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Install Alpine or JL Audio FiX-86?

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11K views 34 replies 10 participants last post by  herrp58  
#1 ·
I am planning to run a full JL stereo system in my 2020 RTL.

I would like to keep factory steering controls, factory phone speaker audio, factory backup camera and be able to access factory maintenance settings.

Am I able to do this by installing a higher end Alpine unit or should I keep the stock unit in and add a JL Audio FiX-86 to be able to add external amplifiers?

System will consist of the following:

JL Audio HD 900/5 Amplifier
JL Audio C5-650 Front Components
JL Audio C5-650cw in each R door
JL Audio 10W7-D4 Subwoofer
All JL wiring including full speaker wire

I am just stuck on what to install into the dash to run it all.
I would like to upgrade to an Alpine unit but am unsure of once I install whether I can retain most/all of the stock capabilities and features.

Thanks in advance!

-Ryan
 
#2 ·
I've been out of the audio game for a while, but DANG! A W7?? You're going to have some serious sound on your hands... and you're going to make everything rattle, so I hope you have stock in Dynamat! Lol [emoji38]
But this looks like a neat audio setup. I'm interested in how you do the install and I wish you luck.

-ooh, almost forgot.
Running all that extra power, how do you think the alternator is going to fair? Any thoughts or options for a higher output unit?
 
#6 ·
SpunSquirrel said:
I've been out of the audio game for a while, but DANG! A W7?? You're going to have some serious sound on your hands... and you're going to make everything rattle, so I hope you have stock in Dynamat! Lol [emoji38]
But this looks like a neat audio setup. I'm interested in how you do the install and I wish you luck.

-ooh, almost forgot.
Running all that extra power, how do you think the alternator is going to fair? Any thoughts or options for a higher output unit?
[/QUOTE

sorry I meant a W6... I ran a similar setup in two 98 Acura integras with stock (and old) alternators and they were just fine so I’m sure a brand new Ridgeline alternator should do okay.
Click to expand...
 
L
#4 ·
^^ this ^^

AFAIK, nobody has yet replaced the 8" head unit. It would be a huge task and you'll probably lose a lot of functionality in the truck. It will definitely reduce resale value.

It it worth it to gain some better functionality? If all you are after is better sound, the downstream components should do it for you. That HU will be a nightmare.
 
#9 ·
Yeah my goal is just to upgrade the stereo without losing access to mainly the back up camera, CarPlay, voice activation & steering wheel controls. Supposedly this JL FiX-86 unit integrates.

I just want to be able to add external an external amplifier and then upgrade all of the door speakers and add a subwoofer.

The amplifier I chose is all in one and drives all door speakers, tweeters and subwoofer. I just need to be able to run three sets of RCA cables to the amplifier along with the remote signal turn on wire. Then obviously grounding the amplifier to the car and supplying it with power from the vehicle battery.

It really should be straight forward aside from the headunit issue.

I don’t mind keeping the stock unit to be able to retain all stock features but I want to have my sound system nicer and more powerful.
 
#10 ·
@ryanpizzo i might be the person to guide you on this since I have a similar set up.
I may want to recommend the vxi amp 1000/5 For the ability to fine tune the system and I currently have the fix 82 with the volume/bass know in factory location on my rtl-t .
I could be absolutely wrong but that w7 may not fit under the rear seat. I have an image dynamics idq 10 that sounds awesome with hybrid audio components up front And that’s it. the vxi and fix are under passenger seat. Both fit nicely.
I also still have functionality of all factory sounds with the fix. And I connected it via optical cables. No rca
I suggest u leave the factory stereo in place. Distortion on that radio begins around volume 25 with all sound settings set at zero. I keep my volume set at 23. And adjust with the knob or vice versa. I think you’ll love your set up. I would ditch the rear speakers and I promise you won’t miss them
 
#13 ·
Itz chucklez said:
@ryanpizzo i might be the person to guide you on this since I have a similar set up.
I may want to recommend the vxi amp 1000/5 For the ability to fine tune the system and I currently have the fix 82 with the volume/bass know in factory location on my rtl-t .
I could be absolutely wrong but that w7 may not fit under the rear seat. I have an image dynamics idq 10 that sounds awesome with hybrid audio components up front And that’s it. the vxi and fix are under passenger seat. Both fit nicely.
I also still have functionality of all factory sounds with the fix. And I connected it via optical cables. No rca
I suggest u leave the factory stereo in place. Distortion on that radio begins around volume 25 with all sound settings set at zero. I keep my volume set at 23. And adjust with the knob or vice versa. I think you’ll love your set up. I would ditch the rear speakers and I promise you won’t miss them
Click to expand...
This is exactly what I needed to read.
I have done a similar install in the past in my older cars and totally agree with dynamat. I am going to start by doing the doors and go from there with that.

The subwoofer of choice is actually a 10W6-D4 and I measured for it under my seat already. It fits (including the box I am building [sealed .60 cu ft]).

I already bought the HD 900/5 and the rear speakers. I only bought C5-650cw for each rear door and not the component set just to run low/mids as fill. Again I agree with not normally needing rear speakers (I ran JL CSi-653 3-ways in my integra with no rears powered by an original 300/4 slash amp along with a 12W6 powered by an original 500/1 slash amp).

The FiX-82 will allow for full factory features along with a good amount of tuning for the aftermarket sound? No need for the FiX-86?

Optical cable(s) instead of RCA? Could you steer me in the direction of what I would need for my HD 900/5 install in those regards?

I wanted and planned to keep the factory radio I just didn’t know what would be easier to install along with maintaining factory functionality while giving myself the most opportunity to adjust sound settings on the HD 900/5 to get the most out of the system.

I really appreciate your help and your input & advice and look forward to hearing your response.

I am also very sure your system sounds absolutely awesome! ID is high quality and I am going to look into that VXi amp anyway for shits and giggles even though I already have my amplifier.

I will be installing my sub facing up under the passenger side rear seat, and then either the amplifier next to it with the FiX of choice somewhere in the dash or amplifier and FiX under the passenger seat (which I like the thought of even better).

THANKS AGAIN!!!!
 
#11 ·
Also save yourself the money on jl audio wiring anything from stinger or knuconceptz will do just fine. Unlesss of course your extremely picky have the flow and just want it that way lol . Very important aspect I forgot to mention. Dynamat or equivalent is a MUST or u might as well get cheap pioneers for the doors and u won’t know the difference . The installation is The most important aspect of your system. Properly installed equipment will make even off brand speakers sound amazing. Don’t skimp on the sound deadning and sealing those doors properly
 
#14 ·
I don’t think the fix will give you enough options to tune your system. Since your adding rear fill I would keep the fix 86 You should add the twk to fine tune the system. Unfortunately your amp does not have the option for toslink (optical) so your stuck going the traditional way with rca cables.
there’s also a site called zenclosures. They make sub boxes for cars that fit like a glove. They also make one for the ridgeline for $90 might be worth it. (I bought several boxes from them) They build to whatever spec you need.
Let me know how else I can help!
 
#16 ·
What is a “TWK”? And what is the volume knob for? The FiX?

I have JL Audio Blu RCAs already that id have a hard time returning anyway so that’s no big deal.

I also have the HD-RLC knob for the amplifier as well.

I will definitely look into the enclosure since I feel like it would cost me close to that to build it myself out of 3/4” MDF anyway.

I love your install though and wish I could hear it! Where are you from?
 
#19 ·
That’s what I would do! OR return the amp and get a vxi and u won’t need a twk and you’ll be able to go optical for super clean sound! Just do your math and see what works for you. Hope I was able to guide you better!
scenario 1: fix - twk-Hd amp- rca connections = more wiring - more equipment
Scenario 2: fix - vxi - optical connections = less wiring less equipment
 
#20 ·
Itz chucklez said:
That’s what I would do! OR return the amp and get a vxi and u won’t need a twk and you’ll be able to go optical for super clean sound! Just do your math and see what works for you. Hope I was able to guide you better!
scenario 1: fix - twk-Hd amp- rca connections = more wiring - more equipment
Scenario 2: fix - vxi - optical connections = less wiring less equipment
Click to expand...
Do I NEED a TWK or is that just going to allow for a lot more system tuning?
 
#21 ·
You don’t NEED just set your crossover points on the amp properly. Being JL I’m sure the markings on the cross over would be fairly accurate.
IF your using the cross over from the components I would keep the cross over in the off or through position on the amp. if you listen to bass heavy And loud music I would set the high pass on the amp above 100 for interior speakers. And low pass at 100 for the sub. Please don’t use bass boost if you absolutely must then don’t forget to adjust the gain back down to reduce distortion. “Bass boost” in my opinion just introduces distortion and kills subs.
adjust your gain with the head unit volume set at 25 and make sure your radio settings “bass and treble” are set to 0
 
#22 ·
Itz chucklez said:
You don’t NEED just set your crossover points on the amp properly. Being JL I’m sure the markings on the cross over would be fairly accurate.
IF your using the cross over from the components I would keep the cross over in the off or through position on the amp. if you listen to bass heavy And loud music I would set the high pass on the amp above 100 for interior speakers. And low pass at 100 for the sub. Please don’t use bass boost if you absolutely must then don’t forget to adjust the gain back down to reduce distortion. “Bass boost” in my opinion just introduces distortion and kills subs.
adjust your gain with the head unit volume set at 25 and make sure your radio settings “bass and treble” are set to 0
Click to expand...
Okay cool that’s what I thought!

Yeah I would never use bass boost. I enjoy a clear and balanced sound and mostly listen to rock, classic rock & country.

The only other question I have since I’ve never run rear fill with 6.5’s in the doors since I am powering them each with a channel off the 900/5 and without a crossover is what is the best way to control the frequency range that they play and what frequencies should I actually allow them to play? I imagine I can go as low as 100hz but how high should I allow them to play and how would I go about controlling that? Should I just run the same crossover set from the C5 component set and just not run a tweeter or can I control the playing range with the amplifier?
 
#23 ·
well there’s ways
For imaging purposes I would set them at lo pass at the highest allowable frequency to cut off the highs a little bit and drop the gain on them so they are not as loud.
If you don’t particularly care then I would just set the high pass at 100 as well but lower the gain a bit so the sound doesn’t pull towards the rear and you’ll have that touch of rear fill but not overwhelming effect.
or if you don’t care about that stuff either then adjust the gain equally set the high pass at 100 and your good.
To accurately control it you need a dsp. No way around it. Well...There’s ways.. with like in line crossovers you install and you can create a band pass effect but that’s kinda ghetto and won’t really be effective anyways. Not worth mentioning but what the hell 🤷🏾‍♂️
Just keep it simple don’t over think it because then you’ll end up getting a dsp. You seem like you care a little bit about sound and might be leaning towards convincing yourself on getting the twk 😂 but again just keep it simple and don’t over think it. It will sound great.
If your usually installing systems I would invest in a DD-1 from Steve Meade to set your gains properly and you’ll never have issues. He has a lot of products that make tuning awesome but if you don’t do it daily its hard to justify spending the bucks on all that stuff.
Oh yea if you don’t crank the volume ever you can always set your high pass at 40hz, 60hz or 80hz depending on speaker specs. OR not set a filter at all.
 
#24 ·
Itz chucklez said:
well there’s ways
For imaging purposes I would set them at lo pass at the highest allowable frequency to cut off the highs a little bit and drop the gain on them so they are not as loud.
If you don’t particularly care then I would just set the high pass at 100 as well but lower the gain a bit so the sound doesn’t pull towards the rear and you’ll have that touch of rear fill but not overwhelming effect.
or if you don’t care about that stuff either then adjust the gain equally set the high pass at 100 and your good.
To accurately control it you need a dsp. No way around it. Well...There’s ways.. with like in line crossovers you install and you can create a band pass effect but that’s kinda ghetto and won’t really be effective anyways. Not worth mentioning but what the hell 🤷🏾‍♂️
Just keep it simple don’t over think it because then you’ll end up getting a dsp. You seem like you care a little bit about sound and might be leaning towards convincing yourself on getting the twk 😂 but again just keep it simple and don’t over think it. It will sound great.
If your usually installing systems I would invest in a DD-1 from Steve Meade to set your gains properly and you’ll never have issues. He has a lot of products that make tuning awesome but if you don’t do it daily its hard to justify spending the bucks on all that stuff.
Oh yea if you don’t crank the volume ever you can always set your high pass at 40hz, 60hz or 80hz depending on speaker specs. OR not set a filter at all.
Click to expand...
I was thinking setting low pass on the amplifier around 500hz to get mids and lows and have the gain set relatively low.

I do care about sound 100% and generally do listen to my music pretty loud lol that’s why I’m doing all of this.

But you’re right I don’t know if I want to spend another $500 on a TWK right now but I suppose I could always add it in if need be.

Right now my system will be as follows:

C5 components powered by front channels, C5 woofers powered by rear channels and a 10W6 sealed powered by the sub channel. Full dynamat in doors, behind speakers doubled and on the floor (and wherever else I can fit and have enough material for). Pretty straight forward and simple.

Is the FiX-86 easy to wire up and should I mount it somewhere behind the stock unit or in/under the glove box where it’s accessible?

I think I am going to put the subwoofer in the middle under the rear seat and the amplifier flat on the floor next to it on the passenger side this way I can still access it to make minor adjustments if I feel like it.
 
#25 ·
There’s some cheap really good sound deadner called noico it comes in black or the silver and it’s really good quality. I spent $60 (amazon) on a door kit and I was able to double up every where even on the plastic door panel. Well I only did front doors so you might want to get 2 kits. But even after doubling I had plenty left over that I used in the sub box. Not quite enough for all for doors though. If you have time and bored enough I would stick some in headliner.
the fix is relatively simple if you have the wiring schematics for the car and know which wires to tap into. the glove box is ideal because it’s a shorter wire run but it can potentially be annoying in there. Everyone uses the glove box differently so I guess it’s up to you. Just make sure it’s easy enough to accessso you can plug in the usb cable and connect to a pc.
I have my sub box under the rear passenger. In the middle it will just take up real estate from both sides for storage. I wanted to have space clear on one side for groceries or baby stuff. Again that also depends on how u use the truck on the daily. For me under the seat made the most sense. Not sure how big your amp is though so it might not be an option.
while you have everything apart might as well go ahead and install some foot well lighting! Lol 😂
 
#26 ·
Itz chucklez said:
There’s some cheap really good sound deadner called noico it comes in black or the silver and it’s really good quality. I spent $60 (amazon) on a door kit and I was able to double up every where even on the plastic door panel. Well I only did front doors so you might want to get 2 kits. But even after doubling I had plenty left over that I used in the sub box. Not quite enough for all for doors though. If you have time and bored enough I would stick some in headliner.
the fix is relatively simple if you have the wiring schematics for the car and know which wires to tap into. the glove box is ideal because it’s a shorter wire run but it can potentially be annoying in there. Everyone uses the glove box differently so I guess it’s up to you. Just make sure it’s easy enough to accessso you can plug in the usb cable and connect to a pc.
I have my sub box under the rear passenger. In the middle it will just take up real estate from both sides for storage. I wanted to have space clear on one side for groceries or baby stuff. Again that also depends on how u use the truck on the daily. For me under the seat made the most sense. Not sure how big your amp is though so it might not be an option.
while you have everything apart might as well go ahead and install some foot well lighting! Lol 😂
Click to expand...
I don’t mind being without a glove box especially because the center console is so large. What do I need to connect a PC to the FiX for? Sorry, I am completely new to OEM integration.

I guess as far as sub and amp placing I can put the sub under passenger front seat and amp right next to it and still be able to lift the larger lower portion of the back seat and be able to put some things on that side.

I’ll splurge on the dynamat because you’re right... it can make shitty speakers sound good and high end speakers sound great!!
 
#28 ·
Also, I would check again on that 10w7 fitment under the seat. Unless you won’t bring seat down. That sub is 8 inches long unless it’s an older model that was shorter. But hate to see you build your box and have issues. I just don’t see how that bar under seat will clear the box
 
#29 ·
Is that software a one time thing to get started? I have a MacBook so will I be able to do what I have to for that?

I am running a 10W6-D4 and it clears in all three dimensions of height, width & depth. I am going to build a box 8”H, 11” to 11-1/2”W and 11”-11-1/2”D (outside dimensions- sealed). The mounting depth of a 10W6-D4 is 6.89”.
 
#30 ·
Ohhhh that’s more like it lol you said w7 and my curiosity took over.
yes it’s a one time thing it’s free very simple to use. Jl has a few videos on how to use it. You will also need to download the test tones on a usb (unless your truck came with CD player) For the auto Calibration.
 
#31 ·
Haha yeah sorry I put the wrong subwoofer in the original post. I know a W7 is a much larger subwoofer... I like the W6 line better anyway because I’m after more SQ than SPL.

I may have to reach out to you more once I have the FiX and maybe you can help me out. I’m sure I can do it on my own but you seem very knowledgeable about car audio in general which I appreciate.

Most people really don’t know or care beyond just simply plug & play upgrading.
 
T
#32 ·
Sorry for the late reply to this. I did a set up about a year ago with my 2019 BE with your exact objectives.A DSP was the route I went. I have a Alpine PXE 850S DSP under the passenger seat and a JL XD700 pushing everything under the driver's seat. Our speaker set up is very similar other than the sub which is a JL CP110LG and I'm using all JL Audio speakers in the doors/pillars with soundproofing and rings as well. I picked the Alpine unit because it had a 31 band EQ and retained all the original steering wheel and head unit functions other than volume and tone controls on the head unit.
 
#33 ·
If you don't want to replace everything (I didn't since all the speakers are 2ohms), I added a JL MicroSub CP208LG-W3v3 Dual 8" Subwoofer with a 250w mono amp from Rockford Fosgate to my Ridgeline and it sounds great, and everything fits in the low channel under the seats, with almost no impact on storage.

All in, I think this cost about 1200 total with a remote bass knob under the dash?
406199
 
H
#35 ·
I looked into upgrading my 2019 Sport I bought in January. Using Crutchfield's website, I soon found out that every upgrade to my 5" head unit would take away precious functionality of the unit. So the only change I wound up changing was to add the OEM CD player.

Speakers may be next, since the CD player did reveal some serious sound issues with the system. Tweaters are way too bright, even with the treble cranked all the way down.
 
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