*PICS* My DIY Active Component Setup

WOOT!!

Everything is here... (all clickable thumbnails)

http://img247.echo.cx/img247/9168/p42815994lb.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42815994lb.jpg)
http://img247.echo.cx/img247/4529/p42816015cg.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816015cg.jpg)
http://img247.echo.cx/img247/5250/p42816023lv.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816023lv.jpg)
http://img247.echo.cx/img247/292/p42816037zo.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816037zo.jpg)
http://img249.echo.cx/img249/295/p42816115pt.th.jpg (http://img249.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816115pt.jpg)

What it is:
RE XXX6.5's
Vifa 1" Neodymium Textile Tweeters
Pheonix Gold Tantrum 400.4 (Might consider upgrading to PG Titanium 500.4, what do you guys think?)
Coustic XM6 3 Way Crossover

Going into...
http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=94516

Also, check out my new toy ;)
http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?p=877372#post877372

WOOOOOOT!

NG

mmm i would like a pair of those RE XXX 6.5"s but in the component set would they be enough without rear fill? looks good!

mmm i would like a pair of those RE XXX 6.5"s but in the component set would they be enough without rear fill? looks good!

If you set ANY comp set up right, you won't miss rear fill at all.

I'm in a 93 Caprice Classic with a good frontstage and subs, that's it.
The only time you even notice the lack of rear fill it when you sit in the back seat, which I never do, so why should I care.

With this setup he should have excellent midbass too, so he shouldn't really be lacking anywhere...

Like i said before...rich old guys.... i want your sander... (mumbles) GD POS black and decker palm sander and some off the wlal brand orbital sander...

...sandpaper glued to a block of scrap MDF for me... lucky rich guys...

well i bought my tools with my hard erned cash...except for my Jig saw which was a christmas present, and i am very greatful for getting it. but my:
Drill
Both sanders
Circular saw
rivetor
and tool set

where all purchased by me. but i use my dads table saw when he isnt home...lol. and if i am doing somehting elaborate i go out to my grandpa's shop which has like $3000 worth of wood working tools which, along with your normal woodworking tools, includes a stationary sander, 2 routers, one table top router and 200 different bits for it, a band saw, a drill press, biscut cutter (ever put an enclsore togather using no screws? just wood, glue and biscuts), and a wood planer. so i am actually pretty luckey.

All I gots it a random orbital sander and its so slow and dosent take off nearly any material at all, taking forever to get done with the volve cover I'm pollishing up.

well i bought my tools with my hard erned cash...except for my Jig saw which was a christmas present, and i am very greatful for getting it. but my:
Drill
Both sanders
Circular saw
rivetor
and tool set

where all purchased by me. but i use my dads table saw when he isnt home...lol. and if i am doing somehting elaborate i go out to my grandpa's shop which has like $3000 worth of wood working tools which, along with your normal woodworking tools, includes a stationary sander, 2 routers, one table top router and 200 different bits for it, a band saw, a drill press, biscut cutter (ever put an enclsore togather using no screws? just wood, glue and biscuts), and a wood planer. so i am actually pretty luckey.

Make your own damn thread if you want to talk about your wimpy tools ;)

But seriously...

NG

WOOT!!

Everything is here... (all clickable thumbnails)

http://img247.echo.cx/img247/9168/p42815994lb.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42815994lb.jpg)
http://img247.echo.cx/img247/4529/p42816015cg.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816015cg.jpg)
http://img247.echo.cx/img247/5250/p42816023lv.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816023lv.jpg)
http://img247.echo.cx/img247/292/p42816037zo.th.jpg (http://img247.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816037zo.jpg)
http://img249.echo.cx/img249/295/p42816115pt.th.jpg (http://img249.echo.cx/my.php?image=p42816115pt.jpg)

What it is:
RE XXX6.5's
Vifa 1" Neodymium Textile Tweeters
Pheonix Gold Tantrum 400.4 (Might consider upgrading to PG Titanium 500.4, what do you guys think?)
Coustic XM6 3 Way Crossover

Going into...
http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=94516

Also, check out my new toy ;)
http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?p=877372#post877372

WOOOOOOT!

NG


Those look pretty nice. I see that you bought a 4ch amp. What else is it going to run? Also, where's the X-over for the 6.5's? I see that you have an external low level x-over but that's not going to work. Well, I guess it could if you hook each 6.5 to one channel and each tweet to one channel, making sure to split the signals through your crossover.

Man, the basket on the 6.5's look like they could be a bitch in most of the newer cars I mess with these days. I prefer speakers with a shallow basket and with neodymium magnets because they weigh about a 1/3 of conventional speakers. http://directed.com/audio/speakers/default.asp

^shhhhhhhh. your hurting yourself

^shhhhhhhh. your hurting yourself

LMFAO...

Seriously Poncho, now THIS time...your comments SERIOUSLY show your lack of car audio intelligence. You act like you know everything, yet you don't even know the concept or what an active setup is...HAHAHAHHA.

Ok, here's your car audio lesson for the day poncho:

On an Active 2-way setup you need a 4channel amplifier. Each channel of the amplifier powers an individual speaker. The three-way active xover takes care of all frequency distribution BEFORE it gets to the amplifier. It offers a highpass channel for the tweeters, a band-pass channel for the mids, and a lowpass channel for the subwoofer. (Everyone of these is fully adjustable) Therefore, my amps themselves will be set at full-range, because the ACTIVE xover will take care of all the frequency distribution beforehand.

Ok, so I hope you followed that...I tried to be as simple as possible.

The Coustic XM6 Active Xover is consider to be the best xover in it's price range. The XXX6.5" Mids are high-excursion mids, offering amazing mid-bass/mid-range output. I was looking into Adire Audio's Xtremis 6.5 mid (13mm one way linear xmax), but it is only offered in 8ohm versions (it also utilizes neodymium magnets).

Also, this active setup will walk ALL over almost any conventional Passive Xover Component Setup out there. Passive Xover networks are inferior, somewhat generic, and do not offer adjustable xover points like the Active Xover does, therefore you cannot adjust to the best sound for each individual vehicle.

So, this is the end of your lesson poncho...please feel free to stop in for another any day of the week ;)

NG

ROTFLMAO....even i knew that...

only a suka would run XXX mids passive.

Tru hommie. Tru.

RE 4 Life, Live 4 RE.... :eek:

I used the passives that came with my CDT's ..... the satnet's are supposed to be really good and are NOT generic. Usually I prefer to go active though.

Paul, uza suka...

I used the passives that came with my CDT's ..... the satnet's are supposed to be really good and are NOT generic. Usually I prefer to go active though.

Tis true, I loved my 560 SatNET xovers on my CDT's. I'm not saying all are "generic" I'm just saying the it's one TYPE of passive xover for the ENTIRE line of components, (I.E. the 460, 480, or 560 for CDT)...so you obviously can't adjust them to taste in your vehicle...whereas you can Active obviously ;) WOOT!!!

NG

Not to mention that passives can't account for pathlength differences, which is one of the best things about an active setup. If your tweets are in the a-pillar or top of the door panel and the mids down low in the door, passives basically suck 99% of the time. Going active can let you delay the tweets a few ms to account for the pathlength differences, and if you want you can increase the cutoff slope and lower the cutoff frequency to help raise the soundstage.

And yes those mids will be a bitch to mount in most cars, but there's no way around that. You can't get 1" p-p linear excursion out of a 6.5 and have it be less than 3" deep...it just can't be done, even by DEI.

Not to mention that passives can't account for pathlength differences, which is one of the best things about an active setup. If your tweets are in the a-pillar or top of the door panel and the mids down low in the door, passives basically suck 99% of the time. Going active can let you delay the tweets a few ms to account for the pathlength differences, and if you want you can increase the cutoff slope and lower the cutoff frequency to help raise the soundstage.

And yes those mids will be a bitch to mount in most cars, but there's no way around that. You can't get 1" p-p linear excursion out of a 6.5 and have it be less than 3" deep...it just can't be done, even by DEI.

MY are going into my custom fiberglassed door pods...look down in the forum and find my thread if you haven't seen it already ;)

NG

naw dawg, dont you know. DEI is coming out with thoes new "extended excursion" 6.5's they have no back plate and an invisible extramagnet so the you can get like 2" P2P with a 1.5" deep speaker...lol

I mounted my tweets like right next to the mids - within an inch or two, so I don't think I really need all that time delay compensation.

I mounted my tweets like right next to the mids - within an inch or two, so I don't think I really need all that time delay compensation.

nah, if they're mounted together then there's not too much to be gained by going active. You could still do it to increase headroom, and you could try increasing the cutoff slopes to help with blending, but that's about it.

OK you guys bit on it. Do you think I would make a statement like that on purpose? What simpletons you are. I guess that's to be expected since you are all wet behind the ears yet.

It's great to see that you are going active on these. Unfortunately, I don't get to do that much anymore these days. Most predone sets are actually pretty darn good so the extra time and expense, well people don't want to get into it. Also, punks mostly are in the bass and that's about it. Only when someone drops $5k down and lets me have their ride for about a week do I get into the fun stuff.

Actually, on some of the better componet sets out there, they have internal adjustable crossover points that you can use. Then of course the amps have their own. Even if the componets don't have adjustable cross overs, it is easily adjusted with a solder gun and different chokes and such on hand.

Another point I like on the sets is it leaves the guessing out from idiots. This is where I really plug DEI. On their new line of amps I can program the crossover points, gains, and just about anything else via a laptop. Then, if the idiot decided to play with the gains, it won't change. Also, if you have one of their alarms with ESP, you can hook the amps and alarm together. If the system loses power or is triggered from the alarm, it completely shuts off and won't work until I hook it up to my Tech2 programmer or laptop.

Some people love this idea while many hate the thought of not having "control" over thier system. Well, 99% of the time when there is a problem with something, it is because the owners fingers were all over it.

Back on the "active" setup. I still suggest using a choke or coil just above where you are tuning at. It's just a little piece of mind incase something happens with your crossover or something and it sends a loud 50htz signal through the tweets!

im not familure with top of the line DEI but i doubt they have any 6.5's with 1" P2P. and i think it is kool that DEI amps can be programed like that, to shut off and not work if the alarm has ben triggered. but, like you said, i would rather have 100% controll over my system. if the installer set the gain to not clip at all, i may want some clipping so i can get more "volume" on the low lows.

if the installer set the gain to not clip at all, i may want some clipping so i can get more "volume" on the low lows.


CUZ CLIPPING IS TEH ROXXORZ!!! :rolleyes:

Wow, it's really hard to tell when you guys are being sarcastic.

if the passive xovers are very well made that has every variable integrated into it (like high end home audio passive xovers), then i would pick it. but since the car is so unpredictable, i chose to go with active.

i don't think there is an xover for the xxx right now, unless RE already has them? Even so, i would still go active just so i can tune it to my likings.


i am jealous of the xxx. my doors are whimpy. i had to do a lot of modification just to fit my 6.5" seas lotus performance midbass in there. If only....:(

hmmm... some people like a little but of clipping so when the woofer begins to go down deep into the low 20's the distortion makes it seem like you are actually hearing the wave a little louder. a little bit of clipping never hurt any woofer.

hmmm... some people like a little but of clipping so when the woofer begins to go down deep into the low 20's the distortion makes it seem like you are actually hearing the wave a little louder. a little bit of clipping never hurt any woofer.

Yep but even for high end tweets, distortion can be disasterious.

That little cross-over has time delay on it too? None of the crossovers that I stock can do that unless your way up in price. They are always completely digital too.

This is the kind of componets I like. They are made to be used passive or active. DEI's are very simular to these but they don't have an online manual yet. http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/data/manuals/MSS650om.pdf

I love the ones from A/D/S. There are already more controls built into the crossovers plus things like thermal cutoff switches that you shouldn't be without. http://www.directed.com/guides/manuals/og/ads-mobile/G39301.06_04-04.pdf

Why don't manufacturers just build the cross overs right into the speakers/tweets? It'd only be a little extra bulk, but it would take the guesswork out for many consumers... I'm not saying all of them should have them built in, and I know coaxials basically do this, but for entry level componet sets this might sell.

because the required component to make the xover slope a specific freq at a specific slope will take up space. not to mention, on a coaxial. most of them will only have a small capacitor to highpass the tweeter at 6db. on a component setup, you'll want at least 12db octave highpass (because you'll probably send more power) and a low pass for the mid. More power is going to be used so parts that are needed to handle the power are going to be bigger. :)

I believe MB quart has a set that has a very small xover network. i forgot the series, but its the lower line. Not sure what the exact specs are, but they are components.

hmmm... some people like a little but of clipping so when the woofer begins to go down deep into the low 20's the distortion makes it seem like you are actually hearing the wave a little louder. a little bit of clipping never hurt any woofer.

Are you an idiot? The lower you go the cleaner the power needs to be to still be loud..... trust me.... go throw a 100 watt amp on whatever sub you got and turn the gains all the way up listen NO lows. Then put clean power on it and the lowlows come alive.... not to mention that the whole bass spectrum sounds much cleaner, has definition, and won't have any resonances in ported applications (caused by distortion).

negative ghost rider.

I don't know.... you've said some jacked up shit...

If you want to hear the LOW LOWS so damn bad just tune your box LOW LOW, that's what I did...

and get clean power like that avionixx you got!!..... fryman do you just talk out of your ass and make up your own shit????????

and get clean power like that avionixx you got!!..... fryman do you just talk out of your ass and make up your own shit????????

I'm thinking that's a rhetorical question Mike...for real...

NG

well you do what you want to do bumpin and ill do that i want to. it takes alot of swet volume to reach audiable SPL levels near 20Hz. something most smaller drivers cant produce, even in car. distortion down that low makes it seem like you are actually hearing something and not just barely senceing it.

well you do what you want to do bumpin and ill do that i want to. it takes alot of swet volume to reach audiable SPL levels near 20Hz. something most smaller drivers cant produce, even in car. distortion down that low makes it seem like you are actually hearing something and not just barely senceing it.

I don't think you really know what 20hz is like... usually you FEEL it A LOT more than you'll ever hear it. Your vehicle will probably be louder than the signal just trying to hold together...

I don't know... you just really don't sound like you know what the hell you're talking about...

I don't think you really know what 20hz is like... usually you FEEL it A LOT more than you'll ever hear it. Your vehicle will probably be louder than the signal just trying to hold together...

I don't know... you just really don't sound like you know what the hell you're talking about...

That's because, IN ALL HONESTY, he doesn't. No offense at all, but he's got A LOT of learning and maturing to do. peace

NG

damn, yall are harsh

That's why my hat says "ASSHOLE"...

the hat is classic and it pwnz