[c0nsumer]

Honda Bass System Kit & iPod Connection (and more)

I was finally able to pick up my 2006 EX w/ Nav a week ago, and yesterday a bundle of accessories (all-weather floor mats, splash guards, and bass system kit) showed up. Of these, I thought people around here might be interested in some photos of the Bass System Kit and it's installation.

Those photos can be found here.

I managed to handily screw up the large rectangular piece of padding which is supposed to be applied to the amp/crossover portion of the kit, but things still worked out in the end, and I'm not sure of how important that particular piece is, as it doesn't really rest against any portion of the vehicle body.

Thus far I have to say that it rounds out the stock audio quite nicely, although I still have to finish adjusting the crossover (actually, a low pass filter, labeled 'cut') and the gain. Thus far I think the 'gain' and 'cut' should be a bit below the recommended setting, but I still have to confirm this.

I'm currently waiting for the iPod hookup kit to become available so that I can order it, but I plan on writing up a bit of text on it along with installation photos once I've got one here. Hopefully it is soon, but the College Hills' parts department is saying mid to late December. Ah well, at least it should become available eventually.

If anyone is interested in how I currently have an iPod connected, I have built an iPod adapter which feeds an iPod 12v, pauses the iPod when power is disconnected (when the vehicle is switched off) and feeds the audio into the stock AUX connector. Photos of the adapter can be found here and an image of the adapter tucked into one of the console pockets can be found here. It sounds great for now.

-Steve

 

[c0nsumer]

wow very nice stuff.... def get a rep thingy for that.... the ipod pics were too hardcore for me.. no way i would ever be able to do that =P

It's actually pretty easy... The hardest part was soldering the .6mm pins in the iPod dock connector. Tacking a wire or single component to them isn't too bad, but soldering a few items to a single pin is a pain, to say the least.

-Steve

 

[c0nsumer]

Nice work!

Thanks. I just want the official iPod connector kit to come out now. I was all set to hard wire mine in up inside the dash and then I found out about the real kit. It'd be nice if it was all just finished. Hopefully the kits will come out before it gets too cold here. I was already working in a 50°F garage yesterday.

-Steve

 

[c0nsumer]

how much was that bass kit?

$200-some or so, I don't remember. Look it up.

and how much bass did it really add?

Enough to round out the audio so it sounds like a properly EQ'd system with a nice, flat, even frequency response across the board. (read: no thump)

The parts look like cheap parts that wont do much?!?!

I'm not sure what you mean. It looks like a small amp / crossover, a pair of mid-bass speakers, and a wiring harness all meant to nicely pair with the OEM system.

-Steve

 

[c0nsumer]

Did you ever get a final adjustment on your settings? if so, could you share them? Also, what bass and treble do you set the stereo to now - do you just leave it in the middle?

Honestly, not yet. I can tell you that on the head unit I am currently leaving the bass and treble levels at 0 (middle). With regards to the amp / crossover, the only thing I can say right now is that the Honda-recommended levels are WAY too high. As these seem to be speakers solely intended for bass, the default setting for the crossover (as recommended by the install guide) is rather out of line, allowing even lower vocals through the speakers. Additionally, the gain is set so the speakers almost thump (with a good bit of distortion) once installed.

I am currently keeping a small screwdriver in the trunk and as I drive around and I've been trying to tweak the settings every few days. Right now I've got the crossover at a dead-on 6-o'clock position with the gain one notch higher and it seems all right.

I almost wonder if it wouldn't be a bad idea to leave the Honda amp, but get a nicer set of 6.5" (I think that's the right size?) two-way or three-way speakers and drop them in. I'd imagine one could get a bit more bass-heavy sound that way without the distortion I'm hearing. Or maybe I just need to finish tuning the amp/crossover, which would be a lot easier if it could be done while in the passenger compartment.

Hope that helps...

-Steve

 

[c0nsumer]

nice post man i hope it satisfies you. honestly though, i would rather spend a little more and upgrade everything to something like polk/momo or JBL.

Thanks. Part of my desire is to add as little aftermarket stuff as possible, but I'm thinking that the Honda speakers just don't cut it. Now, if I had proper specs on them (expected frequency response range) it would be trivial to just make a test CD and tune things accordingly.

Perhaps I should instead be complaining about lack of available specs?

-Steve

 

[c0nsumer]

It does help. I'll try 6 and 7. I noticed a lot of audio coming through the back speakers at the recommended settings.

New front speakers couldn't hurt but I'll work with the Honda speakers for a while.

To me the fronts sound fine, but I was thinking that two-ways for the rears might be nice, then you could adjust them so that midrange audio does come through the rears and it'll sound nice, as well. I think I'll go look into what a new pair of two-ways would cost for the rear. Shouldn't be more than $100 for a decent pair, I'd imagine.

-Steve