emgeesea
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Marc
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- Apr 19, 2020
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- Portland, OR
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- 2020 Willys
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- #1
I know there are number a different threads that include discussion of the Alpine PSS-23WRA sound system upgrade for the JL, but as those threads are embedded among other issues/discussions, I thought it would be helpful to have a dedicated thread for those contemplating this upgrade. So here it is...
I purchased and installed this system 2 weeks ago, and overall am very happy with it. I wanted to share a few thoughts re: buying the system, and then on to some installation lessons learned and general tips:
First, on buying: the system is a bit pricey at $1299. You may find a vendor selling it at $1199, but most are at the suggested retail of $1299. The $1299 price can be mitigated, however. The bonus of the PSS system is that you get all of the plug 'n play harnesses, and a custom mounting bracket for the amps, making installation very doable for the layperson. But Pacparts sells all of the harnesses and the mounting brackets that come in the kit for a total of $260. The rest of the PSS kit comprises a KTP-445U amplifier ($170), a PWE-S8 sub woofer ($300) and a pair of SPR-10TW dash tweeters ($120). All together this totals $850 - a far cry from the $1299 sticker price Alpine has put on the combined package. (I understand that bundling should impose some premium, but $450??)
So, the lesson is: you can buy everything the PSS-23WRA kit contains and save $450.
Second, on installation: the system install is fairly straight forward. Some reviewers have claimed they installed in under an hour. I seriously doubt that, as it took me 3, and that is the time that Alpine and Quadratec state should be expected. And you want to do it right, so take your time. The main areas that took me some time:
Overall, I recommend this kit, as it has greatly improved the sound in my JL. I have the 7" factory head unit, and OEM 4" knee panel speakers. Both of these do not require improvement, in my opinion. I did opt to replace the sound bar (roll bar) component speakers with 6.5" coaxials using the SSV Works adaptor plate, and that worked well to improve the fill sound that the rear speakers provide. But most of the sound comes from the front of the vehicle and the sub, so not absolutely necessary to do this, again, in my opinion. The PSS-23WRA is a big improvement on its own, and worth the spend. And if you can do it for the $850 that the components cost, you've got a great sound system upgrade for a helluva price.
I purchased and installed this system 2 weeks ago, and overall am very happy with it. I wanted to share a few thoughts re: buying the system, and then on to some installation lessons learned and general tips:
First, on buying: the system is a bit pricey at $1299. You may find a vendor selling it at $1199, but most are at the suggested retail of $1299. The $1299 price can be mitigated, however. The bonus of the PSS system is that you get all of the plug 'n play harnesses, and a custom mounting bracket for the amps, making installation very doable for the layperson. But Pacparts sells all of the harnesses and the mounting brackets that come in the kit for a total of $260. The rest of the PSS kit comprises a KTP-445U amplifier ($170), a PWE-S8 sub woofer ($300) and a pair of SPR-10TW dash tweeters ($120). All together this totals $850 - a far cry from the $1299 sticker price Alpine has put on the combined package. (I understand that bundling should impose some premium, but $450??)
So, the lesson is: you can buy everything the PSS-23WRA kit contains and save $450.
Second, on installation: the system install is fairly straight forward. Some reviewers have claimed they installed in under an hour. I seriously doubt that, as it took me 3, and that is the time that Alpine and Quadratec state should be expected. And you want to do it right, so take your time. The main areas that took me some time:
- Running the power cable from the battery underneath the chassis to the entry hole under the passenger seat. Be sure to follow the OEM wiring harness and then tuck your cable along the chassis beam. It helps to take a wire hanger, long zip tie, or anything that can serve as a guide and insert that through the hole under the passenger seat, from inside the vehicle, so that it sticks out below the vehicle. You can then tape the power cable to that and pull it back through the hole to bring the cable to you. Drill a small hole through the rubber floor plug so that you can push the power cable through the rubber plug and have a water tight seal when you reinstall the rubber plug in the floor board.
- Reinstalling the passenger seat once the amp assembly is in place. I had to push a bit on the brackets that come with the PSS assembly in order to bend them to line up with the seat mounting holes. And then, a bit more bending to get the seat glide release bracket (metal bracket underneath the seat that lifts when you release the manual seat adjustment rod for forward/backward seat adjustment) to clear the sub woofer housing and fully release. Check this release bracket after installation by looking under the seat as you glide the seat forward and fully backward. On mine, the metal bracket kept bumping up against the sub woofer housing, scraping the housing and not allowing the bracket to fully release. I loosened the seat mounting bolts, pushed hard on the subwoofer toward the center console, and then retightened the seat mounting bolts. This did the trick and allowed the release bracket to clear the sub woofer.
Overall, I recommend this kit, as it has greatly improved the sound in my JL. I have the 7" factory head unit, and OEM 4" knee panel speakers. Both of these do not require improvement, in my opinion. I did opt to replace the sound bar (roll bar) component speakers with 6.5" coaxials using the SSV Works adaptor plate, and that worked well to improve the fill sound that the rear speakers provide. But most of the sound comes from the front of the vehicle and the sub, so not absolutely necessary to do this, again, in my opinion. The PSS-23WRA is a big improvement on its own, and worth the spend. And if you can do it for the $850 that the components cost, you've got a great sound system upgrade for a helluva price.
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