AUDIO PANDA

[GraffitiPanda]

as many know i need music in my car... well asa i got it... the sound was lets say less than enjoyable lots of buzzing from cheap speakers the head unit was about 5 yrs old. so i began my search for the best audio i could plug in... and with a little modification and jamming.. the projects coming along great.

DOORs - Polk audio MM651
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a19/annik5k/DSC00002.jpg
Headrest - Polk Audio db461P
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a19/annik5k/DSC00001.jpg
headunit - Kenwood KDC-MP538U
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a19/annik5k/DSC00005-1.jpg
Iphone/Dyno - cradle (i made it :)

Next upgrade!
2Din- Kenwood DNX8120
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Images/Cache/913_800_505.jpg

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

That 2 din will look sick. Any plans for a custom enclosed sub?

[GraffitiPanda]

took out the carpet in the rear... may be doing a reveres mount fiberglass enclosure.. and re-carpet it.

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

sounds good, i'm yet to hear how a sub kicks with the top down

[GraffitiPanda]

should still kick hard if i mound it correctly... aluminum vibrates A lot, so if mounded SECURELY i should be able to make the cockpit a 3D sound pool (after the 8120 is installed)

[BFH miata]

interesting idea in cramming the 4x6 plates into the headrests instead of the smaller 3.5's. I ended up pulling the headrest speakers out of my car but you are giving me ideas...

[ben91]

Those plates destroy imaging and soundstage. Ditch em.

[GraffitiPanda]

WHAT there is NO IMAGING a miata... its a convertible!

I work on car audio for a living and not even a drop top Ferrari has imaging qualities!

[GraffitiPanda]

sounds good, i'm yet to hear how a sub kicks with the top down


keep in mind you cannot use a sub mounted towards you... your gas tank is rite behind the passenger and sound doesn't carry through liquid well bass doesn't well .

just fyi if anyone wanted a sub.

[RotorNutFD3S]

WHAT there is NO IMAGING a miata... its a convertible!

I work on car audio for a living and not even a drop top Ferrari has imaging qualities!
I beg to differ. It's not quite as easy to do in a convertible, but it can be done. You say you're going to make the cockpit a 3D sound pool, but you claim there is no imaging to be had in a Miata. No offense, but if you are a mobile installer and you can't get quality imaging out of whatever vehicle it is you are working on, from cars to boats, you need more training on planning components and where to place them.

Also, on subwoofer placement, there are two open air channels that run behind each seat from the cabin to the trunk, it is rather easy to setup a sub to take advantage of that. Not in my Miata, but I installed a single 10" M/A in the center of the trunk, in an enclosure that was mounted up against the trunk latch and was angled towards the cabin. No matter what you were looking for, hard pounding bass, or subtle bass to match the music you were listening to, you could get it, top up, down, freeway, traffic, whatever.

[GraffitiPanda]

agreed... But removing whatever he's talking about won't enhance anything...
Imaging can be done but not quite that fine tuned. I'm going for deciple and clarity... Not theater sound.

[RotorNutFD3S]

He's talking about removing the plate portion on your headrest speakers. I don't think it'd do much either simply because you still only have one driver in there. I have 3.5" Rockford Fosgates in mine because it offers more overall sound and tunability.
Yeah, you're striving for something different, I simply aim to have it all when I build a system, so some days, when I don't want overwhelming decibels hitting my ears, I can adjust it on the fly and have well-rounded sound.

[GraffitiPanda]

He's talking about removing the plate portion on your headrest speakers. I don't think it'd do much either simply because you still only have one driver in there. I have 3.5" Rockford Fosgates in mine because it offers more overall sound and tunability.
Yeah, you're striving for something different, I simply aim to have it all when I build a system, so some days, when I don't want overwhelming decibels hitting my ears, I can adjust it on the fly and have well-rounded sound.


agreed... i need that 8120 to save up those settings tho... the sound is incredible inside but top down i have to blair it out... and the tops down A lot

[ben91]

No I'm talking about removing the headrest speakers entirely, but based on what I'm seeing I literally think my many years of professional audio advice is "falling on deaf ears."

Yeah, that's a joke, and it was funny.

[RotorNutFD3S]

lol

Then explain how removing the headrest speakers would help. I found that not having them was horrible. Now that I have them, I have them set down at about a 30% output to compliment the volume that the door speakers and tweeters are putting out, and everything sounds much better.

[GraffitiPanda]

I'm gonna drill out more hold in the plastic sheild today and see if it affects the quality.. I'd rather find a nice sheet of speaker grill and make all new inserts but we don't have Ny at the shop so that will have to wait. The plastic pieces are almost a cm thick so it cuts out a lot of potential for sound to pass through clearly.

[ben91]

lol

Then explain how removing the headrest speakers would help. I found that not having them was horrible. Now that I have them, I have them set down at about a 30% output to compliment the volume that the door speakers and tweeters are putting out, and everything sounds much better.
The rear fill argument is an old one. In your situation, with a pair of speakers, if at a low volume and bandpassed, and you like them, then so be it. They probably also should be mono. When I go to a concert, I don't sit with my back to the stage. So personally, I do not care to have drivers in that proximity behind my ears.

Your set up is completely different than Panda's set up. I have no idea what Panda is trying to accomplish with the plate speakers behind him and oriented as such he gets highly directional sound in one ear only.

I hate head rest speakers in the miata for rear fill. I have heard package shelf installed mid range speakers and when done correctly that can be a good thing to do. That being said, a competent pair of coax's in the doors on a decent amp (need not be huge) and a little dynamat can be a wonderful thing in the miata.

In my Mercedes, I do have rear fill and is set up as recommended above-mono, bandpassed, and low volume. My miata has speakers in the seats, but they're not hooked up.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Ah, I see what you're saying. I've considered a package shelf install, but there are other projects going on with the car, so it's been the least of my worries. And I paid next to nothing for the speakers that are in there, so they'll do for the time being until I really get into planning a proper sound system.

[jesseealexander]

my car came with an old blaupunkt HU and infinity reference speakers in doors and headrests. it sounds good enough for me and it can get loud, but id like louder. and i think one speaker is wired backwards or something, it makes weird noise. lol

[GraffitiPanda]

takes 10 seconds to check all that Jesse... Want it louder get a better headunit and ditch the blaupunks <-crap

[ben91]

blaupunkt is fine, as is infiniti reference. the missing magic ingredient is an amplifier. there is no such thing as a headunit with a good built in amp. most of the headunits I've owned over the years skip the internal amp completely.

[GraffitiPanda]

blaupunkt is fine, as is infiniti reference. the missing magic ingredient is an amplifier. there is no such thing as a headunit with a good built in amp. most of the headunits I've owned over the years skip the internal amp completely.


i had to add a fan for it to handle it.. thats how i push it hard. otherwise it would faze out pretty quick.

and im saving for the amp... i want all polk audio. and then comes the momo interior :)

[RotorNutFD3S]

Hello Circuit City all over again...

[GraffitiPanda]

what?

[jesseealexander]

takes 10 seconds to check all that Jesse... Want it louder get a better headunit and ditch the blaupunks <-crap


blaupunkt makes really high quality stuff, mines just old as balls. i have a new(er) kenwood HU in my basement but i dont have the plug for it so i cant wire it up.

any suggestions on a decent amp? im not trying to break the bank. id like to be able to wire a sub up if i wanted to later on, which will probably be sooner or later.

[Doppelgänger]

stock Bose for me.
The center piece of my listening enjoyment is.... my turbo :lol:

[MeFryRice]

I have never really been into the whole "stereo" scene. It's just another thing to add to the car that will more then likely get stolen by some hoodlum. :(

[Sawyer]

Stock Bose speakers work fine for me! I don't need a whole system or anything. Too much weight!

[RotorNutFD3S]

what?
I was referring to back when CC sold all the Polk/Momo series mobile electronics. It was a big craze.

i have a new(er) kenwood HU in my basement but i dont have the plug for it so i cant wire it up.
Just Google the headunit's model number and the words "replacement wiring harness" and you should find a place to buy one. Or you can go to Best Buy or Circuit City and they can get them for you too.


The center piece of my listening enjoyment is.... my turbo :lol:

+10000000000000000000000000000
But I still like my music. lol

Since this thread came about, I don't think I'll do any more to what I have. I've thought about a sub, but the Alpine Type Rs I have hit hard enough to provide the right amount of bass to compliment the music I'm listening to. Save weight and trunk space.

[Doppelgänger]

The most i ever thought of doing was maybe a Bosectomy and putting like a 8"sub behind each seat , mounting them to the removable shelf and installing the amp under the shelf.

[GraffitiPanda]

not all of us have turbos just yet to enjoy on a day to day basis... but for now why not be loud (paint and sound wise).
i don't drive like a dumb *** so cops don't mind my car. :)

[Doppelgänger]

There is a point of being too loud though :(

[GraffitiPanda]

There is a point of being too loud though :(


true... i like mine at 27-30 at most when the tops down.