just providing real world experience.

 

[canadiankodiak700]

In my install the Net Audio t-harness and AC LC2i Pro worked great, but obviously not installs are exactly like mine which I understand.

I'd be able to figure out the Axxess t-harness easily, but audio is a hobby of mine. The OP is not like that. I'm not calling him dumb by any means, just that audio isn't a hobby of his or so I take it from his post. I think the Net Audio harness is slightly easier to use. Nothing to cut off, color coded per aftermarket standard, and specifically designed to use a LOC like the AC LC2i Pro, and only slightly more expensive.

He will or has read our posts, and will make his own decision based off of our discussion.

I am using the LC2i Pro, and have not had an instance where it didn't work as stated. Just providing real world experience.

The access harness has an absolutely simplified instruction page with it wires are all color coded aftermarket same as the net audio is designed to use with a DSP the only thing you have to cut off are the two little plugs that would normally plug into a DSP leaving you with Fair wires that you connect to some speed wire to wire up to anything it would be the same thing as the nap audio you would just cut the end of the wire off and strip them back to be able to use those with any LLC amp whatever you wish same as the access harness really the two of them are pretty much identical other than the fact that the access already has load resistors built in and they are fairly heavy resistors so I haven't seen any instances of them not working. The LC 2i pro usually works but I have seen a few instances where they don't work with some head units an audio control has obviously addressed that with their resistor packs but most of the time you shouldn't need them the audio control products work really well

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[89grand]

I might be able to give him a good deal on my slightly used LC2i Pro and t-harness in the very near future.

 

[canadiankodiak700]

I might be able to give him a good deal on my slightly used LC2i Pro and t-harness in the very near future.

LOL sounds like you're planning to do the same thing as me . Hello aftermarket head unit

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[89grand]

LOL sounds like you're planning to do the same thing as me . Hello aftermarket head unit

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Yeah. The headunit has bass limited frequency response. It has to, because my 12" JL Audio sub sounds like an 8" in too small a box, and even the Epicenter or Accubass can't help it too much.

It sounds good minus the ****** bass response, which means as a whole it doesn't sound good.

 

[rotwiler]

Amp pro ch41 solved that issue, is the amps dsp that limits bass. I went through 3 locs, pac loc, lc2i and ax dsp( ax dsp sounded great, but software sucked and locked me out of the oem alpine amp, so no volume control). Customer service sucked, called, emailed over 6 months and no help. Soon as the amp pro went in, bass was great, no rolloff, gives full range clean flat signal off the 8.4 hu with 5v outs for sub and adding full range amps if you want. Before with the lc2i bass sucked, sound would change at times or bass hit hard then be quiet. Sounded so good after, I added a soundQubed 1600 watt rms amp @ 1 ohm and 2 infinity kappa 1200ws in a sealed fiberglass dual 12 box. The amp pro you can get a Toslink for a dsp also. I think now they have a aph-ch01 speaker harness so you can install a amp for interior speakers, bypasses the factory amp and lets you use factory speaker wiring, so off the amp pro you run rca to full range amp, run wires to the harness, so no need to run new wires if you stay around 50 watts rms each speaker. I haven't looked into it much, but looks like that what it does. I may buy one to try since I have a few amps not being used.

 

[regal81455]

Morning Lee! These guys are giving you great advice. Only thing I'd change is the wire that was suggested. Buy this stuff instead - $4 cheaper and 2x the amount of wire. It's what I used and worked great. No need to buy metra brand and over pay.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QU1JIE2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[89grand]

Amp pro ch41 solved that issue, is the amps dsp that limits bass. I went through 3 locs, pac loc, lc2i and ax dsp( ax dsp sounded great, but software sucked and locked me out of the oem alpine amp, so no volume control). Customer service sucked, called, emailed over 6 months and no help. Soon as the amp pro went in, bass was great, no rolloff, gives full range clean flat signal off the 8.4 hu with 5v outs for sub and adding full range amps if you want. Before with the lc2i bass sucked, sound would change at times or bass hit hard then be quiet. Sounded so good after, I added a soundQubed 1600 watt rms amp @ 1 ohm and 2 infinity kappa 1200ws in a sealed fiberglass dual 12 box. The amp pro you can get a Toslink for a dsp also. I think now they have a aph-ch01 speaker harness so you can install a amp for interior speakers, bypasses the factory amp and lets you use factory speaker wiring, so off the amp pro you run rca to full range amp, run wires to the harness, so no need to run new wires if you stay around 50 watts rms each speaker. I haven't looked into it much, but looks like that what it does. I may buy one to try since I have a few amps not being used.

I don't have the Alpine system, but I think the lowest bass is simply removed with the factory base 6 speaker headunit so people didn't destroy the factory 6x9's, but left enough bass to fool people. It seems to be internal in the headunit, like it has a highpass crossover to remove something like 20-40hz or so. I wish I had a RTA so I could see the actual response coming out of the radio.

 

[89grand]

Morning Lee! These guys are giving you great advice. Only thing I'd change is the wire that was suggested. Buy this stuff instead - $4 cheaper and 2x the amount of wire. It's what I used and worked great. No need to buy metra brand and over pay.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QU1JIE2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah, wire is wire. I just linked to something that would work, but this is cheaper and does the same thing.