The new layout in the hatch features a pair of Alpine SWS-1240 Type-S 12" subwoofers facing away from each other in an upside down V shape. The top of the enclosure features many curves to emulate the body of the vehicle. Just in front of the subwoofers is Alpine's mammoth MRV-1507 amplifier. This amplifier powers the subwoofers with approximately 900 watts of power. "I like the fact that it is big, plus it provides more than enough power for me to show off what the subwoofers are capable of at events," says Chen. The amplifier is mounted on a silver shelf (made of fiberglass) to match the subwoofer enclosure. Finishing off both areas are beauty boards wrapped in factory-matched vinyl. Hidden below the Alpine amplifier is a Phoenix Gold Zx475ti Titanium 4-channel amplifier feeding power to the four corners in the car. To the right of the subwoofer enclosure and amplifier is a stiffening capacitor underneath Plexiglas from Tsunami to ensure that the system gets that extra power it needs instantly. The capacitor features a voltage meter for monitoring purposes.
Total EclipseRunning the show is an Eclipse 7002 head unit featuring a 5.8-inch monitor that allows Chen fingertip controls to various audio and video sources. The unit itself was mounted in the stock location with little effort. Surrounding the unit is a custom made faceplate constructed from fiberglass and body-filler, topped off with lots of sanding. It is painted silver to match the vehicle, and to highlight the components in it. Other than the Eclipse head unit, two HKS electronic components fill the area.
Keeping the system sounding as clean as possible is an Eclipse 2301 DSP sound processor, which is tucked away underneath the passengers seat and provides Chen with equalizer, time delay, and crossover capabilities through the head unit. Convenient! Although the unit is under the seat, it is finished off with a Plexiglas cover and highlighted in blue neon just in case anyone takes a peek under the seat.
Installing the front and rear speakers both presented some challenges. Sound up front comes from an Eclipse 8062 6.5" component set. The simple procedure in the front doors would have been to just drop in a set of 5.25" speakers as a direct replacement, but Chen wouldn't settle for that. He wanted the bigger components. To accommodate the larger speakers a baffle made of MDF and fiberglass was constructed in the factory location. Once the door panel is installed, the speakers are invisible.
The rear speakers used in the RX-7 are also Eclipse 8062 6.5" components. Chen's particular model did not come with any provisions for rear speakers. In order to accommodate the components new baffles had to be made. In the rear sides of the vehicle are map pockets that Chen never really uses. Instead the plastic pocket panel was removed and Uchida fabricated a panel using MDF, fiberglass, and body filler. The finished product neatly nestles the components into the same area as the map pockets. The panel is painted black to match the rear area. To ensure that the speakers are out of harm's way, perforated steel protects them. Mounted in the rear wall behind the front seats is an Eclipse 5122 12-disc CD Changer loaded with some of Chen's favorite hip-hop CD's.