| [ Total Views: 6887 | Total Replies: 19 | Thread Id: 48258 ] |
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 ColumBUS
A.k.a.: The Liquid Chef
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| posted on January 23rd, 2006 at 05:35 PM |
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Kombi Car Audio Placement, what and where?
Looking for any information on what speakers to buy for a bay window panelvan, and where they should be placed to achieve optimum sound quality.
currently there are two pioneer 6x9's in the front door trims. if i wanted to put a decent sound system in the bus, would it be better off to replace
these with 6 inch speakers, whilst adding the 6x9's to the middle section and placing a sub at the far end of the bus?
also, according to prices, pioneer seems to be the best option, however are there any other cheaper brands that offer a good quality kick?
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pyr0
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| posted on January 23rd, 2006 at 07:01 PM |
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6 inchers in the doors dude 6x9's in sealed boxes behinde the front seats. pass on the sub and just spend the extra on good 6x9's.
the dreds are good by the way man i have to get another thingy of wax tho im getting it tomorrow.i didnt even have to wax em all after the surf only a
few lossened out  ill get the pics sorted soon
Founding member of the C'town Rat-Pack
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Vw nutter
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| posted on January 23rd, 2006 at 07:52 PM |
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yeah well def 6"s in the front doors and 1" tweeters with em run these off a 4channel amp better quality (high pass), then get a 12"sub and use
your low pass on your amp to power the sub, if you want more splits in the back just get another amp etc. as for pioneer more of the middle of the
road stuff but still good stuff. well when you compare it to lets say alpine theres a huge difference. but if you are on a tight budget pioneer is
probably your best bet. but you should try to hunt around for cheap deals on quality gear. ebay is good but be carefull!!! some times you can find
good quailty shit at a cheap price. also when you got to a audio place try and buy every thing you need off em in the one shot this way youll also get
it cheaper. what ever you do dont get a boss amp their shit!!! not worth it at all, pay a little extra and get something decent cause other wise youll
have shit sound.
hope that all helps ya
cheers
jurion
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zac_smits
A.k.a.: Zac
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| posted on March 5th, 2006 at 10:26 PM |
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6x9's and subs should never be run together.
they are deisgned to add bass to substitute for the lack of a sub.
jaycar have a very good range or car audio gear, it's competitively priced too.
zac
MOB: 0423890217
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shaginwagin
A.k.a.: Johnno
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| posted on March 6th, 2006 at 12:22 AM |
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I concur re not using 6x9s AND a Sub. A waste of hard earned moolah!
Don't bother with the 6x9s. They won't give you sub bass and there's a fair bit of volume to fill with sound in a Kombi.
A Pair of Quality 6 Inch Speakers (normally splits) and a Quality 12" Subwoofer would be my preferred choice.
For a nice budget install I'd go for a Pioneer/Kenwood Head Unit, Jaycar Amp, Alpine S series Sub and whatever YOUR ears think sounds best re the
front speakers as they will be the most important choice. Hertz speakers have a good reputation for value. Pioneer are OK but tend to be on the
bright side (ie lots of treble) whcih soon gets very tiring and irritating to me.
I've been bitten a few times on ebay so be warned - lots of dodgey dudes selling broken second hand stuff and people selling new gear thats absolute
poop !!! Buy new from Strathfields, JB Hifi or AutoBarn as they have great sales on a regular basis.
Stay away from speakers with foam surrounds as they won't stand the test of the time and don't buy Sony Xplod unless you are 18 with a face full of
zits and preocupied with "How many watts does it have man" :P
Cheers
[ Edited on 5-3-2006 by shaginwagin ]
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firefly
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| posted on March 7th, 2006 at 01:55 PM |
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When buying audio equipment always go in with some idea of what you wish to achieve. Like anything in a vehicle you need to decide whether it is for
show,comp or daily. 
Basically my advise would be. decide on a budget. dicide on what you can reuse that you already have then dicide whether you wish to do all of this
in one big buy or over time. Presently you have stated you have 6x9 in the doors. Funnily enough this is about the only place they shoudl be used.
But used with a high pass filter. Secodnly you obviously have a unit source so this may doo for now unit the funds for the rest are made.
If purchasing in parts this is where I would head.
1. If current unit has preouts then the best start would be a good quality amp and a 12 or 10" sub. Connect the sub and the amp to the unit and
moutn in the rear. Run the 6x9" in teh doors from the head unit. (reason will be clear later)
OR
If no preouts for the Unit at present then look at getting a amp which will take high input lines. (you are only shopping for a 2 channel amp here).
Dont get something cheap, but also do not get something too expensive. The purpose of this amp will be to run your rears later on.
Next after purchasing your amp and the sub and having fitted them into you cab you will be able to then look at the next step.
This will improve your mid to sub bass and still give you listen pleasure (will not win sound comps but will do the system justice. Whatever you do
do not buy yourself a $50 special sub with a $40 special amp, this will nto do you aplication and will not give the system the justice your ears
deserve.
2. Next you will need to look at changing your front speakers to a good quality component speaker set. Most good quality splits start at aroung $270
and go up from there. Poineer do make some nice stuff hear but for bang for $$ the infinity range will blow you away. Make sure you remember as part
of the build the door cards will need some extra support as well as some coverings. This will be an extra expense which many forget to factor in.
Basically middle ground infinety units will set you back approx $320. these will come with the crossover and gives you a number of tunable
positions.
3. This step is usually where this can go off the rails a little. The source unit. Back in the tape days, there where many ways to make the magnetic
heads etc and thus the quality did differ dramatically. These days with the advent of CD's there is only two manufactures for teh reading heads.
Thus the quality of the reading section of the unit does nto differ too much if any at all. The difference comes in the components that amp the lines
out. This is why you want as many preouts as you can. That way the units internal amps will not play a part in you system, as later on you will
purchase the amp to run your front stage, properly. By a unit that does have the ability to fade the preouts. if you system is going to be a simple
front stage and rear sub then a standard front and rear preout unit will be fine as you can use the fader as your sub control.
If you are wanting a little more control then a unit with front rear and sub preouts maybe required. in this area it would be better to make sure
that the sub pre out is both stereo (a left and a rear channel) or has at least two rcas not one. Do not discount sub control if you listen to a
varied music genre.
A remote can be a very good purchase for a stealth install (where you might place it in the glovebox) this will allow the the functions of a closer
unit without the lean to change channel etc. A remote also allows you to not take yours eyes off teh road, which funnily enough causes many
accidients.
4. You will now have a great source unit and a fantastic front stage as well as a good sub/mid range. This is where the time has come to think about
where you wish the system to go. (ie 5 channel or 3 channel). If a 3 channel then look for a good middle road 4 channel amp which is 2ohm stable.
Then reason for this is that by buying a four channel amp you will be able to bridge it to make a very reasonable two channel amp for less dollars
than the high end 2 channels. This makes The install a little cheaper and has a great result. Basically the original sub amp will remain as the sub
amp the your front stage will really become alive. If going for a 5 channel then purchasing a better 4 channel or a middle 6 channel (bridge the
front to make a 4 channel amp same theory as the 4 channel). I have utilised the rear channels off the head unit before to drive the rears but if you
are using a cheap source unit where the internal amps are not as good as the high end equipment then you might start getting issues of quality creep
in.
Pretty much go into it with you eye open and look at every avenue. If you ask question you will generally get good responses. If looking at Ebay buy
from a reputable source and one that stocks the stuff in australia. Be aware of sellers who state that alpine is made oversea etc, as these are
tending to cover up some things. (does not mean the product is bad just I would be cautionous) YES Alpine does assemble in Aust.
Caps are overrated but can be very good for high powered systems. the majority of system do not require them, but if you headlights start to dim with
the setup then you may wish to do your electrical setup a favour and invest in one.
Do not skimp on cabling, and if you van has a generator then I would suggest that you upgrade to an alternator before starting as you may just find
you start to kill batteries.
Good luck and if your equire more assistance yell. Even if you see something on ebay, if you are unsure ask. Stereos can be cheap if planned right.
Remember that if you do it progressively and smartly your upgrades will satify your ears. If you buy badly then the ears will complain and the
experience will be upsetting.
Cheers
T
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Vw nutter
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| posted on March 12th, 2006 at 08:15 PM |
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shit mate! whens your book being released!:P
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firefly
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| posted on March 12th, 2006 at 11:50 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Vw nutter
shit mate! whens your book being released!:P
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Possibly could write a book but the more information people have the better they are equipd to make a dicision. Used to see it all, osly $70 install
specials where the popledid not car about the ars or theyustomers theyjust sawselling aunitan getting goo margin. Mostof the tie they would die
arondte block and taight into my install bay. then I would give them the right install and junk the rest. (we sent back a number of products to the
original stores due to damage or mis-install. Most of teh time it was due to the wrong parts being selected.
Most people would end up having about 2 hours of explanation vefore installs where done. alot had issues with bass and subs. would show them why
their setup was wrong and then explain how to fix. Trust me, there is alot of dollars spent on this stuff why not get it right the first time..
Keep it real, keep is clear. 
Cheers
T
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ColumBUS
A.k.a.: The Liquid Chef
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| posted on March 13th, 2006 at 12:49 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by firefly
Used to see it all, osly $70 install specials where the popledid not car about the ars or theyustomers theyjust sawselling aunitan getting goo margin.
Mostof the tie they would die arondte block and taight into my install bay.
Cheers
T
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thanks for the help firefly, i've been making decisions based on ur info, but can you translate this part into english?
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firefly
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| posted on March 13th, 2006 at 12:30 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by ColumBUS
thanks for the help firefly, i've been making decisions based on ur info, but can you translate this part into english?
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Opps sorry,
Cordless keyboard went flat last night. some of my keys got missed as I type too fast..
So how about I try again.
Used to see it all the time , only $70 install specials where the poeple did not care about the cars or there customers they just saw selling a
mountian of product getting good margin. Most of the time they would drive around the block and straight into my install bay.
Does that make more sense.
Cheers
T
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Vw nutter
Wolfsburg Wizard
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| posted on March 13th, 2006 at 01:55 PM |
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u say u had or have a store, is this correct? where abouts in melbourne mate? your info is very good on ice and some interesting points u have made,
well done mate keep it up!!!:thumb
cheers
[ Edited on 13-3-2006 by Vw nutter ]
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firefly
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| posted on March 13th, 2006 at 02:47 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Vw nutter
u say u had or have a store, is this correct? where abouts in melbourne mate? your info is very good on ice and some interesting points u have made,
well done mate keep it up!!!:thumb
cheers
[ Edited on 13-3-2006 by Vw nutter ]
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Had a store,
it is what put me through uni I then sold it to watch the store go to the dogs. Specialised in custom work (well every car is difference anyway but
hey) Store ran mostly on word of mouth and disappointment from the other stores in the area. I was not cheap but the customers NEVER had to come
back.
Cheers
T
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DoNkEy
A.k.a.: James
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| posted on March 21st, 2006 at 12:21 PM |
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I recently put a nice system in my kombi. I have taken some pics, if people are interested I can post them.
It had to be on a budget so quite a bit has been sourced over a while, but i also worked over the holidays so i splashed on an expensive headunit.
I run a JVC headunit...plays DVD's! (future camping upgrades), has more line ins and outs then i will ever need Plenty of eq settings aswell as the all important sub out.
Currently i am running Response 6.5" splits ($150? 80WRMS) in the front
Response 6x9's ($130? 75WRMS?) under the back seat in boxes.
Response 250WRMS Sub (picked up at VW show for $30) in Jaycar 12inch box powered by an Audio Acoustik amp my bro got off ebay for $10 (it was
broken...we are both trainin electrical engineers). It sits behind the drivers seat.
Overall i have been very pleased with the quality, in particual the splits. One thing to note is that a kombi isnt very sound proof, i get plenty of
funny looks at light etc. It goes plenty loud, loud enough that i can't hear the engine or even my own singing (+ive). It goes louder too but i have
reached my limit.
I was really suprised the other day when i played a cd in my house on my Marantz speakers to find myself contiually trying to make it sound good. I
decided my ears must be used to the quality of the car system.
Future upgrades will include the sub amp and possibly an amp for the speakers but atm the head unit is doing plenty fine for my tastes.
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megalania
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| posted on May 29th, 2006 at 09:46 AM |
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I've always used jaycar speakers and am very happy with them. The price is pretty good as well
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hallph
A.k.a.: Phil Hall
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| posted on June 6th, 2006 at 10:45 PM |
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Just thought I would let you know what I have installed in my Kombi at the moment - I based these decisions upon spending far too much time on the CAA
forums (caraudioaustralia.com)
Up front:
JVC KD-G615 headunit, has aux input on the front for the iAudio x5 to plug straight in. Great unit for the $210 I spent.
6.5" Jaycar splits however the woofer has been swapped with the Jaycar Kevlar woofer. Fantastic upgrade to the midbass up front.
RAAMat sound deadening on both inner and outer skins (two layers on the outer skin) Service holes filled by 6mm MDF + sound deadening.
AMP: Jaycar 4x130wrms, cheap and effective.
SUB: Digital Designs 1012 - 12" subwoofer in a 70L box tuned to 40hz.
This sounds very good for the total cost of the system, I reccomend all the above products if you are looking for something that sounds great on a
budget.
A pic of the sound deadening/installation of splits up front - click for larger. I believe that the install of the speakers is one of the most
important aspects of car audio.. do not skip this step if you are looking for good sound quality!
[ Edited on 6-6-2006 by hallph ]
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hallph
A.k.a.: Phil Hall
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| posted on June 6th, 2006 at 10:47 PM |
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A comparison pic of the old and new kevlar woofers.. kevlar woofer is far superior in sound and build quality than the one that comes with the splits:
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Vw nutter
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| posted on June 11th, 2006 at 02:53 PM |
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hey mate looks like a nice job u have done. just one question, with the front splits being in your front doors like that(recessed) into the door, have
you got something to protect the back of the speaker from the water dripping down from the window scraper above?, believe me you get quite a bit of
water that wonderers down inside your door, and seeing that you have mid road front splits you wouldnt want them to get ruined from water etc. have
you thought of this? i am at this stage but have used half circle plastic thingos to protect my new focal components, the sorta sit ontop of the
speaker and will protect them from water/dust etc.
cheers
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hallph
A.k.a.: Phil Hall
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| posted on June 12th, 2006 at 01:52 PM |
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Yeah I was worried about this - I did replace my window scrapers but there was still a fair bit of water getting down into the door. I looked at those
'hood' items like you have described and they seemed like a fiddley way around the problem.
If you have noticed, there is a support beam that runs parallel to the bottom of the large service hole. This runs above where the speaker is located
so some of the water falling in the door would be caught by this. I simply cut a length of sound deadening and joined it from the wall of the door to
this support beam so no water can get past and onto the speaker.
Works very well :thumb
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hallph
A.k.a.: Phil Hall
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| posted on June 12th, 2006 at 02:30 PM |
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Here is a cross sectional diagram if it helps
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76camper
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| posted on June 12th, 2006 at 02:51 PM |
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I might be confused but it looks like water that makes it past ur scrapers is just going to build up above the speaker and never drain out...?
I have an ok system in my bus atm, kenwood mp3/cd player,kenwood 35w rms 6.5" coax's (will be replacing with splits shortly) mounted in front
doors.
Kenwood 6x9's 50w rms--- Mounted on rear kick board of my fold out camper bed.
Rampage 12" Sub 800w max (rms??) boxed in 27L enclosure under rear bed. Will be building new 67L box for the sub and boxes for the 6x9's. Sub is run
off an Audioline Amp 2x200w max / apprx 120w bridged rms just mounted on sub enclosure.
Quality is pretty good, Am running sub at max gain but that should change with the new enclosure
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