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2013 LS KISS Stereo Upgrade

3K views 16 replies 4 participants last post by  Blasirl 
#1 · (Edited)
There are not many documented Cruze builds out there. This a basic build that was designed to improve sound quality with minimal equipment and custom fabrication.

I got the car for my wife four years ago after a local dealer made an offer I could not resist. It is made in Korea and comes with a 1.8 liter engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The stock stereo midbass was OK but midrange and highs were dull and lifeless. Being her daily driver, she had always wanted better sound with bluetooth for calls. The original plan was build a 3-way front plus sub active and even went as far as buying all the stuff but I had always procrastinated.

A month ago, I got the kick required to get off my behind after the left front midbass speaker started rattling. However, I was still not fired up enough for a full SQ build with a DSP, multiple amps and amp rack so I settled for a simple upgrade that would improve overall sound quality and add some bass with stuff I had sitting around.

Here is the final setup..................
  • Headunit: Sony MEX-GS820BT Single DIN
  • Front Midbass: XS-XB1621C 6" Midbass
  • Front Tweeters: Pioneer TS-T110 Hard Dome Tweeter
  • Rear Fill: Pioneer TS-A1670F Coaxial
  • Subwoofer: Pioneer TS-W261S4 in a custom sealed box
  • Subwoofer Amp: Pioneer GM-A3702 2-Channel Amp in Bridge Mode
  • Speaker Rings: Soundskins
  • Speaker Adapters: Scosche SAGMHR-634
  • RCA Cables: Made as we watched a movie with the wife.
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#5 · (Edited)
It was time to move on to the A-pillar tweeter pods. The Sony XS-XB1621C tweeters could not fit in the stock mounting locations and didn't come flush mounting brackets. After testing a few tweeters, I settled for the Pioneer TS-T110 tweeters.

I also ordered generic plastic tweeter pods and A-pillars for fiber glass moulding in case I needed to return the stock ones. The A-pillars were then wrapped with vinyl and fitted back into the car.

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#7 · (Edited)
Sony GS820BT was selected for it's rated output of 45W RMS per channel, just enough clean power for moderate listening levels. It also meant one amp less which resonated well with the "Simple" theme. [emoji16]

The headunit was installed with a Metra kit painted to match the dash. As recommended by Sony, the power wire was upgraded to 12 gauge and connected directly to the battery.

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#8 · (Edited)
The power wires for the headunit and amp were finally soldered, heatshrink and connected. Since the car has two spare fused power connections and total current draw for the headunit and sub amp is about 40A maximum, they were connected to the spare fuse slots instead of installing a separate holder and distribution box.
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#11 ·
So you didn't keep your steering wheel functions and OEM display???? Ultimately I would like to upgrade to an aftermarket head unit but keep all the oem functionality. Those pillar pods came out sweet. I like the way you connected to the fuse box cover. I did the same thing with those fuse connections for connecting a quick connect for battery charging. Nice job on all of it.

Rich.
 
#12 · (Edited)
So you didn't keep your steering wheel functions and OEM display???? Ultimately I would like to upgrade to an aftermarket head unit but keep all the oem functionality. Those pillar pods came out sweet. I like the way you connected to the fuse box cover. I did the same thing with those fuse connections for connecting a quick connect for battery charging. Nice job on all of it.

Rich.
Thank you. The main goal was keep it clean.

The GS820BT supports steering controls but the LS here does not come with steering controls option.

As regards the OEM display, it's a monochrome that provides basic stereo, clock, temperature and AC info. Had it been retained, only the clock would have worked but it's not adjustable without steering controls [emoji30]
 
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