Afternoon,
A while back I looked at the cost of upgrading the factory head unit or components.
After reviewing multiple options I decided to try a route I have gone before on a few factory systems.
I spent a long time looking unto active subs, and I wanted to maximise space and not have huge boxes or amps.
I ended up purchasing a JBL nano pro.
I had some iso pins in my toolbox from a previous install so, I went to the local auto-factors and bought 6 meters of speaker cable and an in-line fuse for about £5.
Popping out the head unit is the easiest unit U have ever removed. Trim tool to pop out the surround, a couple of torx screws and its out - literally 5 minutes.
I divided the cable into exactly two, crimped the wires to the pin, pushed it into the block and here we had my high level output for the sub.
I ran the cables foen the back of the dash and along the original loom to the passenger seat.
The JBL nano is heavy, and a quality bit of kit. Its VERY small, and I didn’t have any huge expectations for it. It also features an auto power on and off which it utilises the signal on the speakers wires / high level to switch on and off - no problems at all using that over the past couple of months.
Trying to tune the sub was a challenge. Due to the horrible factory bluetooth composition media unit dsp, you either have booming bass low down and moderate bass at high volume, or lower bass at low volume and no bass over about 1/3rd volume.
After a lot of research I settled on the lc2i and purchased one but hadn’t had chance to fit it yet.
Today I finally went out and tackled the job, I piggy backed the power and ground from the JBL nano feed and switched high level from the sub to the lc2i.
I then added the rca cable from the lc2i to low level on the JBL nano.
Now, I played with it for a good hour, and, honestly it seemed to do nothing at all. But after reading up further and discovering I had hit the phase button on the sub (so the components and sub were cancelling each other out at higher volumes) it started to sound a LOT better. After another good 45 mins or so tweaking I am hapoy to report that the factory system is now absolutely banging - on par with premium systems I have had in other vehicles.
The JBL nano is bolted to a wooden base in the passenger seat, and the lc2i to the back inside the seat base.
The sub is set to 100hz, with gain and bass etc all in the middle, and the stupid bass boost remote disconnected.
The lc2i threshold is approximately at 50%, with bass dial on 1/3rd and accubass at maximum (but not 100% otherwise this causes acubase to always be on and then you get boomy lows again.
Head unit is flat (middle of the slider), with mids slightly increased at about 60% and highs increased perhaps 75-80%
The system now has an immensely ‘clean’ sound. No booming at low volume, and bass, mids and highs all hold together fantastically up to high volume with amazing punch and depth yo yhe sound (50% on the headunit is loud enough that you can’t talk and have to shout ovet it, but it doesn’t hurt your ears and there is zero distortion).
I should probably add, in the seat base I have the metal sound deadened and also when I was insulating and sound proofing everything, I didn the inside of the door skin, but not outside as I didn’t feel like drilling out the rivets back then, but the door woofers are only there for mid bass anyway and sound great.
Total cost of upgrade:
Jbl nano pro £155
Lc2i £102
Wire and fuse £5
Screws, foam and wood I already had.
I honestly do not think that there would be any solution for £262 that would sound better. And that is coming from someone who has had HK, Bose, and numerous aftermarket phoenix gold, audison and focal installs to name a few.
It does take time though and require a fair bit of wiring in and routing / securing stuff, as well as tuning yo get the best out of the setup, but I enjoy tinkering anyway
Thanks.
A while back I looked at the cost of upgrading the factory head unit or components.
After reviewing multiple options I decided to try a route I have gone before on a few factory systems.
I spent a long time looking unto active subs, and I wanted to maximise space and not have huge boxes or amps.
I ended up purchasing a JBL nano pro.
I had some iso pins in my toolbox from a previous install so, I went to the local auto-factors and bought 6 meters of speaker cable and an in-line fuse for about £5.
Popping out the head unit is the easiest unit U have ever removed. Trim tool to pop out the surround, a couple of torx screws and its out - literally 5 minutes.
I divided the cable into exactly two, crimped the wires to the pin, pushed it into the block and here we had my high level output for the sub.
I ran the cables foen the back of the dash and along the original loom to the passenger seat.
The JBL nano is heavy, and a quality bit of kit. Its VERY small, and I didn’t have any huge expectations for it. It also features an auto power on and off which it utilises the signal on the speakers wires / high level to switch on and off - no problems at all using that over the past couple of months.
Trying to tune the sub was a challenge. Due to the horrible factory bluetooth composition media unit dsp, you either have booming bass low down and moderate bass at high volume, or lower bass at low volume and no bass over about 1/3rd volume.
After a lot of research I settled on the lc2i and purchased one but hadn’t had chance to fit it yet.
Today I finally went out and tackled the job, I piggy backed the power and ground from the JBL nano feed and switched high level from the sub to the lc2i.
I then added the rca cable from the lc2i to low level on the JBL nano.
Now, I played with it for a good hour, and, honestly it seemed to do nothing at all. But after reading up further and discovering I had hit the phase button on the sub (so the components and sub were cancelling each other out at higher volumes) it started to sound a LOT better. After another good 45 mins or so tweaking I am hapoy to report that the factory system is now absolutely banging - on par with premium systems I have had in other vehicles.
The JBL nano is bolted to a wooden base in the passenger seat, and the lc2i to the back inside the seat base.
The sub is set to 100hz, with gain and bass etc all in the middle, and the stupid bass boost remote disconnected.
The lc2i threshold is approximately at 50%, with bass dial on 1/3rd and accubass at maximum (but not 100% otherwise this causes acubase to always be on and then you get boomy lows again.
Head unit is flat (middle of the slider), with mids slightly increased at about 60% and highs increased perhaps 75-80%
The system now has an immensely ‘clean’ sound. No booming at low volume, and bass, mids and highs all hold together fantastically up to high volume with amazing punch and depth yo yhe sound (50% on the headunit is loud enough that you can’t talk and have to shout ovet it, but it doesn’t hurt your ears and there is zero distortion).
I should probably add, in the seat base I have the metal sound deadened and also when I was insulating and sound proofing everything, I didn the inside of the door skin, but not outside as I didn’t feel like drilling out the rivets back then, but the door woofers are only there for mid bass anyway and sound great.
Total cost of upgrade:
Jbl nano pro £155
Lc2i £102
Wire and fuse £5
Screws, foam and wood I already had.
I honestly do not think that there would be any solution for £262 that would sound better. And that is coming from someone who has had HK, Bose, and numerous aftermarket phoenix gold, audison and focal installs to name a few.
It does take time though and require a fair bit of wiring in and routing / securing stuff, as well as tuning yo get the best out of the setup, but I enjoy tinkering anyway
Thanks.
