My stereo build! JL Stealthbox, Focal K2s, etc..

[imclearwhite]

Knukonceptz Kolossus 4 gauge. It’s rated a bit higher than a normal 4 gauge so I went with it to gain a little more headroom. The max theoretical draw between the two amps is 130, and the Kolossus 4 can handle up to 150 amps at the length I used.

Running 4 gauge was pretty easy, no major snags. 0 gauge would be an absolute nightmare, if not completely impossible. I’d sooner run two 4 gauges to be honest. Not a lot of room in the wire channels along the sills.

Thanks for the heads up, I ordered this kit as it fits my needs as well.

Curious, I have the HK system and noticed the CH03 doesn't have a specific tweeter channel. Appears to only have the front lt door. How did you wire up the door tweeters?

 

[OnTheReel]

Thanks for the heads up, I ordered this kit as it fits my needs as well.

Curious, I have the HK system and noticed the CH03 doesn't have a specific tweeter channel. Appears to only have the front lt door. How did you wire up the door tweeters?

The Alpine has a triple voice coil sub and it doesn’t have upper door tweeters.

The HK only has a single voice coil sub, so the two sets of wires in the CH03 harness that would be for the sub’s extra voice coils on Alpine are used for the upper door speakers instead with the HK system. Ultimately both systems have the same number of wires and channels, so the pigtail harness works with either.

The harness comes with this sheet so you can record all the speaker wire colors on before you wire everything up.

I believe everything will be the same on the HK, save for two of the subwoofer channels being used for the left and right upper door speakers instead. Either way, you can buy an inexpensive tone generator from PAC to confirm the locations and colors before proceeding.

 

[imclearwhite]

The Alpine has a triple voice coil sub and it doesn’t have upper door tweeters.

The HK only has a single voice coil sub, so the two sets of wires in the CH03 harness that would be for the sub’s extra voice coils on Alpine are used for the upper door speakers instead with the HK system. Ultimately both systems have the same number of wires and channels, so the pigtail harness works with either.

The harness comes with this sheet so you can record all the speaker wire colors on before you wire everything up.View attachment 51505
I believe everything will be the same on the HK, save for two of the subwoofer channels being used for the left and right upper door speakers instead. Either way, you can buy an inexpensive tone generator from PAC to confirm the locations and colors before proceeding.

Thanks!

DId you have any issues with dB control using toslink and the vxi amps? Did you have to adjust your levels a lot?

 

[OnTheReel]

Thanks!

DId you have any issues with dB control using toslink and the vxi amps? Did you have to adjust your levels a lot?

No issues, just some tweaking. Sub was too quiet so I had to disable error checking on that amp, and that allowed me to bump the input up a couple dBs. Even though there’s no formal gain adjustment when using optical.

The VX600/6 amp input level was left at 0dB. But my speaker outputs are +8 to +12dB depending on location. It’s a little odd how JL does this, but +12dB is effectively zero and I trimmed the other speakers back from there. If you start at 0dB and go down into the negatives, it’s way too quiet.

 

[imclearwhite]

No issues, just some tweaking. Sub was too quiet so I had to disable error checking on that amp, and that allowed me to bump the input up a couple dBs. Even though there’s no formal gain adjustment when using optical.

The VX600/6 amp input level was left at 0dB. But my speaker outputs are +8 to +12dB depending on location. It’s a little odd how JL does this, but +12dB is effectively zero and I trimmed the other speakers back from there. If you start at 0dB and go down into the negatives, it’s way too quiet.

Okay good to know. For reference, could you send the tun screenshots of settings?

Did you lose your front and rear senor chime using the toslink?

 

[OnTheReel]

Okay good to know. For reference, could you send the tun screenshots of settings?

Did you lose your front and rear senor chime using the toslink?

You have to set the PAC to route the rear parking sensor chimes to the front since the TOSLINK is just an L-R signal. But they still work fine. I’ll get you some screenshots tomorrow when I get back to my computer.

 

[imclearwhite]

You have to set the PAC to route the rear parking sensor chimes to the front since the TOSLINK is just an L-R signal. But they still work fine. I’ll get you some screenshots tomorrow when I get back to my computer.

Thanks for the info! What speaker adapters did you use? The ones I bought from crutch field would fit my focals.

 

[OnTheReel]

Thanks for the info! What speaker adapters did you use? The ones I bought from crutch field would fit my focals.

I used the adapters but I crimped my own spade connectors on the speaker side. Don’t remember what size I used but Partsexpress has a lot of different ones to choose from if you don’t have the right ones laying around like I did.

Forgot to get you the screen shots for the input mixer and outputs. If there’s something in particular you want to see, let me know. Otherwise these were the final revisions I went with. Speaker distance and gains will vary slightly based on where you sit and your tastes. I set a few different gains and EQs based on the modes I select with the bass knob. You’ll also have to check your own polarity and make adjustments by flipping those switches as needed. One of my door speakers and the left dash speaker were out of phase from the factory so it’s all kinda random.

 

[pilot650]

Has anyone done an install on a 22 yet? I am at a speedbump currently. I am using the PAC interface and harness which does in fact plug in the dash, not under the driver's seat, and once it is plugged in the infotainment center is dead and the trx drive modes are nonfunctional. I am awaiting a replacement harness in hopes that it is just a faulty harness, but if not I am dead in the water.

Next mystery is should the output of my amp be run to the PAC harness in the dash? I have currently run them there but not hooked them up as display needs to work first. My concern is that if the amp isn't in the dash, I don't want to feed my signal back into the factory amp. Is the thing under the driver's seat the amp or just the ANC? Do I need yet another harness and plug in the speaker outputs at that module? Crutchfield has provided nothing but false information as they have never worked on a 22 and apparently for some reason everything changed for 22. Someone here has to have done this already and hoping they can fill in some of the blanks!

I am using optical cable to a JL VX amp, stealthbox and F/R JL C3 components.

 

[Iangol]

Has anyone done an install on a 22 yet? I am at a speedbump currently. I am using the PAC interface and harness which does in fact plug in the dash, not under the driver's seat, and once it is plugged in the infotainment center is dead and the trx drive modes are nonfunctional. I am awaiting a replacement harness in hopes that it is just a faulty harness, but if not I am dead in the water.

Next mystery is should the output of my amp be run to the PAC harness in the dash? I have currently run them there but not hooked them up as display needs to work first. My concern is that if the amp isn't in the dash, I don't want to feed my signal back into the factory amp. Is the thing under the driver's seat the amp or just the ANC? Do I need yet another harness and plug in the speaker outputs at that module? Crutchfield has provided nothing but false information as they have never worked on a 22 and apparently for some reason everything changed for 22. Someone here has to have done this already and hoping they can fill in some of the blanks!

I am using optical cable to a JL VX amp, stealthbox and F/R JL C3 components.

this is what i had done on my `22 and its booming,,,,,,,
Focal Flax 6.5 Component Set
Focal Access 6.5 Coaxial Speakers
Custom Subwoofer Enclosure
DD Audio Hi Def Tuned 1110 D2 Subwoofer
Wirez Amplifier Wiring Kit APS-4 Pure Copper Signature Series
Audiocontrol LC4.800 Amplifier
Pac Audio APH-CH03 amplifier integration harness
Metra Speaker adapters and speaker harness adapters
Installation & Integration

 

[Sinister4]

Very nice job !!

 

[OnTheReel]

Has anyone done an install on a 22 yet? I am at a speedbump currently. I am using the PAC interface and harness which does in fact plug in the dash, not under the driver's seat, and once it is plugged in the infotainment center is dead and the trx drive modes are nonfunctional. I am awaiting a replacement harness in hopes that it is just a faulty harness, but if not I am dead in the water.

Next mystery is should the output of my amp be run to the PAC harness in the dash? I have currently run them there but not hooked them up as display needs to work first. My concern is that if the amp isn't in the dash, I don't want to feed my signal back into the factory amp. Is the thing under the driver's seat the amp or just the ANC? Do I need yet another harness and plug in the speaker outputs at that module? Crutchfield has provided nothing but false information as they have never worked on a 22 and apparently for some reason everything changed for 22. Someone here has to have done this already and hoping they can fill in some of the blanks!

I am using optical cable to a JL VX amp, stealthbox and F/R JL C3 components.

Can’t help too much with the first part but I would confirm you have the PAC connected as directed in the manual for factory amplified vehicles. This means no speakers are connected at the head unit, and the speaker output plug in the PAC module harness behind the dash needs to be connected to the other end of itself, and NOT to the included speaker wire pigtail.

You need the APH-CH03 tee harness to make the speaker connections under seat at the factory amplifier. The CH03 harness allows you to “disconnect” the speakers from the factory amp and send your output directly to them. Any speakers you want to remain factory powered can be as well. In my post you can see an example of how this harness works and is set up. The only thing that changed for 2022 are the plugs on the display. The rest of the concept is identical.

 

[pilot650]

this is what i had done on my `22 and its booming,,,,,,,
Focal Flax 6.5 Component Set
Focal Access 6.5 Coaxial Speakers
Custom Subwoofer Enclosure
DD Audio Hi Def Tuned 1110 D2 Subwoofer
Wirez Amplifier Wiring Kit APS-4 Pure Copper Signature Series
Audiocontrol LC4.800 Amplifier
Pac Audio APH-CH03 amplifier integration harness
Metra Speaker adapters and speaker harness adapters
Installation & Integration

Did you install it yourself or pay someone to do it? Interested in where to connect the speaker wires and if another harness is needed to bypass the ANC, or if resistors are needed for each speaker bypassed, and where to put those resistors, etc. With the APH-CH03 that connects at the amp not in the dash. Did you have the alpine or upgraded HK system? I want to use the optical input of the amp so the unit in the dash is necessary APH-CH42 and AP4-CH41 but that is where I am hitting a wall.

 

[pilot650]

Can’t help too much with the first part but I would confirm you have the PAC connected as directed in the manual for factory amplified vehicles. This means no speakers are connected at the head unit, and the speaker output plug in the PAC module harness behind the dash needs to be connected to the other end of itself, and NOT to the included speaker wire pigtail.
View attachment 84312
You need the APH-CH03 tee harness to make the speaker connections under seat at the factory amplifier. The CH03 harness allows you to “disconnect” the speakers from the factory amp and send your output directly to them. Any speakers you want to remain factory powered can be as well. In my post you can see an example of how this harness works and is set up. The only thing that changed for 2022 are the plugs on the display. The rest of the concept is identical.

Ok thank you that makes a lot more sense.

 

[Iangol]

Did you install it yourself or pay someone to do it? Interested in where to connect the speaker wires and if another harness is needed to bypass the ANC, or if resistors are needed for each speaker bypassed, and where to put those resistors, etc. With the APH-CH03 that connects at the amp not in the dash. Did you have the alpine or upgraded HK system? I want to use the optical input of the amp so the unit in the dash is necessary APH-CH42 and AP4-CH41 but that is where I am hitting a wall.

Yeah i had someone install everything for me, after the HK system in my Power wagon i realized it wasnt worth the cost to upgrade from the alpine and its more cost effective to upgrade the alpine yourself lol

 

[HydroTRX420]

The stuff I used. List is not exhaustive and I didn’t buy everything from Crutchfield. While I wanted a really great system for all the work I planned to put in, I did cut costs wherever possible. That includes buying on eBay, using stuff I had lying around from other systems, and Crutchfield open box deals on the amps. Conservatively trimmed a grand off retail. Doing the work myself also saved thousands in labor. The process easily took a total of a full week of full days. It was spread out doing stuff as my business and weather permitted.

Interfaces:
PAC AP4-CH41 R.2

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_541AP4CH41/PAC-AmpPRO-AP4-CH41-Aftermarket-Amplifier-Interface.html

PAC APH-CH03

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_541APHCH03/PAC-APH-CH03-AmpPro-Harness.html

PAC APA-TOS01

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-jpv9Vqxrq6M/p_541APATOS1/PAC-APA-TOS1.html

Speakers:
Focal ES 165KX2 (front)

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-LImkbsgt3At/p_091ES165X2/Focal-ES-165KX2.html

Focal K2 Power 165KRC (rear)

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-fAjGU1GHaLF/p_091165KRC/Focal-K2-Power-165KRC.html

JL Stealthbox SB-D-5GRAMCCR/10TW3 https://www.crutchfield.com/S-ffahfVTyFLC/p_13694677/JL-Audio-Stealthbox-Black.html

Amps:

JL VX600/6i

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698639/JL-Audio-VX600-6i.html

JL VX1000/1i

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698631/JL-Audio-VX1000-1i.html

JL DRC-205

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-hgL6tlTnM2S/p_13698128/JL-Audio-DRC-205.html

JL VXI HUB

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698411/JL-Audio-VXi-HUB.html

Deadening:

SoundSkins Pro Mega Kit

https://soundskinsglobal.com/products/soundskins-pro-mega-kit?variant=12467835437098&currency=USD

Very nice!

 

[OnTheReel]

Hope this helps people in the future. In the simplest terms:

The PAC AP4-CH41 module mounts behind the dash and intercepts the pre-amp signal to send to your new amp. It includes the correct harness for 2021 trucks. For 2022+, you need to buy the APH-CH42 separately to connect the CH41 module.

From that PAC CH41 module, you only run either your optical or RCA cables back to your new amp, and your turn on wire. No speaker connections are made up there with a factory amplified system.

To actually connect the new amp to the speakers, the APH-CH03 harness is used under the drivers seat. This works in any model year and any system (Alpine or HK).

The APH-CH03 comes with a sheet of paper where you can log what / where each speaker is by wire color on the PAC harness. This will vary based on the system (and possibly even just harness to harness with the way things are built) so it’s best to check for yourself.

To do so, I unplugged the amp, plugged in the CH03 harnesses, and used a tone generator on the speaker wires to locate and label the speakers.

Once this is done, everything gets a hell of a lot clearer. Speakers you want to remain factory amplified are simply connected to the other side of the CH03 harness (so they just pass from the factory amp through the CH03, and out to the speakers).

Speakers you’re going to amplify aftermarket are NOT connected to the factory amp side, and you can simply extend and run your new wiring from the CH03 up to the new amp.

After further “cleanup”:

 

[pilot650]

Good to know. I'll order the CH03 harness and shorten my speed wire to go under the seat. Do I need to run the turn on wire from the dash unit or is there an applicable lead under the seat that can be used? Any special steps to bypass ANC, or any resistors that you found needed to be used?

 

[OnTheReel]

Good to know. I'll order the CH03 harness and shorten my speed wire to go under the seat. Do I need to run the turn on wire from the dash unit or is there an applicable lead under the seat that can be used? Any special steps to bypass ANC, or any resistors that you found needed to be used?

Good catch, you do need to run the turn-on wire from the PAC as well. Or at least I did. Not sure if you can grab it from somewhere on the factory amp.

The CH03 comes with the ANC bypass harness. But it is redundant in most instances. In your case the CH41 is pulling a non-ANC processed signal to send to your aftermarket amp(s) and speakers anyway.

You’d only need to worry about bypassing it if you’re grabbing a speaker level signal off the existing amp for a new one (you’re not). Or if you intend to use aftermarket speakers on stock amplifier power.

 

[pilot650]

It's funny I just ordered a CH03 from crutchfield and they discouraged me from ordering it saying it is not recommended for my vehicle... I need to do a write up and send it to them when I get this thing ironed out.