madmanmax3000

Here are some pictures of the speakers!

Take a look at the difference in magnets! Jeez!




Here is the old tweeter and the new tweeter, as you can see the new one is an oval and it will be quite a challenge to custom fit it into the dash




Here are the housings they come with:




I am considering surface mounting them to the sail panels:




What do you guys think??

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

it looks like its only the top that is oval. does the underside circle part fit in the stock tweeter holes?

madmanmax3000

my spacers will be here saturday, so hopefully I'll know what I'm doing with the tweeters by then!

Tomorrow I'll try to post up some pics of my sub, it's beautiful, 10" dual voice coil and immaculate build quality

madmanmax3000

Yes, I can shave it down to make it circular but it wont fit in the stock tweeter grill. I was going to modify the stock grill, but I realize that I cannot mount the new tweeter on it easily because the silk dome stick up about 1/4" above the top of the plastic on the new tweeter

Mounting them on the sail panels would be much better for sound, but would create permanent holes in the sail panels. However, I wouldn't have to modify anything and I would get a better sound stage. My only concern is that it would be more noticeable and create a target for theft if anybody looked closely enough.

What do you guys think?

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

speaking of new sub.. my new sub came in today, 15" treo SSI dual 4ohm, this thing looks mean! was just a quick shot of it (without the packaging materials) from my camera phone. Already in the car... all my new amps are just sitting there waiting for the balun

madmanmax3000

Damn man that's a big sub! Mine's a prototype sub, so there aren't official specs on it. I need to figure out a good way to measure it so I can get a box built. I don't have any calipers that big

madmanmax3000

So now I need to buy a subwoofer amp, and I have a couple questions.

1) How many watts should my sub have if I have ~400watts combined on my other speakers? It's one 10" sub

2) How much should I care about quality of the amplifier for my sub? Can anybody say that they've truly noticed a difference between a class D vs. a class A/B, or between a cheap brand vs. a more expensive brand on their subwoofer amp?

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

Power handling of your sub depends on the sub

Usually quality amps puts out quality CLEAN power

madmanmax3000

Good news guys, there was never anything wrong with the amp.....my battery was 99% dead!

I was trying to get the amp to work and noticed the lights dimming, and immediately realized that the car hadn't been started in a couple weeks and I've been doing a lot of work in it with the battery connected so it must have drained.

Anyway, I jumped it, let it run for a while and plugged the system back in. The amp sounds amazing! Very very clean sound. I can honestly say this is one of the best amps I've ever heard. Audison sound is fantastic.

So this means that we can add another few amps to the list of differential-balanced amps: Audison, Next, and Zapco (called Zapco to check a couple weeks ago)

Now I need to figure out what to do about amplifiers. I can either use the 5 channel Next, which is 72x4 + 240x1 with no remote subwoofer control

-or-

Use the 4 channel Next 85x4 and an Audison 220x1 (or similar) in order to have remote subwoofer control and a few more watts to the mids and tweets

What do you guys think? Any suggestion for sub amp w/ remote gain?

lensam69

Up to you really...
Sounds like your heart is set on the remote sub control. From where I'm sitting it looks like you've already made up your mind (You just haven't realized it yet).

Congrats on figuring out the problem.

madmanmax3000

Hey everybody, question. How do I fasten my spacer to the door? Do I use self-tapping sheet metal screws or should I be using nuts and bolts?

Also, do I need to coat them in fiberglass resin or would spray paint be just fine?

mercman

Pre-drill the spacer and use sheet metal screws.

madmanmax3000

Thanks Jeff, I'm gonna run to the Depot and pick up some hardware, hopefully I can get most of this stuff mounted today.

Just an update on amps, I'm going with a Next 4ch and a Zapco 1ch for the sub. The Zapco is a Class AB 250W, I'm pretty excited about it.

Also, does anybody know what adapter to get for the tweeter wiring? I am debating just running my own wires to them, but would rather just get the right adapter. It is a different one than for the door speakers.

dkm201

I think most people have just run wires for the tweeters, it's pretty easy to just drop the wires down the hole. I haven't seen an adapter that fits the tweeter harness.

Reach

Just snap in t-taps to the existing tweeter wires, its extremely easy and reversible.

madmanmax3000

Question about wiring up my subwoofer....It's a dual 4ohm voice coil. My amp can run at:

2x75W @ 4ohm
2x125W @ 2ohm
1x250W @ 4ohm

How can I wire up my sub to get maximum efficiency? If I wire in bridged parallel I will end up with 2ohm and hurt the amp. If I wire in bridged series I will end up with 8ohms and (I assume) 125W. If I wire the amp as seperates I will get 75W on each voice coil for a total of 150W.

Is there any way to get the 250W safely to my subwoofer?

Thanks

lensam69

Your best bet is to use one voice coil on each channel like you said, for a total of 150W.
Make sure that the channels have the exact same input.

If you try to bridge the amp into a 2 ohm load trying to get the 250W, it will either shut down automatically, or fail altogether, as you are exceeding its rating.
And don't try to get smart and connect only one voice coil in bridged mode. You will get your 250W, but it will shift the Thiele/Small parameters of the sub, rendering your current cabinet useless. You would need to measure the new parameters, and recalculate/build a new cabinet.

madmanmax3000

Okay, time to resurrect this thread. For those of you that can believe it, I'm just starting to stitch things back up in my car. Jeff has been a tremendous help with a bunch of problems that arose in my system. I ended up needing Jeff's balun along with a delay circuit to eliminate a pesky turn-on pop. So things are finally done and I have a couple questions.

I have my amp mounted on the back of my rear seats, and the crossovers installed in the middle of the car, in the cutout of the bottom of the backseat. My question is, where do you guys think I should put the balun? My plan is to put it under the backseat also. This way I can keep interconnects short and not have anything rattling around behind the trunk liner. My only reservation is the potential wear on the cables, and the possibility of somebody sitting on the seat and disconnecting an RCA. I bought a few sizes of split-loom and I was just going to cover up all of the wires as best as I can.

What do you guys think I should do with these wires that are currently curled up on my empty backseat? I can post up pics in a couple hours if that would help.

EDIT: I WILL post up pics in a couple hours cause I'm sure some of you guys want to see them

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

I've been waiting for days on these pics. Where they be?

madmanmax3000

Hey, sorry man. First my camera was missing, then I found it in the morning so I took some pics, but I was away for the weekend and didn't have time to upload them. I'm at work right now, but I have the pics and I'll put them up as soon as I'm back at my home comp.


Everything is installed and working, but my original plan of putting the baluns and other devices under the rear seat backfired. The rear drivers seat is about 2 inches higher than the rear passengers seat. I'm going to have to move the balun to the spot behind the driver's side trunk liner.

I'll post up the pics of what I've got, but it's going to have to get changed However, it's GREAT to be driving my car again!

madmanmax3000

Sorry for the wait, here they are

madmanmax3000

Some things to note:

The thing in the formerly blank switch panel is my remote level control for the subwoofer. It has a black knob on it and looks like it came with the car.

The velcro does not do a good job holding the subwoofer in...I found out on the way home from work today.

The picture of the seat is there to point out that the drivers side of the rear seat is higher, although you absolutely can't tell from the picture. I'm not entirely sure why I posted it.

As you can see I have a packet of lots of wires and boxes under the back seat, and they don't fit. It is definitely noticeable when you sit in the back that the seat is uneven. Later this week I will try to move the stuff.


So, do you guys think putting the stuff behind the trunk liner on the left side of the trunk is a good idea?

Also, any secure but removable ways to secure the subwoofer box to the rear corner? I may occasionally need to take out the sub when traveling.

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

Looking good!! Two screws on that enclosure will do some good. If you really need to pull it out it's always just a matter of unscrewing. Might take you 5 minutes.

madmanmax3000

I guess I don't really understand where you say I should put screws. What I am envisioning you meaning is the head of the screw being on the inside of the box, which would mean I'd have to take the woofer out to take the box out. Is that what you had in mind?

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

L-brackets worked for me when I had my small box, my current box fits very snug so I don't need anything to hold it. Bolting/screwing through the box into the floor would probably be the safer way, in both stability-wise and theft deterrent wise

White92

Yes, that's what he means.

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

I doubt that you'd need to pull it very many times. But when you do, removing the 8 subwoofer screws and 2 mounting screws should take you less than 5 minutes. Unless your drill's battery is dead. If you use L brackets on the front of that enclosure I will drive to your house and repo it from you.

madmanmax3000

I guess you're right, it would only need to get taken out when I'm in my garage where I have my drill, plus I always keep screwdrivers in the car for a worst case scenario.

In your experience, what kind of screw grips the corrugated plastic material of the trunk liner? I was thinking of deck screws but they're all pretty long.

madmanmax3000

And you don't need to worry about L-brackets, you wont find any near that enclosure

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

You'll be mounting to metal. One screw through the bottom and one screw through the back. Pretty much any screw 1.5" to 2" long will work. Something with a fine/med thread pattern.

I might see how much your local car audio shop would charge to mount it. It sounds like this scares you a little, no?

madmanmax3000

Nah Travis, I'm not scared to do it. I've just been a real "think 20 minutes for every 10 minutes of work" kinda guy during this project. I want to make sure everything works out right.

My trunk liner is still unclipped so it's no big deal for me to pull it out and mark off a couple good spots to drill into. I just want to make sure I avoid the hose going to the fuel tank, seeing as it's directly behind the sub enclosure. Is there anything underneath the subwoofer I should be concerned about puncturing that you know of?

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

20 for every 10... I like that.

There is nothing under the enclosure except a metal floor. You definitely want to avoid running into anything behind the enclosure.

White92

I don't understand why you would ever need to remove the sub enclosure. Isn't that one of the main reasons to buy Travis's enclosure? It takes up so little space. It's not like a huge sub box that takes up 3/4 of your trunk. If this box is still taking up to much room, maybe you need a different car with a bigger trunk?

bullyx2

I have a similar enclosre in my car. Have had to remove it twice. Once for the project to remove the torsion bars that hold the trunk lid open. The other time was after I was rear ended. I didn't want the body shop guys messing with it so I did it myself. I can think of other reasons that don't involve recovering space. While the enclosure doesn't have to be simple to remove, it still needs to be possible.

madmanmax3000

I really don't envision myself needing to take it out, I just want it to be possible for that one time that I really need to.

I didn't get to the car last night cause I needed to work, but tonight I'm going to try moving all of the wires from under the backseat to behind the trunk liner. Once all of the wires are back there I can screw the enclosure in.

Did anybody put wires behind the left (or right, I suppose) side of the trunk liner? I'd be interested in seeing pics because I'm not entirely sure what my plan is. I hope I don't end up needing longer interconnects.

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

Hey Max, I was checking out your amp and was curious what the subwoofer is getting fed. From what you've shown me that sub is very meaty and has quite a large motor structure. Your amp looks like an older 6 channel. I would wager that your sub is seeing about 150 to 200 watts max. That subwoofer in that enclosure has a huge potential for hard hitting accurate bass. Assuming that the subwoofer's power requirements are met.

I don't remember there being very much room behind the trunk liner panels on either side. You've got a lot of luggage to stuff.

Excellent pics!!

madmanmax3000

Hey Travis, the sub is getting 240W RMS Class A/B power

I just took a bunch of pics of stuff out in the car but I gotta go get some food. I'll post up some stuff in an hour or so relating to screwing in the enclosure and moving the baluns.

madmanmax3000

This is the space behind the enclosure


Here's one spot where I plan on putting a screw to hold in the enclosure. It's right beneath where one of the plastic clips goes in, and it will prevent me from hitting any wires.


This is where that spot is, viewed from inside the enclosure


This is where I plan to put the other screw. Does anybody know if I'm going to end up drilling into my gas tank if I put a screw there?


Here's where I'm going to move the balun and bass control (hopefully)




New grounding point. Checked it against battery voltage, and it's a really good connection.


Finally got my composite video cable to the trunk for when I finish up the PnP cable for Dom's unit


Thankfully I remembered to leave a pull wire, so snaking the wire under the carpet was a breeze

madmanmax3000

Travis, here's the info page about my subwoofer:
http://www.renaudio.com/carstereo/canon.htm

I know the manufacturer, so mine is a prototype 10" version of the 12" on that link. Essentially the same specs though.

I know I'm not putting a tremendous amount of power to anything, but these speakers are extremely efficient. This is what I'm running up front ( http://www.renaudio.com/carstereo/WR-6.htm ) and they're only getting about 85W when they can take up to 200W RMS. The system already plays way louder than my ears can take so I don't have any real compulsion to add more power.

michep21

Is that the bar underneath the rear seat? and if your amps are in the trunk isnt that ground a little long in length?

Let me know...cuz I go home tomorrow and the troubleshooting starts.

step 1: recharge battery
step 2: move ground
step3: it better work
step4: do merc's tests



oh and sorry for the quick hijack...carry on (after u answer me )