Midlothian Client Upgrades Ram 1500 Audio System

A client from Midlothian dropped into Extreme Audio to research his options for a 2013 Ram 1500 audio system upgrade. We let him have a listen to our Scion xB demo car and its Audiofrog GS speaker system. He loved the sound right away. Back in the store, we talked about the features and philosophy of the Alpine Restyle head unit replacement solutions. He liked that idea as well. With a plan in place, we scheduled an appointment to do the installation.

OEM Speaker Upgrades

The front door woofers were upgraded with Audiofrog speakers.

The Audiofrog tweeter was an easy fit for the factory dash location.

The rear doors received 3-way 6×9 speakers.

The 2013 Ram is an excellent platform for a sound system upgrade. It has 6×9 speakers in the front and rear doors, and small midrange speakers in the corner of the dash. We removed all the factory speakers and installed a set of Audiofrog GS690 6×9-inch components in the front of the vehicle. The woofer bolted right into the door, and we used the multipurpose mounting adapter that comes with the kit to install the tweeter in the dash. A set of FastRings foam baffles sealed the speaker to the interior door panel to improve midbass performance and prevent buzzes and rattles.

We installed a set of Audiofrog GS693 three-way speakers in the rear door. The GS693 has a pair of fabric dome tweeters to provide smooth midrange and high-frequency performance. Again, the rear speakers bolted right up without any hassle. We used another set of FastRings on the rear speakers.

Subwoofer Solution

The client wanted good, solid bass in the truck. With the large 6×9 speakers in the doors handling midbass so well, we knew we would need a robust solution for sub-bass. The client agreed to our suggestion of an Alpine SWS-10D4 Type-S Series subwoofer in an enclosure that fits under the left side of the rear bench seat. This full-size sub can handle up to 500 watts and sounds great. Once in place, the enclosure doesn’t take up any usable floor space in the truck and is nearly invisible.

System Amplification

We installed one of the new high-efficiency, ultra-compact Alpine X-A90V five-channel amplifiers under the driver’s seat to power the system. The amp will provide the front and rear speakers with up to 75 watts each, and a healthy 500 watts to the single subwoofer.

We ran Stinger power up to the battery and used Stinger interconnects to feed front, rear and subwoofer signals from the source unit to the amp.

Alpine Restyle Solution

Alpine’s Restyle kit for this truck looks phenomenal.

All of the factory controls are still available through the radio thanks to the Maestro interface.

Once you see one of the Alpine Restyle systems in a truck, you can’t un-see it. The large screen and perfect integration alone usually seal the deal. We showed the client the what the Alpine X009-RAM would look like once installed, talked about the mapping features and explained the easy-access controls. He loved it!

After the kit was installed in the truck, we confirmed that all of the factory steering wheel audio controls functioned perfectly and checked the vehicle integration menus. The iDatalink Maestro interface lets the client adjust the climate controls and monitor the factory safety systems that come with the truck.

Custom Rear Vision Camera

Easy camera adjustments were possible thanks to the Alpine camera switch.

Our technicians were able to mount the backup camera in the tail gate handle.

The client can backup much safer now with the new camera.

During our discussion of the Restyle features, we mentioned that it had an input for a rear camera. The client really liked this concept and started asking about camera options. We showed him the Alpine HCE-C305R Active View Camera system and explained how it recognizes people and objects moving behind the vehicle and highlights them with yellow and red boxes so he would know to be cautious. We mounted the camera in the tailgate handle and installed the control button on the dash. The button lets the client choose from four different camera views quickly and conveniently.

Ram 1500 Audio System Upgrade

After configuring the amp and testing everything, it was time to turn this Ram 1500 audio upgrade back over to the client. He was thrilled with the sound and loved the way the Restyle looked in the dash. If you are interested in enhancing the safety, technology or sound of your truck, drop into Extreme Audio in Mechanicsville or Midlothian today. You can reach us by E-MAIL anytime for more information about any of our products and services.