2005 GTP - Adding an AMP/Speakers/Aux IN

**OoteR** · 06-06-2010

Hello All,

I'm starting the planning phase of putting some better speakers and possibly (well, most likely) an amp into my car.

It has no monsoon, no cd changer, and has Onstar, but I'm not using it.

Here's what I'm thinking of doing:

1) Keep stock CD Player - I really want to hold on to the stock look, and the chimes etc.

2) Add an AUX-IN, My car does have Onstar (not using it) and no CD player. I've got a MOTO Droid and want to be able to listen to music/audiobooks on my drive to work.

3) Get a bit better speakers (REAR), I have some Kenwood 6x9's for the back that are identical to what my wife has in her car, and I'm happy with them.

4) Get better speakers (FRONT), This is up in the air, I'm willing go with components, but am not looking to do much custom. Otherwise I'll probably go with some Infinity 6.5 coax's.

5) 4 channel amp. This one is optional I guess, but I'd like to at least put the wiring in while I have the car half torn apart. I've got an old Lanzar Optidrive 4100. Nice little amp, worked great for my buddy for a year or two before he sold his car. I'd like to use it if possible, but it does NOT have high level inputs, RCA's only.

So.. my questions:

-For the AUX-in, anyone have any recommendations?
I THINK i need the PAC-GM24, anyone else know for sure? I can take pics of the deck etc if i need too, i understand that there are some differences in them..

-Anyone have a recommended amp wiring kit? I COULD add a 10inch sub in the future, but that's unlikely. I'm betting a walmart kit would probably do fine for me, but if someone knows of a decent kit let me know!

-I'm planning on mounting the amp between the rear speakers, what are you guys using for ground points in the back?

-Are LOC's going to work OK for the speakers? Where should I mount them? Anyone have a recommendation? Walmart seems to sell them here..

- Where do you guys pull the power? up the driver or passenger side?

- Remote on for the amp? I have read this forum and found like 40 different answers to this, is there a wire in the cd harness I can tap or is there an easier one to run with the power?

- Rear deck - It's 4 bolts and yank the seat, I think I can figure that one out from forum posts.. So i don't know if I have a real question, but any advice would be great.

- Front speakers - Should I go with some components, or will that take a bunch more work? I'm thinking that the lanzar isn't a real high rms amp (25?) so it may do better with some coax. I don't want to get in the way of the window, so, which size should I use in the fronts?

Thanks for any help, I know it's a ton of questions. I've done some research, but there is so much on here it's daunting.

**matt5112** · 06-07-2010

Most amp kits are fine. Most of them cheap out on the fuse holder. Make sure its not damaged when you get it (been there)

Strut tower apparently works well for a ground location.

LOC's will work fine, just use the factory rear speaker wires and tap them basically in the trunk.

Pull the power from the fuse box, down behind the P/S pump, through the grommet in the firewall, along the passenger side and into the trunk.

The easiest way to wire that is start from the trunk and go forward. Pull up the carpet on the passengers side and you should see a rubber grommet with the factory wiring harness going through it. pull it out then take a screwdriver and punch a hole in the rubber boot thats further in there. then push the wire down then fish it up.

Whip out the DMM and find a wire that has power (+12 DCV) in the trunk whenever the vehicle is on and off when the ignition is off.

Do you have onstar? Or had? If so, theres a pink wire in the connector that will work fine. You can either tap it or remove the onstar if you dont have a subscription.

No idea on the rear speakers for your car, only the older body style.

Do whatever you are willing to do. Components wont help you much if you're not willing to mount them properly.

Properly entails the tweeter on axis, the tweeter and midwoofer as close as possible, preferably within an inch of each other. (actual distance is based on the crossover frequency which i couldnt tell you since all speakers are different, even ones that are the same "model".

Run stock size unless you can fit larger. Never smaller. 6.5's fit in the sixth gens, no idea on the seventh.

**OoteR** · 06-25-2010

Welp,

I got the speakers in, and the amp in, all the cables pulled and connected up nice, just to find out that the wire I tapped is only 5V (it was in the second set of cables to the stock HU.)

So my amp kicks on.. whenever it feels like it, and then kicks off randomly.

I didn't have DMM to test with, and just used a test light.. It didn't work out well.

Here are the components I put in for the AUX-in and RCA connections.. It took some doing to get the whole mess of wires back in the dash, so be warned!

Amazon.com: GM12-AUXV2 PIE Adjustable Auxiliary Input For 2002-2005 GM / Chevrolet / Cadillac / GMC / Pontiac Class II… (AUX-IN)

Amazon.com: PAC AOEMGM24 Add An Amp Interface, For Select GM Vehicles: Automotive
(ADD AN AMP INTERFACE)

They seem to work, but I tapped a bad wire is all for the remote on (purple in stock wire harness).. So I need to find one that will work.

Does anyone know of a 12v ignition wire in the trunk? Tail lights maybe?

Anyone know of any in the fuse panel that would work? I don't have XM, and couldn't find that pink wire that Matt had suggested.

I have a sunroof, so I can't tap that spot.. I don't think.. The way the wire is currently pulled I could use anything on the passenger side or just find something in the trunk.

**I800C0LLECT** · 06-26-2010

Originally Posted by matt5112

.

Properly entails the tweeter on axis, the tweeter and midwoofer as close as possible, preferably within an inch of each other. (actual distance is based on the crossover frequency which i couldnt tell you since all speakers are different, even ones that are the same "model".

Run stock size unless you can fit larger. Never smaller. 6.5's fit in the sixth gens, no idea on the seventh.

May I disagree?

Within a vehicle environment I'm not so sure that a mid next to a tweeter will promote the best quality. Quality is relative. Crossover points will be different with every speaker and its location; as stated already.

The goal should be to maintain the tweeter and mid on the same vertical axis whether they're next to each other or 20 feet apart. Tweeters on-axis vs. off axis depends on the speaker itself. It also depends on the type of reflections in your vehicle. I can already attest to issues with having leather seats in the car vs. cloth.

Me and matt bicker all the time

His background is home audio. He probably has more experience than I do too. I take more of a theoretical approach with emphasis on processing the music to fit the needs of a much more aesthetically pleasing install. He's a purist and wants the install to mimic an ideal setup.

I've been reading up a lot on how humans perceive "height". Our ears are not very good at processing heights and therefore our brain uses other cues in an attempt to establish height. Even vibrations play a role. It seems that psycho-acoustics could play a big part with installations and the base point for humans interacting with height starts with a focal point on a horizontal plane. Therefore, if you can keep your speakers on the same vertical axis they essentially maintain a similar point of origin.

This allows me to treat the mid and tweet as a single source point when EQ'ing, adding time delay, or other tidbits involved with tuning. However, amplitude and crossover points plays a BIG role in this too. Quality isn't always something you can put your finger on when it comes to car audio. It takes a good application of theory mixed with old fashioned trial and error. Unless you know somebody who's already got your car figured out

**matt5112** · 06-26-2010

I found the pink wire in my onstar wiring harness.

If you must, splice into the switched 12VDC + going to your head unit.

As for rob's comments:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...filtering.html

First link that came up in google, and I dont even like that place that much. Its run by a nazi.

If you're LOOKING for reflections then yes... the surfaces do matter, but if you're going to avoid them... they don't matter as much.

I agree on the height subject.

CR-V's have great stage height.... but not a single thing else going for 'em haha.

You need to consider CTC to be able to consider them as well else you end up with comb filtering... which is bad :C

**I800C0LLECT** · 06-26-2010

Oh man!!! I like this read already. Great post!! Crossover points directly correlate NOT just to what your speaker can play but location, baffle design, and distance from the other speakers as well. In car audio...NOBODY EVER FIGURES THIS CRAP OUT!!!

But it really is simple. I'm gonna go read this now. I know it's something I've already looked over but there might be some nice info in there somewhere

I will say this...at the end of the day you can read all the tech docs or theory you want but unless you can some how measure the performance of your speaker or convey what you "hear" into fix this or move that, you're still flying blind

**matt5112** · 06-27-2010

By no means is the D'Appolito MTM a proper replacement for a good 3 way setup.

A proper three way >>>>>>>>>> any 2 way no matter how you slice it.

Unless you never turn it up haha.

I can measure frequency response and phase from ~15 Hz up to 8 kHz with enough accuracy to keep me satisfied.... But the goal of audio is to please the listener. Nothing more.

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