You guys won't believe this. My stereo install.

02#154, I appreciate the feedback. I'm not sure what to tell you on the tweeters. While you want things in a custom fabricated enclosure or don't care about cutting your door, not everyone else feels the same. I'm trying to make something that any owner can install, not take to a custom shop for fabrication. I'm trying not to alter the vehicle. So the best I could do for you is give you a ballpark of where to set your xover settings and time delays with a different tweeter.

As far as frequency response, you have to understand that the proper way to do things is to set them up flat and correct to start with, then to EQ from there. Otherwise it's just haphazard and random. I don't care if someone EQ's to whatever their liking the only issue is these are very small high excursion drivers and can be damaged if one is not careful with EQ'ing rather easily. So I'd just be worried about that. The Bose system, any bose system, only allows 6db of cut or gain in your bass and treble controls. Your typical car stereo control is 12, some EQ's can do 18 or even more. If you put 18db of gain (boost) at something like a 45hz bass frequency, you are sure to damage a 3-4" woofer. Bose does that for 2 reasons: protect their drivers and because they know any more than that and you are way beyond natural hearing differences you are now seriously compromising the sound quality.

So you can still EQ, but you'd be EQ'ing a system that's already EQed to a certain extent in the bass region. You have to be aware of that.

What's actually more important is not the fact that there are large differences in what you are I may prefer for tonality... That's actually a fairly small variance generally. What's more important is each song is mastered differently at the recording studio, and those transfers to CD or mp3 are often poor... And the biggest area you hear it in is bass. Some songs will sound too boomy and some sound thin and weak. Most all car stereo systems can only fix this with a bass or treble control, but what you really need is a seperate subwoofer gain control. Something provided by a knob that's put in a handy place in anything I'd put together... available with many aftermarket crossovers and the one I'm considering most.

Honestly, the whole "concern" that I might tune a system for reference and flat and it may sound "dull" to some people is just a total non-issue. I never said I'm tuning for a reference flat response. I don't even have an EQ in the front row. I'm "tuning" by correct placement, crossover points, enclosure design, and time alignment and letting the drivers do what they do. If you want to EQ the system, have at it.... Obviously I can't take responsibility for damage. Up to a certain point it's fine and if someone goes overboard and damages a driver it's their baby. Lucky thing is these drivers are not expensive.
 
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Angus I'll let you know of course. Still haven't found the perfect volume/design for the tubes but I'm working on it. That engineers at the manufacturer are now helping me.
 
Looks like the 360.3 is finally available. I might order one and check it out. Why not... I've ordered everything else...

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I've been doing some more experimenting tonight. I have the door enclosures on my bench and I tried them with various home woofers using a high quality dbx home crossover. While I can get a lot of volume out of these 8-12" drivers and have them "pound", I must say that they are lacking two things from my small tube subwoofers:

1) they are not as sharp, or as tight. The bass response with my small tube woofers is extraordinarily tight. At low to mid volume levels, you can just hear tightness the bigger boxed subs don't have.

2) they blend a lot better. The blend to the door speakers is just seamless. The bass seems to all emanate from the door speakers. With the bigger subs, no matter how much I play with the crossover points, there is a decided separation between the two.

Smaller drivers have their advantages, even though they don't individually move as much air.

I have 6 more small woofers and my kicker digital crossover due to arrive tomorrow. It's going to keep me busy.
 
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I've finalized the tube design. I didn't make it to have it look cool, it just happened to make the best sound. Thanks to the help of a very good audio engineer.
 
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Photo or drawing Please!

I am waiting for a second set of drivers to arrive. They're coming from overseas, none available in this country.

There are two variations of this I am working on, one is thicker but shorter, one is thinner but longer. I've applied for a trademark and patent on these so I am a bit protective of the fine details right now. But I am hoping the nsx community will use them and give me some good feedback so I can fine tune things. I'm sorry, will post pics when it is all done, I just need more time to truly finish the product.

Here is the kicker controller.... It's REALLY small:

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Way cool. Keep the good info coming. Question on the tubes, are they small enough that you could mount them low, like behind the seats on the floor? Or will that really mess up the sound?
 
Way cool. Keep the good info coming. Question on the tubes, are they small enough that you could mount them low, like behind the seats on the floor? Or will that really mess up the sound?

You could. I don't know if your seat will then go all the way back but it'll be close. I'll probably mount mine in front. They really are so small they tuck in under and are barely visible. I might come up with a way to mount more than one where the standard sub is. But the nice thing about them is the entire cylinder vibrates and so if it is in contact with the seats you feel it. Also, the front of seat cushion location will put the bass really close and somewhat time aligned with the door speakers. I just have to play with various locations once I get them all built.
 
Thanks for keeping us updated.



Looks like it can fit behind the ash tray cover!!!

It can, but I would probably recommend a set and forget mode with the thing in the glovebox or better yet under the carpet next to the processor itself with a short cable. In fact I will include a small 6" cable in my kit and a place to mount.

The bass knob is a sub harmonic generator, which CREATES bass frequencies not on the actual recording. It's other mode is an EQ centered at 45 Hz. Both of these are bad IMO. I've looked inside the processor itself and am very impressed by the parts inside, it is truly a high quality, very modern, very powerful processor that operates entirely in the digital domain. Not like the other boxes that look similar but really aren't. But the little module actually does NOT do subwoofer level control. Which is the knob you'd really want some place close. If there is a lack of bass it is best to increase the sub level to your liking than to start creating sub harmonics or to start EQ'ing. For that I have a solution off the amplifier itself. I will most likely make an EQ recommendation and leave the sub harmonic generator off. These small drivers aren't going like 25hz notes shoved down their throat and it is not even necessary.

Don't forget that although small drivers are more vulnerable to this, the advantage they have over larger ones is transient response. They are fast. They start moving fast and they stop moving fast. There is less ringing across the cone and so the sound they produce is tighter and more accurate. What these small tube subs lack in power handling and 20 Hz response, they make up for by extreme accuracy in the 50-100hz region. Tight, very accurate sound.

So there will be a bass knob, it won't be this one pictured.
 
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I have a manufactuer making specific drivers for the subwoofers for me. They are not available otherwise. I also was able to get help from a speaker designer who is very famous, I can't say his name but you guys would instantly recognize the company he designs for. So I am hoping to get my hands on the new drivers with his new box design in 2 weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed on this one. He thinks the bass will be extremely accurate.

Also I had a chance to play with this crossover a little, the Kicker Front Row. It's really good. I am very very impressed with its sound quality, I cannot believe it retails for $300. I would have liked a few more options but it'll do what I need it to do.
 
This is MADNESS! No, this is SPARTA! Haha Dave can't wait to see this done, I wish I could hear it in person. That is a pretty cool place to put the bass tube actually!
 
One possible advantage of the P-DSP or another more advanced processor is one-button switching between two presets. I was thinking I would want one tune (the "SQ" tune) for driving with the roof on, and another (the "SPL" tune) for driving with the roof off.
 
One possible advantage of the P-DSP or another more advanced processor is one-button switching between two presets. I was thinking I would want one tune (the "SQ" tune) for driving with the roof on, and another (the "SPL" tune) for driving with the roof off.

I agree. I think that would be very handy. I am trying to get my hands on a Fosgate 360.3.
 
I agree. I think that would be very handy. I am trying to get my hands on a Fosgate 360.3.

Cool! That one even has an optical in which I consider a requirement :biggrin:

I can even imagine tapping into the roof sensor wiring to automatically switch the preset...
 
I can even imagine tapping into the roof sensor wiring to automatically switch the preset...

Since this is the kind of automation I fix at work everyday, I think I will not do that out of sheer spite for things that break. Good idea though...
 
The remote for that RF processor looks really small and simple - could be mounted almost anywhere.

I was looking at the Mosconi 6to8 but have read that the (Windows-only) software used to tune it is really slow and terrible. The RF software looks pretty awesome from the screenshots.
 
On further research I like the RF 3sixty.3 the best out of all the processors I can find. The remote is so nice and simple - two buttons, two knobs. I thought the Mosconi was by far the smallest processor but turns out the RF box isn't too much bigger...

So now the question is, what are the chances we can fit the RF and the JL XD600/6 side by side under the footwell carpet... and if not, where does the RF go? Does it fit under a passenger seat or somewhere else?
 
On further research I like the RF 3sixty.3 the best out of all the processors I can find. The remote is so nice and simple - two buttons, two knobs. I thought the Mosconi was by far the smallest processor but turns out the RF box isn't too much bigger...

So now the question is, what are the chances we can fit the RF and the JL XD600/6 side by side under the footwell carpet... and if not, where does the RF go? Does it fit under a passenger seat or somewhere else?

Seats in an NSX sit on the carpet. Nothing will go "under". Just looking at the widths, it may well be possible to fit the two side by side but it will be tight for sure.

I need to do some more work on this. It's getting cold and I am getting lazy.
 
Only downside of installing things under the carpet is you better be damn sure everything is working properly before you put the interior back together.... Opening up for troubleshooting will be a b*tch.

I'd definitely want to leave the USB cable for the processor hanging in the glovebox so I could plug in for config and tuning without taking my interior apart.
 
Most people aren't going to want to tune themselves.

Also getting under the carpet there is pretty easy actually, like 2 minutes.
 
Most people aren't going to want to tune themselves.

Also getting under the carpet there is pretty easy actually, like 2 minutes.

Heh, I will probably be on the laptop tuning while driving.

My first car at 16 had a carputer. Not so safe looking back...
 
New unit to test. It's actually pretty small and light. 2.0 pounds to be exact for anyone wondering. It's 5 pounds lighter than a JBL processor and a pound lighter than even the Front Row. For all it does, it's a tidy package.

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