WHY?
This customer contacted us from New Mexico because he could not find a shop near his area that could deliver what he was looking for.
The vehicle was a 2019 Tacoma, which luckily we are very familiar with, but building an audio system via phone calls can be a bit challenging. Luckily, we were able to discuss his past experience with audio in vehicles, but also his interest level in music and audio in general.
I find that a lot of our customers are huge music lovers, but have never heard a properly designed and tuned audio system in a vehicle. This client absolutely loved music and car audio, and unlike most, he had heard a system in the past that was tuned using a DSP (Digitally Signal Processed).
WHAT?
Replaced front door speakers – We replaced the front 2-way component speakers with the 6.5” Morel Virtus speakers. These speakers provide exceptional clarity and performance at a reasonable price point. They are designed to sound clean and crisp, not to get super loud. This was the correct speaker for this particular application, and the Virtus always deliver great results.
Replaced rear door speakers – The customer wanted some rear fill in the system, so we swapped the rear door speakers to a set of Morel Tempo Ultra Integra coaxial speakers.
Added amplifiers – We knew that we wanted to power the front speakers actively, which means that each tweeter and each door woofer gets their own channel, and the customer wanted rear speakers incorporated into the build. Since the subwoofer we were using required at least 300-400 watts RMS, we needed to use two separate amps on this build.
We decided to use the JL Audio VX600/6i to power the front component speakers actively, as well as the rear coaxial speakers. We love the JL Audio VXi style amplifiers because they provide a lot of power in a small footprint, and they have integrated DSP which means one less thing to install and hide. The VXi series also have a pre-out on the amp so you can tie a mono amp into the DSP tune, as if it were another channel on the VXi amplifier.
Channel Layout
1 and 2 – Tweeters
3 and 4 – 6.5” Front Door Woofers
5 and 6 – Rear Door Speakers
Add a subwoofer and mono amplifier –
Like most trucks, this one did not have a lot of space to hide a subwoofer, so we decided that the JL Audio Stealth Box was the best fit for this build. The Stealth Box made for this vehicle comes with a JL Audio 10TW3 subwoofer, which will provide clean and tight bass. This is not a subwoofer that is designed to be heard from blocks away, but rather provide accurate and clean bass to the cabin of the truck.
We used the JL Audio XD600/1v2 to power the subwoofer, this way the sub gets full power and the amplifier is not having to strain to provide the power. We used the DRC-205 for the bass knob and tune selector for the system. The DRC-205 is one of our favorite pieces because it provides a dual rotary knob, as well as the ability to switch through as many as 9 tunes on the DSP (Digital Signal Processor).
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. The DSP allows us to combat any issues that the factory signal may be causing.
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 VX600/8i 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 6-channel off the floor as to not block the floor vents to the rear passengers. The smaller mono-block 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. We also use the oscilloscope to level match the radio, meaning we figure out at what volume distortion is added to the system from the factory head unit. For example, your factory head unit may go up to 40 on the volume scale, but it may only be putting out a clean signal up to 34. We will tune the system to be max output at that max safe number. 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 6-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. 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
We used the Morel Virtus 602 component speakers in the front of this Tacoma, and we went with the Morel Tempo Ultra Integra coaxial speakers for the rear doors. This is a popular vehicle, so we were able to order vehicle-specific speaker adapters to properly install the speakers using factory bolts and factory holes in the doors. The last thing we want to do is blast new holes in your door to mount the new speakers!
Speaker wiring is soldered directly to Morel speaker terminals, eliminating any connectivity issues later.
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.
We installed full coverage in all four doors on this build, which is going to make those new speakers sound even better, but also reduce road noise at the same time. We also added some Sound Shield to the rear wall as well to lessen any rattles that the new sub may cause.
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 build went very well, and the customer was very happy with it. The customer listened to a variety of music, but a lot classic rock, and that JL sub really brought the kick drums to life. The Morel speakers sounded fantastic on the JL Audio VXi amplifiers, they had a very smooth and clean sound to them.
Please contact us for your own Tacoma 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.
Music. It’s What Moves Us.
-Elevated Audio
Hello
I would like the EXACT system in my 2019 TACOMA 4/4 sport !!
It has a terrible system.
I’m 67 years old with tinnitus and hearing aids. Over50 years of Harley Davidsons!!!!!!
I live in Los Angeles ,,,how do I get this done.
Thank you
William