Hello everyone. My name is Scott and I just purchased a 2006 IS250 AWD about 6 weeks ago. My last car was a built/cammed 1999 Camaro Z28, so this is quite different from what im used to lol.

So far I am completely in love with this car with the exception of one thing... THE CRAPPY STOCK STEREO!!!

So, since I have tons of equipment laying around from my old car and currently work as a custom stereo installer, I decided to do some upgrades

The eqipment I will be using are as follows"

Boston Acoustics SPZ60 front speakers with Neo Type-M Imaging Tweeters
Boston Acoustics G5 10" woofers with accompanying GTR Tunable Radiators
Boston Acoustics GT-42 4channel amplifier
Boston Acoustics GT-24 2channel amplifier
JL Audio CleanSweep with Signal Summing device

I just started building the subwoofer enclosures for the trunk, but here are a few pics of my progress.

passenger box start

driver box start

shot of both


I will be working on it a bit more soon hopefully and I will keep you guys(and girls) updated

 

What are you planning on building it with? Fiberglass?

Skater huh? Ditch that board cuz you got a lexus now haha

Good luck with the project and keep us posted.

 

ARe you changing the head unit by chance?

 

Keep us posted with pics and a possible youtube mpeg. I can't wait to see what your final project yields and I am sure with that equiptment, you can't go wrong.

 

here I thought the stock stereo was all right
but luckily i'm not a sound guy like you then eh?

 

Keep us posted on your progress.

For those who like to completely gut and rebuild the car system I always am interested in what electronics/speakers you are running in your home based system?? Are you interested in overall solid, accurate sound, or just interested in LOUD BOOMING bass??

 

yes the boxes as well as most everything else will be fiberglass.

I am not replacing the stock stereo because I have navigation and that would not be worth it. I am usign a JL Audio Cleansweep.

As far as what I am looking for... I llike my stereo systems to be loud to the point where I cant turn it up all the way without wanting to throw up, but to also be clear as day the whole way up. And I assure you, I will accomplish that with this system

Thanks for the kind words everyone and I will be sure to keep everyone posted as soon as I have some updates.

 

i actually thought the speakers were pretty good for stock (non-ML). but i'm not a huge sound equipment junkie so i wouldnt know how to install new ones.

 

[QUOTE=sk8runeg;3654399]

As far as what I am looking for... I llike my stereo systems to be loud to the point where I cant turn it up all the way without wanting to throw up, but to also be clear as day the whole way up. And I assure you, I will accomplish that with this system

QUOTE]

want to help me out with exactly how?? most of the sound systems my friends have are just a booming bass that rattles the car and sounds like ****, ruins any song, while the driver bumps his head thinking he's a badass

 

Scythe, I have friends that have the rattling "boom boom" as well. When you drive an IS, you have to be classier than that so I also used JL Audio Cleansweep, 2x JL Audio 12W3 subs in band pass box ported through the arm rest, JL Audio 300:1 amp for mids/highs, JL Audio 500:1 for subs, and MB Quarts mids and highs for the inside. I'm not very knowledgeable about electronics so I had it installed at Sound Advice and sounds crisp and clean all the way through tolerable (and intolerable) volume levels.

Sk8r, I'm looking forward to your system. It's gonna be nice to have all that trunk space with your subs on the side. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[QUOTE=ISabelle35;3655120]Scythe, I have friends that have the rattling "boom boom" as well. When you drive an IS, you have to be classier than that so I also used JL Audio Cleansweep, 2x JL Audio 12W3 subs in band pass box ported through the arm rest, JL Audio 300:1 amp for mids/highs, JL Audio 500:1 for subs, and MB Quarts mids and highs for the inside. I'm not very knowledgeable about electronics so I had it installed at Sound Advice and sounds crisp and clean all the way through tolerable (and intolerable) volume levels.

QUOTE]

thanks for the reply, but what part of that (i'm not too audio advanced either lol) which part of that helps with the clarity and quality of the sound? i know all my friends did the same thing - Subs and Amps... and, ruined their sound systems. What is the JL Audio Cleansweep? and do the stock speakers handle the volume well? or did those all have to be replaced as well? i would want this to be as cheap as possible to be honest, i feel guilty replacing the stereo on a 35k car, whether its crappy or not (i dont think the 2IS has THAT bad of a stereo system as i've seen some people say, and i dont even have the ML). So if i could get away with getting amps and subs and leaving some of the stock system (dash/rear speakers?) i would love to, but if its going to sacrifice the quality, than i'll stick with stock.

Sk8runeg, which part of your setup is responsible for balancing the sound? and what causes that disgusting boom that i hear from cars with custom stereos.. because thats really making me nervous to put in a sound system, i DO NOT want one like that lol - sorry for my lack of knowledge on this topic i've never been good with audio systems, and thanks for any help and feedback - good luck with your project

 

Here is my audio , all Rockford Fosgate.
Except Eclipse avn6610 and 2 7" head rest monitors

good luck........

 

If you were to look at the output of the factory radio on an RTA(Real Time Analysis), which is basically like looking at an equalizer, you would see how it is all over the place with way too much of this and way to little of that and so on.

Now, if you were to do the same thing on a good aftermarket radio, you would see that it is flat the whole way up.

What the cleansweep does is take the signal from you factory radio into it, and fixes anything that is too high or too low. And what you end up with is a signal that is basically the same as an aftermarket radio, but through your factory head unit. Thus not losing any of the functions of your factory system.

I would rather do an aftermarket radio, and I probably would if I didnt have the nav package, but this is really all I can do.

as for your other questions, I will be replacing the front speakers with aftermarket ones. And I understand how it is a 35K car, but I think it is only fair to compare apples to apples. If you add it up, just the equipment alone going into my car is about $4000 and I'm not even using rear speakers.... So this isnt just some run of the mill system in a 1995 civic hatch.

 

here is a pic of some of the equipment that is going in it.

 

woww, those are gonna be some hard knockers on there! looks great so far! keep up the good work! post up some finishing photos!