# 2019 Chevy Equinox (wife's car) Audio and Stuff



## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Good day all, and, thanks for reading.

As the above states, this novice build for a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox without the bose system (Front, Rear, left and right). I am taking my time to the build, as the "19" virus has most of us at home....at least, here in Georgia.

She likes to play her music, mostly rap/bass heavy stuff. The intent is to improve upon the stock system, as she in known for blowing the speakers out.

Initial Setup...

Zed Audio Leviathan III
Zed Audio Minotaur III
Mosconi 6to8v8 DSP with Bluetooth dongle
JL Audio Fix86
Pioneer TS-D69C for front doors
Faital Pro 6fe200 midrange at rear doors
Faital Pro 3" midrange for dash speakers
Audiofrog G10d4 (x2)
Other odds and ends to follow.

A few things to note, is, she loves her bass. The outcome of this project/install is do achieve the best possible sound withe equipment and drivers available (on hand).

Install and fabrication are all done in the garage on Friday nights.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Wanting this install to be surgical, and with the vehicle not pulled a part, I have opted to do this install piece by piece.

Attached are pics of she sits.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

The first location i turned my attention to was the dash location.

This is stock dash speaker.




























I am replacing this driver with the faital pro 3" midrange driver. Along with this midrange driver, I am also adding the tweeter from the pioneer component set; bringing the vocals and highs up top, and not so much in the doors.

For the tweeters, I used a step drill bit and made a hole in the grill covers up on the dash...almost creating a "coaxial" speaker if you will.

Here are pics of the the mid and tweeter, and, withe the cover snapped in.



















Using the dremel tool, I shaved off quite a bit to get this driver to fit. I also drilled a separate hole to rout the wire for the tweeter separately.










Here is how the dash setup looks being snapped it. I did not account for the quantity of Tessa tape I would be using....the neighborhood Ace hardware got many trips there 🤓.

Edit: I used a 1/16" drill bit to drill some more holes in the grill cover.


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Nice, in for updates. Where’s that amp rack at?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Next on the chopping board was the front doors.

After the removal of the stock 6x9s in the front doors, I added some acoustic tape; I had the opportunity to run this tape as far as I possibly could and then added some road kill foam to the exterior of the door skin.










Installing the door adapter using some self drilling screws and insulation tape I got from crutchfield.com and parts-express.com. once the prep was done in installed the 6x9 in the door skin.









Thinking this would have been easy, I did not account for the door skin would require shaving the lip down to accommodate the new speaker and install. The dremel tool came in very handy once more.

I had a custom harness made to bypass the ANC (active noise control), this also made it easy to tap into the speaker wires to the DSP, and, from the amps to power the speakers.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Nice, in for updates. Where’s that amp rack at?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks man. It's coming......probably gotta redo it soon. You'll see why. 🤓


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

After I was done with the front doors,, I turned to the rear doors; nothing special here, just a replacement for the stock "full range" speaker.

Next up, was the start of the amp rack and subwoofer build. I figured I would house them all underneath the removable floor board in the cargo area.








See the Minotaur and leviathan peeping out .

The subwoofer enclosure was the piece closest to the rear hatch.





































After seeing this, I thought....hmm!! I will just rework the floor bed, and, make something new.....challenge accepted.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Turned my sights on figuring out the amp rack for the ZED amps.







































After this, decided to use the Leviathan and Minotaur combo instead.....hmm.

Back to drawing board.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Zed amps mockup




























Played with placement of the sub enclosure too....


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

After this all was done, my crazy ass decided to try out some other equipment.....from the stash I was building for myself..


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

As a native to fabricating and building stuff, I feel pretty good with the outcome of this build. The prior setup with the ZED amps had the floor sticking up a bit, that did not "sit" kosher with me.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

How does she sound? See video link below.

Audio test

There is an annoying buzz and white noise level I am now on the hunt to find.

Things I need to either get rid or get under control:
Buzzing in tweeter
White noise level -- yeesh
Door chimes, Indicator signal, and Navigation levels are through the roof.

Let the hunt begin 🤓


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Forgot to mention....

Initially, I had the high level input going to a JL fix-86. This proved to be good, until it "wasn't". I say wasn't loosely, because I went through the entire process with it, just as I did in my previous vehicle, it worked; but then, it would just "go dead" for no apparent reason....at least to me.

I am unsure if it was/is a voltage issue, what I do know is, going directly to the 6to8v8 proved to be a better solution in terms of it stays on consistently. This was the main reason it is out of the chain.

I figured it would have been a good interface between the HU and DSP to control the little unwanted things.

In this hobby, it is a never-ending search for great sound.....coming from a novice.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Audio Family....

In my quest to lower the factory notifications and announcements, I have checked a few places: nav-tv, metraonline, pac-audio, crutchfield, etc. What i have pretty much settle on is the Axxess AXDSPX-GM31 made for IOR head units.

The conversations I have had with Axxess/Metra lead me to the DSPX as it will be able to the things I am looking for, and then some. Functions such as turn on/off delay, I'll mess with it for a little once I have it and give an update etc.

Thanks for reading.


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

donotattempt said:


> Audio Family....
> 
> In my quest to lower the factory notifications and announcements, I have checked a few places: nav-tv, metraonline, pac-audio, crutchfield, etc. What i have pretty much settle on is the Axxess AXDSPX-GM31 made for IOR head units.
> 
> ...


Did you get that DSPX?


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

tfunk182 said:


> Did you get that DSPX?


I ended up getting the Helix V eight DSP amplifier. This made a hell of a difference between the two setups. Prior to getting this unit, I was hell bent on getting the DSPX, but then I realized I don't need all this processing.. if I don't need it, my wife sure doesn't..

Actual review and build update to come soon. Having a lot of chips on the table at the moment. Taking them off one at a time.


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

donotattempt said:


> I ended up getting the Helix V eight DSP amplifier. This made a hell of a difference between the two setups. Prior to getting this unit, I was hell bent on getting the DSPX, but then I realized I don't need all this processing.. if I don't need it, my wife sure doesn't..
> 
> Actual review and build update to come soon. Having a lot of chips on the table at the moment. Taking them off one at a time.


Still kept all the factory bluetooth functions and all that?


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

That's correct. It isn't as loud as before. However, it is enjoyable.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Hi Everyone. Since doing a pseudo installation of the Helix V eight DSP, I must say, I have enjoyed it immensely. Learned quite a bit about tuning as well; even more than I thought I knew (this hobby has a lot more things we can always learn).

On to the juicy stuff.

I no longer have the Helix V eight MK1, someone liked it more than I do; it has been removed (teardrop). Not to worry, in its stead will be decent upgrade over stock, non-the-less.

Some time back, I made the plunge and purchased the GM-31 "box" from crutchfield. Now, this unit will be going in, along with an Audiocontrol DM810 I have (it is always great to have stuff around) .

Another thing i am going to tackle is the re-wiring of the vehicle, making it look neater etc, and a new subwoofer enclosure conducive to holding a stroller in the cargo area. In the work, I've got a few projects / pieces working on; once completed, it will be cased.

Thanks for reading,
SEB


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

We bought a new 2021 and compared to the base 2015 system in the old there is absolutely no bass in the new one. There is however a center stage but it too just sounds real thin and flat.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

It is really thin/poor. It has been a challenge in getting the system to sound how I want it.....especially those dang chimes. 😤 annoying as hell.
Let us not despair, I believe the process I've gone through can help others with their build.

There is VERY LITTLE room to work with running new wires 😀.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Hey guys, check out the pics showing the GM31....this is what I've got thus far.


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

I hope it works well.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

I am hopeful that it works as well. The major item I wanted to get rid of is the horrid chimes, as they are just simply too loud for your listening. Once this piece is installed and the settings are all done, an update will be provided.

Thanks as always for reading.


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## latech (May 6, 2021)

donotattempt said:


> Good day all, and, thanks for reading.
> 
> As the above states, this novice build for a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox without the bose system (Front, Rear, left and right). I am taking my time to the build, as the "19" virus has most of us at home....at least, here in Georgia.
> 
> ...




I got installed an small Amplifier (MTX 450w) and Small subwoofer (Kicker 150w) in a equinox 2019 LT Red edition and now since that installation I feel like the car is losing horsepower. is happen the same thing in your car? where did you connected the ground (if you can send a picture will be really appreciated). I see that this cars have 2 sensor in the battery don't know if that is affecting or I did something wrong or maybe the amplifier is affecting.
Could you please bring some guidance?
Thank you so much in advance...


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

How's it going? As far as losing power, there was no complaint. 
Below is a pic of the ground location used. Hope this helps.


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## ealvar (Mar 9, 2007)

donotattempt said:


> How's it going? As far as losing power, there was no complaint.
> Below is a pic of the ground location used. Hope this helps.
> 
> View attachment 300397


Just stumbled across this thread while I was planning out a system for my '20 GMC Terrain which looks very similar if not identical as far as the rear hatch area is concerned. Any updates on this build?

Looking at a pair of Boston Acoustics G5 10", sealed, and replacing the rear hatch cover with MDF. Likely will remove the spare since my Terrain is a daily driver and I'm rarely more than 25 miles from the house.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks for the inquire and info.

Replacing the floor with mdf is great, as you're removing the spare. That is my current battle, as my wife "needs" the spare; so it is a battle I'm fighting at the moment. I will have a better update in a few days.

Wow mamma!! BA G510-4 Is a mother of a sub, you're going to LOVE it. You're enclosure will need to be about 9"+ deep. Good stuff.


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## ealvar (Mar 9, 2007)

Looking forward to the update!

I really lucked out and picked up a pair of G510-44 "new old stock" about 7 years ago when Boston got out of the car audio game. Also managed to grab two of the SPS single 4 ohm recone kits. I've had them in my closet waiting for use. I also have a G510-RS (0.5 ft^3 sealed enclosure with a GTR 10" passive radiator which has been in every vehicle I've owned since '09. 









BOSTON G510 AND SPS10


Folder



1drv.ms


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Holy Mother of words I cannot say on the forum. .... that is AWESOME!! I'm quite jealous .


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

As promised, I started to get back into the equinox build and finally started to install the GM31 from Axxess. These little pins under the dash, for the radio are a nightmare to hold and replace; however, it is doable.









You'll see previous T-clamp that I had made to bypass the ANC microphones. However, I do believe this time around, it will be a better installation and system overall.










This picture below shows the passive crossover I previously installed in the "kicks" to split the tweeters and mids I have up on the dash.










The passive crossovers will be removed completely, and the system will be ran completely active/independent.


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

Did you think about trying the harnesses made by @JH1973?


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

I had a T-harness made. However, the chimes were out of control. There were a few more things that didn't give me result I liked, they were also quite obvious in everyday use.


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## ealvar (Mar 9, 2007)

For the 'under hatch' subwoofer box... what kind of volume did you end up with and how deep (internal dimensions) was the box?

BTW, thanks for sharing this project. Really got me motivated. I've ordered my AIS wiring harness and also will be ordering a new alternator from BrandX (likely 250a). The plan is to put a pair of Boston Acoustics Z6 6.5" components in doors/dash & another set of Boston Acoustics Z5 in coaxial configuration in the rear doors. Power will either be from an old school Eclipse XA5000 class D 5 channel, with a JBL MS8 DSP or, since the Z6 are pretty power hungry, may go with a Boston GT42 for fronts/rears and a GT28 for subs which will likely be a pair of Boston Acoustics G5 10".


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks for the compliment....I am glad my build post is affecting someone else positively.

On the enclosure, I made it as shown below.









The enclosure was enough for both subs to play with some serious authority, whilst being very musical.


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## donotattempt (Dec 30, 2009)

Today, I started messing around again. This time, I was looking at where to place equipment and what kind of a transformation this is going to become.










I'm not too crazy about slapping them on the back of the seat for maybe obvious reasons. It is quite a difficult task to get everything to fit and still have a nice sounding system in the end...... it continues.










I figured I could probably place the DSP and interior amps here and place decent cover on it..... hmmm, thinking, thinking.










Quick mockup in place for the dsp placement. Doesn't seem too bad. Just have to get the rest of it going. Time for table saw and router (tomorrow).


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## ealvar (Mar 9, 2007)

Thanks for the enclosure diagram and specs! Very helpful. Definitely looks like the spare has to go given the depth of my subs. Although, I may be able to make it work if I keep the spare and just remove the top storage tray. I'll have to take everything out and get measurements this weekend.


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

donotattempt said:


> How does she sound? See video link below.
> 
> Audio test
> 
> ...


On my 2021 you can control the volume of the chimes as well as turn some off.


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## tontorious1283 (10 mo ago)

donotattempt said:


> Next on the chopping board was the front doors.
> 
> After the removal of the stock 6x9s in the front doors, I added some acoustic tape; I had the opportunity to run this tape as far as I possibly could and then added some road kill foam to the exterior of the door skin.
> 
> ...


Where did you get the harness to bypass the active noise control? I am getting horrible feedback in my subs and I have a feeling this is due to the active noise control.


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## tfunk182 (Jun 3, 2019)

tontorious1283 said:


> Where did you get the harness to bypass the active noise control? I am getting horrible feedback in my subs and I have a feeling this is due to the active noise control.


@JH1973


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