How to install a killer stereo for $500 (loads of pics)

[Mark 42]

[quote=dwvw;2902290]

...they are designed for screwing into wood and MDF unlike drywall screws.

On the issue of using Drywall screws: I like decking screws because they
are galvanized (some are even stainless). On the ones I use, the head is
the same bugle style as drywall screws. They have been around since before
recycled plastic decking was common, so they are made to screw into wood
(so are drywall screws).

On wire - have you tried good quality marine grade wire? It's made to survive
in corrosive environments (salt water). It's tinned so that when water wicks its
way into the insulation the wire still doesn't corrode (fast).

[Blaine0002]

I have this same setup except a JVC head unit instead of a pioneer

Id just like to point out that the amp will start rattling like a mofo, so put something behind it before you screw it down to stop the back panel from rattling.

I just used a sock.

[Gregs///M]

Luke,

What is the volume specs and tuning frequency of the ports in your Lukebox? Efficient ported enclosures must be tuned to a specific sub woofer, which sub woofers do you recommend for this box?

[Mark 42]

Will there be one of these setups at the E30 picnic?
I'd love to hear one. It's more system than I really want/need, but
maybe after seeing & hearing it in person I will need one.

[myfirst325]

Any recommendations for replacing the rear speakers on a 90 325 vert? front speakers?

[StereoInstaller1]

Luke,

What is the volume specs and tuning frequency of the ports in your Lukebox? Efficient ported enclosures must be tuned to a specific sub woofer, which sub woofers do you recommend for this box?

Right here is one of the most popular myths in Car Audio, thanks for asking.

It is widely thought (even by so-called "Pros") that the interface between woofer and enclosure is "oh so important"...but like all myths, there is a little truth there, but mostly bullshit.

Read that as bullshit intended to get you to buy one product over another...meaningless drivel, but with a kernel of truth.

In home audio or any other "Far Field" application that interface is of HUGE importance, but not in a near field application in a closed chamber...that is why most car stereo systems have shitty bass, even the so-called "high end" stuff is either so dry it has no life, or big crappy "one note" boom that shows none of the detail, none of the textures...and none of the clarity.

We are kinda known for that clarity, right?

No one seems to understand the basics: this ain't a stadium nor a living room, nor a doctors office or supermarket, it is a CAR. The rules changed when you closed the doors and added a roof.

The real importance is the interface between the box and the cabin of the car, the woofer itself is nearly meaningless.

So, instead of suggesting a specific woofer, you guys can get off your asses (actually, get on your ass will work better, read up!) and learn what to look for. Products change, specs change, all kinds of stuff is in constant flux. If you learn to look past the stupid sticker, you can see the truth in the math.

Lets talk about that math just a bit:

For the woofer to have proper mechanics to work properly with this setup, there are a few specs YOU need to pay attention to.

First and foremost: Qts. "Q" is a function in physics, and the way to look at it is "Resonance Magnification". The important part is that the Qts MUST be under (lower than) .44 to work properly. If your Qts is higher, you will have boomy, sloppy bass, highly accentuated in a specific frequency band.

in other words: shitty bass.

Second: Fs, or "Resonant Frequency". This is the spec that shows at what frequency the woofer will vibrate most in response to being twitched. The woofers that will work best are those with a fairly low Fs, but it MUST be under 30Hz.

Third: MM or "Moving Mass". In suspension work it is called "Unsprung Weight" and is basically the weight of the cone and suspension. Heavy = sloppy, with the woofer flopping and farting...you just don't wanna hear that crap. Ideally, a MM of under 100 grams is terrific these days, but good luck on that, even in a 10". Expect to be somewhere around 130 grams, but do not accept anything over 150 grams on a 10" woofer if you expect to hear the quality of sound we are famous for.

Basically, if you find a woofer that fits in the hole and has those 3 specs and meets the needs of the amplifier, you will be all good.

Luke

[Gregs///M]

Luke,

What is the volume specs and tuning frequency of the ports in your Lukebox? Efficient ported enclosures must be tuned to a specific sub woofer, which sub woofers do you recommend for this box?

So to summarize:

The 10 inch woofer needs to meet the following requirements:
QTS <0.44
Fs <30Hz
MM<150g

I should mention that many woofers meet these requirements for your box but a truly optimal sub woofer system requires mores specific tuning to achieve maximum transfer at the resonant frequency of the vehicle's cabin. But that's a whole other genre of car audio; sound pressure competition.

I used to build boxes back in the day for competition, thus the emphasis on specific woofer/specific enclosure volume/specific port volume. I once placed a crack across the windshield using a single 10 inch woofer, Kicker L7, 2000 watts. It was all enclosure design, amp power, and moving air. Good times.

[Mark 42]

I worked for a high end car stereo manufacturer in 1980.

They had a 1.3 Kilowatt VW Bug they took to shows to demonstrate their products.

They said you could tune the subwoofers by how much you left the windows open if they were almost rolled up. IIRC it had two 15" subs in it.

I never liked it much - it was almost all bottom end. But you could feel it in your body when it was cranked up.

[Gregs///M]

I worked for a high end car stereo manufacturer in 1980.

They had a 1.3 Kilowatt VW Bug they took to shows to demonstrate their products.

They said you could tune the subwoofers by how much you left the windows open if they were almost rolled up. IIRC it had two 15" subs in it.

I never liked it much - it was almost all bottom end. But you could feel it in your body when it was cranked up.

Oh ya you can totally hear differences by cracking the window open. Works with my 500 watt type R alpine 10.

[StereoInstaller1]

So to summarize:

The 10 inch woofer needs to meet the following requirements:
QTS <0.44
Fs <30Hz
MM<130g

I should mention that many woofers meet these requirements for your box

Yes, exactly that. All part of the plan. There are hundreds of great choices out there, no need to tweak on the woofer, the box does it for you.

I corrected that MMS spec. If you have to go as high as 150, your bass will be a tiny bit muddier, but it will also play slightly lower.

but a truly optimal sub woofer system requires mores specific tuning to achieve maximum transfer at the resonant frequency of the vehicle's cabin. But that's a whole other genre of car audio; sound pressure competition.

First, when you talk of "Truly Optimal Subwoofer", whose idea of "optimal" are you using? Some guys think the more a car rattles, the better it is. I know that isn't what you are referring to, but seriously, "optimal" is only targeted for a specific function, there is no such thing as "generally optimal". Anything that is optimized by nature has to have a specific goal in mind.

My goal with this box is very specific: the best overall blend of sound quality and sound pressure, with the primary goal of overall efficiency: size, weight, fitment, cost, and all at zero compromise for sound.

There has never been a more "truly optimal" subwoofer ever made.

My big goal in tuning these boxes was to alleviate the giant 50Hz to 80hz suckout and achieve a more consistent impedance curve. Again, the woofer does not matter much...that whole "specific vehicle tuning" solves that.

Let me state that clearly: the interface between the vehicle and the box is what is important, NOT the stupid woofer. This tuning is perfect for overall "daily driver" response with any woofer that meets my criteria.

BTW, keep in mind that my goal is mind-blowing quality of bass with a $50 amp and a $50 woofer. Anyone can build a stupid loud rattlebox, the goal here is QUALITY of sound. I cannot stress this enough. That is why they fit so tight, that is why there is a gasket on the face, that is why they seal the bass completely into the car, that is why they make your car quieter, all of it part of the plan.

And BTW, I don't mean "wow that's great for a $50 woofer", I mean fucking KILLER quality, regardless of pricetag. We have sold over 400 of these boxes from just this one forum, I think the quality of the sound is what has let us achieve that.

So, back to that whole "optimal" thing...

Now, if we were tuning for specific output, I would not do this design at all, nor would I use an E30 as a basis for an SPL car or an SQ car. The E30 is a piss-poor choice for audio overall...but I love these damn things, so I do all I can to make them sound great.

We do have a new box in the works that will be far more SPL capable, but still outstanding sound quality. They are much more dramatic, very very sexy in the trunk, require big crazy woofers and big crazy power...and yes, they will be expensive. Damn expensive actually, but you guys seem to want bigger stuff, so it is coming soon.

We have been living with one of these new boxes as a shop subwoofer for a couple of months...yes, it does just fine. I think once we get one of these new Beast boxes installed, all hell will break loose. Maybe a few of you guys will hear one at the Picnic, who knows?

Luke

[firemanory]

Super Duper Awesome!! Buy one now!

Not sure if this is the right place for this, if not, please delete.

A huge thank you to Luke and his team of angry elves for crafting a fine piece of furniture that holds a subwoofer. This box is a beast, and its only the 10" model. After a week of tinkering off and on including a dash swap (thanks to markseven for the help), the car is 96% done. I have never installed a car stereo in my life, so I had no clue with just about most of this.

When I finally figured out the head unit wiring and turned on the stereo for the first time, I felt like a young lad getting my first Star Wars figurine for Christmas (no kids, not the Phantom Menace, the REAL one). I couldn't put the smile away. I needed some further counseling from the Jedi Master himself before it sounded the way it should, and after that, I couldn't turn the damn thing off. It blows my home system away as well as about any other stereo I have heard in a long time, including my e39 touring with the Premium Sound.

I took lots of pictures and have some tips for others attempting this feat, and hope to get posted shortly.

You guys need to pony up, throw your homemade piece of particle board crap away and support a guy who has dedicated himself to supporting and creating a high quality product to some of the cheapest car freaks known to man. Seriously, get one. Plus, the follow up service and support alone is worth getting one, hell, make it 3.

[Mark 42]

How heavy is the box & subwoofer?

I'd like a nicer sound system, but want to keep weight down.

[Pantless Spency]

Do want

[German Audio Specialties]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, if not, please delete.

A huge thank you to Luke and his team of angry elves for crafting a fine piece of furniture that holds a subwoofer. This box is a beast, and its only the 10" model. After a week of tinkering off and on including a dash swap (thanks to markseven for the help), the car is 96% done. I have never installed a car stereo in my life, so I had no clue with just about most of this.

When I finally figured out the head unit wiring and turned on the stereo for the first time, I felt like a young lad getting my first Star Wars figurine for Christmas (no kids, not the Phantom Menace, the REAL one). I couldn't put the smile away. I needed some further counseling from the Jedi Master himself before it sounded the way it should, and after that, I couldn't turn the damn thing off. It blows my home system away as well as about any other stereo I have heard in a long time, including my e39 touring with the Premium Sound.

I took lots of pictures and have some tips for others attempting this feat, and hope to get posted shortly.

You guys need to pony up, throw your homemade piece of particle board crap away and support a guy who has dedicated himself to supporting and creating a high quality product to some of the cheapest car freaks known to man. Seriously, get one. Plus, the follow up service and support alone is worth getting one, hell, make it 3.

Where the hell is the "Like" button here?

How heavy is the box & subwoofer?

I'd like a nicer sound system, but want to keep weight down.

Let me put this out in useful data: First, if your E30 came from the factory with RWD, a 6 cylinder motor and a roof AND a trunk, it came with a thick layer of crap under the trunk carpet. I have heard all kinds of reports about the weight, and I personally have measured 2 different cars having almost exactly 57 lbs of trunk tar.

So, that weight is to properly achieve the famous 50/50 (actually 53/47, whatev) BMW weight balance...it does not diminish sound at all, it is only ballast.

That trunk tar MUST be removed for any of my boxes to fit. The primary goal of our designs are three-fold: 100% of the bass energy must be sealed into the cabin, it must fit the car flawlessly, and it must sound amazing. If I cannot tell what brands of strings guys like Nathaniel East or Marcus Miller are using, I am not letting it leave my shop, period. Top quality bass that works at freeway speeds, right?

So then, about those weights?

We can do pretty damn impressive sound for a total of 30ish lbs (BTW, likely the worst bang for the buck of anything we sell) with one of the new "Micro" 5 channel amps and one of our 8" boxes, with your choice of several different woofers, all about 30lbs.

Here is a shot showing about how much trunk is left:



Yeah, it is pretty tiny. If you even occasionally listen to dubstep, do not waste your time, get the 10" at least. If that kind of stuff is the goal, get a 12".

Next step up is our best selling product, the E3010. This box still amazes me. Put a cheap $50 woofer in the thing and you basically get the SQ you expect from a quality home sub, even if you only give it 200 watts.

I have had so many customers tell me that "this thing hits better than my old pair of 12's". In my mind, this is the best value of any piece of audio equipment on the market today. The fit, the size, the finish...I mean, sorry if I sound like a big headed douche, but seriously...read what others say, it is just crazy.

This whole thread is about that box, so I will leave off the pics, but here is the deal: remember how that trunk tar weighs 57lbs? Well, you can do the E3010, a solid 10" woofer (LOTS of great choices out there) and a 5 channel amp (full size 5 channels are cheap) for right around 60lbs, total.

The 12 box weighs just about 50lbs empty. A big amp and a decent woofer and all the sudden you have 80lbs of stereo...but even at that, it is way less weight and way less wasted room (not to mention basically ZERO rattles no matter which you choose) than the typical "car stereo shop" nonsense of that "pair of 12's, yo!"

BTW, the SQ is absolutely amazing on the 12" box. Listen to a song called "The Gift" from O.A.R. on a good system, the play the same song on one of these subwoofers. Unless you are listening to well over $2500 in home subwoofers, the 10" will kick its butt, and the 12" just destroy it. Not necessarily louder, but better.

Hope that helps...

Luke

[dogsbark26]

Goose bumps, Luke. Dreaming of the day I turn mine on.