Factory Stereo: Out with the Infinity system, in with the aftermarket
09-10-2012, 07:51 AM
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Factory Stereo: Out with the Infinity system, in with the aftermarket
Hey guys,
This post is intended to let the community know about my experience with the factory Infinity sound system and what items I chose in replacement of this system. I purchased my 2012 2DR Sport in June. When negotiating with the dealer I basically had the same price for two vehicles where everything was the same accept for one had the Infinity stereo system and the other had power windows. Since i have had a few TJ's with either half doors or roll down windows the power option was not as appealing as the Infinity system. I pulled the trigger on the upgraded sound system and went off into happy Jeep land. I figured it would be good enough to get be by while I built the Jeep up. WRONG!! Once the top came down or windows were opened, highway driving or a combination of all it became grossly apparent that the Infinity system was not going to do it for me. The biggest issue was the lack of control to adjust Balance, Fade, Bass, and Treble. The way the factory amp channeled the music and limited user control was EXTREMELY disappointing! I should have taken the power package b/c now I am going to gut the system anyway...DOH!
I read through a lot threads when I was looking to replace my sound system and I appreciate the information that is available. The wiring diagrams on one thread was a life saver, I found a YouTube link that demonstrated how to remove the dash and associated components, speaker opinions, head unit opinions, and sub woofer opinions. All of the information sparked some ideas, helped me make decisions and eliminated any hesitation on doing this project myself. Now my wife on the other hand freaked when she came home to a 3 week old brand new car with the dash ripped out, speakers removed and wires everywhere....lol.
The Items I chose to replace the Infinity system are
HU: Pioneer avh-p1400dvd
Front: Alpine Type-S Components 6.5"
Rollbar: Alpine Type-S Coxial 6.5"
F/R Speaker Amp: Alpine KTP-445u Power Pack (AWESOME!! AMP!!!)
Subwoofer: Polk MM1040 single 10"
Sub Amp: MTX 801D Mono (already had from previous Jeep)
Antena adapter
PAC wire harness
This set up sounds GREAT!! and it did not break the bank. I paid about $725 for everything brand new. I did already have the sub amp. It was a combination of Amazon and Best Buy. My impatience got the best of me with the Best Buy trip, but at least there was a sale...lol. I can now control everything the way I want to and Dial in the best sound for whatever music I am in the mood for. Top down on the highway at 80mph I have great sounding loud music. Very Very pleased!
The entire install took about 12-14 hours. This is because I was being super careful. Double and triple checking everything, stopping and planning ahead, and stopping to check some diagrams. I wanted everything to be hidden so you would never know I had modified the stereo other than the aftermarket HU. The best part is the Alpine Power Pack amp. This little guy more than does the job. I have the gain just slightly above the half maybe about 58% and I do not ever need to turn the radio above volume 16 in extreme conditions. I was able to modify the factory Infinity amp bracket and install the Alpine in the same exact place under the dash!! This was huge for wire management. I used the existing factory wring to make my speaker runs. It was scary cutting off the factory connectors, but I used the diagrams from this forum and my multi-meter to double check everything. Reassembly was pretty quick, everything looks neat, and I love the sound.
The single Polk 10inch sub does really good. I have it in a down fire sealed enclosure just like the Pioneer TS-SWX251, but in a larger air volume box. This is great for my 2DR because i still have usable trunk space but can rattle my mirrors.
I hope you enjoyed the read. If there is anything I might be able to help someone out with please let me know.
Thanks for reading
This post is intended to let the community know about my experience with the factory Infinity sound system and what items I chose in replacement of this system. I purchased my 2012 2DR Sport in June. When negotiating with the dealer I basically had the same price for two vehicles where everything was the same accept for one had the Infinity stereo system and the other had power windows. Since i have had a few TJ's with either half doors or roll down windows the power option was not as appealing as the Infinity system. I pulled the trigger on the upgraded sound system and went off into happy Jeep land. I figured it would be good enough to get be by while I built the Jeep up. WRONG!! Once the top came down or windows were opened, highway driving or a combination of all it became grossly apparent that the Infinity system was not going to do it for me. The biggest issue was the lack of control to adjust Balance, Fade, Bass, and Treble. The way the factory amp channeled the music and limited user control was EXTREMELY disappointing! I should have taken the power package b/c now I am going to gut the system anyway...DOH!
I read through a lot threads when I was looking to replace my sound system and I appreciate the information that is available. The wiring diagrams on one thread was a life saver, I found a YouTube link that demonstrated how to remove the dash and associated components, speaker opinions, head unit opinions, and sub woofer opinions. All of the information sparked some ideas, helped me make decisions and eliminated any hesitation on doing this project myself. Now my wife on the other hand freaked when she came home to a 3 week old brand new car with the dash ripped out, speakers removed and wires everywhere....lol.
The Items I chose to replace the Infinity system are
HU: Pioneer avh-p1400dvd
Front: Alpine Type-S Components 6.5"
Rollbar: Alpine Type-S Coxial 6.5"
F/R Speaker Amp: Alpine KTP-445u Power Pack (AWESOME!! AMP!!!)
Subwoofer: Polk MM1040 single 10"
Sub Amp: MTX 801D Mono (already had from previous Jeep)
Antena adapter
PAC wire harness
This set up sounds GREAT!! and it did not break the bank. I paid about $725 for everything brand new. I did already have the sub amp. It was a combination of Amazon and Best Buy. My impatience got the best of me with the Best Buy trip, but at least there was a sale...lol. I can now control everything the way I want to and Dial in the best sound for whatever music I am in the mood for. Top down on the highway at 80mph I have great sounding loud music. Very Very pleased!
The entire install took about 12-14 hours. This is because I was being super careful. Double and triple checking everything, stopping and planning ahead, and stopping to check some diagrams. I wanted everything to be hidden so you would never know I had modified the stereo other than the aftermarket HU. The best part is the Alpine Power Pack amp. This little guy more than does the job. I have the gain just slightly above the half maybe about 58% and I do not ever need to turn the radio above volume 16 in extreme conditions. I was able to modify the factory Infinity amp bracket and install the Alpine in the same exact place under the dash!! This was huge for wire management. I used the existing factory wring to make my speaker runs. It was scary cutting off the factory connectors, but I used the diagrams from this forum and my multi-meter to double check everything. Reassembly was pretty quick, everything looks neat, and I love the sound.
The single Polk 10inch sub does really good. I have it in a down fire sealed enclosure just like the Pioneer TS-SWX251, but in a larger air volume box. This is great for my 2DR because i still have usable trunk space but can rattle my mirrors.
I hope you enjoyed the read. If there is anything I might be able to help someone out with please let me know.
Thanks for reading
09-10-2012, 08:00 AM
#2
JK Enthusiast
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lake Orion, Michigan
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Hey guys,
This post is intended to let the community know about my experience with the factory Infinity sound system and what items I chose in replacement of this system. I purchased my 2012 2DR Sport in June. When negotiating with the dealer I basically had the same price for two vehicles where everything was the same accept for one had the Infinity stereo system and the other had power windows. Since i have had a few TJ's with either half doors or roll down windows the power option was not as appealing as the Infinity system. I pulled the trigger on the upgraded sound system and went off into happy Jeep land. I figured it would be good enough to get be by while I built the Jeep up. WRONG!! Once the top came down or windows were opened, highway driving or a combination of all it became grossly apparent that the Infinity system was not going to do it for me. The biggest issue was the lack of control to adjust Balance, Fade, Bass, and Treble. The way the factory amp channeled the music and limited user control was EXTREMELY disappointing! I should have taken the power package b/c now I am going to gut the system anyway...DOH!
I read through a lot threads when I was looking to replace my sound system and I appreciate the information that is available. The wiring diagrams on one thread was a life saver, I found a YouTube link that demonstrated how to remove the dash and associated components, speaker opinions, head unit opinions, and sub woofer opinions. All of the information sparked some ideas, helped me make decisions and eliminated any hesitation on doing this project myself. Now my wife on the other hand freaked when she came home to a 3 week old brand new car with the dash ripped out, speakers removed and wires everywhere....lol.
The Items I chose to replace the Infinity system are
HU: Pioneer avh-p1400dvd
Front: Alpine Type-S Components 6.5"
Rollbar: Alpine Type-S Coxial 6.5"
F/R Speaker Amp: Alpine KTP-445u Power Pack (AWESOME!! AMP!!!)
Subwoofer: Polk MM1040 single 10"
Sub Amp: MTX 801D Mono (already had from previous Jeep)
Antena adapter
PAC wire harness
This set up sounds GREAT!! and it did not break the bank. I paid about $725 for everything brand new. I did already have the sub amp. It was a combination of Amazon and Best Buy. My impatience got the best of me with the Best Buy trip, but at least there was a sale...lol. I can now control everything the way I want to and Dial in the best sound for whatever music I am in the mood for. Top down on the highway at 80mph I have great sounding loud music. Very Very pleased!
The entire install took about 12-14 hours. This is because I was being super careful. Double and triple checking everything, stopping and planning ahead, and stopping to check some diagrams. I wanted everything to be hidden so you would never know I had modified the stereo other than the aftermarket HU. The best part is the Alpine Power Pack amp. This little guy more than does the job. I have the gain just slightly above the half maybe about 58% and I do not ever need to turn the radio above volume 16 in extreme conditions. I was able to modify the factory Infinity amp bracket and install the Alpine in the same exact place under the dash!! This was huge for wire management. I used the existing factory wring to make my speaker runs. It was scary cutting off the factory connectors, but I used the diagrams from this forum and my multi-meter to double check everything. Reassembly was pretty quick, everything looks neat, and I love the sound.
The single Polk 10inch sub does really good. I have it in a down fire sealed enclosure just like the Pioneer TS-SWX251, but in a larger air volume box. This is great for my 2DR because i still have usable trunk space but can rattle my mirrors.
I hope you enjoyed the read. If there is anything I might be able to help someone out with please let me know.
Thanks for reading
This post is intended to let the community know about my experience with the factory Infinity sound system and what items I chose in replacement of this system. I purchased my 2012 2DR Sport in June. When negotiating with the dealer I basically had the same price for two vehicles where everything was the same accept for one had the Infinity stereo system and the other had power windows. Since i have had a few TJ's with either half doors or roll down windows the power option was not as appealing as the Infinity system. I pulled the trigger on the upgraded sound system and went off into happy Jeep land. I figured it would be good enough to get be by while I built the Jeep up. WRONG!! Once the top came down or windows were opened, highway driving or a combination of all it became grossly apparent that the Infinity system was not going to do it for me. The biggest issue was the lack of control to adjust Balance, Fade, Bass, and Treble. The way the factory amp channeled the music and limited user control was EXTREMELY disappointing! I should have taken the power package b/c now I am going to gut the system anyway...DOH!
I read through a lot threads when I was looking to replace my sound system and I appreciate the information that is available. The wiring diagrams on one thread was a life saver, I found a YouTube link that demonstrated how to remove the dash and associated components, speaker opinions, head unit opinions, and sub woofer opinions. All of the information sparked some ideas, helped me make decisions and eliminated any hesitation on doing this project myself. Now my wife on the other hand freaked when she came home to a 3 week old brand new car with the dash ripped out, speakers removed and wires everywhere....lol.
The Items I chose to replace the Infinity system are
HU: Pioneer avh-p1400dvd
Front: Alpine Type-S Components 6.5"
Rollbar: Alpine Type-S Coxial 6.5"
F/R Speaker Amp: Alpine KTP-445u Power Pack (AWESOME!! AMP!!!)
Subwoofer: Polk MM1040 single 10"
Sub Amp: MTX 801D Mono (already had from previous Jeep)
Antena adapter
PAC wire harness
This set up sounds GREAT!! and it did not break the bank. I paid about $725 for everything brand new. I did already have the sub amp. It was a combination of Amazon and Best Buy. My impatience got the best of me with the Best Buy trip, but at least there was a sale...lol. I can now control everything the way I want to and Dial in the best sound for whatever music I am in the mood for. Top down on the highway at 80mph I have great sounding loud music. Very Very pleased!
The entire install took about 12-14 hours. This is because I was being super careful. Double and triple checking everything, stopping and planning ahead, and stopping to check some diagrams. I wanted everything to be hidden so you would never know I had modified the stereo other than the aftermarket HU. The best part is the Alpine Power Pack amp. This little guy more than does the job. I have the gain just slightly above the half maybe about 58% and I do not ever need to turn the radio above volume 16 in extreme conditions. I was able to modify the factory Infinity amp bracket and install the Alpine in the same exact place under the dash!! This was huge for wire management. I used the existing factory wring to make my speaker runs. It was scary cutting off the factory connectors, but I used the diagrams from this forum and my multi-meter to double check everything. Reassembly was pretty quick, everything looks neat, and I love the sound.
The single Polk 10inch sub does really good. I have it in a down fire sealed enclosure just like the Pioneer TS-SWX251, but in a larger air volume box. This is great for my 2DR because i still have usable trunk space but can rattle my mirrors.
I hope you enjoyed the read. If there is anything I might be able to help someone out with please let me know.
Thanks for reading
10-17-2012, 07:30 AM
#3
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Hey awesome to hear about the install. I'm doing the exact same, that infinity system sucks and I'm just tossing it all together. My question though I hope for you to answer is with the wiring harness. What exact harness did you use? I want to completely take the infinity amp out so I don't know what harness to use. The ones I have found say they connect using the amp still and that you still lose fad/balance control even in the aftermarket deck. Now that makes no sense to me since it's the deck controlling it not the infinity amp anymore. Do you still have full control ??
11-12-2012, 05:46 AM
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Hey awesome to hear about the install. I'm doing the exact same, that infinity system sucks and I'm just tossing it all together. My question though I hope for you to answer is with the wiring harness. What exact harness did you use? I want to completely take the infinity amp out so I don't know what harness to use. The ones I have found say they connect using the amp still and that you still lose fad/balance control even in the aftermarket deck. Now that makes no sense to me since it's the deck controlling it not the infinity amp anymore. Do you still have full control ??
I am actually going to upgrade the sub again. The Polk 10 is a great sub and i still have use able space behind the rear seat, but I am greedy and want some more obnoxious boom...lol.
11-12-2012, 06:13 AM
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