2004 expedition pioneer Avic-x710bt and amp under console install pics and component speaker woes

[cecoen]

Hello everyone. Just wanted to post up a couple of pics showing how I adjusted out some gaps around my double din head unit using the Scosche Ford dash kit. The AVIC I am using has a poorly designed volume knob and with the expedition dash making the radio sit so far in a hole it was really hard to adjust the knob. It is hard to tell from the pics but it pulled out he radio maybe a 1/8th inch or so, just enough to really make it fill up the hole and make it a little easier to grab the knob. I also installed an amp under the center console while I was in there. OMG, there must be 2 acres of room under there. And, as a bonus, the wires are all right there above the amp for the install. It is literally like 12 inches away from the HU. Easy smeeshy install. Hardest part was pulling power from the battery through the firewall. There is even a blank OEM grounding bolt right there next to the amp! There is enough room to install my 4 channel amp towards the front of the console and my 2 channel towards to rear of the console. This all came about because I installed some PYLE 6.5 component speakers in the doors and they SUCKED, so I installed the Pioneer, then the amp, turns out nothing could help those speakers. I know, I know, I am a little backwards building a system around the speakers first but, oh well. The PYLEs are going back to the store and I think I am just going to get some regular old 2 or 3 way speakers that actually fit in the holes. The component speakers just aren't as rich sounding as the factory ones. Well, at least the cheap ones like the Pyles. I think the passive crossovers clip too much low end out of them so they just sound to thin. I am also not using a sub yet to make up for the lack of door bass. So for the mean while I THINK I am going to get some regular speakers to use until I get a sub behind that panel back there. I tried everything to get them to sound better. I sealed the doors as well as I could. Sound deadener everywhere. I built a custom basket behind the speakers to make like a little enclosure for them. I even ran full sound to them skipping the crossover and they still weren't as loud as the factory speakers or as full sounding on the low end. I removed the speaker adapters (whata pain it was to make them too) and re-installed the oem 5x7 or whatever it is and bam, it sounded good again. I just don't get it. I had like almost no low end from those Pyles. Anyway, they are history but it almost makes me scared to try components again. Total PITA to install and if they sound like crap again I might jump off a bridge. Advice appreciated! My goal is to be (except for the HU) completely hidden. Needs to look factory for me to like it. So I mounted the amp under the console. I am going to mount the sub amp under there as well later on and install a bass tube or a 12" in a custom box behind the drivers side rear panel. I really do not need a lot of bass just a good rich sound. Hope someone can use this info for their install! Thanks, Chad

 

Edited September 17, 2011 by cecoen