Sound system installation cost

[icegradner]

Agreed, it's what I would do. Definitely apply sound deadener while you have the door panels off installing speakers.

I recommend the Amazon Basics sound deadener. To me, it's as effective as Killmat or Dynamat at a lower cost. This box is more than enough to do the doors and critical areas in the rear if you do a sub. In fact, I used some of it for my son's vehicle and still have a sheet or two left.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XMF2V77

My regret in this pic is that I didn't apply much if any behind the white cloth deadener that comes from factory. It is just hooked in place and can be easily removed, and I should've put more deadener behind it while I was in there.

None for behind the speaker? Some installs I've seen people do that, is it a space issue?

Edit: Never mind, this is the back side of the trim, not the door itself.

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[Dodeboost]

I went by the shop again friday after work. Decided on alpine type s component set for the front, type s 2 way rears, 10” alpine sub, phoenix gold 5 channel amp. On the shops recommendation I decided to skip the dsp for now and just use line out converters. Had it installed today. Overall I’m pretty happy with it. Clarity/accuracy is night and day, and of course it plays way louder. I’d say volume 15 is about what volume 25 was with the factory system, with no distortion. I’m glad I decided to go with a sub, the single 10 is just enough for me. It sounds fantastic most of the time however on some songs the highs can be a bit harsh coming from the tweeters. The “S” sound in the vocals, particularly. I wasn’t sure if it was coming from the tweeters or the door speakers so I put some towels over the tweeters which helped a lot. It seems to only be on music with lower production quality, so maybe it’s just imperfections in the music which is now being amplified. Wanted to save some $ on the install so I didn’t have them do sound deadening either. I’ll be adding it to the doors and around the tweeters as soon as I get some free time. I’m hoping sound deadening around the tweeters will help tone down the harshness a bit.

 

[Pucman1]

So what was the overall budget on this final setup?

 

[Dodeboost]

So what was the overall budget on this final setup?

$1850. Install took around 7 hours.

 

[colinl]

$1850. Install took around 7 hours.

That's not bad for everything you listed. Any pics of the sub enclosure?

Oh, also assuming you got these, I'm a little curious why crutchfield lists them as not fitting and what your shop may have done to get them in. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500SS65C/Alpine-S-S65C.html

 

[Pucman1]

So component cost was ??? Trying to find out how much I need to up my budget…. It sounds like you music taste is similar to mine!

 

[Dodeboost]

That's not bad for everything you listed. Any pics of the sub enclosure?

Oh, also assuming you got these, I'm a little curious why crutchfield lists them as not fitting and what your shop may have done to get them in. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500SS65C/Alpine-S-S65C.html

Yep those are the ones I have. I noticed that on crutchfield too, not sure what they did. I’ll update here when I take the doors apart to add the deadening. I just went with a small downfiring box on the floor behind the front seat. Didn’t want to lose the tubs under the back seat.

 

[Dodeboost]

So component cost was ??? Trying to find out how much I need to up my budget…. It sounds like you music taste is similar to mine!

So they didn’t give my an itemized break down on the price of everything. I’ve got the speakers, sub, sub box, similar priced amp, loc’s, 4 gauge amp wiring kit, and rca’s in my crutchfield cart and it’s about $1100. I’m missing the speaker wires and possibly some other misc installation gear they used.

 

[Pucman1]

thanks I am trying to figure out the plan of attack….

So they didn’t give my an itemized break down on the price of everything. I’ve got the speakers, sub, sub box, similar priced amp, loc’s, 4 gauge amp wiring kit, and rca’s in my crutchfield cart and it’s about $1100. I’m missing the speaker wires and possibly some other misc installation gear they used.

 

[Thagh0st]

$1850. Install took around 7 hours.

That's a great price you paid for everything, I bet it sounds night and day difference.

I have a feeling it's most likely the song and not the tweeters that are harsh when that happens, or maybe even a reflection thing, is their a way to turn down the tweeter by the crossover by chance? Sound deadening will definitely improve things though, to me it's one of the most important parts of installing speakers, don't forget the butyl rope as well, it's perfect for the beam that goes across.

 

[Dodeboost]

That's a great price you paid for everything, I bet it sounds night and day difference.

I have a feeling it's most likely the song and not the tweeters that are harsh when that happens, or maybe even a reflection thing, is their a way to turn down the tweeter by the crossover by chance? Sound deadening will definitely improve things though, to me it's one of the most important parts of installing speakers, don't forget the butyl rope as well, it's perfect for the beam that goes across.

The crossovers for the tweeters aren’t adjustable unfortunately. Yesterday I added some boom mat sound deadener to the underside of the tweeter grilles and also put a piece of 1/2 oz felt on the opening right above the tweeter. That seemed to help. Still have good detail on the highs but the harshness is reduced. Can’t wait to do the doors and see how good it can get.

what do you mean by the beam? The center bar that goes across on the tweeter?

 

[Thagh0st]

No the beam in your front doors, you'll have two beams, one for your airbag sensors, which don't touch those, and then below it is another beam, here is a picture of mine, put it on the outsides where it meets the flat metal for the door. It's hard to tell because the mega zorbe on mine, I have it circled in red.

 

[Lone Star Proud]

One of the advantages of having marginal hearing is saving money on high end audio upgrades.

 

[Dodeboost]

No the beam in your front doors, you'll have two beams, one for your airbag sensors, which don't touch those, and then below it is another beam, here is a picture of mine, put it on the outsides where it meets the flat metal for the door. It's hard to tell because the mega zorbe on mine, I have it circled in red.

gotcha, thanks. Thought you were talking about the tweeters. Any reason you went with the foam over butyl stuff like dyna mat? Lighter weight? I actually ordered some of both.

 

[Thagh0st]

gotcha, thanks. Thought you were talking about the tweeters. Any reason you went with the foam over butyl stuff like dyna mat? Lighter weight? I actually ordered some of both.

I also used CLD on it as well, I then put the melamine foam on top of that for backwaves from the midbass.

I actually need to take the foam off and redo it all, I need more CLD on mine as I started getting door flexing and had to take my midbass up to 80hz vs the 60hz I was wanting.

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