Audio and Install Goals:
The goal for this system is pretty simple: a
relatively stock appearance.
Before I get too far in to the details, let me give some perspective here…
I’ve been around this hobby for a good while. I’ve had a very “extreme” build for a long time and I’ve had a system that sounds quite good and gets stupid loud, if I say so myself. I’ve also seen and heard many incredible vehicles running the gamut from extreme to rather stock installs. Some installs are easier to tune “out of the box” than others. Some offer things others can’t. But, for the most part, what I’ve experienced is that there has really never been a single defining characteristic to what makes one system sound fantastic other than a) a good install, b) an understanding of the equipment and limitations/implications of the gear/install and c) a good tune based on a & b.
When I think back to my favorite car audio systems as a whole package (sound + aesthetic), the cars that come to mind for me are: Kirk Proffitt’s Acura TL, Jason Bertholomey’s BRZ and Michael Myers' Scion. None have "extreme" builds. Myers has dash pods but it's nothing crazy. All have/had door mounted midbass and a (relatively) understated yet elegant install. There’s nothing that stands out, cosmetically, in a way that draws attention to itself. Yet, they all sound incredible. They just have great tonality and an incredibly enjoyable fun factor. It's like you get in and the speakers just get out of the way and you enjoy the system for what it is. I've done the waaaaay extreme thing: 10 inch midbass in the kicks with a 4 inch hole cut in the firewall, and 5 inch coaxials on the dash. And as great as it sounded, if I’m being completely honest with myself, I preferred what those cars had to offer as an overall package. Don’t get me wrong; I loved my old system. And it wasn’t terribly obtrusive, but for me, personally, there’s really something about having a system that sounds fantastic without seeing what you’re hearing. And while I’m at it, let me be clear that I’m not dissing others’ choices of what they do in their systems. I did things in my old civic that I’m sure others wouldn’t have cared for either. I’m just stating my personal likes/dislikes from my previous builds and drawing inspiration from those I have enjoyed that kept a more stock-like appearance up front.
So, with that in mind, I figure why not take some aspects of my favorites and combine it with some of what I’ve learned and use that to build what I like. And the goal with my new car, at least for the foreseeable future, is to try to target a system that has a relatively stock appearance up front and squeeze out all the sound quality I can within those constraints.
I took a short drive up to
Audio X in Florence, AL to talk with Steve Cook about my ideas and get his insight on the new car install. Steve and his shop are known literally worldwide for creating some of the best SQ systems in the States and winning multiple championships in SQ comps. Steve also used to compete in SPL and still holds some world records I believe. So, the dude has a proven track record for building incredible systems that can sound loud and good. Years before I purchased this car I was saying I would have Steve and his shop do the work for me on my next car. And that's exactly what I'm doing.
I could do it myself but frankly, I just don’t want to. I don’t have the time or desire to do this much, especially in this heat. Besides, his shop does better work than I do, for sure. I’ve known Steve for a long time. His work is incredible. With him being an hour from me, it was a no-brainer to have him do this install for me. Plus, the major benefit is I’ll actually have a completed system instead of me having the car apart for a year, slowly getting the install done (I know me, it would take that long, if not longer).
Initially I was thinking of trying to cram a 3 or 4 inch midrange + tweeter in to the sail panel but that wouldn’t work without sticking out like a sore thumb. Something I don’t want. Dash pods are also out because of the obtrusive aesthetic. No kick mounted midbass for now; I have no doubt down the line this will be revisited but that’s just not on the docket at this moment. Ultimately, after some test fitting, research of drivers, and discussion with Steve this is what I decided on:
Equipment list and some rationale:
- Kenwood DDX9905S HU: Fine headunit. Comes from my previous car. No need to upgrade.
- MiniDSP C-DSP with Dirac Live: Great results with it in my old car and I want to try it out on the new one.
- ScanSpeak Illuminator D3004/6040-00 Beryllium Dome Tweeters in sail panels: Excellent on/off axis response. Relatively high sensitivity.
- Dyn Esotar2 430 midrange in dash corners: The best pure midrange I’ve ever tested. Excellent linear response through its primary passband and great off-axis response. Small size makes it easy to fit in the “stock” dash corners. “Stock” meaning, there is not an OEM dash/windshield corner location for speakers of any size in this car. So, Steve and I talked about it and the plan was made to pull the windshield and cut in to the dash piece to create a spot for the mids in a sealed enclosure. The location will be made such that future upgrades/swaps (in case something were to blow by accident) can be easily handled without the need to pull the windshield again. The dash piece costs $65 to replace so not a big loss there.
- Audio Frog GB60 midbass in doors: These GB60's have long linear throw, good sensitivity, and nice power handling in a small footprint. Great midbass for door installs.
- JL Audio 12w6v3 – Never heard any complaints or had any complaints with a 12w6. Simple and effective. Also, I can remove it if I need more space for a trip somewhere.
- Tru Technology Tungsten Grande Amplifiers: I'm not too much of an "amp guy". I kind of go with the flow there (no pun intended). My main concern is noise floor and power and reliability; as long as those are adequate I’m good. Having said that, with my new install I wanted to try something new amp-wise. While I was at Cook’s shop, I listened to Scott Brazelton's Lexus and was blown away at how good that system sounded without, literally, any EQ. Dude's running Dyn 430 midranges (which I already wanted) and Tru Tungsten Grande amps. I was sold on the combo. Plus, Steve is a Tru Technology dealer so no worries there if something happened to one of the amps. So, that's what I'll be running now.
- Tru Technology Tungsten Grande TG-RS4 - Tweeters and midranges
- Tru Technology Tungsten Grande TG-RS2 - Midbass
- Tru Technology Tungsten Grande TG-RS2 - Subwoofer
The drivers I'm using are my “dream team” drivers
for this kind of install. They're not necessarily cheap but considering the number of times I have “upgraded” my previous car's system over the years, I figure I’ll save money in the long run by getting what I really,
really want the first time rather than settle for something that costs less but then feeling the need to replace it with something better later.
Within those confines, Steve and his guys have full reign to do what they need to do to make it work and add some of their own creativity to the install. I'm excited to see what they do with it.
