Owings Mills Dodge Ram Client: “I Finally Did It Right This Time”

A client from Owings Mills, Maryland, came to WSS Westminster Speed & Sound with his 2014 Ram 1500, looking for an audio upgrade. He told us he had heard good things about us, so he decided to stop by and check us out. We could tell from early on in the conversation that we were going to get along well with him. He appreciated nice stuff and had been looking for someone to trust with his truck. He had had audio upgrades done in previous vehicles, but was never completely satisfied, and was determined to do it right this time.

Initial Consultation Analysis Reveals Great Factory Radio Functionality But Poor Sound

Needless to say, we love hearing this from a client, so we went out to his truck together and looked it over, then sat in it and listened to it. What we experienced was an audio system with a big, bold 8.4” display that was easy to use – and sounded lousy. The music sounded flat and compressed, and had no real low-end bass. When you turned up the volume, the music started to distort at a very low level.

After doing research on the truck, we found this vehicle to have the Ram six-speaker system.

At this point, we spent time in our sound room with the client, listening to many different products on multiple types of music, learning his likes and dislikes. The next step in the equation is sitting in one of our demo vehicles, which we feel is the best way to audition a car audio system. Our 2009 BMW 335i uses the stock BMW navigation system and then sees upgrades from a processor, new speakers, amplifiers and a subwoofer.

The client’s eyes lit up when we demoed that car. He loved it and knew that was what he had been looking for all these years. We took all that information and worked up what we felt was his best solution. He liked our idea and set an appointment time.

Audison Bit Ten Processor Helps Tame OEM Signals And Provides Detailed Tuning Ability

The Audison Bit Ten Can De-Eq the OEM signal and also allow for sophisticated tuning.

Tucked out of sight under the center console, the Bit Ten makes audio magic happen.

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to keep the 8.4”radio in the dash and do our upgrades after that. We chose an Audison Bit Ten processor to integrate with the Ram stereo system. We already knew the Ram stereo added an equalization curve into the music to try to make the inexpensive speakers sound better. The Bit Ten allowed us to strip the music of this equalization, getting us back to the musical signal the way it was originally recorded. You see, if we had left that equalization alone, it would have hurt the sound quality of the good speakers, so it had to go. We call this de-eqing.

The Audison processor also allows the team at WSS Westminster Speed & Sound to fine-tune each speaker in the new stereo system for maximum benefit. We can adjust the crossover point and slope, add digital delay, and add acoustic equalization. When done properly, the Bit Ten will take the music out of the doors, and you will hear the sound presented across the top of the dash as if you were in an intimate jazz club. Fine-tuning each speaker for the acoustical environment where it is mounted allows us to maximize the sound quality of each and every speaker. In the right hands, the result is stunning. We installed the processor inside the center console, completely hidden from view.

Hertz HPD5 Amplifier Powers Entire System With A Very Compact Chassis

Audio technology has come a long way. Years ago this much power would have require huge amplifiers.

The Hertz amplifier tucks neatly under the seat.

The musical signal flows from the processor to the Hertz HDP5 amplifier, a five-channel design that puts out more than 700 watts of clean power in a very compact footprint. We mounted the amp underneath the rear seat on the driver’s side as far back as possible, so he could still use the storage area under the seat. We also installed a bass level control knob at the base of the dash, near a storage pocket, in an easily accessible, but unobtrusive, location.

Front Door Speakers Upgraded With Audiofrog

This was our starting point. That factory speaker had to go!

The doors were treated with Hushmat to reduce any resonances and maximize the sound of the speaker.

The Audiofrog midbass driver is sealed to the door panel with a F.A.S.T. ring.

With the new speaker installed, the door still looks completely stock!

When it came time for front speakers, we chose Audiofrog. This is a newcomer to the car audio business, but the owners spent more than two decades working for some of the top manufacturers in the industry and then decided it was time to offer a better product to customers. We have been very impressed with the build quality of their products, but, at the end of the day, it’s all about the sound – and they sound incredible! We chose Audiofrog’s GB60, a 6.5” woofer, to go in the driver’s door in the stock location. We built custom mounting plates and treated the door with Hushmat to eliminate any rattling or buzzing that might have occurred from the new high-performance speakers.

Audiofrog Tweeters Provide Detailed High Frequency Sound

The Audifrog tweeter is mounted in the factory location, and angled for better imaging.

With the factory grill installed, the tweeter is safely hidden from sight.

In the dash, we went with the Audiofrog GB15, a 1.5” tweeter, which we installed in the stock location on custom mounts. If you look closely at the picture, you will see that the tweeters are aimed toward the opposite side of the vehicle and away from the windshield. This slight adjustment will pay huge dividends in how the sound will stage across the dash.

JL Audio Stealthbox Brings The Lows

The JL Audio Steatlhbox fits perfectly under the rear seat.

Incredible sound and a perfect fit, what’s not to love!?

Any good sound system needs a subwoofer. In this instance, we went to JL Audio. They make a Stealthbox that fits underneath the rear seat on the passenger side and holds a 10W3 subwoofer. The enclosure is made of fiberglass and is covered in an attractive black carpeting. It gets bolted to the vehicle, so you know it will never move around. What we love about the Stealthboxes is their sound quality. JL Audio is famous for accurate, hard-hitting bass that brings out all of the nuances in the music, and this one was no exception.

The Moment of Truth, How Did The Client Like it?

As they say, the proof is in the pudding. No matter how good we think a vehicle sounds, it all comes down to the client. Did we meet all of his goals and objectives? Would he like the cosmetic aspects of our work?

When we deliver a vehicle, we always go out to the vehicle and show the client the work we’ve done. We will sometimes show pictures we took of behind-the-scenes work so they can better visualize the work performed. And then it is time for the demo.

Success!  Another Satisfied WSS Westminster Speed And Sound Client

For this customer, we chose a few particular tracks that we thought he would like, and we watched his expression. He just started smiling and nodding his head. After the first track, he said, “I didn’t think it was going to sound that good.” He meant we had over-delivered on our promise to him, and he was thrilled. His next comment was, “I finally did it right this time.” That one made our day, and maybe even our week. We got a fist bump after that one. We knew he was going to be spending lots and lots of time in his truck, listening to his music. And we live for that.

The team at WSS Westminster Speed & Sound invites you to stop by our facility with your vehicle. If you are interested in upgrading your audio system, we would love to get to know you better and show you around. We will work one on one with you to design and build an audio system that will fit your unique needs. Let us show you why we are a multiple award winner of Mobile Electronics magazine’s Top 50 Retailers in the Nation.

You can also contact us here for more information about any of our products and services.