Upgrading the sound system on your Jeep Wrangler TJ

[Mercury]

I'm surprised I've never noticed this thread before! Glad to see some folks putting effort into their TJ systems; too many people write off good audio quality because of the TJ's acoustics. Poor acoustics can, in many cases, be overcome.

I'm trying to figure out the best places to put two of my amps. I have a NVX micro tweeter/midrange amp under the passenger seat, my DSP under my driver's seat, and for right now my Taramp Smart 3K and my little Soundstream micro-ish midbass amp are temporarily fixed under the rear bench seat. At one point I had an amp zip tied under the steering column, but I don't like the lack of ventilation in there.

I don't want to give up too much storage space, and I like being able to tumble my seat forward for storage, and while my Jeep build isn't entirely stealth it's still nowhere close to advertising.

Anyone have any good install location ideas?

 

[skrelnik]

I'm surprised I've never noticed this thread before! Glad to see some folks putting effort into their TJ systems; too many people write off good audio quality because of the TJ's acoustics. Poor acoustics can, in many cases, be overcome.

I'm trying to figure out the best places to put two of my amps. I have a NVX micro tweeter/midrange amp under the passenger seat, my DSP under my driver's seat, and for right now my Taramp Smart 3K and my little Soundstream micro-ish midbass amp are temporarily fixed under the rear bench seat. At one point I had an amp zip tied under the steering column, but I don't like the lack of ventilation in there.

I don't want to give up too much storage space, and I like being able to tumble my seat forward for storage, and while my Jeep build isn't entirely stealth it's still nowhere close to advertising.

Anyone have any good install location ideas?

Under the steering wheel is all good, or you could consolidate with an amp with built in DSP. I have a Match PP86 amp/DSP under the steering column. All class D amps are fine under there. Class A could give an issue, but no way on a Class D. So many members have their amps in that location.

Would love to see pics of your build...

 

[Mercury]

Under the steering wheel is all good, or you could consolidate with an amp with built in DSP. I have a Match PP86 amp/DSP under the steering column. All class D amps are fine under there. Class A could give an issue, but no way on a Class D. So many members have their amps in that location.

Would love to see pics of your build...

I had an amp under there for a while, got hotter than heck but never stopped. Maybe I could look into one of those duct fans on a toggle or temp switch

I'll see what pictures I have. I'm redoing some of the wiring, too much is running over the passenger floorboard and that creates issues for back seat passengers. Cable management is the worst

I have a set of NVX tweeters on my a-pillars and 5.25s in my dash in speaker pods that I covered with CLD. Speaker bar NVX 6.5 component woofers in the speaker bar, which was also treated inside with CLD. NVX 10" sub in a down-firing ported box I built. NVX 75x4 driving the tweeters and dash speakers, Soundstream 250x2 driving the sound bar, Taramp Smart 3K on the sub. Dayton 408 under the driver's seat. Side note: nothing like a DSP with a phone app, on-the-fly tuning rocks.

Next project: I'm going to make a set of kick panel pods for the 6.5s currently in my speaker bar.

What are you rocking?

 

[Reign Mack]

Yeah, DS18 is more for show than quality, but I get you on fitment, looking for a speaker to fit is tough. How about Helix, they are in Europe and they have a couple coaxial options, as well as components.

Unfortunately, I tried to install today but there is no way to do so unless I remove the hard top, which wikll take me some time considering we are in the middle of snow these days, so when time permits I can drop it in. Trying to remove those speaker pods screws with the hardtop on just sucks, but as for the wiring, on one of the long sides of the soundbar there is a inward curve, and that is where I intend to have the wires come in and out, both the wires from the amp and the lights. Will be a small hole since I am using a mono-amp.

Yes I had that experience changing my original soundar out when I had a the hardtop, i run softtop year round now so should be able to get this done next weekend.

Im all done for hardware now as the replacement tweeter showed up,


im using the crossover that came with the blam lives


just be using some tessa tape and acoustic padding inside the bar and the parts that will make contact with the sportsbar.


Also had this spacer made for the sub woofer to avoid it making any contact.

,

 

[skrelnik]

I had an amp under there for a while, got hotter than heck but never stopped. Maybe I could look into one of those duct fans on a toggle or temp switch

I'll see what pictures I have. I'm redoing some of the wiring, too much is running over the passenger floorboard and that creates issues for back seat passengers. Cable management is the worst

I have a set of NVX tweeters on my a-pillars and 5.25s in my dash in speaker pods that I covered with CLD. Speaker bar NVX 6.5 component woofers in the speaker bar, which was also treated inside with CLD. NVX 10" sub in a down-firing ported box I built. NVX 75x4 driving the tweeters and dash speakers, Soundstream 250x2 driving the sound bar, Taramp Smart 3K on the sub. Dayton 408 under the driver's seat. Side note: nothing like a DSP with a phone app, on-the-fly tuning rocks.

Next project: I'm going to make a set of kick panel pods for the 6.5s currently in my speaker bar.

What are you rocking?

NVX is some underrated stuff. I love Sonic's stuff, and enjoy using their site over Crutchfield. Looks like you love them more than me though!!!

Nice setup you have going.

I have had so many audio combinations over the years, in this TJ. Relocating the tweeters to the dash/a-pillar is the single best audio mod. Currently I have that Match PP86DSP driving up 7 channels, up front some micro precision tweeters (in dash pods) and Focal 5.25", middle console has an 8" ground zero woofer, then the overhead pods have BLAM 5.25". Then the PP86 has a DSP channel dedicated to a line out, which connects to a Soundstream amp that is driving a pair of 10" subs in the rear cargo area, with a quick disconnect so I can remove when I need to use that space.

Thanks to @Reign Mack he found a killer sale on an American Soundbar that holds four 8"...so those 5.25" BLAMs are being replaced with four Helix shallow mounts subs, and the Soundstream amp is being replaced by a different Match amp.

All fun my man! Wireless DSP is awesome to have for switching it up when playing different genres of music. Good stuff!

 

[skrelnik]

Yes I had that experience changing my original soundar out when I had a the hardtop, i run softtop year round now so should be able to get this done next weekend.

Im all done for hardware now as the replacement tweeter showed up,
View attachment 501552

im using the crossover that came with the blam lives
View attachment 501554

just be using some tessa tape and acoustic padding inside the bar and the parts that will make contact with the sportsbar.
View attachment 501556

Also had this spacer made for the sub woofer to avoid it making any contact.
View attachment 501558
,

Good call on that tape and padding. Are using all four 8" spots or are some being used for lights?

 

[Reign Mack]

Good call on that tape and padding. Are using all four 8" spots or are some being used for lights?

This is the full setup I am going with.
Blam Lives on 2 outer 8" spots
Blam Sub on the passenger side inner" (running off mono amp so only one needed really)
4.7" LED puck light inner driver side with dimmer switch in at the centre of sound bar,
DS18 tweeters at the front
3.9" LED puck lights with touch sensitive switches at the back.

 

[Mercury]

NVX is some underrated stuff. I love Sonic's stuff, and enjoy using their site over Crutchfield. Looks like you love them more than me though!!!

Nice setup you have going.

I have had so many audio combinations over the years, in this TJ. Relocating the tweeters to the dash/a-pillar is the single best audio mod. Currently I have that Match PP86DSP driving up 7 channels, up front some micro precision tweeters (in dash pods) and Focal 5.25", middle console has an 8" ground zero woofer, then the overhead pods have BLAM 5.25". Then the PP86 has a DSP channel dedicated to a line out, which connects to a Soundstream amp that is driving a pair of 10" subs in the rear cargo area, with a quick disconnect so I can remove when I need to use that space.

Thanks to @Reign Mack he found a killer sale on an American Soundbar that holds four 8"...so those 5.25" BLAMs are being replaced with four Helix shallow mounts subs, and the Soundstream amp is being replaced by a different Match amp.

All fun my man! Wireless DSP is awesome to have for switching it up when playing different genres of music. Good stuff!

I worked for them (NVX/Sonic), so I got a lot of free stuff. House brand, you know. Not a fan of their speakers, but their micro amps are solid and the 10" sub rated at 700 RMS is hooked to that Smart3K and pounding away.

Totally agree on the tweeters, brings that sound stage up a lot. Did you build your dual 10" box or was it one of the prefabs?

I've never messed with Match DSPs. How do you like it? How's the computer interface? I went from a Twk (which locked up) to the Dayton 408. The software is dated, but decently powerful. I like the shelf filters, though I would kill for an allpass filter. I want to step up to a Helix Ultra 12-out down the road, but that'll be a while.

Man, when I had my Twk, I can't tell you how many times I realized something in my tune was off and I was hours away from my computer. Just being able to tweak the driver gain on the fly is amazing. Now I just need to bust out the mic and do some tuning.

 

[Mercury]

This is the full setup I am going with.
Blam Lives on 2 outer 8" spots
Blam Sub on the passenger side inner" (running off mono amp so only one needed really)
4.7" LED puck light inner driver side with dimmer switch in at the centre of sound bar,
DS18 tweeters at the front
3.9" LED puck lights with touch sensitive switches at the back.

View attachment 501595

Credit where it's due, that's just wild looking. I'm really curious to see how it plays out for you. How many watts are you working with for main drivers and sub?

 

[Reign Mack]

Credit where it's due, that's just wild looking. I'm really curious to see how it plays out for you. How many watts are you working with for main drivers and sub?

the amps I use are
JL Audio XD800/8v2 8 Ch. Class D Full-Range Amplifier, 800 W
JL Audio XD300/1v2 Monoblock Class D Subwoofer Amplifier
head unit: Kenwood DDX9906XR

BLAM Live Power 8" coming off channel 5 and 6 on the XD800 Rated: 100 W RMS @ 2 ohm (14.5V)
BLAM R8EL 8" with the XD300 Rated: 300 W RMS @ 2 ohm (14.5V)

 

[Mercury]

the amps I use are
JL Audio XD800/8v2 8 Ch. Class D Full-Range Amplifier, 800 W
JL Audio XD300/1v2 Monoblock Class D Subwoofer Amplifier
head unit: Kenwood DDX9906XR

BLAM Live Power 8" coming off channel 5 and 6 on the XD800 Rated: 100 W RMS @ 2 ohm (14.5V)
BLAM R8EL 8" with the XD300 Rated: 300 W RMS @ 2 ohm (14.5V)

Solid setup! When do you get it all buttoned in and rocking?

 

[Lorado]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VTyVGdHd2659pZvu8

I can certainly tell you where not to put an amp! Was frustrated with the limited sound I was getting from the overhead speaker bar behind the front seats, so installed modpods in the dash and the side kick panels. Since the stereo deck can only handle a 4ohm load or higher per channel, I used the front rca output of the deck to run a small amp to the kick panel speakers. Unfortunately placing an amp a foot from the interior fuse panel creates a wonderful amount of amp buzz. Who knew. Went back and replaced the RCA's with shielded, also shielded the amp chassis from the side kick panel and spaced the speaker wires away from power cables but no avail. Waiting on a ground loop eliminator to hopefully solve it.

 

[Mercury]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VTyVGdHd2659pZvu8

I can certainly tell you where not to put an amp! Was frustrated with the limited sound I was getting from the overhead speaker bar behind the front seats, so installed modpods in the dash and the side kick panels. Since the stereo deck can only handle a 4ohm load or higher per channel, I used the front rca output of the deck to run a small amp to the kick panel speakers. Unfortunately placing an amp a foot from the interior fuse panel creates a wonderful amount of amp buzz. Who knew. Went back and replaced the RCA's with shielded, also shielded the amp chassis from the side kick panel and spaced the speaker wires away from power cables but no avail. Waiting on a ground loop eliminator to hopefully solve it.

Not to over simplify, but did you confirm you have a solid ground? Wire wheeled down, tested with a DMM? I discovered recently that a new amp ground location I picked out had almost zero continuity.

I was looking at those kick pods. I like them, just wish they were larger so they could support more midbass-specific drivers. How's the output?

 

[Lorado]

Not to over simplify, but did you confirm you have a solid ground? Wire wheeled down, tested with a DMM? I discovered recently that a new amp ground location I picked out had almost zero continuity.

I was looking at those kick pods. I like them, just wish they were larger so they could support a more midbass-specific driver. How's the output?

No worries, the ground is where I first started in chasing the cause down. If the vehicle is off but key is on accessory I get no buzz so I can answer how they sound. Just the dash pods going from mtx thunder 4x6 with a sensitivity of 92 to a 5.25 infinity reference with the same sensitivity made quite the difference. I couldn't hear the dash speakers at all before with the stereo fader centered and now they balance well with the 5.25 mtx in the overhead bar. The kick panel pods are originally designed for 5.25 but I opened them up for some 6.5 infinity reference with 93 db sensitivity on a cheap 600w(not likely) Jensen class D amp. With the gain at half they blend well with the dash pods and have decentish midbass with no sub. They certainly get way louder than my original setup though, so that fulfilled what I was looking for.

 

[skrelnik]

I worked for them (NVX/Sonic), so I got a lot of free stuff. House brand, you know. Not a fan of their speakers, but their micro amps are solid and the 10" sub rated at 700 RMS is hooked to that Smart3K and pounding away.

That is so cool. You must have seen and heard lots of good equipment. Do you know who makes their speakers?

Totally agree on the tweeters, brings that sound stage up a lot. Did you build your dual 10" box or was it one of the prefabs?

I actually have a Match plug and play box. It's a direct plug and play into the amplifier via a harness.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_975PP10ED/MATCH-PP10E-D-Compact-Sub.html

I've never messed with Match DSPs. How do you like it? How's the computer interface? I went from a Twk (which locked up) to the Dayton 408. The software is dated, but decently powerful. I like the shelf filters, though I would kill for an allpass filter. I want to step up to a Helix Ultra 12-out down the road, but that'll be a while.

I've been using them for about 8 years or so and love them. Easy to use, software is amazing, so much flexibility. Their amp/DSP is small and comes in many options. They even have pre made harnesses so you can hook the amp/DSP to a stock head unit. I did this in the TJ at one point, and then sold to another forum member. Highly recommend if one can fit into the budget. Occasionally a used one pops up on eBay.

Man, when I had my Twk, I can't tell you how many times I realized something in my tune was off and I was hours away from my computer. Just being able to tweak the driver gain on the fly is amazing. Now I just need to bust out the mic and do some tuning.

Ha yes, that is convenient feature. Big help when switching music genres.

 

[Mercury]

No worries, the ground is where I first started in chasing the cause down. If the vehicle is off but key is on accessory I get no buzz so I can answer how they sound. Just the dash pods going from mtx thunder 4x6 with a sensitivity of 92 to a 5.25 infinity reference with the same sensitivity made quite the difference. I couldn't hear the dash speakers at all before with the stereo fader centered and now they balance well with the 5.25 mtx in the overhead bar. The kick panel pods are originally designed for 5.25 but I opened them up for some 6.5 infinity reference with 93 db sensitivity on a cheap 600w(not likely) Jensen class D amp. With the gain at half they blend well with the dash pods and have decentish midbass with no sub. They certainly get way louder than my original setup though, so that fulfilled what I was looking for.

Very nice! Going from 4x6s to 5.25s in the dash made a big difference for me, then going to full dash pods for the 5.25s made another big improvement. I found that covering the pod inside and out in CLD helped reduce reverberations in the pod and improved the midbass a bit.
6.5s in the kick panels is the dream. I'm glad that's worked out for you, minus the buzz.

Is the buzz RPM dependent? Just wonder if it's alternator or something else. Have you tried testing a ground at a different location? Just throw on six feet of wire and try something on the driver's side or rear of the Jeep.

That is so cool. You must have seen and heard lots of good equipment. Do you know who makes their speakers?


I actually have a Match plug and play box. It's a direct plug and play into the amplifier via a harness.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_975PP10ED/MATCH-PP10E-D-Compact-Sub.html



I've been using them for about 8 years or so and love them. Easy to use, software is amazing, so much flexibility. Their amp/DSP is small and comes in many options. They even have pre made harnesses so you can hook the amp/DSP to a stock head unit. I did this in the TJ at one point, and then sold to another forum member. Highly recommend if one can fit into the budget. Occasionally a used one pops up on eBay.


Ha yes, that is convenient feature. Big help when switching music genres.

I'm not sure what build house they use, but they develop their own speakers and have them produced in China. I know the owner planned to move it state-side after the facility was built, which was supposed to happen like two years ago. NVX and Sonic are owned by the same guy, which is why you see NVX promoted so heavily on Sonic's site.

Plug and play physical connections features are very convenient. I'll keep an eye out for their gear. At some point I want to upgrade my tweeter/midrange amp. It's just a bit noisy.

 

[Lorado]

I've tried two ground locations so far before I ran out of daylight and patience. And the buzz is constant as soon as the engine is on.

What's CLD?

 

[Mercury]

I've tried two ground locations so far before I ran out of daylight and patience. And the buzz is constant as soon as the engine is on.

What's CLD?

Hmmm. Constant when the engine is running; I wonder what your engine grounds look like. I recently went through and augmented, replaced, or at least changed the lugs on all of my engine grounds, and the wire was corroded on all of them at least a half inch (if not more) under the jacketing. I replaced all of my power wires entirely. Made a lot of difference overall. Have you done the Big 3 upgrade?

Constrained Layer Dampener, the butyl rubber + foil stuff people use to sound treat their cars.

https://www.amazon.com/Kilmat-Deade...n-dampening/dp/B0751G6TMV/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Not recommending this brand, just an example.

You can use it for sound treatment on the vehicle, but it also acts to add some mass and reduce reverb in enclosures. I have the inside/outside of my dash pods and the inside of my speaker bar pods covered in this. Tested with a mic, there was an increase in midbass output and a decrease in reverberations.

 

[Lorado]

Hmmm. Constant when the engine is running; I wonder what your engine grounds look like. I recently went through and augmented, replaced, or at least changed the lugs on all of my engine grounds, and the wire was corroded on all of them at least a half inch (if not more) under the jacketing. I replaced all of my power wires entirely. Made a lot of difference overall. Have you done the Big 3 upgrade?

Constrained Layer Dampener, the butyl rubber + foil stuff people use to sound treat their cars.

https://www.amazon.com/Kilmat-Deade...n-dampening/dp/B0751G6TMV/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Not recommending this brand, just an example.

You can use it for sound treatment on the vehicle, but it also acts to add some mass and reduce reverb in enclosures. I have the inside/outside of my dash pods and the inside of my speaker bar pods covered in this. Tested with a mic, there was an increase in midbass output and a decrease in reverberations.

Nice! I'll have to check that out and the previous owner did the big 3 power upgrade but it's worth checking out anyway. Weird thing is, I have a 900w pioneer class AB running a sub in the back and have had zero issues with that one.

 

[Mercury]

Nice! I'll have to check that out and the previous owner did the big 3 power upgrade but it's worth checking out anyway. Weird thing is, I have a 900w pioneer class AB running a sub in the back and have had zero issues with that one.

900w AB? That would certainly show if you had any major electrical issues! No headlight dimming or anything with it?

It's worth doing some spot-checking, if nothing else just to see if the ring terminals on those factory grounds is corroded. I plan to add a frame-to-body ground soon. I have some noise from my tweeter/midrange amp that I want to address, so I'll try adding new grounds, and worst case I'll consider a run from the amp ground to the alternator bracket or the battery ground. If your ground isolator doesn't fix it you may consider that.