# 1998 Civic SQ Project



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Ok now my turn.

Over the past few months ive been playing around getting a perfect sounding vehicle and as you know its not the easiest thing to do. The bug keep biting to go bigger and better and now its got be infected quite badly.

First up the car is a Honda Civic 160i

[insert pic here] :lol:


Currently its running the following

Sony GTX-700D HU
DLS C6A 2-way Split system
DLS KW10 10" Sub
DLS CA41 4 Channel Amp to power the splits active
DLS CA12 Mono Amp to power the sub.
Audison Connection Distribution block
Proper RCA, power and speaker wires.
Some dynamat done
Dynaxorb pads for the door.


HU











Splits











Sub











Amps





















Now the upgrade

For HU I have the choice of sticking with the Sony to take advantage of the 13band EQ and time alignment for each speaker or I could hook up the Alpine 9835 I have so I can do the 3 way active off the deck










Time will tell



For the speakers I decided to go big (sort of) and get something I know will sound great.

Say hello to the DLS Iridium 3 Ways












For the sub I also went a big step up getting the RW12 from DLS











*The install before the big build*


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

The bulk pack contains 9 sheets measuring 46cm x 80cm.

Needless to say its a pain in the ass to do :lol:

Small update










Maxxis in Michael Jackson mode ready to molest a 10 year old Civic










The naked victim










First layer done on the outer skin of the door.

Aargh. Its going to be a long day.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

The difference a bit of dynamat makes is amazing. 

The first door is almost done.

The smaller holes im sealing up with dynamat but the bigger holes im using some cardboard covered in dynamat. 

Small update:

Outer skin getting done.










Have to have tools for dynamat.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

After the 4th sheet and with the roller things get a lot better










Right door inner skin










The victim again

Thats it. Im done for today. I guess by next weekend the wiring can begin which means the whole car gets stripped down to get the new wiring in.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Door builds almost done










Just need to sand and shape them a little and then vinyl.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

For some reason im missing a lot of images of the wiring runs etc. Ill post it soon enough.

Wiring done to the boot










Enclosure and false floor test fit










Door builds getting covered










Door builds fitted with IR6.5i driver










Trim panel for sub getting glassed










Trim panel getting filler applied










Boot done










Things to happen still. 

Build a-pillars to house the midrange and tweeter. 

Add perspex and lighting to the boot. 

Change a few odds and here and there. 

Excuse the crappy pics. I was in a hurry and some of them are cell pics.


----------



## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

Woah!... nice. Way to go latexed on the doors!

Good work mate. Those little civics can turn out real well. Make sure that midbass (or its baffle) on the door is screwed to the metal skin, but im sure you knew that already.
Great little thread mate.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Midbass pod is secured to the metal etc etc. Midbass response is incredible. 

Need to add a little bit of dynamat to the left door panel slight vibration buzz coming from it. 

Keep in mind this is my first build 

Thanks for the comments.


----------



## lyttleviet (Sep 11, 2008)

everything looks great! keep us posted.


----------



## WolfSong (Aug 16, 2008)

Very nice fabrication skills for your first build. Both the doors and the sub look absolutely awesome.

If you're getting the bug bad... it's going to be fun watching to see where you take this system.

Very nice work... looking forward to more updates and some more behind the scene pics... especially the FG stuff.

Derek


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comments.

The rest of the stuff is happening in December only. The car recently placed 3rd in class at finals here in SA and im really happy about it.

Unfortunately the bug has bitten quite bad.

Some things left to do.

- Make use of the second bulk pack of dynamat extreme
- Build the midrange and tweeter pod.
- Some custom enhancements

I was thinking of joining 2 Civic dashboards into a single flat dash to improve things further but that is long term and only if I can find space to store a third car. But at the moment this is still a daily drive so I doubt ill do that.

More pics coming up.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Upgrades battery to body ground as part of the Big 3 upgrade.










2AWG into amp and marked as 12v+ with red










New non-conductive grommet fitter to 2AWG power cable










New voltage display soldering. Not bad considering I havn't soldered in 13 years


----------



## WolfSong (Aug 16, 2008)

Heh... I missed the Micheal Jackson line yesterday... that was pretty funny.

I need to redo my negative battery terminal as well... haven't found a terminal I like though... haven't looked that hard either tho. 

Congrats on the 3rd place... looking forward to the more pics.


----------



## moosejuice (Oct 5, 2007)

Looks good so far, I like the rear setup...


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Small update. Final position for the midrange and tweeter










Still playing with the positioning but with this position everything has come alive like you won't believe. Height is perfect. Depth is good. Width is pretty good. The really images very well with minimal TA used.

I need to play around a little more first. Might glass a little base for them this weekend so its easier to play with positions. 

One more of the boot.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Update time.

Using the DLS 3" midrange and tweeter in the kick panels did not work at all. The only way for them is to be in your face and up top.

The car was taken to Abrie at Acoustic Audio for the custom pod builds. His work speaks for itself and no amount of words can possible describe how well they came out. 

Pics

First off the door received it fiber base for the custom pods










Now some MDF baffles are built and attached to the glass.










The bases are trimmed and the MDF is attached.










After aiming and listening. The pods are glassed and sanded down ready for vinyl










Vinyl work done










Speakers installed










Full view of the interior.










After about an hour of tuning and listening I have the following comments.

The car is brilliantly wide. On some tracks the stage extends beyond the side mirrors by up to 2 inches. When you close your eyes you can't believe you are in a car.

Depth is equally brilliant. Ive had instruments play on the hood of the car about 10 - 15 inches from the wiper blades. Brillant.

Height is superb as well and the stage is solid. 

Imaging and focus is also mind blowing. 

The speakers are truly transparent in the car and really look like decorations rather than actual speakers.

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am with what Abrie did here and how awesome the car is sounding and looking. The factory could not have done a better job.
[/LIST]


----------



## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Dude, your steering wheel is on the wrong side  . 

Nice install! How does it sound?


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

:lol: the steering wheel gremlins struck again. 

The car sounds amazing. Read my write-up in my last post. Im super happy.


----------



## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

Door pods look great!!!


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Time for an update

Since the previous update Ive spent a lot of time in the car listening, tuning etc etc.

First things first. I had to repair the covers for the kick panels from when I had the midrange and tweeter in there. Im sure kicks work for some people and some cars. It didn't work for me.










Patched up the holes.










Filled and sanded down










Craylon texture coat applied.










Reinstalled. Excuse the crappy image quality on the last photo. Silly cellphone camera.

Moving on.

The sound stage had some minor issues on the higher frequencies and it was traced back to the tweeters being too low in the door builds. It kept pulling the stage down on the sides and the tweeter lacked transparency. 

The solution. Cut the tweeters off and mold them in the a-pillars.










Pods trimmed, glassed and sanded. Ready for vinyl.










Vinyl going on.










All done. Midrange grilles installed.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Now my next problem was more cosmetic than anything else. I built a set of door builds just before finals but I wasn't quite happy with them. There were some gaps and the finish wasn't quite up to standard. Also couldn't fit the factory DLS grilles to them.










Placement testing










Getting ready to glass










Glass drying










Rough trim of the glass shell and the mdf rings positioned. For some reason my camera makes them look really distorted. They are in fact quite straight and round 










Test fit of the shell on the door.










Glassed and filled. Ready to sand the crap out of it.










Sanded. Test fit on door.

Almost ready to vinyl. Then its on to the left door . Man this takes forever.


----------



## orangelss (Dec 20, 2008)

Very nice work. Love the look of the DLS equipment


----------



## MajorChipHazard (Feb 10, 2008)

Dont keep me waiting too long for my listening review hey Johan:laugh::laugh:


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Soon major soon 

I should be done with the doors by next weekend at the latest. 

Then the tweeter placement. Thats the one im going to have to play with a bit.


----------



## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Wow that is some awesome craftsmanship right there. Love your choice of equipment and placement. Good review of the sound stage also, Any more thoughts of switching to the Alpine unit?


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comments 

Havn't given the Alpine a lot of thought to be honest.

I am however considering upgrading to a Pioneer P9 or P90 combo at some stage but with that comes the need for a second amp. Something like a DLS RA20 or RA30 (can get one for a silly price at the moment)

But with that again all of that comes additional cables, power distribution etc. The system as it is at the moment is pretty good and im very happy with it. Im thinking of competing this year with the car as is and then changing if needed.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Aaargh. I managed to **** up the vinyl on the door pod. 

More sanding to sort the mess out and then try again.


----------



## SSCustoms (Oct 16, 2008)

Nice work, so far! I am looking forward to seeing more!


----------



## sotelomichael (Dec 2, 2008)

looks good man


----------



## Big_Valven (Aug 20, 2008)

Looking great so far, some excellent fg / vinyl work there.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for all the comments guys. 

I was hoping some of you would comment. 

I should be updating the thread again this weekend.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Horrible photo of the day










Vinyl all done. Im not 100% happy with the fit. Once I do the left door ill see if my technique improved when glassing the base. Should that be the case I will rebuild this one.

The vinyl was a PITA to get right.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Horrible photo of the day #2










What the door will look like with the mid installed and grille attached

Excuse the photos. A friend borrowed my digi.


----------



## Big_Valven (Aug 20, 2008)

Doesn't look terribly bad...


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

The photos or the pods


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Alpine is installed and the doors are done.

Only thing left to do is to give it a good listen and to mount the tweeters properly.

I ran into some timing issues with work and gave Abrie @ Acoutic Audio a call. We discussed the midbass builds and he worked his magic on the pods for me.

Abrie, thanks again for helping out. Your work is top notch. I am beyond happy.





































All done. 

The tweeters will be mounted at a much later stage. For now they are mounted on the a-pillars while I play with aiming etc


----------



## niceguy (Mar 12, 2006)

Very nice door pod work so far....
I have the same (or very similar) model Sony HU, mine's the 705 here in the US.
It's the cleanest sounding deck I've ever used and along w/the 13band GEQs, I love it. Just wish it would do 2 way....

I'm using a small active amp currently but would like to simplify everything using a fully active HU. My last Pioneer HUs had too much noise for my liking but they were the older 5500mp series from a few years back....


----------



## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

nice work...i hope i can get my install to look as good


----------



## keithace (Jan 7, 2008)

looks great...i have been looking for people doing work on their sixth gen civic...i want to drop sixes into my doors also...


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Car is done  Finally

Midbass pods installed together with the midrange on the door










Boot completed with new voltmeter to monitor the amp










New tweeter pods installed. Had to recover the a-pillar in black vinyl.










Some nigh time fun 










Thanks for watching

Sorry I didn't do any build photos of the new stuff. Its pretty straight forward though.


----------



## mobeious (Jan 26, 2007)

looks awsome bro


----------



## hugo23 (Apr 3, 2008)

Nice man, and the last pic looks great!


----------



## reindeers (Mar 7, 2008)

Great work man! 

White lights under the dash would really make it look awesome!  IMHO


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comments guys. 

I need to sit down and build some LED strips for the boot and under the dash. At the moment im concentrating on getting the car ready for a local competition this weekend and then the start of the IASCA season in South Africa the weekend after.

Thank goodness I don't have a lot to do.


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

What kind of EQualizing did you do? T/A? Flat curve?


----------



## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

the tweet pod looks sexy


----------



## djr (Mar 10, 2009)

some serious work there
fair play to you


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

subwoofery said:


> What kind of EQualizing did you do? T/A? Flat curve?


No EQ is being used. I got a pretty good RTA curve on my last test. I am using TA. 




fit_tuner said:


> the tweet pod looks sexy


Thanks man 



djr said:


> some serious work there
> fair play to you


Thanks you 


Ill do a mini photoshoot of the car either tonight or tomorrow night. Just need to clean the interior a bit


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Hang on. I see I never made mention of the last upgrade to the car. I sold the Sony deck and upgraded to the Alpine 9887. 

Brilliant deck but some annoying features. I do love the accuracy and sound.


----------



## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

Very nice, hmm might be interesting to try and drive a car with the wheel on the right side...

Damn us silly americans


----------



## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

Very nice, hmm might be interesting to try and drive a car with the wheel on the right side...

Damn us silly americans


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Just as strange as it would be for us and the EU guys to drive a left hand drive vehicle.

I was in the US a while back and drove a left hand drive car. It was a really interesting experience to say the least


----------



## AndEE (Mar 26, 2009)

How do you see out the mirrors with the mids being in that position? Probably not as bad as the pictures make it out to be, but overall great work!

AndEE


----------



## AndEE (Mar 26, 2009)

How do you see out the mirrors with the mids being in that position? Probably not as bad as the pictures make it out to be, but overall great work!

AndEE


----------



## NOTORIOUS97200 (Dec 11, 2008)

your first instal ?? waouh!!!!!!!!!!!
You 've got to make it your job!!!!!!!!!
wonderful!!!!!! Never heard the DLS speakers, but they should be good!
Félicitations pour tout ce boulot!!(in French)


----------



## Echo42987 (Dec 25, 2008)

Looks amazing! I miss my 9835 SSOOO much lol


----------



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

That is a great looking build. I like where the midrange are located!


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comments guys.

The right mirror is completely visible with the midrange in that position and the left mirror only gets slightly blocked on the inside. The vehicle is completely safe to operate 

@ NOTORIOUS97200 - First full install yes. In the past I only installed amps and subs in off-the-shelf enclosures etc. 

The car was at it first competition this past weekend with the new install and placed second in its class and fourth overall I think. Im pretty happy. IASCA season starts this weekend and I have a little bit of work to do this week to get everything perfected.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Update time.










Frame and layout of the new install.










Boot all taped up










2 layers of glass down. Could have done 3 I think. Would have helped with flex in the next step 










Fabric under the fiberglass mould. Next step was to attach it to the frame I made last week. 










Mould attached to the frame and glassed up. Sealed the mould to the frame with a thick milkshake mix. Creates a solid seal around the frame.

Ready to lay down another 8 layers of fiberglass now. Tomorrow anyways 

For now im taking it easy. Very happy with the progress today


----------



## -dave- (Mar 28, 2009)

You should be very happy with the progress today. Nice build....fun to watch!


----------



## lsm (Mar 11, 2009)

Nice work!


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Tub is done. (actually looks like one now  ) Rubberised the inside to reduce resonance and add some weight.










Terminal cup broke when I attached it to the box. Oh well. Good reason to glass it into the box. Used some premix fiber filler. This thing is going nowhere. The fiber filler also adds some extra weight to the plastic. Not that it would flex to begin with.

Next up is the baffle for the sub. Need to cut this hopefully tonight.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Bare MDF nicely cut to size









The scariest tool I own.










Custom circle jig. Haha










Perfect 280mm circle cut with a $20 jigsaw. Ive had this little beast for 5 years and its still going strong.









Cover test fit










Final layout from the looks of it. Grille height is perfect for the 2 amps. Ill gain around 20mm with the custom amp rack frames that will be suspended on 4mm rubber to reduce vibrations in the amps.


----------



## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

I always like the DLS grills, never own any


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Amps all wired up and sounding awesome. Next up is the trim panel to cover the wiring.


----------



## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

lookin good.


----------



## Jbird (Jun 25, 2009)

Really nice work on the door pods! How many hours do you figure you are into the pods for? Thanks


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Hi Jbird

Good question. Those were built quite a while ago and I can't remember quite how long they took.

I would say 15 to 25 hours to be safe.

As for the rest of the install. I actually finished it a while back. Sorry for not updating.










Ill take some better photos of the car this weekend.

As for the car itself.

I placed 1st in Amateur SQI IASCA at the last show here and 1st overall for the day.

The car is sounding phenomenal at the moment.

Now to get a new deck so I can go full active.


----------



## Jbird (Jun 25, 2009)

Nice work! I'd like to see the rest of the install as well!?


----------



## Blown Mustang GT (Dec 6, 2008)

I like the new layout much better, good job on the re-do. Glad to hear the car is doing well in IASCA. keep up the good work!


----------



## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

good stuff, got any more pictures of the tweet pods?


----------



## bigaudiofanatic (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm sorry but sony dose not scream SQ. If I were you I would take the sony out and just run active with a alpine 9887.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

You would be surprised with the performance of the Sony GT700D. 24bit DAC, TA, 13band EQ per channel. It really is an excellent deck.

I have a 9887 in the car at the moment with the worst noise issue in the world. Never had a single issue with the Sony. Each to his own I guess.


----------



## Yoursogansta (Apr 6, 2009)

From my experience Sony makes great sounding sources... Sony and Clarion are very similar.


----------



## bigaudiofanatic (Mar 1, 2009)

I had to chucle a little there is no way you can compare sony to any other company. If you were to post that you were using a sony head unit for a SQ setup on caraudio.com you would be getting your balls busted sony has become absolute crap. I mean there sold at walmart for crying out loud. I think you would hear the difference instalntly by going with a alpine deck. But if that is what you want that is what you want.


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

bigaudiofanatic said:


> I had to chucle a little there is no way you can compare sony to any other company. If you were to post that you were using a sony head unit for a SQ setup on caraudio.com you would be getting your balls busted sony has become absolute crap. I mean there sold at walmart for crying out loud. I think you would hear the difference instalntly by going with a alpine deck. But if that is what you want that is what you want.


Man you really need to check the CDX-C90 combo... It's been part of the IASCA lanes for quite some time now. Yes, yes, yes... "It's a Sony"  

Kelvin


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

bigaudiofanatic said:


> I had to chucle a little there is no way you can compare sony to any other company. If you were to post that you were using a sony head unit for a SQ setup on caraudio.com you would be getting your balls busted sony has become absolute crap. I mean there sold at walmart for crying out loud. I think you would hear the difference instalntly by going with a alpine deck. But if that is what you want that is what you want.


Had the deck been a GT240 or some entry level POS with no balls I would agree with you. Do I care what caraudio.com will think of me. **** no. I don't build any of my cars to get snot nose forum junkies' approval. My aim is build cars that look and sound good. Nobody can tell you what will sound good to you. To me the Sony sounded great. So does the Alpines, Pioneers etc etc etc. 

Have you ever listened to the high end Sony decks? The ones with the proper 24bit DACs etc?

To say a deck is great because you win competitions with it is crap. I can easily tell you how many cars we built with the GT700D than ended up winning IASCA comps but it still wont be worth anything.. IASCA is not a measurement of how good a system sounds. 

@subwoofery. The CDX-C90 combo is still regarded as one of the best SQ setups out there. Thanks for the support.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

^^Well said Maxxis. The install looks terrific man! Very nice job fabricating. I'm going to have to pick your brain if I decide to do vinyl wrapping. You've done a really great job with that.
When I first saw the pods on the door sail panel area I thought it might be an issue (of course you never know till you set it up and listen), but then I saw you confirmed that and moved the tweeters to the pillars. Really great install here. I wonder how much better you can get this with something like a DRZ-9255 or a P9 setup?

Kick ass man, kick ass.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

bigaudiofanatic said:


> SQ





bigaudiofanatic said:


> caraudio.com



There’s your problem.


----------



## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

bikinpunk said:


> There’s your problem.


^^^^^:laugh::laugh::laugh:


----------



## bigaudiofanatic (Mar 1, 2009)

Still from my experiences with them there junk just my opinion. Even if there getting better now they use to be great and than they came out with xplod and there rep went don the tube.


----------



## justfuz (Aug 28, 2008)

I've been planning a system for my '98 Ex for the past 7 years, sad I know. Last year I started messing with the doors for my 3 way system but struggled. After checking out this build log, I'm really excited to just give it another go this summer. Thanks for this build log. Hopefully soon I'll be able to post my own.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Glad it inspired you Justfuz 

captainobvious - Im planning on installing either a H701 with the 9887 or to get a 9255 or P90 combo down the line.

Looking forward to seeing what full active can do. Some still competition on the local scene with some cars starting to run the Scandinavia drivers.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

maxxis said:


> Glad it inspired you Justfuz
> 
> captainobvious - Im planning on installing either a H701 with the 9887 or to get a 9255 or P90 combo down the line.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing what full active can do. Some still competition on the local scene with some cars starting to run the Scandinavia drivers.


Good stuff man. A full active system is extremely flexible and allows you really tune your system in just right.


----------



## Riken (Mar 19, 2006)

where are each of your mids and tweets aimed?


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Hi Riken.

The tweeter are aimed up towards the spot 50% between the courtesy light and the rear view mirror 

The mids are firing across to the spot 50% between the top of the a-pillar and b-pillar.


Now. In the past few weeks Ive gone active and slapped more sound deadner in the car. Locally we have a product called T-Mat which is excellent. More coverage than Dynamat Extreme and about 60% cheaper.

We ran some tests and found T-Mat to be 52.66% less cost per bulk pack and you get 45.5% more coverage as well as 58% more weight for each sheet of T-Mat compared to the Dynamat. More info here - Payntwagon Audio - Targa T-Mat

Going active is via the Alpine H701 / C701 combo and the difference in sound in the car is amazing. I just need to find time to get some tuning done but with starting my own company I hardly have time for anything.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Some more custom work on the car.

Installed a volt meter on the dash to monitor the system power










Ready for primer and paint










Painted










Installed and working like a dream


----------



## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

very nice


----------



## Starlet-SQ (Apr 19, 2008)

Nice install and props to your handywork
are you still running the 700GT?
Funny....i never knew this deck had somany options
I bought it back in may for a friend of mine who wanted to start competing in 
EMMA(The european iasca version)
not done yet with the car since funding is kinda tight for him
but the deck has tons of possibilities...
Keep up the good work!!!!!!!


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comments.

Im running an Alpine 9887 source with a H701 and C701 combo. The 700GT is a fantastic HU and exceptional value for money. I would love to get my hands on one again. Too bad its been discontinued 

Just checked the photos I took with my phone of the processor install and it looks horrible.

Time to find my camera and charge it


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

How it looks now

Front stage has changed from the IR3 and IR1 to the Scandi3 and Scandi1. Still running the IR6 midbass.

I have also added the H701 with C701 controller.










Scandi and front stage sorted out.










The boot received a minor upgrade with the DLS logo


----------



## gitmobass (Nov 7, 2009)

Nice install! I hope mine will look as nice as yours...


----------



## SkodaTeam (Feb 26, 2009)

maxxis said:


> How it looks now
> 
> Front stage has changed from the IR3 and IR1 to the Scandi3 and Scandi1. Still running the IR6 midbass.
> 
> ...


looking good. So, what is the diference in sound between iridium 1 & 3 and Scandi


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

The biggest difference for me is the transparency and insane pin point accurary of the sound. Very clean, detailed and crisp. Very very smooth still. 

Less ambient and I lost a bit of width with the change from dome to cone on the midrange but everything else makes up for it.


----------



## marquee (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey maxxis! What's the size of the enclosure for your Scandinavia 3? Is it sharing the same enclosure with the SC1 tweet? 

We almost have the same configaration of the SC1 and the SC3. You're right about the width being sacrificed with the migration from dome to cone. I hate that my "extreme far left" isn't so extreme anymore. 

Thanks!


----------



## SkodaTeam (Feb 26, 2009)

maxxis, your Ir6 midbass is playin in the door right? I heard that this midbass is better in kickpanels 8-9litres. What are the crossover points for the Ir6 in your car? thanks.


----------



## antnbarao (Mar 20, 2010)

Muito show o projeto


----------



## MantaOwner (May 15, 2007)

Do you plan to change IR6's to Scanspeak mids too, have you compared them?
I've listened to UR6 (almost the same as IR6 like I have read) and Scanspeak 18W/8535-00 in a same system/car and I found that UR6 is a bit better, it plays exactly what's recorded while Scanspeak adds some own personality to the sound. Definitely very good drivers both.
Personally I think those tweeter/midrange pods are way too obtrusive, trunk install is much better.

Tõnu


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Some time has passed and some work was done recently for EMMA Finals in South Africa.

Car took 3rd in Masters class. Only 14 points behind 1st place. 

Did some more work on the car recently.

Running new speaker cables now as well as a JL Audio 12W6V2.









New trim panels for the boot.









Covered in Suede and Fleather









New grilles for mids & tweeters









Boot complete









Nightshot.

Will post some more build pics later.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Kinetik Racing 1400 Battery to supply the current to the amps









JL Audio 12W6v2 doing sub duty









Start of the trim inserts









Filled and sanded.









Covered in black vinyl









Building of the amp surrounds









Putting it all together.









Trims and surrounds in full view









New floor mat for my study


----------



## quietfly (Mar 23, 2011)

looking good....


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Why the need to swap your subwoofer for a 12W6v2? Needed more volume? Or the KW couldn't keep it's composure with dynamic tracks? 

Kelvin


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

The KW10 was replaced with a RW12 in late 2008 and that did lot of excellent work for me for a long time. 

The 12W6 integrates a lot better with the midbass in the system. Its something I have had problems with for quite a while. The RW12 is still a fantastic sub and is going into my next project. Honda Fit with DLS A8, RW12 and RS5 splits. All DLS install.


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Hmm... Good to know. Thanks 

Kelvin


----------



## bginvestor (Jan 13, 2008)

maxxis said:


> How it looks now
> 
> Front stage has changed from the IR3 and IR1 to the Scandi3 and Scandi1. Still running the IR6 midbass.
> 
> ...


Man, look at those guns hanging off the A-pillars! Very nice.

It seems A-pillar installs are dominating over kick panel installs. Is this correct? I don't go the car audio shows.. I'm stuck here in the Tucson desert. Nothing happens. thx..


----------



## Palos (Feb 12, 2010)

Another nice build!


----------



## south east customz (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm surprised you didn't do Dls sub. I've swapped a few people from the w6.
Ever since they heard my iridiums, then my nobeliums.
Congrats though!


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

I love DLS as a brand but their subs (to me anyways) just can't compete with JL. 

However Im dying to try out the new subs from DLS. Im hearing some great things.

A small update on the car. It recently took 2nd in Expert Class and a whopping 1st overall in South Africa IASCA Finals.


----------



## dales (Dec 16, 2010)

good read, excellent build. congrats on your accomplishments


----------



## avanti1960 (Sep 24, 2011)

Outstanding work maxxis, you are a true craftsman. My only issue with your system is that I would have a hard time adjusting the volume and controls with my left hand! 

I am guessing that your competition success is due in part to the fundamentals in your driver positioning- 
I would bet that there is no substitute for having all of the locational recognizable frequencies (e.g. ~2Khz and up) originating from where your mid-range and tweeters are located- which is basically ear level horizontal and allows the widest, most accurate stage possible. I believe a 2-way system is full of compromises when trying to optimize tweeter and mid-range positions unless the tweeter can handle 2Khz, of which many cannot. 
You have created a fundamentally solid install. 

Do the majority of your competitors have the mid-range / tweeter combination mounted up high like yours? 

Once again, very nicely done.


----------



## Maximilliano (Aug 14, 2011)

Nice fab work man.


----------



## nigeDLS (Nov 5, 2011)

You need to audition a Nordica sub. Sooooo much better than anything else DLS have ever done.


----------



## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Very nice work! Congrats on your placement at the finals.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Thanks for all the kind comments and for taking the time to read this build log.

At the moment I'm just enjoying the crap out of the car.

Next order of business is to integrate an iPad into the car for navigation and day to day music etc.

Just need to find the correct way to do a digital out on it. Not too crazy about the analog inputs on the H701. It works but it can be better.


----------



## Thrill_House (Nov 20, 2008)

maxxis said:


> I love DLS as a brand but their subs (to me anyways) just can't compete with JL.
> 
> However Im dying to try out the new subs from DLS. Im hearing some great things.
> 
> A small update on the car. It recently took 2nd in Expert Class and a whopping 1st overall in South Africa IASCA Finals.


 Thats awesome man, good work! I have loved the way you did your install ever since I first saw it on another forum somewhere back in the summer time. I also have a Civic that I compete with in IASCA, mines a 2002 coupe, this summer I finished 1st place in the IASCA Canadian finals. I am actually in the process of rebuilding my front stage right now to feature a set of the DLS Scandi 3 up in the pillars, I will be taking the car down the IASCA north american finals this March and we will see how I do with the new setup.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Fantastic. Congrats on your results. 

Funny enough they do make wonderful SQ cars. The odds are against you but in the end it just all comes together.

Would love to see you current install.


----------



## Thrill_House (Nov 20, 2008)

maxxis said:


> Fantastic. Congrats on your results.
> 
> Funny enough they do make wonderful SQ cars. The odds are against you but in the end it just all comes together.
> 
> Would love to see you current install.


So to let you know I ended up taking first in sound quality (amateur class) and second in install at the 2012 IASCA north american championships this past weekend using the Scandinavia 3c. MSG me if you want I can send you some pics of the new install.


----------



## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Congrats on the win. Please send me some photos. 

I took the overall win and second in Expert class for 2011 IASCA and 3rd overall in EMMA. 

Install will stay the same for this year.


----------



## Thrill_House (Nov 20, 2008)

maxxis said:


> Congrats on the win. Please send me some photos.
> 
> I took the overall win and second in Expert class for 2011 IASCA and 3rd overall in EMMA.
> 
> Install will stay the same for this year.


Are you on the team DLS FB page?


----------

