# Audio Integrations rear seat rack project thread in WRX



## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

The first step in my project. My best amp finally arrived. McIntosh MC427. Here are some pics. Spec is 100Wrms x 2 to run my front stage. This amp is pretty much MINT and I got it for $325 on ebay. Most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on, I may just hang it on my wall instead. I had a MC440 in 2003, but it wasn't close to this condition. 





































The amp rack might arrive today, and I should have more pics by tonight.


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## ma61 (Mar 5, 2008)

Nice amp!


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

All my other stuff came in, didnt even have time to open it:

Audio Integrations amp rack
Older-school Alpine 600Wrms sub amp
CDT Classic components with upgraded tweet
10 ft 8 gauge wire, blue and clear to match my 4 gauge
stinger dual distribution block

Tomorrow.. I lay out the 2 amps on the rack and drill 8 main mounting holes. Then I start tracking down the hard parts. Theft preventative bolts of some kind. And 1/2" spacers for the bolts to raise the amp off the rack. The wires will go behind it as mentioned earlier.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Too tired to type.. but here are the pics for the night.


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## piston (Apr 7, 2007)

Wow, that is a nice peice, where could I order one of those if I needed to?

Jason


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

piston said:


> Wow, that is a nice peice, where could I order one of those if I needed to?
> 
> Jason


Audio Integrations. But its only for the WRX.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Picked up all the special nuts and bolts I needed. I wont give away all my security bolt secrets, otherwise what is the point?

I finished drilling all my holes in the rack. The 8 tiny holes are the amp mounting holes. The 3/4" holes are for the wires and will be behind the amps. I have a choice of 1/2" spacers or 3/4" spacers once I see how the wires look.

This was my first time touching fiberglass. It has a funny smell. Reminded me of when my parents built a 30 ft. catamaran in our backyard in Ireland. I now know it must have had fiberglass portions.


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

What's holding that gray trim piece on the front? Are those magnetic door catches?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

not magnetic. adjustable latches. You can adjust the tension. Then you snap the cover on, like a male into a female unit.


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

slick, if they were magnetic i was gonna say it was a little ghetto. that's a nice rack, although it could be built for a lot less than they sell it for


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## tr0y_audi0 (Feb 13, 2007)

kool, kepp the pix comming..
should look super sweet..


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

One small comment, im a fan of matching amps. Both aesthetically and sonically (if you believe in that of course)  Other than that, keep us posted.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

azngotskills said:


> One small comment, im a fan of matching amps. Both aesthetically and sonically (if you believe in that of course)  Other than that, keep us posted.


i was too. i wanted a mcintosh sub amp. but its too rare, and too expensive. so i went with an older school alpine, which came after the real sleek MRD-M500 series. I would have preferred that series, but they are also hard to come by.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

I have no idea where I will install my tweets. I didnt want to cut the car up, but i could if i have to. Some people say the stock WRX location isnt very good. My A pillars look too small for those CDT tweets and i dont want to be advertising them anyway. But a lot of people put tweets in the kick panels? I thought that defeats the whole purpose of having a high stage, and your legs block them too?


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## illnastyimpreza (Oct 25, 2006)

more pics please...

Gota love the Scooby projects !


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Got the amps mounted tonight. They look a lot better in person. The gloss black is flawless in person, but the flash shows imperfections. My only worry is whether I will have room to fish the speaker wire and RCA's thru from under the amps. The amps are all on 1/2" spacers.


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## customtronic (Jul 7, 2007)

Very slick looking amp rack. Obcon used to make something like that back in the 90's. Man, that was some cool stuff. Install is looking good. Keep the pics coming.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Got the amp rack done and the rear seats are back in. 

Tip: Use a larger spacer than 1/2" behind your amps. I had everything installed and had to loosen the amp bolts to get the RCA pulled thru under it. 3/4" spacers would have been PERFECT. 

This is by far the sweetest cleanest system I have ever had, and its all because of Audio Integrations amp rack. Without it, I would have had another sloppy install.

I tested one CDT woofer on a McIntosh channel and it worked. I turned the McIntosh gains all the way down, which is marked as "2V". Since I have 4V, I guess I should keep it minimum once the speakers are installed? The next phase is to install the CDTs in my doors tomorrow. Then I had that sub wire you can see for my JL 10W6v2. Just waiting for my Audio Integrations sub box to finish it all off..


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## Fran82 (Jul 30, 2007)

The rack comes with all the bracketry? Also noticed that the amps have fan cooling, but have you made a way for them to get cool air in there? Maybe another larger hole under each amp.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Fran82 said:


> The rack comes with all the bracketry? Also noticed that the amps have fan cooling, but have you made a way for them to get cool air in there? Maybe another larger hole under each amp.


yes the rack comes with bracketry. the amps are on 1/2" spacers, not that it would effect air flow. Since 95% of everyone mounts amps on their bottoms there wouldn't be an intake or exhaust there.


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

placenta said:


> i was too. i wanted a mcintosh sub amp. but its too rare, and too expensive. so i went with an older school alpine, which came after the real sleek MRD-M500 series. I would have preferred that series, but they are also hard to come by.


Well just a keep a look out for a MINT powerful 2 channel McIntosh amp and bridge it for the sub.

I too am a fan of cosmetic symmetry.....never mind 2 different brand amp!


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Ah I'm starting to get burnt out. I just want to enjoy what I got for a while before worrying about new stuff. I just want to listen to it for a few weeks and enjoy it. 

That amp rack might block most of my sub sound.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Fran82 said:


> The rack comes with all the bracketry? Also noticed that the amps have fan cooling, but have you made a way for them to get cool air in there? Maybe another larger hole under each amp.


PS, the black brackets are stock on WRX. The rack came with the aluminum brackets only.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Got my speakers installed. Stayed up 5 hours after work to get it done. Got the tweets in a perfect location. I'll have pics later. 

But I have a problem...

My left door has a weird problem. A rough staticy fuzzy sound. Hear plenty of music, but its not as clean as the other side at ALL. My first and best outcome might be a bad RCA. (I had some weird RCA results when I got them too..) The next worse could be a bad speaker? And the worst of all, a bad channel on the McIntosh. None seem likely, so I will try the RCA first. I was getting confused on how to see if its that one side of the RCA. Could I just switch the RCAs at the amp only? Or would I have to switch the RCAs at the deck also? I'm too tired to think it out, hopefully someone has some hints tomorrow.


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## Fran82 (Jul 30, 2007)

placenta said:


> Could I just switch the RCAs at the amp only? Or would I have to switch the RCAs at the deck also? I'm too tired to think it out, hopefully someone has some hints tomorrow.


Ya, start with just switching the RCAs at the amp. Swap left and right. That won't tell you it is definitely the RCAs, but it is a start. If the static moves to the right side then there is a problem with the signal that is being input to the amp through that RCA. Then you need to test a little further to determine if it is the RCA (likely) or the deck (less likely). If the noise doesn't move, then you're looking at amp channel, speaker, or speaker wire/connection. Or crossover, if you're passive.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

I am 99% sure the McIntosh amp is faulty.

I tested a few ways:

RCA test:
Put in brand new RCAs for my front, same exact noise.
It's not the RCA.

Speaker test:
Swapped CDT woofer door to door, still had noise in same door.
Even bypassed that doors crossover and put direct input into the speaker, same noise.
Its not the speakers or the passive crossover box.

Deck test:
Moved my RCAs from front to rear output. Same noise on rear output.
It's not the deck.

Its the dream amp I got. I almost cried like a baby. I give up now. At least I only paid $325 for it. It is loud static on one channel when you run it at 20-25 Alpine volume. It seems the mostly likely also, because every other piece was bought brand new. Now I've ruined my amp rack with holes for an amp that doesnt work. I might go back to coaxials and just run that sub amp. There are no other amps I want right now in that same footprint, and definietly not an Alpine PDX. I'm very sad.


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## dogstar (Jan 31, 2007)

Why not get the amp repaired?
Sure, it'll cost a few bucks, but life is like that sometimes.

Nice looking amp rack, and a nice tidy install though, good job so far. Just gotta make it through the home stretch.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

i just dont care about the mcintosh anymore. I'll sell it to someone who will probably fix it for $1 in parts.. If I wasnt sure it was broke I'd keep it. But as my tests show, I really tried EVERYTHING before deciding it was the amp. I spent 4 hours this morning troublehsooting.


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## dogstar (Jan 31, 2007)

So your going to take a massive loss on it, and now in your words, your amp rack is ruined. But having the amp repaired is out of the question?

Alrighty then, to each his own.


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

have you tried to contact the eBay seller?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Tomorrows a new day. For today im not in the mood to do much of anything.

I got the McIntosh out now. I hear something rattling in it. Sounds like a piece of plastic maybe, doesnt sound like metal.

I told the ebay seller. My first instinct is to accuse, but i didnt accuse him of anything. I just told him my experience.

I am going to slim it down for a while. I will be trying my normal inside deck power with the amped sub. Then after I hear that a while I can decide if I want to go back to front components later.


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## Daishi (Apr 18, 2006)

DaveRulz said:


> slick, if they were magnetic i was gonna say it was a little ghetto. that's a nice rack, although it could be built for a lot less than they sell it for


Not really. They're all hand laid fiberglass and they actually fit right off the bat. I am very close with those guys and know what they pay for the manufacturing on them vs. what they sell and it's not as cheap as some people would think. Sure you could do it cheaper yourself if you have all the stuff, but it would run you around $200 just for materials and safety gear if you don't already have it.

Plus if it was made in a shop they'd probably charge you $500 for it 

Anyways, don't want to take placenta's thread OT too much


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## Daishi (Apr 18, 2006)

dogstar said:


> So your going to take a massive loss on it, and now in your words, your amp rack is ruined. But having the amp repaired is out of the question?
> 
> Alrighty then, to each his own.


He's kinda like this on anything that goes a little off. Not knocking him, but he's like this on this forum and the Subaru forum with both frequent...just his personality.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

I was like this years ago on EliteCarAudio also.

Ps, I have pics of my CDT component install on my desktop. But I'm at work and need paintshop or photoshop to prepare them. My tweets are near the kick, but not a hole was drilled anywhere. I have infinite aimability and can turn the tweets anywhere I want.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

anyway... here is the work I did on my CDT speaker install. Stayed up until 2am last night just to hear them..

This is the strapping I used for my tweeter install:










This is a CDT CL60? mid mounted in my door. I had to enlarge my cutout just a tiny bit, these are big. But depth was not an issue, these are shallower than Alpine Type-R coax. Still using the 3/4" custom HDPE spacer. Oh I had to drop my mounting bolts under the flush surface or the speaker would sit on them. I used a large drill bit to angle the 3 main bolt holes.










This is my tweet install on right side. Rather proud of the design, since I didnt have to cut anything. This is close to the kick panel, and the bracket is very strong. I can bend them any direction I want to play with all kinds of imaging.










Here is the screw I used to mount the bracket:










Here is the passive box which I 3M taped to the floor. It gets in a way a bit, but overall I don't mind the area:










This is my drivers side tweet. It is in basically the same place as the other one:










And finally, the bolt I used to attach the drivers side tweet bracket. One of the hood handle bolts:










As you know, my amp is broke, so I never even got to hear them..


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

I will work on this McIntosh amp in my spare time, but i think I will order a matching Alpine amp for my rack to just be done with it. and it will look better also. They only have a 75Wrms x 4 amp in that style. I'm not interested in active really, that is beyond my tuning capability or interest. But I'll think about it.. The extra set of RCA's would be a pain to fit also. Would going active be a waste on some cheap CDT speakers?


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## mitchyz250f (May 14, 2005)

Try posting your amp problem on dyaudio.com. They help people fix amps. They helped me fix my Orion 280GX and I don't know jack about electronics. They help lots of people. On of the most helpful guys is Perry Babin. He is the moderator of these two websites which most of us have heard of;

Basic Car Audio Amplifier Repair 
http://www.bcae1.com/repairbasicsforbcae1/repairbasics.htm

Basic Car Audio Electronics 
http://www.bcae1.com/

Super helpful guys. Very Polite also.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Well, I stepped away and thought about my plans a bit. I have too much invested to rip it all out now. Especially with my 4 hour front speaker install last night. I am going to go active. I am doing this because it is the best use for my matching amp I will order. This will also do away with the passive crossover boxes which get in my way under the carpet. I already ordered new JL RCA cables cuz I just can't trust these anymore with all these issues. I have a 17' 4 channel set and a 17' 2 channel set. I will have the RCA's and speaker wire laid out to the trunk before the new amp arrives. My only concern is blowing the CDT tweeter with 75Wrms. I know the Alpine 3 way outputs are a bit weird:

Front: mids
Rear: tweets
Sub: sub

That is opposite of what I would have thought, I guess thats how people blow their tweets if they dont research carefully.


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## Daishi (Apr 18, 2006)

Dude, if you get anywhere nears 75w on a tweeter and don't have your ears explode then you were already deaf. Just attenuate with your HU. I'm "running" over 100w to my tweets, but probably feeding them somewhere in the 10-15w range at most fully maxed volume.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Daishi said:


> Dude, if you get anywhere nears 75w on a tweeter and don't have your ears explode then you were already deaf. Just attenuate with your HU. I'm "running" over 100w to my tweets, but probably feeding them somewhere in the 10-15w range at most fully maxed volume.


yup, i was gonna start with a -3dB attenuation on my tweeter RCAs.


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## illnastyimpreza (Oct 25, 2006)

placenta said:


> ...



interesting placement of the tweeters... though a tad too gheto for my taste. did your kit not include the flush and surface mounting plastic brackets ?? I can swivel my CDT tweets up down and around a good 60 degrees.


placenta said:


> ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


better than sticking them in the door.  

I have found they actualy tuck up pretty nice up above where your feet go near the wirewall...easier to accesss.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

SO stoked so far.. The amp has not made a noise all day, so I'm going to close everything up for now. If it makes a noise again I'll play with the RCA input connection a bit to see if thats the issue.

On to my experience today:

The McIntosh MC427
The amp totally blew me away. It was far louder than I ever expected. The gains are probably half way (I know, way too high), and I can go to Alpine 9887 volume of 25 with crystal clarity. I took it to 30 with crystal clarity also. At 30, it is way too loud like a club, and has to be bad for my ears. I will probably trim down the gains next to get a bit more comfortable. 

_Crossover setting for front stage on Alpine deck: 80Hz HP with 18dB slope. All amp controls are disabled/off_

The CDT Classics with upgraded DW25 tweets
Mixed feelings about these, although I have done NO tuning yet. All EQ is OFF right now. The vocals, midrange is fantastic. They dont have huge bass, but thats why I'll be adding the 10W6 sub in a few days. They were plenty clean down to 80Hz with no rattles or distortion. The tweets are a different story, they don't sound good at all so far. First off, my aiming is terrible. Having the tweets aim at the opposite persons head is way too bright and harsh. (I have my passive crossovers set flat with no attenuation yet, I can go -3dB jumper later if I want to). I like the tweet location a lot if I can aim them somewhere to sound good. I was thinking of trying to aim them at each other next. 

Overall impression
I realize this will take tons of tuning to get it halfway decent. I will probably buy that IMPRINT kit soon enough. I already spent over $2000, so whats another couple hundred to have it tuned correctly automatically. I will be finding my IASCA CD deep in storage that Dingaling gave me 6 years ago. I need to start auditioning real sound quality to get a better idea of the system. I know its too early to say this, but now I'm thinking the CDT classic may not be enough speaker for that sweet McIntosh amp.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)




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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Getting ansy as I wait for my sub box to arrive, it ships ina day or two. So I took out my sub to admire it and study it closely.


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Your problem with the Mcamp sounds like it could be a loose RCA on the board or a dirty input pot with it being intermitent but also making sound.

It smells of a preamp problem. :blush: 

Do you have any electrical connection cleaner? Give that a shot.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

The CDT passive crossover boxes:



















These two pics show my passive crossovers moved from under my front floormats to the back of my amp rack. I used 3M tape again. The tape is so strong I had to use a screwdriver to pry them off the front floor.



















My wiring work. I soldered, then shrink wrapped with my heat gun, then double shink wrapped again:



















I soldered my crimp connections also. First I lightly crimped, then I soldered for backup:










always confused me.. I always figure the white stripe wire is GROUND. But the large spade here has the white striped wire. I also always assumed the large terminal is the POSITIVE. My speakers came with no paper at all so I have no way to make sure. 










And finally.. my new tweet locations. Its not a flawless install, but clean enough for now. The pillars are not flat so you can't get the tweet fully flat. But its barely noticable. I def did not want anything crazy like fiberglassed flush mount, although it would look killer. If I ever sell the car I'll just buy new A-pillars.



















The stereo sounds amazing now. It became more magical with this new tweet location, and more evenly distributed it seems. I also checked my clipping on my McIntosh amp using that easy power guard light. I found my exact clipping volume. 25. With my IASCA CD at volume 24, no clipping light. Then right at 25, using my deck remote control, the orange power guard light flickers just barely. Now I have to decide what to do about that. Either never use my deck up to volume 25, or turn the gains down a bit. I like to use 25 as my max deck volume.


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## Fran82 (Jul 30, 2007)

If you're going to buy new pillars when you sell it, why not go to town on those and fab up something custom? As for the settings, what is the highest volume number on that deck? I usually start setting my gains at 1 or 2 on the volume indicator, and make sure there is just the slightest sound coming out, then go from there.
BTW, hope you get that MAC figured out. It would be a waste just to let it go.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Fran82 said:


> If you're going to buy new pillars when you sell it, why not go to town on those and fab up something custom? As for the settings, what is the highest volume number on that deck? I usually start setting my gains at 1 or 2 on the volume indicator, and make sure there is just the slightest sound coming out, then go from there.
> BTW, hope you get that MAC figured out. It would be a waste just to let it go.


I just dont have the desire or patience to do any a pillar work. It looks good enough for me now, and sounds excellent. Only problem is the theft aspect, but flush mount would be visible also.

The Alpine 9887 I think goes to 50?? But the signal starts breaking up between 25-30 as I've heard. I suppose there isn't any advantage to lowering my gains just so i can go a tiny bit higher on my deck volume. Its all the same either way, right?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

I just ordered the Alpine Imprint setup kit, so I can use the 512 band EQ and microphone to automatically make the system almost perfect. Under $200 shipped.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Another problem I had which I didn't really mention.. I pinched my sub RCA earlier in my install. With the big heavy metal bracket on the seat. I pinched almost all the way thru the RCA when I tightened it down, it was caught under the bracket. I know because the second I turned on my stereo, I heard a loud buzz noise that scared the crap out of me. Immediately I removed the seat and knew I had pinched something. It took me a week, and I finally noticed the crushed sub RCA. So my JL RCAs arrive tomorrow, and I will replace all the RCA's just for piece of mind. I have a 4 channel RCA which I will use for everything.


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## Fran82 (Jul 30, 2007)

placenta said:


> I just dont have the desire or patience to do any a pillar work. It looks good enough for me now, and sounds excellent. Only problem is the theft aspect, but flush mount would be visible also.
> 
> The Alpine 9887 I think goes to 50?? But the signal starts breaking up between 25-30 as I've heard. I suppose there isn't any advantage to lowering my gains just so i can go a tiny bit higher on my deck volume. Its all the same either way, right?


No, it isn't all the same actually. The gain on the amp is to match the voltage output of the deck, it's not just a volume adjustment. If you have them misadjusted then you are raising the noise level in your system. If you can turn your Alpine volume down to around 1 or 2 and still hear music at an audible level than your gains are too high. Obviously there are electronics which will help you set the gains more accurately, but that is usually a decent baseline. Not trying to be a jerk, just trying to help you out with your system. That #25 might feel comfortable, but you will probably get a lot more volume and clarity if you adjust everything right. That amp could be going into clipping early. 
I've been away from audio for a few years, so someone may say otherwise, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Fran82 said:


> That amp could be going into clipping early.


so if it was, what would you change? Turn down the gains on the amp a bit? Thus allowing me to raise my deck power to maybe 30?

General update:

I have pretty much confirmed there is something going on with the amp. I didn't hear any static for a coupel days, but I heard some on this mornings drive for about 30 seconds. Like real obvious static, couldnt go past volume 15. I have to decide if this amp is worth sending off for a refurbish, or just sell it and try to get my money back. almost... If I could have any amp FREE in a perfect world, I would take the TRU TO3 4.150. I would even forgo my nice amp rack for that amp, since it wouldnt fit. I would rather have a TRU on a piece of carpeted MDF. But thats just what I dream about, I am not into spending that kind of money again.

Hello, old friend. I miss you so. I forget who bought my amp back in 2003/2004, but it was someone from EliteCarAudio for $750 shipped.  










So my options are get my current amp repaired, or buy a different amp for the system. That would let me send off the bad amp at my own pace and not be missing my system. A single McIntosh 4x100 would be nice, but would be a little weak on the sub half for my 10W6v2. A TRU T series 4x100 might be nice, but maybe not quite the look/sound I am shooting for. 

Today, my new JL RCA's arrive. I am getting them just to make absolutely sure its the amp. I have the nice series with a 4 channel set and a 2 channel set. I will be using my 4 channel set for now and saving my 2 channel for a rainy day. I already took out my top line Stinger RCAs. I cut up my sub RCA to see if that crease made any damage. Well, it didnt, the wires were all perfect inside. But I do have my front RCA which I will probably sell locally. I prefer someone to test it before they buy it.


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## tusk (Feb 20, 2008)

Nice looking install. I really like the tub. Sorry to hear about the McIntosh though. If you like it, I say send it out. I tossed and turned on getting one of my Soundstreams repaired a while ago... I was glad I did it. I want to hear your thoughts on your JLs when your box gets here. I came so close to getting a set of the 10s.

Heh, if you think you have some blockage behind your seats, take a peek what's in the rear of a US Monaro :blush: 

***Fellow ex B15er


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

tusk said:


> Nice looking install. I really like the tub. Sorry to hear about the McIntosh though. If you like it, I say send it out. I tossed and turned on getting one of my Soundstreams repaired a while ago... I was glad I did it. I want to hear your thoughts on your JLs when your box gets here. I came so close to getting a set of the 10s.
> 
> Heh, if you think you have some blockage behind your seats, take a peek what's in the rear of a US Monaro :blush:
> 
> ***Fellow ex B15er


knew i recognized the name.. my sub box arrived today. i might install it tomorrow morning. then i do final amp testing before deciding to pull it.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

So.. it was either use my JL grill and have wood showing.. or use the trim ring and have no grill for safety. Obviously I couldnt have wood showing so I had to drop the grill.




























I couldnt even hear it.. only one of my RCA cables came today, the one I didn't need.. So now my system has no RCA's but everything else..


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## Fran82 (Jul 30, 2007)

placenta said:


> so if it was, what would you change? Turn down the gains on the amp a bit? Thus allowing me to raise my deck power to maybe 30?


You seem to be stuck on having a particular number showing on the volume control. But essentially that is what you need to do. I have an older Eclipse deck where the volume goes to 70. I adjust my gains so that I have very little audible sound at 2 on the volume control. It worked out that I got decent volume at around 52 on volume, but got maximum volume, where the clipping indicator just started to blink at around 67. When I had it adjusted where max volume was around 45-50, there was a lot more noise in the system. It was a comfortable number, but not the best for sound quality.

BTW, sub looks nice. Would have been nice if they gave you an easy way to mount a grill to it though, huh?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Fran82 said:


> You seem to be stuck on having a particular number showing on the volume control. But essentially that is what you need to do. I have an older Eclipse deck where the volume goes to 70. I adjust my gains so that I have very little audible sound at 2 on the volume control. It worked out that I got decent volume at around 52 on volume, but got maximum volume, where the clipping indicator just started to blink at around 67. When I had it adjusted where max volume was around 45-50, there was a lot more noise in the system. It was a comfortable number, but not the best for sound quality.
> 
> BTW, sub looks nice. Would have been nice if they gave you an easy way to mount a grill to it though, huh?


Thanks, I have a new thread in main section about all my sub problems. But I did turn my McIntosh gains to MIN today also. Now my deck can go to 30 easy with no noticable distortion. (Because McIntosh blocks it, but still.)


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## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

ever thought about just carpeting or painting the trim sou could use the grill?


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

That's a nice looking amp rack and the price is reasonable too. I'd definitely consider purchasing one if one existed for my car. I had to build mine myself and after all the hassle, I can safely say their price would be worth it.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

camry_tuner said:


> ever thought about just carpeting or painting the trim sou could use the grill?


yes, yes i have. but then A.I. said they can send me a plate that will fit my 10W6 with the grill installed. So im working on that.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Update before bed:

Swapped the passive inputs left to right from my amp. This will determine if its my amp that has the static/noise issue. I am 75% sure now that it is my left tweeter. So I might be buying a new component set soon. (Has to be no deeper than 2.5"..) Tomorrow I find out for sure if its my amp or the speakers. 

Raised my McIntosh gains off of minimum. I don't like being able to run my deck all the way up MAX volume, it just doesnt seem right. I don't think I'm getting all my power out of the Mc. I went to 9 o clock on my McIntosh gains, to bring up my power just a little bit.

My sub is still confusing, but it was sounding good on the way home tonight. It has enough sound now, although my Alpine sub amp gain is set for 1.5V. I noticed a very smooth clean bass on my songs tonight. Very rich and thick sounding, I actually liked it. 

For the WRX forums.. I fixed all those dash rattles I thought I had, which took hours. Then I found out the noise is probably my tweet in the a pillar. Aw well, future proofing. I didnt have any of those rattles.

Tomorrow:

I might measure my sub RCA voltage to see what kind of volts I'm getting. I dont want to be driving my sub into clipping, its already overpowered with 600Wrms vs the recommended 400Wrms. If I see the RCA is pretty underpowered I won't be as worried about keeping my gains very high.

I might remove the rear deck cover and do my dynamat on it. Maybe cut some extra foam out from the two big holes so it can breathe better. I definitely won't be cutting the top layer at all.

These front speakers just aren't up to par with the rest of my system. But I'll wait until I confirm a bad tweeter before I order some new set.


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## Pseudonym (Apr 17, 2006)

i may be missing something since im not about to read through all 7 pages, but im just curious how you set your gains.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

And.... the huge results I have been waiting for, for the last week.

My McIntosh amp IS bad. It is not my tweet. My left side (always been my left side) has a cricket snap crackle pop in the tweet almost always. I heard it all last night on the way home. Last night I swapped my amps speaker wires to the opposite passive crossover boxes. My snap crackle pop is now on my right side tweet. I'm now 100% sure its the amp.

Plans? Well I will send that amp off and spend money to fix it once its out. Its too beautiful cosmetically to get rid of. But I will have my new system up and running by then. I just got a work bonus of a few thou, and I think I will buy another amp. Additionally, I am not thrilled with that Alpine amp, so this would be an all in 1 solution. A 4 channel amp for fronts and sub. One of my top choices is a mint McIntosh 100x4, I just love them. I don't feel a TRU T series would be equal to a McIntosh to my ears. I would love a billet TRU 100x4 but that is WAY too expensive. I would spend $400-$600 for the right amp, depending on how mint it was. This will also cause me to order a new fiberglass bucket for my amp rack, which the company said they can send me. It just bolts on to that MDF carpet piece. I now go to ebay and start looking around. I'd be pissed if I got another broken McIntosh.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

You just swapped the speaker wires? To be sure it's the amp you'll have to also swap the RCA inputs to the amp to rule out the RCAs/processors/head. When you swap those, if the crackle is still on the same side, you'll know for sure its the amp. If you swap and the crackle switches sides it is a problem with something before the amp.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

chuyler1 said:


> You just swapped the speaker wires? To be sure it's the amp you'll have to also swap the RCA inputs to the amp to rule out the RCAs/processors/head. When you swap those, if the crackle is still on the same side, you'll know for sure its the amp. If you swap and the crackle switches sides it is a problem with something before the amp.


ive tested 3 pairs of RCAs and tested my rear deck outputs instead of front. made no difference.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Ok, just checking. Wouldn't want you to send away the amp without being sure.


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## ssmith100 (Jun 28, 2007)

Placenta,

You may also want to give that JL sub a little time to break in. I replaced my 12w6v2 that I had for a couple of years for a new one about a month ago and they sounded completely different up until about two weeks ago. Now that the new sub is broken in they sound the same. Just a thought.

Shane


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

ssmith100 said:


> Placenta,
> 
> You may also want to give that JL sub a little time to break in. I replaced my 12w6v2 that I had for a couple of years for a new one about a month ago and they sounded completely different up until about two weeks ago. Now that the new sub is broken in they sound the same. Just a thought.
> 
> Shane


ah i dunno. i got a good feel for the sub over the last few days when it was working. its not my style of sound. way too much lows. i like harder hitting higher toned bass. just like a 10W3 sounds.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Current status:

-McIntosh amp off to repair at McIntosh headquarters in NY. (Amp will be sold once I get it back to offset some costs)
-JL 10W6v2 sold and gone 2 days ago
-CDT Classics pulled and for sale

Current setup:

-Alpine 9887
-Alpine MRD-M605 sub amp
-sub box removed for now
-ONLY speakers right now = stock rear doors :lol:

Next stage of plans:

-A new set of Alpine Type-S coaxials arrive tomorrow, those are to tide me over while I work on a new front component set. The new version of type-s suck, so I had to buy last years version. (88dB vs 92dB sensitivity, more RMS handling not suited to deck power, etc..)

-The most expensive amp I have ever had arrives tomorrow. There will be pics tomorrow night hopefully. this amp is a 4 channel amp which will run a front stage and a single sub.

-My ID 10" v3 sub arrives tomorrow. I don't know if this is the "max" or the "q" version, the description doesnt say. But its lower end, handles 400Wrms. I'm hoping to get a bit more output and loudness from it, compared to my W6.

-New amp rack tub ordered for my new amp, can't have one with extra holes showing. Just the fiberglass part, not the carpet part. 

This weeks upcoming work:

Remove amp rack from car again. Uninstall Alpine sub amp and prepare for sale. Install new amp on new rack. Install amp rack back in car, wire up. Way for my JL 4 channel RCA's to arrive, they are backordered a couple places currently. My 2 channel JL RCA is killer and I love it. Install my new sub in the Audio Integrations sub box and put back in car. Hook up the sub to one half of my new amp. Run the type-s coaxials off deck power with the amped sub and think about my new component set to order. Strongly aiming to Focal Polyglass as I have heard them, owned them, and I know I love them. It willbe a close fit with a 3/4" spacer, I dont know if they will fit. They are 2.66" depth approximately.


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## tusk (Feb 20, 2008)

Oooo, I wanna hear about that IDQ10v.3... that was on my short list also  

Wanna spill what amp you have now? 

***Cough***MBQ Signatures***Cough*


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

tusk said:


> Oooo, I wanna hear about that IDQ10v.3... that was on my short list also
> 
> Wanna spill what amp you have now?
> 
> ***Cough***MBQ Signatures***Cough*


i dont even have it yet. tomorrow i will spill it.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Well, got the final word. McIntosh benched my amp for 5 days straight. Zero issues. They are sending it back.


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## glidn (Apr 21, 2007)

so have you gotten your newly aquired hidden agenda super top secret amp yet?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

glidn said:


> so have you gotten your newly aquired hidden agenda super top secret amp yet?


i made a normal thread a long time ago on it. my TRU is installed.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

System will be finished when I install my last RCA cable tonight..

My current setup and what I paid: ($2750+)
Alpine 9887 (~ $300)
Sirius SIR-ALP1 tuner (~ $100)
Tru Technology Billet T4100 (~ over $1000)
Pioneer Premier PRS 720 components (~ $280)
IDQ 10v3 subwoofer (~ $150)
Audio Integrations amp rack (~ $280)
Audio Integrations sub box (~ $240)
JL 4 channel RCA (~ $100)
Power and speaker wiring (~ $120)
Dynamat Extreme (~ $200)

Stuff I bought and didnt use: ($1800+)
Alpine PDX 2.150 (~ $220) ALREADY SOLD
Audio Integrations hideaway amp rack (~ $150) ALREADY SOLD
Old fiberglass tub for my new amp rack (~ $100)
2 sets of RCAs (~ $100)
speaker wiring I pulled out/cut (~ $40)
McIntosh amp (~ $350)
Alpine sub amp (~ $240)
JL 10W6 sub (~ 250) ALREADY SOLD
CDT components (~ $120) ALREADY SOLD
2 sets Alpine coaxials (~ $140) 1 SET ALREADY SOLD
1 set Alpine type-r coax (~ $140) ALREADY SOLD

I have a couple things for sale currently. 
Alpine Type-S coaxials ($55 shipped in USA)
Alpine sub amp ($200 shipped in USA)
used fiberglass amp rack tub ($50 shipped in USA)
McIntosh amp once i get it back next week (ebay will prob start at $350 shipped)
18 foot JL top line RCA cable ($35 shipped)


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## glidn (Apr 21, 2007)

how do you rate the pioneer TS-C720PRS? do you like them, are the harsh or lacking any particular frequencies?

Just your thoughts about them that is.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

glidn said:


> how do you rate the pioneer TS-C720PRS? do you like them, are the harsh or lacking any particular frequencies?
> 
> Just your thoughts about them that is.


little harsh on the tweet, but overall i think ill be keeping them a while. probably one of the best speakers ive heard, up there with my Focal K2P and Dynaudio 240GT, although not QUITE that good, but close.


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## glidn (Apr 21, 2007)

it's interesting that you say the tweeters are harsh, i thought they change there tweeters from aluminium to silk? but not sure.
There earlier component speakers from Pioneer always used aluminium tweeters. But i guess the seems to think it give you better tonal accuracy.

But they got a really good review on caraudio magazine. They where only 5.5point off of the morel supremo 6's

Morels
http://www.caraudiomag.com/features/cae_0709_morel_supreme_6/conclusion.html

Pioneers
http://www.caraudiomag.com/testreports/0612_caep_pioneer_premier_ts_c720prs/listening.html

Hell just for this post
DYNAUDIO - got 7.5 under the pioneer
http://www.caraudiomag.com/testreports/0612_caep_pioneer_premier_ts_c720prs/listening.html


Now i know most of this is just number score i have provided. but as you can have a read for your self, each speaker has it's own area where they really shine to be there own i guess.

But thanks for the info about the speakers.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

glidn said:


> it's interesting that you say the tweeters are harsh, i thought they change there tweeters from aluminium to silk? but not sure.
> There earlier component speakers from Pioneer always used aluminium tweeters. But i guess the seems to think it give you better tonal accuracy.
> 
> But they got a really good review on caraudio magazine. They where only 5.5point off of the morel supremo 6's
> ...



thanks for all those links. The tweeter might be fine.. I just dont know how to EQ.. i just dropped my 2 middle parametric points -5 to get the harshness away.

1.2k is -5db
4k is -5db

now the tweets dont hurt my ears on those female voices like Celine dion.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

No more pulling the car apart for a while. I lost track of my hours a long time ago, but i probably worked on this project for 5-6 weeks with an average of 3-4 hours a day. I'm really tired of working.. Tuning is relaxing, so ill just be listening to it for a few weeks now.


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## Robdoggz (Sep 16, 2007)

Looks good, OT where did you find a 10" idq v3 for $150?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Since I had my rear deck cover out in preparation for my new one tomorrow, figured I'd get the pic I hadn't got yet. 

Here is what the back of my amp rack looks like:










And here is a sample of my deadening under the rear deck:


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Robdoggz said:


> Looks good, OT where did you find a 10" idq v3 for $150?


never saw your reply a long time ago.

its actually $129 now with free shipping.

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=4992


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## Robdoggz (Sep 16, 2007)

Aw dam thats not an idq its an id series you posted in your current setup an idq v.3 for $150. I was about to tell my buddy we found a killer sub in is budget the idq there is $240


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

This might be a stupid question allready answered but you would be surprised how many times its overlooked. You did turn off the Power IC inside the Alpine correct?


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

Robdoggz said:


> Aw dam thats not an idq its an id series you posted in your current setup an idq v.3 for $150. I was about to tell my buddy we found a killer sub in is budget the idq there is $240


oh damn really?? I thought they had 2 lines.. IDQ and IDmax.. so all this time I have a much crappier sub than I thought? and it sounds insane and ill never change it.


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## GeorgeDiego (Apr 1, 2008)

placenta said:


> oh damn really?? I thought they had 2 lines.. IDQ and IDmax.. so all this time I have a much crappier sub than I thought? and it sounds insane and ill never change it.


I had the same sub in a similarly sized box (1.2ft) and it sounded better then the v.2 IDQ OR my 10w3, just be careful because that sub makes so little mechanical noise that it won't give you any warning it's about to pop and the power handling is limited in a box that size. Ask me how I know


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)




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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)




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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)




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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)




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## illnastyimpreza (Oct 25, 2006)

wierd...ports in through your rear deck ??

I wonder how that sounds...

I just took out my stock rear deck speakers and brackets.... sounds awesome


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

illnastyimpreza said:


> wierd...ports in through your rear deck ??
> 
> I wonder how that sounds...
> 
> I just took out my stock rear deck speakers and brackets.... sounds awesome


i had no rear deck speakers. so i had to make holes somehow.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

can't fix all these pics cuz EDIT button isnt available.


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