mmdb
Drag Racing Champion
- Location
- California
I'm putting this together to help others who are looking to upgrade their sound systems to the next level(s). Below is a list of components I'm using, as well as sources of information I'm referencing in my pursuit of abolishing an OK sound system to a sound system that's nothing short of amazing. The hardware (speakers, amps, dsp) I'm using are good. However this is nothing short of subjective. I'm not inferring you purchase these particular brands. You can make any speaker sound amazing or using an amp built by a reputable company to power them. Over the years learned what makes a system sound amazing is the speaker Location and INSTALL. More on that later... but to start:
Took some rough estimates of the volume I can achieve in the kicks. To start here's a photo of the insultation. Glad to know VW is paying attention to road noise! It's about an inch and a quarter thick in some places. Foam + Styrofoam + Foam makes for a quieter car. This is the passenger side kick panel area.
I purchased some packing peanuts, stuck it in a 1' x 1' x 1' box, took half of that, and halved that and ended up with .25 cubic feet. Owner of AudioFrog says I should be good with .2^3 foot, and should play down to 80hz. My goal is to stick the speakers in an ideal position. This will get rid of all the rattles that a door is accustomed to as well. Huge plus for the speakers being closer on axis.
A-Pillar Pods: I'll have to cut the a-pillar in half and reupholster it. Should look fine. Also shouldn't impede the airbags. More on that as I move forward with the build.
Here's the plywood backplate to be mounted to the a-pillar. Try to minimize my usage of fiberglass / resin in the process.
This one will be a tight fit. I might have to use fiberglass keep the tolerances as tight as possibe.
Module | Purpose | Location | URL |
Audible Physics NZ3 | Mid/High (~200hz - 20khz | A-Pillar | HERE |
Audiofrog GB60 | Mid bass (80hz-200hz) | Kick Panels | HERE |
Arc Audio PS8 | Digital Signal Processor | Trunk | HERE |
Arc Audio Amplifier (Series Class D) 1000.4 | 4 Chan amplifier powering the mid/high and midwoofer | Trunk | HERE |
Arc Audio Amplifier (X2 Class D) 1100.1 | Subwoofer amplifier | TRUNK | HERE |
Room EQ Wizard | Tuning Software | PC Software | HERE |
AudioFrog Tuning Guide | A How-To on how to tune proper sound system | HERE | |
AudioFrog UMI-1 | Tuning Microphone | HERE | |
Stock Fender Headunit | The Fender unit looks to put out clean sound and unclipped. I'll double check if that's the case with the discover media where I'm tapping for the Left/Right signals. Check out the link to see how this is done. I'm so glad someone found the solution! | HERE | |
Speaker Install, Tuning, Etc. (MAJOR INFLUENCE) | If you're interested in install, want to get ideas, tuning questions, etc check out the URL. The YouTube author is named "Pssound". His install approach is highly methodical and highly effective IMO. He's also involved in SQ competitions over in Europe. His explanations are very thorough and methods are unique and high effective. | HERE |
Took some rough estimates of the volume I can achieve in the kicks. To start here's a photo of the insultation. Glad to know VW is paying attention to road noise! It's about an inch and a quarter thick in some places. Foam + Styrofoam + Foam makes for a quieter car. This is the passenger side kick panel area.
I purchased some packing peanuts, stuck it in a 1' x 1' x 1' box, took half of that, and halved that and ended up with .25 cubic feet. Owner of AudioFrog says I should be good with .2^3 foot, and should play down to 80hz. My goal is to stick the speakers in an ideal position. This will get rid of all the rattles that a door is accustomed to as well. Huge plus for the speakers being closer on axis.
A-Pillar Pods: I'll have to cut the a-pillar in half and reupholster it. Should look fine. Also shouldn't impede the airbags. More on that as I move forward with the build.
Here's the plywood backplate to be mounted to the a-pillar. Try to minimize my usage of fiberglass / resin in the process.
This one will be a tight fit. I might have to use fiberglass keep the tolerances as tight as possibe.
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