# Aftermarket speaker install on '05 w/o Bose



## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

Well, the stereo upgrade on my '05 Altima is finally underway. I began this week by replacing all four stock speakers with some nice JBL two-way units (GTO926 6x9" rears, GTO626 6-1/2" fronts). I opted not to pay the extra money for 3-way units because the extra treble is only useful for rap and techno, neither of which I listen to regularly. As for component sets, they're unnecessarily complex for my audio needs and I couldn't justify the extra cost.

The rear speakers required no modification to install, and simply dropped right into the stock speaker location using stock bolts. However, it was a major pain to get at them, and involved removing the entire back sear, C-piller covers (careful of those side-curtain airbags!), brake lamp housing, etc., and finally the parcel shelf cover (which has the grilles molded into it). It took me about an hour all said and done, but I'm not a pro installer and I had no instructions on how to do this. Kinda just felt my way along.

The front speakers were much more difficult overall. My '05 (and I assume previous-year L31's as well) use an entirely plastic speaker frame. This frame pushes the stock speaker out from the metal door by about 1-1/2". This plastic frame then pushes up against a foam seal located on the inside of the interior door panel's speaker grille (you got all that?).

I decided that bolting the speakers directly to the metal door frame way not the way to go. The main reasons were clearance (possible interferance with the window when it's down), and the fact that I didn't want to drill any new holes in the metal door. And the JBL-supplied plastic and metal brackets were useless for this install, btw. So the custom route I went..

I began by cutting apart the stock speakers using a dremel so only the plastic outside ring and mounting ears remained. I then epoxied the new JBL speaker onto the remaining part. The downside to this approach is that it increases the overall height of the speaker unit, which causes clearance problems with the inside of the door panel. So, after removing the foam ring from the inside of the door panel, I sliced about 1/4" off the inside of the speaker grille using the dremel and then reapplied the foam ring. You could also do this using a utility knife and thick blades if necessary. I also retained the stock wiring connector on the plastic frame, and simply created a patch cable to go from the stock leads on the inside to the new speaker's leads and soldered it into place for a solid connection.

I am likely going to disconnect the factory tweeters, as quite frankly they're mounted in a bad location anyway. According to some audiophiles I know, tweeters should never be more than 5-6" away from the mid-range speakers, as it throws the soundstage out of whack due to the phase variances caused (i.e. the sound from the tweeters gets to your ears sooner than the mid-range does). Ever notice how high-end home theatre systems always mount the tweeter close to the mid-range? Now you know why.

Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of this little project (friend has my digicam), but I'll try to take some next time I open up the front doors.

*Audio Upgrade Plans*


Clarion DXZ845MC Head Unit
JBL BPX500 500W Sub Amp (??)
JBL PX300.4 4-Channel Amp (??)
Haven't decided on sub...


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## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

Blitz,

Sounds like a lot of work, how much better will the end result be that the Bose package? cuz, I'll be honest, the main reason I got the leather package was that I was sold on the Bose rather than going custom.. (you know, that cost / benefit thing)


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

mr.happy said:


> Sounds like a lot of work, how much better will the end result be that the Bose package? cuz, I'll be honest, the main reason I got the leather package was that I was sold on the Bose rather than going custom.. (you know, that cost / benefit thing)


Well, according to an installer I know who sells high-end systems like Nakamichi, Clarion and JBL, the factory Bose systems in most cars aren't as good people like to think they are and/or the manufacturers claim they are. They are better than the stock system for sure, but usually not as good as a DECENT aftermarket setup (i.e. $1k and up). I can't comment on the Bose system because I've never actually heard it in an Altima.

I didn't get the sunroof/leather/bose packages for two main reason: (a) I don't like leather or sunroofs that much, certainly not enough to pay another CAD$3k+; and (b) I figured an aftermarket sound system would be equal or better to the bose for less money (obviously because I'm not paying for leather and sunroof I don't want anyway).

Also, from what I've heard the Bose system is hard to upgrade later due to the fact that each speaker has its own little amp built-in. Not sure if that's entirely how it is, but sounds typical of Bose.

So yeah, it's an ambitious project, but the end result will be something that is custom-tailored to my liking with excellent sound quality (that's what I'm after, not thumping bass), as opposed to something that is designed to please everyone, which inherently causes severe compromises.

I'll update this thread as my project moves along..


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

Update time!

I've decided to take this project in a slightly different direction for the time being. You see, ever since I replaced the factory speakers with the JBLs the overall sound quality, and specifically the low-end sound, has been severely reduced. It's likely this is because the JBLs are 4-ohms and the stockers were 2-ohms, which effectively reduces the power output of the stock deck's amp by half. And I'm sure it wasn't all that impressive to begin with. Plus the JBLs are rated for 60W/100W RMS front/rear, and I doubt the stock deck every pushed out more than 10W RMS to begin with.

So, while I sort out my aftermarket sound system I've decided to put in a basic (CAD$229) Pioneer 4-channel amp. It has speaker level inputs, so I'm going to drive it off the stock deck for the time being. It puts out 50W RMS per channel, so it should make those JBLs sit up and take notice.

And I'm not skimping on the wiring because I may upgrade to a larger 4-channel amp later. So I went with a Rockford Fosgate 'Power' wiring kit, which comes with some nice wires, spade connectors and clear fuse holder, which could support a much larger amp if needed.


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

Update time!

Well, as with most projects this one is getting more complex and involved by the day. I've decided that while I've got the interior all pulled apart to install the 4-channel amp under the passenger seat, I might as well run a set of RCAs and an 8-guage power wire to the trunk for the amp/sub I'm going to add in a few months time.

But this complicates the wiring a bit. I was originally going to run a simple 8-guage wire from the battery to under the passenger seat. However, I'll now have to either run two 8-guage wires (one for each amp), or run 4-guage from the battery to the passenger seat, and then 8-guage to the trunk from there. I'm leaning towards the latter option, as I prefer a better installation over a cheaper one.

Has anyone got advice on where to run a 4-guage wire through the firewall? Most other cars I've wired up in the past (using 10- or 8-guage) had spots where I could just shove it through. Or would I be better off just having the local car audio shop get that cable through for me? Any advice will be appreciated!


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

P.S. I'm going to take pictures of the install tomorrow, so check back here tomorrow night if you want to see 'em.


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## blitzboi (Apr 13, 2004)

Update time!

As promised, here are some pics of the install... enjoy!

1. Looking at the head unit with plastic surround removed. Note: as expected the stock head unit does *NOT* have RCA pre-outs.









2. The space where the covered binacle or NAV screen would be









3. Under the passenger-side dashboard where the glove box would be (temporarily removed). You can see some of the new wires hanging loose in the top-left of the pic (I'll tie them up later).









4. Shown is a 4-guage power/ground wire kit with gold-plated ANL-type fuse block and 4/8-guage fused distribution block from Stinger, and RCA cables from Monster Cable. I'll be installing these tomorrow (hopefully if I'm not too busy with work stuff). The distro block is going to be mounted under the passenger seat alongside the Pioneer 4-channel amp. I also have an 8-guage wiring kit that will run from there into the trunk for a sub to be added later.









5. Pioneer GM-4000F 50W x 4-channel (RMS) Amplifier (link to Pioneer site).


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