Mustang '04 Conv - Mach460 Premium Sound Head Unit replacement

I have been researching the ability to replace my head unit with an aftermarket head unit in my 2004 Ford Mustang convertible (Mach460 Premium sound).

Some posts suggest there is an issue using the existing amps (2 additional amps) even with the Metra 70-5521 amp integrator harness. The head unit I am interested in (Dual XHD6425) comes with pre-amp outputs (RCA plug).  I see that the free (included with the Radio purchase) Crutchfield harness when I plug in my car model/year and head unit looks identical to the Metra one.

I realize that I will need to purchase low-pass crossovers for the subs and bass blockers for the tweeters to prevent speaker damage since the head unit does not have a high pass or low pass crossover built in.

Question:

Will the harness work with my existing amps and speakers. I only want to replace the head unit but don't want to have to replace all the speakers and no longer use the built in amps that power the subs.

Thanks in advance for any advice....


Regards,
Jeff

I am sure the harness allows you to retain the factory amps and subs.  I think it provides crossovers as well, but I'll try to confirm that.

Looks like you may need a regulator to prevent turn-on pop from the subwoofers, though. 

Thanks so much for your quick reply and link to the wiring diagram.  That will help alot particularly with the 5V regulator. 

Please let me know about the crossovers.  Everything I read suggested that if the Head Unit didn't have the crossover capability "builtin", then the inline crossovers would be necessary to prevent the unwanted frequencies from being sent to the tweeters and subwoofers.

Thanks again,

Jeff

as for the 5 volt regulator, I've also heard a 1.5k ohm resistor will work too... any thoughts tiger?

If you are keeping the speakers stock, they most likely have the crossovers already built in.  (in fact I'm almost positive) so you won't need a separate crossover... if you were putting in new speakers then you would get a component set that comes with the crossovers

netboy34:

as for the 5 volt regulator, I've also heard a 1.5k ohm resistor will work too... any thoughts tiger?

Might work if it dissipates enough power, but the regulator is only $1.59 and we know it works. 

If you are keeping the speakers stock, they most likely have the crossovers already built in.  (in fact I'm almost positive) so you won't need a separate crossover... if you were putting in new speakers then you would get a component set that comes with the crossovers

I'm pretty sure on the Mach 460, they are crossed over at the HU.  What I am thinking though is that the Metra kit includes the crossovers to replace them, but I need confirmation of this. 

Thanks again. 

I will go with the 5V regulator from Radio Shack.  Hopefully there is a logical place to connect the regulator for heat dissipation behind the radio. 

I assume the Crutchfield harness is identical to the Metra kit.  It seems that both Harness are fairly simple wiring harness with connectors.  The low pass and high pass filters available (with different frequencies) appear to have more sophisticated electronics to provide this functionality.  I wish the head unit I was looking at had the crossover capability (as many of them do) but the Dual xhd6425 has so many other features, I can't find anything that comes close at that price.

Low pass to prevent high frequencies (basically turns the Head Unit's pre-amp into a subwoofer preamp at: http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=82600&i=069900063&search=fmod&tp=117

High pass to prevent low frequencies from being sent to the tweeters (I assume I would need two sets of two for all the speakers) at: http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?search=high+pass+crossover&i=127BB600A2

Let me know what you find out about the Crutchfield harness and the crossovers.  If the Metra has the crossovers built in but the Cruthfield one doesn't, I may opt to purchase the Metra harness instead making the Crutchfield purchase less attractive due to higher price.

Also, if you have any suggestions for the "cutoff" frequency for both the high and low pass crossovers (they have several that function at different frequencies), I would appreciate that, as well.

 Thanks,

Jeff

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure, but we may be worrying about nothing.

I know what you mean, and I have heard and seen other MACH kits that said the speakers were crossed over at the HU, but I don't see any of that info for the 2004 Mustang.

I have asked an administrator to research this as well though.

The CF kit is the Metra Kit.  I found instructions for the CF kit here and it doesn't mention crossovers either.

I know what they are and my HU doesn't have them either - wish it did. 

Hey Jeff,

 

You will be happy to know that you won’t need to purchase a separate crossover at all. The amplifier that is part of the Mach 460 system has the crossovers built-in, which will ensure that the door woofers don’t receive frequencies that could potentially damage them. As for the tweeters, they have a built in crossover as well, so you can install the Dual receiver you are looking at with the installation accessories and you will be good to go.

 

I hope that helps out.

Thanks J P !!!

Thank you so much for all your assistance.  I will be ordering the Head Unit.  I have some good instructions for removing the bezels to expose the radio for removal and installation.

The only questions remaining are...

1) Whether I need a Ford Radio removal key (I don't think so for the 2004 Mach460) since everything I read says it is a simple bolt after removing the bezels.

2) Whether I need to attached the 5v regulator (from the remote lead to the amps) to something to act as a heat sink or whether the amount of heat generated is not large enough to concern myself with that.

3) What the best way to connect the wires from the 5v regulator to the wiring harness (and in general the other connections as well). I prefer not to use solder.  Not sure if butt splice connectors, wire taps or electrical tape would be sufficient.

 Thanks again for all the valuable information and tips.

 Jeff

rose69:

1) Whether I need a Ford Radio removal key (I don't think so for the 2004 Mach460) since everything I read says it is a simple bolt after removing the bezels.

If you order from CF, they will include them if you need them, but I don't think you do (if you don't have the trademark "holes" on the side of the factory HU, then you don't. 

2) Whether I need to attached the 5v regulator (from the remote lead to the amps) to something to act as a heat sink or whether the amount of heat generated is not large enough to concern myself with that.

I don't think it is going to cook eggs or melt the plastic, but I haven't used one.  I would likely bolt it to the firewall behind the dash somewhere and call it good. 

3) What the best way to connect the wires from the 5v regulator to the wiring harness (and in general the other connections as well). I prefer not to use solder.  Not sure if butt splice connectors, wire taps or electrical tape would be sufficient.

You ruled out the best way already - solder - although I don't like it either.  You will probably want to at least solder on primary wires for the regulator, get a friend to do it if you have to.  For the rest of the wiring - I used Posi-Products on my last install and Crimp Caps when I had too many wires for the Posi-Products (you shouldn't run into that).  No problems so far.

You guys rock !!!  I can see why people say to spend a little more but get it from Crutchfield.

I think I am out of questions except for whether you still recommend the Y-adapter per your post http://community.crutchfield.com/forums/permalink/14315/14360/ShowThread.aspx#14360 since my head unit does have front and read preamp RCA outputs. 

Do we know which of the plugs in the Metra harness go to the front or rear amps ?  If not, I will post once I get it installed.

Once again, I can't thanks you guys enough.  Now for the fun part...

 Jeff

rose69:

You guys rock !!!  I can see why people say to spend a little more but get it from Crutchfield.

Thanks ... 

I think I am out of questions except for whether you still recommend the Y-adapter per your post http://community.crutchfield.com/forums/permalink/14315/14360/ShowThread.aspx#14360 since my head unit does have front and read preamp RCA outputs.

You've done some homework also - that was a pretty old post.  The CF wiring info says the same for the 2003 and 2004 (in this respect) I think, so yes I would recommend this, it's optional though - low bass is omnidirectional, but if you don't do so you will only be getting left channel bass from the front and only right channel bass from the rear - (or vise-versa).  It looks like Ford had it set up this way from the factory, though. 

Do we know which of the plugs in the Metra harness go to the front or rear amps ?  If not, I will post once I get it installed.

I don't but CF might - if you look at their harness instructions, they say the red plug is woofers and the white plug is subwoofers - been a while since I've been in a Mustang, and I'm going from killing time in the dealership and CF info, but I think there are 8" woofers in the door and 6x8's LPF'd in the rear, so I'm guessing subwoofer is front and woofer is rear.

You'd wire it up the same way either way, but curiosity would be bothering me, so I wouldn't mind getting official feedback.

Once again, I can't thanks you guys enough.  Now for the fun part...

No - that's after the install (for most people) !!!  

Followup..... 

The installation went flawlessly.  The 5v regulator was installed without any incident.  I will tell you that the Radio Shack 5V regulator can be inserted in the power cable connector  for a computer's 3.5" floppy drive to make the whole cabling assembly much easier. 

Also, the front preamp is the subwoofer and the rear preamp is the woofer for any interested.  I made sure of this and tested the subwoofer and woofer functionality by pulling the RCA cables before completing the installation.

The sound quality is awesome particularly with the HD FM and AM.  Despite things I have read, the quality greatly exceeds that of the Mach 460. Very impressive.  No crossovers needed as you already described.

The only concern was the metra hardness has a blue wire not described adjacent to the orange dimmer cable on the large connector.  Nowhere in the documentation was the purpose of this cable mentioned so I just capped it off.  No harm, no foul but would like to know what it is for.

Thanks again for all your help.  Crutchfield documentation is flawless and I will be certain to order from Crutchfield again in the future.  As I said before....YOU GUYS ROCK !!!!

Thanks,
Jeff

Glad it worked out great!!!!

Thread on the wire here, oddly enough ...