# S60R- stealth build on a budget



## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Hello, all.

I've had components (speakers, HU, etc.) collecting dust in their original boxes in my garage for three or four years now, and have decide to finally get my $h!+ together and commit to the installation. No, the equipment I'll be using probably won't impress anyone around DIYMA, but it's the best I can do without having to factor in the expenses associated with a divorce. :/ You see, in the reality where I dwell, spouses have crazy ideas about their children needing to be properly fed and clothed, and hold the insane notion that that is somehow more important than my own need to satisfy my mobile audiophile wannabe aspirations. Crazy, right?

This car (my daily driver) brings me endless joy, even with the lame factory system (supposedly a "premium" upgrade from the standard. lol.), so pretty much anything I do is going to improve the quality of my life.

There, I've already achieved step one -- tempering my expectations -- an excellent place to start.

The goals:

1) Improve the overall SQ to the highest extent budget allows.
2) Keep the build as stealthy as possible.
3) Maintain respectable volume of usable trunk space.
4) Retain the spare.
5) Leave options for component upgrades in the future.

The components:

1) HU: Alpine 9857 (a couple of years old, but still New In Box)
2) Main amp: JL Audio 300/4 (also NIB)
3) Sub amp: JL Audio 500/1 (used, but in great condition)
4) Front doors: Infinity Kappa 6.5" components (NIB)
5) Fill (rear deck): Infinity Kappa 6.5" 3-ways (NIB)
6) Sub (with custom sealed box in the trunk): Infinity Kappa 12" (NIB)
7) Misc: 1.5 farad cap, 4g power/ground, 12g speaker leads, Stinger RCAs

The ride:










I'm doing the build now, so I'll be posting more photos as I go. Please feel free to offer your comments, suggestions, links to inspirational install logs, etc., especially if you have any personal experience with this vehicle or the bits I'm putting in her. I'm a first class noob at this, so your input is welcome.


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Welcome to DIYMA!

Good start, would love to see some images!
Loose that cap.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Mless5 said:


> Welcome to DIYMA!
> 
> Loose that cap.


Thanks. Glad to be here. What's the down side to the cap?


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

It doesn't really do anything. Marketing gimmick. You will be fine without it. I run 4 old PPi amps without any problems.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Mless5 said:


> It doesn't really do anything. Marketing gimmick. You will be fine without it. I run 4 old PPi amps without any problems.


Ah, I see your point. It's probably even more unnecessary in light of the onboard compensation for voltage fluctuation that's in these amps. And, in truth, I'm looking for fidelity, not insane volume, so it isn't likely I'll be testing the limits of my electrical system ... often.

Cap deleted. Thanks.


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

I'd skip rear deck 3 way and use your 300/4 to do active 2 way instead. I believe you can do that with your Slash series. Then fine tune those Infinity. In the long run you will be able to better tailor the sound then using fixed passive crossovers.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Mless5 said:


> I'd skip rear deck 3 way and use your 300/4 to do active 2 way instead. I believe you can do that with your Slash series. Then fine tune those Infinity. In the long run you will be able to better tailor the sound then using fixed passive crossovers.


Yes, I believe the 300/4 does have an active crossover and can be supplied by a single stereo pair of RCAs. I'll pull an extra pair of speaker leads to each front door and plan to do it that way.

Since I just finished mounting the 3-ways in the rear deck, I don't really want to leave them unpowered. I have a spare 4-channel amp I could use in a bridged mode to drive them, though it's an embarrassingly inexpensive one -- a Profile California 1040. The numbers on it look fine, but I've never powered it up, so I really don't know what it sounds like. If it's bad I can upgrade to a better amp for the fills in the future. 

I wonder if I could split the signal going into the Profile amp and use its crossover to power the 3-ways (one channel for each tweet, and one for each woofer) since the speakers have separate inputs. Not sure if that would be better than bridging the amp and using the passive x-overs that came with the speakers. Basically, I don't know $h!+ about anything. lol. Like I said, I'm out of my league around here. :/

Please feel free to help me sort it all out if you're so inclined. The specs and details are all there in the link above. Naturally, I'm very grateful for any advise you share. For now I'm going to have an IPA and slither back into my trunk for a while.


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## shawndoggy (Nov 7, 2005)

Are the Kappas already in the front? You might consider whether to use the tweets. I installed three different sets of those speakers in three different cars (I'm a slow learner) and no matter how they were aimed or how they were powered, they were excruciatingly bright. 

As for rear fill, if you have the option of not powering the tweets, do that. You don't need the highs coming from behind you.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

shawndoggy said:


> Are the Kappas already in the front? You might consider whether to use the tweets. I installed three different sets of those speakers in three different cars (I'm a slow learner) and no matter how they were aimed or how they were powered, they were excruciatingly bright.
> 
> As for rear fill, if you have the option of not powering the tweets, do that. You don't need the highs coming from behind you.


No, I haven't gotten to the front doors yet. I think if I'm powering the components separately I shouldn't have much trouble limiting the brightness of the tweets, but time will tell. No funds to change tac on that decision right now.

I could opt not to power the tweets in the rear deck if they cause problems, but that's not the way I plan to originally set things up. My instincts tell me with a sub in the trunk, having a bit of treble back there isn't going to be much of an issue. Again, time will tell.


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## shawndoggy (Nov 7, 2005)

Kilted said:


> No, I haven't gotten to the front doors yet. I think if I'm powering the components separately I shouldn't have much trouble limiting the brightness of the tweets, but time will tell. No funds to change tac on that decision right now.
> 
> I could opt not to power the tweets in the rear deck if they cause problems, but that's not the way I plan to originally set things up. My instincts tell me with a sub in the trunk, having a bit of treble back there isn't going to be much of an issue. Again, time will tell.


It's a function of that particular tweet... its just bright to the point of harsh. more power, less power, active, passive, eq'd, flat, on axis, off axis.... it's just too friggin bright (for my taste).

I'm not making it up about rear fill being bass and midbass....


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

shawndoggy said:


> It's a function of that particular tweet... its just bright to the point of harsh. more power, less power, active, passive, eq'd, flat, on axis, off axis.... it's just too friggin bright (for my taste).
> 
> I'm not making it up about rear fill being bass and midbass....


Oh, I'm not doubting you. I just don't have more $$ to invest in a different pair of front components right now. Maybe they'll be too bright for my taste, too. Then again, maybe I'm loosing enough of my high frequency sensitivity that it will sound great to me.

And I can pull power to the rear tweets if the effect isn't what I'm seeking. I'd like to keep the sound stage toward the front anyway, so if the overly-bright tweeters in my doors don't take care of that, I'm sure killing the treble in the rear deck will do the trick.

I'm a slow learner, too. When I was a kid there was always someone telling me, "Don't touch that; it's hot," or, "Watch out; this is sharp." Consequently I was getting myself burned and cut rather often. Always one to find things out for myself. It's a wonder I've survived this long. 

Don't let my stubbornness put you off. Please keep the advise coming. I'm taking it all in.

Last night I remembered that the Kappas are 2ohm and couldn't be driven by my "economy" spare amp in bridged mode. I could still use it, but it would have to be with one channel per tweet and one per woofer, and I'd have to split the RCA inputs before feeding the signal to the amp.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

A few photos of my painfully slow progress:










Here's the HU installed in the dash. The two LEDs and the button on the left side are hardwired power light, alarm light, and mute for my Escort 8500x50. Space above will be where the bass control for the 500/1 and a backordered turbo vacuum/boost gauge will be mounted.











And in the dark.











Factory rear deck speakers were 8", mounted in plastic holders.











Originally thought I could use the factory mounts, so I fabricated a couple of plexi baffles. Didn't like how flimsy it all seemed, so I yanked it and went a different path.











Was able to use the adapters that came with the Kappas for a bottom mount, but put on some Ensolite beforehand. Not fancy, but functional enough for now. I could always fab some proper baffles if needed later.











A shot of the mounted deck speakers from below.











Here's where I'd like to mount my amp rack.











Fabricated the rack out of 3/4" MDF using a cardboard template.











Backed it partially with 3/8" plywood siding to compensate for the different levels of the attachment points and add some more rigidity.











Completed sub-assembly.

(More to follow in just a minute.)


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Hammered in the barbed nuts. Temporarily slung the assembly from the underside of the rear deck using a single, centrally-mounted bolt. That allowed me to keep it secure while I drilled the other mounting holes, assuring that everything would line up.











Covered it all with carpet, using spray adhesive and staples.











Layered on some Ensolite before mounting the amp rack.











Mounted the rack. Made sure to apply some thread lock before putting the bolts in and tightening them down.











One last view from above to show the mounting bolts. Dropped them through fender washers to spread out the load and reduce the risk of tear-out later.











Installed the 500/1 and 300/4, being sure to leave room for additional amps (behind them) to be added in the future.











Not really a "stealth" installation, but looking down from a typical perspective I'm happy with the result so far. The amps are there, but not drawing attention, unlike the stains from my most recent body disposal (kidding).











Of the countless virtues I fail to possess, patience is among them. Hence, my hasty-but-temporary cobbling of my sub to a spare sub box. I'll build a custom sealed enclosure to the Infinity/Harman specifications and hope it will be less conspicuous than this mess, since it will have the sub on the inside of the box.

Sorry for all the trivial shots of the minutia of the build. There's nothing special or fancy going on here, but perhaps someone will find it helpful since there are so few Volvos on this site.

Next time I should be posting the component speaker installation in the front doors, wiring in the sub control nob in the console, running all the power/ground leads for the amps, and buttoning it all together till I have time to build the sub enclosure.

Later, Gators. Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. :santa:

-Todd


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Good start there Todd!


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Couldn't get the photos at the beginning of the thread to reliably show up because they were hosted on mobileme. I've moved them to Photobucket and am reposting them here.

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.










In the Town of Mt. Laurel, AL. And, yes, I know what those little white lines are for. 











Um, it's the one on the left. 











Shot somewhere in TX a few years ago on my trip back from buying the car in CO. Lame camera -- long since retired. S60R -- strong as ever. Apatosaurus -- extinct.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

i came so close to buying a V70R 5 years ago, but went with my LGT instead...are you over on volvospeed? i used to be a mod over there back in my 850 T5 days 

awesome car!


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

simplicityinsound said:


> i came so close to buying a V70R 5 years ago, but went with my LGT instead...are you over on volvospeed? i used to be a mod over there back in my 850 T5 days
> 
> awesome car!


Thanks, Bing. I feel fortunate to own this car. It's a nice mix of fast and sporty with refined and comfy.

I'm dabbling in a little entry-level tuning with it (mostly upgraded components from iPd), but haven't done anything major yet. I'd like to take it through stage 2 (or 3?) while I'm still (barely) young enough to enjoy it, but old enough to pay for the speeding fines without having to eat ramen for six months.

In fact, I'm not registered on Volvospeed but am on the Swedespeed forum as dr.tb.xc. I've thought about joining Volvospeed, but haven't gotten around to pulling the trigger. Think I will.

May I say that I am a *huge fan *of your work? Your installations set a high bar for hacks such as me, but I do enjoy pouring over the photos of your various builds and your Simplicity in Sound site. Consider yourself fortunate to not live near me, as I know I would pester the crap out of you if you did. 

I'll add that I'm also really impressed with what Trevor has done with his C30R. Not having either the 300+ hours, the budget, or (apparently) the hyper-understanding wife that he has, I must settle for my modest installation, at least for now.

-Todd


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

I should be posting photos of progress on the build, but life has been getting in my way. Work, of course, but mostly I find not having a warm, dry garage in which to work profoundly un-motivating. Well, there's that, and then there's this:










Happened yesterday morning on the super-slab at 82 mph as I was passing a line of slower vehicles in rush hour traffic. I'm thinking I must have hit a piece of metal debris, as I heard it glance off the underside of the cabin a millisecond before the tire exploded. All very exciting. Sounded like I was being run over by a train. Big explosion of rubber fragments, smoke, and noise. Lovely.










Not content with its own destruction, the tire managed to essentially gut the tire well and tear a nice chunk of my rear bumper molding free.

No issues coaxing the car to the shoulder of the road, though traffic did keep me in the lane for nearly an 1/8th of a mile. Very happy the projectile didn't take out the front tire instead of the back. Probably would have had to change my shorts as well as the tire if that had happened.

Tire replaced. Parts ordered. Back to installing the front speakers tomorrow if the weather doesn't keep me inside.

Ta.


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## sqoverspl (Aug 17, 2009)

Your gauges are so cool looking!


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

sqoverspl said:


> Your gauges are so cool looking!


Thanks. I really love the look of the gauges in the R, too. Off topic, but here is the vacuum/boost gauge that will be mounted adjacent to the HU, above the bass control and radar detector LEDs/mute. Should look good in there.


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## fastev (May 28, 2007)

Looks great so far! That blowout looks scary, glad everything worked out okay. I'll be following this one, I love those cars!


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

Love the R!! I have a C70 HPT with an R block and they are built to run. Beautiful car and very nice install. Love the hanging amp rack, I actually considered it but my amps were to big to do it.


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

That is a very well done amp rack! Are you going to hook up some fans underneath there for active cooling? Most heat sinks rely on having air above them.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Ludemandan said:


> That is a very well done amp rack! Are you going to hook up some fans underneath there for active cooling? Most heat sinks rely on having air above them.


Thanks, guys. I appreciate the kind words.

I hadn't considered putting a cooling fan in, but perhaps I should. I thought by having the fins out in the open I could avoid that step. I've heard these amps can get a bit hot, especially in a truly stealth installation. 

Maybe I could put a small, quiet 12V computer fan or squirrel cage over on one side where it would stir the air across the rack. Open to any and all suggestions. Less-expensive options are especially appealing, but I'm not looking to be unnecessarily cheap about this.


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## bak2life (Dec 5, 2010)

Nice.....I'm getting some inspiration...my S80 needs the attention


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Hey guys, I need advise.

I was hoping to find a path through the flexible conduit crossing the hinge where I could pass 14g or 12g speaker leads, but there is a connector screwed to the edge of the door, and apparently no unused conductors through it. Yes, I could drill new ports, fit grommets, run a new flex conduit, seal it all up with silicone, etc., etc., but there's a problem. I'm lazy.

I don't really want to repurpose the puny factory wires because, well, *they're puny*, and I believe there may only be one pair of them entering the door. I'd like to run two pairs so I can power the tweeter and mid separately, or at least not have to bury a passive crossover in the door.

Suggestions?

I'm guessing this would better fit in the "no question too stupid" area, but here we are.

Edit: I eagerly followed trevordj's thread on the amazing build he did in his Volvo C30. His dedication (and apparently spare time and budget) are so far beyond anything I could manage that I shudder to think I may actually have to do things the same way he has. :blush: *Here* is how he dealt with this issue.

I'm probably looking for an easy/simple solution for a problem that has none. Still, I suspect this particular issue is one that comes up frequently in higher-end installations than mine, so, mundane or not, there must be a wealth of experience on the topic around here. Here's hoping some of it blows my way soon.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Problem solved before advise given. Ended up drilling out a channel through both halves of the multi-pin connector on the hinge side of the door, just big enough for me to snake a couple of 14g speaker wires through. I'll use those for the mid and have repurposed the (16g?) factory leads for the tweets. Everything is nice, tidy, and all closed up.

I have a few photos to post when I get a chance.


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## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Good looking install! Nice looking s60 as well.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Sorry I've been neglecting the thread.

Presently I've got the system more or less assembled, though it is not in its final configuration. I'm back to my original plan to use the 4-channel amp (300/4) to power both the front stage and rear fill.

For now I'm just using the passive crossovers supplied with the Infinity Kappa speakers (front components and rear 3-ways), though I did pull separate leads from each front tweeter and mid to the trunk, where the crossovers are temporarily mounted. I'm hoping to add another 300/4 or 300/2 in the future, which would allow me to drive each component separately, using the active crossovers of the amps.

Even before I add another amp I'm rather pleased with the improvement over the factory system, though I realize that may not be saying much.

Here are a few selected photos:











So much for my fantasy that the system had a "premium" upgrade. No Dyneaudio parts here. Paper cones. Unimpressive to look at. Only slightly more impressive to listen to. The extension to the right of the speaker is there to direct sound to the unused 3" grille where, had there actually been an upgraded factory system, another driver would be mounted. As I have no immediate plans to put one there I will reuse the extension piece.











It is important to have all the necessary supplies at hand. This one was essential. As "raging bitches" go, she is rather pleasant company. My omnipresent feline companion, who insisted on supervising the whole process and trying to find a lap to sit in, was somewhat less essential to the operation.











I had to drill out all the pop rivets securing the factory speaker adapters to the inner sheet metal of the doors. Since the plastic began to melt soon after the drilling began, the rivets were inclined to spin, making the process slightly more complicated, but not impossible. I ended up with 1/4" holes, which I slipped plastic inserts into for the reassembly.











Removed the factory mids from the adapters and modified them slightly to accommodate the new mids. Added a bit of adhesive-backed Ensolite before installing them.











Soldered on a short 14g jumper before re-mounting it all in the door.











And here is one in place. You can also see some of the Ensolite I covered the door with. Everything was sealed and dampened. New leads were pulled, jacketed with Techflex and heatshrink, and crimp-connected to the jumpers.











One of the new tweets installed in the slightly modified pocket on the back of the inner door panel, where the factory tweet had been. I used one of the included adapters to keep it centered.











I backed it with Ensolite and fabricated a short polycarbonate strap, which I secured with sheet metal screws. It's all quite secure.











And here is what it looks like with everything put back together.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Thought I'd post a few more photos to show how I dealt with the problem of pulling new speaker leads into the doors when I found the accordion conduit spanning the hinge gap had a fancy connector on the door side.











Here's the problem connector in place, but with the rubber conduit pulled free from the inside of the door.











This is the door side of the connector after I disconnected it from its mate and removed it from the door. No open paths to be found, but you can see a couple of unused conductor channels just below the gray 16g factory speaker wires.











I drilled them out so that I could just fit a pair of additional 14g speaker leads through ...




















... And did the same to the corresponding channels on the body-side connector.











I used a plastic rod to fish the new wires back through the accordion conduit into the cabin.











The wires were fed through the body-side connector, the opening in the door, and then through the door-side connector, and flexible conduit before the connector was replaced in the door, attached to its mate, and the flexible rubber conduit sections were all restored to their original places.











I re-purposed the slightly lighter gauge original speaker leads for jumpers to the new tweeters and used the new leads for the mids. Of course, I sheathed each lead for protection before making the final connections to the components.

Hope some of this is helpful to anyone else contemplating this task on any one of the similar model Volvos. I'll post some updates as soon as I have anything worth showing.

For now I'm happy to listen to the upgraded system, which is a vast improvement over the factory set up. I do have a slight alternator whine which I need to track down. I'll separate the remote-on lead from the RCA bundle and move the ground for the amps from the negative battery connector to a new properly sanded and bolted down ground terminal elsewhere. Hopefully that will solve the problem. We shall see.


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## bak2life (Dec 5, 2010)

thanks for posting the door pics...gives me strong idea of the future...


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

You are SOOOOOOO lucky you had spots open in the molex plug. My C70 used EVERY spot so I taped into the factory wires and we soldered them on both the interior and the door side.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

chefhow said:


> You are SOOOOOOO lucky you had spots open in the molex plug. My C70 used EVERY spot so I taped into the factory wires and we soldered them on both the interior and the door side.


I felt lucky when I spied the open spaces in the plug. If they hadn't been there I probably would have had to drill a path through one of the other areas, all of which seem to be in close proximity to power leads -- not an ideal solution.

I assume you have splits up front in your C70. Did you have to put passive crossovers in the doors, or were there two sets of factory speaker leads to tap into?

I'd still love to see a few photos of your system.


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## Kilted (Dec 17, 2010)

Thought I'd check back in on this thread for what may be my last update for a while, though I plan to dig it up and pick at it some more as I make upgrades down the road.

The system is all in place and, to my novice ear, is a drastic improvement over the stock audio system. I'm doing my best to tune it, but without any specialized equipment and limited experience, it has all been rather experimental and amateurish. I read articles here, of course, but most of what I've done has more to do with instinct and my ears. If there are any experienced DIYMA members living nearby (Birmingham, AL) who would be willing to give me some guidance I'd be more than happy to accept sage advise.

For now I am using the passive crossovers that came with both speaker systems, though I did pull separate leads from each tweeter and 6.5" in the front doors all the way back to the amp rack. I did this with the intent of powering them separately later, when I add another amp or two.

I am sending full range to the fills in the back deck, though I have the fader dialed mostly to the front. Frankly, I miss the fill if I turn it completely down, but I suppose that may not be the case if the system was properly tuned. The sound stage is relatively high and feels about right to me.

Originally I was using the HU's sub output to feed signal to the 500/1, but I am now sending the signal from the front channel outputs directly to the sub amp and am passing full-range signal through, and on to two of the 300/4's inputs. (The rear fill inputs on the amp are fed directly from the HU.) I have the low-pass cut off frequency set for around 150 Hz with a 24 dB/octave slope, based on the frequency response curve in the documentation for my Infinity Kappa 12" sub. I'm sure that may be a higher cut off than many would advise, but the lower frequencies sound thin without it being set there. I have the infrasonic filter disabled and have the "Q" and center frequency set to the middle of the range, because, frankly, I have no clue where to set them, or even what "Q" is. 

I've also added a remote bass control to the front console, which does nothing more that regulate boost from 0 to +15 dB -- no gain control. It really doesn't seem to make much of a difference where it is set most of the time, but I fiddle with it endlessly anyway.

I have the high-pass cut off for the front splits and the rear fills set at around 50 Hz with a 24 dB/octave slope, and, as I said before, am using the passive crossovers that came with them for now. It's probably not ideal, but it does sound good to me.

Enough talk. Without a couple of photos there'd be little value in this post. Let me take care of that now.










I pulled the Alpine CDA-9857 out and completely reworked how I had it mounted. I added reinforcement and vibration dampening. The bass control and a new vacuum/boost gauge have been installed adjacent to the HU and above the LEDs and mute for my Passport radar detector. I'm happy with the result.











Here's another photo showing the whole instrument cluster. I think iPd did a great job designing the boost gauge to complement this vehicle's original instrument cluster. It looks especially great at night. I'll post one of that later.

Thanks for looking.


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## redbaronace (Sep 27, 2011)

Nice build on your S60R. Sending you a PM regarding the install.


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## redbaronace (Sep 27, 2011)

simplicityinsound said:


> i came so close to buying a V70R 5 years ago, but went with my LGT instead...are you over on volvospeed? i used to be a mod over there back in my 850 T5 days
> 
> awesome car!


Wish you would have purchased that V70r as I would be trying to copy your install right now!!!!


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