Anyone into car audio?

[Z06killinsbf]

It's alittle over 3.5 cubes tuned at 32hz, so ya it rocks even with those shitty subs in it.

[LaserSVT]

So here is my take on Illusion Audio. Wow. Just freakin wow. I have never heard a tweeter like that in my life. Its so powerful, so clear, so accurate and best of all its not harsh while still being very bright. The woofers, well I imagine they need some break in. They sound really close to my Boston mids but seem to have a bit more impact below 100hz. They sound excellent but just not as impressive as the tweeter is. Again, they are stiff so I imagine a bit of break in and they will warm up a bit.
Easily the best components I ever had even surpassing my old Infinity Beta mids with Kappa 2" EMIT ribbons.
The output is impressive but they are power hogs. I had to attenuate the subwoofers 4db to match them where as I had the subs at 0 with the Bostons. Not a complaint as I am nowhere near maxing my amp and my ears currently hurt.

So on to the install. I couldn't wait so I just deadened the inside of the doors and apx 30% of the inner section just primarily covering holes and isolating the driver. Yes I am using two kinds of wire, the twisted was what I had originally ran through the truck and the store was out so I used standard 14 awg Rockford wire to feed from the crossover to the mids. Used the EFX wires on the tweeters that they came with and installed them in the factory location with some mat on the back but forgot to take a pic.

[jluv]

Crossover in the door? I wouldn't. Even if it stays 100% dry (doubtful), it will be subject to the impact of the door closing all the time. And what if you need to make adjustments?

[LaserSVT]

That's why they are where they are. Easy to adjust there. And that part of the door will never see moisture. I have been mounting crossovers there for a couple decades and have yet to have one fail.

You know Ford throws a $500 module in their doors on the unsealed side and all Euro cars have $500-$3000 electronics in their doors that control many important things and have actual computer processors in them yet the closing of the door is not an issue.

I see no issue here.

[jluv]

That's why they are where they are. Easy to adjust there. And that part of the door will never see moisture. I have been mounting crossovers there for a couple decades and have yet to have one fail.

You know Ford throws a $500 module in their doors on the unsealed side and all Euro cars have $500-$3000 electronics in their doors that control many important things and have actual computer processors in them yet the closing of the door is not an issue.

I see no issue here.

Are you going to have to remove the door panel to adjust? That seems less than ideal.

Crossovers have some pretty delicate stuff in them, and are not designed to be in that environment. You may get away with it and not have any issues, but it's definitely less than ideal. Just not my style, but it's your stuff, so more power to you.

[stangin4lyfe]

Are you going to have to remove the door panel to adjust? That seems less than ideal.

Crossovers have some pretty delicate stuff in them, and are not designed to be in that environment. You may get away with it and not have any issues, but it's definitely less than ideal. Just not my style, but it's your stuff, so more power to you.

Once a crossover is set, you rarely have to adjust it but I get what you are saying.

[jluv]

Once a crossover is set, you rarely have to adjust it but I get what you are saying.

For the most part that's true, although I tend to mess with mine every so often. I still wouldn't want the impact on them from shutting the door all the time. I know some people do it and never have issues, but some definitely do have issues. I just wouldn't risk it, myself, especially with expensive equipment.

OP, why not run active? That 450/4 should be perfect. You could give 150x2 to the mids and 75x2 to the tweets.

[LaserSVT]

For the most part that's true, although I tend to mess with mine every so often. I still wouldn't want the impact on them from shutting the door all the time. I know some people do it and never have issues, but some definitely do have issues. I just wouldn't risk it, myself, especially with expensive equipment.

OP, why not run active? That 450/4 should be perfect. You could give 150x2 to the mids and 75x2 to the tweets.

I am contemplating running active but I had other plans for the rear channels before so I never ran two sets of wires to the front. I am still halfway considering some plates for the rear openings as I like to have some echo when listening to live music or orchestral.

As far as the crossover goes I understand what you are saying and not having them in the doors would be ideal and proper. I know you know what you are talking about and are impressively knowledgeable about car audio which really makes me want to come buy you a beer and talk stereos as its been a while since I had a real person to discuss whats new and the stuff they like to do etc etc.
While I have only done a couple wild installs almost all the rest are standard component/deck/premade sub and a couple amps. Usually sub $800 systems and I just have always installed them in the door, its worked for me many times and I just liked they way they looked there so I went with it. Two resistors a cap and two choke coils (that are also strapped to the board) all with very thick leads and heavily soldiered to what looks to be a mil spec board. The board has rubber isolators to the case, the case has two layers of mat behind it and my truck does not leak a drop so it is in my opinion well placed.


So now for the bad

[LaserSVT]

and my kind of luck. Shop got busy so I had to pause before I had the passenger door back together. Finished up rewiring a fuse box in a Benz that pulled in on fire and then went back to he truck to finish it up and do some tuning. Was the first time I listened to the complete pair with the doors closed and was a little bothered that the sound stage was way too far right with the "The Planets" performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. I switched tracks to "A Major Technicality" by Clair Marlo (Sheffield Labs) and it was even worse. So I went into the deck, made sure everything was centered, flattened the EQ, turned off the ESP, pulled apart the doors again to make sure the wiring was okay, tried reversing the tweeter polarity and that's when I noticed the drivers tweeter was just nowhere near as loud as the passenger side.
I know volume numbers are different for every deck/amp/speaker combo but in my truck (with the more efficient Bostons) 10 is for background sound, 20 to just listen to music and drown out road noise, 28 to really enjoy a song and 34 is for that song you love to crank. One time I went to 38 but that way too loud.... think the deck goes to 50? So I raised the volume from 18 to 26 and then almost all the tweeters sound on the driver side stopped. Been in audio enough to know that problem. Pulled the tweeter and using my Matco DVM I see the tweeter is .5 ohms. Coil is almost a dead short. I could cry.
I tried to call Illusion but they are closed already. Being they are used I am sure there is no warranty. Even if there was I am sure they would say I blew it. Of course that is a possibility but being I never turned them up, knowing the wire setup is perfect, knowing the amp was not clipping and my initial EQ settings had 3.15K @ +2db and +8k @ 1db with the ESP at a quarter (and its "treble" setting is two clicks past flat) and the amp gain at apx the 1/3 mark being driven by a deck with a 4v pre-out I don't see how I could have.
I don't know what to do at this point since you can not buy the tweeters by themselves. I used one of my Bostons for now but even with the -3db attenuation the Boston tweeter is just way too efficient and is overpowering.
This really has ruined my whole weekend, had a road trip setup just to go jam on the highway.

[jluv]

I am contemplating running active but I had other plans for the rear channels before so I never ran two sets of wires to the front. I am still halfway considering some plates for the rear openings as I like to have some echo when listening to live music or orchestral.

As far as the crossover goes I understand what you are saying and not having them in the doors would be ideal and proper. I know you know what you are talking about and are impressively knowledgeable about car audio which really makes me want to come buy you a beer and talk stereos as its been a while since I had a real person to discuss whats new and the stuff they like to do etc etc.
While I have only done a couple wild installs almost all the rest are standard component/deck/premade sub and a couple amps. Usually sub $800 systems and I just have always installed them in the door, its worked for me many times and I just liked they way they looked there so I went with it. Two resistors a cap and two choke coils (that are also strapped to the board) all with very thick leads and heavily soldiered to what looks to be a mil spec board. The board has rubber isolators to the case, the case has two layers of mat behind it and my truck does not leak a drop so it is in my opinion well placed.


So now for the bad

Ya man. Your stuff, so do what works best for you. Running those speakers active will really let them shine. I am a big fan of signal processing, as long as it's done before the amps.

I'm always down to show off my stuff. It's not often I have an opportunity to show it to someone who actually appreciates what all went into it.

[jluv]

and my kind of luck. Shop got busy so I had to pause before I had the passenger door back together. Finished up rewiring a fuse box in a Benz that pulled in on fire and then went back to he truck to finish it up and do some tuning. Was the first time I listened to the complete pair with the doors closed and was a little bothered that the sound stage was way too far right with the "The Planets" performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. I switched tracks to "A Major Technicality" by Clair Marlo (Sheffield Labs) and it was even worse. So I went into the deck, made sure everything was centered, flattened the EQ, turned off the ESP, pulled apart the doors again to make sure the wiring was okay, tried reversing the tweeter polarity and that's when I noticed the drivers tweeter was just nowhere near as loud as the passenger side.
I know volume numbers are different for every deck/amp/speaker combo but in my truck (with the more efficient Bostons) 10 is for background sound, 20 to just listen to music and drown out road noise, 28 to really enjoy a song and 34 is for that song you love to crank. One time I went to 38 but that way too loud.... think the deck goes to 50? So I raised the volume from 18 to 26 and then almost all the tweeters sound on the driver side stopped. Been in audio enough to know that problem. Pulled the tweeter and using my Matco DVM I see the tweeter is .5 ohms. Coil is almost a dead short. I could cry.
I tried to call Illusion but they are closed already. Being they are used I am sure there is no warranty. Even if there was I am sure they would say I blew it. Of course that is a possibility but being I never turned them up, knowing the wire setup is perfect, knowing the amp was not clipping and my initial EQ settings had 3.15K @ +2db and +8k @ 1db with the ESP at a quarter (and its "treble" setting is two clicks past flat) and the amp gain at apx the 1/3 mark being driven by a deck with a 4v pre-out I don't see how I could have.
I don't know what to do at this point since you can not buy the tweeters by themselves. I used one of my Bostons for now but even with the -3db attenuation the Boston tweeter is just way too efficient and is overpowering.
This really has ruined my whole weekend, had a road trip setup just to go jam on the highway.

That sucks man. You can't buy parts separately? I really loved my Pro60s. Not sure if my set was the same that you have. Mine were new in 2003-ish. I know they changed a few years later. Was there a reason you weren't satisfied with yours? I used to run about 225 watts to my Boston mids with a PPI A600.2. I loved how loud and clean they were.

I am not up to date on all the newer Internet boner stuff. I've never even heard of Illusion Audio.

[LaserSVT]

That sucks man. You can't buy parts separately? I really loved my Pro60s. Not sure if my set was the same that you have. Mine were new in 2003-ish. I know they changed a few years later. Was there a reason you weren't satisfied with yours? I used to run about 225 watts to my Boston mids with a PPI A600.2. I loved how loud and clean they were.

I am not up to date on all the newer Internet boner stuff. I've never even heard of Illusion Audio.

I remember them back in the day because they all had the motor on the front. They were expensive and I was in my Rockford phase so I ignored them. Wanting something special I did some research and all the "Guru" guys were going on and on about the new Illusions or the new Hertz 165XL or the new HAT speakers. Finding some real lab testing on them and everyone raving about their tweeters I figured at the price I was offered that I should give them a go. They really do sond great even down a tweeter.
As for the Bostons I really loved them but sometimes horns and pianos would have a trailing resonance I didn't like and they seemed to have lost a little kick. Figured they were wearing out so time for a change.
I would have gone SPZ Bostons but they don't make them and I feel uneasy about paying $650+ for a couple year old set.

[LaserSVT]

So I figured while I was awaiting some response on my tweeters that I would go ahead and get rid of the rest of the resonation in the truck and did the sides of the king cab section and all the panels and storage buckets. I am quite surprised at how much better it sounds. Didn't realize how much low frequency cancelation I was getting due to the panels vibrating.

[dblack1]

Someone can advise on my stereo I'm putting in my work truck.

It consists of.

MB Quart Q series component set for front doors, 300/2 to power them.

Two of the slim line Pioneer 12" woofers in a sealed box behind back seat with a 500/1 powering them.

I need a deck for this set up that still has a CD player, is blue tooth compatible, and doesn't break the bank. Whats good these days? Best way to mount the 6.5" speaker where the factory 5x7 goes in the door? Where should I mount the tweeter? This is going in a F350.

[EW]

What year F350?

https://picasaweb.google.com/autosoundbedford/BlueF250WorkTruck#5862382412596184866

Older. The door panel is very close to the speaker so a thin adapter plate is needed. I router out 5x7 adapter plates to 17cm and mount the mid in them. You may end up having to cut a little sheet metal.

https://picasaweb.google.com/autosoundbedford/LoudF350

This one has more involved pictures. The thin bars on the door panel may bow out from the tweeter depending upon how it is installed.