ctmaudi

My girl leased a new Rav4, and looking to make some changes to the factory stereo. Keeping the stock touch screen HU, and want to keep everything as factory looking as possible (drop in speakers, no cutting/custom) in the chance we turn it in at the end. In the title I put "reliable" as, there is a good chance we will buy this at the end of the lease and have it a long time. My back isn't so great, so Id like to do this once, and have it last. I have a couple sets of Crescendo CCX65s that Ive had since 2011. They were only used for about 18-20 months though, (only 4 months amped at 60w). The surrounds are loose, they don't sound as good as they did, there is rust on/around the terminals, and just overall didn't stand up to time. I liked them while they were still good though. I have an Audiocontrol LC6i, Hifonics GLX100.4 and GLX1500D, all of which I got a couple years ago but never opened. Also have an old RE SR 12, AA Havoc 12, 1cu sealed box, 1.25cu sealed box, and 2.5cu ported box. The dilemma is, I think I only have room for the LC6i and one amp (under the seats). Having a sub in the back will be ok as long as I can just undo the wires to the box and remove it when I need the space (Havoc + 2.5cu box is too heavy to do that often though). Having amps on the back of the box makes that more difficult, and just doesn't go for the "stock" look my girl and I want for this. So Im leaning towards replacing the speakers with whatever will sound better then stock off the HU (maybe just replace the tweeters in the dash) and run the Havoc/1500. Or, get decent comps, and bridge the rears on the 100.4 with the RE. Another concern is the stock alt being 100amp, and trying to run the Havoc/1500. I could keep the gain down more, but not sure how much it will handle and if its worth doing. Id also consider grabbing a shallow mount 8-10" sub to go in the spare tire area, under the rear seats (doubt there would be enough room) or side part of the rear hatch area. Maybe even a powered one if there are any decent ones around now? Havent been in audio for a couple years now. Attached pic of rear with seats down. Will try to grab a couple tomorrow under the seats if needed and take measurements. So I guess at this point Im open to hearing suggestions on which route to go, and which tweeters/speakers/comps would work in this situation. Like SQ over SPL, but still want decently loud. Like to stay under $150 for the speakers and mounts. Going to probably have to get all new wires, my old ones have been through many different cars, and all weird lengths. I still have some deadening stuff from SDS around somewhere too (tiles, EB rope, MLV+CCF).

Any recomendations on a highly efficient 6.5" comp set, in the sub $150 range? My car has a factory Pioneer touch screen nav that I dont want to mess with, so just running off stock power. The factory tweeters suck, the door speakers are ok with decent mid bass, but cant hold up to highway speeds with the windows down. Was going to do LOC to amp and what not, but after 5k miles the factory system died. So I dont want to have a bunch of spliced wires back there during warranty period incase it happens again. I have a couple sets of CCX65s, but they really seem to want to be amped. Want something that will be half way decent on the stock ~20w or so. I could also just keep using my CTS-1 tweeters, and just upgrade the mids in the doors as well.

The LC6I and GLX100.4 fit under my seats (its the reason I picked that amp). Was going to run both sets of CCX65s at 2ohm channels 1+2, and bridge 3+4 for my sub. Will it work without anything directly from the back of HU?

I had gotten an Audiocontrol LC6I and Hifonics GLX100.4 a few months ago and just never installed the stuff yet. Figured with the car being new, and the HU being under warranty and failing after only 5k miles, I didnt want to give them an excuse if the new one would fail too (since there is no track record yet for this unit to know if its a common issue or not). If there is a way to wire it without splicing in to the back of the HU at all, then I could probably do that. Though, I do plan to get another vehicle shortly that I can do whatever to and put all my good stuff in there anyway.

He is asking $50 each, Im waiting on a reply of the lowest he would take.

Found someone selling a pair of Punch HE2 RFP3208s for cheap, and was thinking of picking them up to toy with since Ive never used 8s before. I cant find anything about them though except a lacking manual that doesnt have all the normal specs in it. Basically just 250w RMS, 11mm xmax, and box suggestions. Anyway, they are BNIB, and Im guessing kind of rare since I cant find anything on them. Has anyone heard or used them before that can comment if they are worth trying out?

You might be able to find a used RE SR 12 for about your price range. The one I have I got for $50 shipped of ebay about a year ago. IMO its the best sub $50 can get.

Just looked at prices, for MDF, screws, glue, spray glue, and carpet, its $80 for all the stuff needed to make a box.

Ive seen a few people recommend 1.5-2cu for a sealed Havoc 12. The recommended on the AA site says .6-1.2, and to get QTC of 7 would be .45. Why are larger sizes recomended? I have a .75cu box that Ive been using with an RE SR already, and wondering if I should use it, or get a different one. After displacement that would be under .6, less then AA recomended. Or do they recomend the size factoring in displacement already? When figuring QTC and F3, do you factor in sub displacement first? Not going to have much power, 400-600w at most.

Not that Ive ever found, except for people over priced, or have to wait months for them to do it. If the only thing that matters with a sealed box is size, what is the difference in a prefab or custom? Aside from dimensions, which any of the prefabs I listed would be fine.

Shipping kills the price of having someone build it custom, and its not worth the hassle to build it myself when the only thing that matters with a sealed box is the size.

After the three year warranty is up on my car, I will. Untill then, I dont want to stress the electrical too much, or do anything to mess with it. Just running a single four channel, 200w for comps, 400w bridged for sub. If I run a mono amp to the sub, Id probably only push about 600w. Once the warranty is up Ill get the alt re-spooled and change the battery, etc... and run rated. But thats a while away. I have a 2.25cu 31Hz box that I built for it for my last car. It sounded great, but is just too big, and I want something small and light weight thats easy to take out if I need extra room for something. Thats why Im just going to go with sealed. Plus Sonic has decent prefab sealed boxes for cheap. To build a smaller ported box would be about $85-100, and take up more room. Was looking at these, which ever size would do best would be fine. All are pretty cheap, and dimensions should be fine. An slanted back would have been nice, but I want the sub firing up since its a wagon, and so I dont have to worry about anything hitting it. 1.48cu 1cu 1cu with polyfill 1.21cu 1.13cu The 1.21cu one's dimensions would fit the best. But I could make any of them work fine. My only expierance with a sealed sub so far is an RE SR in the .75cu box with 250w. Mid bass was nice, and I liked the responce over all the ported setups Ive had, but the output was barely noticeable most the time. That was also in a trunk with the seats up. Would the Havoc in one of those with 400w or so going to at least have decent output? I dont really need the huge output Ive had before, just something that you can tell its there.

Thanks, I thought that only applied to ported boxes. What would be the "ideal" size for an all around daily sealed box for it? Mostly 90s-2000s alternative and rock/pop, and some techno.

I got one that might work if you are still looking.

I know some people have issues with Maxxsonics stuff, but they do have a few decent lines. The new Hifonics GLX and ZRX lines look pretty good. Im pretty sure the GLX is the BRZ/BRE replacement, and the ZRX is the ZXI replacement. GLX costs more then the ZRX, but has better X-Overs, and should be their more premium line. Though the ZRX line looks better to me. Just ordered the new Hifonics GLX100.4 since its smaller and will fit under my seat, and should handle a nice set of comps and a lower end sub setup well. Prices are a bit high, but sonicelectronix lets you make an offer. Got the 100.4 for $170 shipped. Lowest offer on the GLX1000.1D they accepted was $185. Didnt order that, but was curious as I might later on.

Ive used the ONX 1500 and 4.80 for almost a year. Both have been great, and issue free. Even during summer after a two hour trip ever other weekend, they didnt get much warmer then ambient temps.

I have the Havoc. I just need a new box for the new car.

Im only going to be able to push 600w or so. I have an AA Havoc 12 here, and was wondering if it would be better to get a new 600w sub like the VVX, or just way underpower the Havoc. Im going to have to build or get a new box as well, and Skar has the VVX + box combo deal. Trying to get down to about 1.75cu, which would really lower the output of the Havoc as well. Im trying to get as loud as I can with 600w while still retaining sound quality and being able to dig low. So which would be louder and/or sound better out of 1.75-2cu, around 30hz with 600w?

How does a 23.5x14x14 box (just under 2cu, ~1.75cu after sub and aero if my math is right) with a 4in aero 12.6in long (for 33hz) sound for it? Aero on the bottom left side, sub above it firing up. Trying to keep the weight centered to the middle of the hatch, and as close to the rear seats as possible. So that would put the sub basically against the rear middle seat back. When figuring out the power, if I have say 4x150 going to comps, and 500 going to sub, would I count that as 1100w (+ 30% for efficiency), or would they not be pulling at the same time? As in low frequency sound hits, then higher frequency, rinse and repeat? Trying to decide if it worth swapping in comps with power over the factory door speakers. They arent nearly as good, but they arent bad either, and it could clear up some power for the sub.

Can you do 7 or 8 sided enclosures? Something like this, I need about 1.75-2cu ~30hz for an AA Havoc in a hatchback. Preferably with sub up top, and room to mount two amps to it (thinking the 8 sided design would look nice sub on top, and amps on each slant), either 15in wide, or 24in wide. Depends on which section of the rear seat I put it behind. Have around 20-25in of length and height. If its something that can be done, PM me and I can take pics and measurements.

I wasnt sure if giving it less then half power if it would still be better then another sub rated for less power (due to different efficiencies and weight of the soft parts, etc...)

Do the havocs do well in a sealed box? If I could get a ~$30 sealed prefab for now that would make things easier. Actually the site says as low as .6cu for sealed. I have a .75cu sealed box here. After displacement, would probably be just under .6. Would that work, at least for now?

Ok, sounds like the havoc then Now I got to figure out a box design. Its a hatch with slanted seats, and I have no idea how to do slants, or tools needed. Probably have to pay for one.

Had the car a couple days now. The stock speakers really arent too bad at all. Im thinking maybe Ill pass on the front stage at least for now, and just add a sub to the stock setup. Figure that will clear up some stress not running a 4chan amp, and Ill send about 700w or so to the Havoc. I might get a smaller box still though, not sure yet. Is there a real difference in line out converters? I have one of these already, http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_4993_Scosche-SLC-4.html Any reason I should spend ~$150 on a better unit, or will that generally serve the same purpose?

Im picking up a new 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport Limited hatcback tomorrow or Thursday. Getting it loaded with nav, so I dont want to swap out the HU. Never did any audio stuff with a stock HU, so not sure what I should get. Do I get line out converters, or 3way crossover? I was looking at the Lanzar Vibe X6, for $35. Wondering if its cheap for a reason. Im going to be swapping out the front speakers with Crescendo CCX65s, filling in the rear with Crescendo Pro Audio mids, and want to put my Havoc 12 in the back. I have a MBQuart ONX 4.80 and 1500.1D (plan to get the new Crescendo 1100C4 at some point). Might also run XST2 super tweeters as well if they will fit in the dash. First up, not sure what I need or should get to hook it all up. Also, aside from Big3 and HC600, not sure if the stock electrical could take it all. I dont know what the stock alt is rated for, and cant seem to find it anywhere online since the car is too new. Im thinking I may resort to just running the CCX65s and the sub, with the 1100C4 (bridged rear channels for sub, would be way under powered though). The box I have for the Havoc I built, and is 2.25cu ft ~30hz. Sounds and works great, but is huge and heavy (double baffle and double back for mounting amps to it without putting holes in the internal part of it). In the Altima I had it in, within 7 months or so, the weight destroyed the rear tires (back of car was a good 1.5-2in lower). The Subaru is a hatchback, and it should sit more over the rear springs rather then way back in a trunk. Should I be worried about it at all and build a new lighter box? Also was giving thought to a single weaker but more efficient 10, or two 8s. I also have a RE SR12 in a sealed box thats not too bad, but no where near the output of the Havoc. Have a chance to start from scratch, and want to do it right once. Any tips would help.