Ba Mkii Audio Upgrade

[BillyHayes]

Hi . Ive recently bought a 2005 ba xr6t and am looking to upgrade the audio.

I figure its a standard factory package since it only has a single cd player and not a stacker.

I know my options with regards to adding a complete aftermarket system and seating the deck in the tissie box but has anyone had experience beefing up the system while keeping the stock deck?

Im a sucker for steering wheel controls and will mostly be using my phone as an aux input.

Ive read there is an aux output of sorts behind the fuse box and you can buy a loom/wiring kit that enables you to add things on..its just not LOUD ENOUGH! certainly not for the metal I intend to blast everyone with at the lights

Does the stock system have an amp?

Can it be easily replaced with an aftermarket amp?

Any tips on sub placement?

Whats the easiest way to create an aux in to the stock deck in the meantime?

Cheers !

Cheers

[Dagabond]

Double cheers you'll fit in well Billy...

Your not from werribee by chance...we may be related.

...thousand threads on the topic.

[The Jizard]

Stock XR low end audio system is sh*t, sh*t and sh*t. You can put in an amplified AUX input and replace the speakers but that is as good as it gets, 9 times out of 10 adding an amp via a line out converter will end up with a hissing noise that will annoy the sh*t out of you.

Best bet is a stand alone system using a PAC or CAT steering wheel control kit for your new head unit.

[ALIAS-XR6T]

I have an extremely beefed up system, all running off the factory ICC.

It can be done. There are a few tricks in the trade that will remove all engine noise through the system. But that comes from over 10 years experience in the car audio industry.

You cannot see one bit of aftermarket gear in my ute, but by god is it clear and extremely loud (when I want it to be)

I've helped out a few guys on here already.

Anyone who tells you it can't be done, have only run into the common problems associated with the factory ICC and have not been knowledgeable enough in audio electronics to get around them.

Edited 16/05/13 02:51 AM by ALIAS-XR6T

[howitzer85]

Care to share some of that knowledge?

[ALIAS-XR6T]

There is an old thread with all the work I had done to achieve. I have copy and pasted it below.

So just to clarify,

I have a stock Ford ICC (so I can maintain factory look and controls) tapped early as possible in wiring loom from behind the ICC and used the most shielded, thinnest wire I could find (to eliminate as many positive electrical signals in it's pathway) and have them wired into an Aerpro AP3044.

That wiring goes from under the ICC, to under the centre console (where the line level converter is stashed) and then RCA leads from out under the centre console off to the amplifier. Now there is no wiring up the centre console and where I tapped, the wiring leaves individually and comes in no contact with any other looms that would contain positive wires.

So the only contact it really gets, is with any of the positive wires bundled in that loom coming out the back of the ICC before I tapped. Which is obviously not enough to interfere as I have a perfect signal.

It really is amazing how much signal noise you eliminate when giving them an interference free path. I only ever thought it was big 8/4 gauge power wires that gave interference. But it's really any positive wire over a certain gauge.

And believe me guys, this stereo is LOUD! so it's not like I don't have the gains up high enough to hear it. And it's powering up a big RMS 5 channel amplifier.

It's also all bout the tune too. Just because you have a clean enough signal, doesn't mean you can't improve it with a tune.

We spent a good 30 mins tuning it by finding the best balance between the initial source, the line level output and the amplifiers gains.

Audio processors are fantastic for gaining lost EQ, adjusting EQ and providing a much more controllable input signal. But they are not miracle machines that eliminate signal noise more than any other converter. That's up to you to clean up, they can only work with what they are given.

If anything didn't make sense, feel free to PM me.