Fi Car Audio

Working out deal with one Canadian distrib right now. Hope to have it finished this week. Ill post info when its done... Thanks, Scott

I am making a list of all old TS params and will post it up shortly. Our enclosure recommendations are the same for the new drivers as the older ones... If you need box help let me know. Thanks, Scott

Jazzscreamer... Ill preface this post by saying if you arent interested in my views on AA ignore everything down to the asterisks For the record, Fi has nothing to do with AA. There wasnt a take over or merger. Fi is a separate corporation and is not mucking up the original AA program. That is all my personal doing I definitely understand where you are coming from, and I know I have made several net/forum people mad with my choice to turn AA into a dealer/distributor company... and definitely from a few hate mails I compounded that one recently by pulling AA from all web sales (SSA). But the vision and direction we have for AA, is a good deal larger than what I know the net will support. I feel fairly confident in saying this in having started a few companies and having done OEM for many more that were net based (as well as larger brand name dealer based companies). I know the numbers game and simply didnt want to be another boutique net brand. I have one of those, lol... and I truly know the limits/scope of the sales it can produce. AA is being pushed on a much larger scale and that is who we are focused on. In being honest with some customers I have been told that I am all about the $$$ and that Im screwing the original customer base and forgetting about the forums and net sales... yes, maybe I am with Ascendant, but I really dont see the point of shackling another company like I have with Fi. I made a statement when I started Fi that it will be a direct only company in the US... and it is, and will stay that way. $$$ wise this is truly stupid as I turn down a dozen shops a week that want to carry the line. I turn some to AA that I feel will fit the program and others not. But I did make the statement and will stick to my word. AA is now a dealer based company and is selling well. Dealers are very happy with the products and we are finding a solid niche in the market. We are seeing the trends in the market skew even further to the net, and are pushing even harder for AA to be a dealer protected line. The final straw came with the loss of a solid dealer due to net sales. That one dealer did quite a bit more monthly than the net sales did... so it simply makes sense to stop it. We are ever expanding our dealer network and will have a new site with a dealer locator and new products up soon, but the fact of the matter is that dealers dont care about our site, or the fact that we have 2 other sub lines available that arent up on it. They have their up to date dealer lit packs, pricing, products, and support that helps them push the product. The site for them is almost inconsequential. So we have somewhat focused on that side of things for the time being... simply getting dealers what they need to make the sales. Chads original plan for AA was to cater to higher end home audio DIY applications. In designing the original drivers I had mentioned that I felt the car audio market would latch on to them in a big way and suggested some changes. Chad agreed and AA did 95% autosound... a far cry from the original game plan. Chad now owns Epik Subwoofers and is doing what he truly loves, making phenomenal high end home audio products. This just wasnt the fate for AA. Chad didnt choose it to be this way, but how can you choose what market is going to flock to your products? I do have a passion for home audio and know how great the polys are for that application (I much prefer to do home audio consulting and OEM vs autosound) The polys will make their way back to the market in their original form... just not from AA. AA has separated itself from all things home audio at this point. I truly see the future of AA as a bright one and know that both the product and direction are the right thing for the company. I am sorry if it doesnt fit in with your past experiences, and do apologize, but it is for the greater good of the company at this point. We are currently reworking the site and will have a dealer locator as well as all 5 sub lines on the site (and maybe a glimpse of the 6th line). I guess we will see how this plays out, but I am happy with things from this end. ************************************************************************************************ If you didnt read the above, the original polys will make their way back to the direct market. Details are still being sorted. I do have a major passion for home audio and feel that the original polys are phenomenal drivers and it kind of would be a shame to not have them around. (Im far from tooting my own horn for designing them, just that heck, I really like them and it seems most people do too). This decision is NOT based on profit... in fact they arent that profitable of a driver if you remember the original cost. I just think that they are great alternatives to the Scan Speaks, Seas, and other DIY drivers out there at a reasonable price point. And to drive the $$$ portion of this home, I wont be the one making the sales or profit from them. The current carbons are the same as the original polys except for the cones and some other slight tweaks (done to try and mimic the poly response curve). While not spot on with the polys, they are still easy to work with. For a composite cone they have a relatively mild break up on the top end. The only hitch with these vs the polys is that there is a slight dip at about 1800Hz that shelves off and flattens out until break up. Still easy enough to work with and with the filters I have done, 2200 is a good choice with some of the low Fs tweeters and makes for a nice elliptical filtered roll off on the upper end. As for obtaining these, I really dont know if youll be able to. I had originally offered them to a few dealers and they loved them. No grill, no crossover, just the carbons and a tweeter for an active set. Since then we have added them to the product line and most dealers stock them. We have gone through quite a few of them already and once they are gone, they wont be back in the same form (we are almost done with the basket for the true 6.5" car audio version... which is essentially the same thing just with a correct fitting autosound sized basket and optional grill). Since dealers like them so much, they fall into the same category as all other AA dealer protected products. I will keep the AA forum somewhat up to date with the original drivers, unless the other party involved chooses to take care of all of those details as well. Thanks, Scott

If you are simply looking for numbers... If memory serves me (and it usually doesnt considering the glue fumes from building speakers) 4.5 cuft subs up and ports back tuned to 43 using (2) 6" aeroports 14" long fitted outside the box terminating about 4" from the back hatch yields solid numbers for Street B applications. Been a while though since I have messed with that application. Or take a slight deviation from this one with the same basic setup but using (6) 4" aeroports run full length, 5 cuft with the same tuning... then blocking off 2 ports (leaving 4 open) you will drop your tuning down to about 35 Hz for a little better daily setup. Running common chamber with 3 ports open will yield 31 Hz tuning and a solid bottom end response. About the limit is 3 open ports. Thanks, Scott

Stock battery? Do you know what your alternator is rated for? Im sure things would be fine as most stock electrical systems (with an upgraded battery) will do 1500W total system power or less under normal listening situations fairly well. (Puts on flame retardant suit). Thanks, Scott

Would you be paying via Paypal, debit/credit or other? We are working on getting a completely separate recone kit section on the site as well as payment options on there too. This will definitely make the whole Fi or other company recone kits process MUCH easier. Thanks, Scott

There are multiple spiders on the BTLs... Im one for running them until they break or have major issues before reconing them. Tears in the spiders (1 out 5 layers) isnt going to be an issue. Id save my $$$ Thanks, Scott

$8.65 Thanks, Scott

What awg are the old wires and how long are the runs? Amp would be fine on standard BLs with only the PC option. No need to go overboard with the options as they will handle the power fine. Efficient dimensions? Well, what space do you have available to work with? Thanks, Scott

We are searching through the USPS receipts to find your info. If I cant find it tonight Ill 2 day one out to you on Monday. Ill keep you posted. Thanks, Scott

We will be stocking up on more of the original coils for these. Crossfire seems to be sending us all of their recone business now... and Ill get a D1 coil going for them soon enough as well. Thanks, Scott

Received an email from you as well. Ill get it together and send info out. Thanks, Scott

We dont stock anything (outside of the IB home drivers as they are standardized). So each sub is machined and built when ordered. Normally 3-5 business days, right now we are at 5-7 for the new BTLs. Im sure by the end of next week we will be back to 3-5 business days. Thanks, Scott

Its a machined aluminum ring in the gap that lowers the voicecoils inductance (allowing it to play up higher and have a little better overall transient response). It also reduces the volume inside the magnet gap of the motor increasing air speed with the cooling as well as allowing the coil to kick off heat to a more receptive thermal mass than magnets... Thanks, Scott

Whats your name and what kit was it? Ill see what and where its at...

Its a machined aluminum ring in the gap that lowers the voicecoils inductance (allowing it to play up higher and have a little better overall transient response). It also reduces the volume inside the magnet gap of the motor increasing air speed with the cooling as well as allowing the coil to kick off heat to a more receptive thermal mass than magnets... Thanks, Scott

Its a machined aluminum ring in the gap that lowers the voicecoils inductance (allowing it to play up higher and have a little better overall transient response). It also reduces the volume inside the magnet gap of the motor increasing air speed with the cooling as well as allowing the coil to kick off heat to a more receptive thermal mass than magnets... Thanks, Scott

$93.60 for the kit shipped. Thanks, Scott

Yep, was out of the country for a little over a week... got back to work on Monday and had a FULL day... only to get stomach flu or some sort of cr@p early Tuesday morning. Was out all yesterday in bed and now back to work again. Fun times. Nick will be here soon and Ill get back on top of a week and some changes worth of emails, PMs and other assorted things. Sorry....

Thank you for the review. Your results seem to fit right in with my goals and measurements. They are two different subs with similar goals, and its always nice to hear someone do a comparison that has had plenty time with them both... and a phenominal system to check with. Thanks, Scott

We are working on it and other site issues... hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will have it integrated. We are trying to set things up so that it puts you in touch with them via an email from an online fill in the blanks page. Taking the web guys a little longer to get things integrated and scripted correctly. Phone number is the hotline for dealers to call in on... although I will field "where is my closest dealer" questions on it as well. New warehouse will be finished in about 2 weeks with more phone lines and office staff as well. Thanks, Scott

Yes, there will be an autosound friendly 6.5" version coming up... just want to run through the standard basketed versions first... got quite a few of those Dealers have been happy with them and the tweeters so far. Seems to be picking up pace with orders which will ensure that the newer baskets get thrown into the mix even faster. Keep us updated on the build Thanks, Scott

Been out of the country for a little over a week and the web guys had questions I couldnt answer until today... most of the new BTL stuff is up now. Specs to be up late tomorrow as well. Note on pricing... while the "base" model pricing did go up, the equivalent pricing did not. Do to the significant increase motor cost for the new subs, and the additional motor strength... we are pricing them as the third magnet optioned subs were. While this will undoubtedly make some people mad, sorry. The new motor with the universal gaps and daily tolerences has more strength than the last one did in full SPL form with the third magnet... so you are still getting more for your money. Not too mention that 99% of all BTLs are 3 magnets. But overall we are eating more cost on these new versions due to the extra steel, shipping weight, and significant cost of the new magnets. I think people will be happy with the results and $$$/performance ratio. More info to come as well as LOTS of post and emails to catch up on. Thanks, Scott

Been out of the country for the past week and the web guys had questions I couldnt answer until today... most of the new BTL stuff is up now. Specs to be up late tomorrow as well. Note on pricing... while the "base" model pricing did go up, the equivalent pricing did not. Do to the significant increase motor cost for the new subs, and the additional motor strength... we are pricing them as the third magnet optioned subs were. While this will undoubtedly make some people mad, sorry. The new motor with the universal gaps and daily tolerences has more strength than the last one did in full SPL form with the third magnet... so you are still getting more for your money. Not too mention that 99% of all BTLs are 3 magnets. More info to come as well as LOTS of post and emails to catch up on. Thanks, Scott

Well thats a problem. Glad it wasnt one of the subs I built OEM for AA before I owned it. We can recone them but have more coils on order right now... things will be a little sturdier after we get done with them Thanks, Scott