not happy w/ audio setup what to do

[DrMcDave]

alright i have focal 3 ways up front
IDmax10 in the rear
pg 200x4 amp
cap that i may or may not use
ppi amp forget the specs but 4 channel

working on fiberglassing some kick panels, but i am not feeling the IB sub. its sounds good but i can't figure out how to mount my amp and the setup is heavier than i want to have.

i am looking at 2 8 inch subs in the rear deck maybe. Not looking for a ton of bass but looking for some. I really want to keep the weight down as much as possible.

share!

[E30 Wagen]

Subs in the rear deck won't work. The trunk lift stuff is close underneath.

edit: unless you were thinking of mounting them a little above the rear deck i suppose.

[StereoInstaller1]

Dave, whatcha gonna do about them trunk springs?

I am gonna do an old-skool bandpass, about 3 cubic feet for 1 12". 2) 4" AeroPorts coming through the rear deck. Probably gonna use Exile for the woof. The numbers look like I am gonna hit about 138db at about 22Hz.

Anyone who talks smack about bandpass has simply never heard a good one. Few and far between, let me tell you. I have heard about 3 respectable bandpass subs, ever. Best I ever heard was a JBL 1200GTi in 4 cu.ft...freeking monster that was, but with amazing clarity.

My needs are a bit different than yours, though. I gotta boom for the kiddies who buy shit from me.


As far as engeneering goes, I will say that they are the toughest thing I would ever attempt in a car. TQFT or any other transmission line aren't gonna happen, much less a true horn.

As it is, I am going to motorize my trunklid to make clearance.

Good luck on the 2 8" deal. I do carry 2 of the most respected 8" subs around, so if ya wanna deal, lemme know. I am still planning on producing some boxes, but I was cut down by the stomach flu last week, so I am way behind in every area of the shop.

Luke

[DSchultz325e]

I always thought the weight difference with a stereo was about the same as a full tank of gas as opposed to a 1/4 tank, i.e. hardly noticeable. I like to believe either go all the way or not at all, meaning either get a complete system or no stereo at all.

If weight is really that much of a concern, Waves makes a nice signal processor called MAXXbass that uses an old pipe organ trick to psychoacoustically fool your ears into thinking your current speakers are playing an octave lower than they should, without any added distortion. You can even ditch your subwoofers if you desire, provided your front speakers produce decent enough midbass already.

[DrMcDave]

Dave, whatcha gonna do about them trunk springs?

I am gonna do an old-skool bandpass, about 3 cubic feet for 1 12". 2) 4" AeroPorts coming through the rear deck. Probably gonna use Exile for the woof. The numbers look like I am gonna hit about 138db at about 22Hz.

Anyone who talks smack about bandpass has simply never heard a good one. Few and far between, let me tell you. I have heard about 3 respectable bandpass subs, ever. Best I ever heard was a JBL 1200GTi in 4 cu.ft...freeking monster that was, but with amazing clarity.

My needs are a bit different than yours, though. I gotta boom for the kiddies who buy shit from me.


As far as engeneering goes, I will say that they are the toughest thing I would ever attempt in a car. TQFT or any other transmission line aren't gonna happen, much less a true horn.

As it is, I am going to motorize my trunklid to make clearance.

Good luck on the 2 8" deal. I do carry 2 of the most respected 8" subs around, so if ya wanna deal, lemme know. I am still planning on producing some boxes, but I was cut down by the stomach flu last week, so I am way behind in every area of the shop.

Luke

what kinda of 8's and what is the mounting depth like. I was looking at the CDT's.

[DrMcDave]

has anyone build a small fiberglass enclosure to put a sub right between the seats in the rear. I have m3 rear seat and i think i could put an 8 right there behind the seat. thoughts?

[808BMW]

I think a plain old ported box properly built into the rear seat (use birch, its lighter) with a small amp would be a negligable weight difference, and be the simplest solution.

[ian332isport]

This is how I mounted a pair of 8's in my car:

This is with the arm rest in the up position:

This is the arm rest down:

This is what you see with the trim dropped down:



Ian.

[DrMcDave]

i was talking like between the front and rear seats in the middle. there is enough room if you don't plan on having a 5th passenger. I won't let someone sit on the center of my m3 seats anyway.

[DSchultz325e]

I'd wager having a sealed setup like that would not be ideal, due to sealed enclosure's heavy reliance on cabin gain produced by corner loading. I've tried cabin-firing sealed woofers in the Bimmer, and it does not sound good in my opinion. It seems like it is either cancelling out or just not getting the cabin gain it needs.

Most likely you will not need the cap, either. What brand/capacity is it?

[DrMcDave]

directed audio i think its like 1.5 farad, they sent it to me by accident. Way overkill in my car i don't use it anymore. I had it installed for a while but i ddn't need it so i took it out.

[BMW03]

I like those subs between the seats, that looks nice, and I bet it sounds good. What kind are they?

Hey,
StereoInstaller1 (Luke)
What kind of setup do you have in your car?

[StereoInstaller1]

Hey,
StereoInstaller1 (Luke)
What kind of setup do you have in your car?

Hahahahaaaa! NOTHING at all! No music in my car at all right now as punishment for not getting it done.

The plan is Polk home tweeters on top of the dash in tiny little fiberglass enclosures. KEF 6" car midwoofers in about .75 cu. ft. sealed, under the dash in (again) fiberglass enclsures, with the woofer facing the driver. A single 12" sub, in a 3 cu.ft bandpass enclosure, with 2) 4" AeroPorts firing up through the rear deck.

Power will be the 3 aincient Harman/Kardon CA260's. 1 will run just the pair of tweets, the 2nd will handle the mids. Third will obviously run the 12...all from an Audio Control 6XS crossover, hopefully fed by a 4.1 (if I can find a place I like for it) and a "Business Class" BMW CD player.

Kenwood KNAV 800 Navigation screen in the center console, fed by a cheap-o 1/2 DIN DVD and the Kenwood nav brain.

I figure the install will require about 120 hours, between the plexi wondow with edge-lit LED's surrounding a 15" diameter BMW logo, etched into the plexi. Body color (black) inside the box...plus the massive fabrication of a motorized trunk lid...and the electric hood release...on and on.

I have all of the pieces. I have the skills and technology. I have my very own shop, where I can come and go as I please, making as much mess as I want. I just have to be willing to commit to driving my shitty old Astro for 6 weeks or so while I do this!

Thanks for asking,
(reminding me what a lazy fuck I really am)

Luke

[MrK]

I have a 12" in a sealed enclosure, and IMHO it's quite nice-sounding. But that's probably cuz it's in a Touring:p

[808BMW]

Ouch... I haven't driven my car for 3 months because I'm halfway through sounds and lazy as hell... hopefully done this week though