View Full Version : New car hi-fi build!
no idea what i al have on my car these days... the air con doesnt work. the heated windows are patchy etc etc..but i do have a cd player which seems to be going out of fashion now. new cars dont seem to have them.
Yup, I'm all for "pure basic driving", and most importantly, feeling 'connected', rather than disconnected from the driving experience, which is what ACC does. However, I also like combining the former with *some* creature comforts;)
Marco.
My car fits me like a glove, and is comfortable. I have driven from Bristol to Toulouse and back several times in it. About a 13 hour trip each way. Who needs creature comforts?
Did you do a write up of the sound Marco as I seem to have missed it? Would be great to have an audiophile assessment of your ICE!:)
https://youtu.be/rog8ou-ZepE
My car fits me like a glove, and is comfortable. I have driven from Bristol to Toulouse and back several times in it. About a 13 hour trip each way. Who needs creature comforts?
Me - one of which is the subject of this thread!:ner:;)
Your Catty is cool, and no doubt a hoot to drive, but for my purposes completely impractical. I need a mix of fun and practicality, and for me, the Brabster ticks those boxes:)
Marco.
Did you do a write up of the sound Marco as I seem to have missed it? Would be great to have an audiophile assessment of your ICE!:)
Lol - briefly, but I'll see if I can do something a bit more in depth.
Marco.
no idea what i al have on my car these days... the air con doesnt work. the heated windows are patchy etc etc..but i do have a cd player which seems to be going out of fashion now. new cars dont seem to have them.
Yeah, that's largely because of cost-cutting, which is what most factory-fitted stereos are about. The average crap supplied, posing as a 'stereo', costs nearer pence than pounds to produce, especially when mass-produced in the tens of thousands.
As you'll have seen however, the Kenwood head unit I've got is bang up-to-date, and it has CD facility, which is what you get when the budget is higher:)
Marco.
Yeah, that's largely because of cost-cutting, which is what most factory-fitted stereos are about. Why fit something extra when you don't have to? As you'll have seen, the Kenwood head unit I've got is bang up-to-date, and it has CD facility:)
Marco.
also a lot of younger folk dont bother with cds now.. its all file based, which i suppose is fair enough to a point. i like cds but i have been doing a trial with files etc in car off my phone via the hands free into my radio via its inbuilt transmitter and it does work pretty well.. phone calls come through radio too. its a bit of an ad hoc system but i can see how it could work well.
guess its about getting into 21st century without kicking and screaming.... but i like a good scream:D
also a lot of younger folk dont bother with cds now.. its all file based, which i suppose is fair enough to a point.
Yeah absolutely, but my point is, when the budget is higher, you're still offered CD facility on today's head units, if you want it. I was in Halfords the other day, and around 70% of the head units they had for sale featured CD facility.
Regardless of trends, the fact is that there are simply too many CDs out there, still being played by the masses, for car audio manufacturers to ignore, and that will remain the case for some time yet, as they simply can't afford to alienate those customers.
Like you say though, that hasn't stopped car manufacturers cutting costs by fitting cheap stereos with no CD facility, as unlike car audio manufacturers with their products, they know that it's unlikely to stop anyone from buying their cars!;)
Marco.
Yup, I'm all for "pure basic driving", and most importantly, feeling 'connected', rather than disconnected from the driving experience, which is what ACC does. However, I also like combining the former with *some* creature comforts;)
Marco.But the point is you are disconnected when you want to be.
Being connected to unpleasant experiences is pure madness if you can avoid it, and let me put it this way. If you had it, I 100% guarantee you you would use it. Probably not as much as daily commuters, but you use cruise and ACC is simply a lot better.
Read the testaments of those who have it on this thread. It is a GOOD thing.
Rant over. Just trying to penetrate the brick wall.
Normal service now resumed.
This is a bit like me trying to convince Jerry to use a streaming service. Massive resistance followed by appreciative thanks.
You might need to change car which is a no no, obviously. So it is immaterial for you at the moment and therefore you are best ignoring it.
But the point is you are disconnected when you want to be.
Being connected to unpleasant experiences is pure madness if you can avoid it, and let me put it this way. If you had it, I 100% guarantee you you would use it. Probably not as much as daily commuters, but you use cruise and ACC is simply a lot better.
Read the testaments of those who have it on this thread. It is a GOOD thing.
Rant over. Just trying to penetrate the brick wall.
Normal service now resumed.
This is a bit like me trying to convince Jerry to use a streaming service. Massive resistance followed by appreciative thanks.
You might need to change car which is a no no, obviously. So it is immaterial for you at the moment and therefore you are best ignoring it.
I had cruise on om my skoda. it was great. I once went over to fife to the dealership without touching the brake or accelerator... just changed to speed on the gadget with my finger. you had to think way ahead but it worked. just to see if it was possible
Yeah if you have never had cruise getting it is good.
That said, my wife is a techno numpty and doesn't use it in her Merc.
My sister has ACC in her Cayenne. Doesn't use it. Because she doesn't get it. Techno numpty. Her 78 year old husband uses it.
But the point is you are disconnected when you want to be.
Being connected to unpleasant experiences is pure madness if you can avoid it, and let me put it this way. If you had it, I 100% guarantee you you would use it. Probably not as much as daily commuters, but you use cruise and ACC is simply a lot better.
Read the testaments of those who have it on this thread. It is a GOOD thing.
Rant over. Just trying to penetrate the brick wall.
Normal service now resumed.
This is a bit like me trying to convince Jerry to use a streaming service. Massive resistance followed by appreciative thanks.
You might need to change car which is a no no, obviously. So it is immaterial for you at the moment and therefore you are best ignoring it.
Are you on commission for ACC, or something, daftee?:lol:
I'd give it up dude, because this is going nowhere, and we'll never agree... It's only a GOOD thing, *if* the individual concerned perceives it as such. If not, it's the opposite.
I simply have no need for ACC, because as I've already explained, the roads I drive on mostly, and how I use my car, doesn't warrant me having it, notwithstanding the fact that I don't like the message it promotes of computers eventually becoming more in control of the car than the (human) driver!! We discussed this last night.
*That*, muchacho, would disincline me from using ACC, purely out of principle, no matter how 'good' or otherwise it was in practice, as I dislike the precedent it sets. And principles are VERY important to me, as they're what defines us as individuals [free-thinkers] and makes us WHO we are, rather than simply puppets, brainwashed by 'the system'...;)
Technology like that simply encourages laziness, and neglecting using the senses and natural instincts we were born with - all of which I'm vehemently against. Having machines doing our thinking for us is one of the reasons why the world's in the state that it's in!
So it is immaterial for you at the moment and therefore you are best ignoring it.
Exactly, which is precisely what I intend on doing!:thumbsup:
Marco.
A few blue-glowy shots of the boot I took the other night:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/924/q8htsa.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/921/EHnhmW.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/922/73Pf3Q.jpg
Looks ok, but it's quite hard to photograph:)
Marco.
you can see the blue tinge to the boot.. guessing a flash went off on the camera
walpurgis
06-10-2018, 11:43
Won't your golf bag and groceries squash the woofer? ;)
you can see the blue tinge to the boot.. guessing a flash went off on the camera
Yeah, probably. You get the idea, though:)
Marco.
Won't your golf bag and groceries squash the woofer? ;)
Lol - nah, groceries go in the back seat. It's harder to conceal corpses, though!:eyebrows:
Marco.
walpurgis
06-10-2018, 11:49
Box of grenades and a flame thrower weigh a bit too. :eek:
Lol - nah, groceries go in the back seat. It's harder to conceal corpses, though!:eyebrows:
Marco.
usually put my groceries in back seat too. its closer from there to the house as i can get it very close to front door. Keep the boot for passengers
Passengers aren't something I get much of, so the back seat is almost always empty:)
Note how clean I keep the inside of the car (as well as outside), as I can't bear it being dirty!;)
Marco [likes having that 'new car' feeling every time he steps inside].
Passengers aren't something I get much of, so the back seat is almost always free:)
Note how clean I keep the inside of the car (as well as outside), as I can't bear it being dirty!;)
Marco.
sadly...
...mines a pigsty, but i cant clean it very well now. cant afford a valet either/
Pigmy Pony
06-10-2018, 12:53
usually put my groceries in back seat too. its closer from there to the house as i can get it very close to front door. Keep the boot for passengers
You wouldn't want to be a passenger in the Brabster boot - that sub would turn your bowels to water.
sadly...
...mines a pigsty, but i cant clean it very well now. cant afford a valet either/
Job for me then, next time I'm up!:cool:
Marco.
You wouldn't want to be a passenger in the Brabster boot - that sub would turn your bowels to water.
Ha - gives you a nice back massage in the rear seat, and 'vibrates' a few other parts nicely too, no doubt...:eyebrows:
Marco.
Pigmy Pony
06-10-2018, 13:13
Job for me then, next time I'm up!:cool:
Marco.
The Marco Car Wash Service - back in business! Do you still use chamois leather nipple tassels to dry the paintwork?
Nahh bro, dat shit be fo' losers. Thatz what da tongue of mah biiiatch is for, innit:eyebrows:
Marco.
Job for me then, next time I'm up!:cool:
Marco.
tis a heap of junk now alas. last year of its service then gone. rust underneath has got to it(all the salt up here)
Pigmy Pony
06-10-2018, 16:17
Nahh bro, dat shit be fo' losers. Thatz what da tongue of mah biiiatch is for, innit:eyebrows:
Marco.
Look at you, all grown up and badass now! Should get you some action with the ho's on McDonalds car park. Or is that hoes, or hose, or 'O's?
walpurgis
06-10-2018, 16:32
Look at you, all grown up and badass now! Should get you some action with the ho's on McDonalds car park. Or is that hoes, or hose, or 'O's?
If you greet one say Hey Ho. If you meet two, it's Yo Ho Ho, if you date one it's IvanHo.
Pigmy Pony
06-10-2018, 16:46
If one gave me a ride to Blackpool, I could shout Westward Ho!
If you greet one say Hey Ho. If you meet two, it's Yo Ho Ho, if you date one it's IvanHo.
And if you live with two and pump them both, it's ménage à-ho!:D
Marco.
And if you live with two and pump them both, it's ménage à-ho!:D
Marco.
And if you don't stop soon I'll need a po
Was that a poo or a poke?:D
Marco.
Potty po.
Can see you've not had kids lol
Potty po.
Can see you've not had kids lol
actually at my grans yhere was always one under the bed too..yuk
Exactly, which is precisely what I intend on doing!:thumbsup:
Marco.
Exactly, exactly dude. I had given up, as the prose so obviously states. You've just invested in a big sound system for that vehicle, so you ain't going to be changing it for a while.
Whatever… do either of use really give that much of a ^&*%? I'm pretty sure not.
All salient points have been made. Let others decide what they think about it.
Potty po.
Can see you've not had kids lol
Lol, indeed. Never heard of it - the "po" bit, that is... Obviously I've heard of a potty.
Marco.
actually at my grans yhere was always one under the bed too..yuk
We just used the loo;)
Marco.
Exactly, exactly dude. I had given up, as the prose so obviously states. You've just invested in a big sound system for that vehicle, so you ain't going to be changing it for a while.
Whatever… do either of use really give that much of a ^&*%? I'm pretty sure not.
All salient points have been made. Let others decide what they think about it.
Indeed - all's cool:cool:
Marco.
We just used the loo;)
Marco.
think they were called chamber pots, but they were just fancy pottys
Lol - before my time (and level of civilisation);)
Marco.
walpurgis
07-10-2018, 12:15
think they were called chamber pots, but they were just fancy pottys
I still use one. Saves tramping out to the loo at the bottom of the garden in the middle of the night after a skinful. Gets a bit whiffy after a big dump though! :D
I still use one. Saves tramping out to the loo at the bottom of the garden in the middle of the night after a skinful. Gets a bit whiffy after a big dump though! :D
can crack the porcelain doing that... smelly enough with a bucket of pish under the bed; especially with central heating :eyebrows:
OMG... <BOAK>:spew::spew::bog::bog:
Thankfully, I still haven't reached the stage of having to get up for wee in the middle of the night!:ner:
Marco [nowt wrong wiv his bladder, just his arse]:D
OMG... <BOAK>:spew::spew::bog::bog:
Thankfully, I still haven't reached the stage of having to get up for wee in the middle of the night!:ner:
Marco [nowt wrong wiv his bladder, just his arse]:D
:rfl: it reminds me of an episode of still game ;)
Haha, aye, this wee chap....
https://youtu.be/u5xrGW_jlYg
A veritable classic!:D:lol:
Marco.
great that.. had forgot about that.. was thinking this one
https://youtu.be/CYb6atSk3Kk
Dude check this out.
I am going to research getting this done on my Apogee covers. It is expensive, though. Not sure what is happening in this country. Just this minute discovered it.
https://youtu.be/RUBVrrk9y8U
Plenty of other Lumilor on YouTube.
Jac Hawk
07-10-2018, 15:30
One observation i don't think anyones made is you're boot is almost unusable due to the woofer, if you have some sort of grill then it will give the bass bin a bit of protection but if not then you can't even put a bag full of shopping in there without the fear that it could tip over and damage something. A number of years ago i paid a small fortune on an Alpine and Infinity Kappa system in my old M5, the guy that fitted it put a fake floor in the boot into which the amps went and i had 2 x 12inch Kappas attached to an MDF panel hard up against the back seats, the reason he insalled it like this was so that i could still use the boot.
Pigmy Pony
07-10-2018, 19:11
No, he puts his shopping on the back seat - the boot is purely for the sub, amps, dead bodies and the intestinal gas purifying unit. Oh and the emergency adult nappies.
Dude check this out.
I am going to research getting this done on my Apogee covers. It is expensive, though. Not sure what is happening in this country. Just this minute discovered it.
https://youtu.be/RUBVrrk9y8U
Plenty of other Lumilor on YouTube.
Lol...Love it. Would be cool on an American muscle car, or something of that ilk, but not on the Brabster. That's just a step too far:D
Marco.
Hi Mike,
One observation i don't think anyones made is you're boot is almost unusable due to the woofer, if you have some sort of grill then it will give the bass bin a bit of protection but if not then you can't even put a bag full of shopping in there without the fear that it could tip over and damage something.
Firstly, my wife's car, which is a little A-Class hatchback, is used for (as she calls it) all the "shit shifting", such as when anything large has to be transported, or for trips with stuff to the skip, etc, in order to keep my car as nice/clean as possible. Therefore, out with of holiday times, [where we also employ the use of a roof rack] and when there may be suitcases in there (which I've tested for and fit fine), there won't be much going in the boot. When stuff is being transported in my car, the back seat will be used first.
However.... Just to test things, today we went shopping to the supermarket and happily put five big bags of groceries in the boot, some of which covered the surface of the sub, without any issues whatsoever, and whilst still listening to music on the stereo, sounding great. The subwoofer cone is significantly recessed into the boot floor panel, which pictures don't show clearly. Plus, the cone material used is a dense/hard plastic, which would be very difficult to damage, short of sheer carelessness, which thankfully isn't something I'm prone to.
Daftness, yes, when I'm in the mood!:D So worry not dude, it's cool!:cool:
Marco.
Jac Hawk
07-10-2018, 21:31
Don't get me wrong Marco, it looks the muts nuts and I'm sure it sounds good too, but I would never have installed it that way no matter how tough the cone is, I wouldn't want anything to fall or get spilled on it. My M5 had 4 amps a crossover and a fan to keep things cool under a false boot floor, 14 speakers including the 2 12" subs and apart from the Alpine rather than the stock Blaupunkt head unit you were hard pressed to see it, I could also stick anything I wanted in the boot and not have to worry about spoiling a superb car with a roof rack, admittedly it didn't look as good cos you couldn't see it.
Sure mate, I know where you're coming from, but trust me, it's really not an issue. At the end of the day, *I* am in charge of exactly what my car is used for and what gets put in the boot, so nothing will be going in there that could potentially damage the sub.
It's just my wife and I who use the car, and as I said, she's got her own car, which is also used for the bulk of whatever stuff we need to transport. My car is mainly just for fun purposes, and for me to preen and polish!:eyebrows:
And yeah, cheers, the new sound system defo does sound like the muts nuts:D
Marco.
Lol...Love it. Would be cool on an American muscle car, or something of that ilk, but not on the Brabster. That's just a step too far:D
Marco.Nah. That and bouncy front wheels, surely, Low Ryder stylee:wink:
Imagine a hi-fi system decked out in it. Glowing amps etc. Somehow I feel Wilsons for the bill.
Actually I am really vaguely toying with the idea. A place near Birmingham does it. Big worried it might react to being close to magnet arrays, though.
https://wesprayanything.com/
Jac Hawk
07-10-2018, 22:10
Ok, in my case the M5 was my main car and back in those days car stereo theft was rife, so the under stated look was recommended, i remember going to the place where i had it installed, the guy had an Escort RS Turbo ramed with gear, like yours you could see everything and it looked awsome, i wanted it just like that but he talked me out of it. I get what your saying about it being a weekend car of sorts but having a boot is handy and by installing the kit in a slightly different way you would have had the same sonic performance without having to loose your boot, ohh and by the way I thought you were a grown man and not 20 year old Kevin from Essex, are the blue LED's really necessary, :doh::doh::eek::eek::eek: mid life crisis or what.
Haha... Aye! :eyebrows:
Not exactly "necessary", but they look cool at night and illuminate the amp control settings in dark conditions, should I be fiddling with them (which has been the case recently, to get the sound spot on to my requirements). Plus if you scroll back, you'll see that there are plans to demo the system at bake-offs and meets, plus also perhaps at the Cranage Hall show next year, so with the boot open doing precisely that, the LEDs look good and show off the amps and sub nicely:)
It also matches the 2 x banks of four blue 'Brabus' LEDs, fitted under the driver and passenger door sills, which shine onto the ground when the car is stationary and the doors are open, or when you unlock the car with the key fob, so it all adds to the 'night-time light show'!:D
Like I said, I haven't lost my boot (used today in the normal fashion without issues), and that will continue. It's not a 'workhorse' car mate, by any means. I also live in a nice, quiet area, and no-one ever sees inside the boot, plus with the 'blacked out' windows, it's pretty hard to see inside the car itself, and if you do, it just looks like a normal factory-fitted stereo system, with a decent head unit. The car's also fitted with a very good alarm system.
S'all good!:cool:
Marco.
This video of the Brabster shows the LED 'door-sill lights' in question, and other bits and pieces, including the blue illuminated 'Brabus' front-door footplates:
https://youtu.be/cruzGg2S75w
You can see the four LEDs (per side) shining down on the ground (but not when the car is in motion). It's all part of the Brabus mods. It does look cool at night, when the car is first unlocked, as they come on, along with the Xenon headlights:cool:
Marco.
Nah. That and bouncy front wheels, surely, Low Ryder stylee:wink:
Imagine a hi-fi system decked out in it. Glowing amps etc. Somehow I feel Wilsons for the bill.
Actually I am really vaguely toying with the idea. A place near Birmingham does it. Big worried it might react to being close to magnet arrays, though.
https://wesprayanything.com/
Lol, could be cool at a party... Hey, if it's an itch ya gots ta scratch?:eyebrows:
Marco.
Lol, could be cool at a party... Hey, if it's an itch ya gots ta scratch?:eyebrows:
Marco.I was thinking something based on the Apogee Interstella graphic I used on my crossovers.
That's basically a silver on black cartoon space type graphic. Put that all over the covers and it won't look overly glam. It'll just look cosmically subtely &£#+ing cool.
Maybe. Need to get a graphics package on it.
You have to get these things right. Otherwise a bright orange disaster is very possible.
This video of the Brabster shows the LED 'door-sill lights' in question, and other bits and pieces, including the blue illuminated 'Brabus' front-door footplates:
https://youtu.be/cruzGg2S75w
You can see the four LEDs (per side) shining down on the ground (but not when the car is in motion). It's all part of the Brabus mods. It does look cool at night, when the car is first unlocked, as they come on, along with the Xenon headlights:cool:
Marco.Just imagine nothing but a small Brabus logo on your boot lid where most model IDs go. Small, Brabus font. But is just lights up.
No one else is going to have that. Until they see yours.
Just sayin'.
It could be very cool. Course you:d have to always drive at night to get the point across, but hey.
Note your happiness with your posted video LEDs etc. This has potential if you use your head right.
Yeah, dude I hear ya... Maybe. I'll follow your lead, if you try it!:eyebrows:
Anyway, just thought, in the interests of balance, I'd show some pics that were taken of the same stereo system (minus the dedicated amp for the sub), when it was 'installed' (not to anywhere near the same standards) in my last car [note what the sub was like before being externalised from its enclosure]:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/911/BomYd7.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/538/ILoa7u.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/909/kfWLRE.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/913/xDZVCQ.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/673/8pxHqs.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/540/2i3WaR.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/537/zAnETM.jpg
I loved that car, affectionately known as 'The Hearse':eyebrows:, but much prefer the one I have now. Quite a difference, though, when you pay a professional installer to do the job, and make things look as far as possible 'factory'!:eek:
Marco.
Just had a small sub upgrade... Out goes the JBL, and in comes a B2 Audio IS12 V3, which as you can see dwarfs the JBL:eyebrows::
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/gBDIVz.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/8THWVA.jpg
Even though both are 12" subs, the size of the magnet on the B2 is twice the size and the overall construction is much more heavy-duty, to take the extra power. This one is a limited edition, with a carbon-fibre dust cap. Details of the B2 here: http://www.b2audio.com/is
The B2 is dual-voice coil 1.9ohm, which allows me to get much more power out the amp (750W). Still running it in, but the difference is, erm, FRIGHTENING!!:eek::eyebrows::eyebrows:
Marco.
Heavy duty thing that [emoji106]
Yup, look at the construction of the basket... Makes the JBL look like a toy, and that was no slouch. Danish made, and designed for competition use, mate:)
Even using it on low power at the moment (takes 30 hours to run-in before you can run it on full power), the sheer weight, extension and dynamic attack, with bass notes is just awesome:D
Marco.
fatmarley
01-03-2019, 22:30
36mm xmax!!! Holly s**t that should go rather loud.
All you need to do now is upgrade the components to JBL Stadium 600C (https://uk.jbl.com/speakers/Stadium+GTO600C_.html?cgid=speakers&dwvar_Stadium%20GTO600C___color=Black-GLOBAL-Current)
Lol - just a bit mate... For those who are unfamiliar with XMAX: https://www.subwoofer-builder.com/xmax.htm
If I do upgrade the amps (although I'm currently very happy with what I've got) it'll be to the matching ones from B2: https://www.b2audio.com/products/amplifiers or Gladen: https://www.gladen.com/amplifier.html
But that's for another day - need to run this sub in now!:cool:
Marco.
Earthquake in N Wales....:D
hehehe... Almost as much of a bang as one of my botty-burps!:eyebrows:
Marco.
spendorman
02-03-2019, 14:50
I'm going to nick your subwoofer, it's got more power than my engine.
Lol - what kind of car have your got?:)
Marco.
spendorman
02-03-2019, 15:10
Lol - what kind of car have your got?:)
Marco.
Wooden pistoned 1989 1.4 Volvo 340GL with over 200,000 Miles on the clock
spendorman
02-03-2019, 15:20
Well, It is insured under classic car insurance, comprehensive with breakdown recovery, £130 for the last year.
I have a 340 GLE 1.7 too, and three classic Minis, one of which is a Riley Elf.
fatmarley
02-03-2019, 15:23
Inspired by this thread and sick of the crap sound in my equally crap Toyota Auris, I bought a JBL Club 5501 (https://uk.jbl.com/complete-collection/CLUB-5501.html) 350W 4ohm Class D mono amp (£100 Ebay), some PeaceMAT XR sound deadener £20 (Cheap copy of Dynamat) for the doors and i'm planning on buying a Kenwood KFC-WPS1200 (https://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/car/amp_spk/com/KFC-WPS1200F/)F subwoofer. It only needs about 22ltr box volume to work, so should fit behind the passenger seat.
Nice one, Matt. What head unit have you got?:)
I'd seriously recommend that you upgrade the door speakers too. as if they're stock, they'll be worse than SHIT. The ones in my Merc certainly were, and decent quality door speakers can be had pretty cheaply. Upgrading the door speakers will make a MASSIVE difference, as indeed will paying due attention to dampening.
A company I've used and highly recommend is Car Audio Security, which is where I got all my JBL stuff from: http://caraudiosecurity.com/
Marco.
fatmarley
02-03-2019, 17:13
Nice one, Matt. What head unit have you got?:)
I'd seriously recommend that you upgrade the door speakers too. as if they're stock, they'll be worse than SHIT. The ones in my Merc certainly were, and decent quality door speakers can be had pretty cheaply. Upgrading the door speakers will make a MASSIVE difference, as indeed will paying due attention to dampening.
A company I've used and highly recommend is Car Audio Security, which is where I got all my JBL stuff from: http://caraudiosecurity.com/
Marco.
Head unit is just a cheap Alpine CDE-1338T. I don't use the CD though, just USB with a flashdrive.
I don't think the stock speakers are that bad, the main problem is the lack of depth, but if i'm not happy with them after the sound deadening. I'll maybe upgrade them to Hertz Uno (https://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/car-audio-systems-uno-k165/) because they a very efficient and work well without an amplifer (also because I like the sound of paper speakers over most other materials)
Nice one. Have a play and see how it goes... Make sure you document the project and take some pics when you get cracking with it, as I'd be interested to see how you get on:)
Here's a 'moody' glowing pic of the bad-ass B2 in situ (with JBL amps in the background):
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/f1fn44.jpg
Marco.
fatmarley
02-03-2019, 22:38
Nice one. Have a play and see how it goes... Make sure you document the project and take some pics when you get cracking with it, as I'd be interested to see how you get on:)
Here's a 'moody' glowing pic of the bad-ass B2 in situ (with JBL amps in the background):
Marco.
I'll try to remember to take pics but I usually forget :(
I'm still undecided about what subwoofer to use and i'm wondering if a hifi subwoofer/midbass driver would be better for what I want to do. The 12" Peerless 830669 looks to model quite flat in a small, fully stuffed, sealed box when you add the cabin gain and boundary reinforcement of a car. Problem is, i'm only guessing the figures when modelling. What I don't want is the horrible deep bass rumble without any midbass punch that you often get with car subwoofers. Somethnig tells me the light coned Peerless would be better suited to crossing to standard, unamped door speakers.
Do you use any eq for your subwoofer?
That's a long old thread.
Marco,
I never thought of you as a JBL guy!
My impression would be a JL Audio Deck with Audison Theseus amps And Speakers, Audison Saunos 10 awg. wire.
https://www.audison.eu/product_lines/thesis/
https://www.audison.eu/products/th-k2-ii-p-coro/
Audio Al
03-03-2019, 04:48
That's a long old thread.
Marco,
I never thought of you as a JBL guy!
My impression would be a JL Audio Deck with Audison Theseus amps And Speakers, Audison Saunos 10 awg. wire.
https://www.audison.eu/product_lines/thesis/
https://www.audison.eu/products/th-k2-ii-p-coro/
I think Marco's next thread may be about screen wash ;)
I think Marco's next thread may be about screen wash ;)
Yep, There is a dealer/installer a block away from my house. He is the U.S. custom installer for Porsche , I have seen $60,000 dollar installs.
The results are stunning. Both visually and sonicly .
I never knew car audio could ever sound that good.
They can strip the whole interior out,dampen every panel and part, no road noise, the whole car is deadened , plastics are lined to prevent squeaks and everything is mapped to be refitted with amps, speakers disappearing motorized screens, serious alarm systems, security window films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyKlP2trTrc
I have even seen pepper spray ports fitted that can be triggered by your cell phone if your car is stolen. Imagen driving away in a car you just stole, suddenly the shatter proof windows roll up and the doors lock by them selves, the engine then stops, the car alarm begins to sound and you are trapped then suddenly pepper spray fills the inside of the car. Then the doors unlock. A voice from the car is telling you the police are on the way.
Then use the tracking app to go get your car, bring a wet towel to clean the crap off the seat.
A experience like that ends car theft, for most people.
I'll try to remember to take pics but I usually forget :(
I'm still undecided about what subwoofer to use and i'm wondering if a hifi subwoofer/midbass driver would be better for what I want to do. The 12" Peerless 830669 looks to model quite flat in a small, fully stuffed, sealed box when you add the cabin gain and boundary reinforcement of a car. Problem is, i'm only guessing the figures when modelling. What I don't want is the horrible deep bass rumble without any midbass punch that you often get with car subwoofers. Somethnig tells me the light coned Peerless would be better suited to crossing to standard, unamped door speakers.
Do you use any eq for your subwoofer?
Not currently, as it's still running in, so everything is set wide open and flat, with the amps running on low power. Need to put at least 30 hours on it, before I can fully 'unleash the beast'... And based on what I'm hearing so far, that should be quite something!:eyebrows:
Marco.
That's a long old thread.
Marco,
I never thought of you as a JBL guy!
My impression would be a JL Audio Deck with Audison Theseus amps And Speakers, Audison Saunos 10 awg. wire.
https://www.audison.eu/product_lines/thesis/
https://www.audison.eu/products/th-k2-ii-p-coro/
Haha - baby steps, dude, baby steps... Just getting into this car audio malarkey, and learning as I go along. I love big JBL hi-fi speakers, but that wasn't really the reason I went JBL for the car.
I had a gut feeling [and my gut feelings usually pay off] that it would give me a lot of BANG for my buck [high SPPV] and it's certainly proved that way, as is sounds astonishingly good for the relatively small outlay (less than £600) for all the amps and speakers, although of course the new B2 sub was rather more expensive than the JBL it replaced.
The most expensive part of the system was the custom install itself (£3k), which I went to town on, in order to get the sound as good as possible, and the Kenwood head unit, which was just shy of £2k. The amps are the best part of the JBL kit, which really do punch well above their weight, and why I'll be hanging onto them for a while yet.
The next thing to upgrade will be the JBL door speakers, which will be replaced with some from Gladen. The current ones are 5.5", and the existing door apertures can take 8", so that's what will be fitted, front and back.
I'm not in a hurry to do that yet though, as the sound is fantastic as it is: crystal-clear and expressively lucid with vocals, such that you can hear every musical nuance in the mix. The overall presentation is wide-open and sweet sounding, very detailed, but not harsh in any way, and the bass has massive weight and extension, coupled with gut-wrenching, sledgehammer punch!!
As I said, I haven't run in the new sub yet, which is a different animal to the previous JBL, but even with that one, and the amps turned up to just under clipping point, I was getting SPLs of just under 130db!:eek: and which was enough to blow your hair about (what little I have left, lol) and flex the car windows!!:D:lol:
And there's ZERO bass boom or that 'wallowy rumble', you often get from car subs, as the car itself had been very well damped with Dynamat (Mercs are also solid cars to start with), and the install designed to allow everything fitted, from amps to speakers, to 'breathe' and release its full potential.
I shudder to think what the B2 sub will do, as it's considerably more powerful and efficient, especially now that the amps are also producing more power! Fun times ahead, man....
Marco.
Jac Hawk
03-03-2019, 09:56
So let's get things straight, you have put a competition sub in yer boot, the boot from what i can see is full of lights (no idea why you would put lights somewhere you can't see or don't look) the boot is also unusable to carry anything as the sub has been cleverly put in the floor...hmmmmmm
MID LIFE CRISIS OR WHAT!!!!!!!!!!
You'll be hanging out at the local Sainsburys car park next with yer boot wide open pumpin out the toonz :rock: to the pimped up Corsa possie :hotrod:, make sure you pull yer undies up to your navel and your jeans (which must be at least 2 sizes too big) pull them right down so you're barely wearing them :lolsign::lolsign:
fatmarley
03-03-2019, 10:06
Interesting that you mention 130db because that's the kind of potential spl that I'm modelling in the software, so my Sims can't be far out. Stick the same subwoofer in a normal sized room and you wouldn't get anywhere near those kind of spls.
Around 25 years ago I had a JL 10w6 subwoofer in my car and that would cause pain in one of my ears at high volume, so I'll have to be mindful of that. Don't want to damage my hearing.
So let's get things straight, you have put a competition sub in yer boot, the boot from what i can see is full of lights (no idea why you would put lights somewhere you can't see or don't look) the boot is also unusable to carry anything as the sub has been cleverly put in the floor...hmmmmmm
MID LIFE CRISIS OR WHAT!!!!!!!!!!
You'll be hanging out at the local Sainsburys car park next with yer boot wide open pumpin out the toonz :rock: to the pimped up Corsa possie :hotrod:, make sure you pull yer undies up to your navel and your jeans (which must be at least 2 sizes too big) pull them right down so you're barely wearing them :lolsign::lolsign:
Hahahaha... You're a hoot!!:D
We've been here before, daftee, so you know the score with the boot. It's got nothing to do with a mid-life crisis either, any more than owning and driving a fast car has... I just like top-notch sounds when I'm out and about, as much as I do with the system in the house, and it takes what I've done to achieve the type of sound I want (and one that would satisfy me):)
I'm certainly not interested in entering competitions, although I'd like to demo the car system sometime at one of the hi-fi shows (which is why the lights were fitted, as it looks cool, for display purposes, with the boot open). That would be fun, and likely also get Sean (the installer) some more business, because he's a good guy and top-notch at his job!
Trust me, you'd love how it sounds - it's a total RIOT!:eyebrows: I like an adrenaline rush... And so there's nothing more fun than taking the Brabster out on the (near empty) country lanes of North Wales, throwing it round corners, with Metallica pumping out a levels that almost stop your heart from beating!!:lol:
Having FUN mate, and enjoying yourself, is what life's all about. Plenty of time for pipes and slippers later (you can give me some recommendations):lolsign:
Marco.
Interesting that you mention 130db because that's the kind of potential spl that I'm modelling in the software, so my Sims can't be far out. Stick the same subwoofer in a normal sized room and you wouldn't get anywhere near those kind of spls.
Around 25 years ago I had a JL 10w6 subwoofer in my car and that would cause pain in one of my ears at high volume, so I'll have to be mindful of that. Don't want to damage my hearing.
Yeah, you've got to look after yer lugs, so those SPLs are strictly for short bursts, when you feel like having a giggle:D
Marco.
Pigmy Pony
03-03-2019, 21:29
Hahahaha... You're a hoot!!:D
We've been here before, daftee, so you know the score with the boot. It's got nothing to do with a mid-life crisis either, any more than owning and driving a fast car has... I just like top-notch sounds when I'm out and about, as much as I do with the system in the house, and it takes what I've done to achieve the type of sound I want (and one that would satisfy me):)
I'm certainly not interested in entering competitions, although I'd like to demo the car system sometime at one of the hi-fi shows (which is why the lights were fitted, as it looks cool, for display purposes, with the boot open). That would be fun, and likely also get Sean (the installer) some more business, because he's a good guy and top-notch at his job!
Trust me, you'd love how it sounds - it's a total RIOT!:eyebrows: I like an adrenaline rush... And so there's nothing more fun than taking the Brabster out on the (near empty) country lanes of North Wales, throwing it round corners, with Metallica pumping out a levels that almost stop your heart from beating!!:lol:
Having FUN mate, and enjoying yourself, is what life's all about. Plenty of time for pipes and slippers later (you can give me some recommendations):lolsign:
Marco.
Metallica? More likely Take That!
I take it from the above post that you (Marco) will not be at Kegworth. That would be a shame, I've not seen the Brabster since that time I was draped on the bonnet for that photo shoot. If you're simply worried about getting lost, no need to be - just use your sat nav, so you'll "Never forget where you're coming from". And I'm sure your woodburning stove can cope without you for a few hours. If the worst came to the worst, just text Dell and ask her to "Relight my Fire".
I hum Take That tunes to Metallica lyrics... It's a Welsh thing.
What date is Keggy again? I'll need to see. I might get a better offer;)
Marco.
Audio Al
03-03-2019, 23:02
16th 17th March 2019
Cheers, Al. Will defo bear it in mind... I'm a spontaneous bugger though (hate planning things unless I have to), so going along might just take my fancy nearer the time, especially if you daftees are going:cool:
Marco.
fatmarley
04-03-2019, 17:19
I took some measurements of the stock speakers today, to see how low they go. I need this info to see how high in frequency the subwoofer needs to go. Looking at it, I think I may get away with an Eminence Lab12C. It's far more than I need, but what the hell...
This was taken right up against the left speaker, on-axis. Getting an accurate measurement of the whole frequency range in a car is pretty much impossible but i'm only really interested in seeing the low frequency roll-off.
https://i.imgur.com/LVCowgO.jpg
Good stuff, Matt. So what's the next stage of the plan?
Here's a better glowing blue pic of my 'middle-age crisis'....:eyebrows:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/8jnbua.jpg
Sub is just about run-in now, and the [deep, punchy and sphincter-tight BASS] she's producing is just pant-wettingly funny!! It's aptly named as the 'RIOT Series'...:D It was rattling the roof on the installer's warehouse unit, pumping out some ICE CUBE...:eek:
https://youtu.be/izofEX-NQEU
:gig::gig:
Marco.
Nice looking install! I doubt it would hurt the woofer any to carefully set a few bags of groceries in the trunk? It might scramble your eggs on the way home!
It’s always nice to not be outdone at the stop light by some youngster who thinks his car is loud!
Russell
Nice looking install! I doubt it would hurt the woofer any to carefully set a few bags of groceries in the trunk? It might scramble your eggs on the way home!
It’s always nice to not be outdone at the stop light by some youngster who thinks his car is loud!
Hi Russell,
Nice hearing from you!:)
In terms of the bit in bold, no not at all. We went to IKEA, the other day, and the boot was filled with all sorts of stuff! It's not an issue, but as you say, eggs might not be a good idea:D
It's not just loud [painfully so, if you don't watch], but it delivers the sonic finesse of a quality hi-fi system, otherwise there'd be no point, as I'm after rather more than just some bass BOOM;)
Puts a smile on my chops, anyway, dude:cool:
Marco.
fatmarley
06-03-2019, 07:24
Good stuff, Matt. So what's the next stage of the plan?
Here's a better glowing blue pic of my 'middle-age crisis'....:eyebrows:
Sub is just about run-in now, and the [deep, punchy and sphincter-tight BASS] she's producing is just pant-wettingly funny!! It's aptly named as the 'RIOT Series'...:D It was rattling the roof on the installer's warehouse unit, pumping out some ICE CUBE...:eek:
https://youtu.be/izofEX-NQEU
:gig::gig:
Marco.
Next stage is to replace the car radiator :doh: It's got a nasty leak and even the Radweld isn't working anymore :( It's not easy having a midlife crisis on a budget :)
I've been modelling lots of subs in my price range and the Eminence (https://www.parts-express.com/eminence-lab-12c-high-power-12-subwoofer-speaker-driver-4-ohm--290-668) still comes out on top. Apparently it was designed to have a high QMS and low QES, which are desirable things to have in a subwoofer. The only thing that worries me is the foam surround. My old JL 10W6 surround disintegrated in the end. I didn't know there was such a thing as refoaming in those days, so I just threw it away :(
I'll have to give mine the "ice Cube" test when it's done :) I bet yours will be even better when you replace those door speakers for 8"ers. Lower mids and midbass should improve, i'd have thought...
Hi Russell,
Nice hearing from you!:)
In terms of the bit in bold, no not at all. We went to IKEA, the other day, and the boot was filled with all sorts of stuff! It's not an issue, but as you say, eggs might not be a good idea:D
It's not just loud [painfully so, if you don't watch], but it delivers the sonic finesse of a quality hi-fi system, otherwise there'd be no point, as I'm after rather more than just some bass BOOM;)
Puts a smile on my chops, anyway, dude:cool:
Marco.
It’s been a few since I’ve been able to read up on you guys.
That’s great! Car audio depends on having plenty of overhead. Even with all the sound proofing the noise floor while driving is much higher than setting at home. It’s nice to have the power and headroom to compensate. Having good tunes in the car makes any road trip less of a chore! I used to drive 45 minutes each way to work, and having a nice stereo in the car made all the difference. It was my personal time, the time I could crank up any music I choose and sing along if I want. Back then I had a rare Minidisc indash, which was pretty hot at the time.
Russell
Next stage is to replace the car radiator :doh: It's got a nasty leak and even the Radweld isn't working anymore :( It's not easy having a midlife crisis on a budget :)
I've been modelling lots of subs in my price range and the Eminence (https://www.parts-express.com/eminence-lab-12c-high-power-12-subwoofer-speaker-driver-4-ohm--290-668) still comes out on top. Apparently it was designed to have a high QMS and low QES, which are desirable things to have in a subwoofer. The only thing that worries me is the foam surround. My old JL 10W6 surround disintegrated in the end. I didn't know there was such a thing as refoaming in those days, so I just threw it away :(
I'll have to give mine the "ice Cube" test when it's done :) I bet yours will be even better when you replace those door speakers for 8"ers. Lower mids and midbass should improve, i'd have thought...
Yeah dude, get that rad sorted. Not much fun, but first things first!
Seems like the Eminence is the one for you. The foam surround might become an issue in future, but that could be years away... In the meantime you'll have had tons of fun out of it, and could probably either get it re-foamed or just buy a new sub. The good thing is, unlike with hi-end hi-fi, car audio parts aren't super expensive:)
Btw, if you like a bit of Ice Cube, check out this track [turn it right up, so it's loud and proud]:
https://youtu.be/oAwpYqq13xM
I was playing that earlier, at silly levels, and the bass was laugh-out-loud INSANE!!!:lol::lol:
Just NUTS, lol....Nearly took out the rear window!:mental::D
Marco.
It’s been a few since I’ve been able to read up on you guys.
That’s great! Car audio depends on having plenty of overhead. Even with all the sound proofing the noise floor while driving is much higher than setting at home. It’s nice to have the power and headroom to compensate. Having good tunes in the car makes any road trip less of a chore! I used to drive 45 minutes each way to work, and having a nice stereo in the car made all the difference. It was my personal time, the time I could crank up any music I choose and sing along if I want. Back then I had a rare Minidisc indash, which was pretty hot at the time.
Russell
Damn straight... That's why (as you seen earlier in the thread), amongst other things, the wiring loom installed is top-notch, both signal and power, but especially with power cables:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/923/A2adjI.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/rhiAUt.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/iapoIx.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/b8XapR.jpg
DON'T SKIMP ON THE COPPER!:nono: You need dem heavy duty, fat-assed homies to maximise current delivery and provide the (all-important) HEADROOM you mention! It's also why I uprated the car battery to one of these babies: https://www.bladeice.com/product/xs-power-xe12-80/
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/A0kxpL.jpg
Made a massive difference, compared with what was possible (and how the amps behaved) with a standard car battery.
Marco.
anthonyTD
06-03-2019, 11:02
Are there any super caps fitted near the amps ? When charged, They provide instant localised current capabilty.
Damn straight... That's why (as you seen earlier in the thread), amongst other things, the wiring loom installed is top-notch, both signal and power, but especially with power cables:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/923/A2adjI.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/rhiAUt.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/iapoIx.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/b8XapR.jpg
DON'T SKIMP ON THE COPPER!:nono: You need dem heavy-duty, fat-assed homies to maximise current delivery and provide the (all-important) HEADROOM you mention! It's also why I uprated the car battery to one of these babies: https://www.bladeice.com/product/xs-power-xe12-80/
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/921/A0kxpL.jpg
Made a massive difference, compared with what was possible (and how the amps behaved) with a standard car battery.
Marco.
Are there any super caps fitted near the amps ? When charged, They provide instant localised current capabilty.
Good question, mate. Not sure. I'll ask Sean that one!:)
What do you think of it? You'll giggle out loud when you hear it, trust me, lolz...:eyebrows:
Marco.
anthonyTD
06-03-2019, 11:49
The benefits the caps bring will depend on where the battery is fitted, usualy you would use them if the battery is in the front of the car, and all the sound system components are in the rear etc, having a thick cable from front to back is esential, but it will still have resistance, and thus will restrict [to a degree] the amount of instant current the amps can deliver, of course it will also depend greatly on the size of amplification, and how deaf you want to be!:eek::D
Good question, mate. Not sure. I'll ask Sean that one!:)
What do you think of it? You'll giggle out loud when you hear it, trust me, lolz...:eyebrows:
Marco.
Yeah, I get that. Fortunately, the battery in my car is situated in the rear, right next to the amps and sub! Therefore, power-cable length is minimal (only inches long), and so using 1/0 gauge cable minimises resistance to pretty negligible levels:)
In that respect, I think that current delivery is pretty instantaneous... THE whip-crack dynamics that the system delivers certainly makes your eyes blink!:D
Marco.
anthonyTD
06-03-2019, 12:27
:)
Yeah, I get that. Fortunately, the battery in my car is situated in the rear, right next to the amps and sub! Therefore, power-cable length is minimal (only inches long), and so using 1/0 gauge cable minimises resistance to pretty negligible levels:)
In that respect, I think that current delivery is pretty instantaneous... THE whip-crack dynamics that the system delivers certainly makes your eyes blink!:D
Marco.
Yo bro' now u is bad boy bass an pussy no longer I is coming to bomb da bass wid tu wid some of de good collie weed for smiles and chicks and laughs init.
Try typing that in with spiel check on. Not easy;)
fatmarley
06-03-2019, 20:56
Seems like the Eminence is the one for you. The foam surround might become an issue in future, but that could be years away... In the meantime you'll have had tons of fun out of it, and could probably either get it re-foamed or just buy a new sub. The good thing is, unlike with hi-end hi-fi, car audio parts aren't super expensive:)
Btw, if you like a bit of Ice Cube, check out this track [turn it right up, so it's loud and proud]:
I was playing that earlier, at silly levels, and the bass was laugh-out-loud INSANE!!!:lol::lol:
Just NUTS, lol....Nearly took out the rear window!:mental::D
Marco.
Yea, I think you're right. If the surround rots away, i'll buy another one - Eminence it is :)
First thing i'll be playing is Drum & Bass, followed by Rammstein and then some old school Metallica. If the girlfriends in the car it'll be Now That's What I Call Music xxx.
Sounds like you're having fun. Can't wait to get mine up and running...
Yo bro' now u is bad boy bass an pussy no longer I is coming to bomb da bass wid tu wid some of de good collie weed for smiles and chicks and laughs init.
Try typing that in with spiel check on. Not easy;)
Haha - made easier tho bro, after missy China White, she came callin'.....Muthafukka dat's some PRIMO shit:peace::eyebrows:
Marco.
Yea, I think you're right. If the surround rots away, i'll buy another one - Eminence it is :)
First thing i'll be playing is Drum & Bass, followed by Rammstein and then some old school Metallica. If the girlfriends in the car it'll be Now That's What I Call Music xxx.
Sounds like you're having fun. Can't wait to get mine up and running...
That's mad... I've also been playing some D&B and Rammstein (did Metallica yesterday)! Before I get to that though, these tracks were kickin' ass on the car system earlier (Some Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg in the mix):
https://youtu.be/aEi1ogqo8hs
https://youtu.be/pKhTQ0-0Zpg
https://youtu.be/dLg1NUiFEIE
Marco.
The Rammstein was this:
https://youtu.be/HbgmivJulxs
https://youtu.be/EOnSh3QlpbQ
https://youtu.be/W3q8Od5qJio
Amazing band, especially live. We went to see them play in Dusseldorf. It was one of the LOUDEST gigs I've ever been to - truly trouser-flapping stuff!!:eek::eek:
Marco.
Couple that might loosen your fillings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny_CDh30ShY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4__q9CapVo
Love it, Roy:thumbsup:
Hadn't come across Gorgon City before... Didn't think you'd be into stuff like that! I seen you as more of a Frank Sinatra man:eyebrows:;)
I'll do some dance/club/house stuff tomorrow (got tons of it) and it should give the sub a nice workout!:rave:
Marco.
Love it, Roy:thumbsup:
Hadn't come across Gorgon City before... Didn't think you'd be into stuff like that! I seen you as more of a Frank Sinatra man:eyebrows:;)
I'll do some dance/club/house stuff tomorrow (got tons of it) and it should give the sub a nice workout!:rave:
Marco.
Sinatra's ok but just don't do bass :D Don't forget Faithless (tearing off tights with my teeth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8JEm4d6Wu4
fatmarley
07-03-2019, 02:32
...
fatmarley
07-03-2019, 02:46
That's mad... I've also been playing some D&B and Rammstein (did Metallica yesterday)! Before I get to that though, these tracks were kickin' ass on the car system earlier (Some Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg in the mix):
Marco.
I'll have to get some of these tracks to test out the new system. Love that Gorgon city too.
One that used to sound impressive on my old system was this:
https://youtu.be/7TUPAXliAIM
I also used to love playing LL Cool J - Phenomenon:
https://youtu.be/FdavKNWlbTk
Back in the day, I had an older version of this. It's got some good stuff for testing (starts 3:50) and extreme bass/SPL stuff at the end (31:20).
https://youtu.be/TT3ZcND3Tqw
Sinatra's ok but just don't do bass :D Don't forget Faithless (tearing off tights with my teeth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8JEm4d6Wu4
Yesh, I've heard you do that with sweaty ones, toes first:D
Classic tune, though! Used to be a big Faithless fan.
Marco.
I'll have to get some of these tracks to test out the new system. Love that Gorgon city too.
One that used to sound impressive on my old system was this:
https://youtu.be/7TUPAXliAIM
Classic, mate! Since we're going a little 'retro', I'll take it back to this timeless classic, from the 80s, which I've still got on a (minty) 12-inch single:
https://youtu.be/9Bul0dJVfFQ
That should make the B2 pump its ass off!:D
Marco.
Pigmy Pony
07-03-2019, 13:37
Here Marco, something for the good people of Wrecsam:
https://youtu.be/kESOU80uWzc
Pigmy Pony
07-03-2019, 13:52
Or something a bit more mellow. Maybe not for the Brabster, it's here because I like it.
https://youtu.be/vUzVCw8BEXA
Pigmy Pony
07-03-2019, 14:05
Just one more:
https://youtu.be/tfmAcng7mo0
Like the last one, daftee. Do you approve of your new avatar? I tried my best to catch your best side, which I know is usually your backside:D
Marco.
I like this track from Pusha, which is slightly Moby-esque (aside from the lyrics:D):
https://youtu.be/wEEAqPMSZqU
Marco.
Pigmy Pony
07-03-2019, 19:36
Like the last one, daftee. Do you approve of your new avatar? I tried my best to catch your best side, which I know is usually your backside:D
Marco.
With a frontside like mine, the backside will always be an improvement. I think I overdid the mascara this time.
fatmarley
07-03-2019, 20:49
Just one more:
https://youtu.be/tfmAcng7mo0
Right up my street, that one.
fatmarley
07-03-2019, 21:10
Been reading up on Cabin gain in cars and long story short, every car is different and the position of the sub will produce different results. Here's a typical gain you would get:
https://i.imgur.com/fLsb8LT.jpg
You can achieve about 25db gain at 20hz. That's a hell of a lot. Put most car subwoofers in a home and they'd produce bugger all deep bass.
The fact that I don't know what my car is going to do with the frequency response of whatever sub I choose, coupled with the fact that I don't have any EQ, means i'll be buying blind, so I bought a brand new Rockford Fosgate 12" sub off ebay for £40. The sub gets very good reviews and it models with lots of punch (peaks at 60hz - assuming my simulations are anywhere near). With my current speakers I have to turn up the bass to +2 to get a balanced sound. looking at the Alpine head unit manual, the bass boost is at 60hz, so matches the Rockford.
If I don't like it, at least I can measure it, in and out of the car to find out what the cabin gain is. It was only £40 so not much to lose.
Nice one, mate. That should work well. Interesting about the gain thing, too...
You're right. If my B2 sub was in the lounge, it wouldn't be any where near as effective. However, the hardest thing to reproduce in a car is extended low-bass, simply because of the lack of space for such low notes to develop, which is where porting comes in, and why my installer paid due attention to that key aspect of the build:)
Back to music... Are you into Kosheen? This track contains some bad-ass bass:
https://youtu.be/2o9zTRC3TU8
Marco.
fatmarley
08-03-2019, 06:29
Nice one, mate. That should work well. Interesting about the gain thing, too...
You're right. If my B2 sub was in the lounge, it wouldn't be any where near as effective. However, the hardest thing to reproduce in a car is extended low-bass, simply because of the lack of space for such low notes to develop, which is where porting comes in, and why my installer paid due attention to that key aspect of the build:)
Back to music... Are you into Kosheen? This track contains some bad-ass bass:
Marco.
Here's an interesting article on wavelengths in room (https://www.acousticfields.com/wavelengths-in-our-rooms/). Long story short, you'd need a massive room to get accurate bass down to 20hz. You can see why so many people have problems with low frequencies (bass boom, peaks and dips etc).
Yes, quite like Kosheen.
Yup, and conversely why it's hard to get accurate low-bass with car audio.
That's why you need to implement the use of a well-designed porting system, which works in tandem with the speakers, utilising the car's internal cabin volume, to maximise low-bass frequencies. But even then, genuine low-bass will still be compromised, compared with what's possible from a good hi-fi system, using big speakers in a large room.
It's not really an issue though with most music, and the grin-inducing, sledgehammer mid-bass punch and dynamics that's possible with the best car audio systems, which few home hi-fi systems can match, more than makes up for it!:eyebrows:
Marco.
So are you using Bluetooth from your phone as your main source? Memory stick? How do things work these days? Do they still stick CD’s in slots?
Russell
Hi Russell,
All of that is possible with my Kenwood head unit. For me, mostly CDs, as I currently don't own a smartphone. I'm resisting the temptation so far (as I hate the bloody things), but no doubt will succumb at some point!;)
What I can do, however, when the car's parked outside the house, is access our wi-fi and use the Internet, as the head unit has that facility, and so in that respect simply acts as a computer, and therefore once online, I can log onto my Tidal account and access my playlist (or play any other music), or go onto YouTube - same applies with movies!:cool:
Marco.
fatmarley
09-03-2019, 22:34
Was thinking about upgrading my door speaker already (cars not even fixed yet!) but was worried about the lack of power from the head unit, so i'm thinking of buying a Sony MEX-GS820BT (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MEX-GS820BT-Premium-Media-Receiver/dp/B076CYB7NT/ref=asc_df_B076CYB7NT/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310747102469&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9005982001074791603&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006622&hvtargid=pla-383941287493&psc=1&th=1&psc=1). It's got a powerful, built-in Class D amp that's got a lot more poke than the usual built in amps.
Marco, If you're thinking of upgrading your components, i'm happy to take your old ones off you (assuming they'll fit a Toyota Auris). They do seem to get very good reviews.
You mean the JBL stuff, Matt?
Marco.
fatmarley
09-03-2019, 23:44
You mean the JBL stuff, Matt?
Marco.
Yes. Am I right in thinking you've got JBL GTO 609C?
Hi Russell,
All of that is possible with my Kenwood head unit. For me, mostly CDs, as I currently don't own a smartphone. I'm resisting the temptation so far (as I hate the bloody things), but no doubt will succumb at some point!;)
What I can do, however, when the car's parked outside the house, is access our wi-fi and use the Internet, as the head unit has that facility, and so in that respect simply acts as a computer, and therefore once online, I can log onto my Tidal account and access my playlist (or play any other music), or go onto YouTube - same applies with movies!:cool:
Marco.
That is amazing! It truly is a computerized head unit. I always loved my Minidisc Sony. While it may seem primitive by comparison, I could make compilations at home, and keep Mini’s in my car, as they are tough as nails. I found one under the seat that had been lost for a year! And it played like new.
But no need for all that hassle! With the WiFi streaming data straight to the dash. So? If you were to get a smart phone that has Hot Spot capability, then you can WiFi the head unit and do all the things you do in the driveway, anywhere? That certainly sounds attractive. To access your Tidal account anywhere on Earth your car may be? That’s certainly an incentive to hate smart phones just a little bit less?
Russell
Yes. Am I right in thinking you've got JBL GTO 609C?
Yup, dat's right:)
Marco.
That is amazing! It truly is a computerized head unit. I always loved my Minidisc Sony. While it may seem primitive by comparison, I could make compilations at home, and keep Mini’s in my car, as they are tough as nails. I found one under the seat that had been lost for a year! And it played like new.
But no need for all that hassle! With the WiFi streaming data straight to the dash. So? If you were to get a smart phone that has Hot Spot capability, then you can WiFi the head unit and do all the things you do in the driveway, anywhere? That certainly sounds attractive. To access your Tidal account anywhere on Earth your car may be? That’s certainly an incentive to hate smart phones just a little bit less?
Yeah, Russell, when/if I get a smartphone, any music that's on it can be paired to the head unit, and basically anywhere in the world where there's Wi-Fi, which I can access, will simultaneously allow the head unit to access my Tidal account, and probably also, via the smartphone, the 6TB music I have at home on hard-drives, stored on my personal clouds.
The wonders of technology, eh?:)
Marco.
fatmarley
06-04-2019, 08:06
Finally made a bit of progress. Front doors now have butly rubber damping sheets on both the inside and outside skin of each door and closed cell foam on the inside of the door panel. Sub box is built and sub fitted. New door speakers should arrive next week...
https://i.imgur.com/7EEgoQL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4ITnT3G.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dv5NaN2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9B3EkHb.jpg
Whoa, someone's been a busy boy!:eyebrows:
Did you build the sub-box to the correct internal volume for the driver? That's absolutely critical. A fair bit of maths is needed to get that right:)
Marco.
fatmarley
06-04-2019, 09:21
Ported is critical but you do have some leeway with sealed. A smaller sealed box takes more power to achieve the same volume as a larger one and it raises box q, so you can end up with a hump in the frequency response. But because I'm crossing at such a low frequency, the hump wont matter so much.
Recommended internal volume is 28ltr, mines 22ltr. Worse thing is to go too big imo, the cone just flops around and sounds loose (but obviously that's not the case if your driver has stiff suspension).
No worries... You'll just need to see how it sounds when you try it with some bass-heavy music, at volume. Is the sub going in the boot?
How much power's going to the sub?
Marco.
fatmarley
06-04-2019, 10:02
Sub is going behind the passenger seat.
I've got the same JBL mono amp as you, so 350w into 4ohm. If I feel it lacks depth, I'll buy the Eminence Lab12C that I mentioned earlier in the thread.
fatmarley
12-04-2019, 20:09
Fitted everything in, including a new pair of JBL GTO 609C components and - Oh dear! With the gain on the amp set to maximum there was hardly any extra bass. A select few tracks were loads better but most weren't that impressive. Feeling very dissapointed I Googled the problem and found out that Alpine head units have a subwoofer level control that adjust the pre amp output voltage. You have to set it to maximum before adjusting the gain (lots of people seem to have been cought out by this one).
How does it sound? It's like a disco in my car :) Bass is tight and hits hard, mids seeme pretty good to me. Treble is mostly good but sometimes gets a little bright or busy. One tweeter does measure with a big dip in the middle of the response (around 7khz IIRC). Maybe I should message the seller, or JBL UK?
I'm waiting for some foam rings (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/X2-Fast-Rings-6-5-6-Speaker-Foam-Pad-Ring-Baffle-Absorber-Kit-Insulation/333152827539?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649) to put around the outside of the midbass drivers to seal them against the door panel. Apparently it improves midbass and possibly midrange. I'll take some measurements after to compare.
Measured the thiele/small parameters of the Standard Toyota midbass driver. It's got an incredibly high QES (3.6) & QTS (2.6) caused by the smallest magnet i've ever seen on a speaker. It's 3db less sensitive than the 92.5db 2.83v/mtr JBL 609C.
Not sure if I should upgrade the head unit or not. If I do i'll probably get this - Alpine CDE-178BT (https://www.adamrayner.net/alpine-cde-178bt-single-din-cd-tuner-with-bluet/)
Good stuff, mate. Glad you got it sounding good in the end!:)
You're not still using the Toyota mid/bass drivers, are you? Because the JBLs shouldn't sound "bright or busy", although that could be the influence of the head unit. Make sure you familiarise yourself properly with all the setting controls, to optimise the sound as best as possible. Also play around with the positioning of your sub.
Btw, if you're thinking of upgrading your head unit, Kenwood do the perfect one at that price level, as it a very healthy output voltage, which gives the whole playback system/amps plenty of 'headroom'. My installer sells them, just need to check the model number, and I'll let you know, plus he'd do you a good deal:cool:
Marco.
The toyota sound system gets a bad name, although i think mine sounds pretty decent for a standard equipment...They do a jbl upgrade but i didnt bother.
fatmarley
13-04-2019, 10:43
Good stuff, mate. Glad you got it sounding good in the end!:)
You're not still using the Toyota mid/bass drivers, are you? Because the JBLs shouldn't sound "bright or busy", although that could be the influence of the head unit. Make sure you familiarise yourself properly with all the setting controls, to optimise the sound as best as possible. Also play around with the positioning of your sub.
Btw, if you're thinking of upgrading your head unit, Kenwood do the perfect one at that price level, as it a very healthy output voltage, which gives the whole playback system/amps plenty of 'headroom'. My installer sells them, just need to check the model number, and I'll let you know, plus he'd do you a good deal:cool:
Marco.
I've still got the standard Toyota speakers in the rear but they are playing at a 3db lower level because of the sensitivity difference over the JBL, and they are high passed at 80Hz. I haven't removed the door panel yet but I think they are a full range driver because there is no sign of a tweeter anywhere. Reading online and going by my old car hifi days, most people say you shouldn't use rear fill unless it's bandpassed and delayed. I think i'll try fading to the front on my head unit to see what the JBLs sound like on there own. The old tweeters sounded similar (with and without an amp) so maybe it is the head unit causing it.
I'd rather stick with a Alpine head unit because the amp I use only works with Alpine (KTP-445A (https://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/add-on-amplifier3597/ktp-445a)). Thanks for the offer though :)
fatmarley
13-04-2019, 10:54
The toyota sound system gets a bad name, although i think mine sounds pretty decent for a standard equipment...They do a jbl upgrade but i didnt bother.
I suppose it depends on what year/model Toyota you have. My old Avensis was much better than my Auris.
I suppose it depends on what year/model Toyota you have. My old Avensis was much better than my Auris.
mine is new(chr) but to me sounds fine. goes loud enough for me and doesnt do anything nasty. not saying its great by fancy stereo levels, but, to me its a car stereo.
think astral make the head unit. china i believe
I suppose it depends on what year/model Toyota you have. My old Avensis was much better than my Auris.
No worries on the head unit, however you should defo upgrade those old Toyota speakers, as compared with the JBLs (or any other quality car audio speakers) they'll be piss poor and almost certainly (mostly if not wholly) responsible for that "bright or busy" sound you mentioned.
You have to remember that pretty much anything audio-related that comes as standard in 90% of cars, costs pence to make, rather than pounds - and it shows!;)
Marco.
fatmarley
13-04-2019, 16:42
No worries on the head unit, however you should defo upgrade those old Toyota speakers, as compared with the JBLs (or any other quality car audio speakers) they'll be piss poor and almost certainly (mostly if not wholly) responsible for that "bright or busy" sound you mentioned.
You have to remember that pretty much anything audio-related that comes as standard in 90% of cars, costs pence to make, rather than pounds - and it shows!;)
Marco.
If I had a nice workshop, i'd use my own selected drivers and build a crossover myself. The Eminence Alpha 6C (http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Alpha_6C) has a lovely flat frequency response and is far more efficient than the JBLs, as a result they'd have the potential to go very loud with only a small amp. Don't know if they are waterproof, but if not I'd spray some Scotchgard on them. The only thing that stops me is the hassle of it all. Thinking about it, I suppose I could probably design them indoors, but then it would still be a lot of messing about - hmmm...
fatmarley
28-04-2019, 13:17
Couldn't help myself. Bought some Eminence Alpha 6C drivers and measured the reponse on a 14" wide baffle nearfield.
https://i.imgur.com/6rnmiPw.jpg?1
If I was crossing this driver at 2khz in a home audio speaker the breakup at 2.5khz and up, wouldn't matter but with car hifi most speakers are run full range with an added super tweeter (the JBL GTO 609C woofer is also run direct). In the end I decided to slit the cone and add some damping compound similar to Scanspeak. I also sprayed some Scotchguard on the cone to try and keep amy moisture out.
https://i.imgur.com/bJsYpLu.jpg
With the slits in place the frequency response is much better and just listening to some music with them in a huge box hooked up to my quad 306, they sound much better too! (Some female vocals were a bit nasty before the slits)
Frequency response now looks like this:
https://i.imgur.com/n3MvmBb.jpg?1
I had the mic very close to the cone, so higher frequencies are smoother than that in reality but it does show a good before/after comparison.
Here's a pic of the JBL (RED) compared to Eminence (BLUE). Again I had the mic very close to the cone, so I think the 100hz to 1khz area is the place to look.
https://i.imgur.com/hHwAoFs.jpg?1
The response would be flatter in the car because of the lack of diffraction. Here's a pic of the diffraction from a 14" wide baffle.
https://i.imgur.com/kEZ7a37.jpg
As you can see, the JBL already has a dip at 700hz that will be worse in the car. My in car measurements show a large dip at 700hz that badly affects vocals.
The tweeters are now on maximum output (plus 3db) to keep up with the much more efficient Eminence drivers, and the response measures smoother through the midrange (I was in a rush so forgot to take measurements). The sound quality is much better to my ears with vocals sounding much more real and with better presence and projection. I had a bit of a peak at 60hz but luckily my head unit has Eq at that frequency, so the bass is better too (The slight boom is gone). The JBL 609C does extend lower as can be seen in the pics but my sub extends quite high, so it's not a problem (I've still got good midbass).
All in all, i'm very pleased with the sound but it was a lot of hassle.
fatmarley
28-04-2019, 13:56
And a rough and ready pic of the JBL GTO 609C in car. The mic was about 4" from the centre of each driver (Red woofer, Blue tweeter).
https://i.imgur.com/TeW29mi.png?1
So, most importantly dude, how's it all sounding? And can we see a pic of the finished install, showing everything in situ inside your car?:cool:
I'm pretty much 'there' with my stereo now. There are still some tweaks to do, but just gonna enjoy it 'as is' for a while. The ports I added to the interior shelf space, below the back window (drilled through from the boot), just to allow more bass into the cabin area, made a nice difference.
The low-end extension there now is positively organ-rearranging, and coupled with trouser-flapping mid-bass punch, really makes rock and dance music a RIOT!!:eek::eek::hairmetal::hairmetal:
Love watching the glass in my rear window, just above the sub, 'swell' to the sound!:D:D
Marco.
fatmarley
30-04-2019, 11:24
There's nothing to show Marco. Everything is hidden away.
Sound is pretty good but not 100%. I think upper mids are lacking a touch. They sound a lot better when I fade to the front to avoid rear fill, but I quite like rear fill. I may try to bandpass rear fill to see if that improves things...
fatmarley
30-04-2019, 19:19
Upper mids are fine now. Just had to reduce the rear fill SPL. I think that when rear fill was too loud, it was causing phase problems and canceling out the upper midrange.
Being ultra picky, bass is too loud when i'm at a standstill but it's fine when the cars moving at speed. I'm guessing that's something to do with ambient noise entering the car when it's moving and cancelling out low frequencies?
Ok, cool... Glad the adjustments worked out well. Pity you weren't nearer. It would be interesting for us to have a listen to our respective installs, and seeing if we could pick up any tips from each other:)
Marco.
fatmarley
01-05-2019, 06:09
Pity you weren't nearer. It would be interesting for us to have a listen to our respective installs, and seeing if we could pick up any tips from each other:)
Marco.
Yes, would have been interesting to hear that trouser-flapping bass punch :). It sounds like yours is a lot more impressive than mine. Would also have been nice to be taken for a spin in that posh motor too, probably give me a heart attack though :)
Just a small update to this thread...Got the installer to design me a custom-made 'dustbin lid' sized cover for the sub, made from MDF and finished in the same fabric as the rest of the boot. First, here she is in her naked glory:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/924/EcHW3n.jpg
Hang on, what's this...
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/922/DUZWof.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/921/wdUKgi.jpg
And finally with her hat on:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/923/lSHhuK.jpg
Fits like a glove... :cool:
And with the 'DISCO lights' on...:D
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/924/HWWFyo.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/921/EYDOmn.jpg
Marco.
better with lid on :ner: yeah, a nice job mate. he is a class act
Haha... I'll get him to make you a new bog-seat cover from fanny-fluff, and you can straddle it and fondly remember 'old times':D:eyebrows:
Marco.
fatmarley
13-08-2020, 12:17
I just had to revive this thread after hearing this track in my car. The synth has that much low frequency power it's crazy. IIRC I only paid 99p at Google Play Music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXORANqF1XI
I just had to revive this thread after hearing this track in my car. The synth has that much low frequency power it's crazy. IIRC I only paid 99p at Google Play Music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXORANqF1XI
There's a 6.5min mix along with others on Spottyfly. Will see if I can destroy my Lloytron Music Centre :eek:
fatmarley
14-08-2020, 11:41
There's a 6.5min mix along with others on Spottyfly. Will see if I can destroy my Lloytron Music Centre :eek:
I think with the right system it will rearange your insides, but I do understand that to a lot of people this type of music is their worst nightmare. It may be a bit much for an old bugger like Marco.
Techno Commander
15-08-2020, 09:55
Very nice work. As a fan of JBL, I can imaging it sounds quite epic. :)
Does it have the required affect on the girlies? :eyebrows:
s-juOXh17Ic
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