LIS Audio May Feature – 2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Awesome sound does not always require revamping the entire audio system of your vehicle. There are various ways to achieve your preferred audio quality. We had a client interested in getting more out of his vehicle, at the same time he was not interested in doing a complete overhaul. After some discussion, we landed at the conclusion there was not enough bass being provided by the factory system. With careful planning we devised a solution that would fulfill our client’s need for bass.

In the case of this vehicle’s audio system, we only had to focus on one aftermarket amplifier. The amplifier required 4 gauge size wiring so we opted to use T-Spec’s V10 Oxygen Free Copper 4 gauge Amp kit. This kit features wiring that meets or exceeds the American Wiring Standard. This wiring helps deliver the correct amount of current needed to run the amplifier efficiently.

Battery Positive Connection
Routing in Engine Bay
Utilized factory tray for wire routing
Utilized factory tray for wire routing
Fuse Block Location

To properly retrieve audio signal from the factory system we utilized AudioControl’s LC2i. Using this device allowed us to process high level audio signal coming from the factory amp into low level signal the aftermarket amplifier would accept. This AudioControl unit also features a bass level knob, the ACR-1. We integrated the bass level knob into the fuse panel location just to the left of the steering column.

Signal Processor integration with Factory Amplifier
ACR-1 Bass Level Control

Powering the woofers, we decided to utilize the DS18 CANDYXXL1B amplifier. This amp is capable of providing one thousand watts of power at one ohm. At the receiving end of the CANDYXXL1B are a pair of DS18’s GENX104D 10 inch woofers. Each woofer is capable of handling four hundred and fifty watt of power. The woofers have the dual 4 ohm voice coil configuration, this allows us to wire the pair of woofers in parallel to achieve one ohm. This set up proved to be a clean and efficient choice of products with the vehicle as we had no headlight dim affect after installation.

Originally, the 2018 Chevy Malibu came with a closed rear deck and did not come with speakers from factory. We decided we would give the rear deck a custom touch that not only looked great, it would also serve a significant purpose to the quality of sound. We pulled the rear deck piece and removed a section of metal from the rear deck that was not structure supporting. We fabricated a trim ring upholstered in silver vinyl with black pressed mesh grille insert. We integrated the trim ring with the pressed mesh into the rear deck lid leaving an opening into the trunk. The new rear deck now allows sub bass to get from the trunk to the driver without laying the seats down.

Handcrafted Template
Details
Trim Piece Complete
Air Flow Perforation
Ready for Installation
Finished Product

The enclosure surrounding the DS18 10 inch woofers was fabricated out of three-quarter inch medium density fiber wood. This material is standard in our basic custom woofer enclosures. We upholstered the enclosure with black carpeting to get it a plush look. The enclosure features a removable port for different tuning options within the current specifications of the enclosure. Doing so leaves options for different woofer scenarios down road if our client decides that changing the woofers in an option. In side the woofer enclosure we added two internal braces to keep the box rigid for optimal sound reproduction.

Bracing
Port is Finished
Enclosure Orientation Behind Trunk Facia
Finished Upholstery

Finishing off the Malibu truck we fabricated a one-off trunk facia. The facia features interior matching upholstery and our beloved KC emblem right dead center. We added an L.E.D strip of cool white lighting to illuminate the KC emblem when the trunk is opened. The trunk facia not only finishes of the trunk, it also doubles as a protective barrier between everyday uses of the trunk and all of the brand new audio equipment.