Audio Installation

[oliverconnell]

Hey im soon buying the Alpine IVA-W202E Head Unit and a set of Type - X 6.5 component speakers. I just wondering

1) How easy is installation?

2) How do i go about replacing the tweeters, cause the airbags currently covers them?

3) Is it a straight swap between stock head-unit and the new one? Or is there different cabling ect that is required?

Thanks

[Mr ©harisma]

Dude you should post it in the Audio section. Fire a PM to ICACHA for the info on CANBUS for the headunit.

Splits wont be a problem, mount the tweeters where you will get the best staging ( i.e. A pillars or kick panels ), often that is not in the factory slots ;)
Just make sure you deaden the door for the mids and use an absorbant pad behind it. Are you going to amp them?

[oliverconnell]

Yeah ill move the thread to audio area. Didnt think. Um yeah im going to amp them but not right now, when i add a sub ect. Just doing install in stages

[oliverconnell]

also been looking around, and have found mention of needing a Cabus adapter, is this true. I have an 07 polo.
n
Another item i wasn't sure about is the need for speaker mounts, i was assuming i could just swap the speakers straight over?

[icacha]

lots of nice work involved in getting it to fit and sound right, the polo we did had just that, SPX in the front doors...

Phil, I do this for a living, you expect me to give out free info? Free info days are Sundays j:

[Mr ©harisma]

Yeah sorry, I keep forgetting that expert advice comes at a price... what can I get for $1? :D

Free advice - Do it right, do it once.

[oliverconnell]

Phil, I do this for a living, you expect me to give out free info?

how do i get some of this advice? ahahah main reason i wanted to do install myself is that the JB Hifi near me seemed to have no clue, when we were going over car he wasn't sure about anything such as removing door paneling. I have got cars done there before but i just felt better having a crack at it myself and also make the saving on installation.

[icacha]

try, but unless you take your brave pills and are confident with your abilities, leave it to the experts who are privately owned inderpendants, chains really have no idea and we see it on a weekly basis here...

[glidn]

oliverconnell - be very with running alpine Type X speakers with out amps, they don't really like it, and what you will find is that they sound quite soft therefore you would be inclined to turn the volume up which could burn the vioce coils on the speakers.

IF i could make a recommendation?

You shoul replace radio only at this stage, then when you are wanting to install and get Type X speakers install them with an amp at the same time, your ears will love you for it.

[oliverconnell]

yeah i might do that, put head unit in myself and leave speakers and wait till I can get a amp, sub and speakers all done at once by a professional. I feel confident enough doing head unit but i was wondering about speakers just today and what is required in putting in crossovers ect.

Another question i have is to do with tweeters. Will the new tweeters fit where the stock ones currently are?

Ill head around to audio express sometime once the speakers finally arrive. lol yeah im never going back to chain like JB again, for speakers and head unit they told me something around and bit over $2100 not installed. Looked around a bit a got them off net to my door for under $1400. Ill also ask a mate who is getting system done at a private place somewhere in brisbane and ask how they were.

[Soundofav6]

general advice. I reckon, you should get a Pro to do the head unit, and do speakers yourself. Why? coz when you have some one pulling your trims and doors apart, chances are you will always be more careful then they are, sure yoou wouldn't be pleases if they make a crack here and there. + once you decided the best staging, it is only a matter to time, it is simply straight forward.

Do your head unit first. Speakers in new cars aren't that bad to a degree, just underpowered. I am sure you can appreciate the difference straight away. Also take the advice "do it once, do it right." Pull all seats trims and carpet and dump the amp, speaker, sub all at once. Saves lots of unnecessary bolting/ unbolting effort and potentially saves your back, it makes life so much easier :D

[icacha]

general advice. I reckon, you should get a Pro to do the head unit, and do speakers yourself. Why? coz when you have some one pulling your trims and doors apart, chances are you will always be more careful then they are, sure yoou wouldn't be pleases if they make a crack here and there. + once you decided the best staging, it is only a matter to time, it is simply straight forward.

That a general comment about chains or you put the award winning professionals in the same basket?

[Soundofav6]

Excuse my generalisation.. allow me to rephrase. Do not find a chain store, I rather you DIY, chain stores would rather quick turn over, careless of how it is installed as long as it works. That is from my own experience...

[Mr ©harisma]

In all honesty, simple headunit installs are not that hard. These MKV seem to present a new kind of problem, one that I would definately consult with a professional before attempting.

Splits on the other hand, well they could be on of the most important parts of the system. Of course they are a lot of other components involved however getting them installed properly will reap huge rewards. I'm sure you will have no problems installing the mids but correct staging and tuning of the component is very tricky.

I would agree with glidn, perhaps save up and wait till you get an amp until you install any components. Stock speakers are fairly good, I'm sure you can live with the for a little longer...

George I think so many people have been stung by "bad" experiences with "professional" installers that it gets stereotyped a bit. It is hard to find a good car audio shop, that's why if I want the job done right, ill drive 2 hours each way for the piece of mind down to Sydney.

Only bad thing I have heard about George is his jokes... :D

[glidn]

well i feel the pain of poorly installed gear, i have had to redo many friends car that where installed by the professionals, hell some of these companies still exist here in NZ.

Heck the 2 install's i remember the most is this.
He had 2 amps installed and sub and some front speakers and headunit.
This is what i found

when the front seats where moved all the way foward there would be enough tension on the Positive wire so it would short on the ground, BIG NO NO.
And worst part was the ran the power wire thru the seat rails not under ?
The speakers did not really fit in the doors, so what did they do simply make a few cuts and just bent the metal into the door, oh yeah and did not seal any of the open metal. then for the headunit wiring they simply used those crimp clips, that you run to wires next to each other and clip together.

Oh and this had to be the funniest of all. They used one single 8AWG power for both amps and used a mere 16AWG speaker wire from the front seat to the boot for the sub.


Then the other car i had to redo. Again same thing with doors been sliced and bent in to allow magnet to go into the door. No sealing was done.
Worst part was when i removed the speaker which was 14 months old broke into pieces, yes your read correctly, the basket fell apart.

[oliverconnell]

well I installed the headunit yesterday, alot easier then in thought but im still waiting for the canbus to get delivered so no power as yet:mad: Just have to wait a couple of weeks to get speakers ect done probs.

Just like to say thanks for all the help much appriciated

[oliverconnell]

hey just thought id post up finished product, finally got it in and speakers and all running smoothly. Also mounted my gps above the headunit so no widescreen mounts:D. current job is installing boot light seeing they are lacking them, such a pain not seeing stuff at night.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/1884/dsc00097fe3.th.jpg (http://img518.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00097fe3.jpg)

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/5417/dsc00098cu5.th.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00098cu5.jpg)

boot so far, pitty running off mower battery till i get amp put in.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/49/dsc00105ri2.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00105ri2.jpg)

[Lorenz]

Very neat install there mate, looks like you've done a great job :)