A client from Vancouver came to Ralph’s Radio with his 1999 Dodge Viper, looking for a serious audio upgrade. Our team spent time looking over the vehicle and getting to know the client better. At that point, we came inside and listened to equipment in our state-of-the-art sound room so the client could hear the products that work best in his Viper. When the audio consultation was finished, we worked up what we felt was the best solution and presented it to him. He liked our proposal, so we set a time to begin the installation.
It All Starts With A Good Source Unit
The team at Ralph’s began by installing a Pioneer DEH-80PRS head unit. This model has an audiophile-grade preamp, so the musical signal coming out of the unit is topnotch. It has the usual tuner and CD player, plus a USB port to control all of his portable media. Bluetooth is on-board for hands-free calling and music streaming.
A Processor Takes Sound Quality To The Next Level
The signal now travels to a Mosconi 6to8v8 DSP processor. Adding a processor to this audio system allows us to fine-tune each and every speaker in the vehicle for maximum sound quality. We can fine-tune crossover points, equalization and digital time delay, making for sound that stages across the dash with pinpoint accuracy.
Italian Made Amplifiers Are The Next Step In The Chain
We used two Italian-made Mosconi amplifiers for power in the system. The AS100.4S powers the four front speakers, sending more than 100 watts of clean power to each of them. The AS200.2S sends more than 1,000 watts of power to the pair of subwoofers. Our fabrication team made a custom amp rack in the trunk to hold the amplifiers and processor, and made a custom trim panel that we covered in a complementary black vinyl. As you can see in the picture, we also created a small window to show off the beautiful Mosconi logos.
Flagship-Grade Focal Speakers Bring Out Every Nuance In Sound
Since this client was looking for every last ounce of sound quality, we chose the Focal Utopia BE two-way active front component set for his vehicle. We installed the 6.5” woofers in the door on composite mounts that we custom-machined in-house. We applied sound-damping material to the inner door skin to reduce road noise, vibration and any chance of rattling. We also flush-mounted the Focal tweeters on each corner of the dash in front of the door handles, making for factory-looking parts.
Any Good Sound System Needs Bass
Rounding out any good car audio system is a good subwoofer. Unfortunately, in a 1999 Viper, space is an absolute premium. For this reason, we rebuilt the whole area behind the seats, including the back of the center console. We used a combination of wood and multiple composites to create a factory-looking panel that included a sealed enclosure to hold a pair of JL Audio 6W3v3 subwoofers. Our team covered everything in matching black material and fabricated custom grilles for the subwoofers, keeping the factory-looking appearance. The final product looked as if it came from Dodge as a factory upgrade.
Fine-Tuning Makes Or Breaks An Audio System
Whenever Ralphs Radio installs a car stereo system, particular attention is given to the fine tuning of the audio before the vehicle is delivered to the client. Many shops will cut corners in this area, spending a little time and saying “it will be good enough.” That doesn’t cut it for us as our reputation has been built for the last sixty years on over-delivering for our clients. We tune every speaker in the vehicle, looking for every last ounce of sound quality.
Security System Adds Peace Of Mind
Once we finished installing the audio system, we added a Compustar alarm system, complete with the Pro Series RF-P2wT11 remote control. This remote has up to 3 miles of range; is waterproof and shockproof; and comes with a rechargeable internal lithium ion battery. We protected all entry points and added a motion sensor that gives alerts to the client if someone is near his vehicle, since this remote gets status updates from the alarm brain.
A Happy Client Loved His Dodge Viper Audio Upgrade!
When we finish an installation, the whole team looks forward to seeing the expression on the client’s face when he checks out the finished vehicle. In this case, he loved it, marveling at the attention to detail on the install. When we cranked it up the first time, he was all smiles and looked forward to listening to his favorite music on his next long road trip.
Check Us Out For Yourself
When you are ready to upgrade the sound system in your vehicle, we invite you to stop by Ralph’s Radio in Vancouver or Victoria. Our team will work with you to design and build the best solution for your needs.
Feel free to contact us here for more information about any of our products and services.