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idiot

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Everything posted by idiot

  1. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    After a recent break-in, I'm having to rethink/rebuild my subwoofer box and amp rack, as well as replace the equipment. Fortunately my front stage was untouched, so the only change coming is in the rear. Vehicle: 2004 Toyota Matrix Equipment (new stuff in red): Source: Rockford/Denon RFX-8250 Mids: Usher 8945P 7" Tweets: Peerless 810921 HDS 1" dome Sub: JBL W12GTi MkII Enclosure: 1.7 ft.^3 sealed (after sub displacement) Front amp: Kenwood eXcelon XR-4S Sub amp: Kenwood eXcelon XR-1S Processor: Rockford 3sixty.2 My goals for this build are to decrease subwoofer footprint by utilizing the spare tire well for extra airspace in an effort to increase cargo capacity. Hopefully, a smaller box will also reduce the incentive for someone to steal my stuff again, although the extreme mounting depth of the W12GTi means that I can't make the box flush with the floor of my car. Still, my previous box was 3 ft.^3 with a Soundsplinter RL-p15, so this should open up some space that will hopefully end up being usable. Special thanks to Impious for helping with the equipment selection and giving some DSP tips. Here is the old build. Amps were under the floorboard. Here are some progress pics on the new design. Amps/processor will again be under the floor, on the righthand side.
  2. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    So I finally got my replacement 3sixty.2, hooked everything up last night, and set the preliminary crossovers and EQ. Wow. What a difference a little time alignment makes! I'd heard great things about this sub, and they are all true. I was coming from an RL-p15, but this thing is giving me no drop-off whatsoever. The box is smaller, I'm pushing less power, but it can still get so loud that I can't stay in my car. Subjectively, that's really all I'd ever ask output-wise. But this sub blends sooooo much better than the RL-p did. I'm crossing at 70Hz right now and can hardly tell where the midwoofer ends and the sub picks up. If it weren't for feeling the micro-vibrations in the plastic paneling of my doors, I suspect the blending would be perfect. The SQ of this driver was not at all exaggerated. This will probably be my last update here since classes have resumed and I no longer have time to brush up my install. I'm very happy with this setup, and I can't wait to play with the EQ.
  3. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Made a little mp3 holder while waiting on my 3sixty exchange. Here's the the Zune, wrapped in layers of tape to serve as the mold: Removed from fiberglass, about to be trimmed: Trimmed up: Added filler and sanded smooth(ish): Painted: The uneven surface on the inside is meaningless since that will be covered in felt: A bit of a rushed job, but here's the final product:
  4. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Probably the last set of pics on the rack, since everything else that needs work is just wiring. Put the sub in though and ghetto-rigged it to my amps... now just waiting for the 3sixty replacement so I can actually have decent crossover options. I think I've decided to stick with the grill for now, actually. Hard to tell in the pics, but it matches the interior fabric of my seats and does a decent job of covering the chrome bling that is JBL's dustcap. Looks better in person too.
  5. idiot

    6.5" comp recommendations ...

    I'm unfamiliar with newer VW systems, but I'm assuming this requires that you get some sort of LOC or OEM integration unit to pass a signal to your aftermarket amp? Personally I'd ditch the rear fill and double your budget on the front components, but you've probably heard that before.
  6. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Thanks man. It was a mixture. State Farm bought the amps and Focals, then cut me a check to cover the sub and install. I got the 3sixty.2 on my own and will recover that expense when I sell the gear that will go unused. It took a while to get everything worked out with their claims department, and I had to haggle on the equipment since they really wanted to give me shitty parts, but it was a positive experience overall.
  7. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Up in the classifieds now, FYI.
  8. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Thanks guys. Going for a stealth-ish install here. Yeah well, the floor piece here is bolted to the chassis, so the only way they'd get anything out would be to unscrew the amps or sub individually... or snap a sheet of 3/4" MDF.
  9. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Ugh, I knew things were going too smoothly! My 3sixty.2 doesn't power up. Will have to exchange it now, which means it may be a few more weeks before everything is finalized. Still, everything is installed regardless. And the amps power up, which is a small mercy I suppose. I also threw some cloth over an MDF grill frame, just to see how it'd turn out... not sure yet whether I'll keep it in the end or just leave the sub uncovered. Decisions. The wiring is a mess... not sure it's gonna get any better either, lol. Limited space ftw.
  10. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Alright, got the box assembled, carpeted, and anchored down. Sealant is drying on the box tonight, and I'm waiting on some poly-fill to arrive (of all things) before I can drop in the sub. Hopefully I'll finish up the wiring tomorrow and at least get the front speakers pumping again. I'll try to snap some pics as well. Almost there!
  11. idiot

    BIG enclosure BIG kerfs!

    You do great work. I'm jealous.
  12. idiot

    BIG enclosure BIG kerfs!

    Beautiful work. Was it all cut/routed by hand, or was there a shopbot involved?
  13. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    I've started putting the pieces together now. I've done about as much as I can until my knukonceptz order comes in and I can mock-install all my wiring to determine where everything needs to be mounted. After that I can seal, paint, and carpet everything together. Just a few quick updates until then: The bottom piece. Equipment gets mounted on the right; the left is part of the sub airspace. The horizontal wooden bar nearer the top of the image is bolted to the chassis and will allow me to drill through the false floor and into a secure mounting point. The false floor. The righthand side leaves a removable window to access the equipment mounted below. And yes, miraculously enough, that is enough space for two amps, a processor, and my distribution blocks. The subwoofer box. Uses the basement airspace and a little above the floor. 1.7ft.^3 in total, after accounting for the W12GTi. These pieces are not yet attached. Equipment window closed. I'll install a rope or something on the underside that will allow this piece to be pulled up at will. The grill frame. I'm waiting on some grill guides from PE, after which time it will be primed/painted and covered in grill cloth. The whole thing. It won't be completely assembled until it's ready to be installed permanently. If the mailman cooperates, that might be as early as this weekend.
  14. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    One of my buddies mentioned wanting to put a system in his truck, so he'll get a good deal if he's interested. Otherwise they'll go up on the classifieds or ebay.
  15. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    OMG, it's Christmas morning over here! Thanks, State Farm! I have no need for the Focals or PPI, but I appreciate it all the same. And this W12GTi is freaking massive!
  16. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Made a little progress over the past few days. Hard to make anything too final without my equipment yet. Bolted a brace to the chassis so I can screw down my floorboard and make removal of the entire piece a pain in the ass. Might not discourage any thievery/vandalism, but it makes me feel better. Clamping some pieces on the bottom. The area on the right is where my amps will be installed. I'm having trouble believing they're as small as the manual claims, but we'll know soon enough... Made my circles on the left, and cut out a piece of the floorboard on the right. I'm hoping to install a hinge and leave that section of the floor able to be pulled open for easy access to the amps/processor directly beneath. I'm expecting my equipment to arrive tomorrow, so more exciting pics should be on the horizon.
  17. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Oh that's not bad at all then... I should definitely have enough left over from the insurance check for some tinting, then. And on that topic, the first of my many State Farm packages arrived this morning. This one isn't going in my car, but it should fetch a pretty penny if I sell it to my buddy or throw it on ebay. The motherload should be coming in a few days.
  18. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    I've definitely been thinking about this. About how much would it cost?
  19. idiot

    idiot's slimming down build

    Heh, it is kinda asking for it down there isn't it? We'll see what time allows--might be relegated to home depot brand, if at all. I need to finish everything up in the next few weeks before my classes resume.
  20. idiot

    Gear Replacement Recs

    The depth on those subs is crazy. I'm building into the spare tire compartment beneath the floor of my wagon, so the box shouldn't be too obtrusive. Hopefully. I wish I could flush-mount it with my floorboard, but that's not possible given the 10+" mounting depth. Oh, the sacrifices we make for beautiful speakers... The universe has smiled on me, and I found my Behringer ECM8000 today. I'll try and grab one of those M-audio preamps off ebay, hopefully for less than $60. And thanks for the DIYMA recommendation--it's an encyclopedia of a forum over there! I'll search around for relevant discussions after I get everything all set up.
  21. idiot

    Gear Replacement Recs

    I've been out of the game for a while, and I'm hoping for some good recommendations. I installed my system about 6 years ago and haven't really upgraded it since them. Then some guy decided it would be fun to break my rear window and steal my subwoofer and amps. Gone is my Soundsplinter RL-p15 and some old school PPI amps. Not to mention my custom-molded fiberglassed enclosure and amp rack. Sigh. So like I said, I've been out of the game for a while, and I preemptively apologize for the newbie question. But I'm hoping that someone can toss out a quickie listing of the internet-favorite subs right now so I can focus my research a bit. I'll probably downgrade to a 12" sub since I was never using the full potential of my 15". But I definitely want something with authority from the 60-70Hz range and down, as I cross my mids fairly low. Enclosure will probably be sealed again, but that is not for certain. Sub is in a hatchback, not a trunk. Source: Rockford/Denon RFX-8250 Mids: Usher 8945P 7" Tweets: Peerless 810921 HDS 1" dome Fortunately, the above equipment was left alone, but that gives you an idea of the gear I'll be pairing up with the replacement parts. Amps are TBD and any recommendation on that front are more than welcome. But subs are my agenda today. Still crossing my fingers that insurance will give me some kind of return for the stolen property, but I'm hoping to stay under $350 for the driver regardless. So... what's everyone in love with these days?
  22. idiot

    Gear Replacement Recs

    Awesome post, thanks! I wish I'd seen it before I dropped a few hundred on a 3sixty.2, although the significant price difference between the RF unit and the MS-8 may have made my decision regardless... the JBL sounds like an incredible piece by all indications, but it would be a bit beyond my budget. Same with the BitOne, although that looks to be outclassed in its price range by the MS-8. I suppose I'll be doing manual tuning then, which seems like a steeper mountain to climb than I expected. The TA and crossovers should be simple enough, I hope, even if absolute frequency response plots require a little more equipment and knowledge to generate. No doubt it will be a gradual process. So to clarify, I'll need: (1) a mic, (2) preamp with USB connection, (3) time. A quick search shows that's about a $70 investment in equipment, so I may hold off on it for the immediate future unless I can find my old (and presumably lost) Behringer mic that I purchased years ago and never actually used... are there any online resources you've found particularly useful? FYI, I switched the sub to a W12GTi and started building the box/rack yesterday.
  23. idiot

    Gear Replacement Recs

    So after going back and forth with my insurance company over the equipment replacements for what was stolen, I managed to squeeze the following amps out of them: Kenwood XR4S (120W x 4) Kenwood XR1S (need to find out if this is 1ohm stable... the manual says 2ohms minimum, but the specs page online lists 1000W x 1 @ 1ohm) Plus some other stuff, but those are the ones I'll probably be installing. They're supposed to be decent amps with a small footprint and reasonable power, so I see no pressing need to sell them and buy new ones. What these amps lack, however, is DSP. So I'm considering getting a 3sixty.2 and adding that to the chain for xover, TA, and EQ duty. Thoughts on the Rockford unit versus something like the Audison bitone or JBL MS-8? Looks like the Rockford can be had for $3-400 while the others are more expensive, so I'm wondering about the relative quality. If I went this route, I'd probably want to get some kind of microphone and tune with software like RoomEQWizard. I've never done that before, so any suggestions or unforeseen hurdles there? They also tried to replace my RL-p15 with a Kicker CompVR. After I stopped laughing, I managed to convince them to cut me a check which I'll be using on a Shiva. Hopefully that amp is 1ohm stable, or else I'll either have to get another or see if I can get the Shiva with dual 4ohm coils. Glad to have this drama (almost) over so I can start building the new box.
  24. idiot

    Anyone running pro audio?

    Yeah, I'm gonna side with the guy who said to pick your locations before getting bogged down in driver selection. I had a helluva time fitting just a big-magnet 7" in my doors and some tweeters in my a-pillar. Definitely couldn't sacrifice the floorspace for kicks, and knowing those limits made my speaker choice much clearer. Yeah, but it's still do-able... and totally worth it.
  25. idiot

    Gear Replacement Recs

    I thought the Class D thing was just a myth, but I wasn't sure. For the fronts, I'd be running an active setup, so I need 4 channels and some decent crossover options. My tweets play down to ~1.5k, the woofers take over to about 60-70Hz, and the sub gets the rest. Honestly, amps are the area in which I normally cut the most cost for some reason. I normally get them used/refurbished and have never spent more than $250 for one in my life. They're not visible in my install, so I guess appearance is irrelevent. Budgetwise, I'd definitely need to stay below $600 for the two amps and whatever processing. At this moment I'm thinking of the Kenwood X4R and X1R, but I'm obviously wide open. Edit: Actually, if I go with the Shiva, looks like I might want a sub amp that's stable at 1 ohm, which crosses out the X1R. But if all the DSP can be done on the X4R, then I guess I can grab pretty much any dumb monoblock with a subsonic to run it.
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