Kenwood and Elemental Designs Install...
 

Hello everyone! Here is my completed install from last weekend. The installation was quite tedious especially in the hot and humid weekend weather experienced. I've tested a DVD, and the bass output is very much like a home theater subwoofer (deep!). I'm still trying to tune the sub to improve electric bass and kick drum sounds (punchiness). Apparently the current setup seems to respond too well with hip hop and electronic music in which the bass is deep and strong.

[EDIT] SWI-JACK is now working. It's finally getting power for some odd reason. After following the online instructions, I've got the controls for MUTE (source isn't useful), VOL UP/DWN, and TRACK UP/DWN. The control response is a tad slow, but it works well nonetheless.

[EDIT] e5.12 started to fail, so it was replaced with a JL 12W6v2.

Current Hardware:
12" Subwoofer Enclosure by CustomBoxMan
2x Elemental Designs NINE.2 Amplifiers
1x JL Audio 12W6v2
Diamond Hex S600s
Kenwood DDX-814 DVD Receiver
PAC SWI-JACK

FYI: Changing Kenwood Startup Image
- To enter setup Mode, Press and hold [SOURCE] & [VOL DOWN] keys, then press [RESET] Key.
- Release [RESET] key, and hold [SOURCE] & [VOL DOWN] Key until illumination activates.
- Connect the USB Thumb drive containing image file. All files must be in the root directory.
- If you want to change the opening image to your own image (i.e., company logo), Press [OEM Image].
- The [OEM Image] will be grayed out till files are seen on USB device.
- If you want to put original KENWOOD opening back, press KENWOOD image.
- Select the image you want to use.
- When the image is loaded, select [Enter] Your new opening will remain for few seconds and then switch to the Source Select menu.

DDX-814 with Custom Startup Image:
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...artup-logo.jpg

NINE.2 Amplifiers mounted on the back of the subwoofer enclosure.
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...-view-side.jpg

View from the hatch. I still have room for beer and stuff :-)
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...906-12w6v2.jpg

Nice, clean install man. What are the specs on that box?
PS- Are you not worried about the nice viewing panel for the amps/sub (the rear window lol)? I'm hinting at your equipment being stolen.

Haha you have a point there, so I'm not quite sure about the security aspects. In the 350Z, my equipment was hidden in the rear passenger side glovebox and panel behind driver seat where the Bose sub is normally installed. I can't think of a cleaner way of doing this install besides sacrificing the spare tire or stepping down to a 10" sub.

I'm not sure if CustomBoxMan is still selling the box, but you can get a similar one from Zenclosures. Try to look him up for specs. I think it's alil over 1 cu in. with 8" mounting depth. The sub I have is double magnet and clears the box clearance with no issues.

looks good, and clean :tup:

+1 to you :)

as for the stuffed bear behind the passengers seat :icon14:

nice install!
this is gonna be my set up for my sound system as well
but i'm gonna have 2 10" RF subs ;)
my amps are gonna be mounted in the same place where u have it

+1:tup:

Not bad man so did you finally realize that the head unit would not power up because of the ground wire needed to be grounded or what did it come out to be?

@kdo2milger, does this make you feel better? :P
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...om-nom-nom.jpg

@dainedazz, thanks! I caught some great eD deals that saved me hundreds with this build. You should definitely try to prewire the box and run the cables a couple of feet longer. I use distribution blocks (4AWG to 8AWG) attached underneath the box. Slide the box in and wire/tighten the cables from inside the car. Honestly, it was PITA. The idea of routing the cables through the center console (shifter/storage) was an excellent idea, and it was not as tedious. I routed audio connections on one side, and power on the other. It seems to have paid off because I've not heard any noise or static... but then the exhaust is loud so I can't quite tell if there is any noise.

@bigaudiofanat, everything powers up fine. I soldered the ground wires together and found a single bolt behind the navi compartment to tie the grounds together. SWI-PAC ground is common with it, and I also soldered the IGN (red) wires together as well. I did a power up test without anything connected to program the module before plugging into the vehicle harness, but I never saw any LED flash. I may pull the module out and try to power it alone, but I've not been able to get around to working on it. :-(

Any chance I can talk you out of that startup image?

[QUOTE=DIGItonium;154397]@kdo2milger, does this make you feel better? :P
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...om-nom-nom.jpg

lol...thats a good place for it :)

when i was stationed in germany, i use to always see german truck drivers with stuffed bears attached to their grills...

Looks great, but how visible are the amps with the hatch closed? One small aspect on the 350 that was better was the cave behind the stock sub in which to mount these kinds of things. :D

Talk me out of it? Hehe... I'm tired of the Kenwood image. Stinks I can't get custom skins...

It is quite visible even from the front view. I really miss being able to hide my amp in the rear compartment like the 350Z. There might be room to squeeze in a flux capacitor between the amps to disguise it... think it'll work? Haha.

Aaahhh I mean talk you into posting a copy of it. :) I want to use it on 9140.

Awesome install. That's exactly the same route I would have taken it. Except I'm big on 10's rather than 12's. As far as security goes, you can always get an aftermarket security system. If you wanna go big, buy a Pitbull and chain it to the bumper, lol.

I didn't have a security system in my 350Z at all. Regardless of security system, if someone is desperate enough to get it, they'll use any means necessary. Since I'll have to fix the damages and/or to replace the lost components, I'll have to pay either way even if I have a security system. :-/

:tiphat: Sure thing! Check the first post for attached file.

i like how you can change up the start up screen. How far can you push that?
Can you upload a video for the start up?

I would say just make sure you have insurance on everything. Atleast then if something happened you could get part if not all of what was damaged/missing replaced

Awesome! Thanks!

Only static images are supported like JPG and PNG. It appears the head unit literally saves the image file from the USB drive to its internal flash. You can always revert back to the original Kenwood startup image.

@rreign, I'll see what options my insurance can provide.

smart move my friend

Hey is it possible to put 2 12s in that box???

awww that bear is cute :P

[blushes] :p

I don't think so - only twin 10s. You may have to resort to some other configuration. IMO, a single 12" is PLENTY. My setup is very conservative and there is already AMPle power to rattle things.

My biggest issue is with the Kenwood. For some reason I can't seem to tune the sub as well. It produces deep bass, but anything around the 150-220Hz area is subdued. The sub hits hard on the low end when I play hip hop and trance. With everything else (pop/rock), there's not much bass. IIRC, I have it set to 150Hz and -18 db/Hz slope (as punchy as it gets). With the 13-band EQ, the sub is unaffected. It would be nice if it did since the lower range is useless for front speakers rolled off around 150Hz and -12 db/Hz slope.

wanna give me your teddy?

Haha, you'll have to take on my gf over Peanut (the bear). [Grabs camera and popcorn]

On an unrelated side note... the surface mount LEDs arrived last night. Hopefully I'll find time to mod the HVAC controls. I couldn't get the mirror switch LEDs to light up, so I may end up changing out the resistor or simply stick to a single LED. It should be enough to light up the switch.

oh no! i'm gunna lose :( no more mr. peanut :(

Ouch!! Thats a really high crossover setting for a 12" sub plus 18 db/Hz is pretty steep too. I set my subs at 60Hz @12db. It sounds like you need some mid bass up front. Try dropping your crossover points to the fronts and sub to 60-80Hz and it should sound a lot better.

12" subs make terrible mid bass drivers and your sub has a heavy high mass cone which is optimized for really deep bass.

As far as crossover slopes, steep slopes like 18/db and 24/db are best left to mids and highs where fatter slopes give you more overlap for the subwoofer. If you can, mix the two such as running 24 db/oct on your fronts at 60Hz and the run your sub at 12/db at 60Hz. This would be ideal in your situation to optimize mid bass in your car. Your sub will sound much cleaner at this setting and your fronts will give you that punch your looking for.

Yea, I wanted a bit more mid-bass from the sub and failed. You're right, the sub is VERY deep. I was afraid of pushing the front drivers too hard, so I set a conservative cutoff (120-150Hz) hoping to get some warmth of an electric bass and acoustic bass drum from the sub. Unfortunately, it can only be heard when listening to house and hip hop.

BTW, the amp x-over is set to thru and bass boost is disabled (not so clean).

Thanks! I'll give it a shot!

[EDIT] It sounds much better now. Guess I shouldn't have to worry about the front speakers so much. Thanks!

I will most likely have the same setup when I trade in my Type S for a 370. Here's a shot of my Nine.1 and Nine.2 powering my 13ov2 and edi 6500s in front. I also have FULL deadening and an overall hell of an install (took me a month). Props to a great install! I'm sure it sounds amazing (with that sub and) in an even smaller cabin compared to my RSX.:tiphat:

Also if you notice in my pics, I bolted mine down in the 4 corners b/c I track my car quite often (and they do NOT like that I have a sub, neither does my suspension). How's the stability of the enclosure, did you do anything else to secure it?


http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/343...6960193081.jpg

Thanks! :tup:

Not much power is needed to push the sub. I also bypassed the Kenwood crossover for the sub. I managed to get more mid-bass using the amp crossover. Else, it's just too deep or lacks punch depending on the song.

12/27/2010 Update
 

The e5.12 started making more noise from the core indicating some expansion and rubbing. The sub never really impressed me after over a year of ownership. It only produces hard deep bass when playing trance and hip hop tracks, but is barely responsive to classic rock and 80's. So far several months I had issues getting good electric bass and mid-bass sounds from the classic tracks. The sub definitely lacks mid punch.

This morning, the sub was replaced with a JL Audio 12W6v2 (Yup, finally going back to a tried and true formula). The sub was a bit taller, so I had to rotate it to provide clearance for the terminals.

Even before retuning the sub settings, the improvements are immediate. I finally get warm and punchy mid bass response from my classic tracks! Once the weather warms up, I should be able to give it a proper tune and break in.

Stay tuned... the DDX-814 is stupid slow. I'm currently thinking about getting an Alpine iXA-W407 since all I need is USB and an FM/Tuner, and maybe add a backup camera this time around. Also, the eD amps still perform admirably, but is fading pretty badly. I may be open to suggestions for a single amp that can power the front speakers and a sub. JL HD series, maybe?

:iagree: DIGItonium :tiphat: could you post the picture you used for the start up image, or send it to me? I haven't had any luck changing mine yet (on the DNX9960) but I haven't tried all that hard either. There is an option to change it in the menu, but it's unavailable and I haven't cared enough yet to bother beyond that. :rofl2:It would make a fine background though if it's not the start up

Doh! I thought I had it, but somehow it got lost. Let me make a new one for ya :)

The revised start up images are attached in Post #1.

:tiphat: Nicely done, and your timing couldn't be better :tup: (I just brought my USB drive back inside to add/ edit a few pics)