Problem, I'm stuck trying to make a decision. Being happy with my car as is performance wise, I think I will go with some sound upgrades (tax return). I know I just did my sound system, and I'm happy with it. I just can't get past this feeling that it could be better. Feel free to suggest anything. My budget is $3000. Here is what I'm thinking of.

I'm happy with my HU decision (Kenwood 8120) so I'm keeping that.

The FI Q10 I have is awesome couldn't be any happier, but I just feel that it can be improved. I want to try getting a different amp and need some suggestions. I don't want to change the box or location because I like where it is (Zen Understrut single 10). I was also looking at adding another Q10.

For my fronts I think I want to go with something else. The Focals did me proud, but they still left me wanting something better. My only problem with them is that the highs are a bit to bright for me, and I was something smoother. I was looking at this combo from Elemental Designs

http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_...roducts_id=680

To top everything off I plan on sound deadening. I've looked up everything I can find on doing this myself and feel pretty confident I can do it myself as I did everything else myself.

Overall I want to stay with an SQ system but I also want something louder. So SQ guys feel free to critique my ideas or suggest something else. Just remember my budget is $3000 and Installing everything myself.

Thanks
Drew

 

bump?

 

Which Boston Amp to you have? Also if it is a 2 channel Boston amp are you running it mono and if so what impedence is your sub? As for the fronts you can look into either DLS or Hybrid Audio if you want a smoother sound or anything with a silk tweeter.

 

It's a 2 channel boston running my fronts the hifonics is the sub

 

For the price you just can't beat the Seas Lotus Reference for SQ. With a $3k budget I'd concentrate on the front stage as that one Q10 should have plenty of output. Personally I'd go with Seas up front molded in the kicks with the tweets in the A-pillar (this should take care of the brightness), going active which in your case may mean adding another amp, and a good processor (Zapco DSP6-SL). This is something like my front stage which can be seen here and I'd put my setup against any SQ system in a Z.

 

If your ever in NY I'll take you up on that challenge

 

LOL ur car doesn't qualify showoff . Maybe I should say dollar for dollar. I am curious to know what ur front stage sounds like especially with the placement of your speakers. I know it must sound good with the amount of time and $$$ that was put into your install but is there any buzz and rattle from the doors? I couldn't tell where you mounted the tweeter in your pics, how's the imaging? Are you running a processor at all for your system? I didn't see one in your list of equipment. I'd be curious to know how my system which probably cost less than half of yours would stack up. If your ever in Cali I'd love to have a listen to ur system .

 

PM Sent so as not to take this thread off topic.

 

Thanks B5. I'm not sure if I'm looking to spend that much for my fronts, but I have been considering those.

Kwame...Your always finding opportunities to show off your system I might be contacting you guys soon for some questions.....

 

I agree with the Seas Lotus Reference, I have them and love them. If u can spend the money a 4 channel Mac Amp would be amazing match up with those speakers. The setups I have is not the loudest but sure sounds nice.

 

Me too! Except I'm i Vancouver, Canaduh.

 

Hehe, sorry. Its not too often you run into audiophiles on this website especially with sound systems that I admire and B5s is one of them.

To add some substance to your thread, my suggestion would be a set of Morel Hybrid Ovations for your fronts.

Yours looks like its going to be excellent as well.

 

I think we each have our own idea of how we want our cars to sound and Kwame, your car looks absolutely amazing. orgasm_donor, your system is certainly coming along nicely as well. I think once you really invest the time and money into a well thought out system, once you have it you shouldn't really feel the need to change or upgrade it very much as there's not much more you can do to it after a certain point. I guess what I'm really trying to say is spend the time and money the first time so that there won't need to be a second time. In my case I started off with one system and I was fairly happy with it for about 6 months. Then I ended up redoing the entire setup the right way and now I don't want or need to change anything as I'm content with what I have.

 

Sound advise, it took me three tries to get it right and to be satisfied. If money is the issue as the old adage says "anything worth having is worth waiting for."

Chi-Town quick question, you plan on having two 10" FI subs under the rear strut? Is that enough airspace for each of those subs? I really don't know hence why I am asking.

 

If he uses the350z Sub Subwoofer Box Enclosure 2-10" w/AMP RACK it would be pretty close to perfect. FI recommends .6 cuft sealed for a Q10 after displacement. The displacement of the sub is .12 cuft and the volume per chamber of the box is .70 cuft so he would be at .58cuft which is almost perfect.

 

Well the second 10 is only an idea. I want to go with a better amp first then go from there. The sub can play plenty loud. It just seems a little to boomy for me, and I figure going with a better amp would fix that.

For the fronts I want something that can play louder and cleaner then my Focals and the Boston amp. When the volume goes up the focals sound a little hollow and harsh up top. The amp just seems as if it can't keep up.

Like I said before, I feel as if I rushed myself and shorted myself.

 

Focals are very good components, certainly in line with DLS/Vifa depending on product line, so if they aren't working out it's preference more than quality (which is fine). Consider a different mounting location or change the tweeters to a soft dome, like the Seas Lotus Ref or DLS silk dome.

As far as boomy, you're looking at the amp already to see if you can add some power and the ED has a decent damping factor. Also might want to run WinISD or some simulation software to see if you have the right size enclosure (not that driver specs will be accurate either). Some vendors actually want you with an under-damped subwoofer which may sound "boomy". JL, for instance, chooses their recommended sealed enclosures with a Q of 0.75-0.8, while 0.71 is critically damped. You'll have a limited number of enclosure choices in the Z, so you might want to pick an enclosure first, subwoofer second.

 

If I were you I would buy a processor first. With that one piece of equipment you may be able to fix all the things you don't like about your system. It would give you time alignment, phase adjustment, as well as EQ settings to help tame the brightness from your tweeters as well as the "boomy" sound from your sub. From there, if it's not loud enough for you, then you could change the amps. Also, before changing the front speakers, I would try and install them differently. Put some double stick tape and play around with different locations for the tweeter. I would try the kick panel first and if you don't like it there try the A-pillar. The processor would also come in handy if you decide to go active and add another amp since you feel your speakers are underpowered.

 

I thought about the processor. I would get one, but I simply do not know enough about them to be able to set one up.

For the fronts, I have door pods and to me kicks would be a waste imo. I am willing to go with moving the tweeters. I contacted Brick once and asked him about making me a set of pillers with the tweet locations drilled in, but he said no because it takes time to position them correctly. Due to my lack of install knowledge I'm kinda stuck with the factory locations.

 

x2

I will be installing new speakers that I get, Focal 165 K2Ps in door pods and tweets in stock location.. maybe later I'll move the tweets next to the door pods or have a custom A Pillar fabricated like B5 has... by the way, which Focals do you have?