Installing amplifier under passenger seat.

[merijn]

I’m planning to do the following setup for my 2008 Camry Nav.

Stock Camry head unit as I don’t want to change the looks of the car and I use the Nav system.
Critical Mass RS69 in the front door.
Critical Mass SS69 in the rear deck.
Kenwood KAC-9405 2 X 180 RMS amplifier for the front speakers under the passenger seat.
Kenwood 2 X 120 RMS for the rear speakers in the boot of the car.
As the Kenwoods have high level inputs with auto turn on/off I would like to connect them to the speaker harness.
New speaker cable from amplifiers to the speakers.
And power cable from battery to the amplifiers.

Is it easy to install the amplifier under the seat and is it easy to remove the seat.
I know how to install most of the items but I’m not sure about the passenger seat, is this easy to do ?
As I use the car harness for the inputs I only have to run the power cable from the front to the back of the car.
I will use the hole behind the break paddle and run it along the door trim to the back.

Does this set-up looks correct for a Camry ?
I know the Critical Mass are expensive but also the best and they fit without any modification in the original mountings.

All information is welcome.

[Tobeit]

Originally Posted by merijn

I’m planning to do the following setup for my 2008 Camry Nav.

Stock Camry head unit as I don’t want to change the looks of the car and I use the Nav system.
Critical Mass RS69 in the front door.
Critical Mass SS69 in the rear deck.
Kenwood KAC-9405 2 X 180 RMS amplifier for the front speakers under the passenger seat.
Kenwood 2 X 120 RMS for the rear speakers in the boot of the car.
As the Kenwoods have high level inputs with auto turn on/off I would like to connect them to the speaker harness.
New speaker cable from amplifiers to the speakers.
And power cable from battery to the amplifiers.

Is it easy to install the amplifier under the seat and is it easy to remove the seat.
I know how to install most of the items but I’m not sure about the passenger seat, is this easy to do ?
As I use the car harness for the inputs I only have to run the power cable from the front to the back of the car.
I will use the hole behind the break paddle and run it along the door trim to the back.

Does this set-up looks correct for a Camry ?
I know the Critical Mass are expensive but also the best and they fit without any modification in the original mountings.

All information is welcome.

If you have the OEM NAV...don't you have the JBL audio and with that you would have an amp under your passenger seat already. From the sound of it, it does not sound it really would make a difference/improvement to your stock JBL audio.

[workerant]

i believe u can find your info in the repair manual over at camrystuff. And the sticky thread too would help greatly.

[merijn]

Originally Posted by Tobeit

If you have the OEM NAV...don't you have the JBL audio and with that you would have an amp under your passenger seat already. From the sound of it, it does not sound it really would make a difference/improvement to your stock JBL audio.

As it is not a US spec car i don't have the JBL version.
But i don't want to change the HU and i believe that the quality of the HU is not to bad.

[Pawel062]

should see if u can get the original jbl amp. will mount easy and wire up easy.

[merijn]

Originally Posted by merijn

As it is not a US spec car i don't have the JBL version.
But i don't want to change the HU and i believe that the quality of the HU is not to bad.

Sorry i forgot one question :
On which side in the car is the wire harness located.
because i have to run a power wire i have to avoid this harness.

[touringcamry]

Since you are spending this much money, I question your choice on the front speakers. I would go with 6.5" component set in the front instead. It requires a small amount of farbrication but it will sound better than 6x9 coaxial speakers.

If these speakers have more than just a filter cap and have an actual crossover, then that's a different. Almost all 6x9 speakers in the US I've seen only use a filter cap for the tweeter and not actual crossovers.

On the rear shelf, you have very limited space because the trunk springs run under the openings for the speakers. Ensure the mounting depth of the new speakers will fit!

[ebumdude]

Originally Posted by touringcamry

Since you are spending this much money, I question your choice on the front speakers. I would go with 6.5" component set in the front instead. It requires a small amount of farbrication but it will sound better than 6x9 coaxial speakers.

If these speakers have more than just a filter cap and have an actual crossover, then that's a different. Almost all 6x9 speakers in the US I've seen only use a filter cap for the tweeter and not actual crossovers.

On the rear shelf, you have very limited space because the trunk springs run under the openings for the speakers. Ensure the mounting depth of the new speakers will fit!

+1. Well played Sir, well played.

[merijn]

Originally Posted by touringcamry

Since you are spending this much money, I question your choice on the front speakers. I would go with 6.5" component set in the front instead. It requires a small amount of farbrication but it will sound better than 6x9 coaxial speakers.

If these speakers have more than just a filter cap and have an actual crossover, then that's a different. Almost all 6x9 speakers in the US I've seen only use a filter cap for the tweeter and not actual crossovers.

On the rear shelf, you have very limited space because the trunk springs run under the openings for the speakers. Ensure the mounting depth of the new speakers will fit!

For this reason i would like to use the critical mass speakers.
Those speakers are one of the few which fit in without any modification.
Also according reviews they are one of the best available for the Camry.

[touringcamry]

My 2007 Camry had 6x9s in the front but now I have 6.5" component set in the front door and I used a piece of wood to mount it. It is not expensive or difficult to fabricate. I can tell you right now that my mid did not fit without the wood because it would hit the door. I don't remember thickness of my MDF bracket.

I think some US sources sell a plastic bracket, but I do not have experience with them.

Have you listened to these Critical Mass speakers? Just because other people say they are good doesn't mean that you will like them.

For example: MB Quartz QSD 6.5" component set has a lot of good reviews and I almost bought them online. Then one day I had an opportunity to listen to them and I absolutely hated them because of how bright the tweeters were.

Tweeters are generally either textile or metallic and people are generally polarized on this. Silk has smoother sound but metallic ones are brighter. My preference is silk tweeters but some people don't think they are bright enough.

The fact that they fit directly in the front door should not be a primary reason to choose the RS69 speakers.

[rawcustumz]

Ok I may have read this wrong but I thought you said you were putting in two amps?
You want to put one under the passenger seat and the other in the trunk?
So if you do that you will need to run two power wires to two different locations?
I would say mount them both in the back so you only have to do one 4gauge power wire into a distrubution block and than two short 8 gauge wires to the amps.
Also I wouldnt recommend Kenwood amps I have alot of experience with them and they always over heat and shut off. I dont know about your speakers but if there expensive as you say than they are prob good so why run a so so amp?
If both amps are in the same spot it will also be eaiser to seperate power wire from RCAs because you can put one 4channel Line Out converter on one side and the power on the other side hopefully keeping the noise out of the system.
I hope i wasnt out of line just wanted to add my .02 cents.
Good Luck and have fun doing it
Bernie

[merijn]

Originally Posted by rawcustumz

Ok I may have read this wrong but I thought you said you were putting in two amps?
You want to put one under the passenger seat and the other in the trunk?
So if you do that you will need to run two power wires to two different locations?
I would say mount them both in the back so you only have to do one 4gauge power wire into a distrubution block and than two short 8 gauge wires to the amps.
Also I wouldnt recommend Kenwood amps I have alot of experience with them and they always over heat and shut off. I dont know about your speakers but if there expensive as you say than they are prob good so why run a so so amp?
If both amps are in the same spot it will also be eaiser to seperate power wire from RCAs because you can put one 4channel Line Out converter on one side and the power on the other side hopefully keeping the noise out of the system.
I hope i wasnt out of line just wanted to add my .02 cents.
Good Luck and have fun doing it
Bernie

Youre right i'm planning to use two amps. ( one under the seat and one in the back ).
I think that this would be easier and also i could use shorter wires to the speakers and from the deck.
If i place both amps in the bacl i have to run inlet/outlet wires to the trunk for my door speakers.
As i do this for the tirst time all help is welcome.
I never used Kenwood before by they have to correct spec i was looking for but suggestions for other amps are welcome.
Just for youre info, i'm looking for high power inlet amps so i can use my stock wires as amp input wire. ( my HU does not have line out connections. )

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by rawcustumz

I dont know about your speakers but if there expensive as you say than they are prob good so why run a so so amp?

Bernie

Because if you buy expensive speakers with high power handling and drive them with the HU amp, you are just wasting money. The HU cannot exploit the full potential of the speakers with its paltry 15W RMS output even if volume is not turned up.

[rawcustumz]

Originally Posted by touringcamry

Because if you buy expensive speakers with high power handling and drive them with the HU amp, you are just wasting money. The HU cannot exploit the full potential of the speakers with its paltry 15W RMS output even if volume is not turned up.

I know that, im wondering why hes buying good speakers and using a not so good amp, why not spend some money on good amps
Bernie

[rawcustumz]

Originally Posted by merijn

Youre right i'm planning to use two amps. ( one under the seat and one in the back ).
I think that this would be easier and also i could use shorter wires to the speakers and from the deck.
If i place both amps in the bacl i have to run inlet/outlet wires to the trunk for my door speakers.
As i do this for the tirst time all help is welcome.
I never used Kenwood before by they have to correct spec i was looking for but suggestions for other amps are welcome.
Just for youre info, i'm looking for high power inlet amps so i can use my stock wires as amp input wire. ( my HU does not have line out connections. )

Here is what you need to make it easier
a) Line Out Converter perferably a 4channel one or you can use 2 two channel ones
b) 9Wire otherwise known as speed cable (metra kicker scosche doesnt matter)
c) RCAs (get a good brand dont be cheap)

4channel line out converter

The line out converter turns your speaker wires in to rca inputs.
Pull your radio and find all 8 speaker wire colors. Leave about 3-4inches from plug to radio and cut wires. The half that is coming out of radio go to the wires coming out of the line out converter. white is left front, grey is right front, green is left rear and purple is right rear on converter.
The other side of the wire gets conected to the speed wire. It is also color coated the same, white, grey, green, and purple.

Speed Wire
You run the speed wire from the back of the radio to the amps out put connections and to the other side of the wires that you cut earlier behind the radio. Those wires are going to the factory speaker locations.
There is a blue wire in there also that you can use as the remote turn on wire, sometimes i do sometimes i dont
You can get this from a stereo shop or even best buy it usually like $30 for enough to do one car

RCAs
Get some good ones, moster would do perfect they keep alot of the noise out, more like all of it. They are shielded and oxgyn free. You will need two sets dont get ones for a 4channel install because you are doing two seperate amps you need two 2channel rcas.


You will run the power cable down one side from your battery to the trunk.
You will run the speed wire and rcas down the other side which includes the amp turn on wire
You will make a ground in the trunk, short as possible. Watch for gas tank when drilling. Make ground on floor of trunk or under rear passenger seat never on rear deck or side brackets.

This is how I would do it, but it also puts both amps in the trunk. You could make an amp rack out of mdf and cover with carpet or mount to back of rear seat
Again this is just my .02 cents. Ive been installing for 4yrs now but have been doing car audio for alot longer than that. But only MECP certified for 4 yrs so thats all I really count.

If you decide to do it this way and need more help I have no problem helping out all you have to do is email me or pm me and I would be glad to assist.
Good Luck
Bernie