# Dash Mat test results



## mojozoom (Feb 11, 2012)

I bought the Dash Designs dashtex fabric mat for my Mazda 3. The fit is very good and the fabric looks nice in the car. In listening to test tracks, the system has gained some depth and some width, and some clarity at the top end.










I ran some test sweeps to better understand the effect. I measured the right side of the system at my right ear with and without the mat. It looks like the mat cut as much as 3 dB from the right side response in some areas. Once the tweeters start to beam (7800 hz for my 20mm tweeters) there isn’t as much effect, and up in the really high regions the differences are probaly due to comb even though I was averaging multiple tests.










Any improvement in staging and imaging should be due to reducing crosstalk between the R & L channels. In order to get a feel for the effect the mat has on reducing crosstalk, I recorded the sound from the right channels of the system at my left ear for comparison to the original data. When I subtract the left ear recording from the right ear recording, it gives a pretty good picture of the crosstalk. 

Then I took the calculated crosstalk with the mat, and subtracted the calculated crosstalk without the mat. What we have then is a plot of the reduction in crosstalk due to the mat:










Between the listening tests and the data it's clear to me that the mat reduces some reflections in the upper FR region, and also reduces some crosstalk due to the reduced reflections. The result is more accurate and clearer highs, coupled with better staging and imaging. Not a bad deal for $45.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Nicely done! Kudos to you for putting in the time to understand the why and how it works


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## schmiddr2 (Aug 10, 2009)

Yeah. Good work. Where are your tweeters mounted?

What brand mat is that? It looks much nicer than the thick furry carpet ones.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

I thinh he said: I bought the *Dash Designs dashtex fabric mat*


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## mojozoom (Feb 11, 2012)

The tweeters are in the sail panels, mounted on axis for the driver.


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## Navy Chief (Jun 14, 2010)

Any reason why you chose the dashtex fabric over the other options. I am planning on buying a dashmat also and they have several fabric options. Did you tell them why you were using a dashmat or did you just chose based on aesthetics.


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## SoundJunkie (Dec 3, 2008)

Nice job! This is mine and what most of my team uses, Dash Topper in the Sedona Suede finish. They have several color options as well.

Quite a few different manufacturers out there. Dashmat is another one. All will have a similar affect.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Kevin K (Feb 11, 2013)

So your tweeters are in the sail panels, sorta on axis and the dash mat does make a positive change?
I've been curious of this as well and wanted to try but couldn't see it benefiting as much with sail panels as if the tweeters were off axis is A pillars or in/on the dash itself.

Curious....


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## mojozoom (Feb 11, 2012)

The way I look at it, until you reach the beaming point the tweeter is omnidirectional, so it radiates toward the dash, windshield, side windows, roof, etc. The mat absorbs some of the sound that would have otherwise reflected off the dash, be it directly from ths tweeter or from reflections from the windshield.

I went with the dashtex fabric because its texture was very similar to the cars dash texture.


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## Navy Chief (Jun 14, 2010)

So I just called Dash Design to ask them so questions about their products. The customer service rep was surprised to hear why we use thier products. In any case the customer service for Dash Design was very helpful and offered to send me a sample of each of their fabrics in charcoal so that I could compare. Here is a link if anyone is interested.

Dash Design


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

So, what type of material would be "best" at stopping reflections bouncing around....?

Would this benefit my G8 with at all with my Imagines co-ax setup in the stock door locations (mid door, knee height)?

And that I plan moving the tweets out to the upper part of the door trim...is there still any tangible benefit to a dash mat?


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## sqnut (Dec 24, 2009)

Try covering your dash with a thick towel and see if there is any difference. IMO using the towel makes an audible difference . Mojozoom gave us graphic representation of that gain.


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

sqnut said:


> Try covering your dash with a thick towel and see if there is any difference. IMO using the towel makes an audible difference . Mojozoom gave us graphic representation of that gain.


OK, I will do that tonight, my wife will probably give me some funny looks when she sees me stealing her nice towels to drape my dash with 


I might even find time to just grab a couple quick measurements with and without.


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## ike3000 (Mar 28, 2008)

I did the dash towel test and it did make a difference in my truck. The center image became more coherent and focused. I've been waiting for amazon.com to get the dashmat for my truck back in stock. It was way cheaper than off dashmat.com.

Never heard of Dash Designs before and I really like the look of the dashtex frabic. Gives it a more modern look if you ask me. I may just give this product a try.


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

Man I've been using them for years and swear by them. Never knew exactly what it did, just knew it was something good.  

I use the suede Dashmat as it seems to be the thickest and softest of their offerings plus it looks the best IMO.


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## splaudiohz (Apr 1, 2011)

Sedona Suede is what I use - :thumbsup:

Bought mine off rockauto.com instead of direct - cheaper!


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## Pad (Mar 22, 2009)

sqnut said:


> Try covering your dash with a thick towel and see if there is any difference. IMO using the towel makes an audible difference . Mojozoom gave us graphic representation of that gain.


I did this a few years ago and it does seem to work. 

Worth a try!


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

Missed this thread. Great work Mojo!

Too bad I can't buy dashmat in Sweden or in Europe at all for that matter (as far as I know). Good idea how to measure crosstalk, as soon as I get my car back, I can make some tests how much dampening the dash with some absorbent material similar to the dashmat and see how the data correlates with yours. I have roughly the same placement of the drivers (might not have the same dispersion pattern though). 

Much of the crosstalk are probably caused by the windshield itself but the reflections in the dash also reflects energy back and forth between the windshield <-> dash. As long as we (at least) reduce the reflected energy somewhat by absorption there will most likely be a more defined stage with less listening fatigue caused by the comb in the highs. 

Can be you post non smoothed FR plots, before/after? I suspect the comb is less with the dashmat in place. Lots of early reflections together with high amounts of late reflection absorption in a typical car often result in sibilance and lack of "air" in the tweeter range. What makes a car sound like a car. I suspect this is close to the "truth" but I don't have hard data to back it up atm, so much of this is my opinion (for now)


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

I wonder how much of an effect this would have if you have low mounted tweeters? like tweeters in the kicks or in my case, HLCD under the dash?


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

Mojo; If you'd like... post a decay//excess GD plot between 800-8000Hz while you're at it as well. Would be very interesting to see the results


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

minbari said:


> I wonder how much of an effect this would have if you have low mounted tweeters? like tweeters in the kicks or in my case, HLCD under the dash?


I dampened the underside of the dash (where you have the horns) with 0,5inch open cell foam. I had tweets and dome mids in kicks before. While I never made any before/after measurements I gained better center focus, I'd like to think it wasn't just in my head lol...


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## jomppa10 (May 19, 2013)

mojozoom said:


> I bought the Dash Designs dashtex fabric mat for my Mazda 3. The fit is very good and the fabric looks nice in the car. In listening to test tracks, the system has gained some depth and some width, and some clarity at the top end.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


but looks like used carpet on dasboard


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

jomppa10 said:


> but looks like used carpet on dasboard


Don't be a hater for your first post

If you don't like it, don't use it.


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## avanti1960 (Sep 24, 2011)

I wonder how these would work for midrange frequencies if you had midrange drivers up high near the sail panels?


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

There are other types and brands out there you can use if you dont like the looks of that particular one. Like I said, the suede mat looks very good to me so its the one I use. The standard Dashmat does look pretty ghetto so you have to choose wisely. But then again, if we car audio guys were worried about retaining a nice stock appearance, we wouldnt have 4" mids glassed into the A pillars and half the trunk taken up with subs and amps.


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Cool thread, and really good work! 

I did a similar test to this a few years back but have since deleted the results pictures from my PB. 
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...n/32881-comparison-dashmat-vs-no-dashmat.html

What I found back then, at least according to what I typed in the thread, was the results improved above 5khz. However, since I posted that, I've learned a lot about measuring and have wanted to test this again in a way that is more telling. I just don't have the free time I used to have. That said, if you'd like to attempt it, here's my suggestion:

Comb filtering needs to be analyzed. And the only way to analyze combing is through multiple measurements. What this would show you is just how much the combing is mitigated by use of the dash pad. 

As most people have learned once they start measuring in the car is that combing is a serious issue. Measuring with one sweep at a fixed location will yield VERY different results when the mic is moved even as little as 1/4" over. Below are the results of measuring my car with 6 mic positions in the 'head area' (aka: basically moving the mic a couple inches around at the headrest). 











As you can see, the results are quite different above the Schroeder Frequency (~300hz; where the car is dominantly reverberant). Therefore, a single mic measuring won't tell you the whole story for comb filtering needs. This is why we average different measurements in the head area together to use as the RTA curve we tune from. What I think would help show us more what the dash pad is/isn't doing would be to *with a high degree of accuracy* measure the dashpad on vs off response with the mic in a few different locations. Then compare the measurements as a group. Does combing decrease with the mat on the dash? We'd expect it to at least in high frequencies. The hard part would be to make sure you have full repeatability. The mic has to be in the *EXACT *same spot from test to test. If it's not exact, your data is already corrupt simply because we already know subtle movement provides different results. That means you can't measure 6 points with the dashmat on, then take it off and measure again... there's just no way you can really expect the mic's electet to be at the exact same position for each of the 6 measurements as they were in the previous testing. 

The best you could do is to measure with the dashmat off, place it on (being careful not to bump the mic at all), and measure again. Repeat this for 6 individual measurements and then compare the full sets of data against each other. 

Side note: you could also try looking at the impulse but it'd probably be more helpful to most of the folks here to see the results in FR form as opposed to impulse response form.


FWIW, I've got some info on averaging in my build log if anyone wants to read more about that. Otherwise, ignore the following:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/1823187-post14.html


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

Wow! Thats an insane amount of different readings for just moving the mic a little. I can vouch for it though. I can raise my head up a few inches while tuning and everything shift pretty drastically!


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

MacLeod said:


> Wow! Thats an insane amount of different readings for just moving the mic a little. I can vouch for it though. I can raise my head up a few inches while tuning and everything shift pretty drastically!


yea. and believe it or not, the results I posted are actually _really _good thanks to the waveguided tweeter design of the kef coaxes I use. the off axis response falls off pretty linearly. Picture below of the tweeter response on my test baffle.

So while there is more attenuation at 60* than when at 0*, the overall response curves aren't wildly different. Most standard tweeter designs without a waveguide don't really do this too well. This lends a WHOLE lot of credence to the sound power aspect I've been preaching for a while to some friends. 











more test data of the above driver here:
http://medleysmusings.com/kef-r300-midrange-drive-unit-testing/


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## jomppa10 (May 19, 2013)

therapture said:


> Don't be a hater for your first post
> 
> If you don't like it, don't use it.


NO, Idint ment that way i only said what i seen no problem u if like it
But there is betterway to so , use carpet inside. in my country teenagers use that(outside) about 2-4 yrs ago. pls undestand.usally american cars has socalled plastic dashbord compare to european which has comsposite plastic and softening in.Usually they do the trick. 

yours seppo


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

If you know how to support a blanket, towel, rag et cetera ...

Put on your favorite song (s) and listen to it without hard surfaces covered ( above dash, under dash, on the sides of your head, in front and behind your head, etc...

Now roll your windows up, while at the same time inserting a towel, blanket, etc... into the opening so the music will hit a soft surface rather than a hard surface.

Close your eyes and push play 

Listen to the same song (s)


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

bikinpunk said:


> yea. and believe it or not, the results I posted are actually _really _good thanks to the waveguided tweeter design of the kef coaxes I use. the off axis response falls off pretty linearly. Picture below of the tweeter response on my test baffle.
> 
> So while there is more attenuation at 60* than when at 0*, the overall response curves aren't wildly different. Most standard tweeter designs without a waveguide don't really do this too well. This lends a WHOLE lot of credence to the sound power aspect I've been preaching for a while to some friends.


Damn! That is what your's looks like in car?! 

Ruler flat from 2K and up is outstanding! I want some waveguides. Wonder if I can glue some onto my Illuminators?


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## destinationfer2 (May 15, 2013)

MacLeod said:


> Man I've been using them for years and swear by them. Never knew exactly what it did, just knew it was something good.
> 
> I use the suede Dashmat as it seems to be the thickest and softest of their offerings plus it looks the best IMO.


I checked out Dashmat & Dash Design and they seem to say things that contradict im no scientist but.. Just look for yourself

Dashmat Faq # 3

"My DashMat covers my speakers on my dash. Will that distort the sound?

No. In fact, your speakers need more protection than your dash. The sun breaks down the speaker materials which will cause loss of sound quality. The DashMat dash cover material allows the sound to flow through without any distortion." 
DashMat | FAQ

Dash Design FAQ # 12

"12-Do Dash Designs® Dashcovers have openings for the speakers on my dashboard?

No, all of our dashcovers are constructed from porous fabrics that allow sound to transmit freely through the material."
FAQ, Frequently Asked Question - Dash Designs

So with that noted, wouldn't the sound still bounce through the mat? I don't know just curious because I was this close to buying the Dash Design Brushed Suede for my 01 GMC Sierra C3.. can anybody convince me to ignore this and just pull the trigger? Also Will the Dash Design brushed suede be thick enough or should I go for the less OEM looking Sedona Suede?

PS. I will be installing Morel Supremo 4" on the A Pillars about 2 inches above the dash facing each other reversed Phase.
Thanks in advance


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## crackinhedz (May 5, 2013)

I did not see an option for buying vehicle specific? Do you just include the vehicle in the comments??

Edit: never mind, I looked more closely.


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## 05Daytona (Mar 25, 2012)

destinationfer2 said:


> I checked out Dashmat & Dash Design and they seem to say things that contradict im no scientist but.. Just look for yourself
> 
> Dashmat Faq # 3
> 
> ...



I'm still not so sure about what they states. My tweeters are firing straight up through my dashmat and it has to make some difference. 
Since they go through the mat and off the windshield I am not sure which one changes the sound more.


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## destinationfer2 (May 15, 2013)

05Daytona said:


> I'm still not so sure about what they states. My tweeters are firing straight up through my dashmat and it has to make some difference.
> Since they go through the mat and off the windshield I am not sure which one changes the sound more.


Forget about speakers on the dash. im thinking in the A-Pillar Point of view.

My dilemma is , If sounds can flow freely through the dash mat, then it means that sounds can reflect on the dash under the Mat right? which is what most here on this thread are trying to avoid by using these dash carpet products to absorb reflections from speakers on the A-Pillars like myself.


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

I'd go with what an actual RTA measurement over a company's marketing wing.  

I can hold my suede mat up to the light and see very little coming thru. The Signature mat was a little more porous but it wasn't like grill cloth. 

I'm sure sounds can pass thru just not "freely". Sounds can pass freely thru grill cloth but dash mats are MUCH thicker and more dense than grill cloth. If the website said anything about changing the sound even if it's for the better by cutting harshness and reflection, people might still be hesitant to buy one. Saying they pass freely would sound better. 

That said, I double dare ya to buy a suede mat and throw it on your dash and say you don't hear a difference. And if the RTA agrees with ya, it ain't psychoacoustics.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Dash Designs Sedona Suede Black from JCWhitney is what I have. My expansive, chintzy plastic dash induces a hollow effect to voices (can't center-align well). Put a couple thick towels across the dash - improvement noticeable (not solved, but clearly noticeable). I haven't used the matte yet but once it comes I'll hope for the same result.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

sirbOOm,

If the surfaces are hard and reflective, cover with something soft.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Like the dash cover I mentioned.


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## Eric Stevens (Dec 29, 2007)

minbari said:


> I wonder how much of an effect this would have if you have low mounted tweeters? like tweeters in the kicks or in my case, HLCD under the dash?


I have always had dash mats either custom made or purchased and it make a noticeable difference with HLCD and tweeters in kicks. 

Do the towel test and see for yourself. Listen to a good revealing track you are intimately familiar with then add the mat and re listen, then remove the mat and listen again. Its when you remove it that you notice the most difference.

Eric


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

I have a thick bath towel folded in half across my dash. Other than some odd looks from some other drivers, I think I am liking the results. I have not put a mic to it yet, but I am certain I am hearing a difference.

The vocals are more "tight" to the center, and the high end range is cleaner and more defined. I guess blocking some of the reflections let's your ears hear the individual elements and not catching the reflections of those sounds a microsecond later?


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

therapture said:


> I have a thick bath towel folded in half across my dash. Other than some odd looks from some other drivers, I think I am liking the results. I have not put a mic to it yet, but I am certain I am hearing a difference.
> 
> The vocals are more "tight" to the center, and the high end range is cleaner and more defined. I guess blocking some of the reflections let's your ears hear the individual elements and not catching the reflections of those sounds a microsecond later?


We hear sounds originating ~20ms of each other as one. Reflections muddy up the focus though, experienced this several times. For this reason I always keep the drivers away from the windshield. Reflections act like phantom speakers and also add to comb filtering, which I suspect affect listening fatigue. There's definitely an improvement dampening the dash in terms of focus imo.


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## rlee777 (Apr 28, 2009)

I just tried the towels on the dash and what do you know -- the peakiness in the 5khz - 7khz range is gone (showing up on certain high notes and making some instruments sound falsely bright). Have DLS (RS6A) tweeters in A pillars and thought all this time that the tweeters had response issues. Finding out that these T25 tweeters are actually very smooth and clear. The reflections off the dash were just enough to be annoying.

Ordered a Dashmat right away....thanks all.


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

Yup, dashmat for me coming too.


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

And people wondered why I applied 1/8-1/4 of CCF and shag to my A/B/C pillars, rear deck and headliner... ALONG with my Dashmat(.com)


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## avanti1960 (Sep 24, 2011)

Tried the towel idea- a really thick beach towel- several tries. Did a little, barely noticeable and not enough to get the RTA setup or invest in a dash mat.


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

I bet different cars would get different results. My car has a large, hard plastic dash and a fairly long windshield. I want to RTA it with and without the mat/towel...just to see if I am making myself find a difference, or if it really exists.


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## Deadpool_25 (Apr 2, 2010)

05Daytona said:


> I'm still not so sure about what they states. My tweeters are firing straight up through my dashmat and it has to make some difference.
> Since they go through the mat and off the windshield I am not sure which one changes the sound more.





destinationfer2 said:


> Forget about speakers on the dash. im thinking in the A-Pillar Point of view.
> 
> My dilemma is , If sounds can flow freely through the dash mat, then it means that sounds can reflect on the dash under the Mat right? which is what most here on this thread are trying to avoid by using these dash carpet products to absorb reflections from speakers on the A-Pillars like myself.





MacLeod said:


> I'd go with what an actual RTA measurement over a company's marketing wing.
> 
> I can hold my suede mat up to the light and see very little coming thru. The Signature mat was a little more porous but it wasn't like grill cloth.
> 
> ...


My Dash Design Dashtex mat just arrived. I put it on the dash to see how it affected the tweeters it covers, which are up in the very far corners of the dash/apillar/window. I didn't take any measurements but there is quite obviously a pretty decent amount of high frequency attenuation. Just sliding the mat back and forth to cover/uncover the tweeters, the difference is obvious.

So, no. Sound does not "pass freely" through these. Any sound traveling down into the mat (from any install that is not covered by the mat), would get attenuated once on the way down through the material, again (slightly) as it reflects off the actual dash, then again coming back up through the mat. I can see why this would make a noticable difference.


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## Wesayso (Jul 20, 2010)

Hanatsu said:


> Missed this thread. Great work Mojo!
> 
> Too bad I can't buy dashmat in Sweden or in Europe at all for that matter (as far as I know).


I bought mine from the US, wasn't too bad including shipping costs...


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I never noticed a huge difference in the old Mazda 3 with the dash pad (audibly). I used the carpet version thinking it would do the most for high frequencies based on the material. The best benefits I found were it prevent outgassing of your dash into the windshield (Wonder why your windshield always looks smudged and dirty?) and it also eliminates glare off of the dash. For those reasons alone (not even considering the audio benefits) they are worth it to me.

But I do wonder which material is best for the intended application... the suede, carpet, or dashtex material.


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

Wesayso said:


> I bought mine from the US, wasn't too bad including shipping costs...


Hm. Perhaps I should look into it 

I need to find out how much energy that actually is reflected into the dash in the highs.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy 3 via Tapatalk.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Guys and gals, let's be honest with ourselves here. A dash mat is not going to solve for world peace. It is a tool that has demonstrated a noticeable (for some) and marginal (for others) effect. The magnitude of the positive effect is certainly conditional upon the characteristics of the vehicle. For example, my '11 Silverado has a huge dash comprised of that ultra-hard, ultra-hollow plastic you find in cars these days. A dash mat would likely help in "de-cheapening" (adding a layer of mass) to the surface. On the other hand, if you happened you have a nicer car that me that has a dash made up of that softer material and not much hard plastic, perhaps the dash mat would have less of an effect.

That said, in order for audio waves to reflect off the dash without a dash mat, they hit the dash and bounce - done. With a dash mat, there is some (how much is debatable) interference to those waves and so they'll have to go through the dash mat material, bounce off of the dash, find their way through the dash mat material again, then onward. Rule #1 of controlling sound: add layers. Rule #2: add space in-between those layers. Rule #3: buy me a winning PowerBall ticket right now.

Those guys that have the fuzzy stuff on their dash or the nutballs that put some sort of insulation all over their dash are probably going to have better luck than someone who's putting up a dash mat. But not all of us are into Pink Panther insulation in our cars.

What I'd like to see is someone form fit MLV or Luxury Liner under a dash mat. I'd put money on one of those having an effect - and no, you wouldn't be able to fire a tweeter through it. And regarding that tweeter comment from the manufacturer - that is what we in the business like to call "placating customers through marketing ********". Ask them to show you the RTA measurements demonstrating zero net effect to the output of the tweeter. Do they have them? Do they, I say?! They make dash mats, not speakers.


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## santiagodraco (Feb 9, 2012)

Ordered my Dashmat Suede today and I'm planning on cutting out the speaker locations and having the edges redone. It's absurd that they would claim sound passes freely through. They should just cut the speaker locations out and be done with it imo.


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## MacLeod (Aug 16, 2009)

Listen to it first. You may not need to cut anything. I never did when I had my tweeters in the corners of the dash and used a suede Dashmat.


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

I've thought of getting a dash mat for my car. but since I can't find any pics of what it would look like i'm kinda worried it'll be so simple I could have done it myself. and that i'd have blown 40ish dollars on something that could have been made for like 20.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Going to order one ,might save me the headache & time it will take to install a EQ as opposed to the mat.I definitely get beaming from the driver side tweet installed in the sails so this mat idea might help.


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

sqnut said:


> Try covering your dash with a thick towel and see if there is any difference. IMO using the towel makes an audible difference . Mojozoom gave us graphic representation of that gain.


WARNING: THREAD REVIVAL


Well, I have recently moved my tweets to the top of the door trim (they were co-ax before, behind the stock door grill), and since my dash is hard plastic with lots of angles on the driver's side, not to mention the steering column...I was having trouble dialing in my EQ to accommodate this new install. So I tried the towel trick. I tried it over a couple days, with, without, back and forth.

There is a DEFINITE increase in clarity and smoothness with the towel across the dash. Female vocals are more focused and "S" is more "s". Less crosstalk I guess, and being that I have aimed my tweets more towards the opposite side and upwards a bit (to control some inherent brightness), the glass is an issue, bouncing the sound back down to the dash, which then reflects again, etc.

So I am getting a dash mat from Dashtopper.com - Suede Dashtopper I never got around to ordering one before and thought it might be miniscule/not worth it since my tweets were midway in the door trim, now with them way up high and in proximity to some nasty hard plastic...

I will post some charts with and without the towel in a couple days, right now I am totally burned out from 3 days of mic and tune sessions...


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## AVIDEDTR (Sep 11, 2008)

bikinpunk said:


> Cool thread, and really good work!
> 
> I did a similar test to this a few years back but have since deleted the results pictures from my PB.
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...n/32881-comparison-dashmat-vs-no-dashmat.html
> ...



Erin, I would love to get my hands on what Asawendo has on his dash...and test the comparison.


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## therapture (Jan 31, 2013)

I guarantee I have massive comb filtering issues. I can hear it by moving my head a few inches in either direction. I don't know how to accurately test it, but I can see the differences if, like noted, I move the mic just a tiny bit from one plot to the next.

What I noticed with the thick towel is a more stable and clear upper end?


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## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

therapture said:


> What I noticed with the thick towel is a more stable and clear upper end?


Yep-

Less reflections in the highs, less phantom sources to screw the image. You shouldn't have that much dispersion above 8kHz unless the driver diameter is very small. Try angling it away from the windshield, usually that's the culprit.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Since this was already revived once, I'll go ahead and revive it one more time. 

I plan to do some testing with a towel to see if it makes a difference in my install. If it does, I'll probably order a Cover King Suede Dash Cover. Why Cover King over the other brands? Because my tweeters are currently in the stock locations and they offer dash mats both with and without speaker cut outs. I also didn't see anywhere on their site that they claim the materials to be acoustically transparent.


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