Being a music producer myself, I think I know a thing or two about setting crossover points etc. I tried switching all hipass filters and the sub off and still got nearly no midbass at all. I tried setting the balance so that only the other side is playing to rule out phasing problems etc. No result. The friendly people at Talkaudio (http://www.talkaudio.co.uk) suggested that adding Dynamat and waiting for the components to run themselves in would do the trick. To me it sounds perfectly logical since the door can act as an effective resonator killing the low frequencies. The sub is sitting in a sealed 17 litre box, which is of the wrong shape for the boot so I need to make a new one by myself.

I'd suggest giving them a little while to bed in as well... are they amped, out of interest?

Of course they are, you silly you. 70w per channel from the SPLD TC704.

Do the DLS bass / midrange speakers form a good seal with the doors? That's where the midbass should be coming from, but may just be struggling down by your ankles if they have insufficient back pressure to work against.

They do now, but the door isn't the most sealed one in the car making history, so I don't know if that could form a factor here.

They do now, but the door isn't the most sealed one in the car making history, so I don't know if that could form a factor here.
I think it will. I know that my system has no problems across any of the frequency range, but I used a bulk pack of dynamat extreme, it was split between the doors and the boot floor & boot lid. That should do it.
If not then ask yourself some questions, is the sensitivity figure lower for the midrange driver than the tweeters and sub? This is because the amp may not have the control it should have running just 70 watts per channel, I run about 250 watts RMS per channel but at low volumes the amp is able to produce the full spectra of sound. As a sound engineer you'll be familiar in the audiophile world with the need to match low power amps (such as valve amps, even the push-pull ones) with high sensitivity speakers such as electrostatics. Add road noise in to the equation, which is in the bass region too, and the amp might just not be enough to properly drive the DLS mids and overcome the car's natural acoustics.

The good news is, that they're getting better by the minute. I'll get some Dynamatting done in the near future too.

the doors aren't perfect no, but my focal's seemed to do a good job when amped, and without sound deadening... if they're getting better then it does look like they just needed a bit of encouragement ;)

So finally here are the pics of my very first install.

Hi nuance!

Thanks once more for the listening experience! It was really "an eye-opener" for me!

You told me when we met that you are going to install some dynamat. How's that at the moment? Any further improvement in SQ?

At the moment I'm looking for the components to install by myself in my MINI and it looks like I'm going to buy them as used from a friend of mine. 12" SPL sub and an amp + some other stuff too which didn't fit into my friend's 156 GTA Alfa... :P

Nuno.

No progress as of yet. A tight month ahead budget-wise so any twiddling around with ICE just has to wait for the autumn days. So exactly what components are you going to buy? Amp? Sub model?

Based on previous experience of mid-bass needing a bit of reinforcement in a car
environment I'm using Genesis 6x9 subs as the rear channel. They don't get the real
deep stuff that goes to the JL in a box thanks to the HU splitting the frequencies. They
have no other filters but their natural roll off prevents any mid/high frequencies interfering
with the imaging at the front. They are driven by a Genesis amp and all they can do is
play mid-bass. Something to mull over when the credit card cools down :) .

I'm going to see and "prefit" the stuff in my MINI on Sunday (see if the amp will fit in the boot along with the sub). I'll post the detailed info about the components as soon as I get them. It looks like I have to buy only the HU and midbass and HF-speakers as brand new (of course all the cables and assembly stuff as well).

My friend promised to help me to make a custom made sub box for me as well (he has all the equipment and has done several boxes earlier) so all I need to do is to built the false floor for the boot and then it's nothing but putting the system together.

I'll keep you posted!

OK. Do check SK-Autosound for deals on the front comps and head unit. Gimme a call or so when you start ripping the car apart. ;)

This is what is available for me from my friend as used:

Phoenix Gold ZX450 amp
SPL Dynamics PRO 12D2 sub

These both seems to fit quite "nicely" into MINI's boot. (No space left for luggage anyways...) :D

I think I'll stick with the original front speakers for now but I'll replace the HU with Pioneer DEH-P7500MP or similar. I'm pretty sure that a new amp and HU along with a sub will make a huge difference in SQ. I'll source the front speakers later.

I'm interested in having any comments or feedback especially about the amp from anyone who has been dealing with Phoenix Gold products. The amp I'm going to buy is in a top condition like the sub as well. What I've heard and read about the SPL subs in general is that they are of high quality, aren't they?

What closed box size would be the optimum for the 12D2-sub in a MINI? The manufacturer recommends box size around 30 litres but the variation is ranging from 26 to 40 litres. I'll really appreciate any feedback on this one as well!

PG has a very good reputation and the amp probably won't disappoint. I don't know about that particular sub, but generally speaking, SPL Dynamics PRO -series is aimed for SPL purposes, not sound quality. At least that's what I've been told. Just bear in mind that the stock front's can only handle 15W or so. You can effectively blow them up with an amp like the PG in question. Also you won't notice any dramatic improvement in higher range sound quality. The stock fronts are total :bad::bad::bad::bad:e. ;) You should try asking around @ http://talkaudio.co.uk , they know everything that needs to be known about ICE, although I know that they'll probably recommend getting the amp, HU and front components first. ;)

Sure, I'm still figuring out my options. The fronts won't be that much in the total budget so I'm trying to find some good alternatives for those.

It looks like the schedule is bending because I had to buy new summer tires (the old ones were basicly slicks) and my "financial situation" is a bit bad at the moment... :) However, this gives me time to think about all the possible alternatives throughly and hopefully that way I'll end up with a good solution.

I'll keep you posted!