# 2016 Mazda 6 Touring audio build



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Hey guys,

I picked up a 2016 Mazda 6 recently, found the sound system to be accurate but weak, especially windows-down. It doesn't displease the ear like some factory systems do, but certainly it can be improved. I bought it needing some work, so I put money into the brakes, wheels, and tires and now I've got a weak budget, so this build is mostly going to be $0!, just from things I've got in the garage (and my forgotten for-sale threads.)

Simple beginnings, I just started fabricating the enclosure. 


















What I've got here is a 38 1/4 x 13 x 13.5" ported enclosure planned. It will house a single Acoustic Elegance AV10H-D2 and should end up tuned somewhere between 23 and 24 Hz, so I am expecting a very deep bass response, which should be great. My port WAS going to be kerfed 1.5 x 12" port but after spending most of yesterday afternoon in the blazing sun, slicing kerfs and then having them snap with the slightest of bends, I realized that perhaps this is probably not the build to experiment with something like that, especially with limited funds. So I moved to a 1.75 x 12" slot design and drafted what I think will be successful.

On top of this enclosure will sit some deadener and neoprene, and then I'll build an amp rack on top of that. I bought some 16" draw sliders with soft-close and I'm going to try and make a sliding amp rack to allow access to the amp at-will. If that fails, I'll just build a mini-rack behind the box close to the seatbacks. The amp is an Arc KS900.6, so it should work well for the job.

For front stage, I've got a set of Audio Development AD600 components I'll put into use.


Oh and if anybody has a cheap processor (say, 8ch+) they don't want anymore, I'll see if I can stretch my $0 budget to buy it and use it here.

More pics as I get fabricating, slow-going in the heat.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Looks familiar. I have a '15. The factory HU had a lot of cool features, but the implementation was horrible.

What color is it?

Jay


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

In for another one of your builds. I look forward to seeing what you can do with a $0 budget and leftovers. 

You should bring at least one of your vehicles out for the Tri-State MECA finals at Fry's in LV in a few of months.


----------



## Lycancatt (Apr 11, 2010)

theres an alpine 701 processor in classifieds, good older unit that'd work for you.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> Looks familiar. I have a '15. The factory HU had a lot of cool features, but the implementation was horrible.
> 
> What color is it?
> 
> Jay


The improvements in the interior and infotainment system are what drove me to a 2016 instead of stepping down, but a negative is there's no replacing it on those years. It is Blue Reflex, here it is after some putting a bunch of hours into paint restoration/polishing, my other hobby









Here it is after some new wheels and tires, but I haven't yet dropped and spaced it out yet












rton20s said:


> In for another one of your builds. I look forward to seeing what you can do with a $0 budget and leftovers.
> 
> You should bring at least one of your vehicles out for the Tri-State MECA finals at Fry's in LV in a few of months.


Those are kind words. I planned on bringing my Colorado to Fry's (they just had a show there) but I sold that to my dad who fell in love with the system I put in there. I'll have to see if the Durango is up for the challenge, just have to put some work in on the trunk to get the bare wood out of there, coat things in vinyl and in general make it less ugly.



Lycancatt said:


> theres an alpine 701 processor in classifieds, good older unit that'd work for you.


orly!? I'll take a look! I was secretly hoping for a Helix, I LOVED that processor in my Colorado, was just a peach to program and use, and the absolute zero noise from it was amazing.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

fourthmeal said:


> The improvements in the interior and infotainment system are what drove me to a 2016 instead of stepping down, but a negative is there's no replacing it on those years. It is Blue Reflex, here it is after some putting a bunch of hours into paint restoration/polishing, my other hobby
> 
> Those are kind words. I planned on bringing my Colorado to Fry's (they just had a show there) but I sold that to my dad who fell in love with the system I put in there. I'll have to see if the Durango is up for the challenge, just have to put some work in on the trunk to get the bare wood out of there, coat things in vinyl and in general make it less ugly.
> 
> ...


That thing is gonna look great lowered and wheels flush!


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

That looks awesome. How bad was it for only being like a year old!?
I went with a '15 because it was CPO and had a radio I could replace. lol
I had found a '14 CPO with 10k miles on it and was thinking about it, but the silver color just didn't wow me. I couldn't convince myself I liked it. When I saw it in person it had a big scratch on it, too.


Mine is Snowflake pearl.

I actually really like the stock 19's. 

You going to bag it or just coilovers?

Jay


----------



## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

That's the color I liked on the 6 when I was car shopping. Detail job looks great (my hobby too), and wheel selection/sizing complements the car very well.
Guess I'll have to find another KS900.6 to put on my "buy in the future" list


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> That looks awesome. How bad was it for only being like a year old!?
> I went with a '15 because it was CPO and had a radio I could replace. lol
> I had found a '14 CPO with 10k miles on it and was thinking about it, but the silver color just didn't wow me. I couldn't convince myself I liked it. When I saw it in person it had a big scratch on it, too.
> 
> ...


This one came to be with 24k miles, so that was probably when the lease was up and they brought it in. The front factory Dunlops were pretty worn up front, rear tires were replaced with Nexen SU1's which are summer tires, so I had to do something about that and went with Falken FK450 A/S all around. I didn't need to replace the wheels but I found a smoking deal on Amazon for the Konigs and my local Discount Tire readily matched the price, so that was a no-brainer to go for it. The brakes were warped up front, not severely but I'm stupid-picky about brakes so I upgraded those to the best I could find without going "big brake", its slotted Centric StopTech in front and rear, with their best ceramic pads up front, and factory TRW (rear electronic brake) pads for rear which are the ONLY pads you can buy right now, and they cost a grip. It also came with the typical scratches, bumps, scuffs, chips etc. but I performed a full 3-step polish on it and revived it pretty well. The engine and trans are perfect, suspension perfect, interior really good with no real damage, just needed some tlc/deep cleaning and my interior cleaning tools got a workaround for all the crevices and stuff. But she was 16 grand, not 25 grand unlike a new one, so it was worth the trouble and the couple scratches. The dealer even gave me a $250 check back to me when I complained about the brakes, citing that they may have warped in a test drive after they safety-checked it, and I think that might have been right. 

I'm not going to bag or use coilovers, I'll use springs and may or may not replace the dampers. I want to drop only an inch or maybe up to 1.3", to kill the gap (with H&R or Tannabe), and those will work well with the stock dampers for now. An upgrade to better dampers could come later.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Truthunter said:


> That's the color I liked on the 6 when I was car shopping. Detail job looks great (my hobby too), and wheel selection/sizing complements the car very well.
> Guess I'll have to find another KS900.6 to put on my "buy in the future" list


You can buy mine now if you want, I do need smaller amps if I can get my hands on them. But... no lowballin me, lol


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Truthunter said:


> That's the color I liked on the 6 when I was car shopping. Detail job looks great (my hobby too), and wheel selection/sizing complements the car very well.
> Guess I'll have to find another KS900.6 to put on my "buy in the future" list












Seriously, I have a KS900.6 and KS600.2 that I will be looking to sell. Currently in use in my car, but if I had a buyer it would be just the motivation I need to get moving on my system revisions. 

Edit: Sorry Lanson! Posted that before I saw your last post. Maybe he should just buy both?


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Here's some updated pics, just working in between the hottest parts of the day, so its slow-going right now. Tomorrow may be better, we'll see.










I am so disappointed, my trusty Jasper circle-maker cracked in half so I am now forced to cut "circles" with a jigsaw, and man...that sucks! Anyway, thankfully this atrocity will not be visible, nor will it affect performance. 


















I'm now working out a processor and maybe more amplifier channels, since I've decided that budget-smudget...let's do this right.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Update time, 

I added bracing and hit all the seams with deadening spray

















I then added UltraTouch insulation batting

























And then I took polyfill (from old pillows, literally one of the best ways to get rid of an old pillow IMO)

















I mounted the top board. BTW the box does not fit INTO the trunk, it must be pushed from the rear seats! I expected this while building it, but it was a tense moment fitting it.









Fun fact, it turns out that a box in the trunk is NOT 90 degrees relative to the trunk floor. There's some angling going on underneath, from some rigid foam under there. 85 degrees actually









I got to 90 degrees by placing an inch's worth of spacer under the leading edge of the box. 

















This little guy is going in there (dust though).


----------



## BigAl205 (May 20, 2009)

You've developed some mad skills over the years. Looks great!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

BigAl205 said:


> You've developed some mad skills over the years. Looks great!


Thanks man! I feel lost without my circle jig though, thanks to using it so much I can't cut an arc with a jigsaw very well now. We'll have to see if I can make a decent cover design without it or if its replacement gets here in time.


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Nice! I've been saving my Av12h for too long, Glad to see this coming along nicely.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Bluenote said:


> Nice! I've been saving my Av12h for too long, Glad to see this coming along nicely.


Ohhh great sub. I really hope this ported design works, but if it doesn't I'll just rebuild a larged low Q sealed design, and go with that. AV's are so special, there's just nothing like it IMO...except other AE subs perhaps. But even then, the rubber surround and really solid spun-alloy cone with that ultra-low inductance winding...its damn near a midbass driver!


----------



## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

nice to see 3 different types of wood on the box...thats how we do things in vermont too. Whatever is laying around is up for grabs. I am thinking Mazda for my next car...undecided which one yet.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Well, minor update, just an equipment plan. I'm going to try to go with an Audiocontrol DM-810 processor, which is a 10-channel unit. I'm going to try and grab an ARC KS300.4 amp to go along with my KS900.6, which will give me 8 channels + sub. The 900.6 can do (at 4 ohm) 60x4 plus 155x2 , but if you bridge those rear channels to a 4 ohm load, you get a clean 550W+ of power, which is GREAT for a subwoofer. A KS300.4 can do 90x4, so I'm thinking of putting that on my front and rear woofers, and using the remaining 60x4 off the 900.6 toward the dash mid-range and tweeters. That should provide plenty of power.

Now to play the waiting game for the gear!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Time for some front stage research pictures

My basic 6 speaker Touring setup has little Polymide tweeters in the dash sections









This is the tweeter opening in the dash, plenty of space for most tweeters









The top plate holds the tweeter, and is a bit more restricted in size. 

















But the opening is pretty big









The dash also has room for another speaker. I've seen Bose factory setups that apparently use this spot here for a different sized speaker. My plan is to use both spaces and make a two-way setup

















Cover panel









This is the available space behind that false panel









Good space for a midrange speaker









According to the false panel, the mount holes are 4 1/4" apart









Depth is variable here, but the tallest spot I could measure was right at 2". Other spots are deeper


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Weird. Your is different than mine. Mine had a polymide tweeter mounted in a plate where the 3" hole is. 

I also found the factory system to be reasonably accurate. I initially planned on just using some processing and adding subs, but then decided to go all out.

Out of curiousity, what do you think of the seats? I'm a bigger guy, and I feel like they're too narrow.

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> Weird. Your is different than mine. Mine had a polymide tweeter mounted in a plate where the 3" hole is.
> 
> I also found the factory system to be reasonably accurate. I initially planned on just using some processing and adding subs, but then decided to go all out.
> 
> ...


Do you have the Bose setup? The factory system is fairly accurate but I want better, especially after the front stage performance I got out of my Colorado. 

Love the seats, I'm narrow myself but my wife is bigger, but she says they are comfy. Sporty but comfy!


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Can you share exactly which AD drivers you will be using? I recall you posting about a few different models in the past.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

rton20s said:


> Can you share exactly which AD drivers you will be using? I recall you posting about a few different models in the past.



Certainly, I had them in my classifieds a bit, they are W600's. I still have a new 5 1/4 pair of W500's and my trusty 6 1/2's which will be used again in this build. I'd have gone with 8's or Tm65 mk II's if they sold though. Still have the tweeters and crossovers too, but I'm using Audible Physics speakers for mids and tweets


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

fourthmeal said:


> Certainly, I had them in my classifieds a bit, they are W600's. I still have a new 5 1/4 pair of W500's and my trusty 6 1/2's which will be used again in this build. I'd have gone with 8's or Tm65 mk II's if they sold though. Still have the tweeters and crossovers too, but I'm using Audible Physics speakers for mids and tweets


Awesome. I knew you had mentioned the W600s for the midbasses, but wasn't sure about the mids and tweeters. Funny enough, if you hadn't selected mids and tweeters, I was going to suggest taking a look at AP. Which of the mids and tweeters are you planning on?


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

rton20s said:


> Awesome. I knew you had mentioned the W600s for the midbasses, but wasn't sure about the mids and tweeters. Funny enough, if you hadn't selected mids and tweeters, I was going to suggest taking a look at AP. Which of the mids and tweeters are you planning on?


Oh the first thing I did after measuring these spaces (and realizing what I had room for) was PM Richard and ask if he had AP speakers. He set me up with an AR20 and AR3A combo, same as I had in the Colorado. Its going to be a GREAT front stage.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

OK so I spent some sweat equity (literally... its 110+ degrees outside) and measured the stock system. I used the multiple sweep procedure with subtly different mic positions relative to my ears.


































Here's the averages of those measurements


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Let's go over distortion numbers. I'm just focusing on the front stage for this


































Here's the waterfall measurements of the front left and right


















This is the factory response (left and right front averaged) against what I consider one of my preferred response "house curves"


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

This is for extra credit: this is the response of the factory EQ bass and treble settings, from lowest to highest. This was made with the mic in the same position (right in front of my nose) for comparison's sake.


























I had to drop the volume of the system to get these to work without significant distortion at the upper settings.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

fourthmeal said:


> Do you have the Bose setup? The factory system is fairly accurate but I want better, especially after the front stage performance I got out of my Colorado.
> 
> Love the seats, I'm narrow myself but my wife is bigger, but she says they are comfy. Sporty but comfy!


Nope. Mine isn't Bose either. Maybe just one of the small differences betweem 15 and 16?

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> Nope. Mine isn't Bose either. Maybe just one of the small differences betweem 15 and 16?
> 
> Jay


It could be! I think it is weird that there's two opening with only one used at any given time.

Also, this car would be EXCELLENT for a surround sound system, that center channel area (which mine has a blank plate in) looks like it could hold a beast of a center channel with some fabrication work, or at least a strong ~4" coaxial or something with minimal trimming. Too bad my MS-8 is doing duty in my Durango right now.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

I thought the same thing.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Time to tear into the door. I'll start with the driver's side.

A screw here at the door handle









A same-sized screw at the door pull









Pull the sill panel off directly, two clips hold it









__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










The switch panel can be removed by prying from the bottom

















Not pictured but the whole door comes apart with some quick pulls. The clips are quite strong so swift strong tugs were most effective .

Here's the factory speaker









The adapter integrated with the speaker measures almost 2 1/4" deep.









Negative is this white one, brown is the positive









The factory speaker magnet protrudes just a bit









I was warned about this from someone else's build, this plastic "arrow" looking thing which is what the door stops against also protrudes right into the speaker's path. 









At its most shallow, this protruding door stop is about an inch deep.









And about 1 5/8" at its most deep









The opening is about 7" across


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Here's the bare door, Mazda likely has a good bass output out of their stock speakers because of this excellent design you see here. The door is nicely sealed with this reinforced plastic piece.










I added a few sheets of deadening, Knu Konceptz Kolossus, absolutely my favorite deadener.

















I also added PVC/NBR (gym mat) rubber to the inside, which has proven to do a great job in diffusing rear wave energy, IMO.









The door panel's speaker opening measures almost 8".









So despite the possible opportunity to run an 8" woofer, I want to try using what I have so here's what I'm using for now. Audio Development W600

























Perhaps its a coincidence but the speaker I have in mind fits right in the spot


















I cut out the factory speaker, trimmed the "spokes" of the speaker out and placed this one in.



































Installed









I added deadener to the panel here and there









Panel back together. Went smooth!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

About this same time, my mids and tweeters showed up. Test-fit time!

















Amazing I got this lucky. This big 'ol mid fits right in

















And here's the tweeter









These are phenomenal tweeters, and to get the most out of them I'm thinking it will be best to mount them right on the factory panel. Hiding them behind would muffle them, and that's a waste.









Good swivel action.


----------



## kevinn (Dec 20, 2016)

Do you have any measurement for the tweeter staying above the grill?

I got steep roll off after 14k when mounting the alpine ebay tweeter where your mid is (my 2016 mazda 3 doesn't have clearance hole for tweeters and I have non-bose version).

Was thinking to mold the tweeter to the sail panel too but my sail panel is bolted to the back of the door interior trim and I have to buy a whole trim if I destroy the sail.

I tried the 10f/8414 on the dash too and got a big hum at around 300hz.

Thanks for the very useful thread!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Today I tackled the passenger side. I realized that I forgot to take some pics of my process on the driver's side so I used this opportunity to take those pics this time. 

This is the level of deadening used on each door skin. Quite a bit









I used gym mat sliced thin and glued around the speaker to create a gasket. This slips right in to the plastic ring around the door skin on the inside. 









It has some give, but it is fairly firm









This is 1/4" Neoprene, which works great for this application. I used spray glue on each side like usual.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

For the rest of today, I made myself useful and installed my tweeters and mids. Here's the tweeter mounted









I used those cover plates the OEM had and cut them up, and installed my mids to them. This is just test-fit, i need to get some baby screws to mount the mid properly.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

kevinn said:


> Do you have any measurement for the tweeter staying above the grill?
> 
> I got steep roll off after 14k when mounting the alpine ebay tweeter where your mid is (my 2016 mazda 3 doesn't have clearance hole for tweeters and I have non-bose version).
> 
> ...


What do you mean tweeter above the grill? Take a peek at my pics I just uploaded, let me know if that answers your question or if you're after a measurement. I'll get it.

If you have the alpine tweets (still got 2 pairs myself!) you could be gutsy and try to mount them flush on the panel, to try and get more response. Or just boost the top end if you have EQ power.

Define big hum?


----------



## kevinn (Dec 20, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> What do you mean tweeter above the grill? Take a peek at my pics I just uploaded, let me know if that answers your question or if you're after a measurement. I'll get it.
> 
> If you have the alpine tweets (still got 2 pairs myself!) you could be gutsy and try to mount them flush on the panel, to try and get more response. Or just boost the top end if you have EQ power.
> 
> Define big hum?


I meant flush them on the panel as you did, just wonder if I could get any better top end response. 

The big hum like below, I measured 3 positions for each L & R.
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

kevinn said:


> I meant flush them on the panel as you did, just wonder if I could get any better top end response.
> 
> The big hum like below, I measured 3 positions for each L & R.
> Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet


Right so just EQ it out.

Or are you saying there was resonance in the dash?


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I spent the last couple evenings after work doing menial work like deadening. 

Trunk first. Pulled the nice trim panel and applied my Knu Kolossus very sparingly to keep the weight and waste down. This is why I love Kolossus, it is so effective even in small amounts as long as its placed strategically. 


























The factory floor is full of this...crap deadener.

























I scraped off all the I could, what a mess. 

















I sanded and vacuumed most of what I could.









I added Kolossus where the resonances were the worst.









I realized that my usual efforts of doing minimalist deadening work would not suffice for this spot. I had to go another route. I decided to pull out some unused, unloved left-over deadener products that were sitting on the shelf. In this case, RAAMMAT BXTII and GT Mat Onyx sheets. Definitely not what I like to use these days, because it takes so much to achieve what Kolossus can do. But back in the day, we didn't know any better I guess. 

















I stopped there for now. Slow going in the heat of the garage after work. I'm also waiting on wiring and such.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

fourthmeal said:


> For the rest of today, I made myself useful and installed my tweeters and mids. Here's the tweeter mounted


I like the tweeter on the grill, looks great!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

DavidRam said:


> I like the tweeter on the grill, looks great!


It is a bit function over form though. I have learned with these AP speakers to not put the tweeter behind a grille, as that sparkle and open airy nature gets lost instantly. The mids will be playing below beaming (like from 350hz through 4.5k) so I figure just like my Colorado, they'll be fine under the factory panel. 

Wish I could find a shallow 8" bad-ass midbass to throw in the doors.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

fourthmeal said:


> It is a bit function over form though. I have learned with these AP speakers to not put the tweeter behind a grille, as that sparkle and open airy nature gets lost instantly. The mids will be playing below beaming (like from 350hz through 4.5k) so I figure just like my Colorado, they'll be fine under the factory panel.


I hear ya... On my Jeep, I pulled the tweeters out of inside the dash and put them nearly on axis on the dash, and it helped the sound a lot.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

fourthmeal said:


> Wish I could find a shallow 8" bad-ass midbass to throw in the doors.


I am not sure how shallow these are, but I think I would classify them as bad ass. SXMP


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

DavidRam said:


> I am not sure how shallow these are, but I think I would classify them as bad ass. SXMP


Sundown Audio SXMP-8 - EMF Car Audio formerly Sundown Only
They are 3.4" thick, too thick by quite a bit.

Eric Steven's midbass is about the same and appears to be a monster as well.

Oh well, hopefully for now my W600's will work.


----------



## kevinn (Dec 20, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> Right so just EQ it out.
> 
> Or are you saying there was resonance in the dash?


Yeah, I have to cut something like over 20dB. I don't have EQ experience before but it seems not good. Just wonder if you have the similar response as both car have very same interior.

For the door, if you put a spacer 3/4" thickness MDF ring there then it could come to 4" deep. In the bose version, the car come with an adapter like that. Why do you need a shallow midbass? Sorry if I'm missing something.


----------



## kevinn (Dec 20, 2016)

For the tweeter, I saw someone put it in the door right above the midbass and it looks very on axis there. What's your opinion?
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

I have very little to zero car audio experience, sorry if my question/idea is so weird. I already bought 2x minidsp 2x4 and few raw drivers but still can't decide which is the best route.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

kevinn said:


> Yeah, I have to cut something like over 20dB. I don't have EQ experience before but it seems not good. Just wonder if you have the similar response as both car have very same interior.
> 
> For the door, if you put a spacer 3/4" thickness MDF ring there then it could come to 4" deep. In the bose version, the car come with an adapter like that. Why do you need a shallow midbass? Sorry if I'm missing something.


Observe the pictures I took with the door partially closed, and fully closed. There's a doorstop part that slides right into where a speaker magnet would go. There's a large amount of front panel depth available, but inside that magnet hole, only an inch or so. As you can see in my pics, I just used the factory speaker adapter/baffle thing and attached directly to that. I then glued the gym mat rubber around as a ring which slips right into the plastic door panel's ring that mates to it, and depth-wise that spot doesn't allow very much before potentially striking the plastic.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

kevinn said:


> For the tweeter, I saw someone put it in the door right above the midbass and it looks very on axis there. What's your opinion?
> Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
> 
> I have very little to zero car audio experience, sorry if my question/idea is so weird. I already bought 2x minidsp 2x4 and few raw drivers but still can't decide which is the best route.


That spot is exactly where I put my leg. So unless both my passenger and I sit bolt-upright, I'd lose my upper end. I think this spot would be acceptable for a midrange though, as long as it crossed before beaming. Maybe. I like dash mid/tweets though.


----------



## kevinn (Dec 20, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> Observe the pictures I took with the door partially closed, and fully closed. There's a doorstop part that slides right into where a speaker magnet would go. There's a large amount of front panel depth available, but inside that magnet hole, only an inch or so. As you can see in my pics, I just used the factory speaker adapter/baffle thing and attached directly to that. I then glued the gym mat rubber around as a ring which slips right into the plastic door panel's ring that mates to it, and depth-wise that spot doesn't allow very much before potentially striking the plastic.


You have around 1" from the "arrow" to the bare metal, then another 2 1/4" from the factory adapter. A 3/4" mdf adapter on top of that will bring it to the 4" deep.

For the door tweeter, seems like its more suitable for small people. My legs are much lower and I can get a direct sight to the tweeter.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

kevinn said:


> You have around 1" from the "arrow" to the bare metal, then another 2 1/4" from the factory adapter. A 3/4" mdf adapter on top of that will bring it to the 4" deep.
> 
> For the door tweeter, seems like its more suitable for small people. My legs are much lower and I can get a direct sight to the tweeter.


I could see that possibly working. I noticed though that the plastic door panel may be pretty close to the cone if I were to use another 3/4" board like you're saying. My foam rubber "gasket" is about 1" and it touches the door panel by what I can tell.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Update time:

Over the weekend I headed down to my favorite upholstery supply store here in Vegas, Santa Barbara Upholstery Supplies. I was reviewing some new vinyls to go along with their standard offerings.









I had them cut me a couple yards of some new colors, plus a near-perfect carpet match for the trunk.









I got my Kolossus on the most resonant spots in the trunk inside behind the carpet panels.

































I added some GT Mat Quadro to the bottom where the spare tire mounts. I wouldn't buy this stuff again at all but it works for this particular spot and I already had some leftover sheets from years back.









I continued the deadening theme with the back plastic, just small amounts









An important thing discovered while everything was apart back here, there's an absolute width between the trunk lid stops that needs to be observed. Its about 39 1/4". This is important to watch for because when the trunk closes, these parts swing right into the place where my subwoofer box is, behind the carpet. So more than that and it will prevent the trunk from closing.












I finished up the trunk for now by adding some deadening to the parcel shelf underneath.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Nice progress!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

OK so next up, I finished the front stage. I wired up my mids and tweets, and mounted them









I wanted to try something with this big remnant of mattress topper I had, made of memory open-cell foam. I figured it would make a great backing foam behind the mid. I used it because I figured no other foam I had would squish into a small shape to go through the midrange hole.









Worked!

















I made sure to stagger my connections so I don't have a big bundle when its all tucked away.









Mounted up








Other side









Next up, I'll be tackling the "radio" connections, which comes from this passenger kickpanel area. Here I've pulled the glovebox door (very easy) and removed the kick panel cover (even easier), and this is tucked way up in there. I've got a PAC module on order to connect to this, so I don't jack up the factory wiring.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

That is looking really good! 
Do you have any more pics of the tweets on the grill?
I haven't seen many guys mount them directly to the grill to where they still looked nearly factory like yours do...


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

DavidRam said:


> That is looking really good!
> Do you have any more pics of the tweets on the grill?
> I haven't seen many guys mount them directly to the grill to where they still looked nearly factory like yours do...


I just used a hole saw and punched right through where I thought the underside would allow the bulk of the tweeter, and I had to do that very carefully. I haven't yet epoxied or otherwise affixed these, in case a problem came up, but then again I may not even need to due to the fit. 

I love the AR20 tweeter, it is a nice aftermarket design that lends itself well to this type of flush install.

What other pics are you after? stuff like this?









I got it by doing pressing up against the target and I used a sharpie to outline










And thanks for the compliment!


----------



## POLKAT (Jan 10, 2007)

Looks awesome! I haven't been around this site in a long time, but i just picked up a 2017 Mazda 6 Sport and am getting the DIYMA bug once again as I've been following this build closely. 

You mention using a PAC module to interface with the infotainment system, and I know you mentioned that you are planning to add DSP at some point. On my stock system, the bass begins to attenuate at about 2/3 volume (46 on the dial, to be exact) to protect the factory speakers, and I've heard it does the same thing for the touring audio package as well. What, if anything, are you planning to do to counteract the bass roll-off? 

I am thinking about using an Audio Control LC2i with AccuBASS to help with the bass roll-off, in addition to using a MiniDSP C-DSP 6x8. 

In any case, keep up the good work and hopefully you don't mind if I take a ton of inspiration from your install for my own.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

POLKAT said:


> Looks awesome! I haven't been around this site in a long time, but i just picked up a 2017 Mazda 6 Sport and am getting the DIYMA bug once again as I've been following this build closely.
> 
> You mention using a PAC module to interface with the infotainment system, and I know you mentioned that you are planning to add DSP at some point. On my stock system, the bass begins to attenuate at about 2/3 volume (46 on the dial, to be exact) to protect the factory speakers, and I've heard it does the same thing for the touring audio package as well. What, if anything, are you planning to do to counteract the bass roll-off?
> 
> ...


I'll just measure at the volumes I'll consider "loud and clean" and see if the response matches my target curve. Then bring it down and see if the curve still matches acceptably. If nothing else, it will be like adding a little bass to the lower volumes, like a "loundess" button can do. But doing sweeps routinely along the way will prove or disprove how much roll-off is real.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Yes, thanks for the pics...


----------



## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

Looking good!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

OK some things came in, got my PAC AOEM-MAZ2 module and FosPower RCA cables, both great Amazon Prime deals so I went for it. 









Pulled the rear seat and some plastics, to get some wires run









The PAC module plugs right in as advertised, not one wire cut. We'll see how this sounds later, I suppose.


















Driver's side wired up










I stopped there, I'm just waiting on my power and ground cables to proceed, because I'll be pushing the 1/0 cable through this driver's side.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Just a quick update, my system has taken a turn. I originally ordered the Audiocontrol DM-810 processor and Arc KS300.4 to go along with my KS900.6 amp. I also ordered cable, distribution parts, and some other bits. WELL.. in a bit of twist the guy I ordered all those things from (a new worker at our company) failed to deliver on time, gave repeated excuses about it that became less and less believable, and hasn't even been to work in a week, nor answered my emails, or texts. I haven't paid him yet so I'm not tied up financially, but he put me back on my schedule at least 3 weeks. This experience made me give pause to what I really want out of the system. That then led me to think it all over, and I decided to order a Helix V-Eight processor/amp and a Helix G-One subwoofer amp to go with my existing equipment. I also ordered 1/0 welding cable from wireandsupply.com, a place I've ordered from many times before. All of that is on its way here now, so hopefully I'll be able to resume the pursuit soon.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

fourthmeal said:


> in a bit of twist the guy I ordered all those things from (a new worker at our company) failed to deliver on time, gave repeated excuses about it that became less and less believable, and hasn't even been to work in a week, nor answered my emails, or texts.


Does this guy happen to own Acoustic Elegance? lol
Sounds like what I'm going through with my subs.

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> Does this guy happen to own Acoustic Elegance? lol
> Sounds like what I'm going through with my subs.
> 
> Jay


LOL no, but I DO know what you are going through. John at AE, love his products to death, but man I had a really hard time for a while with him. It was a blame game with him, really unfortunate because the product is phenomenal. I ordered an AV15H and it actually never got made, but he had my money. So in the end, after a long time, he shipped me what he DID have which was a pair of AV10H-D2's, one of which is actually going in this build, the other has a new owner somewhere out there in the DIYMA world. But alas no, this guy's family apparently owns a couple audio shops in Texas, and when he moved here to work for the company I work for (not related to car audio), I guess he kept up with his contacts, or at least that's how it was supposed to go. Thing is, a great price on a product or two is only good if you actually receive them!

Fun fact about those AV10's, they've been around! I bought them for a build back in like 2008 or so, for my Acura TL. I can't even find the build pics its been so long. Then I sold them to a friend of the family and built him a system for his 2010 Fusion, which he then moved Nevada to Florida to serve in the military. He got out years later, moved back, sold me back the subs for a fair used price (they are still mint-looking, gotta love that robust aluminum cone and bulletproof rubber surround) I installed on in my Focus ST, sold the other, and now after all these years I'm about to use it again!


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

fourthmeal said:


> LOL no, but I DO know what you are going through. John at AE, love his products to death, but man I had a really hard time for a while with him. It was a blame game with him, really unfortunate because the product is phenomenal. I ordered an AV15H and it actually never got made, but he had my money. So in the end, after a long time, he shipped me what he DID have which was a pair of AV10H-D2's, one of which is actually going in this build, the other has a new owner somewhere out there in the DIYMA world. But alas no, this guy's family apparently owns a couple audio shops in Texas, and when he moved here to work for the company I work for (not related to car audio), I guess he kept up with his contacts, or at least that's how it was supposed to go. Thing is, a great price on a product or two is only good if you actually receive them!
> 
> Fun fact about those AV10's, they've been around! I bought them for a build back in like 2008 or so, for my Acura TL. I can't even find the build pics its been so long. Then I sold them to a friend of the family and built him a system for his 2010 Fusion, which he then moved Nevada to Florida to serve in the military. He got out years later, moved back, sold me back the subs for a fair used price (they are still mint-looking, gotta love that robust aluminum cone and bulletproof rubber surround) I installed on in my Focus ST, sold the other, and now after all these years I'm about to use it again!


His product IS great. I was in a position to use it and decided to go that way...almost completely based on cars I've heard using it, and the "typical lead times of about a week." I know it always takes a while for them to fill orders, so I figured if they were advertising a week, 3-4 weeks would be reasonable. 

I asked if they had anything ready to go in the IBAU or SPB line and they said they had SPB15-4's ready to go. I only have about 13" height to work with where I want to put them, so I can't really do that. Also the fact it would be almost another $140-200 to upgrade.

I can get Arc 12's from work pretty cheap, even cheaper on accommodation. I'm told they work well IB. I've also heard good things about Dayton's Ultimax subs IB. Either way, significantly cheaper options.

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Parts are starting to come in, so let's get on to some updates:

I just got my 1/0 and 4 gauge welding cable in. Great stuff as always, and this time I ordered blue to be different, and it looks fantastic. 

























I can tell this guy is going to be fun to deal with. Not sure how I'm going to approach this yet. In the long run, I may replicate the factory parts here with an aftermarket type of distribution block with matching fuse sizes to the factory. We'll have to see. 









I pulled the battery to reach the grommet I'm going to use to get this wire in








For those curious, its ~9.5" by 7" in the trough

















This is the factory grommet, interior-side. I had this idea to just slice the tape there and butterfly open the grommet









Worked well









Factory grommet engine bay side









So my approach (will have to get pics later, got in a hurry) was to just carefully slice the top of the engine-side of the grommet, and push through my wire that way. It took all of about 10 minutes including pulling the battery to get space. So at least for this part of the build, the car went easy on me.

I ran the wire down the driver's side, very carefully orienting my cables and wire so the sill cover could still fit. There wasn't much room, I'm surprised this worked.









I carried this to the driver's rear sill as well










Back on and looks stock as I hoped


















Let's talk about these damn door Molexes, shall we? I've always battled Mazdas with this exact same door Molex. In the two Speed3's I've built, its the same story. So I approached this the same way I've done for years...drill through a spot and hope for the best.


















Here's my spot. I leave the Molex fully connected, use a 5/16th drill bit and punch carefully through an opening at the top left of the connector. The trick is to sneak the hole right through a blank spot in the top of the plug.









That, friends, is 16 gauge, 4 conductor Monoprice cable right there. That will be my woofer cable. I was going to use 14 gauge 2 conductor but I didn't have enough, but 16 gauge 4 conductor with 2 conductors run together is equivalent to 13 gauge, so that's how I'm going. I could also have just run 16 gauge 2 conductor, but this fit so more is better, right?  For those following along, you could back down to a 1/4" bit and use 2 conductor 16 gauge Monoprice or similar. I am "only" going to have 75W of power on the front door speakers, so 16 would have been fine.









Next up, I think I'm going to replace the battery. An AGM Bosch or Duracell group 35 is what I'm thinking.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Time for some updates. I got sick so I didn't do a lot, but here we go.

The factory ground is a little weak

















I used a grinding stone and cleared the paint off first









Here's my grommet cut. The cut got a little long so I'll probably wrap this with friction tape









To mount my circuit breaker, I looked around a while and finally decided on this spot here. One of the bolts is removed and









my 200A circuit breaker bolts right on.









A hammer crimper works great for 1/0 gauge









I noticed some sharp metal by one of my wire paths so I added in a bit of techflex as a guard.









That battery is a Group 35 Bosch AGM type, really a stout choice IMO.









So, power is done!

Next up, I had to redo the darn doors because I could not figure out a way to get the speaker output from my processor/amp to the factory wire without cutting up the factory harness and defeating the PAC adapter I bought (which I did to reduce the factory harness cutting... <sigh>), so I did it. I knew I was doing this so I went ahead and ordered door speaker adapters instead of reusing the factory parts which really left a lot to be desired.









I went with 16 gauge 4 conductor, which I'll use 2 conductors each for pos and neg. The wire was a tight fit, but it did work and I managed to keep it looking 100% factory at the door grommet.








































These are the Metra adapters, and its a nice, stiff plastic that just needed a bit of deadener and foam.

























This time around, there was no room for the gym mat rubber wrapped around the speaker, so I laid some Ensolite around the door panel instead









Door is back together, and ready.









I'm going to try to get back to finishing this, but for now I'm going to heal up and recover.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

update, 

Got the energy to get out to the garage while recovering, managed to get the system operational, minus the sub stage which will need more work.

This is the ground point I chose, the passenger rear seat belt bracket. This seemed a very solid point to work with.









I used a uni-bit to enlarge my 1/0 terminal to fit the seat belt bolt









Ground cable all made up and bolted into postion









These twisted pair, pulled from the passenger b-pillar area, are for the passenger rear speaker. Red/White + and Blue/Yellow -. I did the same thing for the driver's side as well, forgot to photograph it.









I mated that to 16 gauge / 2 conductor Monoprice wire









Passenger side wiring routed and ready, this is the passenger front









and passenger rear









And in the rear seat area, I secured the wiring before routing toward the trunk area









The driver's door needed to be finished so I went after that
16/4 ran through the factory rubber, thought it was cute how my Pikachu shirt reflected perfectly in this pic.









Speaker mounted to its new adapter, wire run, ready to go.

















The system lives! For now I've just got a board to test with, but the front and rear stages are functional


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Oh and here's my base crossover and input/output setup on the V-Eight processor/amp. 5kHz high pass tweet, 400Hz - 5kHz band-pass midrange, 400Hz low-pass woofer, and rear doors are bandpassed at a "rear fill" friendly 110Hz - 6kHz for now. 








I'll get more work on the tune soon and EQ my way toward my target house curve, but acoustically this raw setup already sounds more on-point than the factory setup did, and the head unit's output is clean through the PAC adapter just the way it is. Impressive!


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Nearing the end, I took this weekend to finish up the rest of the build. All I really need to do now is set the gain structure and EQ the system. But here we go:

I added brushed vinyl to the sub box at the face, mounted the sub and grille, and then carpeted my beauty panel. I will be doing something about that port in a second.









I carpeted the top of the box (back too) and then added some grille cloth to the port, to hide the ugly. Cleaned up the trunk itself as well









They aren't scratched, its just some dust I need to wipe off. Didn't see it until this flashed









That amp rack board is slightly larger than the opening of the trunk, and it is screwed to the sub box. This effectively clamps the sub box into position, because the amp rack board is beveled to barely clear the rear seat frames, and when those are closed, it puts pressure on the amp rack board holding it, and the sub box firm. 

I don't know if I'll keep the look this simple in the trunk long-term or not, but I really wanted full sound after waiting so long, so I went a simple route to get it done. I can tell you this, just doing basic setup and crossovers, the subwoofer sounds amazing, and goes really deep without losing composure. This low-tuned ported design is a complete success and I'm very happy with it.


----------



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Looks really good. Hopefully it sounds just as good. That Helix V-Eight DSP is small.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Niebur3 said:


> Looks really good. Hopefully it sounds just as good. That Helix V-Eight DSP is small.


Thanks, Jerry! It IS tiny, and yes it sounds fantastic. That G One is my new favorite sub amp too, just beautiful and I didn't even know it lights up! Pleasure to work with you, and I'm happy to be able to put this all to good use. I'm definitely going to have to work on the amp rack cosmetics though, this does not do the equipment justice.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

I meant to mention, but when I ran my power wire, I took a car antenna with the ends cut off, poked it through the grommet taped my 1/0 onto it, greased it with White Lith and pulled it straight through. No need to remove the battery. Also, seals around the wire since I didn't have to pre-cut the grommet.

Sub box/trim looks nice. Good job.

Did you have any clearance issues between your 3" and the factory grill? Did you have to to anything to that area?

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> I meant to mention, but when I ran my power wire, I took a car antenna with the ends cut off, poked it through the grommet taped my 1/0 onto it, greased it with White Lith and pulled it straight through. No need to remove the battery. Also, seals around the wire since I didn't have to pre-cut the grommet.
> 
> Sub box/trim looks nice. Good job.
> 
> ...


Thanks! No issues with my 3" drivers, that I can tell. I currently have them crossed 400 through 5kHz, they sound fantastic. They aren't moving much with that frequency range, maybe that's it?


----------



## bose301s (Dec 8, 2008)

Glad to see this thread, just bought a 2017 Mazda 6 Touring w/o Bose and this looks to be a pretty simple install to do, I am planning on basically doing the exact same thing install as you, 3" mids and tweeter in stock locations, SI TM65 MK2 in the doors, main difference is I am planning on running an IB setup, but we'll see how that goes.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Hell ya. well Jay's IB setup is probably one of the best examples for a Mazda6, if you haven't already seen his thread. I definitely think you will need to deaden more than I did. The job is pretty easy and it sounds great with some tuning time. I think you'll be happy.


----------



## bose301s (Dec 8, 2008)

Can I ask which Metra adapters you used, I can't seem to find the correct ones.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

bose301s said:


> Can I ask which Metra adapters you used, I can't seem to find the correct ones.


Here is the one you need
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/4888546-post63.html
PAC AOEM-MAZ2

But you will want to run fresh wire through the doors and molexes (2 conductor 16 gauge monoprice works fine, I used bigger and it still worked (with more cussing/fussing), and patch in to the rear speakers when you pull panels. But other than that, its a great adapter. The thing about that adapter is the stock speakers will still keep playing under stock power otherwise (for simple add-a-sub customers), and you're not after that.


----------



## bose301s (Dec 8, 2008)

fourthmeal said:


> Here is the one you need
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/4888546-post63.html
> PAC AOEM-MAZ2
> 
> But you will want to run fresh wire through the doors and molexes (2 conductor 16 gauge monoprice works fine, I used bigger and it still worked (with more cussing/fussing), and patch in to the rear speakers when you pull panels. But other than that, its a great adapter. The thing about that adapter is the stock speakers will still keep playing under stock power otherwise (for simple add-a-sub customers), and you're not after that.


I already ordered that, I meant the plastic speaker mounts you used in your front doors


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

bose301s said:


> I already ordered that, I meant the plastic speaker mounts you used in your front doors


oh those things, 
Scosche SAMA652 6.5" Front Door Speaker Adapters for 2013-Up Mazda 6/CX-5

They are pretty nice, a little bit flexible but you can add some deadener or kitty-hair or something if you need.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

$14.99 doesn't seem too bad, but I'm sure it would need some reinforcement with those TM65's. I made mine out of 1.5" King Starboard, but a 12x24" piece cost me about $75.

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Here, forgot to add pics of the screenshots I took from REW and the Helix software, as I was working on it.




























I also had to reverse sub phase to get the right final response. The only real issue I've got left is a seemingly un-fixable dip in the midbass region (like 150hz-ish) but its a pretty narrow dip, and only on one speaker. When I listen to the system, it is not noticeable. I also brought up the woofer's output a few dB's after this just for more "oomph". It is delightful to listen to.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Hey guys, I'm taking her back to all-stock, trading it in on something with more speed. If you need any parts like the integration module or want to pick up this custom box to throw in your 6, just PM me.


----------



## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

Damn... that was quick! :surprised:

You left out what it will be replaced with?


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

fourthmeal said:


> Hey guys, I'm taking her back to all-stock, trading it in on something with more speed. If you need any parts like the integration module or want to pick up this custom box to throw in your 6, just PM me.


Quick indeed. We're still shopping for a 6 GT. I have a feeling we'll end up with an Orange Virus tune if we do. Do you have a classified thread posted anywhere for all the parts you are taking off? (Another forum?) I'd hate to buy anything prematurely, but wouldn't want to miss out on a good deal either.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I am very, very likely going with a 2018 WRX. 

I'll be keeping the processor and sub amp, and I want to keep the drivers since they'll likely sound amazing in a future car. 

But I think its time to let go of my AV10HD2 (maybe...maybe not), the enclosure has to go, and I got that PAC OEM thing.

As far as car parts, I'd be OK with swapping someone for their stock 19's on decent tires for my new Falken FK450's on my light Konigs, but otherwise its trading w/ those wheels since I sold my stockers. I do have a sweet polished Injen true cold-air intake, and that thing is awesome so that's available. Not really much else with mods, though.


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

fourthmeal said:


> I am very, very likely going with a 2018 WRX.
> 
> I'll be keeping the processor and sub amp, and I want to keep the drivers since they'll likely sound amazing in a future car.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. I may be in contact with you on some of that if the wife finds a 6 that she likes. 

What size are the Konigs (19 or 20)? I had already been window shopping wheels, but my preference was to get something even lighter (rotary forged/flow formed). The stock 19" wheel and tire package weighs in at a little more than 54 lbs each from what I have read. Jumping up to a 20" flow formed wheel and (better) tire package drops that to 48 lbs each. I know 6 lbs doesn't seem like much, but I would bet that reducing the unsprung weight and gaining a larger, sticker contact patch could make quite a difference.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

rton20s said:


> Thanks for the info. I may be in contact with you on some of that if the wife finds a 6 that she likes.
> 
> What size are the Konigs (19 or 20)? I had already been window shopping wheels, but my preference was to get something even lighter (rotary forged/flow formed). The stock 19" wheel and tire package weighs in at a little more than 54 lbs each from what I have read. Jumping up to a 20" flow formed wheel and (better) tire package drops that to 48 lbs each. I know 6 lbs doesn't seem like much, but I would bet that reducing the unsprung weight and gaining a larger, sticker contact patch could make quite a difference.


My Konigs are the 19x8.5 +45 (so...conservative!), the model is the Oversteer, in Opal pearl color. They are really, really light, like 7 lbs lighter per corner than stock. They aren't part of the rotary-forged Konig line, but they remain one of the lightest due to the specific wheel lip design, and lots of thoughtful engineering.
I am running stock sized tires right now, so contact patch is less than you could do with wider tires. MPG is great this way though. The FK450AS tires have been a joy to ride on so far.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Welp, it was uneventful to return everything back to stock. Hollar if you need anything


----------



## nautic70 (Oct 20, 2010)

The GF has a 15 6 GT and am interested in the intake, I know it's not audio related but could you post pics.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

pm'd


----------



## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

Lanson said:


> Observe the pictures I took with the door partially closed, and fully closed. There's a doorstop part that slides right into where a speaker magnet would go. There's a large amount of front panel depth available, but inside that magnet hole, only an inch or so. As you can see in my pics, I just used the factory speaker adapter/baffle thing and attached directly to that. I then glued the gym mat rubber around as a ring which slips right into the plastic door panel's ring that mates to it, and depth-wise that spot doesn't allow very much before potentially striking the plastic.


Lanson I know this is an old thread and you don't even have the 6 anymore but this post is my go to for installing a system in my Mazda 6. Thanks for taking the time to document and share with us! I applaud you and your mad skills! Seriously! My 6 has the Bose and I didn't know what I was getting into as far as upgrading... live and learn. Here's my initial post seeking advice:

*not enough posts to insert link yet*

Well despite caution from other forum members I bought 2 pair of Audison Voce AV3.0 mids (L-C-R dash) and a pair of Audison Voce AV1.1 tweeters and a pair of Audison MH 2 way passive crossovers. I plan on mounting them exactly as you did. But here's the catch... the more I drive the care the more I can't stand having to adjust the RUX knob constantly - sometimes even within the same song if I raise the volume to say over 45 out of 63 because of the Bose processing! So having said all this I do drive an hour each way for work so feel I can justify doing what I set out not to and spending way more money than planned to make it sound awesome. This is where you come in!

So I plan on getting a Match UP 7DSP and doing a 3 way active with center and not using the rear speakers at all. The Match has 5x65 @ 4ohms and 2x160 @ 2ohms plus a sub out. I have all the speakers but the door speakers. Really want a 8" 2ohm midbass for there. I saw your measurements of appx 3" between door cavity and speaker mount. Do you think there is room for a 3/4" spacer to fit SA MB8-2 that is 3.5" deep? Is there another 8" 2ohm midbass 3" or less in depth that is comparable? Feel like I'm looking for a unicorn!!! Look forward to your input and thanks again for one of many posts! Dave


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

The MB8-2 will fit. I helped another 6 owner (Kyle Gainesville on FB) work through his build and he was able to make them fit.


----------



## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

Perfect! Thanks. Any pictures? How far did y’all have to space it out and what did you use?


----------



## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

rton20s said:


> The MB8-2 will fit. I helped another 6 owner (Kyle Gainesville on FB) work through his build and he was able to make them fit.


Guess no pics? Ordered the MB8-2s... might take some modeling clay and put it on the stock Bose and put the door panel back on to see exactly how much room I’m dealing with. Thanks


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Hey there, didn't see this post. I'll defer to the other guys for Bose knowledge on this platform, I think they are significantly different.





DaveG said:


> Lanson I know this is an old thread and you don't even have the 6 anymore but this post is my go to for installing a system in my Mazda 6. Thanks for taking the time to document and share with us! I applaud you and your mad skills! Seriously! My 6 has the Bose and I didn't know what I was getting into as far as upgrading... live and learn. Here's my initial post seeking advice:
> 
> *not enough posts to insert link yet*
> 
> ...


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

I'm not sure about the depth of the midbass you are looking at, but be careful. The door stop rod slides in right behind the door speaker. I am using Illusion C8's on 1.5" spacers made from King Starboard. I ended up removing the spring loaded speaker wire terminals and used nuts and bolts to gain a little more clearance. You can probably safely space them out about 2" from the door.

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Lanson said:


> I am very, very likely going with a 2018 WRX.
> 
> I'll be keeping the processor and sub amp, and I want to keep the drivers since they'll likely sound amazing in a future car.
> 
> ...





LOL I still got the darn intake.


----------

