Palisades Park Client Gets Honda Accord Stereo System

A client from Palisades Park, New Jersey, dropped by Mobile Edge in Lehighton last year to talk about a 2011 Honda Accord stereo upgrade. He had been reading some of the articles on our website and liked our approach to system design and installation. After listening to the sound system in our Subaru demo vehicle, he had a good idea of what would meet his needs.

Fast-forward almost a year, and the client was ready to start his project. Since he lives more than two hours away, we arranged for a rental car for him and booked a final consultation on a Saturday. He had a listen to our new Ford F-150 demo vehicle, decided that he wanted a few more upgrades as part of his system, and sat down with Bob and Mike to develop the final plan.

Mobile Sound System Design

Our installation technicians had quite a bit of gear to install!

The client’s original concept was to go with our basic Hertz upgrade package, but after hearing the benefits of time alignment and fully active crossovers that a digital signal processor (DSP) adds, he decided to update the system to include an Audison bit One DSP. To maximize the potential of the processor, we added an extra amplifier for complete control over every speaker in the car.

Hertz Speaker and HushMat Deadening Upgrades

The doors got sound proofing, speaker spacers and new speakers.

HushMat was used throughout the trunk.

We removed all the factory speakers from the car and constructed adapter plates out of PVC plastic to mount new Hertz speakers. The front doors are home to a set of Mille Pro MPK 165.3 6.5-inch two-way components, while the rear speaker locations received a set of MPX 165.3 coaxial speakers. We mounted the tweeters in the stock sail panel location.

While we had them apart, we treated the doors and trunk with a layer of HushMat Ultra sound-deadening material. The HushMat will not only reduce the chances of rattles or buzzes in the vehicle, it will also make the car much quieter so the client can enjoy his music.

Custom Subwoofer Installation

Our Utility design allows for great looks and durability.

The resulting trunk looked great and offered the client plenty of storage space.

The client wanted a system that would sound great, but be able to play loud when he felt like it. We created a vented enclosure for a Hertz HX300D 12-inch subwoofer to provide lots of low-frequency output. We offer several trim package options for our custom subwoofer enclosures. This client chose our Utility package, which includes a durable carpet wall and a custom subwoofer grille. With the package complete, the client can use the trunk without fear of damaging the subwoofer or the trim panel.

Hertz and Audison System Electronics

As is with most of our installations, a metal rack was fabricated to securely mount the electronics.

The amplifiers and capacitor found their new home on our custom-fabricated mounting rack.

Our fabrication team put together one of our trademark steel racks for the system’s amplifiers, processor and stiffening cap. The rack is secured to the vehicle at the top and bottom and is home to an Audison bit One processor, Hertz HDP5 and HCP2 amplifiers, and an Audison Connection FPKC1000 1-Farad stiffening capacitor.

We used the bit One to route bass information to the subwoofer channel of the HDP5, then midrange and tweeter signals to the four main channels. The HCP 2 amplifier was assigned the task of powering the rear speakers to increase the overall volume capability of the system.

Honda Accord Stereo Tuning

The BitOne controller was placed conveniently in the center console pocket.

The client had a goal of being able to enjoy his music with excellent realism and impact, then quickly change to a tune that offered more output for bass-heavy electronic music. We installed the DRC controller for the bit One in the storage tray below the factory radio. The client can easily adjust the subwoofer level or select one of the two tunes we created.

The first tune provides very smooth frequency response with a natural balance between bass, midrange and high-frequency performance. The second tune is for those times when the client wants to have some fun. We increased the bass level and rear speaker level, and adjusted the crossover frequencies to improve power handling.

Another Happy Client

A week after the client dropped off his car, he returned, anxious to hear his Honda Accord stereo. We hopped in the car for a listen, and he was immediately ecstatic. His dream of owning a system that sounded amazing and could be cranked to 11 with the push of a button had been achieved perfectly. When you are interested in upgrading the stereo in your vehicle, drop by Mobile Edge or contact us using the button below.