WHY?
Our client with this Chevrolet Colorado came to us looking for an audio upgrade, not knowing exactly what he was looking for in terms of an audio experience. We discussed some options over the phone during the quarantine period and decided on a basic upgrade consisting of new front and rear speakers, a modest bass addition, and a 5-channel amp to run the entire system.
Once we were finally able to re-open the shop for consultations and installations, this customer came in to listen to the system he had decided on over the phone. During the in-vehicle audio demonstration, we went through all of the possibilities, and it did not take long for him to realize he wanted a better audio experience than he had originally planned on purchasing.
The only way to truly appreciate a car audio system that has been tuned using a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and to find value in the extra costs associated with adding a DSP, is to hear the system first-hand vs a system without a DSP. The DSP allows us to accurately tune your audio system in a way that is not possible without it. It is very common for us to integrate into a factory head unit now, and the DSP is the only way to fine tune the system beyond your basic factory EQ adjustments.
WHAT?
Three-way Front Stage with Flush Mounted Tweeters – Like most vehicles, this Chevy Colorado only had factory provisions for 2-way component speakers for the front stage. After seeing the vehicle and the angle of the factory a-pillars, we decided the best route to take was to use the factory tweeter location for our mid-range speaker and flush-mount the new JL Audio C7 tweeters in the a-pillars. The a-pillars were at a perfect angle for us to flush mount the new tweeters and not cause weird reflections that could cause tuning issues. We used the factory door speaker locations for our 6.5″ woofers and built custom adapters to ensure proper fitment and optimum performance. We want the speaker to have a solid, flat surface to play on in order to get the full potential of the door woofer. Finally, we sound dampened the doors to ensure we do not have energy transfer from the woofer that could cause rattles and vibrations, but the sound dampening will also enhance the mid bass in this truck.
Added two amplifiers and a Digital Signal Processor – For this audio system, we dedicated all of the power from our 8-channel VXi amplifier to the front stage. If you are wondering why or how we powered 6 speakers with an 8-channel amplifier, it’s so we could provide enough power to the 6.5″ door woofers. The C7 6.5″ woofer is a very impressive speaker; however, it’s only going to perform to it’s potential when properly powered. The doors were sound dampened with Sound Shield to provide a better environment for the door woofers, but also to eliminate energy transfer that can cause rattles and vibrations. We used the factory tweeter locations for the new JL Audio mid-range speakers and flush-mounted the new JL Audio tweeters in the a-pillars. This vehicle’s a-pillars have an angle that allowed us to flush-mount the tweeters without causing any issues with the sound. The end result is an OEM-look with much better sound.
To power the subwoofers in the truck, we used a JL Audio XD1000/1v2 and used the pre-out on the VXi amplifier to incorporate the subs into the tune. The XD provides good, clean power and the thermal-rollback technology ensures you’re not going to be killing your vehicle’s charging system, even when you’re running the subs at full volume. Both amplifiers were mounted on the rear wall behind the backseat, and the rear wall was also sound dampened with Sound Shield.
Channel Layout
Channels 1 and 2 – Tweeters
Channels 3 and 4 – 3.5” mid drivers
Channels 5+6 and 7+8 – 6.5” Door Woofers
Mono Amplifier – Subwoofers
Enclosure for Dual Subwoofer Setup – Being mindful of the budget on this build, we decided to use an enclosure that was already made to fit under the seat of this truck. The enclosure we used is made with MDF wood and the airspace was within the correct range that our subwoofers ask for, so this enclosure ended up making a lot of sense for the application. We loaded the enclosure with a pair of JL Audio 10″ TW3 subs and they sounded great! Plenty of bass and still very tight and clean.
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.
Here’s how we performed the installation.
WIRING AND SIGNAL
This Chevy Colorado had the standard OEM audio system, so we were able to run a high-level audio signal directly into the VXi amplifier. As always, we scoped the factory audio signal to find the clipping volume which ensures we are never sending a distorted audio signal into the amplifier. When using the factory head unit, we will always tell our customer the clean volume limits to avoid the chance of blowing speakers.
Like with every job, we used oxygen-free copper (OFC) to wire power to the amplifiers and we fabricated a custom fuse holder mount out of aluminum to ensure the fuses stay safe and secure.
MOUNTING AMPLIFIERS
As with most trucks, the best place for the amplifiers is behind the rear seat or under the front seats. Being that we were installing two amplifiers, we decided that behind the rear seat on a custom fabricated amp rack was the best location. By putting everything in one spot, we are able to make the wiring look perfectly clean and easily serviceable, while also keeping them out of site.
All wiring is protected with Tech Flex 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.
DSP TUNING
Since the JL Audio VXi amplifiers have the Digital Signal Processor (DSP) integrated, this allows us to modify the whole audio experience. We set a microphone in the vehicle to capture the pre-tuned sound. and figure out what may need to be adjusted. 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.
This system was designed to sound perfect for the driver and really good for all other passengers in the vehicle. We are typically tuning for a single position tune, only because we can create a much more accurate stage by tuning for a single position. We also find that most people are in their vehicle alone often, and/or do not really care if their passengers have the perfect listening experience.
LEVEL CONTROLLER
We used the DRC-100 for the sub control on this audio system. We mounted the level controller in the pocket below the radio in this Colorado and you could hardly even tell it was added. This knob is acting like a dimmer for the subwoofer bass, this way the customer can adjust the bass as necessary for each song.
SPEAKERS
This customer heard the JL Audio C7 three-ways in one of our demo vehicles and was blown away by their performance. The JL Audio C7’s are a popular speakers for us to install, they always sound fantastic and they can produce plenty of clean volume for most of our clients. We fabricated a custom expanded-PVC speaker plate to ensure proper OEM-like fitment, but also providing a more solid mounting surface for our high-end door woofer. We ran new speaker wires into the dash and doors for our JL Audio speakers since we were running them active, which means we are going directly into the amplifier with each speaker line, rather than going through a passive crossover first.
As mentioned before, we used the factory tweeter location in the dash for the new mid-range speakers and we flush-mounted the tweeters in the factory a-pillars. The speakers imaged very nicely since the a-pillars had a slight angle towards the middle of the vehicle. Ultimately, we are able to correct speaker location issues with the DSP, but we would certainly put 3-ways in the same locations on another Chevy Colorado.
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. This truck received sound treatment in all four doors, as well as on the rear wall where the amplifiers were mounted.
SUBWOOFERS
We fit the largest option possible for bass in this Chevy Colorado, without modifying the truck nor lifting the backseat. We used the JL Audio 10″ TW3 subwoofers, which are a go-to truck subwoofer for Elevated Audio. The TW3’s have more excursion than most traditional style subwoofers, which allows them to hit the deeper notes nice and smoothly.
THE RESULT!
This Chevy Colorado left the shop sounding incredible, and we were able to exceed our client’s expectations! The front stage and image was spot on, the C7’s provided plenty of clean volume, and the subwoofers provided great, clean bass. This client is constantly in his truck for work, so it’s awesome to deliver something that he’ll be able to enjoy very regularly.
Do you have a Chevy Colorado or another truck that you’d like to sound incredible? Contact us today to schedule your free personalized consultation to discuss options for your vehicle.
Music. It’s What Moves Us.
-Elevated Audio
