Sykesville Client Upgrades Dodge Challenger Stereo System

A new client from Sykesville, Maryland, recently brought his brand-new Richard Petty Edition 2015 Dodge Challenger to WSS (Westminster Speed and Sound) for a stereo upgrade. This car was hot! The client said the stereo was severely lacking in comparison to the fit and finish of the rest of the car. He wanted to upgrade the Dodge Challenger stereo system. We love hearing that! He wanted better clarity in the speakers and much more bass. He wanted to use the original factory radio and maintain all the OEM features associated with that. There was really no point in replacing the factory radio, since it already had Bluetooth, XM satellite radio, USB, etc. We had a consultation with the client and went right to work!

Audio Control And JL Audio Provide The Electronics For This Dodge Challenger Stereo Build

The factory head-unit looked perfect in the dash and had all the features the client wanted. Why mess with perfection?

The JL Audio amplifier was able to tuck neatly under a front seat.

To get a clean, good-quality signal to work with from the factory radio, we installed an Audio Control LC2i interface. This gave us two sets of pre-amplifier outputs to feed into the amplifier we chose –a JL Audio XD500/3. We installed the amplifier under the front passenger seat so it was hidden. This was a three-channel amplifier, so two of the channels powered the front speakers, and the remaining channel powered a subwoofer.

Beefier JL Audio Speakers For A Dramatic Sound Improvement

Comparing the stock speaker on the left to the JL speaker on the right is like comparing a stock Challenger to this Petty built beast!

We take great pride in the care we take of client vehicles. One would never know we had this whole door disassembled. When our technicians were done, the panels looked just like they did when the vehicle was delivered to us.

A metal bracket was shaped to position the JL tweeter in just the right spot.

The JL Audio tweeter had to be aimed just right to clear the factory grille and still give the sound we were looking for.

The tweeter was carefully angled for maximum sound, while still being able to fit under the factory tweeter grille.

Once we had good, clean power running to the front doors, we installed a set of JL Audio C3 component speakers in the front factory locations. The C3 speakers were a dramatic improvement in the overall sound quality of the stereo in this Dodge Challenger. The stereo no longer had a muffled, hollow sound as it did with the original paper speakers. As you can see in the photos, we were able to be very specific in how we aimed the tweeters. Tweeters are directional, so this made a big difference in the way the stereo sounded, since they were pointing directly at the driver’s ears. This is referred to as “staging” in the world of car stereos, and is very important to sound quality.

12w3 Subwoofer By JL Audio For Much More Bass

For bass, we used the subwoofer channel of the XD500/3 to power a JL Audio 12W3 in a high-output enclosure specifically designed for the W3. The enclosure for a subwoofer makes a world of difference in output. JL built this one and made it to the specifications of the subwoofer to achieve the maximum output possible. The enclosure fit very well in the trunk, centered between the shock towers, and the carpet was a great match. We then installed a bass knob to control the output of the subwoofer in the knee bolster. This made it very convenient to adjust the amount of bass on the fly while driving.

Hushmat Sound Proofing Maximizes Audio System Performance

To top it all off, we installed Hushmat sound-damping material in several locations. This material helps to reduce or eliminate unwanted noises like rattles and vibrations. Three main areas had to be addressed, since the stereo played noticeably louder and had a lot more bass now: the front two doors, and the trunk area. Once the Hushmat was installed, the stereo sounded even better! We were able to eliminate practically all unwanted resonations and rattles that were taking away from the quality of the stereo.

The client was extremely happy when he turned up the volume knob. The stereo now complemented this great car, instead of taking away from its glory.

If you are interested in upgrading the stereo in your Challenger (or any other vehicle, for that matter!) give us a call or send us an e-mail for more information. We would love to bring your stereo to life and make it sound like you’ve always wanted it to!