# Speaker direction



## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

I want to share with members some experiments I have done to be able to change the direction of my TG9 midrange on the dash. I switched from passive to active setup and I have realised more than ever that the orientation of the speakers is so important. It was my first install.










Please dont laugh too much when you will read my thread. I,m a french speaking person and I will probably write some tricky words that you never seen before.

Here is prototype #1






































And here is how it works





































I am in the right way but it is too big. 

More to come....


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

keep the pictures coming, i would love an explanation on how it works


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## ///Audience (Jan 31, 2007)

intriguing....


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

This could turn out to be a VERY interesting thread. Please do keep it coming. Also, what kind of vehicle is this in?

Zach


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## twista17 (Jun 5, 2007)

great post and i can't wait to see more pictures


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

It's a Yaris hatchback 2007. And here my setup

HU: Eclipse CD-7000 5V Dac 24bit
Tweeter: Seas serie 27 
Midrange: Peerless V-line TG-9
Midbass: Seas CA18RNX
Sub: ED 11Ov.2
Ampli tweeter et midrange: Soundstream Van Gogh 320.4
Ampli midbass et sub: Orion 8004

I bought an Alpine W200 and H701 this week from jddavid123 (w200) and toolfan91(h701). It's my Christmas gifts.


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Nice X-mas gifts to yourself! I wouldn't mind presents like those.


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## caohyde (Sep 27, 2005)

johnny,

you mentioned you car is a yaris, are the dash kits available for this car already? 

more pictures please.  

thanks!


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

Here come Prototype #2.

Because I have to make a spherical and articulate support for the speaker I decided to use fiberglass instead of MDF.

To be able to insert a TG9 in the opening I need 3 ". What is better than a softball. to get my 3" i had to take out the leather enlevope. So I start from there for my mold.










I need 2 parts for my swivel mechanism: male and female

Let's go for the male fisrt (for 1 time). I made two half ball with FG and cut the upper part










Now the female part.
I made a mold, place the male part + a MDF ring in and pour a mix of 50% resin + 50% fiberglass putty in the mold




























Here are the 2 parts that fit perferct one in the other.










And I can turn the male part in any direction.



















But how can i fix it?


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

caohide: do you refer to the first pic in this thread? Yes I still have it.


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

Ok i did not have any pics of the pivot that hold the 2 parts together. I took some tonight. It's a simple pin glue in both part and locate right in the midle of both.




























But after doing that I went at Solen (who is near my home) and a guy there suggest me to put the TG9 in a sealed enclosure for max efficiency. Because I dont tune them in the bass frequencies he says about a liter (.04 cu.in.) would be ok.

So this Prototype #2 is good for dome midrange but not my TG9. 






































I had to work on an other prototype. A sealed one this time.


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## caohyde (Sep 27, 2005)

daym, nice work. you can make light receptacles out of these too. 

yeah, i think i was talking about the lower portion of the first pict. iirc, you have to make a new center console trim for the '07 yarris, since it's one of those that integrates the audio and climate controls. 

cheers!


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## DonovanM (Nov 1, 2006)

Great looking rig you have there. Would it be practical to use some sort of velcro on both sides of the bowl edge (towards the driver) with some kind of thin, like 1/8th inch closed cell foam around the bowl towards the driver to seal it up?


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## Daniel4802 (Mar 1, 2007)

I had a similar idea a while back and ran into the same problem to make a sealed box for the TG9s I want to install in my new car. I'm not sure exactly how well it will work in terms of sealing off the sides where the rotation and tilt will occur, but it would be an experiment:

Buy a few thick swathes of interior leather and cut out a few with the OD measurement of your outer ring. Glue then staple that area to the OD. Using a marker, mark the ID of the inner ring. Considering you'll need it relaxed enough to compensate for when it tilts and rotates, cut a very small hole in the center for starters. 

Now take one side first, press down with your fingers, and glide away from the center so that the material curls upward. Make another small circular cut approximately the circumference necessary. As a test, rotate and tilt your ring to make sure you've left enough material so that its not too tight, but just right. Once you found the ideal measurement, make the final cut if needed. Glue and staple over the inner ring. That should seal off the gaps.

After that, you can install the TG9 and add a grill.


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

Prototype #3.

This time I need a sealed one.

I went shopping with my wife in a decoration center and I saw that. Eureka!










I cut it in half and start to mold by the inside to be shure that the surface would be soft and shinny (no sand paper).

I joined the to pieces to have my sphere.





























After that i need to mold the part in witch the sphere will be rotate




























I decide to cut the rings in a hardwood piece instead of MDF










I fixed a bolt in the sphere. I grooved a 3/16" line in the receptacle and passed thru with the bolt. To be shure that i have the good pression on both side I used locknut at the good distance. If there is not enough pression the sphere turn in any direction.

The bolt in the shpere is the pivot that permit to the sphere to turn 360 degrees. The slot permit to rotate in the other direction.





































I can assure you that it works well.

the last step will be to integrate that in the pillar with the tweeter.


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## ///Audience (Jan 31, 2007)

thats the nicest spherical enclosure ive seen!!!


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## flakko (Mar 11, 2006)

HAHA! thats AWESOME! shopping with the wife DOES have its advantages 

edit: now im wondering, does it stay still?


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

That is very cool, but I would like to ask "why?" Why do you need to move your speakers so much, is it the effort of tuneing? I mean once you have it set, you won't move it again will you? 

I remember years ago in a Car Audio magizene, someone had there tweeters on a power mirror pivioting set up, so the tweeters could be moved "on the fly" 

But why?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I see a smoke and a Pepsi, now if I would have spotted a Beam bottle then I would have claimed you as family 

Nice work!!!!


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

chad said:


> I see a smoke and a Pepsi, now if I would have spotted a Beam bottle then I would have claimed you as family
> 
> Nice work!!!!












chad: You are my son now!

Aaron: You asked Why? I am not a pro in audio world. When I install speakers in my car I spend a lot of time to test the best position. After that it is the fiberglass job: a lot of time too. I am not always sure that it is the best angle. Often, in the past, a friend of mine listen to my setup and said: perhaps it would be better if the angle of your mid/tweeter would be more like that, or less like that. No way to test it! The doubt was always there.

Now I can. And it is a big + for me. It help me to ''educate'' my ears by seeing(earing) the sound difference.


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## ODR7188 (Jun 14, 2007)

Great thread & nice conception...keep the photos coming & update us on the installation..cheers


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Nice concept. I plan on doing this in my A pillars. I want to build the pillar build outs and be able to optimally aim any tweeter I install.


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> That is very cool, but I would like to ask "why?" Why do you need to move your speakers so much, is it the effort of tuneing? I mean once you have it set, you won't move it again will you?
> 
> I remember years ago in a Car Audio magizene, someone had there tweeters on a power mirror pivioting set up, so the tweeters could be moved "on the fly"
> 
> But why?


Why you ask?

Scott Buwalda did this with the kick mounted MB Quart 6.5" woofers in his 240 SX to compensate for different height in various judges.

Why do you think it has no merits? If you need to change a tweeter, you now have an easy and engineered method of aiming. 

I plan on changing tweeters when the mood strikes so something like this is an *absolute necesity*.


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

Now i have to integrate that in the pilar. The problem is that the tweeter are already in the pilar. So, i have to redo all.

I am starting from there;










I first remove the tweeter ring and cut in the pilar to place the TG9. The base on witch the sphere is fixed is a slice of ABS tubing. I relocate the tweeter and start fiberglass.
































































That's it. The job is done.











And now installed in the Yaris










That's the end of this project. 3 prototypes and lots of hours of fun.

I'm realy a weird man


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

So is this the aiming procedure?:

1)Unscrew speaker

2) change angle

3)reinstall speaker

4) repeat until satisafactory

5)Secure eyeball mount

6) reinstall speaker


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

Absolutly not. You only have to turn it like you want. It is swivel. No tool at all.

Same thing for the tweeter.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

johnny52 said:


> chad: You are my son now!


Very Niiicceeee! Where did you get that? What's it's vintage?

I'll have one in your honor tonight!


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

johnny52 said:


> Absolutly not. You only have to turn it like you want. It is swivel. No tool at all.
> 
> Same thing for the tweeter.


So you tighten the bolt just enough that it holds it's position every time you re-position the speaker?


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## DonutHands (Jan 27, 2006)

very nice, so does it move in both directions or just one axis?


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

The first time I installed the sphere I fixed it with a lock nut. I put just enough pression with the rachet. So the sphere stay well in place but I am able to turn it in any direction too without tools. Not only on axis.

Can we post video on the thread?


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

johnny52 said:


> The first time I installed the sphere I fixed it with a lock nut. I put just enough pressure of the ratchet. So the sphere stay well in place but I am able to turn it in any direction too without tools. Not only on axis.
> 
> Can we post video on the thread?


You better post a video. 

Just link to Photobucket or a similar photo dumping service.


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

What happened to this extinghisher?


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## schm (Dec 15, 2007)

lol i want to know to.


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

This week I was working in my workshop in the basement and I had a ''flash'' looking at this old extinguisher. I have cut it in two parts. One part did not have a bottom. So I have molded one. 

An other enclosure for my TG9. Omnidirectional too. 








































The mechanism to turn it in every direction is a special one. It's a ratchet swivel adaptor. $8.00 at Canadian Tire.












Where can I put those one in my car?


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## Rbsarve (Aug 26, 2005)

Totally missed this tread! And what a gem I have missed! Cool!

The extinguiser ones would go nicely in the reat of the HT as surrounds!


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## twista17 (Jun 5, 2007)

this thread is just absolutely amazing! johnny52's creativity with these common things (softball, vase, old fire extinguisher) are just off the bat. i'm subscribing to this post!

good luck man!


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Any progress?


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## tcguy85 (Oct 29, 2007)

this is some crazy interesting stuff here.


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## less (Nov 30, 2006)

You know, this is exactly the way my head was going about 6 months ago when seeking the best way to install my tweeter in my A-pillars. Had I any experience with fiberglass at all, I think we'd have been on different sides of the ocean working on the same concepts. Very nice work and creativity - after my own heart - but with much stronger commitment to getting the job done!

In the end, I ended up making my own "stalks" which allow me to swivel the tweeters along a single plane - and then just made sure I like the vertical plane well enough to live with it for a long time. The only bad news for me is that I am one of those guys who has to try everything... before settling on my Profis, I went through: 3 models of ADS drivers, Focal K2P's, ADS PX Concept tweeters, and before I committed to spending some serious dollars, Alpine R's and Infinity somethings. Since getting the Profi's, I've had to try some decent ribbon tweeters - and in the coming years, I KNOW I will have to try: Morel Supremo's, Scans and Hiquphon tweeters before I finally feel sure I've found the best sound for me.... (fussy about tweeters moreso than other drivers for some reason)

Thanks forthe great post - I'll keep an eye on this one too!

Merry Christmas to everyone or happy whatever you celibrate... and if you don't celibrate, I highly recommend you make up some reason to do so!

Less


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## Fixtion (Aug 25, 2006)

are you an industrial designer by any chance? haha

your talents could be used.

sign up on the website *www.designboom.com* and try your luck at various competitions.

awesome overall concept and installation btw.

only dislike is the size and aesthetics. very minor.

*-fixtion*


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## cheesehead (Mar 20, 2007)

It's funny I stumbled a crossed this thread. I have been contemplating how to mount my speakers while being able to make fine adjustments when necessary. Awesome information! This site ROCKS!


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

So did you bail on the Mcguyver tweeter mounts?


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## johnny52 (Sep 7, 2007)

GlasSman said:


> So did you bail on the Mcguyver tweeter mounts?


Of course


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