Oats Audio Log
 

I decided to start working on my stereo system. I don't think the stock Bose is terrible but my Bluetooth doesn't work and I think the rears don't sound good (currently have the fade set to mostly front).

I ordered a Sony XAV-AX100 head unit the other day when they were on sale at Newegg. I still need to order the PAC module and Metra kit (waiting to get the newegg gift card from the head unit purchase).

I'm sound deadening the doors tomorrow with some left over Raamat BXT. I have the door dings removed in the morning.

After the sound deadening and head unit install I'm not sure what will happen next. I'm thinking about replacing the rear speakers and powering them from the head unit. Or replacing all the speakers and getting an Alpine 4x45w mini amp. The Sony XAV-AX100 has a double din face but a single din chassis so there should be more than enough room for the amp in the dash.

I've also been thinking about a sub but I want it to be easily removable. I looked at the Infiniti Basslink but it is expensive. I also looked at the Rockford Fosgate Punch P300-10. I saw somebody on here post they had one and it fit perfectly under the rear deck.

Got everything back together after installing the dampening material in the doors. The speakers sound better and the door has a much nicer thud when closing.

I decided to try and buff some scratches out of the gloss black door panel pieces and ash tray cover. The ash tray cover was the worst and I ended up buffing through the gloss black a little bit. So I went a little easier on the door pieces and reduced some of the scratches.

I finally got the Metra kit yesterday. Newegg marketplace seller took forever to ship it out. The trim ring that goes around the radio is textured dull black. I'm going to spray it gloss, think it will look nicer. I already have the paint out since I painted the scratched up ash tray cover and the shift surround.

This has been going slower than I wanted. Things keeping popping up and the car stereo isn't high on the priority list but I got a few things done.

I got the PAC module and wiring harness all connected and ready to go. Got the head unit installed in the metra kit, and installed the newly painted trim ring.

I am very happy with the trim ring. It was duller looking and more textured than the head unit so it stood out a lot. Now it blends with the metra kit. Here are a few pics.

Got everything installed, works and looks great. With the PAC module I was able to set the clock and enter custom text in the LCD display.

One little issue I ran into is the PAC module defaults the steering wheel bluetooth button to Mute for Sony. PAC doesn't have a voice command for Sony either so it can't be programmed. The Sony XAV-AX100 lets you remap your steering wheel controls so I can make the Bluetooth/Voice button do Voice but then I ran into another problem. It requires you to remap all of you buttons and to do so you have to hold the button down for 3 seconds. With the PAC module if you hold the Mode button down for more than a second it enters setup and releases the button, preventing the Mode button from being mapped. So my options are a Voice button that mutes or a Voice button that works with a Mode button that does nothing.

So I have been happy with the head unit so far and love Android Auto, especially with official Waze support now. I was also able to program the Mode button on the steering wheel by just pressing it rapidly instead of holding it like the directions say.

I finally started part two today, new speakers.

I picked up some cheapish Rockford Fosgate 6.75" speakers for the front and matching 6x9s for the rear. I'm running new speaker wire so all the factory wiring will be there in case I sell the car in the future. I ran RCA cables to the trunk as well, I plan on at least adding a sub and possible a 4 channel amp later. I will just have to run power wire when I get to that point. I did the rear today and didn't take any pictures. I'll do the front tomorrow and hopefully remember to take a few pics.

Forgot to post an update. The speakers sound good just running off the head unit. Maybe a little less midbass, but I don't have to worry about the Bose amp crapping out on me. I will probably just add a subwoofer and quit there, I don't think I need to amp the speakers.

I made the speaker adapters out of Walmart cutting boards ($4 ea).

Interesting idea about the speaker adapter, did you use a dremel to cut it? I got a set of Focal ISs 200 before they stopped selling them for the doors and tweet replacement as they are supposed to have very good midbass and the tweets range pretty low (they are 8" components). I think I am going to stay with the stock head unit and run the inputs into a 5 channel amp to each of the speakers and a sub. Someone awhile back did some tests and found the stock head unit signal was flat and that Bose changed everything at the amps. I am toying with the idea of going the new head unit though, just need to decide whether I want to spend the $$ on a new head unit or not.

I just used a jig saw to make the adapters. I thought about getting out the router/table setup to make them perfect but decided nobody will ever see them. The cutting board idea I found out about when I googled what to make adapters out of.

If the bluetooth worked on my stock headunit I might have stayed with it. However, now that I have Andriod Auto I am glad that I changed it, I would have been missing out if I kept the stock unit.