• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


ST Audio Control D-5

Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
#1
Had some time this weekend to install my Audio Control D-5 1300 AMP.

The amp is installed under the passenger seat. Added two M5 nut insert to secure the plate to the car.

Still need to run the power wire and speaker wire to factory radio.

AMP 1.jpg
AMP 2.jpg

AMP 3.jpg
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #2
I order the Audio Control AC-LGD-20 Load Generating Device.

Where should I install the devices? At the amp input?
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #3
Did some wiring on the amp.

EDIT. Yelp, I see my wiring is backward. Damn it.

20230428_184455.jpg

20230428_184504.jpg
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #4
Had some help this weekend.

Ran the power wire and ground wire.
I found a unused grommet on the firewall just under the battery. (Will take pictures)

Edit: The amp plate is mounted the wrong way. I forget to get better pictures.
20230430_155207.jpg
20230430_165205.jpg
20230430_155217.jpg
 

Last edited:
OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #5
AMP is up and running.

Finish the power wire and speaker wire. I ordered the plug and play wiring from LLJ customs. It takes about 30 to 40 days to receive the wiring harness.


20230506_071624.jpg
Ran the battery wire to a fuse block. Made the mount with ABS plate.
20230506_121717.jpg

20230506_130604.jpg

20230506_130612.jpg

LLJ customs plug and play wire. Wiring ran back to the amp.
20230506_130617.jpg
 

Last edited:
OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #6
After getting the car back together. I had no front right sound from the source devices.
I ran a panel screw into the wire harness. Easy fix but has to remove the rear panel.

20230506_190514.jpg

e0b70f5b-b5d3-43db-8685-9aa822f1df35photo.jpeg
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #7
I tuned the amp with my laptop. Sound good. The treble sound way to high in some songs.
 

Attachments

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,630
Reactions
1,187
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#8
Looks good. Decent tuning takes a lot of time and an RTA is required to get beyond “it sounds decent”.

Good luck. I’ve got Audiocontrol dsp amps but I’m using a Navtv to pull preamp signals from the Bose so I am presumable getting a cleaner signal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #9
Looks good. Decent tuning takes a lot of time and an RTA is required to get beyond “it sounds decent”.

Good luck. I’ve got Audiocontrol dsp amps but I’m using a Navtv to pull preamp signals from the Bose so I am presumable getting a cleaner signal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The Audio Control amp has a built in RTA. Just need to tune the software with my laptop.
 

Last edited:

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,630
Reactions
1,187
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#10
True but are you actually using a microphone to test sound. The built in Rta is good for a starting point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

UNBROKEN

4000 Post Club
Messages
4,593
Reactions
5,369
Points
352
Location
Houston, TX, USA
#11
The Audio Control amp has a built in RTA. Just need to tune the software with my laptop.
DSP and DSP amps have rta capabilities but you still need a calibrated mic to use them. Hopefully you have a good grasp of time alignment, phase and a pile of other stuff…tuning can be exhausting. I probably have 50-60 hours just in the tune…maybe more after the 6 hour session last weekend. It’s very worth it though…best wishes on getting it whipped into shape.
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #12
DSP and DSP amps have rta capabilities but you still need a calibrated mic to use them. Hopefully you have a good grasp of time alignment, phase and a pile of other stuff…tuning can be exhausting. I probably have 50-60 hours just in the tune…maybe more after the 6 hour session last weekend. It’s very worth it though…best wishes on getting it whipped into shape.
What the price to get the speaker tune?
 

UNBROKEN

4000 Post Club
Messages
4,593
Reactions
5,369
Points
352
Location
Houston, TX, USA
#13
What the price to get the speaker tune?
Most good shops that know what they’re doing with a DSP will be about $500 for the initial tune.
 

OP
Stone17
Messages
374
Reactions
234
Points
37
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
Thread Starter #14
How do you set the gain on the amp?

The Sub woofer volume is low. I can get the sub to increase by increasing the EQ .
 

Messages
34
Reactions
8
Points
2
Location
California
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#15
I'm recently getting back into car audio and their is a lot to catch up. Have been doing a lot of research on amps, dsp setups, speakers and sound deadening so its a lot to take in. My question is

1. How do you like the tuning process/software of the audiocontrol?
2.what speaker setup did you go with?
 

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,630
Reactions
1,187
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#16
I'm recently getting back into car audio and their is a lot to catch up. Have been doing a lot of research on amps, dsp setups, speakers and sound deadening so its a lot to take in. My question is

1. How do you like the tuning process/software of the audiocontrol?
2.what speaker setup did you go with?
The tuning process seemed straight forward. I did my own thought the amps then used a calibrated mic for in car tuning. Spent probably 10 hours on my own.

Having said that, I found a couple tuners close to me that really don’t like working with Audiocontrol so go figure.

I’m running a JLAudio 13tw5v2, morel in the doors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

UNBROKEN

4000 Post Club
Messages
4,593
Reactions
5,369
Points
352
Location
Houston, TX, USA
#17
The tuning process seemed straight forward. I did my own thought the amps then used a calibrated mic for in car tuning. Spent probably 10 hours on my own.

Having said that, I found a couple tuners close to me that really don’t like working with Audiocontrol so go figure.

I’m running a JLAudio 13tw5v2, morel in the doors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Probably because their stuff is known for an extremely high noise floor so nobody wants to have people talk bad about their tuning when it’s an equipment issue.
Play a zero bit track at full volume…if you hear anything at all especially in your tweeters…you have noise floor issues.
 

Messages
34
Reactions
8
Points
2
Location
California
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#18
The tuning process seemed straight forward. I did my own thought the amps then used a calibrated mic for in car tuning. Spent probably 10 hours on my own.

Having said that, I found a couple tuners close to me that really don’t like working with Audiocontrol so go figure.

I’m running a JLAudio 13tw5v2, morel in the doors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Morel on all doors? Any sound deadening that got done? I've heard mixed reviews on the audiocontrol experience which is why I ask. It seems like more people tend to lean towards the Helix stuff.

Also are you running it from the stereo directly to the amp?
 

Messages
34
Reactions
8
Points
2
Location
California
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#19
Probably because their stuff is known for an extremely high noise floor so nobody wants to have people talk bad about their tuning when it’s an equipment issue.
Play a zero bit track at full volume…if you hear anything at all especially in your tweeters…you have noise floor issues.
I've heard about this as well which is why I asked. Is Helix the go to for dsp? I just spent some solid time reading through the thread of the build you did as well as the sound deadening one. I don't plan to win awards or anything with what I want to do with the ST, but I simply want clean loud sound over the simple amp and speaker build setups I've done. I'm still undecided on speaker choice though, again nothing crazy but infinity kappa series 600 is what I am looking at for now, if I can find the 900s with the 6x9 that would be great but doubt it. Also have you ever tried the lower end focal stuff? Like the flax version? Their is a local guy to me that has a set for a reasonable price. If so what are your thoughts on them?
 

UNBROKEN

4000 Post Club
Messages
4,593
Reactions
5,369
Points
352
Location
Houston, TX, USA
#20
Morel on all doors? Any sound deadening that got done? I've heard mixed reviews on the audiocontrol experience which is why I ask. It seems like more people tend to lean towards the Helix stuff.

Also are you running it from the stereo directly to the amp?
You can’t go directly from the “stereo” to the amp. You will need an interface of some sort…could be as simple as an Audio Control LC2i or the best money can buy is the NAV TV Zen A2B.
 



Top