Items installed:

• Pioneer AVIC-N2 DVD Navigation Receiver
• US Acoustics USB-4065 amp for components and 3-ways (65W x 4)
• Kenwood KFC-P683C 6" x 8" Component speakers (woofers mounted in doors/tweeters mounted in headliner)
• Kenwood KFC-C6889ie 6" x 8" 3-ways (mounted in rear panels)
• US Acoustics USB-2080 amp for sub (80W x 2 bridged for 280W x 1) mounted on the back of the sub box
• Infinity Kappa 100.3se 10" Subwoofer (single voice coil, 4 ohms) in Q-Logic QLT-CL10 Single 10" Truck Subwoofer Box (behind driver's seat)
• StreetWires PS08RI 8 gauge Amp Wiring Kit Red with Patch Cable
• StreetWires PS10RI 10 gauge Amp Wiring Kit Red with Patch Cable
• Rockford Fosgate CPSBF Stealth Braided Flat 15-gauge Tinned Copper Speaker Wire
• Rockford Fosgate Stealth CPST Twisted-Pair Stereo Patch Cables
• XTC 6x9-inch pair Speaker Baffles
• Street Glow AN9NB neo-blue 9-in. Pair Mini Accent Tubes

Installation Description

First and foremost I want to thank everyone in the Crutchfield Tech. Department. Without the help of the friendly, patient and talented professionals at Crutchfield I would have never been able to assemble such an awesome system. They taught me everything I know about car audio installation (and that's a lot!)

This system has been pieced together over the last few years and I have just finally put in the icing on the cake, the Pioneer AVIC-N2, which is an incredible unit. The brain of the system sends signals to my 2 US Acoustics amps which push all 7 of my speakers. The Kenwood components in the front and 3-ways in the rear offer unbelievable definition and terrific sound staging. I like the tweeters up high where they don't get muffled or muted by the vehicle's interior, so I came up with a custom headliner mount that allows those little birdies to sing! The 4 channel amp that drives them is mounted under the driver's seat where it has plenty of room to breathe.

The other amp which is bridged to push my 10" Infinity sub is mounted on the back of the sub box using industrial strength Velcro (a method which I use to mount just about everything including the 4 channel amp and the navigation hideaway unit). I removed the jump seat behind the driver's seat to make room for the sub box. In the battle of passenger space vs. audio quality, there's no contest. And finally some neon blue accent lights mounted above the seat belt harnesses that are wired to a switch on my center console.

Q&A Section

Why did you decide to upgrade your A/V system?

I truly enjoy doing my own installation and the results are phenomenal, besides...have you ever heard a factory system? The door panels came off the minute I got home from the dealership!

What's the first thing you show people about your installation?

C'mon...what do you think? The N2 baby!

Why did you choose these products?

I chose the N2 simply because it is the best all-in-one package on the market, hands down. It's a versatile system and it's a breeze to use. The Infinity sub is, pound for pound, the best sub I have heard. I wanted something small and tight that would respond well to my kind of music (mostly ska and punk). I didn't want a really loose sub that was meant to make your heart jump out of your chest, I wanted clean sound and I got it.

What was the most difficult part of the installation?

The most difficult part of the installation was probably the 4 channel amp. It was the first amp I had ever installed so it warranted quite a few calls to tech support. I had to disassemble the entire interior (minus the headliner) to run all of the wires and routing the speaker wires through the door grommets was a bit of a pain. The GPS antenna was no picnic either.

What plans, if any, do you have for future upgrades?

I love the Kenwood speakers but it's almost time for a change. I will probably go with new Polk components and 2 ways some time down the road. And once Pioneer can come up with a new iPod interface that is more user friendly, I'll have to throw that in, too.