I've got a Sony CDX-M610 Deck, 2 American Audio 10 inch subs in one box, and 2 200 watt amps, one Pioneer and another one which i can't remember the name from, And i'm interested in installing it it my 2000 ford focus ZX3.
My questions are as follows:
Is the wiring that comes w/ the stereo directly compatible to the stuff behind my stock stereo?(haven't pulled it out just yet, plans for this weekend)
Will this deck blow out my stock speakers I have in?
Should I spend the money and get a professional installation and new Speakers?
What wiring do I need? (i've got a bunch of big monster cable speaker wiring from when we did our basement theatre)
Anything important i've got to watch out for when doing this? Any surprises I may encounter?
How the heck do I get the stock radio out of the dash? i've got a kit to fit around the radio, because it wont' fit in the dash right now, but do i have to pull the whole dash apart, or just the radio?
My budget is about $400.00 and I've also got all sorts of other goodies(subs, couple extra boxed 6X9's ect.) that i could sell for some more cash if need be.
Thanks in advance, just want to make sure i'm not going to screw anything up!
Alex
Replies (6)
uochronos on 05/7/2004 00:39:06
to awnser the first questions is the stereo compatible with stock wires. what you well need ehre is a 12$ piece from an auto parts or stereo store that well plug into your stock harness then wire into your aftermarket hu with ease.
second question well after market HU blow stock speaker. stock speakers are very cheap paper cone speakers and are easy to blow. so chances are eventualy you well blow them but not nessicarily at first. most stock HU's put out 10-15watts rms per speaker and most after markets put out 20-30wattss rms.
as for needing proffesional instal we can most likly walk you threw it if your patient and are willing to save the money.
your monster cable well work but if its larger cable you can buy some smaller stuff 16gauge-20gauge for door speaker is what i use and thats a bit large for un amped speakers.
as for new speakers i would definalty suggest new speaker if you want better sound this well make a huge differnce we can most likly find you a good set of speakers for front and rear for around 50-80$ a pair for middle quality and 80-200$ a pair for high end stuff. we have alot fo guys hear that love to shop and find deals on good equipment:)
as for as removing the head unit(radio) it requires a special tool to remove any stock for radio and you can purchase one if you call napa or autozone and find one that sells them. usualy most newer fords dont require whole dash removal but i'm unfamilar with yours
ttocs and kittle can give you more install info and what to expect since they are both are resident professional installers.
hope i have shed some light for you and welcome to CK we are happy to have you in are forum.
-Chronos
cplkittle on 05/7/2004 00:52:33
sounds like you have a busy weekend ahead of you..
No, the Sony will not damage your factory speakers at normal to loud volumes.. if you turn it all the way up it will.
Let's start with the dash.. If they are like most, and I can't remember in this case your model in particular.. the trim around the entire center console should pop off fairly easy. find the seam where it meets the rest of the dash and gently pull it off. Now you need a pair of Ford factory radio keys.. these are U shaped pieces of wire that fit into the 4 holes in the factory radio ( available at most part stores) insert these gently until you hear and feel a 'click'. Push them away from each other and the radio should pop right out. Now you need an aftermarket wiring harness for your vehicle. This wiring harness plugs directly into the factory harness, and you simply match the wire color to the radio harness that comes with the new radio. Please use wire crimps and crimp caps or butt splices.. if you use the twist and tape method, you are asking for problems.
Moving on... USE RCAs coming out of the back of the stereo to the amplifiers.. I am pretty sure this vehicle has a factory amplifier. This will not affect anything except the subs, and it will only affect the subs if you tap in to the speaker wires to provide input for your amplifier. Use the RCAs instead.
I do not recommend two different types of amplifiers. you will notice that one is either faster or more powerful than the other reguardless of how many watts they claim to be.
For 400watts Use 8gauge power wire directly from the battery with a 30-40 amp inline fuse as close to the battery as possible. Ground to the trunk or use a seatbelt bolt in the back. Try to keep ground wires under 3' in length. Do not run RCA wires next to the power wire, you will pick up feedback and your speakers will hum in tune to the engine's RPM.
What you need to buy:
Factory radio keys
wiring harness (vehicle specific)
crimp caps & crimper tool
Suggested:
Amplifier wiring kit (contains power wire, ground wire, RCA, remote wire, wire ends, fuses, inline fuse holder and wire loom)
You can probably get this professionally installed for around $100-$125 if you decide to go that route. Or we will help you with it step by step.
cplkittle on 05/7/2004 00:55:56
sorry about that.. chronos..
we were typing at the same time I guess
Alex on 05/8/2004 00:01:26
Alrighty, I've been thinkin about it, and here's what i'm gonna do.
I'm gonna go to Napa tommarow to get the Radio key thing and the Wiring kit, and i'll go to the audio shop half hour away and get:
Amp wiring kit, 4 new speakers, probably X-Plod's or maybe RF's of some kind, not 100% yet on that part, I'm going to get enough RCA cable to get back to the amps(if it isn't included w/ the wiring kit that is).
I also need to pick up the replacement remote for this deck, i seem to have misplaced mine.... Also i have a couple of questions again:
What is the difference between max continuous music power and max peak power, and which do i have to worry about? I ask this because i have a box w/ 2 American Pro WS-9410 10" Subs, and i want to hook up either a 400W (200X2) to them, so they've each got 200W of power, the subs say max continous music power 200W, but max peak power 450W, so does that mean i can get say a 600W amp and do 300X2 indstead, without worrying about blowing out my subs?
Thank you folks SOOO much for all your help, i'm tryin to get this system in before the school year's out, and all the help i've already gotten is GREATLY apreciated! Thanks again!
Alex
uochronos on 05/8/2004 02:48:11
i would not suggest sony speakers as far as companies go sony is would be ok if they cost half what they do for the price they are not a good buy for what you get. RF, phoenix gold, alpine, and pioneer to name a few make some good speakers fior what they cost. i would suggest alpine type S they impress me and a few other here and are about what the sony xplods would cost you.
ok RMS(continous power) and max power. first off bassicaly throw out the max power number it is bassicaly made up alot of the time no company comes up with this number the same way it is basicaly what the amp could put out in a extreme situation for a few second and the max power on a speaker is whatt he speaker could take for a few seconds before blowing. over powering a speaker by around 50 watts should not hurt them in a sub situation.
100watts over powering a sub as long as its in a sealed box and you are watching it carefully to not overe poweer it well be ok. in reality under powering a speaker can cuase it much more damage then a little over.
sdo basicaly if your subs are 200watts RMS(continous power) and you power them with 300watts rms to each speaker they well be ok in a sealed box just keep the gain at correct setting and dont turn the bass boost way up. if you go with a 600watts amp may i suggest the JBL 600.1 power valve series amp. on ebay they go for around 220$ very good deal for a amp that well put out \600watts rms very no frills amp but its easy to use and works great i bought one myself and am very pleased with it.
hope this helps you out. i noticed though you said you where in a hurry to get done before schol is out i just suggest your not in such a hurry you dont take your time. most my mistake i ahve made in the past and i would assume most other here would agree come from going to quick and taking short cuts... alls this well accomlish is haveing to do things over which in the long run just takes more time.
good luck.
chronos
swez on 05/8/2004 13:31:57
So far, so good on the advice you have already. Yes, resist the temptation to rush the job as many mistakes lead to lots of troubleshooting problems later.
As or your subs, these seem to be 200 RMS, 4 ohm voice coils. An amp to get the most from them, would be a Class D MONO amp that is 2 ohms stable and range between 400 -600 watts RMS. Matching the enclosure to subs used is very important. Use the recommeded cf enclosure for these subs. You have a +/- 10% window of variation and still have good bass performance.
NOTE: Avoid using a 2 channel amp here unless that amp provides 200 - 300 watts RMS per channel of power @ 4 ohms. Run this amp in 2 channel mode, 1 sub per channel. Set the Low Pass Filter (LPF) at ~80 Hz for each channel.
About wiring kits.. if you even have loose thoughts about adding a larger amp for mids/highs and a sub amp to this rig, use a #4 wire kit. It is better to have oversize power wires from the battery to amps than undersized or having to redo the wires later because you need more current for the addition/larger amps.
Do you have the make & model numbers of each amp you have now? If you just have the fuse ratings for them, that would be enough to determine the approximate RMS watts you can expect from each/either amp. The one with the highest fuse rating, usually denotes it can put out more power to subs.
Comments?
Swez
My questions are as follows:
Is the wiring that comes w/ the stereo directly compatible to the stuff behind my stock stereo?(haven't pulled it out just yet, plans for this weekend)
Will this deck blow out my stock speakers I have in?
Should I spend the money and get a professional installation and new Speakers?
What wiring do I need? (i've got a bunch of big monster cable speaker wiring from when we did our basement theatre)
Anything important i've got to watch out for when doing this? Any surprises I may encounter?
How the heck do I get the stock radio out of the dash? i've got a kit to fit around the radio, because it wont' fit in the dash right now, but do i have to pull the whole dash apart, or just the radio?
My budget is about $400.00 and I've also got all sorts of other goodies(subs, couple extra boxed 6X9's ect.) that i could sell for some more cash if need be.
Thanks in advance, just want to make sure i'm not going to screw anything up!
Alex
Replies (6)
uochronos on 05/7/2004 00:39:06
to awnser the first questions is the stereo compatible with stock wires. what you well need ehre is a 12$ piece from an auto parts or stereo store that well plug into your stock harness then wire into your aftermarket hu with ease.
second question well after market HU blow stock speaker. stock speakers are very cheap paper cone speakers and are easy to blow. so chances are eventualy you well blow them but not nessicarily at first. most stock HU's put out 10-15watts rms per speaker and most after markets put out 20-30wattss rms.
as for needing proffesional instal we can most likly walk you threw it if your patient and are willing to save the money.
your monster cable well work but if its larger cable you can buy some smaller stuff 16gauge-20gauge for door speaker is what i use and thats a bit large for un amped speakers.
as for new speakers i would definalty suggest new speaker if you want better sound this well make a huge differnce we can most likly find you a good set of speakers for front and rear for around 50-80$ a pair for middle quality and 80-200$ a pair for high end stuff. we have alot fo guys hear that love to shop and find deals on good equipment:)
as for as removing the head unit(radio) it requires a special tool to remove any stock for radio and you can purchase one if you call napa or autozone and find one that sells them. usualy most newer fords dont require whole dash removal but i'm unfamilar with yours
ttocs and kittle can give you more install info and what to expect since they are both are resident professional installers.
hope i have shed some light for you and welcome to CK we are happy to have you in are forum.
-Chronos
cplkittle on 05/7/2004 00:52:33
sounds like you have a busy weekend ahead of you..
No, the Sony will not damage your factory speakers at normal to loud volumes.. if you turn it all the way up it will.
Let's start with the dash.. If they are like most, and I can't remember in this case your model in particular.. the trim around the entire center console should pop off fairly easy. find the seam where it meets the rest of the dash and gently pull it off. Now you need a pair of Ford factory radio keys.. these are U shaped pieces of wire that fit into the 4 holes in the factory radio ( available at most part stores) insert these gently until you hear and feel a 'click'. Push them away from each other and the radio should pop right out. Now you need an aftermarket wiring harness for your vehicle. This wiring harness plugs directly into the factory harness, and you simply match the wire color to the radio harness that comes with the new radio. Please use wire crimps and crimp caps or butt splices.. if you use the twist and tape method, you are asking for problems.
Moving on... USE RCAs coming out of the back of the stereo to the amplifiers.. I am pretty sure this vehicle has a factory amplifier. This will not affect anything except the subs, and it will only affect the subs if you tap in to the speaker wires to provide input for your amplifier. Use the RCAs instead.
I do not recommend two different types of amplifiers. you will notice that one is either faster or more powerful than the other reguardless of how many watts they claim to be.
For 400watts Use 8gauge power wire directly from the battery with a 30-40 amp inline fuse as close to the battery as possible. Ground to the trunk or use a seatbelt bolt in the back. Try to keep ground wires under 3' in length. Do not run RCA wires next to the power wire, you will pick up feedback and your speakers will hum in tune to the engine's RPM.
What you need to buy:
Factory radio keys
wiring harness (vehicle specific)
crimp caps & crimper tool
Suggested:
Amplifier wiring kit (contains power wire, ground wire, RCA, remote wire, wire ends, fuses, inline fuse holder and wire loom)
You can probably get this professionally installed for around $100-$125 if you decide to go that route. Or we will help you with it step by step.
cplkittle on 05/7/2004 00:55:56
sorry about that.. chronos..
we were typing at the same time I guess
Alex on 05/8/2004 00:01:26
Alrighty, I've been thinkin about it, and here's what i'm gonna do.
I'm gonna go to Napa tommarow to get the Radio key thing and the Wiring kit, and i'll go to the audio shop half hour away and get:
Amp wiring kit, 4 new speakers, probably X-Plod's or maybe RF's of some kind, not 100% yet on that part, I'm going to get enough RCA cable to get back to the amps(if it isn't included w/ the wiring kit that is).
I also need to pick up the replacement remote for this deck, i seem to have misplaced mine.... Also i have a couple of questions again:
What is the difference between max continuous music power and max peak power, and which do i have to worry about? I ask this because i have a box w/ 2 American Pro WS-9410 10" Subs, and i want to hook up either a 400W (200X2) to them, so they've each got 200W of power, the subs say max continous music power 200W, but max peak power 450W, so does that mean i can get say a 600W amp and do 300X2 indstead, without worrying about blowing out my subs?
Thank you folks SOOO much for all your help, i'm tryin to get this system in before the school year's out, and all the help i've already gotten is GREATLY apreciated! Thanks again!
Alex
uochronos on 05/8/2004 02:48:11
i would not suggest sony speakers as far as companies go sony is would be ok if they cost half what they do for the price they are not a good buy for what you get. RF, phoenix gold, alpine, and pioneer to name a few make some good speakers fior what they cost. i would suggest alpine type S they impress me and a few other here and are about what the sony xplods would cost you.
ok RMS(continous power) and max power. first off bassicaly throw out the max power number it is bassicaly made up alot of the time no company comes up with this number the same way it is basicaly what the amp could put out in a extreme situation for a few second and the max power on a speaker is whatt he speaker could take for a few seconds before blowing. over powering a speaker by around 50 watts should not hurt them in a sub situation.
100watts over powering a sub as long as its in a sealed box and you are watching it carefully to not overe poweer it well be ok. in reality under powering a speaker can cuase it much more damage then a little over.
sdo basicaly if your subs are 200watts RMS(continous power) and you power them with 300watts rms to each speaker they well be ok in a sealed box just keep the gain at correct setting and dont turn the bass boost way up. if you go with a 600watts amp may i suggest the JBL 600.1 power valve series amp. on ebay they go for around 220$ very good deal for a amp that well put out \600watts rms very no frills amp but its easy to use and works great i bought one myself and am very pleased with it.
hope this helps you out. i noticed though you said you where in a hurry to get done before schol is out i just suggest your not in such a hurry you dont take your time. most my mistake i ahve made in the past and i would assume most other here would agree come from going to quick and taking short cuts... alls this well accomlish is haveing to do things over which in the long run just takes more time.
good luck.
chronos
swez on 05/8/2004 13:31:57
So far, so good on the advice you have already. Yes, resist the temptation to rush the job as many mistakes lead to lots of troubleshooting problems later.
As or your subs, these seem to be 200 RMS, 4 ohm voice coils. An amp to get the most from them, would be a Class D MONO amp that is 2 ohms stable and range between 400 -600 watts RMS. Matching the enclosure to subs used is very important. Use the recommeded cf enclosure for these subs. You have a +/- 10% window of variation and still have good bass performance.
NOTE: Avoid using a 2 channel amp here unless that amp provides 200 - 300 watts RMS per channel of power @ 4 ohms. Run this amp in 2 channel mode, 1 sub per channel. Set the Low Pass Filter (LPF) at ~80 Hz for each channel.
About wiring kits.. if you even have loose thoughts about adding a larger amp for mids/highs and a sub amp to this rig, use a #4 wire kit. It is better to have oversize power wires from the battery to amps than undersized or having to redo the wires later because you need more current for the addition/larger amps.
Do you have the make & model numbers of each amp you have now? If you just have the fuse ratings for them, that would be enough to determine the approximate RMS watts you can expect from each/either amp. The one with the highest fuse rating, usually denotes it can put out more power to subs.
Comments?
Swez
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