As you struggle to haul yourself up into Lou Paolino III's Dodge, silently cursing its massive aftermarket wheels and 5 1/2" lift, you'll notice a rather sedate dash through the window. Nothing's too flashy. Nothing screams, "I'm custom!" Then you note the aftermarket head unit, the tweeters set into the suede-wrapped pillars and that surround sound giveaway - the center channel. "This system was designed from the very beginning to fully exploit 5.1, Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro-Logic II surround sound," Paolino reveals. It's hard to believe that not long ago he regarded surround sound with skepticism. Of course, this was before Eric Holdaway of Speaker Works in Orange, CA, came into the equation.
In addition to lending us his ears for test reports, Holdaway and his shop are known for meticulous installs where sound comes first. "Eric Holdaway likes to tell me the story of Jim Fosgate (founder of Rockford/Fosgate, Oscar winner for his contributions to surround sound and creator of the term 'surround sound') and how Fosgate talked him into giving surround a real try," Paolino relates. "Fosgate convinced Eric to go surround sound and now Eric has convinced me to go for it." Go for it he certainly did. While others may want to simply incorporate surround sound into their systems, Paolino wanted the entire truck devoted to 5.1 channels of immersive audio.
First Steps
The Dodge's story begins in Las Vegas, NV, where Paolino dropped it at its first stop: American Custom + Performance. To accommodate the upgraded 24" rims and hunks of rubber wrapped around them, the shop trimmed the wheels wells and fenders. They also lifted it almost half a foot with a FabTec suspension and smoothed the door handles, mirrors and front bumper trim. With everything painted and ready, Paolino then hauled the Dodge over to SoCal, where the Speaker Works crew stripped it in order to lay down Cascade Audio Engineering sound dampening. VB-4 and VB-3 sound barrier material blankets the floor and firewall while VB-2HD covers the roof, door panels and rear panel.
Surround Maestro
With the listening environment prepped, the Speaker Works installers could plug in the most important aspect of a surround sound system: the source and processing to relay 5.1 channels to the speakers. "The vehicle came with the top-of-the-line navigation radio and system," Paolino explains, "but it sounded so bad and I wanted all Alpine." Out went the sub-par factory gear and in came the Alpine IVA-D310. In addition to a mix of interfaces and a CD changer, the head unit links to the Alpine PXA-H701 processor. This super-unit provides EQ, crossovers and decoding for all of the surround formats Paolino desired.
The Front Players
For improved imaging and sound quality, Holdaway and Co. scratched their heads and jostled their noggins to come up with the perfect placement for the front stage speakers. They decided to tuck the USD Audio BC-300 WaveGuides behind custom grilles under the dash so that they face listeners. Backing them up with some punch, two pairs of USD Audio 7pros were fitted into the doors. "We built an internal mounting system to fill the original 6x9 factory hole and to provide a rigid and flat mounting surface for the dual drivers," Holdaway states. More VB-2HD outside and inside the door skins provides damping as well as a vapor barrier. Holdaway notes that the dual drivers increase power-handling capability and improve sound quality.
In addition to the horns and midbasses, the system called for high-frequency backup. The installers carved a place for CDT Audio UP-219 StageFront imaging tweeters in the A-pillars. Also up front lurks a prominent piece of a surround sound system: the center channel. The Mega Cab sailed out of the factory with a center channel speaker, but as Paolino stated earlier, that just wouldn't cut it. No matter what the OEMs come up with, there's always room for customization. The crew modified the existing center channel spot to fit the combination of a 4" midrange and 1" tweeter, both topped off with a CDT grille.
Filling In The Rear
For the rear surrounds, Holdaway didn't break out the thinking cap when it came to location. The answer was obvious - take the place of the factory speakers in the doors. Partially following the plan of attack for the midbass install, the crew well encased each door with damping material. However, instead of 7-inchers, the doors received a CDT Audio EF-61CV 6 1/2" convertible apiece.
Low Effects
For that vital .1, the low-frequency effects channel, Holdaway and Co. did not skimp on subwoofers. Despite their generosity, they were able to retain all the seating. If this is truly Paolino's daily driver, utility is paramount. A multi-chamber enclosure for four 12" Alpine subwoofers fits in the rear cargo area without inhibiting the seats from reclining back. Amazingly, the double-wall sealed design did not require any modifications to the truck at all.
Topping off the sub enclosure, three Zapco amps power the system. The amprack itself is covered in Ultrasuede, but a bent cover of 3/16" polycarbonite protects the Zapcos from errant splashes, dust, or from just looking ho-hum plain. Purely aesthetic choices consist of the LED lighting and polished aluminum trim, that studs the box with shine and zing. More utilitarian decisions include protection against overheating: The crew installed fans on each end of the amprack to blow in cool air.
Watching All Around
The source unit provides the primary video screen for watching movies, in full surround of course. However, back seat drivers haven't been neglected. Rear passengers can enjoy surround sound movies and concert DVDs with Alpine TME-M770S' 6.5-inch touchscreens embedded in the front seat headrests.
A surround setup like this can surely butter up even diehard stereo enthusiasts. "I was really doubtful that I would like surround sound, as I am such a stereo purist," Paolino admits. "But the more I use the 5.1, DD and DTS, the less I want to listen to stereo. Surround just pulls you into the experience of the recording. So does a good stereo system, but surround just takes it to the next level." Now in his Dodge Ram when he doesn't have a surround mix handy, he listens to his stereo CDs, iPod, FM radio and Sirius Satellite Radio with Pro Logic II processing. He concludes, "The Pro Logic II has the same imaging as the stereo playback, but it features more depth and the room size is larger and more realistic. I would never have thought this possible, but here it is."
SHOP BOX
Speaker Works
Orange, CA
Installers:
Pat Holdaway
Paul Rivero
Eric Holdaway
Roger Holdaway