In order to mount the second up-front monitor, located forward on the center console, they eliminated the factory clock and CD player and relocated the trip computer into the center console. Since the console itself was angled toward the driver, they adjusted the face of the console so that the passenger could see the MA Audio MA-70. They kept the elegant-looking, Cadillac wood trim to maintain the factory look
Kearse originally wanted monitors in the front seat head rests but Fish suggested that with a couple of big football players up front and the seats reclined, the monitors would be useless. Instead, he added a pair of MA-70's to the head rests on the middle seat and went with an MA Audio 10-inch TV at the end of the center console, perfect for viewing from both middle and rear seats. Unfortunately the 10-inch set with its 12-inch cabinet wouldn't quite fit into the 11-inch space between the seats. The quick and easy install once again went into overtime as they sectioned the TV case, removing an inch before re-assembling it.
Another of Kearse requests which couldn't be compromised was his desire to keep the rear third row seating in the Escalade. As for the four 12" subs he wanted - that was problematic. The challenge of squeezing in the amplifiers and subs while accommodating the third seat became too much. Fishman went through several designs until he finally realized it simply wouldn't work. "My philosophy is it's better to take less product and enhance it than use a bunch of product and cram it in," he says. That was the logic that led to using three 12s instead of four.
Fishman used MDF and fiberglass to create a tapered enclosure to hold the three 12" MB Quart PWD-304 subwoofers, measuring the box to see if the pair of Phoenix Gold Titanium amplifiers would also fit. The space at the bottom of the enclosure between the back of the third seat and the rear hatch measured only ten inches. The pair of amplifiers measured eight. Amazingly, the dynamic duo not only eased the subs and amps inside the three cubic ft. sealed enclosure, but also adapted a motorized amp rack using a prototype Fishman Audio linear actuator. Since space constraints prevented them from using a second set of drawer glides in the center of the rack, traveling wheels were installed on the bottom to support the weight. The wheels roll easily and, at the touch of a button, the rack opens noiselessly to reveal the amplifiers and the custom Plexiglas oval. It's back lighted with blue neon from Street Glow; that illuminates the "Freak" logo.
The box itself was blended into the interior with factory gray vinyl. Inside the box are the two Phoenix Gold Ti amplifiers. The first is a TI-600.2 that powers the three dual voice coil subs, and runs at 2.6 ohms mono. The subs were first wired in series to 8 ohms, then Mad Dog paralleled the three subs to get down to 2.6. He says each sub receives between 700 and 800 watts. The second amp is a four channel, Ti-500.4 that powers the four component sets in each door. Replacing the factory door speakers, the MBQuart QM218.61 components came with passive crossovers (set at 120 to 150 Hz) that were remotely mounted underneath the middle bench seat.
Since both PlayStation I and PlayStation II were on the list, the former was custom-fitted into the large center armrest in the middle bench seat. The latter was added to the side compartment of the third seat. Throughout the install, the team used Phoenix Gold products for all the connections, including their Titanium Series 0-gauge wiring, QLX Series interconnects, fuse box with built in LEDs that indicate blown breakers, gold-plated battery terminals on the Yellow Top Optima, a Tantrum 1-farad capacitor by Phoenix Gold mounted under the rear seat, and of course their Titanium Series amplifiers.