HaywoodJablowme
Baltimore Blowfish
+46|6551
This is a good thread.  Now I want to take my 2 JL 12's outta that bandpass and make a sealed enclosure for them. 

Fetus, any tips on building one?  Or any links on some smooth looking custom style enclosures?  It's going in an original cherokee in the hatch area behind the seat.
FeedUsYourFetus
Member
+89|6423
Does the bandpass box sound like crap or do you like the bass you are getting out of it?  If so, I wouldn't mess w/ it.  Be aware that if you go from bandpass to sealed, you might not have as much bass (as someone mentioned, bandpass is a little in-between sealed and ported).

What is the exact model of your JL subs?

KiL
HaywoodJablowme
Baltimore Blowfish
+46|6551

FeedUsYourFetus wrote:

Does the bandpass box sound like crap or do you like the bass you are getting out of it?  If so, I wouldn't mess w/ it.  Be aware that if you go from bandpass to sealed, you might not have as much bass (as someone mentioned, bandpass is a little in-between sealed and ported).

What is the exact model of your JL subs?

KiL
It sounds alright, but I've had the same subs in sealed boxes that I got rid of and I think they sounded better then (even with a pretty crappy amp).  Now I have an MTX amp that I have cranked almost all the way down and the bass on my stereo all the way down and it still thumps.

So I'm not hurting for bass.  And they are the W0 models, 8 ohm.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6299

Wow. This thread makes me want to cry. Ya, I had a nice system once...Until I went to a house party and had it ALL stolen out of my car the day after I had it all installed...

Haven't even BOTHERED to think about getting a stereo system for 2 years now.
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland

Im_Dooomed wrote:

Wow. This thread makes me want to cry. Ya, I had a nice system once...Until I went to a house party and had it ALL stolen out of my car the day after I had it all installed...

Haven't even BOTHERED to think about getting a stereo system for 2 years now.
That sucks, I'm awaiting delivery of my new speakers today
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
Just installed my new speakers. They're quality even though its only off a peugeot head unit. Might need to invest in a new one and an amp.
FeedUsYourFetus
Member
+89|6423
Since this thread has reignited the audiophile in me....I can't seem to stop the persuit to spread knowledge.

We talked about box designs, but we didn't talk about box materials.  The typically "ideal" material is 3/4" MDF (medium density fiberboard).  I has good acoustic properties, and holds up well to the stress of vastly fluctuating pressures.  Since this is such a common material for sub enclosures, chances are, if you have one made or purchase one, it will already be 3/4" MDF....BUT check anyway.  If someone is building the box for you, ask them what material they are using.

Now, despite the fact that MDF has good acoustic properties, having sound waves rattle and bounce around inside an open space (ie, the inside of your box) still isn't preferrable.  This is where a little product known as POLYFILL comes into play.  This is a relatively ubiquitous filling material, used for all sorts of things from pillow stuffing, to stuffed animal innards.  It is cheap, and you can buy it in big bags from craft or fabric stores (like Michael's or JoAnne's Fabrics).  What does it do?  It essentially absorbs the sound waves that are bouncing around inside your sub box, and prevents them from having any chance of escaping and interfering with the sound waves you WANT to hear (the ones coming from the front of the speaker).  If you have a box built, your install guy might not use polyfill......he might just make a box, and stick your speakers in.  If so, buy some.....and fill up the box yourself.  Don't be stingy with it either.  You really want to load up the inside of the box with the stuff.

I bought my subs and box together as a package.  They certainly didn't come w/ polyfill......so I bought my own and loaded it up.

But now.....let's say you've followed everything I've said to a T.  You've got good components, you've got a proper amp install with good heavy duty wiring and a big fat capacitor, you matched your sub/amp ohm ratings and bridged properly, your box is well made w/ MDF to the ideal internal airspace for your subs and it's loaded with polyfill.  But, your system STILL sounds like crap and you don't know why.

Keep this in mind:  When it comes to a good sounding system, the only audio frequencies you want to be hearing are the ones coming from your system.

Herein lies the rub.  Most of us aren't putting bangin' systems in a Rolls Royce.  Our cars are generally more on the budget side (or at least, not super luxury cars).  Most of th cars that fall into this category have parts in them that will rattle when hit with a slamming bass line.  Sometimes, it is easy to identify the fact that we have a rattle issue, and where the rattle is coming from.

Other times, it's not so obvious.  All we can tell is that the system doesn't sound right, and we can't figure out why.  This is when it's a good time to crank up your system, close up your car......and take a walk around the outside and see if we can identify a source.

I had this problem with my Scion xB.  I had everything set up ideally, but the bass sounded like hell.  Was it because the frequencies and bass coming out of my subs were crappy?  No...it's because there were other sound frequencies interfering that were making it seem that way.  From the inside of the car, I didn't hear any rattles.....just a nasty sounding system.

So, I took a walk outside my ride.  This is when I detected TWO culprits.  The first was the rear wiper blade.  The rear window was so close to my subs that the bass was making the wiper blade rattle uncontrollably against the glass.  This translated into a frequency inside the cab that interfered with what SHOULD have been nice sounding bass.  So....what did I do?  I removed the wiper blade......I never use a damn rear wiper for cryin' out loud.....but I do use my expensive sound system all the time.  Easy choice.  THAT problem solved......but still, something else was amiss.

The second offender was my rear license plate.  It was rattling against the plate holder.  Now obviously, I can't get rid of my license plate....so I needed something to absorb and prevent the rattling.  I decided the perfect solution was to put a few strips of 1/4" foam weather stripping across the back of my license plate.  The foam absorbed the movement of the license plate, and prevented any metal against metal contact.

After performing these two simple modifications, I could not believe the sound difference.  It was day and night, and I went from being disappointed with my car audio to being highly satisfied.

Now, granted, depending on your vehicle you might find that there are some rattles that are less easily addressed.  If we are looking for the ideal sound system, I'd recommend lining the entire stripped interior of your car with Dynamat.  Dynamat is a material that absorbs and prevents unfavorabe soundwaves.  However, for most people, this is not practical because of cost (to have a whole car Dynamatted is very expensive), and because of the extra weight it adds to your vehicle.  So you can expect a car that is loaded with Dynamat to lose some performance due to the added weight.

Anyhow.....that's all for this installment.

KiL
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
KiL I'd appreciate if you could help me out with some queries. The new speakers I got are GOOD sounding, even though they are only working at 1/100th of their peak performance due to my shambolic head unit. I'm thinking about getting this but I want to be able to connect to my MP3 player, in the specs it says its capable of playing MP3s, but I doesn't say if it means mp3 cd's or from an mp3 player, n it doesnt say hpw it connects either. For the record I have a creative zen touch, not an iPod, so I'm not worried about iPod compatability
HaywoodJablowme
Baltimore Blowfish
+46|6551

bennisboy wrote:

KiL I'd appreciate if you could help me out with some queries. The new speakers I got are GOOD sounding, even though they are only working at 1/100th of their peak performance due to my shambolic head unit. I'm thinking about getting this but I want to be able to connect to my MP3 player, in the specs it says its capable of playing MP3s, but I doesn't say if it means mp3 cd's or from an mp3 player, n it doesnt say hpw it connects either. For the record I have a creative zen touch, not an iPod, so I'm not worried about iPod compatability
Hey, looking at that deck underneath the pics it says it plays mp3 cd's. 

Which is not bad, that's what I have in addition to a 4G ipod, and all I use in my car is cd's with 160 songs on them apiece - I just burn new ones every now and then.  They can be replaced if they get broken or stolen, not so easy for an expensive mp3 player.

I haven't heard of that brand, and if I remember my conversions from my time on your side of the pond, that's about a 65$(US) stereo, which is really a little on the low side.  I would save up a bit and get a better known brand like alpine, kenwood, sony.  Not sure what you guys have in the UK but I would spend at least 100-150 US, about 50-75 BritPounds (AT the VERY least). 

I know how it is on a budget, but yeah, your new speakers will sound 10x better with a new deck.

edit:  Quick search on your ebay, and here's a decent alpine, about that price I quoted, better specs, that I bet you would be way better off with.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2006-NEW-Alpine-C … dZViewItem


Edit 2:  so Alpine's aren't very common over there, then go with a more common one, ask some others what they use.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KENWOOD-KDCW3534A … dZViewItem

Last edited by HaywoodJablowme (2007-04-27 12:41:45)

FeedUsYourFetus
Member
+89|6423
As he just said.....it's MP3 cds.  If a head unit says it plays MP3s, it is typically referring to its ability to play MP3 cds.

KiL
Mr.Pieeater
Member
+116|6595|Cherry Pie
I would recommend this head unti: JVC KD-AVX2

I have the first version of it (which you could purcahse on eBay for $350 or so used) and it rocks!  I have DVDs with 750 songs on it.  They are organized by folders and it works great!  You could literally drive across the country on one DVD.

It uses Giga MP3, which is a DVD with MP3s on it.  It also plays DVDs, and you can hook up videogame systems.  The screen is tiny, but sufficient.

Last edited by Mr.Pieeater (2007-04-27 13:24:37)

bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
On the halfords site it is £70 ($140 roughly) but I searched for it and found it cheaper. The thing that made me unsure was the pic https://ctelectronic.co.uk/ebay/car/L/CD788.jpg because there it appears to signify it is playing from an external source, e.g. an MP3 player, rather than a CD
HaywoodJablowme
Baltimore Blowfish
+46|6551

bennisboy wrote:

On the halfords site it is £70 ($140 roughly) but I searched for it and found it cheaper. The thing that made me unsure was the pic http://ctelectronic.co.uk/ebay/car/L/CD788.jpg because there it appears to signify it is playing from an external source, e.g. an MP3 player, rather than a CD
I know what you're saying but I bet it doesn't.  If you can find it on google and see if it actually does have a hookup for an mp3 player, you might be lucky here.  Otherwise, I would look at that kenwood in the second link in my crappy edit job of my previous post.  It's a nice product, for only a few shillings more.
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland

HaywoodJablowme wrote:

bennisboy wrote:

On the halfords site it is £70 ($140 roughly) but I searched for it and found it cheaper. The thing that made me unsure was the pic http://ctelectronic.co.uk/ebay/car/L/CD788.jpg because there it appears to signify it is playing from an external source, e.g. an MP3 player, rather than a CD
I know what you're saying but I bet it doesn't.  If you can find it on google and see if it actually does have a hookup for an mp3 player, you might be lucky here.  Otherwise, I would look at that kenwood in the second link in my crappy edit job of my previous post.  It's a nice product, for only a few shillings more.
hmmm, that kenwood has no outputs that you can attach an amp to, which i basically the main thing I'm looking for. Also it says mp3/wma playback under the CD specifications, which would surely mean mp3 cds again?
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
Okay, I have re-investigated my options and come up with

head unit
amp (that matches my 1000W speakers)
Wiring kit

and some adapters and facia kits that are needed.

Total=£193.15

I'd appreciate people's opinions on if its worth it
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
anyone?
loonitic
...is a potty mouth
+286|6505|Valhalla

bennisboy wrote:

anyone?
How load are your Speakers/Sub Woofers?
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
speakers are 1000W 6x9s
except I got them for £49

Last edited by bennisboy (2007-04-29 09:36:52)

loonitic
...is a potty mouth
+286|6505|Valhalla

bennisboy wrote:

speakers are 1000W
wouldn’t put your sub into the 1000w port on that amp you could stand a chance of blowing it aside from that it all looks fine.
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland

loonitic wrote:

bennisboy wrote:

speakers are 1000W
wouldn’t put your sub into the 1000w port on that amp you could stand a chance of blowing it aside from that it all looks fine.
kl, I ddint bother with a sub after reading the reviews of the speakers, Most people said when they connected them to their amps they drowned out the subs with their bass.

CRAP, while trying to fond out delivery time for the head unit I filled out my details n pressed next to see if it would say and I ordered it by accident! lol

Last edited by bennisboy (2007-04-29 10:03:10)

Jasp
Bongabilla
+171|6633|The Outer Circle

bennisboy wrote:

Okay, I have re-investigated my options and come up with

head unit
amp (that matches my 1000W speakers)
Wiring kit

and some adapters and facia kits that are needed.

Total=£193.15

I'd appreciate people's opinions on if its worth it
Go ere' http://www.bassjunkies.com/

Good value stuff, and they know what their on about! ... Which helps!

Ive got 1x10" 2x12" and 1x15" in the boot area.. (I say area I took the back seats out)

Built in the rear 1/4's 2 7x10's and 5" comps in the front doors. Runnin 4 Amps + Caps <-- essential!

All in a Golf Mk2!

(Also you may want to upgrade the battery, Ive got mine running off a caravan battery)
https://static.bf2s.com/files/user/11882/holteendersig2.jpghttps://forums.bf2s.com/img/avatars/11508.gif
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland

TPM-J45P3R- wrote:

bennisboy wrote:

Okay, I have re-investigated my options and come up with

head unit
amp (that matches my 1000W speakers)
Wiring kit

and some adapters and facia kits that are needed.

Total=£193.15

I'd appreciate people's opinions on if its worth it
Go ere' http://www.bassjunkies.com/

Good value stuff, and they know what their on about! ... Which helps!

Ive got 1x10" 2x12" and 1x15" in the boot area.. (I say area I took the back seats out)

Built in the rear 1/4's 2 7x10's and 5" comps in the front doors. Runnin 4 Amps + Caps <-- essential!

All in a Golf Mk2!

(Also you may want to upgrade the battery, Ive got mine running off a caravan battery)
The head unit I'm getting is actually cheaper on the site I found, althought your one does have a lot more on offer
bennisboy
Member
+829|6617|Poundland
upgraded my head unit to the newer one

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