For those not familiar with this vehicle, the INEOS Grenadier is the brainchild of the British billionaire and founder of INEOS chemical group, Sir Jim Ratcliff. Brought to market in October 2022, the Grenadier looks and feels like what a modernized Land Rover Defender could or should have been. Rugged to the core, this vehicle is designed to handle unforgiving off road terrain in ways many of its drivers will never fully utilize. In our neck of the woods, these beasts are likely spotted blasting through unplowed roads full of snow or navigating the busy parking lot of the local Whole Foods. Yet, I’m sure anyone who owns an INEOS Grenadier takes great comfort in knowing its full capabilities if SHTF. I know I would.
In many ways the INEOS Grenadier is a little too rugged. It’s not without modern creature comfort tech like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but surprisingly the quality of the reverse camera is a bit “meh”. Certainly not what you’d expect given the $70 – 80k price tag. The interior lacks any sort of meaningful insulation resulting in a cavernous tin can cabin sound. And the audio system? It leaves much to be desired.
INEOS Grenadier Accessories
It’s no surprise this new automobile spawned a vast market of unique accessories designed to improve the Grenadier. Our shop recently completed a large upgrade for an INEOS Grenadier owner addressing many of this vehicles pitfalls. Let’s dive into the details!
Phase 1 – Sound Dampening
If you’re considering upgrading the audio system in this vehicle you must also include some sound dampening. At a minimum you want to apply sound dampening in the doors. Ideally, we recommend sound proofing the full cabin: all doors, roof, floor and behind as much of the plastic paneling that you can access.
The INEOS Grenadier driver’s side door stripped down
In our shop we use Dynamat. Founded in 1989, Dynamat is known in our industry as the original car audio sound dampening product. Unlike many other automotive sound proofing materials, Dynamat is made proudly in the USA.
INEOS Grenadier Dynamat sound dampening application driver’s door
We use Dynamat Xtreme as a base layer on the sheet metal and frame of the vehicle and also apply a secondary layer called Dynaliner. The Dynaliner can either be layered on top of the Xtreme or on the backside of various panels like door panels, B-pillars and rear cargo panels.
INEOS Grenadier sound dampening application door panel
In this Grenadier, Dynaliner was applied to the backside of all removable plastic panels including the center console trim and b-pillars, a portion of which is shown here.
INEOS Grenadier B pillar sound dampening application
This product isn’t difficult to install, but it is very time consuming to strip down the vehicle interior and cut each piece of material to the ideal size and shape. A full cabin dampening job like this can take about 30 hours to complete.
With the vehicle stripped down, technician John applied dampening in all accessible areas including the front and rear floors as well as the rear cargo floor.
INEOS Grenadier sound dampening in the rear cargo area
One area that required a tedious amount of attention to detail was this rear door rack. The rear doors were also disassembled and material was applied to the frame and backside of those panels as well.
INEOS Grenadier Dynaliner application rear door rack
However, this INEOS Grenadier wasn’t here just to eliminate the cavernous tin can esq cabin acoustics. Ultimately our client wanted an audio upgrade. With the cabin sounding quiet as a panic room, John moved on to addressing the lackluster Grenadier stereo system.
Phase 2 – Audio System
The Grenadier is equipped with just 4 speakers: a set of 6.5″ coaxials in the front doors and a set of 4″ coaxials in the rear doors. We’re talking rugged. Not even separate tweeters in front! If you happen to have the optional subwoofer, you’re 1 step above a vintage Defender 90 audio system. In the sense that the Grenadier is unmatched in its off road capability, our client wanted an audio system with equally unmatched quality. The only way to achieve that was with top shelf equipment.
Where is the best place to add tweeters in this vehicle? That is a personal preference. We’ve seen shops flush mount them in the doors (not my favorite). This looks clean, but for sound stage purposes, it’s not ideal. We really want the tweeters coming at you. Think of when you attend a concert. It always sounds better when you’re facing the stage near the center rather than being seated off to one of the sides.
INEOS Grenadier Tweeter Placement Driver’s Side
I’ve also seen shops flush mount them in the A-pillars flush. Also not ideal as this ends aiming the tweeters away from you reflecting off the glass (ouch – bright – my least favorite option). That’s why we used adjustable stand alone pods for the massive Morel Elate Carbon Pro 62A Alto tweeters.
INEOS Grenadier Tweeter Placement Passenger Side
These machined aluminum tweeter mounts are from Valicar Stuttgart in Germany. They manufacture a variety of tweeter housings available in two different style mounts. We prefer the Elongated Hole option (Langloch) as it provides the ability to adjust and dial in the angle. These housings could also be surface mounted on the dash in the corners if preferred.
INEOS Grenadier A-pillar tweeter mounts from Valicar Stuttgart
Visually speaking, we understand these pods are not for everyone. But if sound quality is your ultimate goal, this positioning trumps the other tweeter mounting options. Surprisingly John did not have to fabricate speaker mounting adapters for any of the door speakers. The Morel speakers fit perfectly under the original door panels and grilles.
Amplifier Location
Despite the large interior cabin space, there was no great way of hiding the Helix V Eight DSP Ultimate and P One MK2 amplifiers. In vehicles equipped with just the single battery aftermarket DSP amps can be mounted under the rear seat.
INEOS Grenadier – amp rack assembly
This client equipped his Grenadier with a Buzz Overland rack system which maximized his vertical rear cargo space. Focusing more on sound quality vs functionality with a space saving design, our client gave us the freedom to utilize the space under the rack system.
INEOS Grenadier featuring Helix V Eight DSP Ultimate and Helix P One MK2
John took full advantage of this and created a dedicated platform for the custom built Morel Ultimo PowerSlim 12″ subwoofer enclosure and amplifiers.
Morel Ultimo PowerSlim 12″ Subwoofer Enclosure Secured to the Amp Rack Platform
The subwoofer enclosure was secured to the platform behind the rear seats. Both the amp rack and enclosure were fabricated out of MDF and covered in automotive grade carpet and vinyl. Using our 3D printer, John fabricated an INEOS badge for a special added touch. We positioned the subwoofer enclosure on the larger side of the split folding rear seats so he could still fold down the smaller section for longer objects.
The Helix V Eight DSP Ultimate does an amazing job cleaning up the signal coming this factory stereo. For most clients, this is all they will ever need. For the purist, it’s still not as clean as a direct input. One of the great features of this amp is the direct hi-res USB C input.
Direct Hi-Res USB C input
With this configuration our client can connect his iPhone or a high quality portable player like an Astell & Kern directly into the DSP amp. This connection provides audiophiles with the cleanest source signal and highest fidelity possible.
Helix Conductor mounted in INEOS Grenadier
How do you control this secondary input? Using the Helix Conductor control knob. This is a multi-functional knob. When the client is using CarPlay through the factory stereo, he can tap the knob and quickly adjust subwoofer level. Tap again to adjust the level of rear fill (fader control). Each function is color coded. When he connects his device to the hi-res direct USB C input the Helix amp automatically detects this and switches the input. At that point the client can use the Conductor knob as his master volume controller. Pretty neat, right?
Extras
In addition to the sound dampening and audio upgrade, we also installed a Wolfbox mirror. The Wolfbox functions as both a dash camera and adds a higher resolution reverse camera display. This gets mounted in place of the existing rear view mirror. We also installed the client’s Sentinel 7’’ High Performance LED lights and a pair of high powered auxiliary reverse lights. The Grenadier is equipped with a variety of AUX switches so we might as well put them to good use!
With this complete upgrade, our client has optimized his INEOS Grenadier driving experience. Whether he is traversing challenging off-road terrain or cranking Taylor Swift tunes for his girls, all occupants of this Grenadier will enjoy an elevated driving experience. To learn more about how we can enhance your INEOS Grenadier, contact our shop, Sounds Incredible Mobile in Brookfield, CT.
Recently we had a new client reach out who had seen our previous Ferrari 612 upgrade seeking to do the same thing in his 2007 Ferrari 612. Great! We know this car, no problem. Right? Well, kind of.
2007 Ferrari 612 Navigation CarPlay Upgrade Challenge – Can the factory radio be replaced?
There was one slight issue. This Ferrari 612 came equipped with the navigation stereo. I had no idea what we were working with on this one. Working on a car that is exotic is tricky because it’s not like we can just go on ProDemand and look up a vehicle wire schematic. Heck, it’s been said that Ferrari doesn’t even have true wiring diagrams for this vehicle.
I had a few concerns and let the client know:
I had no idea if the wiring behind the Ferrari 612 navigation radio was the same as what we found in the 2005 with the basic single DIN stereo (standard ISO style harness)
I didn’t know if we could retain the original Bose amp and speakers
I couldn’t find a single example of anyone having completed this upgrade. Anywhere. Ever. I even reached out to a shop in Dubai that looked like they might have done one, but never heard back.
Even if we can do this, I don’t know that we can retain the audio controls on the steering wheel
Think in terms of possibilities – not limitations
John and I both needed this challenge. This client was definitely unlike any other client I’ve ever worked with. He was unperturbed and undeterred by any potential obstacles. He clearly had more faith in our capabilities than we did. I was sweating this one. Can we really do this??? What if that factory stereo has to stay in line in order for the car to start kind of like an old 2005 Saab 9-3? After pouring over my concerns with John, we decided the best thing to do was to get the car here so he could explore how the original navigation radio worked and see what the possibilities actually were. The client has happy to drop it off and told us to take our time.
What John found
After taking a look at the car in person we found there were various vehicle settings that were only accessible through the Ferrari 612 navigation radio. Things like Buzzer Volume, Dusk Light Sensitivity and Door Lock settings were only accessible through the dated Bose navigation stereo.
Ferrari 612 navigation CarPlay upgrade challenge 1 – figuring out the factory stereo
We also spoke with the dealer and asked some questions. Their technician confirmed our thoughts. If we removed the stereo and started the car, there would be a continual error on the dash. So the original stereo would have to stay in place. But the neat thing about this factory stereo is it’s not unlike some of the newer modern “hideaway” style receivers. After seeing how the display panel removes from the stereo chassis, I immediately thought of one of the newer Pioneer modular receivers like the DMH-WC6600NEX.
Ferrari 612 OEM navigation display utilizes a modular stereo concept
I thought what if we just left the original stereo in place and used a modular stereo like the Pioneer or maybe even a Kenwood DAX800XR? John thought that might work. But I still needed to know if we could we interface it with the original Bose amp and speakers.
More details on this install in the video above
After investigating further John told me the answer was no. The best course of action would be to install aftermarket speakers, run new speaker wiring, use an aftermarket amp and leave the original Bose amp and wiring in tact to keep the data flowing through the car without errors.
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Speaker Upgrade – Original speakers and the original Bose amp from the rear shelf subwoofer
Okay, one problem solved. But what size speakers could we fit? It appeared to be equipped with a set of 4″ in the upper dash corners and center dash. There was a set of 6.5″ components in the rear. A subwoofer in the front passenger footwell and another subwoofer in the rear deck along with another set of 4″. Oh and did I mention mounting depth was definitely going to be an issue?
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Speaker Upgrade
I presented the equipment options to John 1st and he concurred with my system design and recommendations. I called the client and explained the limitations and scope of what we would need to do if he wanted to move forward. Here’s what we came up with:
Morel Virtus Nano Carbon Integra 42 to replace all 4″ speakers front and back
Morel Virtus Nano Carbon Pro 6.5″ components for the rear
Depending on impedance on the factory subwoofers we would try and re-use them powered by the new amp
Kenwood DAX800XR modular stereo (we would utilize the toslink out and keep the signal digital for optimal sound quality)
Helix V Eighteen DSP amp to power all the new speakers actively (14 channels for the new Morel speakers and potentially 1-2 channels for the factory subwoofers)
URC.1 as a remote bass knob
Kenwood CMOS-740HDLP front camera
Kenwood CMOS-740HDLP rear camera
I wasn’t sure how the conversation would go. During one of my earlier conversations with the client he mentioned he was also interested in upgrading the speakers. I had initially pushed back on that because I wasn’t sure I wanted to go that deep into this project. I was a bit intimidated. For anyone that’s worked on a Ferrari before – you get what I mean – they can be tedious AF. However, the client sounded optimistic when I told him about the Kenwood receiver, Morel speakers and Helix amp.
It was all good quality equipment that he was familiar with. These were brands he owned in previous vehicles. He was definitely interested in both an audio upgrade and technology upgrade. He was also happy to give John whatever time he needed to get the job done.
The question at this point was whether or not John was up for the challenge?
Mid installation – Ferrari 612 Navigation CarPlay Upgrade Challenge
I think because he knew it would give him plenty of reasons to use his new 3D printer he was all over this. Challenge accepted.
Up for the Challenge
Once the client signed off, John dove right in. However, each step of the way he encountered a new unforeseen obstacle. Accessing the dash speakers was incredibly difficult. Mainly the driver’s side. There were many screws that had previously been stripped which prevented him from removing the instrument cluster, steering wheel and dashboard.
The passenger side wasn’t quite as tricky to access. This pic a great example of the intricacies he encountered trying to mount the Morel Virtus Nano speakers.
3D printed parts galore
As you can see below, he had to fabricate speaker mounting adapters for each speaker. Each speaker had to be slightly offset in the mount in a different manner.
Ferrari 612 navigation CarPlay upgrade challenge – CAD designing and 3D printing various speaker mounting adapters.
He ended up having to design a unique set for the front dash, rear shelf and rear cabin speakers. Although the rear cabin speakers were more of a standard size, 6.5″, with a separate tweeter, it was still a tight fit.
Speaker mounting adapters being printed for the Ferrari 612 speaker upgrade
Throughout the installation process John did what he always does and repaired whatever he could along the way. He resecured peeling leather, replaced any hardware he found missing and repaired the non functioning blend door while everything was apart and easily accessible.
As John continued the installation process he ran into a few more unexpected speed bumps. This caused us to shift certain aspects of the plan.
Pivot Plan
There were a few things that popped up that we either had not thought of or simply didn’t see until we got into the weeds with this one.
Center Channel Speaker
Without being able to remove all of the stripped screws in the instrument cluster, he was unable to remove the entire dashboard and access the center channel speaker. We questioned whether it made sense to spend the time to replace it. Ultimately we decided to leave that speaker as is. Between the Helix DSP tools like time alignment and virtual center channel, John knew he could still create an amazing sounding system without it.
The center channel in this case would remain the only original speaker still connected to the stock audio system in the vehicle. It would have been nice to replace, but I also had the nagging ‘What if‘s about that speaker too. What if certain vehicle warning chimes go through that speaker? What if the park distance chirps go through that speaker? John assured me they didn’t, but I still had my worries about it.
Factory Subwoofers
We knew from working on an earlier 2005 Ferrari Scaglietti that the car was equipped with one subwoofer in the front passenger foot well and one in the rear shelf. Originally we were thinking we might be able to replace them with something like the Helix Ci5 woofers. However, after John opened it up and examined each woofer, it was clear that wouldn’t be possible unless he fabricated new enclosures/mounting solutions. We weren’t working with an unlimited budget so we focused on trying to re-use the original Bose subwoofers.
2007 Ferrari 612 fitted with Morel Virtus Nano 42 in the rear shelf and original Bose subwoofer powered by a new amp
My hope was that each subwoofer would be 2 ohm and we could power each with a channel off the Helix V Eighteen DSP amp. Here’s what he found. Each woofer measured .5 ohm. The front passenger floor subwoofer was getting powered by the same amp that was powering all the original speakers. The rear shelf subwoofer on the other hand was quite peculiar. It had its own amp built into it. John had to carefully remove the amp from the rear shelf subwoofer before he could even measure its resistance. That sub? Also .5 ohm.
Mid installation process – Ferrari 612 Helix V Eighteen DSP & MATCH UP1FX
Yikes. The V Eighteen DSP was only 2 ohm stable. We were going to need another amp.
Retaining the factory Bose subwoofers
We chose to wire the subwoofers in series and use the MATCH UP1FX. Surely way more power than necessary, but we needed something with:
Excellent sound quality
1 ohm stability
Compact design
John had already fabricated an amp mounting solution for the V Eighteen DSP (3D printed of course), but he knew there would be enough room to piggyback the UP1FX right next to it. With the amp situation sorted out and speakers installed and wired up, John could focus on some of the smaller details. Those devilish little details are where all the time goes.
The devil is in the details
USB Placement & Volume Knob or Bass Knob or Both?
Originally we planned to mount the USB C port in the ashtray similar to how John did in the last Ferrari 612 he worked on. After realizing we wouldn’t be able to retain the steering wheel controls, I desperately wanted the client to have a master volume knob. Although the Kenwood DAX800XR looks incredibly sleek and modern, it does not have any hard tactile buttons. It’s entirely touch screen controlled.
Devilish details adding up in this 2007 Ferrari Navigation CarPlay Upgrade Challenge
That is not a design flaw. This model stereo was designed to be used in vehicles that are compatible with an iDatalink APX dash kit. With these installation kits the Kenwood DAX800XR becomes a simple way to upgrade a stock 8″ display. It’s meant to be used with existing volume controls in a modern vehicle like a 2015 Chevy Tahoe for example. This wasn’t a modern vehicle.
Original plan – USB port and volume knob in ashtray, but the ashtray was tight to access and unfortunately brittle and broken beyond repair
We had hoped we could retain the steering wheel controls using a Dual Unico Plus steering wheel control module. In that case we would have made the control knob in the ashtray a sub level control knob. But then we remembered with the factory stereo still in line, the steering wheel controls (if compatible) would still be controlling two stereos.
That would be weird. Theoretically the client might accidentally switch sources on the original stereo and start hearing AM radio buzzing through the sole remaining center channel speaker. Ditch that idea. So now we need a volume knob and a sublevel control knob.
Fabricating the new console insert
Since the ashtray was already brittle beyond repair it made more sense to make a new panel to house all 3. But it had to be PERFECT. And here’s the crummy reality about that UP1FX. You can’t use the URC.1 as a sub level control for that amp. The only way we could do this was either to use a Conductor to act as both sub level control and master volume control or have 2 different controls knobs.
The Conductor was just too big for the space and also would look out of place in the interior. This car was clean and classy. The head unit was sleek with a minimalist appearance. The LED lights on the Conductor would have stuck out like a sore thumb in this interior. This meant we had to use the URC.1 as master volume and the SRC as sub level.
Final design of the remote bass knob USB C insert panel
Poor John. I made that man redesign that insert 100 times. The SRC is literally the worst sub level control knob in the Helix line, but it’s the only direct plug in compatible knob that would work for the UP1FX. It’s big and even if you take it out of the housing there is a huge circuit board that doesn’t like to fit behind anything (come on Helix – do better here!).
Example 1 of a universal bass knob – I didn’t like that the bass knob was slightly larger than the master volume knob
We could have used an RCA level style bass knob, but I didn’t like the clash in design/style of any of the universal bass knobs. It weirded me out that the sub level knob was bigger than the master volume knob.
Example 2 of another universal bass knob that didn’t pass the visual test
I felt it would be more intuitive if the volume knob was the larger knob and the sub level was the smaller knob. We tested all of them out and none of them looked right. Which is why I made John redesign this insert so many times.
Final design – backside of the insert to house the bass knob and hold the circuit board of the SRC
John lovingly obliged and redesigned the insert for the 100th time. He had to taper the edges so each knob would fit neatly and still move freely. The trickiest part of the design was incorporating the circuit board from the SRC. He made a slight notch behind the panel for it to lock into place. Genuis! The final result is exactly what I was hoping it would be.
Final result – Helix URC.1 as master volume, USB C for optional charging and SRC for sub level control
I kid you not when I tell you he spent at least 7 days on this. And here I was thinking designing the dash bezel would be the hardest, most time consuming part.
Custom fabricated Mounting trim Ferrari 612 CarPlay
With all his hours spent designing speaker mounting adapters and the insert for the ashtray, John breezed through the design and fabrication of the stereo bezel.
Custom bezel for 2007 Ferrari 612 navigation CarPlay upgrade fitted with Kenwood DAX800XR
Here you can see the Ferrari 612 navigation head unit sitting behind the bezel. The hideaway module brain for the Kenwood DAX800XR was mounted up high under the driver’s side dash. We did have to use Kenwood’s KCA-A150EX extension cable to reach the display.
In order to make this serviceable, John made it so the display can be removed. If you pull down the tab covering the OEM USB port just to the right of the CD player, the display can be removed with a simple panel access tool. Hopefully the dealer never has to take it out for any service related reasons, but if they do, he designed it to be serviceable.
Amazing sound quality and exceptional workmanship
With the interior buttoned back up, John was able to focus on tuning. We spent some time dialing it in listening to a variety of tracks we know well as well as a few of the clients favorite tracks.
Ferrari 612 fitted with Morel Virtus Nano Carbon Integra 42 dash speakers
Initially I was worried about just having the two 4″ speakers on the dash. Would there be enough of a sound stage in front? Would it sound like everything was coming from behind?
Ferrari 612 fitted with Morel Virtus Nano Carbon Integra 42 dash speakers
Thankfully the sound quality surpassed my expectations. In a word, it was impressive. There really is nothing else quite like Morel speakers. The highs are incredibly detailed and nuanced. The mids are warm and enveloping. The bass from the factory Bose subwoofers was downright phenomenal. The end result was absolutely incredible sound.
Looks and Sounds Incredible
Perhaps one of the best aspects of this installation was the overall execution. We tried really hard to do this upgrade tastefully in a way that matched the original interior aesthetics.
Amp rack cover driver’s side trunk
This is reflected in how John fabricated a panel to cover the custom amp rack. It blends in and mirrors a factory panel on the passenger side of the trunk. It looks like it was always there.
Mirrors the squared off panel that was already existing on the passenger side
This Ferrari 612 Navigation CarPlay upgrade not only sounds amazing and looks amazing – it’s now fitted with the modern creature comforts that we’ve all come to rely on.
Ferrari 612 with modern tech
In addition to the 8″ wireless Apple CarPlay Android Auto display, this set up also features a high definition reverse camera and high definition front park assist camera.
Kenwood HD reverse camera Ferrari 612
Upon switching the vehicle in reverse, the rear camera automatically turns on. When shifting out of reverse, the front camera then automatically pops on and stays on for several seconds. You can also manually trigger either camera conveniently from the touch screen by tapping the camera icon.
Kenwood HD reverse camera fitted in a 2007 Ferrari 612
As beautiful as this car is, it lacks great visibility. The front and rear park assist cameras will provide the driver a lot more comfort and ease on the rare occasions he takes this vehicle out for a drive.
HD Kenwood front park assist camera Ferrari 612
There is certainly a palpable thrill to owning and driving a rare super car. But when you have a modern stereo that sounds incredible it takes that driving experience to a completely different level. To learn more about how we can help with your audio upgrade, please call/text or visit our shop Sounds Incredible Mobile in Brookfield, CT.
2007 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti – CarPlay and full audio upgrade
Recently we had a lovely client reach out about an audio upgrade for his 2020 Defender 110. His L663 Defender 110 was manufactured June 30th, 2020 which may have played a factor in vehicle build production variations. Since I was not familiar with the audio system in this particular year & model, I did some research and found that there were 3 different audio packages available:
6 Speaker Basic Audio System (build code 025KN)
15 Speaker 700 watt Meridian System (build code 025LM)
19 Speaker 1280 watt Meridian System (build code 025LN)
Before making any type of recommendation I first have to identify the existing audio package. I was perplexed because when I looked at the vehicle, I could only visibly identify 13 speakers. And yet, when I ran the VIN on OutVIN it appeared to have option code 025LN.
It obviously did not have the 19 speaker option, but I also had trouble finding all 15 speakers. I was even more confused after I found this promotional image from Land Rover which clearly denotes 15 speakers, yet only shows 14 on the image.
Do you see 15 speakers in this image? Common core math maybe?
It’s hard to know what equipment you will need for a job if you don’t know exactly what set up you are working with.
Investigating the 15 speaker Meridian audio system
The next step is what we often do when dealing with a vehicle where we have limited information available. Since the wiring schematic for this car was not available in Mitchell ProDemand, I asked the client if he would mind coming in for an investigation/consultation appointment. This would give John a few hours to do some disassembly and during this time he would:
Access the factory amp
Identify, test and tone out each of the speakers
Confirm the exact number of speakers and their placement
Test and verify impedences
Test and confirm how many channels are on the OEM amp
Test frequency outputs on each channel
Verify exactly how many channels we would need for an aftermarket DSP amp
This was about 4 hours of work in and of itself, but I do not like going into a project blind and telling a client, “Well, we might be able to do this or we might end up having to do that. It all depends on what we find.” I’m always relieved when a client is willing to give us the time to investigate prior to bringing the car in to execute the full project.
How many channels? What impedances?
What John found during his testing is there are technically 14 speakers in the exact locations marked on the graphic above. The subwoofer under the driver’s seat is a dual 2.2 ohm woofer so perhaps they are counting that as 2 speakers. Each of the main door 6.5″ speakers are 2.3 ohm. The front door midranges are 2.6 – 2.8 ohm and the rear satellite speakers in the ceiling are 4.6 – 4.8 ohm. We weren’t able to get an accurate impedance reading on the original tweeters and center channel at the amp harness, but we were able to tone them out and confirm they are on individual channels. There are no passive crossover networks in this set up.
Defender 110 Audio Upgrade Wiring Notes Page 1
If you want to do an audio upgrade, you will need a 12+ channel DSP amp and follow channel per channel amplification after the original amp. Unfortunately Mobridge does not have a pre-amp adapter available at this time (we checked).
Defender 110 Audio Upgrade Wiring Notes Page 2
In addition to identifying wiring, John also checked the output side to see if any of the channels provided a full range signal. They did not. He found that the subwoofer played from about 80 Hz and down. The 6.5″ door woofers played from about 20 Hz to 500 Hz (this is actually the signal he ended up using for the new subwoofer amp). The front midranges played from about 500 – 2,500 Hz. The rear surrounds played about 4k and up and the tweeters measured at about 2.5k and up.
Defender 110 Audio Upgrade Wiring Notes Page 3
Based on his in depth testing, he concluded we could most likely disconnect/eliminate the rear satellite speakers and perhaps the center channel. That would leave us with 12 channels.
What DSP amp is best for this Defender 110 Audio Upgrade?
Since we needed a minimum of 12 channels and possibly needed those to be 2 ohm stable, I recommended the Helix V Twelve DSP amp for the job. This compact 12-channel amp measures in at only 1.73″ tall, 8.66″ long and 8.66″ wide. It provides an impressive amount of clean power rated at 75 watts RMS per channel at 4 ohm or 120 watts RMS per channel at 2 ohm. With the heart of the system decided, I hashed out the rest of the build with the client.
Where will the equipment fit?
Thankfully this client wanted to eliminate his 3rd row seat. This gave us a decent amount of room to house the new equipment. The full scope of the work included:
Helix V Twelve DSP
UP1FX mono amp to power a new custom subwoofer enclosure
Eliminate the 3rd row seat
Create a new trunk floor covering to hide the new amps and new subwoofer enclosure
Morel Ultimo PowerSlim 12″ subwoofer in a custom enclosure
Sound dampen the doors and rear cargo space
Upgrade the front 3-ways with Morel Hybrid 63
Upgrade the rear 2-ways with Morel Hybrid 62
Fabricate speaker mounting adapters as needed
Fabricate a panel to trim out the client’s existing CB radio
Fabricate a panel to house the Conductor control knob and the clients existing roof light switch
During the process of installation, John found that he was able to disconnect the rear satellite speakers as he assumed he could. And he was able to turn off the center channel by turning off the surround settings in the audio menu. He left this speaker in line for the SOS function. Additionally, he had to disconnect the tach wire going to the amp in order to disable the ANC function.
Morel Hybrid 3-way midrange in custom fabricated speaker mounting adapter for the Defender 110
Plan of attack
John decided to start with the doors. He carefully applied Dynamat Xtreme to the outer panels and Dynaliner to the inner door panels. He was able to use modified pre-fab speaker mounting adapters for the 6.5’s.
The Helix CFMK165 JLR.1 were a match, but these are technically a direct fit for the Helix Compose series speakers. With a little modification, he was able to use these mounts with the Morel speakers. He did have to design a mounting adapter for the mid ranges. That will be covered in one of our YouTube videos coming soon.
John applies Dynaliner to a section of the Defender 110 door panel
In addition to Dynamat and Dynaliner, John also utilized Morel fast rings. This is a foam ring that goes around the outer frame of the speaker which ultimately helps to direct the soundwaves directly into the cabin. With fast rings, sound waves coming off the speaker are less likely travel adjacently inside the door frame.
Once John completed the speakers and sound dampening, he moved on to figuring out the layout and space limitations for the new amplifiers and custom subwoofer enclosure. With the rear seat removed, it was evident to me there wasn’t quite as much room there as I had originally perceived there to be.
Midway through the install – Helix V Twelve + UP1FX on an amp rack in the Defender 110
I started to have my doubts. Was there really enough room for the Morel Ultimo PowerSlim 12″ subwoofer? Or would John have to raise up the rear floor? For reference, the Morel Ultimo PowerSlim 12″ requires .8 cubic ft sealed.
3rd Row Rear seat delete Defender 110
I’m not sure how he fit it all there so neatly, but he did it. The man is a magician. Some even call him a wizard! Here is the vehicle post installation with the original floor mat in place the same way it arrived to our shop. Without hearing this audio system, you would never know anything was added.
Defender 110 Audio Upgrade with 3rd row seat delete false floor hidden DSP amps and custom subwoofer enclosure
This is what it looks like with the mat removed. You can see the new 2 piece trunk floor cover he created. What you can’t see in this photo is the slim mesh grill directly above the woofer allowing for airflow and venting.
Defender 110 Audio Upgrade with 3rd row seat delete and new trunk floor
What lies below that beautiful new trunk floor covering? The Helix V Twelve DSP alongside the MATCH UP1FX on a custom fabricated amp rack. Next to both is the custom fabricated enclosure for the 600 watt Morel PowerSlim 12″ subwoofer.
Defender 110 Audio Upgrade featuring Helix V Twelve, UP1FX and Morel PowerSlim 12″
Not only does this vehicle sound absolutely amazing, it looks completely original and unaltered. The rear cargo space is fully functional with no loss of space. The 3rd row seat was something the client didn’t want or use. Eliminating it created the perfect space for these high fidelity components.
The finishing touches – 3D printed trim
After watching hours and hours of YouTube, John convinced me that our shop needed to buy a Bambu labs 3D printer. Since my attempts to get a free one from the Bambu Labs marketing department were unsuccessful, I broke down and let him spend the dough. I know. He was right. I’m late to the game on this one.
John initially started out using the 3D printer to make speaker mounting adapters like the ones used for the Morel midranges. However, with this Defender 110 audio upgrade, he thoroughly impressed me. With zero background designing with CAD, he went to YouTube university and got busy measuring and designing. He was able to create 2 really nice trim pieces. Not bad for a newbie, right?
3D designed and printed CB radio trim and insert for the Helix Conductor
For me, this is the chef’s kiss of the installation. First he created a trim ring for the client’s existing CB radio. Then he created an insert to house the Conductor DSP control knob and a switch for the client’s aftermarket lights. His original design did not have any lettering in place, but I told him I thought it would look nice if we could get the Defender logo etched in there. Together we researched the font and adjusted the layout trying to achieve a balanced aesthetic. For anyone looking to do something similar, the name of the font we used is called Eurostyle Bold.
What do you think of the Meridian sound system in your Defender? Is it lacking? Could it be better? If you are interested in an audio upgrade for your Defender 110 reach out to our shop in Brookfield, CT. Call or text us today to learn more.
This is often the dilemma of our clients that own a classic Porsche. You wait until the nice weather finally breaks before pulling your 1987 Porsche 911 out of the garage for a pleasure ride. The sun is shining, there’s a nice breeze in the air and you remember exactly why you fell in love with this car.
But as time passes you start to realize this could be better. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a decent stereo? Ah, but you don’t want to jeopardize the value or integrity of the vehicle. So you suffer through. Here’s the cool thing though – you actually don’t have to.
We recently had the pleasure of working on this 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera which had been equipped with the stock premium audio package. It still had the original radio in the dash, paper cone components in the front doors and rear deck with the original amp under the passenger seat. It was pretty mint! But not functional.
1987 Porsche 911 Stereo upgrade parts list
To do this stereo upgrade, it was important to use speakers that would fit with the original speaker grilles. In the rear this meant going with a set of Kicker KS coaxial speakers which feature a low profile tweeter and low profile magnet. I also wanted to make sure we included a compact, high powered amplifier to drive the new speakers. The more powerful the amplifier, the louder and clearer the speakers will perform. This is key to overcoming engine, wind and road noise. It was also extremely important – to us and to the client – to do this upgrade without modifications. To accomplish it all, we used the following parts and equipment:
Using the amp bypass harness and vintage speaker harness, John was able to install a new amp in the factory location without modifying any of the original speaker wiring or connectors.
He was even able to re-use the original fuse holder and fabricated a nifty platform to mount the amp. How cool is that?
Perfect fit front component speakers
Aftermarket component speakers always have an external crossover network. It’s typically a small box that has an input side and then a woofer and tweeter output. In simple terms, the crossover is taking in a full range signal and then divvying up and directing the appropriate frequency range to the tweeter and to the woofer.
Most factory crossovers are quite simple consisting of a small inline capacitor on the tweeter. In this 1987 Porsche 911 however, they were of considerable size. This worked out in our favor. The factory crossover was installed in the door panel. It was as if these Morel speakers were made for this car. The Morel crossover was almost the same exact size and fit nicely in the exact same location. This wasn’t planned, just a happy coincidence.
Not only did the crossover fit perfectly in the original location, the mounting points for the Morel speakers were spot on. Once again, no modifications were needed which is a beautiful thing!
With the front door speakers mounted, John took it up himself to touch up and freshen up the faded speaker grilles. The front speaker installation came out looking quite sharp.
Rear speakers installed
The Kicker rear speakers fit perfectly under the original grilles. John did have to work his magic here fabricating a new mounting plate. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pics of him in action. Here you can see the outcome of his craft and expertise.
Blaupunkt Frankfurt RCM 82 DAB
With such care to attention to detail in maintaining the integrity of this vehicle, it was only natural to use a retro style radio. And here is the pièce de résistance – the Blaupunkt Frankfurt RCM 82 DAB. Although this radio appears period appropriate, it contains modern features like Bluetooth and even a USB port hidden behind the fake cassette cover. How clever! To see that in action, check out our YouTube short below.
When you use quality equipment, have it professionally installed and tuned, it will deliver the kind of eye popping audio upgrade that leaves you pleasantly surprised. The end result is a classic Porsche look in a classic Porsche vehicle with high fidelity output. You can have the best of both worlds. If you’re interested in an audio upgrade for your classic Porsche, check out our shop for more details, Sounds Incredible Mobile in Brookfield, CT.
