WOW! What an improvement!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(banjoman @ Nov 6 2007, 03:10 AM) [snapback]535361[/snapback]</div>

Very, very helpful banjoman. I really appreciate all the extra tips too. Thanks a bunch!!

 

I started mapping out my install of the Alpine PXE-H650 and decided to give Alpine Tech support a call to see how they would suggest doing it. Of course they first gave a strong recomendation that a professional handle it because of how complex the Prius system is. I pushed saying I had diagrams and thought I could figure it out.

I hadn't seen the idea Alpine tech had, so I am posting to share it and in case anyone sees a problem with it before I decide between this and the way banjoman did it.

Alpine suggested summing the front mid and the rear full JBL outputs through the Alpine unit:

With the JBL outputs, attach the front-mids to the white and grey wires on the Alpine inputs and attach the rear-fulls to the purple and green Alpine inputs. This omits attaching the front highs. The reasoning is that the Alpine unit will use the rear fulls to sum with the front mids and create an optimal output. No loss of controls or fading and such.

 

Re: WOW! What an improvement!!

This was my first DIY car audio adventure. I want to post a few details here since my install is very similar to Banjoman's original install and he helped advise my install (Thank you!). One difference from his is that I installed the PXE-H650 after the JBL amp instead of before it.

The project car is my wife's 07' Prius with "Premium JBL" system and bluetooth and navigation. I needed a solution that would sum the front channels, clean up the sound, and well.... sound great.

My solution:

• Soundproofing / deadening in the floor and doors,
• JL-Audio ZR-650s in the front (personally, I wouldn't pay retail for speakers this expensive for a car, but I got them cheap from someone),
• Alpine PXE-H650 (installed after the stock JBL amplifier and on top of it)
• JL-Audio 300/4 amplifier (installed in the hatch compartment above the tire)

Having never done anything like this before, it took a lot of study (much of it here at priuschat) and a leap of faith.

Amazingly, it all worked out and sounds awesome.

I set the 300/4 to "low input voltage" and set the Input Sensitivity most all the way up. I set the Prius HU volume at 40 (out of 60) for the autotune process on the H650. I find that it works well to use the HU volume control instead of the remote. Most music is listened to between 35-50 (50 is rocking). Talk radio is usually between 30-40.

The soundstage is incredible after the autotune. Really unbelievable what a difference it makes. I have not yet played with manual settings or hooked up a computer to the USB to access greater manual control. One of these weekends....

The Alpine unit developed a problem of cutting off power. I finally sent it to Alpine under warranty. I got the Alpine PXE-650 back from Alpine/California very fast. They repaired a short circuit in the "signal processing section". I reinstalled and it's working well so far.

One thing I learned sending in the Alpine for repairs, is that disconnecting the center speaker and adding the new speakers and soundproofing provide probably 70+% of the improvement.

There were no problems bypassing the Alpine processor and running the stock JBL amp straight to the new speakers (also bypassing the JL Audio amplifier and crossovers). It ran like that for a couple of weeks. It sounded very good compared to total stock and plenty loud (given all the sound proofing and better speakers), but maybe not as effortlessly detailed and certainly not as well EQ'd and it lacked the incredible soundstage created with the Imprint technology on the Alpine.

If it was my car, I would still add a subwoofer, but my wife doesn't miss it - and it's her car after all.

 

Re: WOW! What an improvement!!

"There were no problems bypassing the Alpine processor and running the stock JBL amp straight to the new speakers (also bypassing the JL Audio amplifier and crossovers). It ran like that for a couple of weeks. It sounded very good compared to total stock and plenty loud (given all the sound proofing and better speakers), but maybe not as effortlessly detailed and certainly not as well EQ'd and it lacked the incredible soundstage created with the Imprint technology on the Alpine."


So from what you are saying, just replacing the stock speakers with nicer aftermarket units helped quite a bit? I have been wondering if this would do much considering that the front crossovers are built into the amp....meaning that you would not be able to use the JL crossovers if you were to just drop in new speakers....That seemed like it might not make much difference.

Just to be clear, when you had the stock JBL amp pushing your JL components, did you have the JL crossovers working as well? IF not, and you were just relying on the stock JBL crossover in the amp, what difference did you notice with the highs/midrange? Did it really clean it up by JUST changing the speakers?

Final thing: If i were to just change the front components out and add a sub, would it still make sense to buy the Alpine unit? Think it would help clean up JBL amp at all? Thanks

 

Re: WOW! What an improvement!!

This is strange, I gave a detailed response to these questions days ago, and now I don't see it at all??? I'll take another shot.

Yes, replacing speakers helped a lot. At one point I only had added the tweeters and they sounded MUCH better than stock. The woofers I added at the same time that I added lots of sound deadening and sound dampening material to the doors, and I think those materials may make a bigger difference than the speakers, but I don't know. Together they make a great difference.

Yes, I was running the JL Audio speakers without the JL crossover and was using the stock JBL amp for the crossover. It worked well and played loud. It was a bit less effortless and detailed at high volume and lacked the equalization and timing provided by the Alpine, but otherwise the sound was improved greatly over stock. Again, it is a combination that did the trick: the sound deadening material in the doors, disconnecting the center channel, and adding better speakers. Maybe 70+ percent of the improvement overall (including Alpine processor and JL Audo amp).

If you want to add speakers and a sub you will need something to sum and output separate channels for the sub, right? Cheapest is Scoshe SLC4, then Alpine, then Cleansweep....