CDT Audio Equipment Recommendations

[shizzzon 461]

I have talked to a tech about this and want to know what i should do...

I only have 1 sundown 100.4 to work with so there's my power source.

I have 2 Image Dynamic CXS65s that are 100wrms components.

I also have 2 Image Dynamic CX62s that are 150wrms @2ohm.

They are wired to the sundown.

I need more midrange...

The tweeter level is bout right but i need more midrange, a lot more.

CDT said i might wanna try out their new CenterStage kit which consists of 2 2" midrange tweeters mounted on the dash that drastically increases midrange. They have no power rating or ohm load rating so i dont know if i can hook em up to the amp or not... They want $400 for em and i dont know bout all that without specs...

They also have a 6.5" component set which is rated to do 160wrms\320w musical peak and am wondering if this set would work perfect on the sundown bridged at 4ohm... I can get this older model for under $250 but their newer model i believe is more than $400.

I have no other way of increasing midrange without modifying my doors and i'm leaving that as last resort.

[johnecon2001 82]

Start modifying your current install. More drivers aren't going to help anything if your current drivers are installed incorrectly.

[shizzzon 461]

well, what do you suggest i do?

I got the ID components installed where the factory ones were up front.

Woofer in the bottom part of the door and tweeter at the top of the door.

The rear fill has one 6.5" ID woofer per wall too but if i go to run my front stage mostly full passed, the rear fill is inaudible as expected.

So, i let the rear fill play up to around 700hz and the fronts play from there on up.

I don't want to have to do that but from what //M5 has told me and others before is that rear fill is pointless so if it is expected that i am to not get anything audible out of the rear woofers, then what should i use the other 2 channels of the sundown 100.4 for?.....

[johnecon2001 82]

What do your doors currently look like deadening wise? Did you use MDF rings and clay around the mids? Are the doors sealed up good?

[shizzzon 461]

they are not sealed up at all, no where sealed, nada, negative...

I figured by running them free air HP'd around 100hz on up (if i did) wouldnt make a difference vs sealing them off.

I'll try and make a temp seal soon and see if it appears louder or not.

I also would like to add that i have phasing issue but do not know how to correct that either.

I'm sure this happens at more than 1 note but this is just an example of what i've noticed-

1KHz tone-

I'll balance the HU over to the far right.

IF i fade all the way forward, it's loud.

If i fade all the way back, it's the same loudness to the ear.

If i fade to 0 allowing both front right and rear right to play, the output level cuts in half.

That's def a phasing issue but do not know how to go about fixing that.

Should i intentionally wire one of the rear speakers backwards? I'm sure that's not a good answer, there's no phase setting on the sundown amp so i dont know where to begin on that issue either.

[Adrian_D 520]

Try diffrent wiring combinations. Sort out each the front first and then the rear.

[shizzzon 461]

okie dokie Dr Jones, hold on to your potato

[johnecon2001 82]

Definitely seal up your doors.

[hobbydepot101 0]

One question, are we speaking mid/bass or a true midrange? because what they offered you in a 2" midrange would be for a three way system.

[shizzzon 461]

midrange

[titanle 0]

i picked up some es-62i's they should be here next week ill let you know how goood they are

[titanle 0]

Oh and I also got the braxial upgrade

[///M5 2,833]

I 10000% agree with John, first and foremost fix your current install. Having non-sealed doors is not only killing your midbass but severely limiting your midrange capabilities.

I am curious as to what frequencies you mean by midrange as well. Have you done some test tone sweeps to really figure out where your system is lacking? Also curious as to why your mids are only playing down to 100hz, that would drive me completely nuts.

[titanle 0]

when i had my doors 100% sealed i didnt notice too much of a difference as opposed to when it was deadened but the big holes were not covered......

[shizzzon 461]

i have the front stage high passed at 50hz.

They get loud(only if i drive them into partial clipping), and yes, i do need to work on my current install.

[///M5 2,833]

when i had my doors 100% sealed i didnt notice too much of a difference as opposed to when it was deadened but the big holes were not covered......

lol, then there were a lot of other things wrong with your install.

[KU40 173]

How do you have your RCAs ran? You say you get the same loudness whether faded all the way front or back. Does that mean your fronts play when the fade is all the way back? Or the front components are the same loudness as the rear mids (lowpassed at 700 hz, correct?) when faded to their respective positions?

If you don't have the crossover specs for the passives on your front stage, email ID and see what they say. There's a chance they left a large gap between what the two speakers get that may be cutting your midrange. and as M5 suggested, run some test tones to see exactly where the problem is occuring.

Does the sound get better when you have only the fronts playing? Maybe since those rears are crossed at 700, they are kind of overpowering the lower midrange area, leaving the higher midrange sound like it's lacking.

What are the crossover ranges on that amp? If they go high enough you may be able to try running active with it.

Also, as far as phasing, definitely try swapping + and - on individual speakers one at a time. It won't hurt a thing. Many people do that and keep the left and right fronts out of phase. Depending on the acoustics of the vehicle, it's possible to quite drastically increase response. On my last car I believe I found that midbass was the best when the left rear and right front mids were out of phase with the other two.

[///M5 2,833]

Also, as far as phasing, definitely try swapping + and - on individual speakers one at a time. It won't hurt a thing. Many people do that and keep the left and right fronts out of phase. Depending on the acoustics of the vehicle, it's possible to quite drastically increase response. On my last car I believe I found that midbass was the best when the left rear and right front mids were out of phase with the other two.

Indeed, I haven't had a car where I plugged all the drivers in using their "normal" phase ever. It has always sounded better to have one or the other lead changed around.

[titanle 0]

when i had my doors 100% sealed i didnt notice too much of a difference as opposed to when it was deadened but the big holes were not covered......

lol, then there were a lot of other things wrong with your install.

hmmmm like what? I have proper mdf baffles and the wiring is all on point.