Mk3 Focus Audio Upgrade

[tazzman600]

This thread is for all to read and to show fellow mk3 focus owners what can be done. I'd like to start by thanking 3 great guys on here without whom i wouldn't have bothered upgrading. So to Hassen, Lenny and Mr Spock, thank you very much for your excellent threads.

So to my upgrade. The stock headunit is in place as for now there isn't an upgraded one available without losing some of the cars functions like voice control for instance. The front door Speakers tho good have been replaced by Infinity 60.5cs items rated at 90W RMS and 270W peak. To drive these it was my intention to use my old faithful Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD but that had a forgotten fault which upon a few phone calls and web searches concluded it not worth repairing so in its place is a Rockford Fosgate Punch P300x2 animal which is a 2x100 RMS unit which actually kicks out 127W RMS x2 (cheater amp lol). The subwoofer I had developed a fault which could have actually been down to the 150HD but I bought, after much research and a great review quoting a Spinal Tap moment and scored it an 11 out of 10, an Alpine SWE-815 which is a gobsmacking piece of kit and its size is such that my granddaughters pram fits in the boot with ease.

The install was done by a car hifi shop I've known of for decades because I don't have anywhere to do an install plus I didn't relish the thought of tapping into the cars wiring.

Hopefully now follows photos of the finished work and how it was done.

Firstly my cars headunit

Next with the head unit partially removed. This is because of the small multi plug behind which has to be unplugged.

Next photos show the wiring and where the tapping into took place. The photos show where the upgraded speaker wire connect and the High pass signal convertor to RCA is.

Next is a series of photos showing the door card and then in various states of how to take the door card off. Where the mounting screws are and where the multi plugs are.

One photo in particular shows the Infinity tweeter in its location. Since the tweeter is bigger than standard one its fit looks clumsy but is sound. The tweeter is held in place by a piece of sound deadening and that takes care of any possible rattles etc.

Photos will also show that the door skin was layered with sound deadening material, Dynamat. I actually did that bit.

Well I don't know how this thread is going to show the photos but so far it's not how I expected. I was expecting to be able to write a piece for each photo but alas no.

Anyway next photos show my boot with sub in place plus my box of stuff like jump leads etc.Then a photo with the boot lining removed showing you that I made a floor raiser out of a building foam product. It's about 2" thick and is perfect for the job. Sturdy and light. Then a photo with that removed, showing cars original foam raiser. Then with that removed showing my amp. Then a photo showing my installs intention of stealth. Then a photo of battery take off and fuse used, a 60Amp one.

After the battery photo is a photo showing the subwoofer in place with my granddaughters pram in the boot and my small box of bits.

Then a few of my amps setting controls. The amp comes with a set up CD after which no distortion at max volume is heard. Also the sub frequency range can be changed as can the output to the Speakers. Note, that in the speaker photo you'll see that the speaker mounting ring is covered in sound deadening (and yes I know about the small ding in the speaker, one clumsy moment years ago)

I'm more than happy with the sound system. I've recently found out about downloading Radio 1's drum and bass show Friction. The quality of this download is superb and if I turn the wick up then those close by know about it lol. The Alpine sub has a remote gain and frequency crossover control and that's in the little draw where the OBD port is so it's easy to get to, to change settings if the bass is too much.

Hope this post ends up looking ok on here. Tips on how to post photos and be able to comment on it before adding another photo will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

[Hassen]

Thanks for the mention and glad my own build helped you a bit.

Really cool how you got it all stealth with a very usable space in the boot left even with a subwoofer box. Clean install too.

Interesting to see a? Foam/deadening material inside the door in the Mk3. I reckon that helps the car to be quieter on motorways.

How does it all sound to your ears? Maybe a video clip if you get a chance for us to have a listen :)

Nicely done buddy :)

[Hassen]

I think you can edit the title and the post afterwards to be able to line up the pictures with a text description. Maybe one of the other guys could help as I am unsure how to do it.

[tazzman600]

Thanks for your reply Hassen. Yes I was surprised by the foam type skin under the door card instead of a metal one but I feel it does help with road noise. I'd like to do a video clip to let anyone hear it but I'll need a very good quality microphone and when listening it'd have to be listened on a good PC system with sub included in the speaker set up.

As for the sound. It's excellent. My friends who did the same too years ago are impressed. Dependant on amp setting I xan have my trouser legs fanned by the Infinity speaker lol. I'll look around for a suitable microphone and sort a video out in the near future.

[Hassen]

Cool. That Infinity speaker sounds like it has very good midbass. I don't think I can get that fanning effect with my set of Speakers lol.

When you do get the video uploaded, I will be listening to it on an Audio Technica ATMX50 headphones or on the home theatre system. Definite not on my crappy laptop Speakers lol

[tazzman600]

There's one pic missing which I don't know why but this one shows granddaughters pram in boot.

[Lenny]

Very tidy install mate,

Looks really good, the Alpine sub and enclosure look spot on too.

I have spoken to Connects2 before regarding manufacturing a sealed sub enclosure to fit the mk3 focus as there's nobody on the market doing them.

If they eventually do make them,

Would replace your alpine enclosure and fit in the space on drivers side wheel arch.

Only thing I'd like to mention is to check the size of fuse fitted in power cable to the amplifier,

Class D amps take a lower amp fuse than normal.

Perhaps swap it out for a trip switch type.

Such as these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281526835223

[Lenny]

This thread is for all to read and to show fellow mk3 focus owners what can be done.

Hope this post ends up looking ok on here.

Tips on how to post photos and be able to comment on it before adding another photo will be greatly appreciated.

I've host your images on my photobucket account,

They should display correctly in the coming days,

If desired I can email This post to you for your own editing aswell as copy&paste in to your original post if desired,

Hope it helps.

This thread is for all to read and to show fellow mk3 focus owners what can be done.

I'd like to start by thanking 3 great guys on here without whom i wouldn't have bothered upgrading.

So to Hassen, Lenny and Mr Spock, thank you very much for your excellent threads.

So to my upgrade.

The stock headunit is in place as for now there isn't an upgraded one available without losing some of the cars functions like voice control for instance.

However the front door speakers have been replaced by Infinity 60.5cs items rated at 90W RMS and 270W peak.

To drive these it was my intention to use my old faithful;

Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD

but that had a forgotten fault which upon a few phone calls and web searches concluded it not worth repairing,

so in its place is a Rockford Fosgate Punch P300x2 animal

Which is a 2x100 RMS unit which actually kicks out 127W RMS x2 (cheater amp lol).

The subwoofer I currently had;

developed a fault which could have actually been down to the 150HD

but after much research and a great review quoting a Spinal Tap moment and scored it an 11 out of 10,

I bought an Alpine SWE-815

which is a Gob smacking piece of kit and its size is such that my granddaughter's pram fits in the boot with ease.

The install was done by a car hifi shop I've known of for decades because I don't have anywhere to do an install plus I didn't relish the thought of tapping into the cars wiring.

now follows photos of the finished work and how it was done.

Firstly my cars headunit

Next with the head unit partially removed. This is because of the small multi plug behind which has to be unplugged.

Next photos show the wiring and where the tapping into took place.

The photos show where the upgraded speaker wire connect and the High pass signal convertor to RCA is

Next is a series of photos showing the door card and then in various states of how to take the door card off. Where the mounting screws are and where the multi plugs are.

One photo in particular shows the Infinity tweeter in its location.

Since the tweeter is bigger than standard one its fit looks clumsy but is sound 👌

The tweeter is held in place by a piece of sound deadening and that takes care of any possible rattles etc.

Photos here also shows that the door skin was layered with sound deadening material, Dynamat.

I actually did that bit.

Well I don't know how this thread is going to show the photos but so far it's not how I expected. I was expecting to be able to write a piece for each photo but alas no.

Anyway next photos show my boot with sub in place plus my box of stuff like jump leads etc.

Then a photo with the boot lining removed showing you that I made a floor raiser out of a building foam product.

It's about 2" thick and is perfect for the job. Sturdy and light.

Then a photo with that removed, showing cars original foam raiser.

Then with that removed showing my amp. Then a photo showing my installs intention of stealth.

Then a photo of battery take off and fuse used, a 60Amp one.

After the battery photo is a photo showing the subwoofer in place with my granddaughters pram in the boot and my small box of bits.

Then a few of my amps setting controls. The amp comes with a set up CD after which no distortion at max volume is heard.

Also the sub frequency range can be changed as can the output to the speakers. Note, that in the speaker photo you'll see that the speaker mounting ring is covered in sound deadening (and yes I know about the small ding in the speaker, one clumsy moment years ago)

I'm more than happy with the sound system☺

I've recently found out about downloading Radio 1's drum and bass show Friction.

The quality of this download is superb and if I turn the wick up then those close by know about it 😀

The Alpine sub has a remote gain and frequency crossover control and that's in the little draw where the OBD port is so it's easy to get to, to change settings if the bass is too much.👍

Hope this post ends up looking ok on here.

Thanks for reading.

[tazzman600]

WOW Lenny. Thanks for that. You must have spent some time on that but I wish I could have done that in the 1st place. But there again I'm a bit of a thicko when it comes to computer stuff lol.

Regarding the fuse used. Its a 60A one. Rockford suggested 50A but a 60 used because of the powered sub. I do however like the idea of a circuit breaker type fuse ( it's what I wanted in the 1st place but the guys mustn't have heard me ) so one is on order as I type. Thanks for the link to it Lenny. Star again :)

[Lenny]

WOW Lenny. Thanks for that. You must have spent some time on that but I wish I could have done that in the 1st place. But there again I'm a bit of a thicko when it comes to computer stuff lol.

Regarding the fuse used. Its a 60A one. Rockford suggested 50A but a 60 used because of the powered sub. I do however like the idea of a circuit breaker type fuse ( it's what I wanted in the 1st place but the guys mustn't have heard me ) so one is on order as I type. Thanks for the link to it Lenny. Star again :)

No problem mate,

If you want to email me;

I'll respond with your post to include images.

you can then edit your post on here replacing it with the one from email.

Images should display next week.

[tazzman600]

ROFL absolute corker.

Ok Lenny thanks a bunch. Will email you and look forward to your reply and see what I can do.

[tazzman600]

I forgot to add and possibly mention that my subwoofer has a remote control to tune gain and low pass filter, also it can be phase reversed. Below (I hope) are a couple of photos. 1st pic shows cars headlight switch where below it is a small cubbyhole. 2nd pic shows cubbyhole and the remote.

[Lenny]

I forgot to add and possibly mention that my subwoofer has a remote control to tune gain and low pass filter, also it can be phase reversed. Below (I hope) are a couple of photos. 1st pic shows cars headlight switch where below it is a small cubbyhole. 2nd pic shows cubbyhole and the remote.

Looks stealthy

I've added those images to the above guide you created.

[tazzman600]

Well it's been a while since my install and all is well. Today I started a move and was wondering if a medium sized suitcase would fit in my boot with the sub in place. Am happy to say it does proving the boot isn't as small as some think.

[Lenny]

14 minutes ago, tazzman600 said:

Well it's been a while since my install and all is well. Today I started a move and was wondering if a medium sized suitcase would fit in my boot with the sub in place. Am happy to say it does proving the boot isn't as small as some think.

Great amount of space there mate,

I reckon if you were in a position where you had two suit cases, they would both fit in standing up on side👍

[tazzman600]

Mmmmmmm now that's sommat I didn't think of. I'll try that on the next run and let all know either way .

[Lenny]

Personally I prefer researching and installing the parts myself; 

In fact it was an alarm install guy whom spurred me on to start doing my own modification and guides after he charged me €520 to install an alarm and had my car for three days instead of one as he was "very busy" that was the price of a pioneer aftermarket headunit.

Install every thing yourself and get a free aftermarket headunit ☺️ rather than a hole in the dash from a hi-low level RCA equaliser which has to be patched after you recuperate from the sub installation fee and go fully aftermarket with a decent headunit then the secondary volume knob isint required.

Check out my guides here: 

Or Google "full list of lennys guides" all done on a mk2.5 focus but some principles are the same regardless of vehicle 

I dont appreciate enterprise business and promote educating people to do it themselves.

[tazzman600]

I'm chuffed I found this thread. Since I've come across one or two threads asking about upgrading their Speakers etc in their Focus's I thought I'd bring this thread back to life lol.

[dontpannic]

Well in the interests of it and given that the thread is quite old now...

I wonder how this gets around the inbuilt equaliser of the stock ACM? I was under the impression that the dynamic EQ in there doesn't translate well to line level adapters and does some odd things (like toning the bass down) at higher volumes to suit the Speakers in the car. In the States, they can code the ACM to convert the speaker level outputs to line level and code in a flat eq and this would work fine, but outside of the USA the ACM's are not programmable. 

Additionally - 

I'm shocked that an established car audio company has butchered the stock wiring harness to that extent on what was a fairly new car at the time... Surely you'd just order up the correct plugs and pins and make a breakout harness.

[tazzman600]

Hi Nick. Regarding your comment about butchering the wiring. Actually there was No butchery. The audio system could be put back to standard very easily because those connections were used.

As for the so called loss of bass. Definitely Not. The line converter used wasn't a cheap nasty one. It was expensive for what it was but it had its own built in level adjustment. Plus I upgraded the Speakers and they could handle very easily what that Rockford amp could throw at it. Thanks for spending the time to read my old thread.

[dontpannic]

I guess - it just looks a bit iffy cutting the stock wires and using bullet connectors rather than getting hold of a new male/female APIM connector and pins and making up a patch harness instead.

My comment with the bass isn't regarding the quality or cost of the line converters being used - I thought it was the speaker level output of the stock ACM itself that has an equaliser preset configured on it to match the stock Speakers and dull certain frequencies at certain levels (ACM Sync 3 aftermarket stereo problems. HELP! - FORScan forum, ACM As-Built Database - Ford / Other Support - CyanLabs Official Community). Nice and easy to change on a US spec ACM, but not an EU one 😞 sounds good that it doesn't appear to be the case and you can use line converters on the speaker outputs 🙂