Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum, having only bought my 8 about 5 weeks ago. I felt the need to gut the audio system, and obviously when it comes to the head unit, that's easier said than done. However, I'm very happy with the Speeline kit, though there is a small gap near the windshield that others have reported as well. Once the head unit is taken care of, the 8 really makes for a good install platform. The doors accomodated the 8" Dynaudio midbass (with an MDF baffle and a little cutting on the stock baffle), and the kick panels made a good home for the Dyn's 3" midrange and 28mm tweeter. I can't stand for the stock head unit not to work, so I connected it to an auxilliary input on the Kenwood brain unit with a line output converter so it can still be used. Anyway, here's the link to my Cardomain site with pics.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2512106

I'm very happy with this install. This car is a sports car, lightweight, performance minded. It's not about big sub boxes and a ton of equipment. The big midbass drivers, driven by 170 watts per side, fill the bottom end out nicely without needing subs. Infinitely better than anything stock. I spent less on the entire system than the stock nav system costs. Let me know what you think.

 

Nice to see someone else with the Speedline kit. Maybe this will end the constant whining out there about the crap job Mazda did integrating the stock HU with the climate control. Anyone without a factory nav system should now have no problem now putting in the aftermarket system of their choice.

 

Thanks for the reply. I wish you could replace the factory head unit easier, but I also don't think a car manufacturer has any obligation to design their audio systems to accomodate the aftermarket (though it would be nice). However, it does appear they went above and beyond to make it difficult to remove (ie. THE BOLT that holds the head unit in. What the heck is that about??). That being said, there's always a way to integrate quality aftermarket gear with enough creativity, ingenuity, and most of all, MONEY! ha ha ha

 

The bolt for the head unit is famous to the extent where if you just say "The bolt" the first thing that comes to mind is the head unit.

I dropped one of them and will be retrieving it when I dynamat the driver's side.

Luckily there are two of them.

How is the LCD mounted in the ceiling?

It is tough to tell how it is mounted.

Nice looking setup, I like how the speakers are laid into the kicks very professional and it looks stock.

Is that a three way component set?

Welcome to the club Otterman.

 

interesting...
that's the first kick panel install i've seen on the 8.
looks great!
welcome aboard...

 

Heck yeah, haven't been keeping up much with the whole possibility of an aftermarket headunit in the RX8...
Seen one other person with this dash add-on but he didn't have a flip-out deck like yours so it didn't give me much of an idea of how one would look mounted there...

This excites me quite alot because I plan on picking up an RX-8 in the spring/early summer and the idea of not being able to use my Kenwood KVT-815DVD unit wasn't all that awesome to be honest...

Thanks for posting the link to your cardomain, love the car and all of your install, looks really pretty tight!

 

Before





After:






Nice rear LCD in ceiling:



Nice leg:



Another front LCD:



Kicks:



More speakers in kick panel:



Trunk amp install (stealthy):





Linked the pics for you Otterman.

 

you say the factory radio still works, what about the display, does it still come on.????

 

Hey, man i was wondering where and how much your kit was for your RX-8? im really wanting to install a dvd player in my 8 and would appreciate all the help i can get thanks guys.

 

so it's not about subs and a ton of equipment, it's more about screeeeens yo! rofl j/k
Nice install, looks very clean

So how many folks here have done an aftermarket HU and kept their factory nav? Anyone? I'm looking for ways to do it, will I be the first? (eek)

 

Very nice Otterman. does anyone know where he got the dash panel from ? or custom made you reckon?

 

Only place I have seen them for sale is on eBay.

 

Sorry guys. There were a few questions about my install I haven't answered. I had back surgery a couple times the last few months and just haven't been on forums. Roof mounted screen is just mounted to a backing plate I had to custom cut to fit behind the headliner. The headliner appears impossible to remove! I just cut the hole and kept trimming everything until it worked. Snaking the wiring was no fun since manuevering the headliner is very difficult. The Dynaudio set is a 3-way with an 8" midbass. I forget the actual model number of the set right now. The factory radio works and the display works as well. The factory stuff remains hooked up as before, with the exception of the speaker wiring. I have the factory unit plugged into the Kenwood auxilliary input. It's handy because I can listen to a CD with the factory HU, while my son watches a DVD running from the Kenwood to the roofmount LCD. The install kit is from Speedline International. I got it on ebay. Fits great with the exception of a small gap at the back of the kit. I'll find a way to eliminate this with zip ties or something when I get time. Thanks for the interest everyone.

 

Otterman, I love Dynaudios...I have the Confidence C1s at home and have used their car stuff in previous cars...I really want to install the 3-way system, but have a few questions

With the tweeters so low in that kickpanel are you getting a good, elevated soundstage?

Did you consider placing the tweeter and midrange on the dash?

Hope your back is feeling better! I have a good friend who just had back surgey and he's on theroad to recovery now.

 

When I put my Eclipse 3-ways in the doors I had to add tweeters to the sail pods to raise the soundstage.

 

Do you have pics?

 

Wow, that's some pretty thin wire to be using for such a long run ... and for such nice speakers!