The owner of this 2002 Ford Explorer has a long history of knowing what he wants, at least when it comes to mobile audio. Even before he bought his first car in high school, David Rocheleau started doing research (with CA&E as his primary source) for his first system. A decade later, his educated preferences dictated the build of this SQ SUV.
"My ultimate goal was to build a system that would replicate a true live performance as accurately as possible, with spaciousness, as well as accurate imaging and staging of all of the performers," Rocheleau reveals. "I also wanted the installation to flow with the factory interior as much as possible since I use this as my daily driver and did not want to attract any unwanted attention to it."
Rocheleau had installed the majority of his previous installs, but for the more elaborate and larger Explorer, he turned to friend and "avid SQ guy" Chris Stark. "I knew he was a wiz when it came to installing and SQ," Rocheleau explains, "so I decided to ask him to build my truck for me, though I made it clear that I wanted to learn installation techniques and help out with the install."
Starting in the dash, Stark modified the existing panel to fit both an Alpine CDA-7995 source unit and an Alpine PXA-H701 Multimedia Manager. Judicious use of body filler kept the modification seamless. Rocheleau liked the unit's 4-volt preouts, lack of internal amplification, CD/MP3 capabilities, and reputation. "My local shop sells Alpine," Rocheleau states, "and after much comparison with other models and brands, this one had exactly what I was looking for ..."
As for processing, Rocheleau wanted "extreme flexibility" for future upgrades. Stark had a PXA-H701 processor and highly recommended it to his friend. "I investigated which features it had and noted that it would work perfectly with my head unit (functionally and aesthetically)," Rocheleau shares. "I also chose it because of the digital inputs, which I use with my DVD audio/video source."
The a/d/s 246ix 6 1/2" components were a no-brainer for the front stage - Rocheleau had them in his S10 pickup and decided to use them in his new ride since they still sounded wonderful and worked perfectly. "A local shop sold these and I found them to be one of the most pleasant-sounding components systems that I had heard," says Rocheleau. He and Stark devoted a lot of time towards finding the best location and angle for the components, which were installed in custom fiberglass kick panels covered in factory-matched vinyl. Eight-inch midbasses, Kicker RMB8's, were also tucked into the doors. "I chose these woofers because of the very shallow mounting depth as well as being excellent performers."
Unlike the front stage, the sound in the back wasn't a priority for Rocheleau. "I wasn't even going to put rear speakers in the vehicle," he explains, "but after thinking about it, I decided rear-seat passengers might enjoy actually hearing some music once in a while." Because they sound great and have a good reputation, he went ahead and got Boston Acoustics SX85 coaxials for the rear doors.
In the cargo area, Stark built an enclosure/amprack megalith to hold the two subwoofers and four amplifiers. The JL Audio 10W7 subs were chosen for their sound quality, power handling, excursion and low-frequency response. "These were the best subwoofers I could get my hands on," Rocheleau states, "so I did what any SQ fanatic would do - I saved up my money and bought them."
With the exception of a Sony XM-4045 amp retained from his previous vehicle, Rocheleau went with MTX amps. On the top of the large box and under protective acrylic, the Thunder 1501D reveals its circuitry. Rocheleau liked that its power output closely matched the subs' power handling. For the a/d/s components, he went with the MTX Thunder 2300 limited edition due to its SQ, power output and small footprint. The same reasons dictated his choice of the Thunder 280 for the midbasses. "I also went with MTX because they have been very reliable for me and put out tons of clean power."
Last but not least, video. Stark performed some intricate surgery to tuck the 7-inch Pixelon widescreen monitor into the base of the center console. Chosen for its high resolution and mounting flexibility, the monitor displays video from a Sony PlayStation2 embedded in the side of the console. Stark had to remove the rear passengers' HVAC duct in order to tuck the gaming and DVD source down here.
Rocheleau thoroughly enjoys the completed build. "I love to listen to my system loud with CDs that have a wide dynamic range," he states. Although he is currently busy in pharmacy school, he plans to attend IASCA and USACi shows when time permits. Rocheleau also has exterior modifications in mind, but clearly, sound is his passion. "I usually leave the rear speakers off, even with friends in the backseat, as to not detract from the front soundstage," he concludes. "It may be selfish, but that's the whole reason I built the system!"