My door speaker install and the rest someday.

[diverse]

how does it sound? compared to another upgraded system (which has not had such attention to detail spent on it)?

[Bad Ess]

Quote:

Originally posted by diverse
how does it sound? compared to another upgraded system (which has not had such attention to detail spent on it)?

Stay tuned, this is a slow project. I am mounting amps and running wires now...then the sound down...then the sound.

From the purist view point this will be as good as it gets given the fact that this is a car. The choice of componants might be better but this is a cost v/s benefit program to prove to myself I need to spend more. Speakers and amps are the first step.

The rear speaker enclosures are close to the book, being air tight with the proper volume and dampening. Nothing rattles. Bass should be accurate and deep without the boom of a ported tuned box.

The amps have plenty of power. Remember how small the MINI cabin is. There will be no clipping and harmonic distortion at good listening volumes.

The head unit could be a weak point. GaryM proved that by-passing the power amps is better. (Amplifying then driving a resister block to get back to low level imputs is not clean.) (My home system has a CD direct input that by-passes the preamp. I can hear the difference.) I think the Alpine head has pretty good decoding. Changing the front speakers reveled a big improvement in sound quality that wasn't getting out. I don't need features so I don't mind the generic look and single disc slot. I don't want to loose the speed volume compensation either.

It will look stock! This system will most often have to compete with 60 to 70 db of car noise as well so going over the top may only require being loud and clear. I think it will rock!

It is unfortunate that like a few other things in life, good sound (and great sex) is a judgement call. (I'm just making sure the bod is good, with no surprises.) What I think is good could be crap to the next guy...stand by for my raving review. It might be few weeks.

[MCS1]

My speakers should arrive in the post tomorrow! Hopefully...!!!

So in the meantime I've been re-reading all the threads on how to take the doors apart and the rear side panels off...and I found this thread!

Bad Ess - you're mad! I'd have never of thought of sealing up the apertures behind the rear speakers, though I have spent £25 on Dynamat Extreme....So - I'm making up templates to seal off those holes at the moment - though I don't have any 0.05" aluminium sheet. Might use lexan or acrylic sheet instead.

As for the foam... off to google, and I found Minimal Expanding Great Stuff Foam in the UK - read all about it here!

And - even better you can get it at B&Q in the UK!

So - roll on tomorrow...

I shall post pics.

John

[Bad Ess]

Good luck MCS1. Be sure whatever material you choose can be flexed between the wheel well and side panel to get it in.

Here are my amp brackets. The amps will be removable and adjustable through the access panels in the boot. The mounting studs are there. I left the ground tap for the harness on the bottom. I put a nut and flat washer on the unused ones first to space out for foam etc.

The "Birth Certificate" with the amps shows 115 watts per channel RMS @less than 1 % THD ! I will never be that loud but that's a lot of power for such a small box. Amp draw at this output is 16. (Bridged in to 4 ohms is 334 W rms drawing 26. This is a bit more power than the original head unit amp! The amp is the exact size as the head unit once you strip it.

[Bad Ess]

Amp in bracket

[MCS1]

Ess,


Your amp is sitting right on top of the main battery power cable from the alternator.....are you not going to be singing all the way to the Levy... or whatever...the Levy is in New Hampshire isn't it?

Anyways....you might need to shield the cable a bit. Just a thought.

John

[Bad Ess]

Hello MCS1

Yea, there could be some noise but most often a ground loop or RF is picked up on the input. I have no choice of location..I will make it work. I am not sure how the inputs will run yet. The speaker wires will be twisted pairs. You will be the first to know if it doesn't work.

There are two heavy battery wires. One is on the exploding connector and dives down under the car. The other is fused and follows the bundle on the left side foward. Anybody know about these? One wire could just be the jumper wire hook up under the bonnet.

[Bad Ess]

Working with one hand in a 6 x 9 hole is a pain.
Here is the layer of sound deadening self stick PVC. Then the 1/2" PVC foam and finally,hollow fill (To improve the acoustic size of the space.) I stuck an 1/8" layer of foam around the inside of the hole to make a good seal against the speaker.

[Bad Ess]

absorbant foam

[Bad Ess]

fluff

[Bad Ess]

fluff (again) thrilling isn't it...

[minhi]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bad Ess
Hello MCS1

There are two heavy battery wires. One is on the exploding connector and dives down under the car. The other is fused and follows the bundle on the left side foward. Anybody know about these? One wire could just be the jumper wire hook up under the bonnet.

i picked up a lot interference by mounting my amp in certain locations of the boot so watch out for that. also watch out for your input cables. i think you ran rca preamp cables from the back of the head? watch out for that I picked up a whine when i ran my preamp cables inside either of the rear quarter panels. in the end i just ran them under the rear seat and my problem has since stopped.


why didn't you mount the amp on the passenger side? of course there is an issue with the boosted FM antenna on that side too!

[diverse]

I've got my amp over the battery (suspended on false boot floor) with no interference!) that's in the boot for non "S" owners!

[Mini Cruiser]

My amps just lieing in the boot i aint screwing nout to my car.

[Bad Ess]

Quote:

Originally posted by minhi
i picked up a lot interference by mounting my amp in certain locations of the boot so watch out for that. also watch out for your input cables. i think you ran rca preamp cables from the back of the head? watch out for that I picked up a whine when i ran my preamp cables inside either of the rear quarter panels. in the end i just ran them under the rear seat and my problem has since stopped.


why didn't you mount the amp on the passenger side? of course there is an issue with the boosted FM antenna on that side too!

I am running low level from the added preamp outs and also using two amps...one on each side.