This spring, installer Vinnie Nguyen received an interesting proposition: CREATE THE ULTIMATE SOUND QUALITY DEMO VEHICLE USING A FEW CHOSEN PRODUCTS. At the same time, try to outdo 13 other guys who are building their own demo vehicles with the exact same gear. On that playing field, system design would be crucial to score higher than the competition, top-quality shops invited to participate in Pioneer's PRS Demo Vehicle Build-off.
Nguyen felt that the shop he worked at, Kaoss Audio & Video of Kenner, LA, had what it would take to win. After all, he's an active IASCA competitor in the same class in which the vehicles would be judged, so he already knew exactly what to expect. Nguyen just had to figure out how to integrate the Premier gear Pioneer sent over into his new 2007 Jeep Patriot.
Subwoofers, Pioneer provided two TS-W3001D4 12" subwoofers, which the team decided to put into separate 0.84ft3 sealed enclosures. Following the contours of the spare tire well, a box was created from MDF and fiberglass. For aesthetics, a double layer of colored acrylic, along with a cover panel of silver-painted 31/44" MDF, sets off the flushed-in woofers. The only hiccup was the lack of proportionality in the cargo area. On the driver's side a storage pocket cut into the space, so the installers performed some surgery to match this panel to the other side before beginning work on the subs and amp structures.
Amps, For the lows, Nguyen mounted each PRS-D1100M mono amplifier behind the sub it supports. Despite the consistent double layer of colored acrylic that covers them, they don't match the rack style of the PRS-D4100F 4-channel amplifier, which powers the high-frequency speakers. "We wanted to elevate the highs to give more of a 3-D appearance," he says. Unfortunately, the original rack was damaged during the build and the team had to quickly make a replacement. The finishedtongue-in-groove design disassembles easily, especially when the judges want to check out wire management and other installation details. Nguyen relates, "I was asked to break down the install and it only took me 45 seconds to take everything apart."
Shop Box:Kaoss Audio & VideoKenner, LA
Installers: Vinnie Nguyen, Cedric Calais, Robert Nguyen, Donny La, Nick Del Bianco
To handle all processing duties as well as the audio source, Nguyen (and all the other competitors) was given a DEH-P880PRS head unit, which has crossovers and EQ controls built-in. Nguyen dropped it in the stock location, custom molding the display for the tire pressure sensors underneath. For ease of use, he also integrated the factory steering wheel controls to it.
To handle all processing duties as well as the audio source, Nguyen (and all the other competitors) was given a DEH-P880PRS head unit, which has crossovers and EQ controls built-in. Nguyen dropped it in the stock location, custom molding the display for the tire pressure sensors underneath. For ease of use, he also integrated the factory steering wheel controls to it.