A few months ago, this Raleigh-based client came to Adrenaline Audio in Clayton for a 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon audio system upgrade. We made some significant upgrades to his Bose Centerpoint sound system with new Audiofrog speakers, JL Audio amplifiers and a Mosconi processor. The client returned to the store wanting to make a few small changes – to improve the balance of the surround processing by upgrading the rear speakers and to get more bass. We developed a plan to add new rear speakers and a second subwoofer to the system.
Rear Speaker Upgrade
To match the smooth response of the new Audiofrog front stage speakers, we decided to install matching speakers in the rear of the vehicle. A set of Audiofrog GS60 woofers replaces the rear door speakers. We mounted a set of GB25 2.5-inch midrange drivers and GS10 1-inch tweeters in the rear D-pillars. There was no room under the grille for the tweeter, so we mounted it on the outside of the panel and took advantage of the modular grille design of the tweeter to paint it to match the panel. Once in place, they effectively disappear.
Because the new midrange and tweeter are so close together, there was no need to feed each with separate amplifier channels. We used an Audiofrog passive crossover network to handle the high-pass filtering on the tweeter and low-pass filtering on the midrange driver. We used a Mosconi D2 100.4 amplifier that includes an integrated DSP processor to power for the rear speakers. Digital Signal Processing (DSP) allows us to tune the response of each rear channel for a smooth, natural response.
Subwoofer System Upgrade
Our plan was to add a second Audiofrog GB12D4 subwoofer to the system. We removed the original subwoofer enclosure and made a new enclosure of fiberglass in the spare tire well area. Fiberglass enclosures take longer to construct, but maximize the available airspace for the subwoofer to achieve the desired performance.
We added a second JL Audio XD600/1v2 to drive the new subwoofer. To make this amp fit, we relocated the Mosconi 6to8DSP to a location adjacent to the battery. We mounted the processor on a piece of ABS plastic that attaches to the vehicle using nutserts.
CTS-V Sport Wagon Audio System Delivery
The client was even more thrilled with this second round of upgrades. He loved how much impact the system offered, and the ability to crank the volume to suit any mood put a smile on his face.
If you are after better sound from your luxury vehicle, drop by Adrenaline Autosound and talk to a member of our team. You can also reach us by e-mail using our online contact form.
