# Best size for midbass



## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Hey, I've been reading quite a few threads lately but haven't REALLY found the answer to this particular question. I'm wondering what the best size (also brands) of midbass drivers are (I am also looking for the best price, but that's less of a concern). I currently have a 15" RF HE in my trunk, but I want to get a few midbass drivers so I can relieve the HE of its current midbass duties and also have a "cleaner" sounding midbass range and the HE can stick to playing the low freqs it's so very good at. I just finished reading the thread about the whole "bigger subs are sloppier" (or whatever) myth so you don't need to lecture me on that, but I'm wondering which woofers (sizes and brands) would cover the midbass the best, and what I should set the x-overs to on each amp driving the respective woofer/s to get the best coverage from each woofer.

I'm pretty new to this stuff so go easy on me. I'll try to keep up with the explanations but if I don't understand something please humor me and explain it..

I'm basically wondering what would best accompany my 15" sub as a midbass woofer. I am going to install a set of RF Fanatix 6.5" components in the front doors very soon, and I'm not sure what to do about the 6x9's in my back deck. Maybe just leave them in there for the passengers sake (opinions on those are also welcome, but I'd like the main focus of this thread to be helping with the woofer selection).

I'm planning on building a custom console and installing the woofers in there. I'm leaning towards woofers between 6-8" and am also looking at getting two of them (of the same kind of course), just for looks if nothing else. Both compartments would (preferably) be sealed, but I am open to porting them if that were a better option. 

So, am I in the ballpark?


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Go as big as you can physically fit. More is easier to EQ down. 
I hope you're talking about midbass in a 3 way front and not midbass as in midrange in a 2 way. 

Kelvin


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## mitchyz250f (May 14, 2005)

Subwoofery is 100% correct. I have a 12" sub and two 12" midbasses. Midbass response now is NEVER an issue. Big midbasses do not need a lot of volume either, 1 cu/ft does nicely.


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## SQ Audi (Dec 21, 2010)

or you can go the bose route and put in some 2" midbasses. They rock!

Actually, I agree with the peanut gallery here. I have two 8" midbasses in the kickpanels of my car, midbass is not an issue with me!


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Subwoofery: yes, i was saying that even tho i'm installing components in my doors, i still want them to cover mostly mids and highs and have a seperate woofer to cover the midbass. also, what does EQ mean?

ok, so you guys are saying that size doesn't really matter, just what freqs i limit the woofers to? the reason i am limiting the size to between 6-8" is because anything bigger wouldn't fit in the custom console i'm planning on building. So, I should go with a couple of 8" midbass drivers, correct?

Ok, so, now what brands would you guys suggest? and can i get a few suggestions as to what freq range to set them to to get the most effective midbass? also, what is the highest freq i should set my HE at so that there isn't much (if any) overlap?

by the way, thanks for the quick responses and all the help guys!


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

When you say console... I hope you're not saying "in the middle of the car instead of the sides"... 
Your left midbass needs to be on your left (front or back) - not on your right... 

EQ is an EQualizer 

For midbass freqs, you can go as high as 1kHz but I like to limit myself to 500Hz. Just depends on phase problems in your car. 

Kelvin


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## mrflamboynt (Apr 23, 2011)

subwoofery said:


> Go as big as you can physically fit. More is easier to EQ down.
> I hope you're talking about midbass in a 3 way front and not midbass as in midrange in a 2 way.
> 
> Kelvin


it doesnt necessarily have to be the biggest.... but there is no replacement for displacement....


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## instalher (May 13, 2009)

run the earthquake sws 8 in the doors or the jl audio.. cant go wrong with either


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

subwoofery: i wasn't aware that one could distinguish midbass that well between left and right. I don't have much room in my doors for extra speakers, and I'm not interested in making kick panels because there wouldn't be much for foot space in my car. BUT, (and i'm kinda going out on a limb here) would it still work if I made the center console with the woofers in the center of the car, but facing the outside? so, instead of facing the center of the car like the door mounted drivers, they face the doors? what are your thoughts on that?

instalher: as much as i'd like to spend several hundreds of dollars on jl audios, or around $300 on earthquakes, i'm KINDA on a budget. is there anyone on here who might be selling anything in that of that caliber or in that category?

anyone: any other suggestions on midbass placement if this center console idea turns out to be defective? I drive a 96 bonneville, so the rear doors don't have much room, but i guess i could make some space in the rear deck if that's advisable. what do you think?


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

subwoofery said:


> Go as big as you can physically fit. More is easier to EQ down.
> I hope you're talking about midbass in a 3 way front and not midbass as in midrange in a 2 way.
> 
> Kelvin



Size does matter but it's not the total package. Personally I like a higher Qts driver in the door (especially in a 3-way). Not much selection in DIY with the specs for it, but you do get a bit more resonance without bumping up the eq. If I could fit a set of 8" up front, I definitely would try it though....


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## GranteedEV (Oct 17, 2010)

psburtis said:


> subwoofery: i wasn't aware that one could distinguish midbass that well between left and right.


Below 80hz or so, we can't really localize bass
Between 80hz to ~130hz or so, I can start to localize bass and definitely hear phase issues around me. Higher distortion drivers will also produce harmonics which we can definitely localize.
Above 130hz or so to around 250hz, we can hear 

Above 250hz you're into lower midrange/ male vocal territory. Preferably you've got a midbass setup with tight CtC spacing here to the midrange but it's unlikely. 

Personally I think a higher efficiency (90db or more) 6.5" is all a person really needs for these purposes... it's literally two feet away from you. 

But then i'm not much of an SPL guy.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, so I just looked at my doors from a different point of view, and I could possibly fit an 8" driver and a smaller speaker, then maybe put a tweet in the column. what size midrange driver would i need to compliment the 8" driver the best?


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## fischman (Jan 3, 2007)

Depending on the 8, a 4" or 3" would likely work. 

Josh

sent via Thunderbolt by the hand of Zeus.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, cool. so, next question: is it a better idea to find a 3-way component system or put one together yourself? 

I already have a 6.5" component system I'm thinking about installing, but I figure if I'm going to do a custom install i might as well do it right the first time. If its better to put one together yourself, how do i get all the right freq ranges to the right speakers? is there something i can buy that will separate them?


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## Jsracing (Apr 1, 2011)

Get an external 3-way electronic crossover and run it all active. An 8" midbasscombined with a 6.5" component set will work fine.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

I couldn't fit an 8" with a 6.5" in my door. a 3" or 4" MAYBE... but not a 6.5". 

where does one get an "external 3-way electronic crossover", how much do they usually cost, and please describe what you mean by "run it all active."


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## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

The biggest one that will fit.....o' wait, that's what she said....LOL


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

should I expect anything more than that sort of comment from a member named "trojan fan????"

I didn't think so.....

Hahaha.... but stilll... what is the best option for SQ?? I'm not looking to compete, but I DO want to make sure that I have the best experience (and SORTA my passengers) that I can have in my car. 

So, should I go with a pre-fab 3-way or a "build your own" 3-way? anyone? bueller?............ bueller?.............??


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## InCarAudioVideo (Dec 4, 2010)

Earthquake has an SWS 6.5 it comes in pairs and has a frequency response from about 39 - 110 Hz, so you can use that for midbass, that's if you can't use the 8".

Someone else need to explain more clearly how to do a 3 way crossover with an active system...


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Ok, well, if we are even considering using my currently owned components, i'd like some feedback on them, from memebers of this forum who value SQ.... the components I am going to install are Rockford-Fosgate Fanatic X: 6.5” Components. A) what is anyone's opinion on these (good or bad, I can handle it because i didn't even pay CLOSE to retail on this set), and B) what should I get instead, pending this set doesn't cut it....


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

The "best option for sq" is quite a subjective question. There is no doubt that some diy drivers are of higher quality over "car audio" drivers. However, you either will have to run active or be good in designing & building passives in order to take full advantage of them. Matching drivers that compliment each other is another chore. This is where prefab 3-ways have an advantage over them in ease of use. The cons to the latter can often be it's cost as you will see if you scan through sets, they can be quite expensive.


Another aspect that seems to be sort of popular lately is running a wideband driver for the mid/hi with a small format tweet added for the upper most top bandwidth portion. Both make applying a x-over (passive or active) a bit easier as there are less FR limits to deal with. Personally I like this option better as there is quite a bit of "extended range" drivers to choose from, their smallish size makes them easier to find space for, plus choice in mid bass drivers is better as they won't have to extend too high to be viable (300-800hz).


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## hunter660 (Feb 23, 2009)

Is a DIY passive system possible? How would I go about buy/building the crossovers?


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

If you have to ask that then you are not ready to build one IMHO. There are other alternatives like using a smaller component set (4" perhaps) as intended then adding a larger mid bass unit of your choice. This you can still bi-amp and would only need a simple inductor (6db) to low pass the mid bass unit. If you want a steeper slope then an inductor/cap to form a 12db slope. Depending on the amp/hu used it may be possible to go active by just hi-passing the comp and band-passing the mid bass.

Another alternative is having the crossover designed/built to suit the drivers you intend to use. I know Madisound offers leap design, but doesn't build. Also the drivers has to be ones they sell or have in stock. Kind of pricey when you factor in you still have to build them afterwards. I'm sure there's others that do similar work, just can't recall right now.

The first passives I've built was for a 4" comp set with the aid of Xover Pro. Using drivers in it's database for impedance/FR plots was a must. The outcome was pretty good however. I just find active to be more easier to dial in. If I was limited on amp channels or wanted to build a simple 2-4 channel system with multiples drivers, then I may consider it. Other than that..... no.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

well, Bayboy, thank you very much for your honest opinion, and explaining it so well. It seems that at this point in time, i don't have the knowledge or the funds to go 3-way, so I'll settle installing my 2-way and upgrading later, once i know more on how to go about installing a 3-way system. 

As for the midbass in my car, I'll just see how my components cover it for now, and if there is still a lot left to be desired, I'll cross that bridge when i come to it. thanks!


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Your welcome..... yet don't get so hung up on going 3-way. SQ wise there is no absolute advantage of 3-way over 2-way other than higher power handling. Given the broad range of drivers on the market a very good 2 way is very attainable and far less headache to install & tune.

My choice for opting for a 3 way is because the mid woofer is very off-axis on the driver's side door. Detail is suffering greatly. By utilizing a mid/extended range in the kicks I can get the path length differences much closer as well as be more on-axis. This will help greatly with imaging & staging in "my" vehicle. Notice I emphasized "my". Depending on the car/install this may not be necessary and in fact overkill.

If you don't have that sort of problem I say find a good quality 2 way component set, install it well, feed it with a good amount of clean power, and enjoy. Keeping things simple as possible is often the better option.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

I like keeping things simple, and what you say does make sense to a newbie like me.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

i'm not sure what vehicle Crutchfield is talking about, but the front doors hold 5.25" speakers, with a component option. Right now i have a set of 5.25" Pioneer components in the front doors, with Pioneer 6x9's in the rear deck, all powered by a Kenwood KAC-8404. They sound good, but I want to upgrade because the Pioneer components are only 30W RMS, and the RF components are both bigger (and hopefully can produce more bass), and 70W RMS. 

Also, the speakers aren't attached to the door frame, per se, but rather the door panel, the part that comes off. I'm not sure who designed this, but i don't think that it was a very good idea... I'm going to figure out a way to attach the speakers to the frame because I'm going to have to cut a bigger hole in the panel to fit the RF's, which will most likely eliminate the factory speaker mounts. 

It is good to hear that the RF comps are good quality. i wasn't sure about them, but hey, you can't complain when you get a NIB component set for $40, can you...


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, so, just so i'm understanding this correctly, you think i should build a seperate enclosure for the RF woofers, and continue to run the Pioneers in the doors? i can do that. should i use the RF tweeters to, or replace the Pioneer tweets with the RF tweets? if i should add the RF tweets, where do you think the best place to put them is? the Pioneer comps are installed in the factory locations just for ease of installation. Should i put them in the A pillar? 

and when you said:

"you already have 5.25" midranges in the front, why don't you just use those midwoofers as the low playing midrange, and put a console enclosure housing the 6.5" of the RF set in the middle?"

what exactly did you mean by that? build an enclosure for the center of the car and have them point towards me, or just have them somewhere in the center of the car pointing anywhere?

is there a database of members of DIYMA and where they live? it would be a whole lot easier to figure stuff out and build a tuned enclosure if there is someone near me who can help me out...


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, so it should be a sealed enclosure for the RF's. should i have them pointing towards me, or doesn't it matter that much? also, should i use the xovers for the RF to get the right freqs for the midbass?


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## Jsracing (Apr 1, 2011)

psburtis said:


> I couldn't fit an 8" with a 6.5" in my door. a 3" or 4" MAYBE... but not a 6.5".
> 
> where does one get an "external 3-way electronic crossover", how much do they usually cost, and please describe what you mean by "run it all active."


Search google for electronic crossover...there's quite a few companies offering 3-way electronic crossovers. Run the inputs into those prior to the amp and they will do all the filtering for you. Active means running active crossovers (via external electronic crossovers or ones built in to your amp, but I'm assuming your amp can't do 3-way crossovers). This is opposed to passive crossovers as what comes with component speaker sets.
If an 8" won't fit, consider a 6.5" sub or one of those large 6.5" midbass drivers (they basically look like a 6.5" sub, but are designed to reach a bit higher in frequencies). The only thing with these is that you need depth, as opposed to diameter.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, you kinda lost me here... am i trying to put the speakers on the floor in the front and center of the car and point them forward?


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, would it be a good idea to "build" a 3-way system out of my RF 6.5" and my Pioneer comps? or would that not make much of a difference in sq?


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

NOW I GET IT. wow, thank you so much for all this explanation, it must be getting frustrating for you. i now see what you are getting at. what i need to do is build a box for my two RF 6.5"s that will sit in the center of the car, slot loaded so that the ports are pointing toward the front of the car (away from me) and high pass my Pioneers so that they don't play much midbass. the midbass will come from my 6.5"s at the front of the car to help balance out the bass and make it feel more like its coming from the front of the car instead of the back where my HE resides.

Is that right?

So, will i want one slot for both speakers then, and just direct it right at the firewall? Is there a certain cubic feet of volume i want for the box?


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

well, i have a few 2-channel amps that i have lying around that i might try, would that work? I'd bridge them so i'm not getting one midbass playing alone, wasting power by indirectly driving the other... 

would it be easy to build my own slot loaded enclosure? if it's going to be sitting in the front of my car for the world to see i'd at least like it to be easy on the eyes... i want to make an enclosure that fits over the center hump right under my dash with the mids facing forward, but have plexiglass over the speakers so they wouldn't be playing right at me, kind of like a bandpass. would that work? am i even close?


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Ok, so i've decided to add some pics to make this discussion go along a bit smoother (which isn't saying much). 

Here are two pics of the area of topic. Front and center of the car, under the dash/HU area. its wasted space and i'd like to change that. 

















This last one is of the two speakers of discussion sitting in the area that i would like them to. how they are put there is still up for discussion.


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## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

Bayboy said:


> Your welcome..... yet don't get so hung up on going 3-way. SQ wise there is no absolute advantage of 3-way over 2-way other than higher power handling. Given the broad range of drivers on the market a very good 2 way is very attainable and far less headache to install & tune.
> 
> My choice for opting for a 3 way is because the mid woofer is very off-axis on the driver's side door. Detail is suffering greatly. By utilizing a mid/extended range in the kicks I can get the path length differences much closer as well as be more on-axis. This will help greatly with imaging & staging in "my" vehicle. Notice I emphasized "my". Depending on the car/install this may not be necessary and in fact overkill.
> 
> If you don't have that sort of problem I say find a good quality 2 way component set, install it well, feed it with a good amount of clean power, and enjoy. Keeping things simple as possible is often the better option.



x2.... I 100% agree with your opinion.... a lot of times less is more


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Honestly if you are going to think about a ported enclosure up front with the space under the dash I wouldn't use the RF's. My reasoning is "car audio" drivers are generally meant to play IB and putting them in an enclosure would probably be a bigger one than desired. Have you spec'd them? There are plenty inexpensive drivers on the DIY market that should be able to do what you want in that space. I would think something with a lower Qts & Vas would be more suitable.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

ok, what drivers would you suggest then? and would you still put them in that location?


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

psburtis said:


> ok, what drivers would you suggest then? and would you still put them in that location?


That's a good question as it is a unique idea. The main thing is obviously it's going to be reinforcement for the smaller drivers up front. What boggles me is why have 2 drivers located in the same spot when any stereo effect or fundamental impact will be mostly attributed from the comps? One strong midwoofer should suffice if that's the case, but I respect Cajunner's reasoning for using what you already have. I mean I could very well be wrong.

Personally if I was going to try that I would opt for something that will definitely be beefier than the RF's which certainly are made for door mounts. Perhaps a low-medium power 6.5" - 8" micro enclosure sub that could placed in a downfire box and tuned with a slightly higher sealed Q for good impact & better mid bass definition. It could also double as a center console/cup holder to make it stealth. Downfiring should help muffle any unwanted upper frequencies as they will be absorbed by the carpet. A high pass setting around the sub's low pass can keep it out of the range of the sub or help it blend depending on how you want the subs tuned. 

Either way, any of the recommendations given should be greatly weighed in design as you don't want it to cause any phase issues with the sub that will make it difficult to implement. It should be a relatively easy project.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

it is true that i wouldn't want to cause any phase issues, as what i have set up at the moment doesn't sound too bad, but i'm mainly trying to even the bass out, because most of it is coming from my HE which is in the trunk. I'm looking into a pair of used 6" JL Audio subs that are being sold locally, but the seller hasn't contacted me back about them yet. If i were to obtain those, I would custom mount my RF comps into my doors and have the two 6" JL's up front, in whatever configuration we end up deciding on.

as for the "doubling as a center console/cup holder", that is exactly what i want to do. whether they are stealth or not doesn't matter to me, but no one ever sits in the middle of the front bench in my car and i have wanted to build a center console for it for a while, i just need to figure out what i'm going to put in it as far as audio goes.

and hopefully it actually IS an easy/fun project, especially for someone as novice in this area as myself.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Here's what you do.... You are going to build this right? Meaning you have access to tools and materials utilizing your own labor? Simple.... be like a pair of Nikes and just do it!! 

You pick a woofer based on these simple criteria: Box type, box size, bandwidth, available power @ ohm load. 

The same rule applies as in building a sub, just think in a different octave (up one or two). Don't worry so much about it's rolloff as most small drivers in a small enclosure will be around 70-100hz anyway. Perfect for mating to a sub. Estimate just how much room you are willing to give up comfortably. Find a driver suitable to that room minus the materials to build it (wood/ports, driver displacement, cup holders, etc).

Don't get hung up on using 4 ohm drivers.... 8 ohms will work just as good since sensitivity for similar rated driver in 4 ohm will require twice the power for the same output. That's another read...

Design the box shape around the space you are using and driver, then sketch and build... You can get away with 1/2" mdf if needed or even glass if you have some experience. Don't perfect it cosmetically (carpet, paint, vinyl, etc) until you're sure you are happy with the results. Keeping the material costs down will help if you have a design oops and quickly putting a small box together is easy. You can use some capped off (bottom) pvc pipe for quick and functioning cup holders. 


Hope this helps, but don't be afraid to use some creativity mixed with simplicity. Over-analyzing will cause procrastination and mistakes just as well. JUST DO IT!!


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

me building the console = the plan. or, at least designing it and being a part of the build in case fiberglass is needed. As far as everything else goes, I hope to do the majority of it myself. 

as for that last post, awesome motivator! looking back, over analyzing and too many different ideas are the main culprits in the reason it has taken this long to build it. I pretty much forgot that there are so many types of drivers that i can build the console then get a driver to match it instead of the other way around.

thanks bayboy. i'm going to start the designing as soon as i can find a bucket seat that matches the interior color of my car. the idea is to get a bucket seat first, then see how much room i have when the center bench is gone.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

"i'm going to start the designing as soon as i can find a bucket seat that matches the interior color of my car. the idea is to get a bucket seat first, then see how much room i have when the center bench is gone."


Now that's the best way to start! While you're at it peruse through some drivers you would consider and check out their response and required box specs. This should give you a heads up on what you will be dealing with.

Good luck and keep us posted with some pics!


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

when you say "peruse through some drivers you would consider and check out their response and required box specs. This should give you a heads up on what you will be dealing with," that basically means i'm going to be looking at every driver, of every brand, in the sizes between 6"-8".... which is a TON of drivers.. haha. 

could you point me in a good general direction? a "good general direction" would be the most cost effective drivers, as well as some drivers that have some style, because there is a possibility that they will be displayed behind some plexiglass... 

Any help, from anyone, is greatly appreciated! and as soon as i start designing, I'll be posting pics of my designs to get some feedback from you guys. hopefully i'll talk to you soon!


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

What power range are you going to throw at the console?


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

bayboy: not sure yet. i would like to use what i have for amps, but will buy new/new-to-me if the price is right

cajunner: the bucket seat idea isn't something that has just come up, it's been a plan of mine for a while now. as far as using the RF's go, i'm open to options. i'd like to use what i have, and using them sounds like a good idea. i'd like to mount them in some way that will allow people to see them for style, but i ultimately want them to do their job. if there is a way for this to happen then by all means let me know. if not, I'll just go with the original idea of having them down-fire into the floor.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

cajunner said:


> it would be really cool if you could do an actual tapped horn, using a plexi top to show off the cones with some soft led lighting..
> 
> you've actually got me thinking about trying this idea out myself!
> 
> ...


haha, now THAT'S what i'm talking about! as you can see, the cones have a slight chrome-like appearance on them, so I'd like to use some blue LED lighting (my HU lights are mostly blue and my car is blue, kinda want to go with the flow here) to accent them under a plexi top. i am going to take measurements sometime in the next few days, probably Friday cuz i have the entire day off, then get to planning it out. do you think i'd need to make an actual bottom for the box, or would the floor work well enough? and what would you suggest for the cubes? i can't find any specs because these are meant to be door mounted, but is there a "cookie cutter" box size for two 6.5" drivers for slot mounting?

as for the "rumps," well, I don't think they are pretty enough to be mooning anyone, so i'm gonna try to get the cones facing up. shouldn't be too hard.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

cajunner said:


> go as big as what is comfortable, it won't do you any good if you have to remove the box because it interferes with your driving or keeps you from being able to move the seats forward a bit.
> 
> 
> really, I'd be happy with .4 cubes for both woofers if you can get it, just make a nice, long and shallow enclosure that is sealed on at least one side of the cones.
> ...


I'll do some measurements this week and let you guys know how it feels. i picked up a few cardboard boxes from work that should at least give me a skeleton feel of how it's gonna look and work in my car. i'm pretty excited to get this project going!

as for the cones facing up, I'll figure something out. and does anyone have any ideas where to find some blue LED's on the cheap? and how to make them "softer"? i have a few ideas, but i want to see if there is any proven way that works really well.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Ok, so some new things have cropped up since I last posted. Today I purchased two 8" RF Punch HE's. They are used, but in pretty good condition. I bought them because they match my 15" RF and these subs are really hard to come by these days. I know they're old, but when I saw them I just had to have them. And, at $45 they weren't too bad of a deal either. They are 8 Ohm, 200W RMS subs. 

As for where they go, that's still up in the air. I have narrowed it down to 3 options, but any other cool ideas would be welcome.

Option 1: I would _lke_ to use them for the center console. Would I still do the slot load or would these be too powerful to slot load? 

Since they are bigger than the 6.5" drivers I was planning on putting in there, I've decided on 2 different placements that I like. either both flat like this,









or, with one sort of facing at a 45 degree angle and the other one flat, like this,









There isn't 8 inches between the seats and I don't want to crowd the seats too much, so these are the only ways I see them going if I were to put them in my center console. Any other variations of this idea are welcome. 

Option 2: put them in my trunk on either side of my 15". I'm planning on fiberglassing a spare tire well box for my 15", and then putting these on either side between the wheel wells and the taillights. Again, any other variations of this idea would be welcome.

Option 3: replace my 6x9's on my rear deck with these and find some way to display them to make them look good. I'm shooting for SQ, but am still a sucker for having something look nice. Not sure if there are any variations for this one, but they would be welcome.

I'm still going to build a box for them, but I'm not sure of what size I should be looking at if it's a sealed enclosure (for the trunk or the rear deck) or the slot loaded (for the center console). 

Any opinions are still greatly appreciated. I'm going slowly with this because I want everything right. Right now my biggest question is this: if I DID put them in the trunk, would they still make a difference with my 15" back there. I don't pound the 15" hard (often) but I still want these little guys to make a difference, and I still want to use them for midbass.

Also, how will they work on a 4 ohm amp? I'm not sure how Ohms work, to be completely honest, and don't want to damage anything... Thanks!


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Midbass never in the center... Midbass freqs are not mono. 

That's all I have to say. 

Kelvin


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## Alchemy12s (Jun 1, 2011)

I would properly deaden your doors and throw your 6.5's in there and see what you got. You should notice a pretty large difference come'n from 5.25's without deadening. From what i can tell your try'n to solve a problem your not even sure you have yet.

Im not nearly qualified enough to say what mounting those he8's where you have pictured will do to your sound stage but...

If your bent on use'n those 8's..

Wild crazy idea might be to see if you can fit them under your seats? . The seat padding's might soak up to much to make it work very well for even the lower end of the mid bass range but your wife/GF/random women on the street might want to take more rides with you:surprised:


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Alchemy12s said:


> Wild crazy idea might be to see if you can fit them under your seats? The seat padding's might soak up to much to make it work very well for even the lower end of the mid bass range but your wife/GF/random women on the street might want to take more rides with you:surprised:


wow... i REALLY like the way you think. BUT, i have power front seats, so there isn't nearly enough room under there to put the 8s. If i wanted to put the 6.5"s in the doors, i'd have to figure out a different way to mount them. the factory holes for the 5.25" and the tweet are too close to get a good fit for the 6.5" components, so i'd have to look into fab'ing something to properly fit them. I'm ok with that, but i want to figure out a plan of attack before wasting time with ideas that i'm not going to do...


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## nick650 (Feb 7, 2011)

Went from 6.5 to a 7" HAT L6 and the mid bass is blowing me away! Does 45Hz with no issues and have yet to see what it does any lower. I have it crossed at 50Hz with a 24Db slope. If you need more mid bass then that, then your trying to avoid a sub lol. Does 50Hz around 83Db.


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## Alchemy12s (Jun 1, 2011)

psburtis said:


> wow... i REALLY like the way you think. BUT, i have power front seats, so there isn't nearly enough room under there to put the 8s. If i wanted to put the 6.5"s in the doors, i'd have to figure out a different way to mount them. the factory holes for the 5.25" and the tweet are too close to get a good fit for the 6.5" components, so i'd have to look into fab'ing something to properly fit them. I'm ok with that, but i want to figure out a plan of attack before wasting time with ideas that i'm not going to do...


ah, i thought mounting the 6.5's in the doors was always the plan you had in mind.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

Alchemy12s said:


> ah, i thought mounting the 6.5's in the doors was always the plan you had in mind.


actually, it was. the only reason i even got the 6.5"s was to replace the door components i have now. the only reason i was having second thoughts was that after i put the RF's speaker grille on the door for a size comparison, it was a bit bigger than i had thought it was gonna be and wouldn't fit nearly as well as i had planned. plus, i was told that the pioneer components should do well where they were. that's when i considered using them for midbass in the center console...


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

yeah, i agree. they did look a bit too big to fit in the console... well, i'll keep playing with ideas and keep you guys updated.


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## Gary S (Dec 11, 2007)

I would start out with the new comp set in sealed enclosures in the kicks and see how it sounds... you should get a noticeable increase in midbass from the bigger drivers, and the more equal path lengths.

I don't like the midbass drivers in the center... that's going to be mono.... stereo midbass is better.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

I tried mono midbass once and much in agreement with Cajunner, there was not much cons to it. Of course they were crossed low (80-240hz) with a 4 inch summing up the mids. Only on certain songs where you knew certain drums should pan a little you could tell, but at the same time it was more like reverb at a live concert sitting in the middle. I wouldn't worry so much about being mono unless they extend upwards a bit or are not tuned to blend well. The mids & highs will give more clues to the stereo effect than the midbass can make a difference.


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

cajunner and Bayboy: thanks, that is one of the main things i've been trying to figure out for quite a while. On that note, i've made a decision on where the 8"s, 6.5"s, and 5.25"s are going to go. Are you ready for this?

After I took the door panel off yesterday, removed the speakers, and put it back on, I realized i have a TON of room behind the factory door panel, something like 5.5"s depth and a good sized area as well. I've decided (if you guys think it's a good idea that is) to put the 8"s and 5.25"s in the door, the tweeter on the A pillar, and keeping the center console with the 6.5"s idea. That way, the midbass will be there in abundance with the 8"s and 6.5"s, but it will also have a stereo effect because the 8"s will be in the doors. 

What do you guys think?

My question now is this: should i make a box for the 8"s or would the work free air? I'm pretty sure I'm going to be making boxes for them because i haven't seen anywhere that they are ok for free-air applications, but i wanted to run it by you guys first... 

Secondly, what is the best thread for me to look at? I've seen a few threads on here from guys who install 8" drivers in their doors, but in your opinion, what is the best way to do it?


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## psburtis (Jul 7, 2010)

if the doors aren't a good place to put 8" drivers then why have i seen threads about it? 

I want to display the 8"s so that people can see them, so how would i go about doing that while also improving the SQ in my car? if not improving it then at least not hurting it?


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

psburtis said:


> cajunner and Bayboy: thanks, that is one of the main things i've been trying to figure out for quite a while. On that note, i've made a decision on where the 8"s, 6.5"s, and 5.25"s are going to go. Are you ready for this?
> 
> After I took the door panel off yesterday, removed the speakers, and put it back on, I realized i have a TON of room behind the factory door panel, something like 5.5"s depth and a good sized area as well. I've decided (if you guys think it's a good idea that is) to put the 8"s and 5.25"s in the door, the tweeter on the A pillar, *and keeping the center console with the 6.5"s idea*. That way, the midbass will be there in abundance with the 8"s and 6.5"s, but it will also have a stereo effect because the 8"s will be in the doors.
> 
> ...


As said earlier, not really a good idea. Even with the 8s in the doors. 
Even if there isn't much stereo effects below 125Hz-160Hz, it's still gonna narrow the soundstage. 

Kelvin


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