Components installed:
- One Rockford Fosgate R2S-1X10 10-inch shallow loaded enclosure
- Kenwood KDC-BT555U receiver/head
- Boss R1100M monoblock amp
- Sirius/XM SXV-200v1 tuner
- Metra single DIN faceplate kit
- Metra wiring harness adapter
I wanted to use a local business for this installation, but they quoted me $750 to install $250 worth of components. So I decided to order the stuff from Amazon and do it myself. I got a much better head, a better amp, the Sirius/XM tuner (not included in the quote from the local vendor) and the same subwoofer/enclosure for less than $350. It took me parts of three days to do the install, but it was fun, I learned a lot, and I do quality work (even if I do say so myself).
The bottom line is, the system sounds awesome. I had already upgraded the stock Infinity speakers in the front and rear doors with a set of Boston Acoustic speakers. I did this a few years ago when the stock speakers got wet or rotted and started buzzing. This gave me a tinny sound that had very little low end. That and the fact that I could not use my iPhone with this system finally prompted me to upgrade. I had never installed an amp before and didn't have the first idea what would be required. Luckily a lot of info is available on the Internet that makes this stuff doable.
The local installer had told me that this size subwoofer enclosure would fit behind the smaller driver-side rear seat in my Dakota Quad Cab, but that turned out to be incorrect. The alternative is to spend an additional $200-$300 to purchase a molded enclosure, plus the cost of the actual subwoofer. So I decided to locate the enclosure on the rear floorboard, snugged up against the middle console, facing backwards. I am still in the process of trying to decide how to anchor it there--it's dangerous to have something that heavy not properly anchored down, as it could become the source of severe head trauma in a crash. I am thinking I'll probably use some combination of velcro and home-made brackets. The one thing I have noticed is that, if it is placed directly against the back of the console, the console will not lift up and out of the way in the front seat. This is a problem for me, because that's usually where I place my Glock when I'm transporting it but want to keep it out of view.. But, from a rear-seat occupant perspective, this configuration allows two people to still ride comfortably in the back, though it does extend slightly into each occupant's knee space. It pretty much makes the middle seat unusable though, so if you need that much passenger room, you will need to spring for the molded enclosures that fits under that seat. Luckily I rarely have passengers riding in the back.
The hardest thing about the install was running the 8-guage power supply from the battery through the firewall into the pax compartment. Using Internet research, I located the wiring harness grommet on the driver's side, and was able to use a coathanger to get the wire through. I pushed the coathanger through and then electrical-taped the 8-guage power supply wire to the other end of the coathanger. First time it came loose, but second attempt worked like a charm.
The wiring harness kit was pretty simple. The order is Kenwood wiring harness-->adapter kit from Amazon-->factory connections in my truck. The wiring is almost idiot-proof as it is pretty much color-to-color. The only discretion involved my truck's OEM amplifier--I needed to connect its control wire and the new amp's control wire to the single P-CONT wire from the new harness. If you understand that all these wires do is turn on the amps when the radio is powered up and turn them off again when the head unit is off, it's a no-brainer to figure out you just need to wire both control wires to this same wire in the harness.
To test the connections, I twisted all the wires together and electrical-taped them. Once I confirmed everything was working, I took the harnesses back into my house and soldered them and used rubber heat shrink around the soldered connections. I prefer that to the cheap crimp connectors included in the 1100 amp wiring kit I purchased at Walmart.
The one thing that nearly threw me off was the amp's "Protection" light that illuminated after I cleaned everything up and put the trim back on the interior of my truck. Luckily, I was able to search the Amazon user comments and learned that an improperly grounded amp is one of the causes. Sure enough, I removed the piece of trim under which I had connected the 8-guage ground wire to the body of the truck with a screw and saw that I had jarred loose the ground wire when I snapped that piece of trim back in. My advice is, if you get a "Protection" light on this amp, check the ground wire connection before you do anything else.
I am amazed at the quality of the sound. The bass is amazing and it's almost like having a new truck. I highly recommend these components.
BOSS Audio Systems R1100M Riot Series Car Audio Subwoofer Amplifier - 1100 High Output, Monoblock, Class A/B, 2/4 Ohm Stable,
4.4 | 13,140 ratings
Price: 61.19
Last update: 11-25-2024
About this item
DIMENSIONS: 10.43" x 9.21" x 2.25", WEIGHT: 4.37 lbs
SPECS: Monoblock, Class A/B, 2Ω Stable, MOSFET Power Supply, 1100 Max x 1 @ 2 Ohms, 550 Max x 1 @ 4 Ohms
SPECS CONT'D: Low Pass Filter, Bass Boost, Input Sensitivity, Illuminated Logo, Thermal, Short and Overload Protection Circuits, Remote Subwoofer Control
INPUTS/OUTPUTS: RCA & Speaker Level Inputs
WARRANTY: BOSS Audio Systems provides a powerful 6-year platinum online dealer warranty so long as the purchase is made through Amazon.com. We strongly encourage professional installation of this product to ensure proper and safe functionality
SPECS: Monoblock, Class A/B, 2Ω Stable, MOSFET Power Supply, 1100 Max x 1 @ 2 Ohms, 550 Max x 1 @ 4 Ohms
SPECS CONT'D: Low Pass Filter, Bass Boost, Input Sensitivity, Illuminated Logo, Thermal, Short and Overload Protection Circuits, Remote Subwoofer Control
INPUTS/OUTPUTS: RCA & Speaker Level Inputs
WARRANTY: BOSS Audio Systems provides a powerful 6-year platinum online dealer warranty so long as the purchase is made through Amazon.com. We strongly encourage professional installation of this product to ensure proper and safe functionality
Product information
Warranty & Support
Amazon.com Return Policy:Amazon.com Voluntary 30-Day Return Guarantee: You can return many items you have purchased within 30 days following delivery of the item to you. Our Voluntary 30-Day Return Guarantee does not affect your legal right of withdrawal in any way. You can find out more about the exceptions and conditions here.
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ] User Manual for R1100M Manual [PDF ]
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BOSS Audio Systems R1100M Monoblock Car Amplifier - 1100 High Output, 2-8 Ohm Stable, Low/High Level Inputs, Low Pass Crossover, MOSFET Power Supply
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