2010 Silverado Crewcab System Install!

STINSAN3 · March 19, 2011

I've never seen, a hardcore set-up like this with all the sound dampening. Great write up!

This makes me wanna spend moreeee money! ahhhh.

undercover_skank · March 19, 2011

i was thinking about running the foam baffles. anyone have any experience with these?

Foam baffles are a must for speakers powered from a stock head unit or aftermarket head unit, it really adds to the bass, when getting into external amplified range you have to consider both the qts of the driver and the amount of power to it. It can end up the foam baffle does not provide enough air for the driver to operate in in which case you can pack it with acoustic fill. The other problem you may encounter with high power speakers is heat, in that case a few vent holes will work fine.

The point of the baffles is to give the driver the correct amount of air to work in, to add protection and to provide a backstop for the sound emitted from the rear of the driver. When people say adding dynamat to to the doors makes a difference to bass this is what they are really talking about, a sheet of sound deadening covering 20 to 25% of the outside door panel cuts down on the reflection of sound waves from the speaker off the door and back into the passenger cabin. These reflected wound waves act against the ones being produced by the speaker and can end up canceling each other out and reducing the bass.

i see. thanks for the info! it doesnt sound 10xs better after the sound deadening. the mid bass is pretty good right now. i might end up leaving it how it is.

I've never seen, a hardcore set-up like this with all the sound dampening. Great write up!
This makes me wanna spend moreeee money! ahhhh.

haha. go for it. its worth it!

undercover_skank · March 20, 2011

after talking to a rep from crutchfield they said that they dont recommend running the foam baffles when you run 50w+. like super said they said it overheats the speaker when youre running that much power. it woudnt make a difference in sound. nothing too noticeably at least.

my box should be here tomorrow. i ended up going with a new set of subs. i let my brother have my type r's

from the reviews and price range i went with the

Polk Audio MM1040D

it was buy one get one half off from crutchfield. free shipping. the rep said compaired to the type r's these hit cleaner. and theyre perfect for my amp. i cant wait to get these in!

ibag8rfan · March 21, 2011

man, how many system installs have you done? Everything looks phenomenal, and I'd imagine it sounds it too. I'm afraid to take my truck apart to the extent you had to in order to get some of this done..

I'll be starting my system in the next 2-3 months beginning with an indash nav., then subs and will probably do the speakers last. This thread will definitely be used as a reference.

undercover_skank · March 23, 2011

thanks! this is my first like whole complete install from scratch. i was iffy about taking a brand new truck appart too. but it wasnt worth it to pay someone to do something im capable of.

box came in monday. subs will be here tomorrow. ill post some more pics when i get it in. i have to take the back seats out again so i can adjust the amps. thats the only downfall about having them back there

ChevyTech77 · March 23, 2011

What's everybody doing for just adding a sub to the factory system, now-a-days?? I just ordered an '11 ECSB and I will be installing the JL sub and amp out of my current truck, in the new truck, using a custom fit downfire box from Subthump.

Are you guys using high to low input convertors or just running the high input lines into the amp? Anybody got a suggestion for some better sounding door speakers to replace the factory ones? I ordered the UUI system so I will probably just retain the head unit for a while.

Superperv23 · March 23, 2011

What's everybody doing for just adding a sub to the factory system, now-a-days?? I just ordered an '11 ECSB and I will be installing the JL sub and amp out of my current truck, in the new truck, using a custom fit downfire box from Subthump.

Are you guys using high to low input convertors or just running the high input lines into the amp? Anybody got a suggestion for some better sounding door speakers to replace the factory ones? I ordered the UUI system so I will probably just retain the head unit for a while.

What JL amp do you have? Does it have high inputs or just rca low level inputs?

ChevyTech77 · March 23, 2011

What JL amp do you have? Does it have high inputs or just rca low level inputs?

250/1 as I just run the one 10" JL W0 sub. Old school, I know, but this is the best sounding sub that I've ever heard, for the money, and it's still rocking strong after 8 years of hard abuse. I listen to heavy metal/rock mostly so I don't really need much more than that, I figure.

I believe that the amp in fact does have high level inputs but I have always been under the impression that high level inputs are not as clean. Any truth to that or am I OK going high level? That would be easiest for sure seeing as how the speaker wires run under the door sill plates right next to where the sub/amp will be.

Superperv23 · March 23, 2011

What JL amp do you have? Does it have high inputs or just rca low level inputs?

250/1 as I just run the one 10" JL W0 sub. Old school, I know, but this is the best sounding sub that I've ever heard, for the money, and it's still rocking strong after 8 years of hard abuse. I listen to heavy metal/rock mostly so I don't really need much more than that, I figure.

I believe that the amp in fact does have high level inputs but I have always been under the impression that high level inputs are not as clean. Any truth to that or am I OK going high level? That would be easiest for sure seeing as how the speaker wires run under the door sill plates right next to where the sub/amp will be.

8 years ago that would have been one of the slash amp? silver with a black fin heat sink on the top? If so they can work with high level inputs but you have to put rca ends on speaker wires, I dont know if you have ever done that it is simple the center pin is positive and the ring is negative.

For integrating to a factory head unit the simplest, and in my opinion best way, is to use high level inputs if the amp supports it. It is best to have the amp process the signal, why anyone would think that using a passive line out converter is better I do not know, there are some times that one is required if an amp doesnt have high input capability or if the person does not want to spend money a signal processor then it is your only choice. It is a myth that a LOC will give you better sound that a high input as it uses a resistor and a transformer to reduce the voltage of the positive wire. The sound quality depends on the on the quality of these components and in something thats costs $20 they are not going to be very good and I am basing that on the fact I know how much good acoustic resistors cost not a general assumption. Of course a shielded rca cable itself will give you better sound quality but by the time the the signal gets to the rca cable it has already been degraded so all the rca cable is going to do is prevent it from getting worse.

As long as you make sure you set the input input voltage accordingly you will be fine with high inputs. You have to know the resistance of the sub, the rms power of the amp and sub, do some math and use a ac volt meter to figure that out but it takes all of 5 minutes and is worth it when you use high inputs and a factory head unit.

ChevyTech77 · March 23, 2011

8 years ago that would have been one of the slash amp? silver with a black fin heat sink on the top? If so they can work with high level inputs but you have to put rca ends on speaker wires, I dont know if you have ever done that it is simple the center pin is positive and the ring is negative.

For integrating to a factory head unit the simplest, and in my opinion best way, is to use high level inputs if the amp supports it. It is best to have the amp process the signal, why anyone would think that using a passive line out converter is better I do not know, there are some times that one is required if an amp doesnt have high input capability or if the person does not want to spend money a signal processor then it is your only choice. It is a myth that a LOC will give you better sound that a high input as it uses a resistor and a transformer to reduce the voltage of the positive wire. The sound quality depends on the on the quality of these components and in something thats costs $20 they are not going to be very good and I am basing that on the fact I know how much good acoustic resistors cost not a general assumption. Of course a shielded rca cable itself will give you better sound quality but by the time the the signal gets to the rca cable it has already been degraded so all the rca cable is going to do is prevent it from getting worse.

As long as you make sure you set the input input voltage accordingly you will be fine with high inputs. You have to know the resistance of the sub, the rms power of the amp and sub, do some math and use a ac volt meter to figure that out but it takes all of 5 minutes and is worth it when you use high inputs and a factory head unit.

Sorry, I should have clarified.... The amp is brand new (less than 3 months old) but the SUB itself, is 8 years old.

Cool info on the high level inputs and I agree, I never saw the real benifit of using a convertor if you could just connect the amp on the high level but I guess that I was believing a mith about that. Thanks for the heads up.

I know that the factory amplified GM systems use low level inputs, to the amp, so I figured that there has to be

some benifit but you'll have to excuse me as I'm not an internal electronic's wiz.

I'm not sure how I can adjust the input for the high level's with a factory head unit. Any more info on that?

Can't remember the sub resistance but the amp and sub are 150 rms, that's why I went with that amp. JL recommends them as a pair.

Any info on component speakers, that will work good with a factory head unit and improve the sound quality at the same time?

Superperv23 · March 23, 2011

Sorry, I should have clarified.... The amp is brand new (less than 3 months old) but the SUB itself, is 8 years old.
Cool info on the high level inputs and I agree, I never saw the real benifit of using a convertor if you could just connect the amp on the high level but I guess that I was believing a mith about that. Thanks for the heads up.

I know that the factory amplified GM systems use low level inputs, to the amp, so I figured that there has to be

some benifit but you'll have to excuse me as I'm not an internal electronic's wiz.

I'm not sure how I can adjust the input for the high level's with a factory head unit. Any more info on that?

Can't remember the sub resistance but the amp and sub are 150 rms, that's why I went with that amp. JL recommends them as a pair.

Any info on component speakers, that will work good with a factory head unit and improve the sound quality at the same time?

Ok so a JX250/1 then? They have high level inputs that you just use butt connectors or rewire yourself, no problem at all.

There is benefit to low level inputs, if the source produces them, I would never tell you to run high level inputs on a after market head unit that had rca preouts. The sounds quality over a pair of rca cables is better, they do however now a days run at higher levels, usually 4v equivalent of 4 watts with 4ohm speakers, because a slightly higher signal is beneficial for sound quality. There is a sweet spot between low and high and 4v is basically it, there were some 8v head units a few years ago but most amps are set to only go to about 5 so that caused overheating and overdriving the amp problems. There just is not a benefit to using a passive device to bleed off voltage before an amp when your amp can do it itself. As far as the factory system it still uses the same style wire but the lower voltage means less heat and less expensive amp failure.

The amp has a input sensitivity dial on it so when it is wired up and before you hook up the sub you want to do is first the math, so if your sub can handle 150watts rms thats what you want the amp to output, keeping in mind you need an amp that has more rms power than sub which yours does. The math is voltage=sqrt(wattsxohms) so I am going to assume you have a 4ohm sub which means the voltage you are looking for is 24.5. So to start you connect your ac voltmeter positive and negative to the amplifier speaker output. The using a song turn the volume of the head unit up to the level that you will listen to it at the loudest and then turn it down a notch. You then need to put on a test tone in the 50 to 70hz range so you have a constant output coming from the amp and when this tons is on turn the sensitivity dial until you reach 24.5v on the meter. After that wire up the sub and your system is set for the recommended power, after that if you want more bass you use the bass boost.

As for components, in my opinion the front factory locations in these trucks are too far apart for components to sound good with out having to attenuate the tweeters or woofer and possibly rear speakers for balanced sound. You are better off just going with coaxials, I always say JL TR series as they works great with low wattage stock head units and then upgrade the front tweeters. The of course add the foam baffles for more bass and be sure to put a bead of silicone around the plastic adapter where it meets the door.

ChevyTech77 · March 23, 2011

Ok so a JX250/1 then? They have high level inputs that you just use butt connectors or rewire yourself, no problem at all.

There is benefit to low level inputs, if the source produces them, I would never tell you to run high level inputs on a after market head unit that had rca preouts. The sounds quality over a pair of rca cables is better, they do however now a days run at higher levels, usually 4v equivalent of 4 watts with 4ohm speakers, because a slightly higher signal is beneficial for sound quality. There is a sweet spot between low and high and 4v is basically it, there were some 8v head units a few years ago but most amps are set to only go to about 5 so that caused overheating and overdriving the amp problems. There just is not a benefit to using a passive device to bleed off voltage before an amp when your amp can do it itself. As far as the factory system it still uses the same style wire but the lower voltage means less heat and less expensive amp failure.

The amp has a input sensitivity dial on it so when it is wired up and before you hook up the sub you want to do is first the math, so if your sub can handle 150watts rms thats what you want the amp to output, keeping in mind you need an amp that has more rms power than sub which yours does. The math is voltage=sqrt(wattsxohms) so I am going to assume you have a 4ohm sub which means the voltage you are looking for is 24.5. So to start you connect your ac voltmeter positive and negative to the amplifier speaker output. The using a song turn the volume of the head unit up to the level that you will listen to it at the loudest and then turn it down a notch. You then need to put on a test tone in the 50 to 70hz range so you have a constant output coming from the amp and when this tons is on turn the sensitivity dial until you reach 24.5v on the meter. After that wire up the sub and your system is set for the recommended power, after that if you want more bass you use the bass boost.

As for components, in my opinion the front factory locations in these trucks are too far apart for components to sound good with out having to attenuate the tweeters or woofer and possibly rear speakers for balanced sound. You are better off just going with coaxials, I always say JL TR series as they works great with low wattage stock head units and then upgrade the front tweeters. The of course add the foam baffles for more bass and be sure to put a bead of silicone around the plastic adapter where it meets the door.

Yes, I just looked it up, it is a JX250/1.

Thanks for all the info. I'll set it up, under your recommendations and go from there.

undercover_skank · March 24, 2011

great info! i never used that input before do i didnt know either.

my zapco amps use a balanced SymbiLink input.

SymbiLink cables allow you to connect our audio components and convert a standard unbalanced audio signal into the fully balanced domain usually only reserved for the type of expensive professional equipment found in recording studios or at your local concert venue. With this type of cabling in your component system it virtually becomes immune to electrical interference in the surrounding environment and much less susceptible to signal degradation over long cable runs. It is for this reason that balanced signal cables are common in professional or industrial applications. ZAPCO has made this technology available for your car. ZAPCO engineers also discovered that a significant amount of low frequency distortion was caused by the pulsating DC current in the automobile chassis, and amplifier power wiring. ZAPCO's balanced SymbiLink technology completely eliminates this distortion. For more information regarding this technology and the type of cable you may require please contact your local authorized ZAPCO dealer.

got the subs in today finally! everything is in. now im breaking in the subs. they recommend it. ill post pics up in a bit

undercover_skank · March 25, 2011

finally got the box and subs in!!!

subthump box! overall its god quality. the fitment is perfect! i love it. it was also on sale!

polk subs. theyre slim. theyre built really well. crutchfield rep said they are just as good as the type r's. but they hit way cleaner. just not as loud. but for the power my amp is pushing its perfect! if i dont like it ill put the type r in and see how they sound. and my brother can take these. no big deal.

packed a little polyfiber in the box and put the subs in. polk gave allen head screws along with the subs

got it in. i gotta break the subs in. they recommend 10+ hours at low to medium volume. so until then i cant turn it up and adjust the amp. ill let you guys know how i like it once i get it all dialed in. just the little bass im getting right now at low volume and the components sounds great already. im anxious to see how hard and clean theyre going to hit.

Superperv23 · March 25, 2011

I was just looking at their website and it says .83cu ft per chamber so with the poly fill it is going to act like a .9cu ft box or so which will be a little on the big size for those subs, you wont know it until you get it turned up though but if the subs are peaky at low frequencies and poor response at the higher end end of their range you should take the fill out and glue some acoustic foam to the inside top and that will give you flatter response. Of course maybe you already know all of that.

I hate those spring loaded terminals and they really are not suitable to the power you are going to run through them. I would swap them out for some ones with banana plug style terminals, you can get them from parts express mounted in a terminal cup and should be able to find one the same size at the hole drilled for those.

How did you mount the box to the floor?