Sunday, June 06, 2010 - 08:58 pm, by: Cameron James(Dinosoarer)
Just finished a fairly extensive install in my TT and thought I would share the story - have spent a lot of time researching ice installs on the forum and have a few (possibly) new ideas for you all.
To start with, here is a list of the components used...
- Touchscreen Satnav with DVD, Bluetooth, iPod, Reverse Cam, etc - 500W amp running 4 x 50W RMS - 350W amp running 1 x 175W RMS - 6" Splits with active x-over in the front doors and rear parcel shelf - 8" subwoofer - designed specifically for infinite baffle mounting - heaps of wiring, connectors, and assorted junk from Bunnings, Jaycar and Repco
All components are Kenwood
FIrstl step was to run the fat arse 2GA cable from the battery into a twin 4GA splitter box that uses electronic circuit protection - no need to replace blown fuses ever again! At this point the entire interior was removed form the car so that I could run the amp power cables and the RCA lines to the boot.
After removing the front speaker enclosures I started on making an MDF base that would match the enclosure shape. Due to the irregular shape on both sides of the box, I ended up removing all the screws and splitting the enclosure into two halves - it turns out there is a nice flat surface on the inside of the enclosure that corrosponds to the shape of the oval hole in the door. I ground out all of the tabs with a dremel then made a template for my MDF spacer. The 6" speaker sits in there perfectly and the active crossover mounts neatly above it. The plastic liners were replaced at the same time.
I screwed the MDF mount in from the back side but it is not sealed tight... although sound is crisp & clear I will be experimenting with 100% sealed (liquid nails) vs ported in the near future. Will also try another base design I cut up too.
As the car was not fitted with a subwoofer as standard, I made up my own MDF adapter plate and the 8" Kenwood fits just fine - the I cut the centre section out of the original brake light mounting bracket and it screws perfectly into place over the sub. Only problem is that the depth of the sub means no more cabin filter so if anyone wants one let me know. The 6" speaker pop straight into the factory enclosures and the x-over & tweeter are hidden in the cabin filter ports...now I just need to make a cover for the sub and the rear parcel shelf will be done.
The amps were not as easy to mount as you would think - firstly they are too tall to mount under the rear parcel shelf so scratch that idea. I needed to mount them out of the way becasue I use the boot fairly regularly so I removed the standard CD changer and amp, then contructed a vertical mount with an amp on either side. The base was easy to mount with steel brackets but the top was more difficult due to the amps being mounted back to back and my reluctance to screw into the side of the MDF board. I found a solution by sandwiching 3 boards together with a slot cut into the middle sheet allowing for the mounting strap to slide deep in and fasten securely.
Now that everything was installed, it was time to tune the amps. I have spent a great deal of time reseraching this and it would seem the effort has paid off. The 4-way amp is tuned exactly to suit the splits and the 1-way amp for the sub - all frequencies were measured with a diagnostic oscilloscope and it is clear to see when the amp/head unit start to clip and distort.
I am convinced that if you have an amp in your car then this really is a must - measuring it by ear is OK if you dont have access to the equipment but when you can see the limits of your setup it is 100% accurate. If any NSW members would like me to tune their amps for them, please PM and I will gladly assist.
Total time taken on the install was 18 hours - at a cost of 1 annoyed girlfriend and 7 pissed-off neighbours + parts.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010 - 08:41 pm, by: Cameron James(Dinosoarer)
Yo mama tells lies!
The front speakers enclosure split in half and all the tabs ground off...
MDF panel in place with the 6" mid. I experimented with ports and found 2x20mm gave the best sound. The panels is screwed in and sealed with Sikaflex around the base
Screwed in place into the door
Tweeters - nothing special here
Door trim ready to go back on
8" woofer nestled into the shelf
Splits on either side of the rear shelf
Amps in the trunk
Back to back, you cant even see the brackets
The big touch screen looks mint in the dash... but Garmin satnav looks a bit poxy
I made my own custom start-up / background screen as well
I have saved the templates for the front door enclosures and the sub if anyone wants them
Tuesday, June 08, 2010 - 09:16 pm, by: Cameron James(Dinosoarer)
Cheers Trent - I had already cut up two neat MDF spacers to bolt straight on but then I was having a good look at the door cavity and I reckon the speaker enclosure plays a fairly important role in keeping the plastic seal in place... I have already spent hours drying the carpet with a hairdryer after the large door plastics fell apart and I dont want it happening again.
As for sound from the sub... I have a massive collection of Psytrance, Dubstep and Drum N Bass that has already had the biggest and baddest tracks tested and, for a little system in a car it f&%king thumps - you can feel the bass all the way up your spine through the seat. My Mrs. slapped me when I cranked it up tonight.
The rear shelf and fuel tank ocver are out atm due to vibrations under heavy bass - I have a few sheets of Dynamat spare so I will cover the rear shelf then layer it with hi-density foam. Will have to work out a method for solidy attaching the tank cover though
Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 09:23 pm, by: Cameron James(Dinosoarer)
Ok I'm getting lots of requests for templates so I had better post them in this thread. Did the sub mount measurements today and will have the amp mount done over the weekend... scans of the front speaker swill have to wait till I get back to work next week...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - 12:01 pm, by: Cameron James(Dinosoarer)
I have made the stencil for the front door speaker enclosures once you have split the casing in half and ground down all the screw threads etc.
When you print it up, make sure you don't fit to page - print it to original size then double check the scale I have put in the middle with a ruler to ensure the size is right.
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