I have a 2011 Dodge Challenger with the following audio gear:

Stock HU, base model

Audio Control LC2i

Audio Control EQL

Boston Acoustics GTA 1005- 5 channel, 50X4 + 250X1

JL Audio 12W0 in a 1.4ft3 sealed enclosure

MB Quart 6X9 components up front woofers in stock doors with CLD tiles, tweeters in stock dash location aiming up.

     In boxes in the closet

     BA GT 275

     BA GT 2125

     Sundown E-15

My goal is going active to get much better SQ, keeping stock speaker locations, sorry I just can't chop up my beautiful car.  Budget around a $1,000 or so, I'm a teacher so I'm totally loaded .  What I've learned so far...

   everything is a compromise

   don't buy anything else before I actually listen to you guys

 

I was thinking of a processor like the Rockford 360.3 which I can get for a little over $400 to take advantage of the time alignment and EQ's to compensate for the tweeter location.  Do some parts express woofers and tweeters, I'm liking the $50ish Dayton Audio 7" woofers, and a small format tweeter in the $50is range.  Get some MLV for the doors from Don at SDS and have some good baffles made.  Getting a BA GT2300 to power an XCON 10 in a ported box made by DC creations.  Lose the spare tire (I'm scared!) and have an amp rack made, consider getting a 2nd battery, those BAs are class A/B, and definitely start with the big 3, keep the stock 160 amp alternator.  I've done some reading and don't mind going with 8ohm mids, highs, and 4ohm on the sub.

 

I'm a hell of a good teacher and a damn fine student, please teach me!

Edited April 25, 201312 yr by SS Teacher

Lol umm, what advis are you lookin for? Cross over points? Aiming, staging, db slope, etc

Driver recommendations in particular, recommendations on processors, if I've got everything straight or if my thinking is off, and yes- aiming, staging, and crossover points, that will play a huge role in speaker selection.

Keeping the stock headunit? Ditch the audiocontrol units and pick a minidsp.

Keeping the stock headunit? Ditch the audiocontrol units and pick a minidsp.

I looked at those, but I have no PC, tools, talent, skill, etc!  I don't mind going to brick and mortar shops and paying people who love this industry, I just don't want to run components for the rest of my life.  The last place I went wanted to sell me a Helix processor for $700 and some HAT components, I'm like why on earth would I buy component speakers and throw the passive crossovers in the garbage?  I won't go back to him, but he did have valuable advice about other things.  I was looking at the Rockford processor because I know a local shop who does good work and I'd let them install it.  I simply don't have anyone in the Tampa area that I know/trust to handle the miniDSP.  Anyone on the forum know somebody in the greater Tampa Bay area?

and yes, the Audio Control units are going to go, I know I'm going to need much more processing to overcome the speaker location compromises.

Lol umm, what advis are you lookin for? Cross over points? Aiming, staging, db slope, etc

 

all of these would have to be tested by the user, not recommended over the interwebs.. 

having someone else install the processor and tune the system seems kind of pointless. 

Lol umm, what advis are you lookin for? Cross over points? Aiming, staging, db slope, etc

 

all of these would have to be tested by the user, not recommended over the interwebs.. 

 

Exactly lol.

 

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Installing a RF 360.3 or minidsp is a cake walk. You can install it, or have a shop install it. From there you will need to tune everything.

Netbook off craigslist + minidsp (2way) can be had for less than $400.00

RF 360.3 still requires a computer for tuning--IIRC.

having someone else install the processor and tune the system seems kind of pointless. 

I've been to the shop a bunch of times and like them, I would of course sit in the car and have input, but I don't have a laptop.  I might, after they initially set everything up see if I can borrow one from a friend and do a little fine tuning, but the professionals use the pink noise generators and microphones, all of which I don't have.

You don't need any pink noise generators or mics. You use your ears.

Ok, I get the message.  I know a guy from this forum and the Challenger forum who is an MECP certified installer who has done great work on his Challenger.  I PM'd him and will meat up this summer.  We can do the work together and I can test and set the way I like it, BUT I still have to purchase drivers and equipment.  He and several others like the JBL MS8, but the Rockford 360.3 is almost half the price and much more in my budget, or will a Pioneer DEH-80PRS be a better choice, but than there's the dash kit, steering wheel controls, CANbus, I'm thinking the 360.3 might be cheaper, any insights?

I prefer to have the controls on the dash. The 80prs is very easy to use. No computer needed as well.

I agree, having all DSP duties handled by the head unit is a huge plus. Although, newer cars that have the climate control adjustments built into the head unit also have many options. I am particularly fond of the Arc Audio PS8 for that install scenario. 

 

No good reason to use multiple processors. There really is no need for that many breaks in the signal. There are many stand alone options available that do it all. 

 

Stay away from the Dayton Audio 6"-8" drivers. They really lack the midbass and upper bass that you will need for a two-way setup. I would look at a 6.5" midrange/midbass that will fit your door install limitations and can extend down to 80hz in an IB configuration. Keep in mind they are not going to be ear bleeding loud I am loving my el'cheapo LPG 25NFA tweeters (BTW I went to these from $400 tweeters). I wouldn't cross the LPG's no lower than 3.15k. If you want to double the cost on the tweeters you can pick up some ScanSpeak's that you could cross around 2k. The trade-off will be imaging and a low soundstage using stock locations. The farther apart your tweeter and midrange are from each other the more critical cross over points are and the harder to tune and ultimately more difficult to achieve a good soundstage. 

 

A two-way front stage will give you a good starting point in achieving the "sound" you want in your car. After a bit you will realize what needs improved from the install limitations. Then if you are like a lot of us you might get bitten by the SQ bug and want to take it to the next level

So if I really want a good SQ setup, will I have to abandon the tweeters in dash bouncing off the glass and woofers in the door?  I had a JBL power series component set in a custom baffle in the stock door location but the sound stage was so low, much happier with the tweeters in the dash, they are just harsh metal tweeters with only 13 bands of EQing and no time alignment.

 

It looks like the Pioneer DEH-80 PRS is winning out over the Rockford 360.3 so far.  Any other recommendations for midbass.  If I remember correctly M5 likes the SEAS prestige?  I'm willing to do $100 per mid if I can cross them over at 80hz.

Mids in the doors can work fine as long it's properly sealed & deadened, the mounting location is solid, you use proper tuning techniques and you aren't getting a ton of deflection from the door panel.  I'm not a big fan of tweeters in the pillars, while there aren't many "good" install locations in a vehicle IMO that's one of the worse.  But thousands of people do it and seem pleased with the results, so more power to them.  Try it and see what you think, luckily relocating tweeters is pretty easy peasy rice and cheesy.  I've never been able to get it to work out for my tastes, and I haven't really heard many cars where I liked them installed there. 

 

Soundstage is as much a function of tuning as it is install, so your previous experience might not be representative of the potential results if tuning and other considerations weren't optimized.

Really not familiar with your car. Some pics of the mounting location options and what you are willing / not willing to do.

I also find your comments on budget funny right now. Whether you pay $50 or $100 for a mid, that is going to be way cheap compared to the install.

I just got my first 2 way active setup hooked up this weekend and I am blown away. I have an 80prs and couldn't be happier. I love having the controls in the dash and if you are familiar with pioneers menus it is a breeze. If not it just takes a little time playing with it. 

 

The advice on drivers I got and am happy I followed was stay away from exotic cone materials, especially for your woofers. A good paper cone is easier to tune and make sound decent from what I can tell.  Also, if your stock door locations suck like mine, it will help TONS to have a tweeter that you can cross low to help pick up where the install inhibits the woofers. 

All good advice

First things first though are really nailing down the compromises in driver location. Can't shop until then as it'll just get you excited about something that may not really work well which pretty much defeats the purpose of running an active setup.

The masters have spoken, thanks a lot gentlemen, I'm starting to get a good picture. 

 

1.  I'll start by getting the Pioneer DEH 80prs and use the front and rear channels of my 5 channel Boston amp to power the component system I already have.  I might replace the 6X9 MBQuart woofers with a pair of JBL power series 6 1/2 woofers- they are better quality and will get more power as they are 2 ohm drivers.  This will be temporary just for experimentation purposes as I run active for the first time (my first system consisted of 2 Cerwin Vega 12"s on 75 watts each and 5 1/4 coaxles run off the deck power- it was 1989).

 

2.  The doors are deadened, but I still need to add a layer of MLV. Big, nice heavy doors with lots of room, could probably run an 8".

 

3.  Figure out what tweeter location I like and am willing to compromise on.

 

4.  Then I'll take a long hard look at mating woofers and tweeters before I buy anything.

 

5.  I'll try to get some pictures up, I generally suck at that though.  They are fairly similar to Chrysler 300s and Dodge Chargers, they are sister models.

I drove the SRT version within months of release, but don't really remember the dash at all.  Even some phone pics help.

Stock srt photo

The question of how much fab is acceptable is going to come into play here...

Yeah, I'm going to take it slow this time and not throw money at equipment I don't need.  A little discipline goes a long way.  I'll start with the Pioneer 80PRS first and fool around with what I have to enter the world of active slowly.  I was intrigued to learn that mounting tweeters next to the woofers in the door is an option, I didn't like the results passively, but active results could prove different.

There is a start.  What don't you like about like about the passive results?

 

ie, it is always better to go about something relatively as it is much easier to define how to deal with the concern.  Exactly why I tell everyone to not jump in head first and buy what you think is your final set of drivers right away.  EVERY install you will learn something and want something to change.  This is the audio disease that we all have otherwise we wouldn't be here which means research to find the "best" solution right away will never lead you there.  Better to invest in things you can resell, but are improving the concerns you have right now than to go straight to the holy grail since like in real life it doesn't exist.