This thread is a documentation of my journey towards creating for myself a car audio experience that would rival the sound quality of any good home HI-fi entertainment system. And when I talk about sound quality I don’t mean LOUD screeching noise that passes as music from stock setups or most Chinese contraptions sold as DVD players cum Nav systems down here. I mean clear, crisp , rich, high fidelity audio with the right texture and complete audio spectrum catered for. (Highs, mids, lows) etc.

For some people the audio quality from stock setups or most of the common DVD player replacements is satisfactory. But for an audiophile like me or anyone who is accustomed to and appreciates “High quality” audio at home or on the go. These upgrades are an absolute necessity. I hope this thread helps people with similar taste who are unaware of excellent options and possibilities.
I come from listening to audio brands like sennheiser , shure, vsonic , I knew I couldn’t stand the stock setup in my Car and I never even bothered to turn it on from the day I bought the vehicle till date. I didn’t even input the unlock code.

My Upgrade progressed in the following stages:
Stage 1-Head Unit Upgrade
Stage 2-Subwoofer installation
Stage 3-front speaker upgrade
Stage 4 -Sound deadening (of doors and door panels)

I will be detailing the process with links, information and pictures of the equipment purchased( speakers, stereo set, subwoofer, sound deadening material) tools used in each stage of this D-I-Y installation; The importance or impact of each stage, as well as the challenges encountered and the methods I employed to surmount them.

This Might appear to be plenty wahala and money, on a basic 2nd Gen Ex CR-V . But every time i turn the ignition and the music comes alive...I smile.
I also made the installation such that all the upgrades with the exception of the sound deadening material are easily transferable to a future new vehicle without altering any of the stock wires (no chopped cables, no join-join just adapters and harnesses).
and stock setup can be easily restored 100% to original condition ,
........contd

following bumper to bumper

Following....

ok

STAGE 1
Replacing the Head Unit

the right choice of head unit is the first and most critical step in the journey of creating an excellent car entertainment experience.
It determines your general User interface experience; It determines the quality of sound outputted to the speakers and subwoofer; it determines the type of media files you can play and the ease with which you can play them. So the choice of head unit is very important to me.
After extensive research I decided on the Pioneer AVH-X4800BS. I chose this model for a number of reasons. I’ll leave you to discover the features, specs and reviews from the links below .(always read product reviews. Very helpful)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WjM5ywWtV8

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-AVH-X4800BS-Motorized-DVD-Receiver/dp/B017LKVGBS

photos coming up

The Bad Boy

Stock Radio Removal and Cable Fishing for the woofer

Running and securing the accompanying bluetooth mic cable with cable ties

Honda wiring harness connected to accomapanying head unit harness (with butt connectors and a crimp)
That way, the original harness isnt altered in any way.
(Will be leaving links for all the items later)

Installed and banging

... Night time views

Stealth Mode ...display Off

For those night time cruises, when you want to enjoy your music without the distraction from a bright screen

The diplay unit sliding smoothly with the push of a button to reveal the hidden optical drive for DVD or CD playback

Pls let's see pics of the subwoofer. The whole package Is like how much pls?

ismail0007:
Pls let's see pics of the subwoofer. The whole package Is like how much pls?

I'm moving on to the subs.

I can't give a figure, the purchases were spread over time. But I'll be providing the purchase links

STAGE 2
Subwoofer Installation.
No Audio system is complete without catering for the low frequencies .
Subwoofers give your sound a depth that is rich and warm. Augumenting the bass capabilities of the main speakers.

The Subwoofer of Choice in my case is the Bazooka BTA850FH.
After several weeks of research, this was a top pick for me, ..it was portable, performed well and could easily be taken out to make room for cargo. It also didn't require any complex wiring, just direct lines from the head unit to the sub, for both power and sound.

See links for reviews and pricing


https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_204BTA850F/Bazooka-BTA850FH.html

https://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BTA850FH-Bass-Amplified-Subwoofer/dp/B002WGJ6WI

Nice thread.

I love these types of threads instead of the "Would You Buy This N300,000,000,000 Unobtanium Ferrari"

I'm doing research for what head unit to use for Kurupe. I see that this Pioneer AVH-X4800BS is ~$300, I'll have to read the reviews.

Though I have a 12" subwoofer already I will need something smaller so I still retain some trunk space. Maybe an 8" Bazooka.

Good luck.

Running the Cable from the head unit to the location for the sub.

Part of why i took up this D-I-Y project was to save my panels. Most technicians have Zero patience and little attention to detail. By the time they're done you would have lost half of your clips.
I also wanted a neat install with cables neatly bound and arranged and passed thru the least obtrusive path.

EgunMogaji:
Nice thread.

I love these types of threads instead of the "Would You Buy This N300,000,000,000 Unobtanium Ferrari"

I'm doing research for what head unit to use for Kurupe. I see that this Pioneer AVH-X4800BS is ~$300, I'll have to read the reviews.

Though I have a 12" subwoofer already I will need something smaller so I still retain some trunk space. Maybe an 8" Bazooka.

Good luck.

Thanks.

Lol that's a big one. Even this 8" dey rattle my panels small

I really look forward to seeing threads about detailing, d-i-y upgrades, and the likes . As is common with auto forums,

The pioneer is excellent. Quite powerful

bizzle2:

Thanks.

Lol that's a big one. Even this 8" dey rattle my panels small

I really look forward to seeing threads about detailing, d-i-y upgrades, and the likes . As is common with auto forums,

The pioneer is excellent. Quite powerful

The only issue I have is that I like rotary switch for my volume control but you can't get widescreen with that.

EgunMogaji:


The only issue I have is that I like rotary switch for my volume control but you can't get widescreen with that.

Never seen that on a pioneer.

Volume control knobs with widescreen are more common with the likes of Sony and Kenwood.
Here are a few

https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_158XAV631B/Sony-XAV-V631BT.html?avf=Y

https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_158XAV100/Sony-XAV-AX100.html?avf=Y

https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_613DDX392/Kenwood-DDX392.html?cc=01&tp=20217

bizzle2:

Never seen that on a pioneer.

Volume control knobs with widescreen are more common with the likes of Sony and Kenwood.
Here are a few

https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_158XAV631B/Sony-XAV-V631BT.html?avf=Y

https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_158XAV100/Sony-XAV-AX100.html?avf=Y

https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_613DDX392/Kenwood-DDX392.html?cc=01&tp=20217

Thanks.

Those are 6 inchers, the one you have is a 7 incher. I may just deal with the non rotary switch because I like the bigger viewing real estate.

EgunMogaji:


Thanks.

Those are 6 inchers, the one you have is a 7 incher. I may just deal with the non rotary switch because I like the bigger viewing real estate.

Oh ok. I see what mean.

True, the extra inch does makes for a better viewing experience

Sorry for the break in transmission, been on some very tight schedules.
Now back on track….
I started my upgrade with the initial intention of changing just the head unit. But over time, with use and research, I found out that changing the head unit alone wasn’t enough to provide the type of sound I wanted. Yes, the quality of sound was a great improvement over the stock setup but the resulting mix was like trying to stuff an elephant through a pigeon hole. The stock Honda speakers just couldn’t handle the kind of sound the head unit was delivering. The head unit had the potential to output clean, powerful and refined sound, but the stock speakers as well as the acoustic properties of the cabin (particularly the doors housing the speakers and door panels) greatly limited the results.
This created the need for stages 3 and 4.
Which brings us to my Favourite part!!...

STAGE 3 Front Speaker Replacement.
Why is this my favourite part? this is the stage that truly brings out the effect of work done in the two prior stages. It wasn’t until I installed the new speakers that I could really really Feel the full impact of changing the head unit and having the subwoofer.
What Speaker am I talking about here?

I’m talking about the Infinity KAPPA 62.11i by the world famous Harman Kardon.

https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Kappa-62-11I-6-5-Inch-Speakers/dp/B009GHQX5O

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-CUYuSFRepDY/p_1086211I/Infinity-Kappa-62-11i.html


IMO These are hands down the best "bang for your buck" car audio speakers on the Market, Period. After hours and hours of research, I pitched my tent with these. At first I thought the reviews might be a little too good to be true, until I had a taste couple of weeks ago. The sound just gets better as the drivers break-in
There are more expensive, higher-end, 2-way and component speakers from inifinity, aswell as other top brands like Bang&Olufsen, JBL , Hertz etc but within the $100-$150 Category. These are the best $100 speakers your money can buy. Which was why even though they weren’t a direct fit for my Vehicle. I was bent on every necessary modification to make sure I rocked these bad boys. Which brings me to the installation process and the challenges….

Problem 1-These are a 6.5” speaker size, roughly same as my stock Honda speakers, but because of the humongous size of the magnets on the rear of the speakers, they wouldn’t fit into the cutout in the door.

Problem 2- They also have a greater mounting depth , compared to the stock speakers. Which are a pretty shallow mount. Which means that if I eventually get them to go through the speaker hole, they would prevent the glass from winding all the way down

Problem 3- Honda speakers have a three hole mount style while these are a four hole mount design

The Bad Boys

Wow! so you didn't find any other one that could fit your doors perfectly without construction?

Conner44:
Wow! so you didn't find any other one that could fit your doors perfectly without construction?

Most 6.5" speakers fit perfectly.
But I wanted these.

bizzle2:

Thanks.

Lol that's a big one. Even this 8" dey rattle my panels small

I really look forward to seeing threads about detailing, d-i-y upgrades, and the likes . As is common with auto forums,

The pioneer is excellent. Quite powerful

Will start uploading my detailing and paint correction jobs. Keep it up.

Now unto the installation proper.
I already knew the challenges I had to face, So I did some research and figured out the tools and parts i would need to do that.

To solve the problem of contact with the glass, and mounting screw orientation, I got a custom Adapter (specifically for select Honda and ACURA models) made from quality ABS material. This adapter also doubled as a spacer, bringing the speakers a little outward thereby minimising the mounting depth to which the speakers are recessed into the door.

To Solve the problem of Hole/cutout size. I came up with the idea of inward folding. I bought very strong Metal snips that allowed me to make small radial cuts along the circumfrence of the hole. These cuts allow the sheet to be folded inward and the speakers to go inside to whatever depth is necessary. This method beats the alternative of cutting all the way around the hole for a larger diameter.

I also got a speaker adapter harness to avoid having to cut the stock Honda speaker harness.

Speaker Spacer/Adapter for 2nd Gen Honda CR-V:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Speaker-Adapter-Exact-Fit-For-Select-Honda-Acura-Vehicles-SAK028-55/141929575105?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Speaker Adapter Harness for Honda:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metra-72-7800-Honda-and-Acura-Speaker-Adapter-Harness-Connector-Pair/141341202823?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

grimadult:


Will start uploading my detailing and paint correction jobs. Keep it up.

Thanks.
I Really look forward to seeing that.
I'll be needing to do some detailing soon too.

Tools and Materials for the Installation of Speakers and Sound Deadening

Side by Side Comparison....Stock and Replacement Speakers

Stock speakers suddenly looking​ like a joke .

Look at The sheer size of those Magnets and the beautiful design and construction of the Kappas. The difference in sounds quality is just as great/even greater.

Speakers Prepped and connected to the Adapters.... Ready for installation