Joshua Hanley's 2004 Mazda RX-8

Items installed:
Installation Description
Step1.I began by adding eDead sound deadening material throughout the trunk to tighten things up a bit.Step 2.Routed 4GA power wire by means of a drilled out hole on the passenger side firewall. RCA connections made by splicing into the OEM BOSE amp wires. Mounted the remote gain knob next to driver seat for easy to reach adjustments.Step 3.Connected all wires for testing and it rocked! Buttoned everything back up, cut a 1.5" slice into trunk carpet to run wire into sub box and done. Fitment is perfect inside the trunk depression with 1.5" clearance all around. The bass from the Alpine PLV-7 is phenomenal and compliments the OEM BOSE system perfectly.
Q&A Section
Why did you decide to upgrade your A/V system?
Needed more on the low end audio range. The OEM BOSE system has nine speakers which includes 9" woofers in each front door, tweeters in the door mirror housing, 4 separates in the rear deck, and a center channel in the dash.
What's the first thing you show people about your installation?
Custom fiberglass enclosure to hold the Sirius unit in place of the ash tray.
Why did you choose these products?
Complements the stock system.
What was the most difficult part of the installation?
Running the power wire through the firewall. It's a very tight fit.
What plans, if any, do you have for future upgrades?
Full Alpine integrated system.

The Sirius custom enclosure is in perfect finger reach from the shifter.

Placement of the subwoofer gain knob.

The trunk of the RX-8 has a depression and the ALPINE PLV-7 fit perfectly into it.

eDead layered inside trunk and under the lid.

The RX-8 as it is now.

Just a little smirk
Meet Robert Ferency-Viars
Eating up the highway with clarity and volume — a champion of car audio.
During my first few years at Crutchfield, I served as one of our Advisors, helping our customers choose new audio components for their homes and cars. Eventually, I moved to the writing team and spent a decade researching new products and getting even more hands-on with car audio gear.
I've performed many car and home audio installations over the years, some of them even on my own cars. As the editor of Crutchfield's car audio web articles, I couldn't ask for a cooler job. We listen to music and play with car audio gear every day!
Like most of us here, I've always been into music. I installed my first car stereo system before the family car was even mine. In college, I helped friends and roommates install their car stereos and set up the stereos in their apartments. I was a volunteer DJ for the local community radio station for a few years (playing late night metal and Sunday morning bluegrass & alt-country). That's where I also first learned a little bit about sound mixers.
These days, I serve my community by volunteering with the Boys Scouts of America. I also love playing board games & RPGs, spending time with my family, and installing new audio systems for my friends.
More about Robert
More from Robert Ferency-Viars
Hands-on with two Pioneer dash cams
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Car stereo buying guide
Review of the Sony XAV-AX5500 car stereo
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How to connect your new car stereo's wiring