# Effects of Center Console on Sound



## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

I have a 2010 Dodge Challenger that I'm installing horns in and was wondering how the factory Center Console could effect the sound stage. My current Center Console looks like this:


Would removing the Center Console help with my staging and imaging? I'm thinking a shifter boot install kinda like this:


I do like the old school look of the shifter boot. The biggest downside to doing this is I'll have to install new carpet...what do you think?


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Getting rid of the center console in my Accord like that was the single biggest improvement/mod that I made to the car...more than moving the seats back and sticking the horns out of the firewall, and those were pretty drastic.


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## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

My horns are definitely out of the firewall



That's the view from under the hood.


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## Eric Stevens (Dec 29, 2007)

The worse thing about the center console is the early reflections. Open is certainly better.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

lsm said:


> My horns are definitely out of the firewall
> 
> 
> 
> That's the view from under the hood.




Holy makarollie!!!!

This is going to be good ! Where's the midbass going ?


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I believe and am told the console in my 08 Civic sedan is probably to blame for a very very odd cutout I get when both mids play thats centered around 159hz.

Digging into that a little, I found it's destructive summing between the left and right drivers because the left door mid in that range appears to come from the right side of the car.. Some kind of crazy modal stuff happening there, I'm told is due to the console. I dunno. Can't confirm, but others tell me similar experiences.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Babs said:


> I believe and am told the console in my 08 Civic sedan is probably to blame for a very very odd cutout I get when both mids play thats centered around 159hz.
> 
> Digging into that a little, I found it's destructive summing between the left and right drivers because the left door mid in that range appears to come from the right side of the car.. Some kind of crazy modal stuff happening there, I'm told is due to the console. I dunno. Can't confirm, but others tell me similar experiences.


Oh the 160hz garble huh, your not alone. When I had door mounted midbass that's what I had too , even with a deadning and treatments I couldn't tame it on relatively flat drivers unless I used lots of cuts in the 160s than it sounded normal but lost its umph in that band that otherwise would have sounded good and gave the midbass a pleasant pop to it.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

oabeieo said:


> Oh the 160hz garble huh, your not alone. When I had door mounted midbass that's what I had too , even with a deadning and treatments I couldn't tame it on relatively flat drivers unless I used lots of cuts in the 160s than it sounded normal but lost its umph in that band that otherwise would have sounded good and gave the midbass a pleasant pop to it.



Oh yeah. It's amazing. While I'm sure and positive mids are timed and in phase I can plot a beautiful plot for each, then played together there's the lovely dip from about 145ish to 160hz. I've just lived with it as something inherent in the car. 


Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

in on this since i plan on putting horns in my challenger. but i am not cutting my firewall lol are you planning on relocating your radio and ac controls too?


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## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

oabeieo said:


> Holy makarollie!!!!
> 
> This is going to be good ! Where's the midbass going ?


Planning to install 10" mids in the kickpanels; waiting to get a driver right now for test fitting. If that ends up not being an option then I'll stick with my XS69's in the kicks.


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## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

Horsemanwill said:


> in on this since i plan on putting horns in my challenger. but i am not cutting my firewall lol are you planning on relocating your radio and ac controls too?


No plans to move the ac controls or radio. I was just thinking of removing the console and installing a shifter boot in it's place. I'd also like to keep the armrest area so the console would prob end up getting cut up to accomplish this.


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

take detailed pics cause you know i'm probably going to be copying you if it makes a dramatic improvement lol


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## HulkSmash (May 22, 2011)

Would lining the sides of the center console with carpet or equivalent help improve this any?


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## Eric Stevens (Dec 29, 2007)

HulkSmash said:


> Would lining the sides of the center console with carpet or equivalent help improve this any?


Carpet is a small help, Really needs to be open cell foam about 1" thick. You cand cover it with grill cloth or other acoustically transparent material.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

pretty good pic showing the center console panels in my old 318Ti. made from 1/8" masonite and then 1" acoustic foam and covered in suede that matched apillars, headlines etc...


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

^^^I still really like that install.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Niebur3 said:


> ^^^I still really like that install.


Yeh I had years of practice installs with my other comp cars...lol

sometimes simplicity works and looks best


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## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

Horsemanwill said:


> take detailed pics cause you know i'm probably going to be copying you if it makes a dramatic improvement lol


Pretty sure I'm gonna give this a try so I'll definitely take some pics for you.


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

i had a thought about this the other day. i kinda like my cup holder and use the arm rest so i wonder if it's possible to leave that part of it still there


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## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

Horsemanwill said:


> i had a thought about this the other day. i kinda like my cup holder and use the arm rest so i wonder if it's possible to leave that part of it still there


Yeah I planned to cut the console in half and use the section from the cup holder back. I could live without the cup holder but I have to have the armrest, plus Fish built a new lid for it so I have to use it. I don't have any pics of it, I'll try to take one tomorrow.


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

Pics!!


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