BestCarAudio.com

Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry

Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
  • Articles
    • Bluetooth
    • Car Audio
    • Motorcycle Audio
    • Navigation
    • Remote Starter
    • Satellite Radio
    • Smartphone Integration
    • Test Drive Product Reviews
    • Vehicle Insights
  • Industry Profiles
    • Installation Profiles
    • Installer Profiles
    • Retailer Profiles
    • Vendor Profiles
  • Products
  • Dealer Locator
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • 0 items
Home » INDUSTRY PROFILES » Mobile Enhancement Installation Profile: Xtreme Autosound & Marine Toyota Hilux
Sony Ad

Mobile Enhancement Installation Profile: Xtreme Autosound & Marine Toyota Hilux

March 15, 2023 By Dave MacKinnon

Hilux Stereo

Matthew Crouch of Shelbyville, Kentucky, owns the ultra-clean 1991 Toyota Hilux you see above. Matthew is one of the installers at Xtreme Autosound & Marine in Louisville. I called the store and spoke with owner Tony Zagata and jack-of-all-trades Michael Humphrey, who helps with sales, installations and social media. I learned that Matthew is a huge Toyota fan, and his dad had given him the Hilux. Matthew had always planned to install an extensive sound system in the truck.

In the fall of 2022, Sony announced they were hosting a contest with their dealers to see who could build the most incredible shop demo vehicle using Mobile ES car audio gear. Tony, Michael and Matthew decided that the Hilux would be the perfect platform for the contest and an ideal project to represent the store. With the help of their impressive installation team, which includes Michael Cockerell, Bryan Eckenroth and David Coleman, the team put their noses to the grindstone to meet the project deadline. We can say without hesitation that the results are stunning! Let’s dig into some finer details of what the Xtreme Autosound team created.

Sony High-Resolution Source Unit

Matthew kicked the project off by removing everything but the dash from the interior of the Hilux so he could line the entire vehicle with Ballistic sound-deadening material. Next, he ran Stinger speaker wire from the center of the cab into each door, and Stinger interconnects from the dash to the center console and rear of the vehicle.

The heart of any high-end car audio system is an amazing radio. The Xtreme team chose the Sony Mobile ES XAV-9500ES 10.1-inch floating-face radio for the Hilux. In its stock configuration, the radio in the dash of the Hilux is at the bottom near the center console. Matthew moved the heater controls and vents down to that location so the new radio would sit up high in the dash as it does in new vehicles from Mercedes-Benz or Mazda. New mounting brackets hold the XAV-9500ES in place securely. Finally, new background wallpaper was uploaded to the Sony radio to personalize the installation.

Hilux Stereo
After reworking the Hilux’s dash, Matthew installed a Sony XAV-9500ES radio to serve as the heart of the new entertainment system.

Custom Toyota Hilux Door Panels

Michael Cockerell began creating custom door panels. The foundation for the panels and their speaker pods is expanded PVC. Decades ago, these would have been constructed from wood. Using plastics and composites ensures that the panels won’t swell, deform or rot if they get wet. Michael layered the material to create the door handle and the pod for the woofers from a pair of Sony Mobile ES XS-162ES 6.5-inch component speaker sets.

Michael used two vinyl colors to wrap the different panels for a two-tone approach. He also left a gap above the top of the woofer pod and added LED lighting to make the door panels pop. Note the subtle gold inserts on the door handle that match the tweeters’ gold-color ring. The door card and a small trim piece at the bottom of the door are finished in Alcantara for a classy look.

Hilux Stereo
Michael Cockerell fabricated custom door panels for the Xtreme Hilux and installed two sets of Sony XS-160ES component speakers in each.

Center Console with Integrated Amp Rack

Bryan was tasked with building the new center console for the truck. The console is home to four Sony Mobile ES XM-1ES 1,000-watt monoblock amplifiers. Two amplifiers are mounted on either side of the console. Windows in the vinyl-wrapped trim pieces show the blue LED lighting between the amplifiers.

On the front of the console are two remote level control knobs for the Sony subwoofer amplifiers. The subwoofer system is divided into two parts. While each amp powers a pair of drivers, one of the level controls is dedicated to a single amp, while the other controls the three remaining amplifiers. If clients want to hear what having a pair of subwoofers in their vehicle will sound like, they can turn up the level control on the single amp. If they want to unleash all eight of the subwoofers, then the second knob adds in the other six drivers. Frankly, being able to tailor the demonstration to a client’s budget and expectations is pure genius!

Hilux Stereo
The center console in the Hilux includes four Sony XM-1ES 1,000-watt monoblock amplifiers.

Wall of Bass!

Bryan was also responsible for the truck’s subwoofer enclosures and rear amp rack. He started by building six different subwoofer enclosures. The upper and lower center enclosures each house a pair of Mobile ES XS-W104ES in shared common airspace. The lower enclosure is the one dedicated to the single-amplifier subwoofer system. The four outer enclosures have mounting faces angled downward and inward. I don’t envy Bryan for having to do the math on all those compound angles. The faces of the enclosures were wrapped in Alcantara before being installed in the vehicle.

Bryan created a floating amp rack for three Sony Mobile ES XM-4ES amplifiers. One of the amplifiers powers the pair of component sets in one door. The second amplifier powers the other door. Finally, the third amp runs a set of Mobile ES XS-160ES 6.5-inch coaxial drivers that are mounted on either side of the subwoofer enclosure between the outer drivers.

Bryan constructed a two-piece trim panel to surround the subwoofers and wrapped it in vinyl. He added a Sony logo to the top for some extra style. Michael Cockerell installed and programmed the addressable LED lighting.

The team installed two XS Power batteries behind the driver’s seat just under the subwoofer enclosure and mounted a third in the stock battery location under the hood. Installer and resident mechanic David Coleman installed a high-output alternator on the engine to keep those batteries topped up when the system is cranked.

Hilux Stereo
The Hilux features eight Sony XS-W104ES 10-inch subwoofers, three XM-4ES four-channel amplifiers and a pair of XS-162ES coaxial speakers in the rear of the cab.

Sony Demo Vehicle Winners

Tony mentioned that the team spent a lot of evenings, weekends and late nights working on the Toyota to ensure that it would be complete and looking great by the submission deadline. Tony hired Ryne Conn from RJX Speed & Media to help them create their submission video for the Sony contest.

They brought in Kamdon Shaw from Dream Photography to capture the magnificent photos you see here.

Hilux Stereo
The Xtreme Autosound team had the Hilux wrapped in blue and added Sony insignia to promote the system they created.

In all, just over 70 Sony Mobile ES dealers from across the United States and Canada created demo cars for their stores using Sony products. Now that you’ve seen the design creativity and craftsmanship of the Xtreme Autosound team, it should come as no surprise that the Hilux won first place in the contest. Everyone here at BestCarAudio.com magazine agrees – the result is an absolute masterpiece.

If you’re in the Louisville, Kentucky, area and are looking for a great shop to upgrade the audio system in your car, truck, SUV or boat, drop by Xtreme Autosound & Marine and talk to Tony or Michael about your goals. You can learn more about the company by visiting its website, Facebook page or TikTok.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Related

Filed Under: Bluetooth, Car Audio, INDUSTRY PROFILES, Installation Profiles, Lighting, Smartphone Integration Tagged With: 1991, Amplifiers, Ballistic, Hilux, Kentucky, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mobile ES, Radios, Shelbyville, Sony, Speakers, Stinger, Subwoofers, Toyota, XS Power, Xtreme Autosound

About Dave MacKinnon

Dave has worked in the mobile electronics industry since 1988 in almost every capacity, including roles as a Retail Salesperson, Installer, Sales Representative, Technical Trainer, and Product Development Manager for some of the largest car audio companies in the world. Dave started his writing career in 2000 as the Technical Editor of a Toronto-based car audio magazine and has reviewed more than 450 products. Formally trained as an Electronics Technician, Dave is considered an industry expert when it comes to explaining how mobile audio components work and has crafted thousands of articles to share that knowledge. He’s currently the Head Writer for 1sixty8 media and the Editor-in-Chief at BestCarAudio.com

Audison Forza

Save Time and Money!

Our buying guides will help you make educated decisions when upgrading your vehicle. Click the image above to shop our affordable and informative buying guides.

Industry Profiles

Hilux Stereo

Mobile Enhancement Installation Profile: Xtreme Autosound & Marine Toyota Hilux

March 15, 2023 By Dave MacKinnon 

Matthew Crouch of Shelbyville, Kentucky, owns the ultra-clean 1991 Toyota Hilux you see above. Matthew is one of the … [Read More...]

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Mobile Enhancement Installation Profile: KarTele Jeep Grand Cherokee

February 13, 2023 By Dave MacKinnon 

A demo vehicle is one of the best tools available to demonstrate the audio and convenience upgrade options for a car or … [Read More...]

Press Releases

Firstech Launches Momento M7 Three-Channel Car Dash Camera
iBeam
iBEAM® Ships New Tailgate Handle Cameras, Micro Camera, and Window Mount
Firstech, ADS Announce Remote Start Partnership
iBEAM Commercial Wireless Systems
iBEAM Ships New Commercial Wireless Rearview System and Monitor
Firstech KP2
Firstech Unveils New “KP2” Keyless Touchpad Accessory for Remote Start

Vehicle Insights

2023 Lincoln Corsair

2023 Lincoln Corsair. Pint-Sized Navigator.

2022 Jaguar I-Pace

2022 Jaguar I-Pace: Zig-Zag Jag.

Find Facility Near You

Subscribe to BestCarAudio via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to BestCarAudio.com and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Popular Categories

  • Car Audio
  • Window Tint
  • Remote Car Starters
  • Vehicle Insights
  • Radar Detectors

Supporting Manufacturers

  • Arc Audio
  • Compustar
  • Hertz
  • Momento
  • Rockford Fosgate
  • Sony

Contact

  • Editorial
  • General
  • Advertise
  • Dealer Locator Guidelines

Forms

  • Profile Request

Sign up for our newsletter today. Opt out at any time with 1 click.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

BestCarAudio.com is a product of 1sixty8 media, inc. · Copyright © 2023 1sixty8 media, inc. · Privacy Policy · Website by 1sixty8 media, inc. · Log in

 

Loading Comments...