Chuyler1's new audio install log.
- Thread starter chuyler1
- Start date
When you pull off the panel you will realize that your options are limited for placement. The prime spot right above the gauge bezel is where one of the pins for fastening the panel is located (I don't recommend cutting it off because it might rattle without it). And less than a 1/4" from that is a stiffening bar that goes the rest of the way up the pillar. I took pictures today of them mounted in the car. I will post them this evening.
After looking at the photos of your tweeters in your thread, they don't look much bigger than mine...but DLS's website says the mounting depth is only 1.01" for the Iridium tweeter.
There isn't much additional room back there, certainly not another 1/2". However, if you are carefull with warming the panel, you can probably get it to pop out enough to install your tweeter.
After looking at the photos of your tweeters in your thread, they don't look much bigger than mine...but DLS's website says the mounting depth is only 1.01" for the Iridium tweeter.
There isn't much additional room back there, certainly not another 1/2". However, if you are carefull with warming the panel, you can probably get it to pop out enough to install your tweeter.
chuyler1 said:
Ok well I just went out and checked here quick and it looks like the highest spot I can get them up before the stiffining bar is 4" above the dash...which is actually higher than they sit now.
The mouting depth on the Ref's is 1 3/8" and by the looks of it they will make it.
My question is how do you go about securing them to the plastic???
I used the supplied screws and rear mounting piece. DLS gave me tons of little toys to play with. The back piece was actually designed for a free-standing mount.
I guess that won't work for you. You could probably make your own ring, glue it to the back, and then use three machine screws (with flat tips) through the side to keep it from moving around.
I guess that won't work for you. You could probably make your own ring, glue it to the back, and then use three machine screws (with flat tips) through the side to keep it from moving around.
Haven't commented on sound yet because there is still a missing link...the mids. Plus I haven't actually wired up the tweeters. It was too dark last night to pull the wires through the dash. Right now I'm running the midbass drivers full-range so I at least have some sound. They've got some kick to them. The stiffer cone (compared to the eclipses) makes a huge difference in the low end...so much that I need to pull apart the doors and add more sound deadening material.
I'm sure you could get a new set of a-pillars at a junk yard for a few bucks.
I'm sure you could get a new set of a-pillars at a junk yard for a few bucks.
More progress this evening...but no pictures because I was working in the dark yet again.
I removed the kick panels and relocated the fuse box on the drivers side (I just un-bolted it and pushed it up and in a little) and the little box on the passenger side to make room for the 3" dome midranges.
I found the center of the kickpanel and used a jig saw to cut a crude mounting hole for the domes. I used the supplied mounting hardware to attach them (little metal clips and machine screws). It's not as sturdy as an MDF baffle but they will only be playing down to ~400Hz so I'm not worried about vibrations. I'll eventually redo it or at least apply dynamat to the backs. Keep in mind that the domes are sealed on the back so they don't require any sort of enclosure.
I installed the kicks in the car and connected all the wires (if you remember several pages back I ran all the necessary wiring in anticipation for this).
This evening was the first time since I purchased the DLS Iridiums in August that I actually got to listen to them. All I can say is WOW! With no equalization they sound absolutely amazing. I set the crossover at HP 50Hz for the components and LP 50Hz for the sub. I'm pretty sure it's 12db/octave. The midbass drivers kick real hard and the domes keep the vocals clean and precise even at loud listening levels. The tweeters, which are high passed at about 8KHz from the supplied crossovers were matched perfectly to raise the soundstage above the dash. Not once would I have imagined that sound was coming from under the dash. I threw in some Lacuna Coil to test the dynamics and I was immediately greated with an extremely high sound stage as the synthesizer played an intro. The bass drum kicked hard and fast and the guitars came on like a wall of sound, but not muddy at all. Next I threw in the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" CD, one of my staple SQ test cds. Jumping right to Hotel California, I felt like I was in the 20th row at Great Woods (an outdoor ampitheater style venue) with two stacks of PAs on either side of me and each of the band members spread out across my windshield at about wiper level. I was slightly looking down at their images but they were far out on the dash. Simply Amazing. The center image was a bit off but I'm not too picky about that.
That's all for now. I can't wait for my drive to work tomorrow, and this weekend I'm making a 6hr trip out to Ithaca NY with my fiance to visit my sister. That will give me plenty of time to sift through all my CDs and re-discover hidden sound bits I never knew existed!
I removed the kick panels and relocated the fuse box on the drivers side (I just un-bolted it and pushed it up and in a little) and the little box on the passenger side to make room for the 3" dome midranges.
I found the center of the kickpanel and used a jig saw to cut a crude mounting hole for the domes. I used the supplied mounting hardware to attach them (little metal clips and machine screws). It's not as sturdy as an MDF baffle but they will only be playing down to ~400Hz so I'm not worried about vibrations. I'll eventually redo it or at least apply dynamat to the backs. Keep in mind that the domes are sealed on the back so they don't require any sort of enclosure.
I installed the kicks in the car and connected all the wires (if you remember several pages back I ran all the necessary wiring in anticipation for this).
This evening was the first time since I purchased the DLS Iridiums in August that I actually got to listen to them. All I can say is WOW! With no equalization they sound absolutely amazing. I set the crossover at HP 50Hz for the components and LP 50Hz for the sub. I'm pretty sure it's 12db/octave. The midbass drivers kick real hard and the domes keep the vocals clean and precise even at loud listening levels. The tweeters, which are high passed at about 8KHz from the supplied crossovers were matched perfectly to raise the soundstage above the dash. Not once would I have imagined that sound was coming from under the dash. I threw in some Lacuna Coil to test the dynamics and I was immediately greated with an extremely high sound stage as the synthesizer played an intro. The bass drum kicked hard and fast and the guitars came on like a wall of sound, but not muddy at all. Next I threw in the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" CD, one of my staple SQ test cds. Jumping right to Hotel California, I felt like I was in the 20th row at Great Woods (an outdoor ampitheater style venue) with two stacks of PAs on either side of me and each of the band members spread out across my windshield at about wiper level. I was slightly looking down at their images but they were far out on the dash. Simply Amazing. The center image was a bit off but I'm not too picky about that.
That's all for now. I can't wait for my drive to work tomorrow, and this weekend I'm making a 6hr trip out to Ithaca NY with my fiance to visit my sister. That will give me plenty of time to sift through all my CDs and re-discover hidden sound bits I never knew existed!
No...it's still un-finished. I'm not sure I like the design anymore. It limits what I can throw into the hatch because it comes down so low. I may start from scratch and have the subs fire upwards. We'll see how much time I have over the next few weeks. I want to be done by summer with everything.
I threw in some live Duke Ellington on my way to work. There is a song on this CD called "El Gato" where two trumpets are dualing back and forth in a pretty high register. On my Eclipse speakers it was very hard to distinguish between the trumpets as they traded 4's. Their sounds would kind of melt together. However, with the Iridiums it was clear that one player was far right on the stage (close to the passenger a-pillar) and the other was standing to the left of him (just above the passenger airbag) and they had very distinct tone qualities. I could also pick out the other two trumpets ( both around the center of the dash) during the shout chorus. Ellington charts usually score 3 or 4 trumpets. This CD had a much better sound stage...Everything was at about shoulder level.
I threw in some live Duke Ellington on my way to work. There is a song on this CD called "El Gato" where two trumpets are dualing back and forth in a pretty high register. On my Eclipse speakers it was very hard to distinguish between the trumpets as they traded 4's. Their sounds would kind of melt together. However, with the Iridiums it was clear that one player was far right on the stage (close to the passenger a-pillar) and the other was standing to the left of him (just above the passenger airbag) and they had very distinct tone qualities. I could also pick out the other two trumpets ( both around the center of the dash) during the shout chorus. Ellington charts usually score 3 or 4 trumpets. This CD had a much better sound stage...Everything was at about shoulder level.
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Yes... only 50w RMS per channel (but DLS says on their site typical power is 85w)
The midbass breaks up a little when listening to rock at full volume but otherwise it can handle 50Hz quite well...but the best part is that when the midbass breaks up, the midrange isn't affected by it the least bit.
The tweeters are a little loud even on the lowest setting...If I can't dial them down with my parameteric EQ then I'll consider running fully active. But for now I'm pretty satisifed with the power output from the A5 amp.
The midbass breaks up a little when listening to rock at full volume but otherwise it can handle 50Hz quite well...but the best part is that when the midbass breaks up, the midrange isn't affected by it the least bit.
The tweeters are a little loud even on the lowest setting...If I can't dial them down with my parameteric EQ then I'll consider running fully active. But for now I'm pretty satisifed with the power output from the A5 amp.
s***. I forgot to upload the photos from my camera last night.
I did some more listening and messing with the PEQ. I came to two conclusions. There are still some funky things going on with midbass that are most likely caused by the car and not the speakers. With the eclipses I had to adjust 400hz and 800hz and those settings sounded fine with the Iridiums.
There is also a little harshness in the midrange domes at really loud listening levels. I couldn't narrow down the band though, maybe somewhere between 3KHz and 8KHz. It might be caused by the suffocating grills, the lack of sound deadening on the kickpanels, or I am simply reaching the limit of the amplifier. If I turn it down a few clicks my ears stop complaining or I set a Q of 1-3 and cut 6-9db somewhere between 3-8KHz the harshness also goes away. I was only hearing this in loud passages of Tool Lateralus and GnR Use Your Illusion 2. I think I need to see it on an RTA.
I did some more listening and messing with the PEQ. I came to two conclusions. There are still some funky things going on with midbass that are most likely caused by the car and not the speakers. With the eclipses I had to adjust 400hz and 800hz and those settings sounded fine with the Iridiums.
There is also a little harshness in the midrange domes at really loud listening levels. I couldn't narrow down the band though, maybe somewhere between 3KHz and 8KHz. It might be caused by the suffocating grills, the lack of sound deadening on the kickpanels, or I am simply reaching the limit of the amplifier. If I turn it down a few clicks my ears stop complaining or I set a Q of 1-3 and cut 6-9db somewhere between 3-8KHz the harshness also goes away. I was only hearing this in loud passages of Tool Lateralus and GnR Use Your Illusion 2. I think I need to see it on an RTA.
