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Speaker Upgrade and Sound Deadening Build Log

63655 Views 98 Replies 37 Participants Last post by  oliverz101, 
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I completed the speaker upgrade and sound deadening project... this post is for anyone who is interested in the same for their car, as well as anyone who is interested how the car is put together. I found out some interesting stuff along the way. This is a 2017 Touring.

To start, I subscribed to the Honda Service Express and downloaded everything possible on trim removal and the audio system. Crutchfield shipped a decent guide as well but the Honda instructions were better. I wanted to retain the stock amplifier and stock sub (for ANC) for this project, so I figured I'd do everything possible to make the car sound amazing with the stock amplifier (45x4) to new components. This is why I chose the infinity kappas over higher end, because they are lower ohms and have very high sensitivity. Better speakers (JL, Morel, etc.) would need an amp upgrade to sound decent which I am not interested in doing at this time.

The main process involved:

  • Replace mids and tweeters in all 4 doors
  • Add sound deadening to front doors
  • Add sound deadening to rear quarter panels and cargo floor
  • Add sound deadening to cargo door

Audio / Speaker Materials:

Sound Deadening Materials: All from Sound Deadener Showdown
  • 41.6 cu ft MLV
  • 27.2 cu ft CCF (three sheets)
  • 14 High Temperature, Vinyl Compatible, Velcro Strips
  • 70 CLD tiles
  • 1 32oz can HH-66 Vinyl Contact Cement
  • 1 package of butyl rope

Other tools

Here is the dimensions of the various panels I used for the Sound Deadening estimate from Don at SDS. It was the perfect amount.

  • Length and width of the cargo area floor: 42” x 33”
  • Depth and Diameter of spare tire well: 32”diameter x 7”deep
  • Height and width of the rear quarter panels: 40”w x 22.5”H
  • Height and width of cargo door exterior sheet metal: 53”W x 22”H
  • Height and width of cargo door interior trim panel: 42”W x 22”H
  • H & W front door exterior: 44”W x 37”H
  • H & W front door interior: 37”W x 28”H
  • H & W rear door exterior: 38”W x 37”H
  • H & W rear door interior: 31”W x 28”H

There was a lot of trial and error in this... the last time I took a car apart was 1996.

Stock door: Notice stock 3M Thinsulate and plastic vapor barrier held on with butyl rope. The butyl rope wasn't firmly seated to metal so after applying CLD tiles to outer door behind it, I ensured it was better sealed.
Vehicle Car Auto part Automotive lighting Automotive exterior


Weather stripping and silicone Caulk (and some profession crimping there!) around tweeters in sail panels.
Wire Cable Technology Electronics Electronic device


Treated door trim with CLD tiles (more stock thinsulate here)
Vehicle Car Auto part Toyota prius Compact car


Installing CLD behind vapor barrier - messy!
Vehicle Auto part Engine Car Automotive exterior


Wiring complete, tweeters installed, everything possible wrapped with tessa tape - almost done!
Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Auto part Vehicle door


Complete Door with MLV and speaker:
Vehicle Vehicle door Car Automotive exterior Auto part


Rear Door and Cargo area in next post.

EDIT:4/24/19 the software side of this project was adding the Viper4Android eq and FX module to the stock head unit. This is worth it. That process is documented here: https://www.crvownersclub.com/forum...-replace-eq-viper4android.html#/topics/197753
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Stock Speakers BTW:
Audio equipment Auto part Rim


Rear Cargo Door Before:
Car Automotive exterior Vehicle Auto part Bumper


Rear Cargo Door After:
Vehicle Automotive exterior Auto part Car Subcompact car


Rear door trim - more thinsulate.
Technology Vehicle


I drove the car around after just doing the cargo door... eliminating resonance with the CLD tiles (I didn't put MLV here) made a huge difference by itself in the stock sub sound.

Cargo Area with trim removed:
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Trunk Compact mpv


Behind the subwoofer. Notice daylight coming through the seam at the bottom where three panels meet. That black and white grid thing is an air vent to the outside, and it is stained with water. It is like this on both sides. I used the butyl rope to plug up the seam... this is a poor design flaw.
Auto part Vehicle Car
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Treated Sub with CCF and put CLD tiles on the back. Also put CLD everywhere I could reach behind the sub.
Vehicle Auto part Car Engine Automotive exterior


The other side...
Vehicle Auto part Car Automotive exterior Engine


Both sides from the other direction. Notice the stock resonance prevention stuff on the bottom of the tire area.
Vehicle Car Auto part


Drivers Side trim panel. Having extra yellow and green clips were a lifesaver. More tessa everywhere!
Architecture Room Games


Pretty much complete. The stock fiber mat went back in the wheel well area and then everything was carefully put back together.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Honda Trunk


Since I have one more photo, here's the stock tweeters as well:
Headphones Audio equipment Gadget Headset Technology


Depending on the road, I've measured an 8-10dB reduction in noise using a phone sound meter. 10dB is approximately equivalent to a 50% reduction in perceived noise level (Fechner's law ftw). The speakers sound fantastic as well, much, much higher clarity.

Not pictured, I used weather stripping on the doors behind the mids to prevent some backwaves from cancelling out the signals and to bridge the speakers to the door panels (like the sub)... this theoretically helps with mid-bass.

For next steps, I would swap out the awful Hankook tires, but they're not bothering me enough to not use them until they're done.

Overall a great project for a car I spend 1h/day commuting in. Let me know if you have any questions!
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mnestrud said:
... Let me know if you have any questions!
Click to expand...
Will you come to AZ and do mine?



Great job, both on the CR-V and posting this DIY!
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Genesis
Very well done ..... How much time did it take to complete the project ?
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I used these clips, they fit perfectly

https://www.amazon.com/AUTEX-Garnish-Fastener-Retainer-Ridgeline/dp/B077JRM7ZF/

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Genesis said:
Very well done ..... How much time did it take to complete the project ?
Click to expand...
I completed the project in probably 35 hours over a month. That includes wiring the speakers twice because I wasn't confident with the first attempt (I went from 18ga/hand crimped to 14ga/ratcheting crimper).

Another thing that that would have sped it up: paying more money for some of the soundskins damplifier products which has CCF+MLV in one, and has adhesive backing. The SDS route is time consuming but reversible (installed with a few pieces of velcro) and SDS has higher quality materials. If you have to e.g. change your window motor, if you go with one of the all in one products, you're going to have to redo the work.
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phareous said:
I used these clips, they fit perfectly

https://www.amazon.com/AUTEX-Garnish-Fastener-Retainer-Ridgeline/dp/B077JRM7ZF/

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I saw those... good to know they work! I didn't see a part number so ended up getting the yellow clips from clipsandfasteners.com which I matched based on the part number. I didn't look too close at what is different, but there are both yellow and green clips in the trim panels, which have different dimensions.
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JB in AZ said:
Will you come to AZ and do mine?

Great job, both on the CR-V and posting this DIY!
Click to expand...
Thanks! Ha, no, though I would enjoy the drive there i'm sure. Happy to answer any questions or help with the process though!
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robbyg
Fantastic work and you where able to keep the ANC functioning properly, which is something I have not seen anybody else be able to do.

I would love to try something like this but 35 hours is more than enough time for my wife to file for a divorce. She has let me use 4 straight weekends doing mods to the CR-V, so I think I have reached my limit for now.

One question, what do you think is the most significant part of this upgrade in terms of the most improvement for the least amount of work. Would just changing out some of the speakers be worthwhile?


Rob
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robbyg said:
Fantastic work and you where able to keep the ANC functioning properly, which is something I have not seen anybody else be able to do.
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Thank you! I didn't change out the stock amp or stock sub, just made them have to work less by reducing ambient noise. It's kindof like, you can reduce weight from your car by taking out the spare tire, or you can accomplish the same thing by losing the weight of a spare tire, lol.


robbyg said:
I would love to try something like this but 35 hours is more than enough time for my wife to file for a divorce. She has let me use 4 straight weekends doing mods to the CR-V, so I think I have reached my limit for now. One question, what do you think is the most significant part of this upgrade in terms of the most improvement for the least amount of work. Would just changing out some of the speakers be worthwhile?

Rob
Click to expand...
I understand... lol. I have a wife who travels occasionally so I get work done in spurts. Especially something like this where I took over the kitchen this past week!

I would prioritize the following:

Day 1, maybe 2 hours max: Upgrade the front door speakers and get some of those silver CLD tiles (skip the MLV). Put them where you can reach through the speaker hole on the outer door panel, as well on the back side of the plastic trim. Avoid going through the vapor barrier if you can, or just peel it back carefully like I did. Skip the tessa tape and just address rattles if you get any. Shift most of the sound to the front (you probably do anyway) to keep the sound stage in front of you. Rear speakers are really for passengers... and they don't like good sound as much as you do!

2. Deaden the cargo door area. This took 2 hours total, as all I did was CLD tiles. The cargo door trim is the easiest to take off of any of it. the stock sub will sound very different by doing this. a lot of the sub is lost to vibrating the rear door, vs. bouncing off the door and back up to you.

You could do both in a half day if you plan ahead... or even one door at a time to make it even less of a 'one big project' (though it will sound unbalanced, it won't hurt anything).
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I thought about upgrading my EX-L to Touring sound but it would be quite a job as I'd have to run new harnesses in each door, plus the harness to the back for the subwoofer
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phareous said:
I thought about upgrading my EX-L to Touring sound but it would be quite a job as I'd have to run new harnesses in each door, plus the harness to the back for the subwoofer
Click to expand...
It wouldn't be terrible... If I didn't have a stock amp I would put a class D amp under the back seat like a previous poster here. I think you'd have to remove the door kick plates and run power, and pull the stereo from the dash. You could probably fish most of it.

But yes, a project!

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Kai Winters
Wow ! great job...well done
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robbyg
mnestrud said:
Thank you! I didn't change out the stock amp or stock sub, just made them have to work less by reducing ambient noise. It's kindof like, you can reduce weight from your car by taking out the spare tire, or you can accomplish the same thing by losing the weight of a spare tire, lol.




I understand... lol. I have a wife who travels occasionally so I get work done in spurts. Especially something like this where I took over the kitchen this past week!

I would prioritize the following:

Day 1, maybe 2 hours max: Upgrade the front door speakers and get some of those silver CLD tiles (skip the MLV). Put them where you can reach through the speaker hole on the outer door panel, as well on the back side of the plastic trim. Avoid going through the vapor barrier if you can, or just peel it back carefully like I did. Skip the tessa tape and just address rattles if you get any. Shift most of the sound to the front (you probably do anyway) to keep the sound stage in front of you. Rear speakers are really for passengers... and they don't like good sound as much as you do!

2. Deaden the cargo door area. This took 2 hours total, as all I did was CLD tiles. The cargo door trim is the easiest to take off of any of it. the stock sub will sound very different by doing this. a lot of the sub is lost to vibrating the rear door, vs. bouncing off the door and back up to you.

You could do both in a half day if you plan ahead... or even one door at a time to make it even less of a 'one big project' (though it will sound unbalanced, it won't hurt anything).
Click to expand...
Thanks mnestrud for the advice. I think I will try changing the two front speakers as you suggested and and add in the CLD tiles. I might have to wait another month to start anymore work on the V, but it will get done. My model did not come with the Sub, it is the same stereo setup like the EX-L so I don't think I will get any benefit from the cargo door upgrade.

Rob
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Thanks for sharing!
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robbyg said:
Thanks mnestrud for the advice. I think I will try changing the two front speakers as you suggested and and add in the CLD tiles. I might have to wait another month to start anymore work on the V, but it will get done. My model did not come with the Sub, it is the same stereo setup like the EX-L so I don't think I will get any benefit from the cargo door upgrade.

Rob
Click to expand...
Even easier then. Get some Velcro and mount the crossover to the trim. Wire the mid stock wiring to it and both your tweeter and mid to the crossover. Ditch the stock tweeter wiring. The stock mid wire has full range going to it.

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Any idea if these mods will help insulate the car interior more from the cold in winter? Or could you suggest some materials to help in that regard?
BTW, thanks for the photos and materials used in the process.
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McReviver said:
Any idea if these mods will help insulate the car interior more from the cold in winter? Or could you suggest some materials to help in that regard?
BTW, thanks for the photos and materials used in the process.
Click to expand...
I doubt it. Maybe some. I bet you could find the r value of 1lb/sq ft MLV online (edit just looked, <1)

If money isn't a problem... Foil faced MLV (sound, radiant) plus Hydrophobic melamine foam or thinsulate (better) (sound, air trapping/thermal) plus cld tiles (resonance) and ccf (decoupler of mlv against metal). In headliner I'd put cld and hmf/thinsulate only due to weight. You're gutting the car at this point. But you could probably achieve a +5 or more r value.

People do crazy stuff like fill car cavities with house insulation... I would want something that doesn't hold water, because unlike your house, your car doesn't have a full vapor barrier and anything in it could absorb humidity easily.

Funny story, our house was built in New England in 1949 and it ONLY had foil faced Kraft paper in the walls. Needless to say it was inadequate insulation, but probably better than nothing. I'm guessing people were more used to bundling up inside back then, and oil was cheaper.

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Thank you for this... will definitely be doing this one door at a time.... when wifeee is not looking :) (it's her CRV)

I'm thinking of doing the same thing on the back passenger doors too.... to lessen the outside noise more... hopefully it is the same as the front door.
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