Kicker Key Amp 200.4 Install DIY Video - Do this first!

[Bronc OH]

I agree with the amber lights on low bass songs (Volume around 22). I believe its because of the kicker EQ switch but I haven't disabled that and tested. Until then I have just tuned back mid/bass in the sound settings of the head unit.

Otherwise Its a great little add on, so much better then stock. I replaced the 4in and 6.5in with Kenwood's as well. I have a Kicker HS8 which I need to get installed. I might end up having a shop doing that install. I am getting to that age where I think I would rather pay someone to do that kind of grunt work.

I agree. I'm getting too old for the 'car stereo' yoga where you contort your back in the driver side footwell to get the d*mn power wire through the firewall. It took me at least 10 tires and every knuckle i've got is skinned

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[labwagon]

If you are using the Kicker KEY, you dont necessarily need the bass blockers as the amp will set the crossover points for you. You just need to ensure the DIP switches are in the correct positions for your particular setup.

I don't believe the Kicker KEY can set different levels for the 4" dash and 6.5" kick panel given they are running on the same channel. In order to drop the low frequencies from the 4" dash you should need a bass blocker.

 

[djn3400]

I don't believe the Kicker KEY can set different levels for the 4" dash and 6.5" kick panel given they are running on the same channel. In order to drop the low frequencies from the 4" dash you should need a bass blocker.

It can set different levels for the 4” and the 6.5 if you use Bi-amp mode. This is what I did. It puts a high pass filter of 320Hz on the dash speakers and a low pass filter of 640Hz on the kick panel speakers.

 

[Frankie945]

I ended up trying some Rockford fosgate 6.5 in my kick panel because I had them left over from my other car I figured with the key amp they’d be okay but I was surprised how much better the factory 6.5’s sounded I ended up putting the factory’s back in they have excellent mid bass for what they are. Last night I tapped into the kicker key wire harness for the speaker inputs and added my old Rockford fosgate 10” powered sub and holly smokes that’s made the most difference of any upgrade I’ve done yet to the audio. Feel like I’m at a rock concert now. Not a fan of having a sub box in my trunk space though I fly a lot of rc planes and need as much room as possible back there. If anyones in the Louisville KY area and wants a p300-10 that’s been taking care of and thumps hard as fuk send me a pm I’d take 125 for it picked up. Think I’m going to get a slim powered sub like the hs10. A good sub is definitely what this bronco was missing.

 

[labwagon]

It can set different levels for the 4” and the 6.5 if you use Bi-amp mode. This is what I did. It puts a high pass filter of 320Hz on the dash speakers and a low pass filter of 640Hz on the kick panel speakers.

Did you run new speaker wire to your dash speakers? Trying to figure out how you separated the signal given the factory harness uses the same wire for both kick panel and dash.

 

[HotdogThud]

Got my kit 11 installed today! Everything went well and was super easy. About 45 minutes to install, although I was rushing quite a bit. Sounds phenominal compared to the head unit amp. Pairs well with my JL's.
Rear speakers actually sound like real speakers now, so I'm happy.

4x JL Audio C1-400x
2x JL Audio C1-650x

I still need to calibrate, but the top is off currently, so that will have to wait.

Zip tied currently, but will come back and drill some holes once I get some hardware.

it appears that you went the exact same route with speakers and amp. Were you able to find a clever place to put the crossovers for each side, or did you just give up and wire them directly into the amp?

I ended up fabricating a bracket to mount the tweeters up top in the existing 4" hole tho:

 

[djn3400]

Did you run new speaker wire to your dash speakers? Trying to figure out how you separated the signal given the factory harness uses the same wire for both kick panel and dash.

I did not run new speaker wires to the dash (only down to the kick panel area). I had previously replaced both the dash and kick panel speakers using the metra harnesses. The metra harness for the kick panel speakers has "loop backs" for both the positive and negative input signal from the head unit. So the input signal comes in from the factory harness (pins 1 and 4, positive and negative respectively) into the metra harnes where it continues on the the kick panel speaker, but the loop sends the same signal from pins 1 and 4 back out to pins 2 and 3 into the factory harness which run up to the dash speaker.

So, what I did was cut that loop in the metra harnes, tap the incoming side of it (from pins 1 and 4) as the signal into the key, then run the output from the key into the other side of that loop which goes into pins 2 and 3 of the factory harness and out to the dash speaker. I then ran the other output from the key (for the kick panel) to the metra harnes and spliced into the lead from pins 1 and 4 that go into the kick panel speaker. So esentially the Metra harness is connected to the factory harness, but I cut all the wires coming out of it to use as my input into the key and receive the outputs from the key.

Doing it this way accomplished a few things:
1. No factory wires were cut/spliced/tapped or harmed in the making of enhanced audio
2. All wires to, and from, the key terminate at the same location (behind the kick panel trim)
3. No need to run new speaker wires up to the dash speakers
4. No need to remove the speakers I had already installed

Hopefully, I explained this well enough. It's hard to describe in words but if you look at the wiring diagram for the speakers and understand what the Metra harness for the kick panels looks like and what it does, it makes a lot more sense.

 

[22BlackDiamondGreen]

Has anyone installed with the JBL Soundbar?

 

[roofone2]

I did not run new speaker wires to the dash (only down to the kick panel area). I had previously replaced both the dash and kick panel speakers using the metra harnesses. The metra harness for the kick panel speakers has "loop backs" for both the positive and negative input signal from the head unit. So the input signal comes in from the factory harness (pins 1 and 4, positive and negative respectively) into the metra harnes where it continues on the the kick panel speaker, but the loop sends the same signal from pins 1 and 4 back out to pins 2 and 3 into the factory harness which run up to the dash speaker.

So, what I did was cut that loop in the metra harnes, tap the incoming side of it (from pins 1 and 4) as the signal into the key, then run the output from the key into the other side of that loop which goes into pins 2 and 3 of the factory harness and out to the dash speaker. I then ran the other output from the key (for the kick panel) to the metra harnes and spliced into the lead from pins 1 and 4 that go into the kick panel speaker. So esentially the Metra harness is connected to the factory harness, but I cut all the wires coming out of it to use as my input into the key and receive the outputs from the key.

Doing it this way accomplished a few things:
1. No factory wires were cut/spliced/tapped or harmed in the making of enhanced audio
2. All wires to, and from, the key terminate at the same location (behind the kick panel trim)
3. No need to run new speaker wires up to the dash speakers
4. No need to remove the speakers I had already installed

Hopefully, I explained this well enough. It's hard to describe in words but if you look at the wiring diagram for the speakers and understand what the Metra harness for the kick panels looks like and what it does, it makes a lot more sense.

Very helpful, thank you. I'm going to take the same approach, albeit just tapping into the Metra +/- for a mono Kicker amp for a Kicker sub I'm adding to my B&O system.

 

[TXArea51]

I ended up trying some Rockford fosgate 6.5 in my kick panel because I had them left over from my other car I figured with the key amp they’d be okay but I was surprised how much better the factory 6.5’s sounded I ended up putting the factory’s back in they have excellent mid bass for what they are. Last night I tapped into the kicker key wire harness for the speaker inputs and added my old Rockford fosgate 10” powered sub and holly smokes that’s made the most difference of any upgrade I’ve done yet to the audio. Feel like I’m at a rock concert now. Not a fan of having a sub box in my trunk space though I fly a lot of rc planes and need as much room as possible back there. If anyones in the Louisville KY area and wants a p300-10 that’s been taking care of and thumps hard as fuk send me a pm I’d take 125 for it picked up. Think I’m going to get a slim powered sub like the hs10. A good sub is definitely what this bronco was missing.

Any pictures of the wires you taped into by any chance to add the powered sub.

 

[BadK22]

I don't believe the Kicker KEY can set different levels for the 4" dash and 6.5" kick panel given they are running on the same channel. In order to drop the low frequencies from the 4" dash you should need a bass blocker.

Yes, this only works in bi-amp mode.

 

[Frankie945]

Any pictures of the wires you taped into by any chance to add the powered sub.

I took a box cutter blade and shaved the insulation off a little and soldered to them just used electrical tape to cover back up. Nobody going to see it anyways. White wire on top is the +.

I got this coming tomorrow in the mail I’ll let you guys know how it goes. Plan to put it under the driver seat should fit just stick out a little, will see.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PTD/Sound-Ordnance-B-8PTD.html

 

[cmcbronco]

I took a box cutter blade and shaved the insulation off a little and soldered to them just used electrical tape to cover back up. Nobody going to see it anyways. White wire on top is the +.

I got this coming tomorrow in the mail I’ll let you guys know how it goes. Plan to put it under the driver seat should fit just stick out a little, will see.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PTD/Sound-Ordnance-B-8PTD.html

I thought about tapping these too and I’m sure it’s fine but PNP told me what wires they use where the two large flat plugs come together for a sub tap if you had molex connectors you could just make 4 wires and push them in their plug and tap there. A resistor is also recommended though.

 

[Frankie945]

I thought about tapping these too and I’m sure it’s fine but PNP told me what wires they use where the two large flat plugs come together for a sub tap if you had molex connectors you could just make 4 wires and push them in their plug and tap there. A resistor is also recommended though.

It worked good with the 10” sub I tried. I figured as long as I got it tapped from the input and not the output from amp should be good.

 

[cmcbronco]

It worked good with the 10” sub I tried. I figured as long as I got it tapped from the input and not the output from amp should be good.

Ya like I said I’m sure there’s no difference but if you didn’t want to cut and splice wires there’s a way to do it. Either way I’m sure it’s fine. Did you use a resistor? Not really a sure how much of a difference that makes either but the guy at PNP was pretty Adamant about using one.

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