Closing in on the Problem
 

Per your suggestion, I purchased the 3.5mm-to-rca cable to the amp and have spent 12 hrs today testing configurations to isolate the problem. At this point, the left channel works fine as does the right tweeter, the right woofer in the door, however, plays only at a very low volume and does not register in the DM Smart DSP app input display.


Tomorrow I'll try connecting the speakers directly from the HU as you suggested and swap the door woofers. I'm 75% of the way troubleshooting the Sony crossovers. If this is not the problem my conclusion is that either the Sony woofer is defective or the Audio Control d-6.1200 is deficient.


If its the Sony I'm OK. They have a 3 year warranty. As stated earlier in this thread, when I was evaluating the d-6.1200 purchase I noticed that offering prices ranged from $800-1200. I attributed this to the inflationary environment and moved quickly to grab one for $800 on eBay. Every major purchase I've made from a reputable company has always come with a factory warranty but I've since read the terms of AC warranty policy and, if the d-6.1200 is defective, I've got a serious problem.


In short, non-professional customers who purchase from a non authorized dealer are on their own -- professional installers get a 5 yr warranty and authorized dealer DIYers get 1 yr. The d-6.1200 I purchased was new (not refurbish or open box), in a factory sealed retail box, and was the exact model number (version) as the more expensive offers.



Hopefully, the d-6 is not the problem. Audio Control appears to be a first class operation and I'll be surprised, and disappointed, if the amp is DOA.


As an aside, I did return the Blaupunkt sub amp. The Skar Audio RP-800.1D seems a more prudent choice. The 2 year factory warranty did not go unnoticed.

that's great news that you got something working.

something i struggle to remember when troubleshooting is to distill things down to the very basics, and work away from those points.

speakers are simple devices. a coil of wire is suspended in front of a magnet, and an electric current is passed through the wire. that makes for a magnetic field, which opposes the fixed magnet, and with a fluctuating electric current, makes for vibrations, which makes for sound once that coil is attached to a cone. anything beyond this fundamental is really just superfluous at this diagnostic step.

crossovers are slightly more complex in that they route the electrical signals based on the frequencies--the different components and internal routing have a few different failure modes, but again, are fundamentally basic and reliable enough that failure doesn't happen much if at all.

an amplifier, specifically in this case, has 6 separate inputs/outputs. it takes a lower voltage in on the input, and makes the same signal on a bigger voltage on the output. it doesn't care what the signal is, only that it gets routed to the right output at an increased level.


so with this in mind, you've verified that the left speakers and crossover unit work from the amp to the speaker in the current configuration. easiest thing to do is to swap the left and right output channels on the amp-- that would make the left signal go to the right speaker for the time being, but would confirm/deny if you've got an issue at the speaker/crossover/wiring, or the amp.

the likelihood of the speakers, crossovers, or wiring being bad is low. it does happen, but with modern manufacturing practices, is low enough of a risk to be an anomaly. the above test would verify that.


if everything works swapping the output channels, that's good-ish news. it means that the speakers, and wiring, are all working properly(as they ought to be), and you don't need to entirely start over with the full install. the problem resides at the amp.


the difference here is that it's a digital amp, with internal digital signal routing, which is a different aspect, but important to not panic on.



about 15 years or so ago now, i ran a computer in my car for audio processing. it was the early days of the tech that your amp now has, it pretty much didn't exist at all. so i rolled my own because a $1500 computer using semi-tested pro-level gear was 'cheaper' than a first-to-market $2k DSP with specialized software and connectors. there was a lot of trial and error to get it all working, and even more to make it reliable.



the previous step to check the speakers will put you well beyond this, but to move backwards a moment-- the note that you get a low level audio signal through the right side speakers, and nothing on the dsp display might indicate that there's cross-talk between channels(typical for any multi-channel amp)-- you could have the routing all wrong, and might have mistakenly not connected the right side input/output to each other, which would do exactly as you're saying it's doing.

i did that more than a few times while setting up that carpc setup-- i'd swear i got all the signal routing right, only to drop a speaker somewhere, i'd panic, spend hours tearing apart all the wiring, and speakers, convinced that it was a physical problem, that was really just a lack of programming experience on my part. another fun part was i'd reboot the computer, and the audio devices would repopulate in a different random order into the software, so suddenly, my sub would become my tweeters...

so quadruple check your DSP software settings, and when in doubt, change the inputs-- an important aspect here is that amp specifically has 6 independent inputs and outputs. if you suspect that output #2 doesn't work, try the other 4 outputs.

of course, it doesn't fix the problem long-term if a few inputs/outputs are bad, but the 'extra' channels can be used to your benefit speed up troubleshooting and diagnosis--it's usually easier than swapping amps.


this post is long enough for now, so i'm just going to leave the rest till later. i do feel your pain, though recall that many ebay sellers are voracious for a positive feedback rating, so if you've done everything you can to verify the amp is bad in the above steps, before panicking, reach out to the ebay seller, they might be willing to help.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm relatively optimistic that I'll get the job done to my own (perfectionist) standards. I'm taking my time and enjoying the process.



I started the learning curve on that right front woofer and remember questioning some procedures. Also, after working 10-12 hrs brain fog sets in and I'm apt to make a mistake.


I did swap out the output channels and got the same results. I'm a big fan of the YouTube channel "Car Audio Fabrication". The host stated something about a lesson on running speaker wire through the rubber tubes between the door and the body of the car. I had a heck of a time with this task and it might be the source of my problem. Thus, the plan to switch out the speakers.


Sounds like you were way ahead of your time using a computer in a car to manage sound signals. I know that I speak for many on the forum in expressing my gratitude for your knowledge.

these toyota/subaru door tubes are some of the worst ever. i mean, they sized it right for what they needed on the production line, but chevy, mitsubishi, etc, sized them about 2-3 times larger.

after a more than generous donation to the swear jar, i gave up on running my wiring internally, and routed my wire through an 'x' in the grommet on both sides to seal it up.
https://live.staticflickr.com/7336/1...33de1654_k.jpg

but i'm using this for speaker cable, because every time i went to the local shops for 12ga speaker wire, i felt like it was actually about 18ga wiring.. just never felt right, like it gave up on current carrying for ease of install...
https://www.parts-express.com/Audtek...-1-ft.-100-482

know another guy that i believe did the same thing on his is300. gold94corolla

i was in the middling times. i came in on the tail end of a few other people, there was a one, went by redgtivr6 that was the carpc audio moderator at the time, was putting together a complete competition realtime SQ build, though it faded quickly due to the rules requiring direct playback from a cd, and tech just not being there yet. it was near the first year introduction of the audison bitone, for the first couple years, SQ builds literally couldn't even get judged unless they had a bitone installed. mp3car.com, but only on the wayback machine anymore, it faded out of existence around 2010-ish.




you can also test the wiring with an ohmmeter. 4 different ways.

disconnected at both ends, check for no continuity,
then twist the wires together on one end and should get nearly zero ohms.
then test the speaker, should get close to 4 ohms.
and lastly, connect the speaker to the wire, and should get the same resistance at the other end.

Great Success!
 

An usually warm December allowed me to finish the stereo upgrade project. The sound improvement is nothing short of incredible.


For those considering this endeavor I'd encourage you to do so if you have the time, patience, and tools. My objectives were to maintain the factory look, upgrade the sound quality, and minimize costs.


I was lucky in the sense that the Sony XS162es tweeters fit perfectly in the factory dash woofer mount. I bought them from Crutchfield who, although there research claimed the Sony woofers wouldn't fit, I was able to manage a secure mount with the speaker bracket they recommended. Their staff and YouTube videos were very helpful.
https://imgur.com/d9oj3Qd https://imgur.com/d9oj3Qd

I could write a thesis that would take a couple of hours to read and had considered a YouTube video series on the project but there are many well documented postings created by talented and better informed people than me that I elected to post some photos and provide some tips that I came up with myself.


I wanted the Audio Control ACR-3 but didnt' want to interfere with the factory look so here is a before and after look at a solution. The ACR-3 flips down when needed but is easily hid when it is not.
https://imgur.com/8CNI7pP
https://imgur.com/bhTYGco
https://imgur.com/8CNI7pP

https://imgur.com/bhTYGco

The factory amp was removed and two of the three studs were used to secure the shelf. The top foam section was removed and I drilled holes in the shelf to use the plastic fasteners to secure the center and right side of the shelf. I wanted to keep the spare tire but I had to use a jig saw to cut a rounded space in the shelf to provide the space. This photo covers the amps, crossovers, and fused power block. This is the final result.
https://imgur.com/zQ5VFHV
https://imgur.com/VBMipOR


https://imgur.com/zQ5VFHV
https://imgur.com/VBMipOR
A few tips and tricks

1. KnuKonceptz offers an excellent 0/1 awg wire and fused power block.
2. Individual 0/1 ring terminals are about $10 a piece. The same EBay seller that offers them at that price also offers a 10 pack for open bid. I got 10 for $10.
3. My understanding is that Harbor Freight offers a auto battery crimping tool for about $100. A cheaper option is to pound the stripped wired as far into the ring as possible then clamp half of the tube in a vise and hammer it to a right angle. Then reposition the terminal so that the ends of the right angle can be clamped together.
4. I was anxious about removing the door but it is really not that difficult.
There are plenty of YouTube vids on the subject. The most difficult part for me was fishing the speaker wire through the rubber boot that connects the door to the car body.
5. I was able to use about a three foot wire, make a small loop to tie the speaker wire to, and then GENTLY guide the wire through the boot. There is a small plug about mid way through the boot. It is wrapped in electrical tape making it difficult to pass the wire through this barrier. I found the rubber boot to be easily removed and re-attached to the plastic ring to make the process manageable.
6. Binge watch Mark on Car Audio Fabrication. The guy's a genius.
7. Get a digital mult-meter.
8. The gap between the Basser Box and the foam tire tool holder is too narrow for the trunk floor and mat. Rather than cut them I shaved about a half an inch from the bottom of the foam so that they have room to slide under the Basser Box.
9. Here's a list of must have tools and accessories.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://smile.amazon.com/Preciva-Hex...s%2C550&sr=8-1


I found the Positaps to be particularly useful as I had no desire to splice wires behind the head unit.


I could not have done this without the help of soundman98, FR-S2GT86, Laura at Audio Control, the good folks at Crutchfield, Mark at Car Audio Fabrication, the YouTube community, as well as the many generous, knowledgeable people of the web who posted insightful articles. Thank you!

great to hear!

so where were the issues you were experiencing?

Human error. It was only after eliminating the amp, speaker, crossover, and speaker wire that I concluded that it had to be a bad splice I made in the wire. Upon pulling that section of the wire I noticed that I had crossed the wires at the crossover - the woofer wire was connected to the tweeter and tweeter to the woofer.

easy to do! glad you got it all figured out!

And you didn't blow a tweeter? Lucky!

Glad to hear it all worked out for you.

as long as the levels were kept low, and on-time was minimal, there really shouldn't be any long term damage from the mistake other than his pride