# Tubes galore! 2003 Toyota Matrix SQ Install



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

This would be a good car for you tube lovers. This is by far the most tubes i have ever put into a single install.

Between the amps and the headunit, there are a total of 7 of them in the signal chain. 

The car is a 2003 Toyota Matrix...owned by a great guy who runs a home audio store: Audible Arts - Campbell, CA

He supplied me with the Headunit, the amps and the sub, while I provided the speakers and processor.

The goals:

1. To acheive a nice level of Sound quality on a relatively cheap install budget

2. To keep things as stealthy as possible in the back, not showy at all, but just sturdy

3. Th*is turned out to be the biggest challenge: * to fit all the gear he supplied (which are quite large) below the stock floor.

Lets get started.

The signal starts with a good ole Panasonic bottlehead, the CQ-TX5500W, installed in the stock location:










The car is the first one i have installed the newly releasd Mosconi 6to8DSP unit, and i ran a USB extension cable to the glovebox, so you can simply plug it in and do your tuning:










*I will be doing a separate review of the 6to8DSP next week, so look for details on the unit then *

I also put a remote sub volume knob into one of his blank panels:










The front stage consists of a set of Arc Audio's Black Series 6.5" two way components. 

Right off the bat, we had a challenge in fitting these to the car. The window, in the full down position, really cuts into the space behindt he speaker hole. the front door car is also very shallow. Basically, a speaker has to be around 2.25" or so to fit properly without hitting the window or the door card. The Arc, along with most of the beefier 6.5" drivers, is about 3" deep. So what i did was to build a cosmetic grille mounted to the door card to fit the speaker. here is the result. A black grille mesh protects the speakers and the grille only protrudes abot an inch:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

some progresss pics of the door speaker install. first, new speaker wire was run into the door:










next the door was sound proofed:










In order to clear the speaker from the window, a 1.25: speaker had to be built. Arc was awesome to include a set of pre fabbed speaker rings with the black series, so i just mated them with a set that matches the pattern of the stock speaker mounting plate, and put in thread inserts for the speaker into the pre drilled holes. I then sprayed the entire thing with truck bed liner to protect them from the elements. I wish EVERY speaker manufacturer provided such a ring. BRAVO Arc!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

The ring baffle was then attached to the door:










So here is the beefy Arc Audio Black Series 6.5" midbass:



















The speaker was then wired up:










and installed into the door:



















the process was then repeated on the passenger side:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

To make the grilles for the door cards, i first took a mold of the lower door area:



















Then that cured, i popped them off, cut the OEM speaker grill out, and cut a matching hole in the mold, i then trimmed the mold to the desired shape:



















next, a bunch of 10-14 bolts were epoxied to the molds:










they go into corresponding holes drilled into the door card, whcih then allows the pod to be secured via nuts on the other side...here is a test fitment:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

next, two rings were made up, with roundover edges on the top and a rabet on the bottom to attach the grille mesh later:



















the rings were then attached to the door panels and secured at the proper angle:










here they are removed from the door:










i then wrapped mold cloth around the shapes and put them back on the door card to apply resin. i wanted the pod to dry on the door so there is no warping.:










once that dried, the pods were removed and the inside filled with duraglass/resin miexture to make them rock solid. you can clearly see the mixture on every fillable surface of the interior here:










then filler was applied and the entire shape sanded smooth:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

then black vinyl was wrapped around the pod:



















black grille mesh was then secured from the back side, and the pods are done and ready to be secured to the door card:




























and the finished door card, the back side received some sound proofing to prevent resonance:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Onto the tweeters, the Arc Audio Black series 1.0 were molded off axis to the A pillars, wrapped in factory matching vinyl. I really enjoy the fact that the Arc tweeters employs a front screw type of mounting, making it much easier to secure the tweeter in the pods:























































some quick builds pics:

first the rings were aimed and attached:










mold cloth was pulled, resin applied and allow to cure, and then the duraglass/resin milkshake was poured into the interior of the pod and allowed to harden:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

when that cured, the pods were fillered up and sanded smooth:



















The pillars were then wrapped in vinyl, and the Black Series tweeters wired up (there is clear heatshrink around the sodered terminals)



















the tweeters were then installed into the pillars, and some sound proofing applied to the back of the pillar around the tweeter area:




























next are some quick pics of hte wiring bundle as it goes from the front of the car to the back:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

so finally, moving to the hatch area. as stated, the goal was to just be stealthy and clean, not showy. 

so here is the normal view, the stock floor height is maintained, and the stock trunk mat fits as before:










Remove the mat and you see a new breathable floor is in place the stock plastic cover.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

A lot of effort was made to retain the stock hinges at the front, so the floor cover can move up and down. the two little bumps at the front of the floor was molded in to clear the stock hinges. (the stock plastic cover is actually like a cap with a molded in depression for the hinge mount to clear the bracket.

so flip up the floor and here is what you see. Three USAMPS hybrid tube amps and a Morel Ultimo SC10" sub sits in the floor, all trimmed in a panel of black carpet. A 1000C is bridged sending up to 1000 watts to the sub, and 2 600Cs power each mid and tweeter with 165 watts. 

The customer supplied the amps as mentioned, and yes, they do have three distinctly different chassis finishes and logos. 

you can see where the grilles are in the top floor cover.














































So just clean and simple, but this is an install where the effort put into the design is way more complex than the end result.

Simply put, these amps are HUGE! and fitting three of them along with the sub, the sub enclosure the DSP and all the wiring was a huge challenge...


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

here are the build pics:

first, a support platform was attached to the spare tire mounting point with a bolt and secured to the floor. this will act as a foundational support for the rest of the install:










next, a bigger support panel was attached to the foundation to provide support for the rest of the structures:










perhaps the biggest challenge was to figure out how to get enough air space for the Morel sub...there is no real spare tire WELL, so you can squeeze anything in there..in the end, i came up with an odd shaped three tiered design that acts as the enclosure and the amp rack.

there is a bottom portion for the magenet of the sub, a top part where t he sub actually mounts to, and then in between a very very thin (1.75" tall) portion that covers the entire space. add it all togehter, i have about .55 net cub feet...bizarre but it got the job done lol:




























So here four cool shots of the Mosconi 6to8 DSP...i laid my samsung phone next to it to show just how small it is...thank god for this becuase other wise, i wouldnt have been able to fit it 

again, look for my full review of the processor next week....but i am VERY happy with it. clean compact, well built and my biggest worry, its complicated GUI interface, turned out not to be so bad afterall, i got used to it in a matter of minutes...


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

here is the equipment trim panel before and after carpet. the dip upfront is to clear the OEM floor hinges in their full down position, all the edges have a slight roundover to them:





































here is the top floor panel before and after carpeting:




























and finally a quick pic of the wiring, you can get an idea of just how tight things are 










So thats it, unfortunately, i cannot give a full review of the sound at this point. One of the amps, specifically the one powering the midbass, had a bad channel, so shortly after the pics were taken, it was removed to be sent in for servicing.

i only briefly played with the driver side only, and so far, i can tell you that the Arc Black Series are very nice.

the midbass is VERY VERY strong, among the strongest and most snappy i have heard, the tweeter has good detail but is no where near harsh, they work pretty well in the off axis environment, with a trailing off at the top end, but makes for a pretty smooth sound.

the SC10 of course sounded great, very nice and flat response in this car down to 20hz.

when the customer gets the amp back from repair/replacement, i will do some more tuning on it and give you a more solid review of the Black Series 

anyway, cheers!

Bing


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

holy crap that's a TIGHT fit .... wow

























"that's what she said"


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## ef8crxman (Nov 29, 2010)

Awesome work as usual. Those arc 6.5" do look beefy.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

mattyjman said:


> holy crap that's a TIGHT fit .... wow
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yeah it seems to be a theme with me...each time i get into a tight fit situation, i think wow this is bad...until a few cars later where its even tighter...it doesnt get much tighter than this though...

HUGE amps...are the bain of my existence sometimes lol

oh and they are heavy as hell, each amp is a lot heavier than the sub 























No, thats what *I *said! lol


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Bing, you do some really nice stealth installs.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Thanks Jason, means a lot comin from you


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

I really Love your installs.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Just what I hope for everytime I come to this site,another one of your inspirational installs.Awesome!


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## GS3 (Feb 19, 2006)

thanks for sharing bing, excellent install as always. love viewing all your pics. very nice and clean. wonder how those sb speaker sounds?


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## stills (Apr 13, 2008)

daaaaam!
very clean and nice work.
those doors look factory


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## shawnk (Jan 11, 2010)

Those door pods came out great! I like the recessed grill. Makes them look stock (in a good way  ) Another super nice install man... I love it!


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## myhikingboots (Oct 28, 2010)

shawnk said:


> Those door pods came out great! I like the recessed grill. Makes them look stock (in a good way  ) Another super nice install man... I love it!


Awesome as always. Just wondering, where do you get the mesh for the speaker grills? Thanks!


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## jpswanberg (Jan 14, 2009)

Gorgeous as always. I am interested in hearing how the sb accou..., er, Arc Black series sound  when the amp gets fixed.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

myhikingboots said:


> Awesome as always. Just wondering, where do you get the mesh for the speaker grills? Thanks!


selectproducts


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## myhikingboots (Oct 28, 2010)

simplicityinsound said:


> selectproducts


Thanks Bing. Looks like their website is down though.

Chuck


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

always an awesome job. 

i approve of mounting the speakers to the door metal and affixing a "beauty panel" to the door panel to avoid tactile information from transferring to the door panel as much as possible. and the round over with the mesh came out very nice.

the 6to8 looks nice, how is the volume controlled with optical input on the mosconi piece if i used something like an alpine DVA-9861 that does not have a level control for the optical output - because on the H701, the processor uses AInet to adjust volume.

thanks for posting bing, super clean as always!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

req said:


> always an awesome job.
> 
> i approve of mounting the speakers to the door metal and affixing a "beauty panel" to the door panel to avoid tactile information from transferring to the door panel as much as possible. and the round over with the mesh came out very nice.
> 
> ...



this is a feature i will go over briefly on the review, but it is really cool.

as you know the 6to8 has an upfront controller available, so just like the audison bitone, you can use the master volume on there to control volume.

BUT, they have a new feature where you can input signal into the unit via the optical input, then, use the analog output from the headunit, either rca or just speaker level, and plug it into the analog input of the 6to8, and basically, the Mosconi piece will simply track that to use as a volume control, while any and all signal is still being done through the optica.

this allows you to use the existing volume knob, such as on your HU or on a stock HU with mobridge or example, without affecting the overall sound at all


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

myhikingboots said:


> Thanks Bing. Looks like their website is down though.
> 
> Chuck


works now for me  but you need to be a dealer of AAMP to get them, they no longer sell direct to general public.

Mcmaster-carr though, does, and the heavier steel mesh i use on the top floor panel for example, i get through them. just have to be paitient to find the ones you want through all the options.

b


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## robert_wrath (Apr 24, 2011)

Love the door panel. Great fabrication.


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## m0sdef (Nov 16, 2010)

Awesome build as usual B! Those arc black speakers sound pretty damn good


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## hybridamp (Oct 10, 2006)

Extremely clean build; very well done. Tube HU is beautiful as well.


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## eltico7213 (Oct 26, 2011)

very nice, awesome install.! about the Mosconi company, i've never really heard of them... any background info.?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

eltico7213 said:


> very nice, awesome install.! about the Mosconi company, i've never really heard of them... any background info.?


the brand is under the Audio Systems umbrella in Europe, named after the engineer who designed the amps, and was born from the ashes of Steg in a sense.

imported into the states along with Focal by ORCA 

MOSCONI America | Hi-End Amplifiers made in Italy


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Great looking install once again Bing. I think that is one of the nicest looking Panny installs I've seen (usually it looks kind of weird...out of place). 

My nemesis (Audio Designs - 'Condescending in San Jose') was really pushing the US Amps hybrid amp - sounded fantastic in his shop. 

The Arc drivers look fantastic, and I appreciate the real world shots of the 6to8 - I really look forward to your review


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## astrochex (Aug 7, 2009)

your work is always sweet, bing!

Do those tube amps run hot? Was there any concern about heat management?


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## quietfly (Mar 23, 2011)

Awesome job as usual!... I can't wait for the 6x8 review, i also would love to see pics with that tube lit up from use......


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

awesome Job Bing again!

Love that Panny... my favorite HU


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

it certainly is a very neat HU...cosmetically i prefer it over the somewhat similar themed macintosh units...not to mention you can actually fast forward a track on the cd lol


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## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Nice work once again!


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## texas (Jun 5, 2011)

Nice work! I wish there was an installer in central Texas that did installs at a level this high.



How's the review on that Mosconi 6to8 coming along?


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## rodneypierce (Feb 2, 2012)

great install man! I will have to keep an eye out for more of yours. Super clean!


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## xdrixn (Aug 24, 2011)

I own a matrix and I just wanted to say I am so jealous.

great work!


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## Firewall (Sep 29, 2009)

Great build as usual. 

Just curious, where do you source the barrier strips and spade terminals?


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## [email protected] (Jul 21, 2011)

This is a post that showcases your talents. Of course you know how to work with all the necessary media to achieve a great install, but I do not think that is what separates you from the rest of competent installers. Here is my take.. 

What you get right are SHAPES and AESTHETICS. Your intalls blend and mesh with the right lines. I see other installs where something a s simple as a round over on a piece of MDF would make all the difference in their fiberglass mold end result, instead you get a sharp edge that clearly defines and reveals how it was constructed. 

Your experience and creativity leave NO room for these mistakes in your installs and that is what impresses me! 

Your builds are great Bing!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

thanks but you are way too kind, i am kinda boring when it comes to shapes and stuff, i just like to build tings that i think is pleasing to the eye, so very simple...not something you are gonna say wow too, but something hopefully you wont say "well that looks bad" either 

firewall: spade connectors i get from my distributor, in my case AAMP.

barrier strips? radio shack 

b


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## BigRed17 (Aug 26, 2018)

I'd love to see the build pics but unfortunately, they're gone.


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## Justintime (Sep 23, 2014)

it was six years ago.


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## SHAGGS (Apr 24, 2011)

BigRed17 said:


> I'd love to see the build pics but unfortunately, they're gone.


They show up just fine for me.


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## BigRed17 (Aug 26, 2018)

Justintime,
Isn't that the whole idea for being able to archive build posts? To be able to go back and read, review, and learn? 

Shaggs, 
What browser are you using? 
Thanks in advance!


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## SHAGGS (Apr 24, 2011)

Regular old IE, still trying to get used to Chrome. "I fear change..."


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## TomT (May 19, 2005)

Images are also not showing for me on my iPad.


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## 555nova (Apr 12, 2014)

Works on my iPad


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## TomT (May 19, 2005)

555nova said:


> Works on my iPad


Cleared the site cache and deactivated my content blockers on the iPad (brand new one). No images and no avatars but hey, the site loads extremely slowly with the ads unblocked.


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## Justintime (Sep 23, 2014)

BigRed17 said:


> Justintime,
> Isn't that the whole idea for being able to archive build posts? To be able to go back and read, review, and learn?
> 
> !


I am with you. If it is up to me, I will make these awesome builds and pictures available forever. Some of these pictures are hosted by a third party website, and some of the very nice builds from two, three years ago don’t even load, because they expired or they are not around anymore. What I should have said is the post initiated six years ago, and it is unlikely available .


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## SHAGGS (Apr 24, 2011)

FYI, Avatars not showing is a site wide update issue, not a browser issue.


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