A local business owner from here in Ocala, Florida, dropped by Ocala Car Audio with his wife to talk about making some upgrades to this 2011 Chevy Silverado 2500HD. The truck was to be a gift for their son’s 16th birthday, and they wanted an audio system and some accessories installed as a holiday present. The client found us through our website and online reviews. We put together a proposal for the client and, on his approval, scheduled an appointment to begin work on this Silverado 2500HD audio upgrade.

Starting from the Front

The addition of the Kenwood radio gives this truck top-of-the-line technology and features.

The front camera was flush mounted in the bumper.

The client chose a Kenwood eXcelon DNX893S double-DIN source unit. This unit features a 7-inch screen and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. We installed the Kenwood unit using a Best Kits BKGMK317 mounting kit and integrated the radio with the vehicle data bus using an Idatalink Maestro RR module. The module provides audio connectivity and vehicle access functions on the screen of the Kenwood.

The Kenwood radio has dual camera inputs. We used the rear factory camera and added a front camera from AIS. We mounted the LCCAM1 front camera in the center of the front bumper. The rear camera shows on the screen as soon as the vehicle is in reverse. The client just has to tap a button to bring up the camera image and can easily toggle between the front and rear camera displays.

JL Audio Amplifiers, Speakers and Subwoofers

JL Audio C3 speakers are a huge improvement over the stock speakers.

The JL Audio Stealthbox is contoured to perfectly fit under the rear seat.

With the seat down it looks like the enclosure could be a factory option.

We ran three sets of Memphis Car Audio 17-etp-12 interconnects from the source unit to a pair of JL Audio HD Series amplifiers. We used an HD600/4 to drive the front, and rear speakers and an HD750/1 to power the subwoofer enclosure. We used a T-Spec v10-rak4 V10 Series 4-AWG power kit to connect the amplifiers to the battery under the hood and a Stinger SPD570 power and ground distribution block to split power delivery between the pair of amplifiers. Our team mounted the amplifiers to a panel on the rear wall of the truck.

The client chose a set of JL C3-650 convertible components for the front of the truck. We mounted the midrange in the door on BKGMSB356 adapter plates after applying a thorough layer of Roadkill sound-damping material to the door. The sound-damping dramatically improves the performance of the speaker by sealing off any openings in the door that might allow cancellation of bass and midbass frequencies. For rear speakers, the client chose JL Audio C3-525 speakers that drop right into the factory locations.

The client wanted much better bass performance from his new system. We ordered a JL Audio SB-GM-SLVCC2/12TW3/BK Stealthbox for the Chevy. This enclosure fits perfectly under the rear bench seat of the truck and is home to a pair of 12TW3 subwoofers.

Cosmetic and Lighting Upgrades

The door trims were also upgraded with the silver accents.

The silver trim package really freshens up the interior of this truck.

The taillights not only look great, they enhance the safety of the truck.

The new headlight upgrades look great!

Even the third brakelight and bed light got a lighting upgrade!

The cosmetic upgrades began with the installation of a CarID aluminum interior trim kit. We prepped all the surfaces with wax and oil remover before mounting everything using the provided two-sided tape.

The factory headlights on the truck were starting to fade and simply did not look “fresh” any longer. We looked at several lighting options for the truck before finally settling on Anzo 111281 replacement headlights. These light assemblies feature dual projectors and a U-bar accent strip around each one. We installed a set of Racesport H1 and H3 HID headlight upgrade kits to provide maximum light output.

The client also requested a set of Anzo 311226 smoked LED tail-light assemblies for the truck. These look much better than the factory lights and make the truck look newer than it is.

The last component was an Anzo 531067 third brake light and truck bed light. This light uses LEDs for excellent output and efficiency.

Silverado 2500 Audio and Lighting Upgrade Delivery

The client and his family returned to Ocala Car Audio to pick up his truck and listen to the new audio system for the first time. They were stunned by how much better the system sounded. They said it was not only a lot louder and had more bass, everything was clearer and had more detail.

If you are interested in upgrading the audio system in your car or truck, drop into our store, call us at 352-512-9897 or send us an e-mail HERE for more information.