since i've been talking up the 6.5" subs so much...here is an install :)
 

since i have talked a bit about hte EU700 6.5" subwoofer from elemental designs, i figure i will show an install done with them...in a big SUV no less

the goal was simple:

1. keep the trunk as stealthy as possible

2. good sound quality

3. dont cost an arm and a leg :)

the customer supplied the two alpine amps, the avic d2 navigation unit, and i gave him the rest.

one of hte goals of creating a stealthy install on a budget in an SUV is that there is simply no place for anyhting to go out of sight. side boxes that fine but they are expensive to build and out of budget for this install.

so i decided that this was a perfect opportunity to use the elemental designs 6.5" EU700 subwoofer. a pack of four was used. the amp rack and subwnclsoure rises only 4.75" from the floor, making for a rather unobtrusive back.

DLS 426 component coaxials were used inthe door locations, and a ps2 and ipod adapter was installed also in the gloveboxes.

here are the pics:

note: i hate it when the carpet i ordered looks two shaders yellower than on the sample color card :( oh well...i will try to find some lighter carpet to match better later :)

first up is the avic-d2, installed in the factory location:

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner1.jpg

here is a dark pic of the ps2, and ipod adapter in the glovebox

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner2.jpg

the main attraction is obviously the trunk area. here is the view through the open back window wit hte stock cargo mat in place, this would be say the view of a thief if he were looking through your window at night...nothing obvious, perhaps the floor seems a little high but definetly not high enough for a subwoofer :)

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner3.jpg

and here is the bulk of the install, with the hatch open and the cargo mat off...

again, sorry for the yellowish carpet lol

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner4.jpg

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner5.jpg

vented pop off panels hide the subwoofers and amps

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner6.jpg

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner7.jpg

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner8.jpg

http://simplicity.elitecaraudio.org/runner9.jpg

well, incase you guys wondering what the pack of 4 6.5" subs soun dlike even with a rather small amp power them, they are as loud as a good 12, and they are extermely natrual, and can easily reach down to 20hz and below. no wondering since they have over 13mm of one way xmax...

a few Z forum guys heard this install at the meet today, and most guess that people had were for two 10s or a 12 or a 15 lol and

anyway thats all, any questions, comments and or criticisms welcome

i dont think that would fit in a Z, or would it?

i am doing a Z in a few weeks with 4 of them :) how can two 10 s fit and not four 6.5s hehe

b

nice work dude, very clean. I'v been thinking about making some custom kickpanels and slapping some JL 6 inch subs in them and testing it out. Since I'm full of free time now I feel like getting into crafting boxes again.

I have to say I don't think they would be my first choice for a sub, but they look impressive! I bet those little guys aren't cheap.

actually they aren't priced bad, the 6 inch JL's are like $69 or $79 each

elemental designs eu700 is at 50 dollars per sub :)

a lot of peopel doubt them and think they will hear that in the end, they will sound different than say a 10 or 12...well, i have yet to find anyone who has heard this setup to think they are 6.5s :)

its not for everyone of course, but for a space saving install they are great :) needless to say anyone who is a techno person will really really enjoy the great transient response on them :)

kick panels are NOT good places for subs of any kind unless you do a ton of work and acutally get a solid sealed air space enclosure in there :)

b

heh yea I spent almost a yea working on the kick panel boxes for subs for my last car. I miss the sound coming out of that thing. 5000 watts, 4 L7's and 2 6 inchers in my doors. I started to put fusion powerhouses in the doors but Fusion Audio's quality seems to have plumited. I may end up buying another hatchback so I can go big sound again, I'd hate to ruin the Z like that even if its clean. Heh my life revolves around sound systems now, can't get enough. :p Been debating on whether or not I could attempt to open a custom audio shop in my area but theres way too much competition.

hehe i thought cali would be too much competition, so i just did a few system for fun to start, but then i learned of how many hack shops there are around here and saw some horrifying work...then people started callin. if you do good work you should always have a good customer base :)

b

Done right the smaller woofers have better transient response and sound really good.

Very clean install ... nice and stealth.

Only complaint is the amount of floorspace (all of it) dedicated to a simple sub setup. I'd rather glass in a nice 10er and hide the amps under the seats ... just my thoughts :)

What about putting those subs in the spot behind the seats on our cars. Since most of us have the sound faded to the front, what if you were to use the subs as the rears? Would that sound decent?

if you are taking about hte stock sub location, then of coures its doable, but the stock sepaker location would not be good, not enough air space and tons of vi brations :)

and not deep enough either :)

the sub box is not that big, the goals it make a copmpltely fake floor type of install so the trunk mat can stay and look more stealth :)

b

nice idea and nice install.
curious though, unless i missed it, how much airspace total? and is it one solid chamber or separated?
and does xmax affect a sub playing low?

How do these things perform free air?

The lower the frequency, the more air you must move.

That is why tweeters are small and woofers are big (essentially)

When you have a smaller cone area (a 6.5" in this case) ... you need to move in and out more (stroke = xmax) .. in order to produce low frequencies with some authority :)

jim, dont forget to factor in the cone-summing effect when you group a number of subs togher.

as for xmax, these have more htan 13mm of clean stroke one way :)

as for airspace, they can be in anywhere from .2-.5 cub feet, the larger the enclosure, the lower they can go.

in this case, my concern is with depths rather than area, so i had plenty of area to build a 2 cubfeet enclsoure that is only 3.75" high internally...but they will work fine down to 20hz even in the smaller size enclosures :)

b

Definitely bing ... this quartet you put together is about the same as a 12"er .... so it should get pretty damn deep while remaining clean, undistorted and "fast"

can't wait:D bing

i saw these in action, they sound very clean and deep:icon11:

Love the install. I love when people use smaller subs in there vehicles. I personally have 2 6w04's in my Z right now and it sounds awesome. Told you I could be positive from time to time :)