Two-way active front stage

[abmoore 8]

Hopefully this time I can make a decision. I have a 2004 Tahoe, listen to mostly rock, rap, and blues, and want to have a two-way active front stage (finally decided to stay clear from the 3 way active front!). I want to mount in some kick panels, both the mid and the tweeter, which I will either buy from Q-logic or just attempt my own (which is what I am leaning towards). My budget for drivers is up to $500, although I don't think I will need that much. I guess they will be pretty much on-axis and for this project I am considering going more of the SPL route, beyond reference levels, with low distortion which I guess is now referred to as ""SQL"" (even if it doesn't make sense ). I am really after some authoritative midbass, I just don't feel the kick drums like I would like to experience them. At the same time, I am hoping to keep the tweeters a little softer, mine are quite harsh right now.

Any input would be great, just really looking for a specific set up. I haven't experimented with a lot of the DIY drivers, and really don't have a lot of cash to throw around trying all of them. So if anyone has similar tastes and loves their set up, recommendations like that would be much appreciated. Oh, and my sig shows the processing I have although the sub stage will change soon, probably tune the box a little lower and different amp. Lemme know if I forgot anything!!! Thanks

[KU40 173]

If you want monster midbass I'm not quite sure kickpanels are what you want. You'd probably want a larger mid, maybe an 8 incher. I believe most also work best in a large IB application such as the door, although making a hole in the back of the kickpanel can help. But others should chime in more about this as I've never messed with kick panels myself.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

You could prolly put a 7" midbass in your door without much if any cutting. That would give you some punch.

There are some nice 7" drivers out there if you are going active.

[lithium 358]

if your serious about midbass i recommend a real nice 8 inch, peerless sls for example. currently im running 8in sls in my doors and a 3 inch full range on axis in the a-pillers. a set up like mine may be more favorable for you for afew reason. the first is that it allows you to choose a monster midbass and not have to worry about tweeter intergration because a full range can play down lower. another reason is that full range drivers are smaller and cost a bit less then using horns or some other exotic solutions. also a midrange, imo, is easy to work with since its crossed low, some where between 300-500 hz, unlike a midrange and tweeter which is crossed higher. downsides to this are some loss of upper freq. details, depending on driver choice this may not be to noticeable. another problem is finding a mounting location that isnt obtrusive. currently mine are mounted in pvc endcaps, which i found in the plumping hardware section, till i deside on a mounting angle and fiber glass them.

[abmoore 8]

if your serious about midbass i recommend a real nice 8 inch, peerless sls for example. currently im running 8in sls in my doors and a 3 inch full range on axis in the a-pillers. a set up like mine may be more favorable for you for afew reason. the first is that it allows you to choose a monster midbass and not have to worry about tweeter intergration because a full range can play down lower. another reason is that full range drivers are smaller and cost a bit less then using horns or some other exotic solutions. also a midrange, imo, is easy to work with since its crossed low, some where between 300-500 hz, unlike a midrange and tweeter which is crossed higher. downsides to this are some loss of upper freq. details, depending on driver choice this may not be to noticeable. another problem is finding a mounting location that isnt obtrusive. currently mine are mounted in pvc endcaps, which i found in the plumping hardware section, till i deside on a mounting angle and fiber glass them.

I was thinking door if I went bigger, like an 8, but that is going to take a lot of modification to my door. I was thinking maybe two 7s or 6.5s in the door but don't know how that normally works out. I would be kind of concerned with the loss of detail in the upper freq, thats one of the reasons I was originally thinking a 3 way. I wouldn't mind untilizing a horn though, it would have to be a mini though, there isn't much space below my dash on the passenger side. I was hoping to have good staging as well, don't know how possible that is with this type of setup. Although, I have heard that horns really raise the soundstage, or maybe that they had better imaging, I can't remember which one. Would the full range provide the SPL that I am going for as well?

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

To go with the large mid-bass in the door idea, I would suggest you take some measurements, as some models might be too deep.

[lithium 358]

if your serious about midbass i recommend a real nice 8 inch, peerless sls for example. currently im running 8in sls in my doors and a 3 inch full range on axis in the a-pillers. a set up like mine may be more favorable for you for afew reason. the first is that it allows you to choose a monster midbass and not have to worry about tweeter intergration because a full range can play down lower. another reason is that full range drivers are smaller and cost a bit less then using horns or some other exotic solutions. also a midrange, imo, is easy to work with since its crossed low, some where between 300-500 hz, unlike a midrange and tweeter which is crossed higher. downsides to this are some loss of upper freq. details, depending on driver choice this may not be to noticeable. another problem is finding a mounting location that isnt obtrusive. currently mine are mounted in pvc endcaps, which i found in the plumping hardware section, till i deside on a mounting angle and fiber glass them.

I was thinking door if I went bigger, like an 8, but that is going to take a lot of modification to my door. I was thinking maybe two 7s or 6.5s in the door but don't know how that normally works out. I would be kind of concerned with the loss of detail in the upper freq, thats one of the reasons I was originally thinking a 3 way. I wouldn't mind untilizing a horn though, it would have to be a mini though, there isn't much space below my dash on the passenger side. I was hoping to have good staging as well, don't know how possible that is with this type of setup. Although, I have heard that horns really raise the soundstage, or maybe that they had better imaging, I can't remember which one. Would the full range provide the SPL that I am going for as well?

imo the loss of detail is pretty minor as the focus is more on bringing the midbass up to par. if you feel your lacking anything significant you could easily integrate a small tweeter next to the mid but this is probably not needed.

running multiple midbasses in the doors would work ok, i would not suggest the same for a midrange. there are good options for shallower ~8 inch options as well.

i know nothing of horns.. someone else should be able to help there.

good staging is completely possible. all in the install

you should have no problem getting enough volume out of a fullrange.

[abmoore 8]

I definately have a good bit of room back there, there is a hole in the framing from the original mount and almost four inches behind that point, I also built out a baffle for my current set up so I could do that again, there is a 2 1/2 inch space between that and the frame so no issue there. So how do you feel about the peerless sls 8, or the L8, or any others like that ans what would you recommend? Also I was thinking maybe a mid and a tweeter combo with a custom passive network, so I could keep it a two way, any opinions on that or should I keep it simple?

[lithium 358]

the sls 8 is pretty proven in this application. i personally use it in my 2 way. i think your getting ahead of your self by worrying about adding a tweeter already. there are some great full ranges offered by tangband and Fountek that are pretty popular in this application. these are pretty cheap in the 25 dollar a piece range. both have good reviews on Zaph. these are not the only options. i used a peerless driver that was on sale for only 10 bucks a piece at the time. look around madisound and partsexpress. take a look at the Fountek FR88-EX and tang band w3 (both as i mentioned are reviewed on zaphaudio.com under the smaller driver test)

[Randal Johnson 544]

Please take a look at my build log. Your truck should be close to mine. I use A-pillars and kick pannels. I think you would be pleased with the set up I use. Ceck it out and let me know what you think. This setup in proven for Sound Quality. You can tell by the win status on my signature.

...

Edited March 13, 2010 by Cablguy184

[///M5 2,833]

Please take a look at my build log. Your truck should be close to mine. I use A-pillars and kick pannels. I think you would be pleased with the set up I use. Ceck it out and let me know what you think. This setup in proven for Sound Quality. You can tell by the win status on my signature.

...

Stop with the win garbage. No one gives a fuck. Prove yourself with your comments, not some "award".

And your setup will NOT satisfy the OP at all.

Considering you are looking for beyond reference levels I'd contemplate some horns. I don't mean some pro audio bullet crap either, but something like a set of ID's. They will do more than you need level wise and can be made to stage and sound great as well. If they are possible that will limit the 8's you can pair with, but a 2 way is possible and can reach your needs.

[Randal Johnson 544]

My stage scored PERFECT in USACI World Finals M5 !!! IF that's not good enough for you than OH WELL.

STOP CUSSING ABOUT EVERYTHING I SAY PLEASE. There would be ALOT of fiberglass work needed to install horns in that vehicle.

He asked about kick pannels and I gave him a suggestion. Thats all.

[///M5 2,833]

My stage scored PERFECT in USACI World Finals M5 !!! IF that's not good enough for you than OH WELL.

STOP CUSSING ABOUT EVERYTHING I SAY PLEASE. There would be ALOT of fiberglass work needed to install horns in that vehicle.

He asked about kick pannels and I gave him a suggestion. Thats all.

Perfect compared to some other idiot. Really get off your high horse, equipment doesn't buy you anything and you have shown over and over again that you don't comprehend what is necessary. If you have to tout your "experience" to give your comments merit, then obviously your comments have no merit on their own. Notice you don't see other people on here citing why they are the cats meow. There is a reason for that. Stop.

[Randal Johnson 544]

Most people get into car audio for 2 main reasons

1. sound good and show off.

2. BE THE BEST IN THE PARKING LOT !!!

Am I wrong?

Impious explained my setup in detail better than I ever could. He understands how a Competitor thinks.

You either be the best on the street / competition or you go home.

Winning at the largest audio comptition in the united states should be enough creditals for anyone. (except you I guess)

NCSU ECE I apologise for the jump on your thread. You asked about kick pannels and tweets at the start and I just wanted to share my experience. I hope you get things worked out.

[///M5 2,833]

Most people get into car audio for 2 main reasons

1. sound good and show off.

2. BE THE BEST IN THE PARKING LOT !!!

Am I wrong?

Impious explained my setup in detail better than I ever could. He understands how a Competitor thinks.

You either be the best on the street / competition or you go home.

Yes, majorly wrong. Showing off is for junior high or elementary school. Most of us are in the hobby to have the best sounding system that we can.

Impious didn't "explain" your system. In fact, if you understood it he pointed out what you should be concerned about and only touched on the surface. Many more things we could help you with.

As to your recommendation to the OP, you didn't listen. He wants loud, you didn't offer that and nowhere near. You completely missed out on his actual question.

[Randal Johnson 544]

Edited March 14, 2010 by Cablguy184

[///M5 2,833]

kick pannels ... huh ... guess i read it wrong.

You are dwelling on the wrong bit of information AGAIN. He asked for input on what would fit his needs and yes he did reference kick panels, but when you read further you'll see he referenced doors and is generally open to good suggestions which yours was not as it didn't address his needs. Sure you have kicks and he said kicks, but how does that help him, I'll make it easy and cut out what wasn't his request so you can read it better this time.

I have a 2004 Tahoe, listen to mostly rock, rap, and blues, and want to have a two-way active front stage.

My budget for drivers is up to $500, although I don't think I will need that much.

I am considering going more of the SPL route, beyond reference levels, with low distortion which I guess is now referred to as "SQL" (even if it doesn't make sense ). I am really after some authoritative midbass, I just don't feel the kick drums like I would like to experience them. At the same time, I am hoping to keep the tweeters a little softer, mine are quite harsh right now.

Any input would be great, just really looking for a specific set up.

Active 2 wsy, SPL route, reference levels, low distortion, rockin' midbass, mellow tweets, with a budget of $500. You told him to copy you which will be not loud enough, missing midbass, and made no reference of how the tweeters you have fill his needs nor can we be sure they meet the budget. And you bypassed the active altogether, although perhaps you don't know what that means.

[Notorious on mobile 0]

Interesting topic.

Don't wanna miss anything.

[lilredfocus 1]

i have the ascendant carbon mids and tweets....i havent put them in the car yet but have played with em in the house and they seem like there gonna be awsome

[sq_mgb 21]

If you want to run a pair of midbass drivers up front, you can squeeze a pair of 6.5's in each door, I believe there is a thread on fullsizechevy.com that shows a build on how they achieved this. As far as drivers go, there are a number of speakers that would get the job done, ones I would look at are the AA polys (from what I have read they are supposed to have good midbass punch), Peerless SLS (again based on reading, not actual use), and maybe the Tangbands. I only throw those out because of reviews I've read online, NOT personal experience.

A well damped and sealed door would be a must for good midbass, as well as a very solid mounting surface. Putting some clay between the baffle and the door should help as well.

The ones in my truck are mounted to an mdf baffle that has clay between it and the door, with clay all mashed up around it as well. The holes in my doors are sealed with a fiberglass panel with dampening material over it. I can't say if the panels IMPROVED my midbass because I did it before I installed them. Just get a good midbass (or two) and put a good strong amp on them and you should be fine.

Hope that gave you some ideas.

[sq_mgb 21]

Sorry, scratch the Peerless SLS, it's midbass only, not two way. I think there is another Peerless driver that is good in a two way, I'll try to find the model for you, unless someone else knows which one I'm talking about.

Got caught up on midbass part and forgot the two-way part. I think Mypre made one that might be good for you as well.

[///M5 2,833]

The Exclusive is a great driver, but it isn't a midbass fiend.

I've seen a bunch of 2 ways with the SLS as the midbass, they just require a full ranger for the rest of the top.

[sq_mgb 21]

Exclusive is what I was trying to remember, I guess it doesn't have the midbass punch I thought it did. As far as tweets go, how does the tangband ceramic sound for use in this application?

[///M5 2,833]

As far as tweets go, how does the tangband ceramic sound for use in this application?

? srlsy

8w rms and only 90dB is not going to give the OP the output he is looking for. Personally I've never heard a TB tweet I love either.

[sq_mgb 21]

I had just read good things about the sound...I have to admit I didn't look at the specs. What tweeter would you recommend for him? Its pretty hard for me to think of a mellow tweeter that would get SPL loud, sounds almost contradictory in my simple brain. Every tweeter that I can think of as loud seems overly bright to me, certainly not mellow. Maybe a pro sound tweeter of some sort?