Not only did they want to showcase the latest mobile multimedia products inside the Odyssey, but they also needed a vehicle to show off some amazing installation tricks that they and their staff had dreamt up. "For every consumer who buys a vehicle with a video system from the dealership, there are at least ten others who have an existing vehicle without such amenities," explains Uyeda. "After taking a tour of the Odyssey, the most common response from our customers is, 'I didn't know that was possible!'"
The Odyssey's interior is actually divided into two completely separate audio and video systems. "We designed the front with the driver's convenience and safety as the main concerns," says Uyeda. "The rear system is designed solely for passenger enjoyment of the multimedia system."
A Clarion Joyride unit, equipped with a navigation module and CUE wireless receiver, is the Odyssey's source unit. Along with GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation and real-time traffic information and directions, it also has the capability to play CDs, DVDs, MP3s, video CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. The multi-faceted, single-DIN unit is mounted to the factory brackets, and directly below it a custom bracket was fabricated to house the accompanying display piece for the Clarion DVS9755z DVD player and 5.1 processor. Both units are trimmed and finished with a routed piece of black Plexiglas.
A Clarion UC6 six-disc changer is mounted under the front passenger seat. The first slot in the changer is used exclusively for navigation discs while the remaining five slots can be used for any variety of favorite music discs.
Also up front, inside a custom fabricated center console, is Clarion's 6.4-inch LCD monitor that features both composite and RGB video inputs. The RGB input is used for video, and the composite is used with Clarion's CC425 rear vision camera. Looking further into the console, one discovers four Scosche ATC fused power distribution blocks hidden under a cover plate. Also hidden deep inside the console is a Clarion 10-inch subwoofer, part of Clarion's SRX1693 component system that provides the sound for the front of truck. "The sub is pointing forward, toward the firewall, so the bass wave gets dispersed before localization sets in," explains Uyeda.
Advancing beyond the front of the vehicle, passengers discover a completely separate audio and video system featuring the full Dolby Digital, DTS-encoded 5.1 listening experience. A Clarion 11.3-inch VMA1131 color LCD monitor, located on the back of the center console, provides a large, crystal clear picture for those in the rear. The monitor has been removed from its original housing and mounted in a custom enclosure made from MDF and fiberglass and finished in matching vinyl. Below the monitor are a TCS101 controller and a WR100 wireless headphone transmitter.
Also found beneath the monitor is the main body of Clarion's DVS9755z DVD unit, the 5.1 audio processor. This unit is the heart and soul of the rear entertainment system as well as the master controller. Although the display piece is up front in the dash, DVDs are loaded here. A center channel speaker is mounted below the processor, and the front left and right surround speakers are mounted in handmade fiberglass pods on each side. "Because of less than optimal speaker positioning, these front stage speakers are angled upwards and towards the center to increase staging characteristics during playback," says Uyeda. "The best angles for each speaker were determined by temporarily connecting them to a test bench CD player."
There are Clarion midbass drivers located under each of the middle seats. Their enclosures are made from MDF with fiberglass bottoms to save height. At the top of the middle seats, Clarion 7-inch LCD monitors are installed in the back of each headrest to entertain those in the Odyssey's rear seats.
All passengers have the ability to choose their favorite mode of entertainment thanks to Clarion's MSS7100 video switching unit. By plugging their headphones into the nearest controller, they can choose between a variety of sources including DVD, TV, VCR, or Playstation 2 (regardless of what the person next to them chooses!). "Playstation 2 and Midnight Racer occupies even the worst backseat driver," jokes Uyeda. "And if they really want a thrill, we put in Independence Day on DVD. We crank it up and let them feel what 2000 watts and six 12-inch woofers feels like when the White House blows."
The very back of the Odyssey is the centerpiece of the installation, according to Uyeda. "Being that we intentionally designed the vehicle to display as much product as possible, it would not have been relative to design a modest subwoofer system," he says. "We chose to use a battery of six 12-inch subs not only to make a chest-caving impact, but also to create a menacing look of multiple drivers."
A large, six-cubic-foot tub, built from MDF, fleece, grill cloth, body filler, and lots of fiberglass, houses six Clarion SRM3008 subwoofers. The strong, flex-free enclosure is divided into two sections, with three woofers in each half. The actual baffle consists of molding fabric stretched over six rings made of MDF, positioned at different angles for effect and to eliminate standing waves within the enclosure. Care was taken throughout the construction of the enclosure to keep it from encountering flexing of any sort under high pressure situations. Strips of MDF and even Plexiglas were utilized within layers of fiberglass to keep the unorthodox shape of the baffle as flex-free as possible. The tedious yet necessary attention to detail made for an incredible sounding enclosure (whether for listening to music or watching a movie). South Bay Body Shop in San Pedro, California, painted the enclosure to match the truck's exterior. They also performed all of the other necessary paint work needed throughout the installation.
To the left of the sub enclosure is one of the Odyssey's two 750U deep cycle batteries, and above the battery is the main system's fusing. Both are concealed with blue protective covers. A quick glance above the tub reveals Clarion's CC425E color camera, which provides a clear view of everything behind the van.
"The complexity of the Odyssey's system required multiple channels of amplification," explains Uyeda. While conducting initial vehicle research for the system's layout, the staff at Audio Options discovered a large tub between the front and middle seats that was used to hold the Odyssey's spare tire. The first thought was to use the tub as a sub enclosure, but then they had a better idea; that is, to use it as one of the vehicle's two amplifier locations. Three Clarion 400-watt, four-channel amplifiers are housed in this location. The first is used to power the system in the front of the truck. The second amp runs the midbass drivers located under the middle seats, and the third amp is shared by the front and rear surrounds of the rear speaker system. The custom amp rack is constructed from MDF, fiberglass, molding cloth, and body filler and is painted to match the exterior of the Odyssey. Bright blue bent neon is used to highlight the amp design. The rack is protected up top by a piece of 5/8-inch thick clear Lexan, which is finished off with a trim piece made of MDF and body filler. Lexan was chosen for its durability over Plexiglas (where people's feet would be stepping during demonstrations).
Because of the unique design of the rear sub enclosure, integrating the final three amplifiers became a challenge for the Audio Option's team. The smaller, 2-channel amplifier, powering the rear entertainment system's center channel speaker, was mounted to the top section of the subwoofer baffle on an angle which not only makes it highly visible but complements the look of the baffle itself. For the two larger amplifiers powering the subwoofers, they decided to make a rack durable enough to create a "bridge" over the subwoofers, without any undue flex, should curious showgoers try to grab the equipment. Square stock hollow tubing and aluminum plating are used to create an extremely steady frame, and Plexiglass and vinyl-wrapped MDF make up the base. Custom bent neon, inside the Plexiglas plate, provides a rich blue illumination surrounding the amps.
After three months of hard work, the finished minivan allows Audio Options' customers to take a delightful odyssey through the sights and sounds available in today's mobile multimedia world.