Yesterday I went and picked up a JL StealthBox ordered through a local audio shop. It was packaged quite nicely in a sturdy box. It was wrapped in plastic and then had foam sprayed into the box, completely filling the unused space. Pulling on the plastic removed the top shell and revealed a beautifully crafted enclosure. The carpet is pure black and should almost match the black interior of my shoreline mist element.

The Stealth box is smaller than I expected since it doesn't extend too far under the dash. It will fill most of the space between the eBrake molding and where the factor sub was originally housed. Two carpeted panels are included and screw on after installation, extending the sides of the stealth box forward under the dash to give it a more integrated look.

I also picked up Some Diamond M6 series 5.25" components for the front, two pair of RCAs, a 4 gauge wiring kit, and a bunch of 12 gauge speaker wire. These should work nicely with my old CDA-9813 head unit. Rear fill will be accomplished with some old polk 6.5" i have sitting around. A Rockford-Fosgate Power 551X will be installed inside/above one of the rear/side cargo pockets. It is a four channel amp, which bridged, should have a perfect amount of power for the stealth box and the front components. Rears will be powered off the head unit for now.

System Ingredients
http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/audio_ingredients.jpg

As the installation progresses, I'll post pictures of the disassembled interior as each piece gets installed. :D
[edit: hosted pics in better location]

Love to see the end result.
How much for the JL box?

Never mind, I saw your post in the other thread.......$499 right?

I considered mounting my own amp in the back above the cargo area as well - I decided not to for a few reasons:

1. The wall is curved, the amp would not sit perfectly flush without building up the mount points a bit.

2. If I ever took the amp out I didn't want that wall to have holes in it for resale value. I don't mind altering interior pieces, but they should be cheap and easy to replace - that back wall is neither.

3. I didn't want to pull power and signal cables all the way back and forward again through the car - it's extra work, the extra wiring costs more money, and has a greater chance of picking up interference.

4. I didn't want the amp to be seen by potential thieves.

In the end, I decided to put my one of my amps under the passenger seat. Yes, I had to cut the plastic seat tray but it is easily replacable and is inexpensive. Plus the amp is hidden well and the cable runs are minimized.

Since I didn't use a JL sub enclosure and didn't need the stock sub since I had a sub in the back, I wound up putting my other amp inside that enclosure. Worked out great. :D

Those Diamond components should be nice - be sure to let us know how they sound. BTW, what are the power requirements for the Stealth box?

I had my amp installed above the left side pocket in the back. It's not perfectly flat and right it's only being supported by 3 screws since the 4th screw isn't long enough or if I do screw it in one of the other screws pop out.

It initially rattled in the back...but then I placed a piece of cotton foam (the ones used to apply or remove makeup) and no more rattles.

THe other problem you need to be aware if you do put it in the back is the seat belt. It will bounce off your amp if you install it back there and it's annoying. I used a clean sock and tied it so that the buckle is high up along the belt and stops boucing off the amp.

Step one done: JL Stealthbox Installed.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/sub_removed.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/stealthbox_right.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/stealthbox_center.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/stealthbox_left.jpg

Installation was about as expected. One thing to note is that the instructions are for the 2003 element and some wires have changed mounting locations to the left of the factory sub. I had to use my own bolt and nut to attach one of the stealth box's brackets because of this.

The stealth box doesn't fit perfectly. :?
But it should be fixable. Note, the left side of the box sits too low and the side flaps aren't a perfect fit. In particular, i'll be securing the driver side flap better so that it doesn't poke out in front of the gas peddle.

There should be enough room for the floor-mat underneath it's downward firing 10 inch driver (10W3 V2D2). However, the embroidered element logo will be almost completely obscured.

Overall though, I'm quite happy with the stealthbox. It is secured incredibly well and you could probably stand on it without fear of damaging anything.

It's now raining in pittsburgh (kinda redundant if you ask me) and I'm stuck inside my house peering though the window... Installation will probably take another day now.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/element_in_rain.jpg

Oh yeah, see that accord with the broken window in the background. A friend will be taking that off my hands for $600 next week. (190k miles and a faded paint job when not wet)

I decided that rain was no match for the truly obsessed... i'm back at it, thankful for durable seat material. :lol:

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/power_cord_from_battery.jpg

The run from the battery to the fuse seems a bit long so I'm mulling over a rerouting. One question though, where does the wire I stuck through the firewall go? Shoved 17 feet through that hole and nothing is visible from under the dash. Hopefully google will turn up a link on how to remove the dash.

How have you guys routed the power cable past the firewall?

Finally figured out where that firewall port goes. It feeds into the exterior air-intake right above the hood and below the windshield. Thus, I went on a lengthy quest for another hole. ;)

This involved taking much of the dash off. This can be a lengthy process when you don't know where all the clips and screws are. Yet it was acceptable because it needed to come off in order to find suitable mounting spots for some crossover boxes. Those Diamond components have HUGE crossovers!

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/dash_off.jpg

Eventually, I ended up taking the front left fender off after noticing a plug immediately behind the hood release lever.
Instructions here:
http://www.collegehillshonda.com/instructions/03element/frontfendercladding.pdf

This revealed the port from the outside and tomorrow I should be able to feed the four gauge wire through it. It is quite close to where the door hinges but appears to have enough clearance.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/firewall_hole.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/firewall_hole_close_up.jpg

Oh yeah, almost forgot to answer your question Emass. :)

JL lists the stealth box as having a maximum of 300 watts continuous power and recommends 150 continuous. It contains a 10W3 V2 D2 driver...

Stats found here:
https://www.jlaudio.com/subwoofers/pdfs/10W3v2_MAN.pdf

I'll be running slightly more than 300 watts continuous through it. That should be fine considering that I don't play at extreme volumes.

Thoughts?

Too dark to work outside so i've ripped out the interior panels containing the tweeters.

The Diamond M6 tweeters are larger than the factory/stock ones so it was necessary to fashion a custom mounting bracket. Heater duct hangers from home depot were perfect. Simply bent them with vice grips and drilled a couple holes.

In these pictures, note how they must be mounted slightly crooked and off-center to line up with the grill as well as to point them at head level. The first picture shows the original tweeter on the left, and the new one on the right.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/tweeter_comparison.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/new_tweeter_close_up.jpg

It's nearing the end of day two now and i'm so sore that i've called it a night. The good thing is that the dash is reattached so I should be fine on my commute tomorrow. :lol:

Turns out that running speaker wire through the rubber hoses into the doors is extremely difficult... Probably the most difficult part of the whole install. It was worth it though as the end result looks like stock.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/right_mid_range_hole.jpg

Running wires under the door-step trim was fairly straight forward. Honda was even nice enough to include mounting hardware on the passenger side. The driver's trim doesn't seat perfectly over the 4 gauge power cord but probably no one but me will notice.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/left_under_step_trim.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/right_under_step_trim.jpg

I've prepared the hole for my alpine head unit and need to get a wiring harness unless someone knows which colors are illumination and ignition. (I've hardwired the rest) The grounding screw can be found beneath the gas gauge and above/to the right of the driver's under dash fuse box. It was difficult but looks like an excellent ground and quite worth the effort.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/head_unit_hole.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/head_unit_ground.jpg

Illumination should be red/black
Ignition should be black/yellow

Just curious, how much did the box end up costing you?

so where did you decide to locate your amp?
and which wires do you have running in the door sills? are your speaker wires and power cable running together on the driver's side while your RCA inputs are in passenger side.

The JL Audio StealthBox cost $499.

RCAs are on the passenger side and everything else is on the driver's side. I guess those images are a bit small. The blue wire is power, small blue wire is remote on. Speaker wires are black and RCAs are silver. The amp is above the rear left pocket in the cargo area. A capacitor sits inside the actual pocket.

I'm too busy listening to the system now to post anything. ;)

More pictures to come though...

First Impressions on the StealthBox's Sound
I immediately fell in love with my new system...
Yet it is far from perfect.

One thing that I quickly noticed is that the Element's StealthBox is tuned rather high and does not have great frequency response on really low base. I suspect this is a result of the miniscule enclosure size (for the 10W3v2d2). It sounds great on rock but only ok on hiphop. In comparison to a CRV stealthbox, the element won't be winning any sound offs.

Would I buy one again? Yes! but i do wish it was tuned slightly lower.

The diamond audio 5.25 components are crystal clear. However they too have flaws. There is very little response below 160hz to 200hz. This may be a result of not yet having filled in some of the holes in the door surrounding the speaker mount. They still have me scratching my head and playing games with wiring-polarity/phase. The diamod audio passive crossovers come with a jumper for + or - 2db on the tweeters. They are incredibly bright and crisp so hopefully a -2db setting will improve mid-range balance as well as tone down the brilliance. If I could exchange these speakers, I would in a second... for the 6" (6.5") version.

Having a sub box in the front of the vehicle does great things for imaging! I was able to compensate for the high rolloff of the 5.25 components by cranking up my head unit's crossover points. The soundstage changed very little after doing this and it helped to flatten the frequency response.

In summary, I've got perfect clarity but need to eliminate some audible holes in the frequency response. Thank god I have adjustable crossover points and rolloff curves... One more excuse to cruise and tweek the system. :D

Once my install reached a somewhat finished state... i've been less motivated to polish everything off. ;)

A Rockford Fosgate Power551X is installed above the left rear cargo pocket. It was attached to the plastic interior with four self tapping screws. Pilot holes were drilled so that there would be less damage as the screw pushed it's way through the interior panel. It sits almost perfectly flat except for the lower left screw. A quarter inch of plastic tubing was used as a spacer around the screw (between amp and wall). The mounting is incredibly secure and could probably support at least 10 times the weight.

Once removed, there will be slight cosmetic damage to the plastic interior. However, the four holes are quite small and will be minor compared to the damage caused by hauling my mountain bike around.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/amp_mounting_1.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/amp_mounting_2.jpg

The pocket made a perfect place to install a 1 farad capacitor. Soon I plan on bundling the remaining wires to hide them completely. Also, more 4 gauge power wire is required to better hide wire from the cap to the amp as I was about 2 inches too short.

With the seat folded up to the side wall, there is about 3 inches between it and the amp. The amp shouldn't cook itself or the seat material on even the hottest of summer days.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/amp_mounting_seat_up_2.jpg

There is a small plastic piece behind the removable one covering the seat release lever. Eventually I will cut custom holes in this one and install rubber grommets for a more finished look. Small pieces are much cheaper to replace than big ones if you screw up. ;) The darker, more glossy part of the interior indicates the area that this piece would normally cover.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/amp_mounting_seat_down.jpg

The amp is grounded to a 14mm bolt which attaches the shock tower to frame. This grounding location goes straight to a considerable amount of metal. However, it is also relatively close to the rear brake rotors. If you experience any brake whine, a different location maybe preferable.

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/amp_ground.jpg

Also visible in that picture are silver-colored rca wires. They pass through a hole cut in the side wall, below where the cargo-floor/spare-tire-cover sits. It was necessary to cut away some plastic from the removable floor so that it will sit flat on top of the rca wires. While this was a lot of work, I wanted to cross them over to the other side of the vehicle as soon as possible to avoid noise bleed from other wiring.

The Element EX stock stereo equipment after removal

http://homepage.mac.com/dfiler/forum_pics/Element/stock_stereo_components.jpg

.

How did you get the a-pillars where the tweeters are off w/o damaging anything? Any tips on how to remove them... Thanks

Carefully insert a flat screwdriver and pry it out far enough to get your fingers underneath. If I recall correctly, it is best to do this about one third down from the top and on the side window side of the piece. Peel the piece outward slightly, moving it in the direction toward the rear view mirror. After it 'pops' out of it's mounting clips, you'll need to lift it upward to get the lower, downward pointing tabs out of the dash.

Keep in mind that the wiring connectors are short so they'll need to be unplugged prior to removing the piece completely. The wires are also with small red plastic clips to the pillar molding. These can be slid out sideways although they are a very tight fit.

bump.


great info in this post.

EXCELLENT INFO.

One question - right now I'm working on running some audio cables underneath the floor from the parking-brake console to the glovebox. I'd like to remove the stock sub so I have better access.

I've removed the sub enclosure and the two screws (close to the floor) that seem to be the only thing holding the sub box in place. Is the only thing left the wires? Are they easy to disconnect? I know absolutely nothing about speakers/wiring, and want to make sure that there's not something I'm missing before I pull the sub out.

Thanks in advance to whomever responds.

Dave

It's been almost a year since I removed my stock sub but I think it was just the 2 bolts you mentioned and the wire harness. It should just be that connector in the upper left of the sub box beside the metal framework of the console. The sub is a bit heavy for it's size so it feels like it's attached more than it really is.

Empire - thanks for the help. Once I read your post about the sub being heavy, I realized that was what the problem was. I guess I was expecting it to be easily removed once I undid the 2 bolts, but it's so heavy I've driven around with it boltless for a day and it hasn't even moved.

Thanks!

:confused: Empire - thanks for the help. Once I read your post about the sub being heavy, I realized that was what the problem was. I guess I was expecting it to be easily removed once I undid the 2 bolts, but it's so heavy I've driven around with it boltless for a day and it hasn't even moved.

Thanks!
:confused: DFREEZE: I could really use your help. i got an 06 ex and i'm also interested in replacing the factory sub. besides the jl stealth is there any other mfrs. making stealths for the element? if not could i get pointers on installing the jl to the existing factory unit? thanks!

SIR-67, welcome to the EOC. Have you had you Element for a while? It's an interesting vehicle in which to add a hi-fi.

You must have dug up this old thread using the search function. Good for you. You are already two steps ahead of the average guy here.

To my knowledge, the only off the shelf Stealthbox is the JL one. Many people, including me, have come up with home-made incarnations but the JL piece looks and sounds great. As for installation, I'd strongly recommend you let the JL dealer take care of this. JL is one of those companies that is ruthless about not letting anybody but their factory authorized brick-and-mortar dealers sell their products. It is because they want to make sure it is used correctly. Let them install it.

You'd also need to have an aftermarket amp installed dedicated to driving the Stealthbox. No way the puny factory amp is going to drive this sub.

Continue using that search. Last time I checked there were over 50 threads with the word "stealthbox" in them.