Matt Kouyoumjian found his calling around the time most young men are still forgetting their locker combinations. "I got into car audio when I was in high school when I heard one of my friend's stereo systems, and I knew then that I wanted to own and install high-quality audio systems," he says. "A few years ago I had the opportunity to start my own business and bring my love for car audio to my customers by providing excellent service and high-quality stereo systems."Through his company, Luxury Details, Kouyoumjian has received some tall orders, and this 2003 Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG was no exception. Owner Jeff Palacios wasn't willing to cut any corners. "Jeff requested that we design a stereo that was over-the-top for the G55 AMG," Kouyoumjian says. "He requested that we keep the installation clean and produce excellent sound quality."
So how does Luxury Details send a stereo "over-the-top?" The answer is simple: invest nearly $30,000 into precision, quality, and a booming sound while maintaining a sleek and organized look. "For the main head unit we installed an Alpine IVA-W205 double-DIN 6.5-inch touchscreen AM/FM/CD/DVD/iPod/CD changer," Kouyoumjian says. "We chose this unit because of its expandability and its ease of use."Up front, Kouyoumjian selected the Focal No. 6 Utopia Be kit for one simple reason-unreal performance. "With the Utopia crossover," he says, "you can tune the speakers to exactly how you want them to sound."
Factory specs just weren't cutting it for Kouyoumjian's vision. Custom speaker rings were crafted to space out the speakers to avoid hitting the glass. The factory install included an odd-shaped tweeter. The opening was modified and oval tweeters were installed. "This setup provided excellent mids and highs," he says.
For the rear of the G55, the team chose Focal 165K2P's. "Even though the rear is usually just for fill, we wanted something that would stand out to the rear passengers," he says.
Custom mounts were crafted to hold this gear in precisely the optimum location. Tweeters were installed in the rear doors above the speakers and painted factory flat black for a uniform look. Custom builds were also created for three JL Audio 10W6v2 dual 4-ohm subwoofers. The front of the enclosure was made with 1 1/2-inch MDF and the rest was made out of 3/4-inch MDF.
Kouyoumjian selected the rear of the truck for the amplifiers, housed in a custom enclosure with acrylic windows and blue LEDs. Both the front and rear speakers are powered by Zapco's competition C2K 4.0X amplifier for "its high power output and unbelievable clarity," Kouyoumjian says. Carry the one and you've got 2,600 watts of incredible sound.
Check out the Alpine IVA-W205 in the dash to control all of the multimedia and Alpine PKG-M780 Dual 7-inch headrest monitors.
Jealous yet? "I like to show the G off because we put so much time and effort in it to create such a unique car," Kouyoumjian says. "There's not another one out there like it."