Just a note to let you guys know that the speakers I ordered from Indoaudio on Feb. 21 st came in today. Two recent orders with Sonicelectronic both came in 6 days from the order date. These took 13 days. Both companies are outside of Los Angeles and I live in Georgia.
The merchandise is brand new, unopened stock in perfect condition so even though a bit slow, Im happy.
Replies (25)
newB on 03/6/2007 18:31:59
those kappas are beastly subs.
my suspention ripped after over a year and 300watts over rms
and they STILL sound good.
i dont think people give them enough credit
-Drew
30Hertz on 03/6/2007 18:37:56
Your suspension being what?
The surround or the spiders?
If the spiders are shot..you wouldnt be listening to it lol
swez on 03/6/2007 19:51:37
Glad to hear you got your Infinity speakers in... finally!!!
That's just in time for the weekend swap huh?
Swez
jamesp on 03/7/2007 08:20:58
Swez, yes, this gives me another project Wonder what is next?
The woofer magnet structure in these Infinity componenents are less than half the size and weight of the ones in the Rockford woofers Im swapping them out for. This means that I wont need to shim them out to clear the window transmission and glass in the doors. I had to use both a plastic spacer and cut another from luan to clear the RF's.Im hoping for the best....
swez on 03/7/2007 11:36:09
Yep, thanks to the high gauss strength Neodymium magnet structure, these speakers are light weight, compact profile and plenty of motor structure support for heat management and efficient woofer performance.
These might sound a little bright on tweets, but can be adjusted via th crossover attenuator circuit and once the woofer breaks in, better lower mids will be noted too.
Swez
jamesp on 03/7/2007 13:37:47
My Rockford components have 2 tweeters per woofer. I now have 1 tweeter mounted in the woofer and 1 flushed into the door panel. Since I am moving these speakers to the back If I decide to mount both tweeters outside of the woofer in the door panel somewhere, what is the rule of thumb on distanc...isnt it something like either within 6" of the woofer or more than 18". I cant remember where I saw this...manual possibly..duh..
I would be actually doing this for looks so if it not a good idea, please let me know..Ill probably have to dial the gain back a lot with these as the rear stage because they a very hard hitting woofers on some kick drum and rim shot sounds they actually distort the view in the door mounted rear view mirrors and feel like the interior panels are moving in and out.
The new Infinities at 2 Ohms are going to be awesome with an easy 90 watts of clean power without even breaking a sweat.... ( ok, did that sound like I knew what I was talking about...just some more of that "inquisitive idiot" stuff Im good at.... I do like having a project to look forward to doing.....
swez on 03/7/2007 14:28:54
Which RF speakers do you have there Jimmy? My guess w/o knowing is that one is a regular tweeter and the other may be a super tweeter?
Locating both tweeters as separates could be a good thing if you want a wider dispersion pattern. Some experimentation is always a good option.
Intuitively, I would keep the tweets about 6 inches above and/or below the woofer on the rear pillars. These are mostly narrow beam elements and if set up too high in the "C" pillars, the highs will tend to cause listener fatigue. (Highs can cut your ears off as they are so intense)
To avoid that keep them in the same vertical plane, but aiming and placement are definitely an experimental adventure.
What do others say?
Swez
jamesp on 03/7/2007 15:24:32
Swez, I have the P1682S models. Even when flush mounted they can still be swiveled for aiming .
http://www.cardomain.com/item/ROCP1682S
swez on 03/7/2007 19:21:02
Yeah, I looked those up already and you have confirmed the item I looked at.
RF recommends the tweeters be mounted <2" away from the mids. If that is not possible, then >7" of separation is recommended. It seems these tweeters are the same and one can be mounted into the woofer as a coaxial style while the other can be mounted as a satillite, above or below the woofer. A little experimentation will give you an idea where the best mounting locations might be.
Yes, gain changes will be in order here as the front speakers will be your primary sound stage. The rears are mostly fill and blending F/R together is what you want. Just enough rear to be heard, but not so much that you get the rear stage dominating the mix. In many cases, a 60%F/40%R mix is about right.
Swez
newB on 03/7/2007 21:54:18
30hertz,
the spider (wavy material between cone and magnet)
is no longer connected the the VCs
the cone moves freely and as far as i can tell is only kept in place by the surround.
ive lost most my accuracy and response, but they still get REALLY loud for "gangster" songs.
long low bass lines
-Drew
30Hertz on 03/8/2007 04:04:32
How are your coils wound? Are they woven into the spider or just go through to the Coil?
How bad is the tear in the spider? If your sub has no spider then your going to pass its mechanical limits and the coil will come out of the gap to far and then its GG. You also run the risk of tearing the Voice Coils right out or cause them to cross and short possibly starting a fire, frying your amp or both (Ive seen it happen).
-30
swez on 03/8/2007 04:14:13
Having the spider pulled away from the coil means the cone has no support to help dampen the woofer cone. It also helps keep the voice coil centered in the magnetic gap.
The last sub I worked on that had this problem, rattled like crazy and sounded horrible. Was able to repair it though. Used a syring with a few cc's of pre-mixed epoxy and quick cured it with a hair drier. Worked like a charm after the repair too.
Swez
jamesp on 03/9/2007 20:31:16
I started my little project after work today. The Infinity tweeters take a different size opening to flush mount than the Rockford tweets. The 1-1/2" hole in my door panels had to be enlarged to 1-7/8". My hole saws arent much use when you cant even get a block of wood behind the panel anchored properly to center the pilot bit. The existing hole location has a second layer of plastic in the way . I improvised with a Dremel tool and sanding drums.
I ran into another little snag. The Infinity crossovers are larger than the Rockford units. The RF's have a triangular shape and tucked right into a little pocket behind the door handle and cleared the mechanicals....but no can do with new ones. I may have to put them in one of the two door pockets ( they are hard, molded pockets) or on the door panel itself. They are very cool looking units and do have a +3db switch so it would be nice to have access to them them. I would put them on the kick panel but pulling 4 more pairs of conductors through the flexible door boots is out of the question.
One thing for sure, they are going somewhere.
I wanted to flush mount all 4 RF tweeters in the back. I found that I can do that on the passenger side 3rd door, but the rear driver side has do where to flush mount them due to the recess there for access to the factory 6 disc changer. Ill just use the provided hardware and mount two tweets in each woofer...Its all good......i hope..
swez on 03/10/2007 17:45:19
Let us know how this all comes out when you get there.
Swez
jamesp on 03/10/2007 18:08:16
Im done. I was able to squeeze the crossovers behind the panels on all 4 corners. I can even access the boost switch on the Infinity crossovers if needed by popping up the switch clusters on the armrests.
I have a great sound quality setup and it is loud too. I havent touched the amp gains or freq pots since adding and swapping speakers and it sounds very sweet with the existing settigs. I will need to change a few settings on the head unit since it resets when all power is disconnected
I started in early December with plans to only replace my front factory speakers. I had decided to keep driving this truck as it was still basically in great shape with 50K miles. Just needed to get that busted speaker out. I kind of got carried away but am very happy with the results. I might drive it 10 more years now.
I couldnt have done all this without the help from here. Thanks
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 03/10/2007 22:40:18
Right on man! Glad to see you are really satisfied with your results. I have been reading along the whole time, and have been interested. Always glad to see the Car Audio bug is as infectious as always! CLAP CLAP
swez on 03/11/2007 06:48:09
Sounds like you are very pleased with the Infinity's... how would you rate these against the Rockford's you had up front before?
I would expect them to be louder, as good or better SQ and a bit easier to install, due to the slim design. How's the Midbass performance on these Infinity's in your doors?
Well done sir... was it worth the efforts?
Swez
jamesp on 03/11/2007 17:19:13
The Infinities are much easier to install due to a shallower profile and a lighter wieght. You may or may not recall, I had the RF's installed and all buttoned up and found with the windows nearly up they were hitting. After cutting out some well fitting spacers of luan, the problem was solved.Ten minutes later I found a set of plastic spacers in the box the Blauplunkts I had just replaced came with..I forgot about them ...Doh...oh well.
II paid a premium for the RF Punch component set to build some rapport at a local audio shop as I had not been into any of the shops in town before. IMNOSO, those RF comps are very good sounding, hard hitting speakers and can be found online for a good price.. In thier new back seat location, they still sound great but the left one is playing into my sub box, and the right one is playing into the seat ..I still had to turn the gain down if they are to be considered fill
Also, I know I am am a newbie at this new fangled car audio stuff but when I was 18 years old and moved out on my own, my home stereo system was worth more than all my furniture and my car combined. I went to the bank and borrowed money for furniture, cooking stuff, a good grill and the stuff you need to set up housekeeping. I spent 70 percent of the money on stereo equipment. I have always loved music and have seen almost all of the older famous bands. from Led Zepplin to the Rolling Stones. This project has rekindled my interest in music...I did go to 1 concert last year. The original James Gang played in Atlanta for the first time since 1971 and I was at that show too. Before that I saw Gov''t Mule with Widespread Panic and then the Allman Bros at the Fox Theater in 02 or 03. I have seen them a couple of dozen times. Not like the old days when I went to all the good concerts that came around.
The Harley Davidson tech board that I have been a member of for years is responsible for getting me going on my audio upgrade. There is a guy on there that sells off some audio stuff about 2 times a year on the Swap Meet section of Harley Tech Talk.He owns an audio lab and buys products at retail and performs testing on the products and then writes reviews. It turns out that almost every issue of Car Audio and Electronics that I have looked at has an artical or interview with him, including the latest issue. I just subscribed to the mag and my script hasnt started yet but the local audio shop lets me borrow old copies and I finally found a magazine rack that stocks it. This guy has worked in the industry for many years and now owns Cogent Audio Labs and seems to be well respected in the industry. I got a great deal on the amp from him...I will be keeping up with what he has to offer in the future.
I seem to have come to the completion ( temporary, im sure)of my audio upgrade and dont know what else I can do at this point. Other than building a ported box just for the heck of it and keep learning about the hobby. Im glad I dont have the car video bug...how many monitors can you install on your mudflaps anyway?
I do have a question...anybody know where I can view a schematic for a ported subwoofer box? I just need to clarify port design. I thought that the port was just a slot in one of the box panels...I think Im wrong there and that the port actually has an internal baffle board(s)...You knew I would have a question didnt you?
I would like to thank everyone that offered advice and encouragement and particulary my thanks to SWEZ. You went out of your way to steer me in the right direction and the results are outstanding. Without your help, Im sure that I would have a big kicker sub overpowering everything else...or an unbalanced setup. I was just looking at SPL....for me, SQL...is where it is at.
swez on 03/12/2007 00:45:26
Thanks Jimmy, appreciate the props.
It takes a good pair of hands to do this level of work, a comittment to details and a good set of ears too. When you said SPL, I did not believe you. We're getting to old for all that noise. But, grabbing up some of your favorite oldies and testing them on this sysyem will probably put a smile on your face. GRIN
Remember AWB's "Pick Up The Pieces"? I'll bet that cut, (in fine condition) would probably get the ol R&B ticker bumpin. I recall going to a WHO concert in 1974. They used this as a sound check cut and even though I had heard it many times on FM, when played on a huge stage system... dang... I was hooked!!!
Also, do you remember Boz Scaggs, Bob Seeger, Super Tramp, Steely Dan, Toto and the like? Those were great bands in the latter 70's.
I have a favorite cut from Chicago Twenty-1, "What Does It Take". (circa 1991) Has a nice soft start and just builds to a nice jammer. There's one other cut off that collection that has some great horns and some real beefy guitar work too. Darned if I can recall it now. This is a very hard cut to find anymore... "God Save the Queen"... that's the one I was thinking of. If I could get my hands on a good CD of this collection, I'd be one "Happy Camper" !!! Have an older Cassette Tape cut now and it just does not pass muster.
It's great demo stuff if you like Chicago's music.
Swez
jamesp on 03/12/2007 21:53:32
Man that brings back the old memories. I never saw Toto perform live.
You know the factory head unit I just replaced had a cassette player and remote disc changer, The cassettes just didnt cut it anymore. I know the reason these Eclipse HU's have dropped in price recently as the memory stick format will only play music files in the Sony ATRAC3 format..that software is a joke. The MS is fine for setting up the the unit and saving settings and the unit is pretty sweet other than that. The newer models, 5100 and 7100 would be very versitile with the USB 2.0...with a couple of flash drives loaded with wma or mp3's. My Sandisc E-280 mp3 player sounds great thru the aux in but with the USB it would charge the battery while playing....Ill just suffer thru it. The FM transmitter I used to play the mp3 player thru the system before was pretty lame.It is fun playing with all the features on the Eclipse..just takes a couple of days to familarize yourself with the operation. I dont have a clue about properly setting up the PEQ for my trucks acoustical properties. I know physically how to make all the settings...just dont know which way to go in the 7 bands and at what Q to set each band...so far I just keep hitting the preset for a saved flat setting across the range. I cant seem to improve on that I seem to have my amps crossed over fairly well and dont know what settings to integrate the HU's crossovers into those settings. It is hard to hear how it affects the music. Maybe some freq tone sweeps would help me out there.The DSP is feature is very cool 6 different settings.
Anyway, you guys are probably pretty tired of hearing about all this...Ill keep pushing buttons and turning knobs and rotating tweeters for a while... GRIN
swez on 03/12/2007 23:09:36
Saw Toto Live in a local venue that sat mayby 2,500 peeps. They were just getting started and had not carved out a niche for that sound just yet. All I recall... (Circa 1978) massive keyboard patches and loads of high fidelity audio.
Awesome SQL is the best way I can frame it. Especially Toto 1 hits. "Goodbye Girl" was smashing!!! (As were their early hits)
Have fun with your HU settings and toys!
Hey, will be on the road as of Wednesday... (Florida trip) So, you may have to rely on other CKer's until I get settled. If I don't get back to CK until the end of this month, just wait and we'll chat when I get back. (End of March)
God bless, CLAP
Dave
jamesp on 03/13/2007 07:51:49
The first time I saw Pink Floyd, it was the Meddle show, they had a wall of Marshall amps or speajers surrounding the perimeter of the balcony at the old Municple Auditorium in Atlanta. A sound would start on one end and travel all the way around to the other. It blew me away. That place was fogged out with smoke, Cheech and Chong style, so thick it was hard to see the stage.
Swez, if you get near here coming back through call my cell . Have a great, safe trip. Jimmy
swez on 03/13/2007 08:50:00
Yeah, that must have been an awesome concert. Saw Floyd in Milwaukee County Stadium in their early fall tour in 1986. The first set was a bit messed up as the sound guys were scrambling to get the mix right in such a large venue. By the 2nd set, things were pretty well dialed in and it sounded great . The funny thing about this concert... the "weed" was so thick in this part of the stadium, one did not need to smoke it to get some side benefits of second-hand smoke.
I've added your number to my cell phone and will give ya shout while I'm down in Florida. If we have enough flex-time on the way back, perhaps I can get a look at your system and hear what you've been doing.
Dave
PS Edit your post to remove that number OK.
jamesp on 03/13/2007 09:44:14
I contributed my fair share to the "fog"in the auditorium.
Hey, are there any general "rule of thumb " EQ settings? Any ranges that commonly need a bit of boost or cut? My buddy from the Harley site has a good article in this months Car Audio Mag on a piece of equipment called n Audiocontrol DQL-8 that he says will EQ what has been EQ'd that was already EQ'd...or something like that. He states that EQ is an area where many people mess up thier sound...Looks like a good piece of equipment anyway for those with the experience to take advantage of it. I dont think Ill be needing one anytime soon . I could really get things messed up.....The good thing is.......in my case.....all blunders here are reversible...if all else fails...hit the reset button..
swez on 03/13/2007 11:59:13
Yeppers... we want to use EQ boost sparingly and cut the ones that come on a bit too strong. (Human hearing, listening evirons and speaker peaks)
In most cases, we will find the need for a little boost in the 35-300 Hz., ranges. Above 300 Hz., but below 4,000 Hz., most will find the need to cut a few dB for best results. Depending on tweeters and placements, we may see a modest boost or cut between 4,000 - 12,000 Hz. Above 12,000 Hz., some may boost a few dB of "flat" response.
Those are general parameters, but each listener is unique as are audio cuts and general system performance. So, a little tinkering here will help.
Swez
The merchandise is brand new, unopened stock in perfect condition so even though a bit slow, Im happy.
Replies (25)
newB on 03/6/2007 18:31:59
those kappas are beastly subs.
my suspention ripped after over a year and 300watts over rms
and they STILL sound good.
i dont think people give them enough credit
-Drew
30Hertz on 03/6/2007 18:37:56
Your suspension being what?
The surround or the spiders?
If the spiders are shot..you wouldnt be listening to it lol
swez on 03/6/2007 19:51:37
Glad to hear you got your Infinity speakers in... finally!!!
That's just in time for the weekend swap huh?
Swez
jamesp on 03/7/2007 08:20:58
Swez, yes, this gives me another project Wonder what is next?
The woofer magnet structure in these Infinity componenents are less than half the size and weight of the ones in the Rockford woofers Im swapping them out for. This means that I wont need to shim them out to clear the window transmission and glass in the doors. I had to use both a plastic spacer and cut another from luan to clear the RF's.Im hoping for the best....
swez on 03/7/2007 11:36:09
Yep, thanks to the high gauss strength Neodymium magnet structure, these speakers are light weight, compact profile and plenty of motor structure support for heat management and efficient woofer performance.
These might sound a little bright on tweets, but can be adjusted via th crossover attenuator circuit and once the woofer breaks in, better lower mids will be noted too.
Swez
jamesp on 03/7/2007 13:37:47
My Rockford components have 2 tweeters per woofer. I now have 1 tweeter mounted in the woofer and 1 flushed into the door panel. Since I am moving these speakers to the back If I decide to mount both tweeters outside of the woofer in the door panel somewhere, what is the rule of thumb on distanc...isnt it something like either within 6" of the woofer or more than 18". I cant remember where I saw this...manual possibly..duh..
I would be actually doing this for looks so if it not a good idea, please let me know..Ill probably have to dial the gain back a lot with these as the rear stage because they a very hard hitting woofers on some kick drum and rim shot sounds they actually distort the view in the door mounted rear view mirrors and feel like the interior panels are moving in and out.
The new Infinities at 2 Ohms are going to be awesome with an easy 90 watts of clean power without even breaking a sweat.... ( ok, did that sound like I knew what I was talking about...just some more of that "inquisitive idiot" stuff Im good at.... I do like having a project to look forward to doing.....
swez on 03/7/2007 14:28:54
Which RF speakers do you have there Jimmy? My guess w/o knowing is that one is a regular tweeter and the other may be a super tweeter?
Locating both tweeters as separates could be a good thing if you want a wider dispersion pattern. Some experimentation is always a good option.
Intuitively, I would keep the tweets about 6 inches above and/or below the woofer on the rear pillars. These are mostly narrow beam elements and if set up too high in the "C" pillars, the highs will tend to cause listener fatigue. (Highs can cut your ears off as they are so intense)
To avoid that keep them in the same vertical plane, but aiming and placement are definitely an experimental adventure.
What do others say?
Swez
jamesp on 03/7/2007 15:24:32
Swez, I have the P1682S models. Even when flush mounted they can still be swiveled for aiming .
http://www.cardomain.com/item/ROCP1682S
swez on 03/7/2007 19:21:02
Yeah, I looked those up already and you have confirmed the item I looked at.
RF recommends the tweeters be mounted <2" away from the mids. If that is not possible, then >7" of separation is recommended. It seems these tweeters are the same and one can be mounted into the woofer as a coaxial style while the other can be mounted as a satillite, above or below the woofer. A little experimentation will give you an idea where the best mounting locations might be.
Yes, gain changes will be in order here as the front speakers will be your primary sound stage. The rears are mostly fill and blending F/R together is what you want. Just enough rear to be heard, but not so much that you get the rear stage dominating the mix. In many cases, a 60%F/40%R mix is about right.
Swez
newB on 03/7/2007 21:54:18
30hertz,
the spider (wavy material between cone and magnet)
is no longer connected the the VCs
the cone moves freely and as far as i can tell is only kept in place by the surround.
ive lost most my accuracy and response, but they still get REALLY loud for "gangster" songs.
long low bass lines
-Drew
30Hertz on 03/8/2007 04:04:32
How are your coils wound? Are they woven into the spider or just go through to the Coil?
How bad is the tear in the spider? If your sub has no spider then your going to pass its mechanical limits and the coil will come out of the gap to far and then its GG. You also run the risk of tearing the Voice Coils right out or cause them to cross and short possibly starting a fire, frying your amp or both (Ive seen it happen).
-30
swez on 03/8/2007 04:14:13
Having the spider pulled away from the coil means the cone has no support to help dampen the woofer cone. It also helps keep the voice coil centered in the magnetic gap.
The last sub I worked on that had this problem, rattled like crazy and sounded horrible. Was able to repair it though. Used a syring with a few cc's of pre-mixed epoxy and quick cured it with a hair drier. Worked like a charm after the repair too.
Swez
jamesp on 03/9/2007 20:31:16
I started my little project after work today. The Infinity tweeters take a different size opening to flush mount than the Rockford tweets. The 1-1/2" hole in my door panels had to be enlarged to 1-7/8". My hole saws arent much use when you cant even get a block of wood behind the panel anchored properly to center the pilot bit. The existing hole location has a second layer of plastic in the way . I improvised with a Dremel tool and sanding drums.
I ran into another little snag. The Infinity crossovers are larger than the Rockford units. The RF's have a triangular shape and tucked right into a little pocket behind the door handle and cleared the mechanicals....but no can do with new ones. I may have to put them in one of the two door pockets ( they are hard, molded pockets) or on the door panel itself. They are very cool looking units and do have a +3db switch so it would be nice to have access to them them. I would put them on the kick panel but pulling 4 more pairs of conductors through the flexible door boots is out of the question.
One thing for sure, they are going somewhere.
I wanted to flush mount all 4 RF tweeters in the back. I found that I can do that on the passenger side 3rd door, but the rear driver side has do where to flush mount them due to the recess there for access to the factory 6 disc changer. Ill just use the provided hardware and mount two tweets in each woofer...Its all good......i hope..
swez on 03/10/2007 17:45:19
Let us know how this all comes out when you get there.
Swez
jamesp on 03/10/2007 18:08:16
Im done. I was able to squeeze the crossovers behind the panels on all 4 corners. I can even access the boost switch on the Infinity crossovers if needed by popping up the switch clusters on the armrests.
I have a great sound quality setup and it is loud too. I havent touched the amp gains or freq pots since adding and swapping speakers and it sounds very sweet with the existing settigs. I will need to change a few settings on the head unit since it resets when all power is disconnected
I started in early December with plans to only replace my front factory speakers. I had decided to keep driving this truck as it was still basically in great shape with 50K miles. Just needed to get that busted speaker out. I kind of got carried away but am very happy with the results. I might drive it 10 more years now.
I couldnt have done all this without the help from here. Thanks
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 03/10/2007 22:40:18
Right on man! Glad to see you are really satisfied with your results. I have been reading along the whole time, and have been interested. Always glad to see the Car Audio bug is as infectious as always! CLAP CLAP
swez on 03/11/2007 06:48:09
Sounds like you are very pleased with the Infinity's... how would you rate these against the Rockford's you had up front before?
I would expect them to be louder, as good or better SQ and a bit easier to install, due to the slim design. How's the Midbass performance on these Infinity's in your doors?
Well done sir... was it worth the efforts?
Swez
jamesp on 03/11/2007 17:19:13
The Infinities are much easier to install due to a shallower profile and a lighter wieght. You may or may not recall, I had the RF's installed and all buttoned up and found with the windows nearly up they were hitting. After cutting out some well fitting spacers of luan, the problem was solved.Ten minutes later I found a set of plastic spacers in the box the Blauplunkts I had just replaced came with..I forgot about them ...Doh...oh well.
II paid a premium for the RF Punch component set to build some rapport at a local audio shop as I had not been into any of the shops in town before. IMNOSO, those RF comps are very good sounding, hard hitting speakers and can be found online for a good price.. In thier new back seat location, they still sound great but the left one is playing into my sub box, and the right one is playing into the seat ..I still had to turn the gain down if they are to be considered fill
Also, I know I am am a newbie at this new fangled car audio stuff but when I was 18 years old and moved out on my own, my home stereo system was worth more than all my furniture and my car combined. I went to the bank and borrowed money for furniture, cooking stuff, a good grill and the stuff you need to set up housekeeping. I spent 70 percent of the money on stereo equipment. I have always loved music and have seen almost all of the older famous bands. from Led Zepplin to the Rolling Stones. This project has rekindled my interest in music...I did go to 1 concert last year. The original James Gang played in Atlanta for the first time since 1971 and I was at that show too. Before that I saw Gov''t Mule with Widespread Panic and then the Allman Bros at the Fox Theater in 02 or 03. I have seen them a couple of dozen times. Not like the old days when I went to all the good concerts that came around.
The Harley Davidson tech board that I have been a member of for years is responsible for getting me going on my audio upgrade. There is a guy on there that sells off some audio stuff about 2 times a year on the Swap Meet section of Harley Tech Talk.He owns an audio lab and buys products at retail and performs testing on the products and then writes reviews. It turns out that almost every issue of Car Audio and Electronics that I have looked at has an artical or interview with him, including the latest issue. I just subscribed to the mag and my script hasnt started yet but the local audio shop lets me borrow old copies and I finally found a magazine rack that stocks it. This guy has worked in the industry for many years and now owns Cogent Audio Labs and seems to be well respected in the industry. I got a great deal on the amp from him...I will be keeping up with what he has to offer in the future.
I seem to have come to the completion ( temporary, im sure)of my audio upgrade and dont know what else I can do at this point. Other than building a ported box just for the heck of it and keep learning about the hobby. Im glad I dont have the car video bug...how many monitors can you install on your mudflaps anyway?
I do have a question...anybody know where I can view a schematic for a ported subwoofer box? I just need to clarify port design. I thought that the port was just a slot in one of the box panels...I think Im wrong there and that the port actually has an internal baffle board(s)...You knew I would have a question didnt you?
I would like to thank everyone that offered advice and encouragement and particulary my thanks to SWEZ. You went out of your way to steer me in the right direction and the results are outstanding. Without your help, Im sure that I would have a big kicker sub overpowering everything else...or an unbalanced setup. I was just looking at SPL....for me, SQL...is where it is at.
swez on 03/12/2007 00:45:26
Thanks Jimmy, appreciate the props.
It takes a good pair of hands to do this level of work, a comittment to details and a good set of ears too. When you said SPL, I did not believe you. We're getting to old for all that noise. But, grabbing up some of your favorite oldies and testing them on this sysyem will probably put a smile on your face. GRIN
Remember AWB's "Pick Up The Pieces"? I'll bet that cut, (in fine condition) would probably get the ol R&B ticker bumpin. I recall going to a WHO concert in 1974. They used this as a sound check cut and even though I had heard it many times on FM, when played on a huge stage system... dang... I was hooked!!!
Also, do you remember Boz Scaggs, Bob Seeger, Super Tramp, Steely Dan, Toto and the like? Those were great bands in the latter 70's.
I have a favorite cut from Chicago Twenty-1, "What Does It Take". (circa 1991) Has a nice soft start and just builds to a nice jammer. There's one other cut off that collection that has some great horns and some real beefy guitar work too. Darned if I can recall it now. This is a very hard cut to find anymore... "God Save the Queen"... that's the one I was thinking of. If I could get my hands on a good CD of this collection, I'd be one "Happy Camper" !!! Have an older Cassette Tape cut now and it just does not pass muster.
It's great demo stuff if you like Chicago's music.
Swez
jamesp on 03/12/2007 21:53:32
Man that brings back the old memories. I never saw Toto perform live.
You know the factory head unit I just replaced had a cassette player and remote disc changer, The cassettes just didnt cut it anymore. I know the reason these Eclipse HU's have dropped in price recently as the memory stick format will only play music files in the Sony ATRAC3 format..that software is a joke. The MS is fine for setting up the the unit and saving settings and the unit is pretty sweet other than that. The newer models, 5100 and 7100 would be very versitile with the USB 2.0...with a couple of flash drives loaded with wma or mp3's. My Sandisc E-280 mp3 player sounds great thru the aux in but with the USB it would charge the battery while playing....Ill just suffer thru it. The FM transmitter I used to play the mp3 player thru the system before was pretty lame.It is fun playing with all the features on the Eclipse..just takes a couple of days to familarize yourself with the operation. I dont have a clue about properly setting up the PEQ for my trucks acoustical properties. I know physically how to make all the settings...just dont know which way to go in the 7 bands and at what Q to set each band...so far I just keep hitting the preset for a saved flat setting across the range. I cant seem to improve on that I seem to have my amps crossed over fairly well and dont know what settings to integrate the HU's crossovers into those settings. It is hard to hear how it affects the music. Maybe some freq tone sweeps would help me out there.The DSP is feature is very cool 6 different settings.
Anyway, you guys are probably pretty tired of hearing about all this...Ill keep pushing buttons and turning knobs and rotating tweeters for a while... GRIN
swez on 03/12/2007 23:09:36
Saw Toto Live in a local venue that sat mayby 2,500 peeps. They were just getting started and had not carved out a niche for that sound just yet. All I recall... (Circa 1978) massive keyboard patches and loads of high fidelity audio.
Awesome SQL is the best way I can frame it. Especially Toto 1 hits. "Goodbye Girl" was smashing!!! (As were their early hits)
Have fun with your HU settings and toys!
Hey, will be on the road as of Wednesday... (Florida trip) So, you may have to rely on other CKer's until I get settled. If I don't get back to CK until the end of this month, just wait and we'll chat when I get back. (End of March)
God bless, CLAP
Dave
jamesp on 03/13/2007 07:51:49
The first time I saw Pink Floyd, it was the Meddle show, they had a wall of Marshall amps or speajers surrounding the perimeter of the balcony at the old Municple Auditorium in Atlanta. A sound would start on one end and travel all the way around to the other. It blew me away. That place was fogged out with smoke, Cheech and Chong style, so thick it was hard to see the stage.
Swez, if you get near here coming back through call my cell . Have a great, safe trip. Jimmy
swez on 03/13/2007 08:50:00
Yeah, that must have been an awesome concert. Saw Floyd in Milwaukee County Stadium in their early fall tour in 1986. The first set was a bit messed up as the sound guys were scrambling to get the mix right in such a large venue. By the 2nd set, things were pretty well dialed in and it sounded great . The funny thing about this concert... the "weed" was so thick in this part of the stadium, one did not need to smoke it to get some side benefits of second-hand smoke.
I've added your number to my cell phone and will give ya shout while I'm down in Florida. If we have enough flex-time on the way back, perhaps I can get a look at your system and hear what you've been doing.
Dave
PS Edit your post to remove that number OK.
jamesp on 03/13/2007 09:44:14
I contributed my fair share to the "fog"in the auditorium.
Hey, are there any general "rule of thumb " EQ settings? Any ranges that commonly need a bit of boost or cut? My buddy from the Harley site has a good article in this months Car Audio Mag on a piece of equipment called n Audiocontrol DQL-8 that he says will EQ what has been EQ'd that was already EQ'd...or something like that. He states that EQ is an area where many people mess up thier sound...Looks like a good piece of equipment anyway for those with the experience to take advantage of it. I dont think Ill be needing one anytime soon . I could really get things messed up.....The good thing is.......in my case.....all blunders here are reversible...if all else fails...hit the reset button..
swez on 03/13/2007 11:59:13
Yeppers... we want to use EQ boost sparingly and cut the ones that come on a bit too strong. (Human hearing, listening evirons and speaker peaks)
In most cases, we will find the need for a little boost in the 35-300 Hz., ranges. Above 300 Hz., but below 4,000 Hz., most will find the need to cut a few dB for best results. Depending on tweeters and placements, we may see a modest boost or cut between 4,000 - 12,000 Hz. Above 12,000 Hz., some may boost a few dB of "flat" response.
Those are general parameters, but each listener is unique as are audio cuts and general system performance. So, a little tinkering here will help.
Swez
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