[iEatMayo]

I have spent countless of hours lurking this forum since purchasing my 2014 Honda Accord LX a little under a year ago. The information on here has been priceless as I contemplate my SQ audio upgrade. The lessons learned have been particularly valuable. I am not an audiophile and struggle with articulating what I am looking for in an audio system. All I know is that the stock audio system in my Accord sounds “flat”. I am looking for a “fuller” sound without being “boomy”, something well tuned that reproduces sound as it was intended to be heard. This description is very generic, I know.

I listen to a wide range of music that is typically streamed on Pandora. My Pandora stations span from EDM to hip-hop to easy listening and classical depending on my mood.

I was hoping to just swap out speakers and call it a day. After reading this forum, this plan has progressed to adding an amplifier to now adding an amplifier and a sub woofer. My build will include the following.

JL Audio XD700/5 *updated from XD600/6
JL Audio HD-RLC
Polk Audio MM6501
Unknown Shallow Mount Subwoofer with Sealed Box

Metra 71-1729 Radio Harness (x2)
Metra 70-1729 Radio Wiring Harness (x1)

Stinger RKX36B Roadkill Expert Series Sound Damping Material (purchased)
Scosche SAHC634 Speaker Adapter
KnuKonceptz KCA Complete 4 Guage Amp Installation Kit
KnuKonceptz Ultimate Positive and Negative Battery Terminal with OEM Top Post Adapter
AmazaonBasics 16 Gauge Speaker Wire – 100 Feet
Split Loom (Unknown Size)
KINGLAKE Portable 4 pcs Auto Car Radio Door Clip Panel Trim Dash Audio Removal Installer Pry Tool

I have listed everything I plan on purchasing. If I am missing something or if there are suggestions, please let me know. It will be greatly appreciated. I am a newb at audio upgrades. My experience includes an HU swap a few years back on a VW Rabbit and that is it.

The plan is to use Metra radio harnesses to avoid cutting factory lines. The extra 71-1729 radio harness will be used to replace missing wires. I will run speaker level outputs directly to the XD700/5 that will be mounted to the underside of the rear deck. FL will feed CH1/CH2, RL/RR will feed CH3/CH4, and FR will feed SUB CH. CH1/CH2 will power the tweeters, CH3/CH4 will power the mid bass, and SUB CH will power the sub bass. I will run new speaker wires and abandon stock speaker wires in place. The rear speakers will be removed to facilitate sound movement from the subwoofer in the trunk to the cabin.

I had plan on going the PPI P900.4 and LC7i route but decided to pay a little bit more to get the XD700/5 for its brand name/reputation and for the ability to run my tweeters with an active crossover. Another reason was to simplify the installation (no need for an LOC and a pair of crossovers). I decided on the MM6501 from the endorsement it received. The only negative I’ve read on the MM6501 was that the tweeters were a bit “bright”. I plan on mitigating this, if necessary, with the gain control on the XD700/5.

Questions I have on the installation are as follows.

1. I plan on using a 5-channel amp that will be supplied by only 4 channels. Will my plan, as stated above, work? Are there suggestions on improving it? The reason I am planning on using a 5-channel amp is to have active crossover for my tweeters.

2. The fit, or should I instead say the lack of fit, of the Scosche SAHC634 has been well documented. Is there a better set of speaker adapter out there? I rather not dremmel my doors. [Answered]

3. I have read discussions on the need to seal the mid bass with the speaker grill in the trim. The seal is broken due to the shape of the stock speaker mounts and its single screw up top. I am not sure why a seal is required between the mid bass and the speaker grill in the trim. Is the seal that is required due to an opening that exists with the door (i.e., an opening with the sheet metal and not the plastic)? [Answered]

4. I plan on purchasing a shallow mount sub woofer in a sealed box. How would one go about mounting a shallow sub woofer box in the trunk? I plan on having it stand against the back seat, which lends itself to toppling. By the way, the sub woofer is where I plan on scrimping.

5. I could not find discussions on the size of the split loom others are using. I assume they are either 3/8 inches or 1/2 inches in diameter. I plan on using the split loom for the 4 gauge wire that supplies the amp and the eight speaker wires that run from the HU to the amp and from the amp to the speakers in the front doors. I am curious what fits better beneath the trims, two 3/8 inches or a single1/2 inch (this assumes all eight speaker wires will not fit in a single 3/8 inch loom; power and speaker wire will run along different sides of the car)?

6. There is a “nav-back-menu buttons” approach to disable ANC. Why are people still disabling ANC physically? [Answered]

I apologize if any of the above questions have been addressed/discussed. I tried my best to look for the answers before posting my first post. Wish me luck on my install! Thank you!

 

[@ndy]

You cannot run your front stage active without a processor, active capable head unit or amplifier with bandpass channel (both high and low pass on channels, the XD600/6 can't do that).

If those Polks have biampable crossovers, you could adjust the tweeters and mid bass gains separately without any of the above mentioned gear.

If you're going to use the stock head units speaker level outputs directly to an amp, you need an amplifier that accepts high/speaker level inputs (again the XD600/6 can't do that).

Because the stock head unit (non premium versions) attenuate lower frequencies, you'd want to have either a LOC with bass restoration (LC7i is a popular choice) or a DSP (you could run active this way) to reproduce a full range signal. This is probably part of why you're looking for a "fuller" sound.

A few reasons to seal the speaker to the grill. You don't want sound to get stuck between the door panel and the door frame itself, otherwise this can cause resonances and in some cases additional rattles.

You want to block the front and rear sound waves of the speaker from each other. If these two meet, you get cancellation and will have reduced output. Sealing the speaker will help some, but using a rigid material like aluminum flashing or a heavy material like MLV to seal the access holes in the door frame will do a much better job.

 

[iEatMayo]

Thanks for the reply! It looks as though I need to take a closer look at the XD600/6. I may have mistaken its capability with another XD or XDv2 in my research. In the end, I want an amp that can accept speaker level inputs to simplify my install and to have less equipment to mount.

Your explanation on why you need to seal the speaker to the grill makes sense. This will be something I will pay attention to during my install.

It looks like the amp I am looking for is the XD700/5 for my build. I am glad @ndy pointed this mix-up out before I placed my order. If I run this amp, how does my build look? Speaker level inputs directly to the amp. CH1/CH2 to my tweeters, CH3/CH4 to my mid bass, and SUB CH to my sub bass. Per the Owner's Manual (pp. 7) "The XD700/5’s input sections are designed to accept signal voltages from 100mV – 4V. This will accommodate all preamp level signals and many speaker level signals." Is the stock HU outputting signal voltage withing this range?

Does anyone have insight on any of my other questions?

 

[jb4674]

Regarding the Scosche adapters...

I called Scosche last week and they told me that the SAHC634 will not work in our cars and that Crutchfield shouldn't be advertising them as such.

I have ordered the Best Kits speaker adapters and they have told me that the adapters will work in our cars. The Best Kits adapters are made by the parent company of Stinger (AAMP Of America).

The adapters should be here tomorrow and, I'm planning on installing them maybe next weekend as long as I can figure out how to mount all the other crap that will be going into the trunk.

Also, regarding the ANC disable procedure you mentioned, it doesn't work permanently. Once you turn off the car, it'll reset itself. That's the reason why people disable the module instead.

 

[iEatMayo]

Thank you!

Regarding the speaker adapters, I queried 2013 Honda Accord on BestKit's webpage and no speaker adapters populated. However, I browsed their website and saw the BKHSB524. They look the part. Are these the speaker adapters you ordered? If so, great find!

Good luck with your install this weekend.

 

[@ndy]

I told you the XD600/6 doesn't accept speaker level inputs, but it actually does, just like the XD700/5 you have picked out.

Also, if I were you, I'd buy the Kolossus cable vs the KCA. You technically don't even need the kit since you're not going to be using RCA's. You do need some remote turn-on wire though (the remote turn-on wire is built into the RCA's included in those kits).

 

[iEatMayo]

Thank you! I think I'll go with the Kolossus, which carries more current. And it looks like I'll forgo the kit and just grab just the parts I need. I will do the same for the ultimate battery terminal. It looks like I will only need a positive battery terminal.

 

[josby]

"The XD700/5’s input sections are designed to accept signal voltages from 100mV – 4V. This will accommodate all preamp level signals and many speaker level signals." Is the stock HU outputting signal voltage withing this range?

I measured the voltage on the front outputs using some test tones and saw a max voltage of about 8V. That seems about right - the 160W (40Wx4) rating of the system is probably peak power, so RMS power would be 20Wx4. Using Ohm's law for a four ohm load, 20W would require 9V.

So, if you turn the HU volume up too high, you will clip the inputs of that amp. You could use a multimeter and test tones to find the volume number that corresponds to 4V, and then be sure not to go above that. Although, dynamic music does is not the same as a test tone so you'd probably actually have some amount of wiggle room to go above that.

 

[iEatMayo]

Wow! Thank you for that information. The 8V you measured makes me nervous about this setup. I think I need to do some more research and think this through.

I just glanced at the Owner's Manual for the XD700/5v2 (pp. 7) and the updated model has a high input sensitivity range between 800mV and 8V. One of the three changes for the XDv2 update was the input voltage switch that apparently bumped up the range to 8V. However, I am pretty sure it is harder to find a deal on an amp that is not discontinued.

 

[Lashlee]

The XD700/5 is a great amp, and the Polk's sound good. You cannot run them bi-amped through the included crossover. I would look into making a set of speaker adapters yourself with some HDPE.

 

[jb4674]

Thank you!

Regarding the speaker adapters, I queried 2013 Honda Accord on BestKit's webpage and no speaker adapters populated. However, I browsed their website and saw the BKHSB524. They look the part. Are these the speaker adapters you ordered? If so, great find!

Good luck with your install this weekend.

Those are the speaker adapters that I purchased. They just came in about 20 mins ago and they look nice. The adapters themselves have countersunk holes and they even come with 2 screws to mount them to the doors. I've got to tell you, these speaker adapters feel nice and solid and the fact that they have a countersunk hole for the screw, gives them a plus in my book thus far. I'm hoping that they'll work and I don't have to modify anything to make them fit.

I also received the turn-on relay kit that I ordered and it looks quite nice (I know I went overboard on this but, I didn't want to have any issues with the remote wire not supplying enough juice to everything I'm going to be using).

I ordered the Karma speaker wire (150ft) from knukonceptz along with their ultimate positive battery terminal, the top post for it and some mini anl fuses for the distribution block. That should be in this week sometime.

 

[XMan714]

The Scosche SAHC634 speaker adapters require some modification to work. The main bolt doesn't line up, so you have to cut it. I used a pair of wire cutters and round metal file to open up the entire area. It allowed me to use the factory bolt to line up and hold the adapter in place. I used dynamat so the ring doesn't sit directly on metal. Then I mounted the speaker after the adapter was already in place. Fortunately the 6.5" coaxial Polk Audio DB651 lined up perfectly with the adapter. Everything was snug. No rattles.

 

[iEatMayo]

Those are the speaker adapters that I purchased. They just came in about 20 mins ago and they look nice. The adapters themselves have countersunk holes and they even come with 2 screws to mount them to the doors. I've got to tell you, these speaker adapters feel nice and solid and the fact that they have a countersunk hole for the screw, gives them a plus in my book thus far. I'm hoping that they'll work and I don't have to modify anything to make them fit.

Great! Looks like I'll be getting the BKHSB524 for my install.

 

[iEatMayo]

The Scosche SAHC634 speaker adapters require some modification to work. The main bolt doesn't line up, so you have to cut it. I used a pair of wire cutters and round metal file to open up the entire area. It allowed me to use the factory bolt to line up and hold the adapter in place. I used dynamat so the ring doesn't sit directly on metal. Then I mounted the speaker after the adapter was already in place. Fortunately the 6.5" coaxial Polk Audio DB651 lined up perfectly with the adapter. Everything was snug. No rattles.

I am hoping the BKHSB524 will eliminate the need for any modification work. But I do like your approach and will keep it in mind as a backup. Thank you for sharing!

 

[jb4674]

Just a heads up, I took the adapters out the bag to test fit my old MB Quart Speakers and they fit perfectly. Although I haven't fitted them into my car yet, I did see that the speaker bracket will need to be installed into the car first before the speakers are mounted onto the bracket because the speaker goes over the mounting screw and there's no way to put the screw into the hole through the speaker.

 

[XMan714]

Yeah, and in my case I was very much against cutting any metal from the rear deck or door. I'd rather cut up a piece of plastic and have that all jacked up rather than the car. Others had no qualms about cutting metal and using custom speaker adapters. It's up to you. Good luck!

 

[jb4674]

Yeah, and in my case I was very much against cutting any metal from the rear deck or door. I'd rather cut up a piece of plastic and have that all jacked up rather than the car. Others had no qualms about cutting metal and using custom speaker adapters. It's up to you. Good luck!

I agree. That's not the proper way of doing things.

 

[XMan714]

I just remembered there was a thread where someone purchased 3/4 inch mdf speaker adapters. I found some on Amazon. Yet another option.

Amazon.com: 3 Case Pack Kit 6.5" MDF Speaker Subwoofer Spacer 3/4" Rings with Gorilla Glue: Electronics

 

[jb4674]

You don't want to use mdf as a speaker adapter in your doors.

 

[XMan714]

I stand corrected. Don't use them in your doors (risk of moisture absorbing). For the rear deck, the mdf speaker adapters can be an option.