A client from Raleigh contacted Adrenaline Autosound in Clayton about upgrading his 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD stereo system at the advice of a friend. The client had four clearly defined goals for his upgrade: He wanted a system that would play loudly, offer exceptional sound quality, look like it was properly integrated into the vehicle and not affect the practicality of the truck. After some consultation and product auditions, we agreed on a system design and scheduled an installation.
Integration and Signal Processing
We used a JL Audio FiX-86 processor to extract a usable audio signal from the factory Bose amplifier. The JL Audio FiX processor can combine signals from different frequency ranges while removing equalization and signal delay processing. The output of the FiX-86 feeds a TwK-88 processor to let us filter and tune the new speakers for the truck environment.
System Amplifier Installation
To meet the goal of being able to play loudly, we chose two high-power amplifiers from JL Audio for the truck. An HD600/4 and an HD1200/1 are mounted to an acrylic plastic sheet that we mounted to the factory subwoofer location in the center console. The amplifiers are stacked using the JL Audio HD_Stack_Kit. We mounted the subwoofer amp on the top to maximize heat dissipation and not add unnecessary heat to the four-channel amp. The JL Audio processors are mounted to the same ¼-inch acrylic sheet. The equipment can be accessed in less than 15 minutes if anything needs to be adjusted.
Focal Speaker Upgrade
We created a set of mounting adapters for the tweeters from a Focal Utopia 165-RC component set and mounted them in the factory location in the dash. The mounting adapters are held in place with factory hardware. A second set of rigid polymer adapters positions the woofers from the set in the factory door speaker locations. We added a set of acoustic coupling rings to help channel the energy from the speakers into the interior of the vehicle.
Custom Subwoofer Enclosure
Meeting the client’s expectations for system output meant creating a subwoofer system that could move a lot of air. We chose a pair of JL Audio 13TW5 subwoofers for the system and created an enclosure under the rear seat. The enclosure combines several fabrication techniques to maximize the available space and provide ample air volume to allow the subs to perform properly. We finished the enclosure in tan carpet that matches the factory interior better than the pictures would lead you to believe.
Silverado 2500 HD Stereo Tuning and Delivery
After we configured the crossovers, equalization and signal delay settings in the TwK-88 processor to maximize the system’s performance, it was time to turn this Silverado 2500 HD stereo upgrade back over to the client. He was thrilled with the way the system sounded. He remarked that he could imagine the performers on a stage in front of him and that it sounded like a live concert. If you are looking for an upgrade for your Chevy truck or SUV, drop into Adrenaline Autosound or contact us using our website form for more information.