Anyone into car audio?

[LaserSVT]

It was an optical Illusion!





I'm here all week.

Nice.

[LaserSVT]

I gotta say I am kind of disappointed with Orca, the company that makes Illusion and Focal. In the past I never had issues replacing bad Focal drivers but I worked at a dealer then. The Illusions are so nice looking and feel like quality parts plus at low to mid volume the tweeters are amazing. They just seem so.... frail. I would like to believe Orca will replace my mids under warranty and that the reason 3 drivers failed (at different times) is due to them being one of the first made or due to the epoxies used and Texas heat but I just don't see them doing anything about it. Its been 12 days and they still have yet to respond to my distributor and I don't want to hassle him about it but some kind of response would be nice.
They want $1000 for them, the issues are not from install or being overdriven. I know this because the dozen other speakers this system has driven were installed identical and were all pushed way harder and never had a failure. At $1000 they should stand behind their product and replace the dang things. I have spent thousands on Focal over the years.

And because *big surprise* the Illusions just can not hang with the Hertz mids I went and done something stupid. I pulled out the Illusions and threw the TBI tweeters back in. Nowhere near the detail but smooth and warm. But now I can crank my system WAY harder and just jam the hell out. Strange considering the TBI tweeters power rating is 1/3 of the Illusions. Hmmmm.

Alas I am stupid and I still yern for that feeling of a dazzling system and want the tweeters to be alive! I knew what I wanted. I shopped hard for them. Told I have to wait. I don't like waiting. Just so happens a good friend had some tweeters I have never heard, seen or even read a review on and said he would sell them cheap. Specs matched what I needed and they looked great. Then I saw their price new. Nope. WAY the hell out of budget.
Well hes a good friend after what he said I can have them for. LOL
So yeah, flyin blind full steam ahead and hope to miss that brick wall.

Here is to hoping I do not blow them up!

[EW]

I think Orca is the U.S. distributor not manufacturer. Focal is difficult to get warrantied but in their defense, most speaker failures are abuse not a manufacturing defect.

[LaserSVT]

I think Orca is the U.S. distributor not manufacturer. Focal is difficult to get warrantied but in their defense, most speaker failures are abuse not a manufacturing defect.

You are probably right, I don't know. Many moons ago the shop I was at sold Focal and we had a few claims that went through without issue. We did have some that didn't get approved but that's was because the customer chose to install the speakers themselves and did some really bad jobs.
When I called Illusions number in California they answered the phone as Orca.

Normally I would just move along. Ive blown up speakers before and blown up expensive speakers a few times. I have learned my lessons many years ago. LOL

I can understand their point though, to them I am just a customer that chose to install his own gear. They have no idea if I know what I am doing or not. Does not matter that I am 100% certain it was not installation or user error.

I may never buy Illusion again depending on what they do here but I hope they follow through because I want the Illusion C12 subs pretty bad. If they leave me hi and dry I will just stop using them. I still will use Focal though. Love Focals and I have never had one of my own go wrong.

[LaserSVT]

I have been running the PHDs for a couple days now and I have to say, they ain't half bad. Finally a tweeter that can reproduce the subtle background sounds without having to over EQ them. I have a 1db boost at 8K and 2 db at 12k but that's it. I am very much enjoying them so far. They have all the Illusions detail only with some umph behind them. They pair very well with the Hertz mids.

[LaserSVT]

Now that I have been running this combo for a month I can say I finally happy with my front stage. Now its time to change up for some better subs.

[LaserSVT]

Been running the Stereo Integrity BM MKIV for a week now and I have to say, very impressive subwoofer. One of the cleanest 12" subs I have ever heard. Now I have to order it a friend. LOL

[LaserSVT]

I tell you guys, anyone needing killer bass in a small space should get one of these subs. It is the most impressive 12" subwoofer I have ever heard. It plays 7HZ with authority in a tiny .57 cubic foot box. Very very musical and ultra accurate. I like it so much I just ordered a second one since they are now on sale for only $300.

Unfortunately I do not have a good camera with stereo mics and my Droid cant handle any bass but here is a general idea of what the PHD tweeters and Hertz mids can do. Video does not do them a whole lot of justice... nor will most computer speakers. LOL

[LaserSVT]

Well the system is now complete. Unfortunately I completely blew the budget! LMAO Main thing is for the first time in a couple decades I can sit back and am nearly 100% happy with the sound. I have to do a little change in wires to lift the sound stage maybe 6" but that's about it. System is so clean and detailed and accurate it blows me away. It does not do great on orchestra music but being as I don't listen to it I am not complaining. In order to get that last little bit out of it I need to buy Focal Be tweeters and at $1500 they just are not in the cards right now. I did end up ordering the second MKIV sub. I cant stress enough that if you need absolutely perfect bass that can play to 7 hz without issue and takes a miniscule box AND is very very light than the SI BM MKIV is a clear winner.





This is the final setup:

[line-em-up]

I tell you guys, anyone needing killer bass in a small space should get one of these subs. It is the most impressive 12" subwoofer I have ever heard. It plays 7HZ with authority in a tiny .57 cubic foot box. Very very musical and ultra accurate. I like it so much I just ordered a second one since they are now on sale for only $300.

Unfortunately I do not have a good camera with stereo mics and my Droid cant handle any bass but here is a general idea of what the PHD tweeters and Hertz mids can do. Video does not do them a whole lot of justice... nor will most computer speakers. LOL

Nice sound. Very open, clear and balanced. Even without the lows. Too many people turn the highs up too much and kill the sound. How much tuning did you do you it or did you just the PRS80 di it for you?

As for the sub, I am going to have to order one. Your good reviews have sold me. I found a buyer for my AE IB12, but I am not sure I want to sell it.

[LaserSVT]

I let the PRS do its auto EQ thing but set the TA myself and sometimes the deck and I do not agree on crossover points or phase but its EQ does well. I cant see where its making boosts or cuts but I can hear its pulling a lot of mids and highs out as compared to when I don't use it. I only have a 2db bump at 8k, 1db at 20k, -1 at 800, 350 and 20hz set on the user EQ.
Thanks for the compliment. These are the first soft dome tweeters I have owned that have a bit of that sharpness a titanium or beryllium tweeter has.

And you will be very happy with the MKIV unless ultimate SPL is your goal. I can only clock 132 with my pair but they are not for SPL. They have a sound signature all their own. People (including myself) have attested to them sounding better than: Illusion C12, Hertz 12, Morel Ultimo, JL W6 or W7, Boston G5 and SPG555, Image Dynamics, Dayton, Focal and many others. They are one very sweet sounding subwoofer.

[Samhain]

It plays 7HZ with authority

How can you tell?

[LaserSVT]

There is a song by Bass Mechanic called "Bass I Love You" and its low note is 7hz after a 17hz and 27hz note. The 27 I can hear, the 17 I can kinda hear but really feel and the 7hz note makes my dashboard move up and down about an inch.

[LaserSVT]

Plus signal generators help but the ones I have can only go to 5hz which I think is the limits of my amp anyway.

[Samhain]

I just don't understand why people play frequencies that are inaudible. It's hard on speakers, amps run hotter, battery and alternator have to work harder... Just my .02