WHY?
Elevated Audio has the opportunity to work on many brand new vehicles that come with lackluster audio packages from the factory.
The 2020 Telluride was no exception. Our customer contacted us with complaints about how the vehicle’s audio package did not have the impact he was expecting from a brand-new car.
During the free consultation, our System Designer, Don, was able to suggest the products that would serve our customer and meet all their needs.
WHAT?
Replaced front door speakers – We replaced the factory speakers with new JL Audio C7 6.5″ mid-bass drivers and 1″ tweeters. These speakers are JL’s flagship models that are dynamic and sensitive to even the smallest details in your music.
Added an amplifier – Now, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to replace new, undamaged, OEM speakers unless you are planning on adding amplification. To learn more, click here.
Knowing we needed a speaker that could perform well under high power and deliver a crisp detailed response, we opted to add the new JL Audio VX800/8i. This amplifier is not just a powerhouse; it is a smart powerhouse! With a built-in DSP, it allows us to tune the audio system to compensate for reflections in the cabin that typically result in an unrealistic reproduction of your music. If you clicked on the previous link, you already know the benefits of DSP. If not, here’s that link again!
You’re thinking, “You didn’t install eight speakers! Why an eight-channel amplifier?!”
Well, we bridged the channels 3-4 and 5-6 together to give us a total of 6 channels of output and deliver the most power to the new speakers. Remember, power does not kill speakers; distortion does.
Channel Layout
1-2 Tweeters
3/4 + 5/6 Midbass drivers
7-8 Rear speakers.
Add a subwoofer and mono amplifier –
Under the passenger seat of this vehicle, we have the JL Audio 600/1v2 monoblock amplifier perfectly powering the JL Audio W6 woofer that sits in the cargo area. This addition adds all the bass most of us need in our lives. The installed DRC-205 bass knob allows our customer to turn up and down the bass depending on each song’s needs.
HOW?
Elevated Audio is known first and foremost for our customer’s overall experience from beginning to end. Winning the North American 2018-2019 Customer Choice Award in the 12-volt industry-validated our commitment to provide trusted interactions between our store in Denver and our customers.
We are using some great equipment in this install so it would be a shame to perform a bad install. Good thing we have a North American Top 12 Installer on our team!
Here’s how we performed the installation.
WIRING
The signal was found at the factory radio. We did not replace the radio in this vehicle because it does not make any sense to do so! It already has all functionality an aftermarket unit would have. The radio is where we soldered in our connections for the signal to the amplifier.
Power is supplied to the amplifiers utilizing our four gauge pure copper wiring. Never use copper clad aluminum (CCA) if you want the best current flow!
MOUNTING AMPLIFIERS
At Elevated Audio, we build amplifier plates that mount to factory bolts on the chassis, and we attach our amplifiers to those plates. An amplifier is mounted under each of the front seats. The VX800/8i under drivers and XD600/1 under the passenger. This is to eliminate the need for running drywall screws through the floor of your brand-new vehicle. We lifted the eight-channel off the floor as to not block the floor vents to the rear passengers. The smaller monoblock mounted flat to the floor without blocking the vent.
All wiring is wrapped in Tesa tape for a factory look and feel. The wiring routes in factory channels throughout the vehicle and is not merely “tucked” under panels, which always find a way to wiggle out after a few months. It’s our goal to make it hard to differentiate factory wiring from aftermarket.
CALIBRATING THE AMPLIFIERS
Amplifiers are useless unless set up correctly. Elevated Audio always sets the gains of our amplifiers by using an oscilloscope. This tool allows us to read the clipping point and set the amplifier to play up to that point but never beyond it, protecting the entire system and your ears!
DSP TUNING
Since the 8 Channel is a DSP amplifier and allows us to modify the whole audio experience, we set a microphone in the vehicle to capture the pre-tuned sound. We use this data to offset any peaks and valleys in the acoustic response to meet a particular response curve that our ears love. This creates music that sounds like the artist intended it to sound.
Another powerful tool in the DSP is the ability to time the sound. We measure the distance from each speaker to determine the firing order of the speakers. This process allows them to all hit your ears at the same exact time.
This process, along with level matching, allows a stage and image to be created on top of your dash. This is just what we did in this Telluride. Now our customer can hear and imagine the artist and their band playing on top of his dash.
LEVEL CONTROLLER
The DRC-205 controller is flush-mounted into the center console for easy access. The lights on this knob are programmable, which means the customer can choose their favorite color of illumination.
SPEAKERS
Speaker plates were manufactured to allow for proper clearance of speakers and to allow them to sit perfectly against the door panel. Fast Rings foam baffles (not pictured), create a seal against the door to ensure the midbass does not get trapped in the panel, causing unnecessary rattles and loss of clarity.
Speaker wiring is soldered directly to the JL Audio speaker terminals, eliminating any connectivity issues later.
The JL Audio C7 tweeters are also mounted in the factory locations with fabricated brackets.
SOUND DEADENING
While you’re performing any upgrade to your sound, it is crucial to slow down the transfer of energy throughout the door panel and to cut down the external road noise. At Elevated Audio, we use Sound Shield premium sound deadening to achieve both results.
Finally, we get to the subwoofer.
This is the easiest part of the installation! This prefabricated option from JL Audio sounds amazing and can take a beating should you have strollers or anything else you’ll be hauling with your Telluride. This box is even removable for those big haul days.
THE RESULT!
We strive for a great experience in-house and after the sale. We are happy to know there is one more person on the road enjoying their morning commute!
Overall, this is a simple build that is not destructive to the vehicle in any way, per our installation methods. This whole system may be removed and reinstalled into our customer’s next vehicle ten years down the road.
Please contact us for your own Telluride system design consultation because, while this is an AMAZING setup, it may not be what you need. We tailor each build to our customer’s needs and expectations, so we must build something special just for you.
Enjoy your commute, Colorado.
-Elevated Audio
This is what you call GOALS!!! My goodness! The day my Telluride has something like this I will not leave my car! You guys did an anazing job