# My ongoing SS build



## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Hi guys, 

I've been umming and arrring for ages trying to decide whether or not to do a build log or not. In the end I thought what the hell. To all of the Aussies in this forum please know this is a repeat of what's been put up on our local forum. Most of the work has already been done but now I'm on a mission to upgrade from a fully active 2-way front stage to a fully active 3-way front stage.

Unfortunately most of the work has been done in the past by a few shops (mainly FHRX) but now I'm handing the reins over to a mate (Syd-monster) to help with the 3-way upgrade. In this upgrade I want to get as hands on as possible.

Now my car is a VY SS Holden Commodore (similar to Pontiac GTO only 4 door) which I purchased new in July 2004 and I've been modifying it ever since.

With mechanical mods I've tried and tested multiple exhausts, headers, cats, air intakes diff ratios & wheels so I won't bore you with all the details but I will list what is currently fitted to my car:

DiFilippo 1 3/4" headers
Ballistic 3" high flow cats
Twin 3" exhaust
Duspeed OTR air intake
Heads decked to give 11:1 comp
Small, aggressive Comp camshaft
Upgraded valve springs, pushrods, lifters and head bolts
Textralia Z grip clutch
Ripshift
3.9:1 diff ratio with Eaton TruTrac
19" HP Design wheels (sorry I know everyone has them but I did get them 7-8 years ago)

The combo above pumped out just under 400rwhp




























At was at this point I realized the brakes were not up to the task of pulling up the extra power so I ended up getting a set of Harrop 4 piston brakes all round










Then the brake calipers were painted black



















It took a while but I finally decided to lower my car as it really did look like a 4wd. It was time to overhaul the suspension. After many months of research I ended getting Bilstein B8 shocks, Whiteline swaybars, King springs and upgraded bushes etc.



















Then I decided chrome was out and black was in, so the wheels were painted with plastidip










There's probably of whole heap of things I've missed but you get the idea of what's been done to it. Now to talk about my car audio experience.

Photos have been updated, now to begin the story with my car audio adventure.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

I'll start at the very beginning with my audio experience. Originally I wanted to get a complete system with what I could afford at the time. This setup consisted of the following:

Head unit: JVC
Sub amp: PDXM12
Speaker amp: Focal FPP4100
Sub: SWR12D4 Alpine Type R 12" in ported box
Speakers: Focal P165V30 6.5" comps
Focal PC690 6x9s














































The above setup was installed by a professional shop that did an absolutely woeful job. I won't name and shame because it took my a long time to get over the experience and they took quite a bit of money off me up front. Basically they used under size speaker cabling, mounted the speaker door pods on opposite doors, ripped me off by installing a lower spec amp (FPP4100 instead of the agreed FPS4160), used absolute minimal deadening and the 0 gauge cabling corroded after about 9 months, and not to mention that my fuse holder melted and nearly caught fire.

This setup was quite loud but never sounded good SQ wise. The Type R sub shook the crap out of my car but nothing sounded natural. There was a decent amount of alternator whine as well. Therefore I couldn't wait to rip everything out and start over again.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

First step of the new upgrade before ripping everything out was to change out the head unit to an Alpine ICS-X8, get an OEM looking reverse camera and get the front doors fully deadened (photos will come later). I also bought some Aeroforce Tech gauges that display everything the PCM can read


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Next step was to pay a visit to FHRX to fix a lot of issues and also get nicer more natural sound. After doing quite a bit of research I decided that I would replace my Focal FPP4100 amp with a Mosconi AS200.4. 

I also got to the point where I couldn't stand the mono tone bass of the Alpine Type R sub and really wanted a more musical sub that could differentiate the lower frequencies. Therefore I decided to try two Focal 27KX subs in a custom built sealed enclosure. 



















As the Mosconi AS200.4 amp was so damn big it had to be mounted to the back of the subwoofer enclosure.










We also decided to remove the Focal PC690 6x9s and run the Focal P165V30 comps fully active.In order to do this a sound processor also had to be installed. We decided on an Arc Audio PS8 and mounted it under the driver's seat










I also kept the 6x9" grills in place to allow more bass to enter the cabin










After this install, all the previous issues had been resolved and I started to really enjoy the new sound of my audio system. The P165V30s were much more dynamic and less harsh due to amp and processor upgrade. The Mosconi AS200.4 was an absolute powerhouse...headroom galore. The 27KX subwoofers also sounded fantastic...very musical subs. Drums sound like drums, thunder sounded like thunder. I was absolutely loving the tone of these subs however they never seemed to have enough output or kick when mounted in a sealed box in the boot of my SS.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

After a while I was wanting more, so back to FHRX to determine what I could upgrade my front stage and sub stage to. Initially I bought a pair of Focal 33KX subs but before installation I changed my mind and purchased a pair of Arc Audio Black 12" subs (photos to come). I also purchased a set of Focal KRX2 drivers to replace the P165V30 drivers.





































The difference between the P165V30s and the KRX2s was night and day. The tweeters were so much smoother and more natural and the KRX2 mids really gave a good mid bass kick...pretty good considering they're not dedicated midbass drivers. I did feel that the P165V30 mids could cope with going lower but they didn't sound as nice as the KRX2 mids.

Bass-wise the Arc Black subs sounded every bit as good as the Focal 27KX subs but with they could go so much lower and had a heap more output. The only thing that was letting them down was the Alpine PDXM12 amp. With my experience this amp just seem to be gutless and when pushed hard it made the Black subs sound muddy.

Therefore once again, I was on the hunt for a dedicated sub amp to replace the PDXM12 amp.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

After I gathered some more coin I thought what better amp to choose than a Mosconi AS300.2. That way it matches my existing Mosconi AS200.4 and it was a good excuse to show them off in a custom floor in my boot. The AS300.2 when bridged into a 2ohm load is capable of producing 1800w rms of nice clean power, being plenty of grunt to push the twin Arc Black 12"'subs nicely with plenty of headroom.

I also had the Delkor battery under the bonnet replaced with a Deka Intimidator 9A34R and also got a 2nd one for the boot. Next problem was where to mount the 2nd battery. As I wanted the boot floor to only display the two Mosconi amps we had no choice but to build another subwoofer enclosure to accommodate the 2nd battery. At the same time the Earthing kit was beefed up, the power cabling was changed and LED light strips were added. 

All the work was carried out by Dan and Marty from FHRX. 













































































































It was at this point I knew I finally had a decent setup. Something that had the capability of sounding good...really good. I met up with syd-monster one weekend and we spent a long time tuning the PS8 to suit my ears and taste in music...well he tuned while I gave feedback. I was also learning how to use the PS8 at the same time. At the end of the tuning session my system really sounded fantastic. Everything just came alive. The music was now so dynamic like it was attacking me while still sounding natural. Syd-monster man is an audio God. At this point I realized how important a good sound processor is in an audio setup. It does such a great job of getting everything to work in together in harmony . It can also be underutilized if not tuned correctly.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

After quite a few months of the above setup, we decided to take my system to a whole new level. It was time to get a fully active 3-way front end. But there was a catch...I really wanted to do it all on a budget.

After a few more months of research and searching I picked up a set of Audible Physics NZ3A midrange drivers, a pair of Stereo Integrity TM65 midbass drivers and a Mosconi One 120.2 amp to drive the extra two channels in my system (NZ3As). I also opted to keep the existing KRX2 tweeters (TN53K) in the new 3 way setup. 

Next thing to think about was where to mount the midrange drivers and where to mount the tweeters. After some lengthy discussions we decided to put the midrange drivers in some custom A-pillars and to mount the tweeters in the sail panels. Photos below are the progress shots





































Then I remembered that one of my old gym buddies did auto trimming as a side business so naturally he got the job of trimming my pillars.




























Also since the NZ3As are actually home audio drivers, meaning they're not protected from the sun the cone surface had discoloured from the original black to a copper like colour. This was a great excuse to get the cones painted in a custom colour. "Silver leaf" was the chosen colour and they really look awesome now


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

After getting all other necessary bits and pieces (power cabling, RCAs, speaker cabling and fuse holder for the additional amp) there was something that was always playing on my mind. First world issues but I've never ever been happy with the finish on my Mosconi amps. Awesome sounding amps but the finish is really an afterthought. Also both amps are apparently meant to be silver but one actually looks white where the other one looks silver. 

As these amps are the centre piece of my boot floor I knew I had to do something about it. So I only just recently took the plunge and got the amp covers professionally powdercoated so both amps would finally match. For those who have used/seen these amps will know that the amp cover is actually the entire heatsinks as well. Anyway below is the result and I'm absolutely stoked with the outcome

Before:



















After:




























Photos do not give the finish any justice at all as they really need to be seen in person but at least they give you an idea of what they look like now.


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Great update! Waiting to see the pillars and tweeters.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

teldzc1 said:


> Great update! Waiting to see the pillars and tweeters.



Thanks buddy. Hopefully it will all be done by the end of January. Here's a small update with the tweeters


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Also if you look closely both the midrange drivers and tweeters will be completely on-axis pointing at the driver. I'm absolutely dying to hear the end result


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

i had my a pillars converge between the 2 seats. if both left and right meet at the same time wont they cancel each other out. will your left ear do all the work.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

canuck said:


> i had my a pillars converge between the 2 seats. if both left and right meet at the same time wont they cancel each other out. will your left ear do all the work.



I really don't think it'll be a problem as the midrange and tweeter on the driver's side will be on a totally different angle to what the midrange and tweeter on the passenger side would be. In this setup I'm not pointing the speakers to the middle of the car, I'm pointing them towards the driver


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

What are other people's thoughts on how my front stage will be aimed/positioned? Also any sort of criticism with my install is welcomed too


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

A little off axis helps take away some of the harshness as opposed to pointing it directly at your ear. In the end it's nothing a processor can't remove. Pointing your front stage at each other is best for 2 seat listening I have tried putting speakers directly forward and it's a bit harsh most of the best cars have the speakers a little off axis towards the middle of the car when your putting the front stage on the pillars.
Before processors kicks were the only option.
Whatever setup you come up with try and keep the tweeter and mid-range on the same plane think of it like a bookshelf speaker. I see a lot of guys separating the two drivers and putting them on different planes I guess that works with what a processor can do and how the car interior allows for positioning. just my 2cents hopefully this will bring out some other opinions


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks canuck, that's some good information.


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Depending on your XO points, aiming might not matter that much.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

thehatedguy said:


> Depending on your XO points, aiming might not matter that much.



Thanks bud. Ive always been under the impression that the more on-axis the drivers/speakers are...the wider the frequency range you actually hear. If some of the frequencies are a little harsh they can always be toned down by the PS8


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

If you keep them out of beaming, then aiming doesn't matter that much.

But some people like to run those 3s nearly wide open to the top, which if you want to do something like that, then you'll need to aim them.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

thehatedguy said:


> If you keep them out of beaming, then aiming doesn't matter that much.
> 
> But some people like to run those 3s nearly wide open to the top, which if you want to do something like that, then you'll need to aim them.



Thanks mate. I'm going to try to run the NZ3As from 300Hz to about 7kHz totally on axis initially.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Some more progress. Car was pulled apart to re-run to separate the speaker cables further from the power cables going to the second battery. Also found a broken RCA lead going to the sub amp (AS300.2), that needed to be replaced and re-routed.



















Also added more BAM to the doors to fill in the holes. And also installed the Stereo Integrity TM65 midbass drivers



















Also trial fitted one of the AP NZ3A midrange drivers to the pillars


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## capea4 (Sep 2, 2010)

Saweeet, how's it sound? To you of course.......


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

capea4 said:


> Saweeet, how's it sound? To you of course.......



Sorry man, I haven't heard this new setup as yet as I still have quite a bit to do.... reinstall the two Mosconi amps in the boot (after being re-powdercoated), mount & wire up the tweeters and the midrange drivers and the do a final tune in the PS8.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

The third amp has now been installed under the passenger seat. It's a Mosconi One 120.2. This thing is freakishly tiny.










This amp will power the Focal KRX2 tweeters, whereas my Mosconi AS200.4 will power the Stereo Integrity TM65s and the AP NZ3As.


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## justdofit (Aug 13, 2010)

Fantastic build mate!

You're inspiring me to make some progress on my holden


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

justdofit said:


> Fantastic build mate!
> 
> You're inspiring me to make some progress on my holden



Thanks buddy. I really appreciate your kind words. I assume you're on the other forum (AU)?


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## justdofit (Aug 13, 2010)

mechatron said:


> Thanks buddy. I really appreciate your kind words. I assume you're on the other forum (AU)?


Sure am, same nick over there also.

I don't know how I missed your build, although haven't been on the forum regularly in a while.

Keep up the great work. You're in good hands with Syd on board - he really knows his stuff :beerchug:


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

justdofit said:


> Sure am, same nick over there also.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ah sweet, that's awesome man & all good .

Yeah Syd is fantastic, you'd be surprised how much work from the big shops in AU he's actually fixed or made a zillion times better


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

More of an update... the speaker and RCA cables have been slightly rerouted to ensure they're far enough away from the power cables and anywhere this wasn't possible these cables were crossed at right angles to avoid any sort of noise of interference. Also re-ran a new 5m sub RCA as there was a join with the previous cable. Focal BAM was also applied to certain panels in the dash










Amps are now back in the boot. Not a good photo but in the sun light (which there was none) these amps really sparkle nicely while still maintaining class











We're also looking at putting some 12V DC fans from Jaycar in the boot under the floor so when the floor cover plate is down the amps won't cook so much 











We also installed the passenger side pillar and NZ3A midrange driver...on-axis bliss










There was also a little accident (with a drill bit...lol) with the driver's side pillar so it needed to be retrimmed. This will be installed shortly


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## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

Great looking install.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

lashlee said:


> Great looking install.


Thanks buddy. I really appreciate it


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Great work! Interested to hear what you think of the mids.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

teldzc1 said:


> Great work! Interested to hear what you think of the mids.



Thanks bud. So am I as I've never heard another car in Oz with a set of NZ3As or TM65s


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

Looking good, this thing should sound great when you finish up.


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## TwistdInfinity (Jun 7, 2015)

Can you guess who I am?


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

1FinalInstall said:


> Looking good, this thing should sound great when you finish up.



Thanks buddy. Not long now until I get sound


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

TwistdInfinity said:


> Can you guess who I am?



Westy?


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## TwistdInfinity (Jun 7, 2015)

mechatron said:


> Westy?


Yep! 

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

TwistdInfinity said:


> Yep!
> 
> Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk



Yippee...another fellow Aussie


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

New set of midrange drivers going in very shortly . These drivers are called NZ3Ps. They have a cone that consists of treated pulp & glass fibre with a titanium dust cover. They're more of a midrange as opposed to a widebander so they're more suited to a 3way front stage setup. These NZ3Ps are a meant to sound more natural in the midrange and warmer sounding than the alloy coned NZ3A


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

The sail panels were modified to fit the Focal KRX2 TN53K tweeters.


















However we weren't happy with the way they were angled so they're currently being remade


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Here's a lot more progress. 

New head unit with sat nav, CarPlay, capacitive screen, hdmi input etc etc









My boot is finally back together after getting the amps powdercoated


















The new Audible Physics NZ3P drivers (treated pulp & glass fibre cone) are in as well as the new re-angled sail panels 




























And a close-up pic of one of the sail panels









Very close to being completed now


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Looking good! Great progress!


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

teldzc1 said:


> Looking good! Great progress!




Thanks bud, even with a base tune it's sounding really nice


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I'm straight in it for all of the photos of the gear.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Coppertone said:


> I'm straight in it for all of the photos of the gear.



No worries bud, I'm glad you're enjoying what you see


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## t0n33 (Mar 25, 2016)

Very nice looking build, thanks for sharing the process!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

t0n33 said:


> Very nice looking build, thanks for sharing the process!
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


My pleasure . Thanks for the kind words


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

More of an update. I changed the Focal tweeters out for a pair of HAT L1Pros. Once again my mate fabbed up a set of sail panels for the new tweeters




























Sorry for the bad photos...they're from my iPhone (and some with the flash on)...but you get the idea.

As for the difference in sound....
The Focal KRX2 tweeters were actually quite good...very lively but still smooth.

The HAT L1Pros sound really nice, more laid back & natural sounding. You can't notice the transition from the midrange to the tweeters...it's almost like the tweeters aren't there and the midrange is playing full range


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## TwistdInfinity (Jun 7, 2015)

I should start a build thread here now that road.com.au is gone 

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I'm looking forward to reading about it.


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## Alex92 (Mar 27, 2015)

TwistdInfinity said:


> I should start a build thread here now that road.com.au is gone
> 
> Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk




You should  I'm heavily considering doing a proper one here myself once I finally get started.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## chisholm (Sep 28, 2016)

Good to see another Sydney sider/FHRX friend here, enjoyed your thread  Sent you a PM


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## TwistdInfinity (Jun 7, 2015)

chisholm said:


> Good to see another Sydney sider/FHRX friend here, enjoyed your thread  Sent you a PM


I'm Sydney based till Jan then off to Brisbane. Bought my subs and helix dsp amp from Marty. Good guy to deal with. Tuned my old stereo for me many years ago that was installed by someone else just cause I went to check out his shop and have a chat. 

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Update time...so I’ve never been happy with my midbass...well actually it was never the midbass drivers themselves but my doors. They were never ever braced, deadened or sealed properly. Here’s some pics of the old deadener that was never applied properly from a professional shop.



















The factory plastic speaker pod/baffle isn’t ideal either as it can flex and the screw holes were getting bigger due to trying multiple midbass drivers in the past. So the decision was made to properly deaden, seal and stiffen the doors to make them solid as [email protected] I also decided to buy the best , cleanest sounding midbass drivers I could afford.



















Firstly my mate and I spent 4 hours per door removing the old Focal BAM. For both front doors, a layer of Pingjing & Focal BAM were applied to the outer skin (inside each door) and then a small strip of 10mm acoustic foam was applied to the lower section of each door approximately the same height as the midbass driver. 

Sorry the following photos will be a combination of both the driver and front passenger door. However both had identical treatment. 




























Next some bracing was applied to the service holes to help stiffen up the doors 










Then blanking plates were made in attempt to seal the doors properly 










And above you’ll also notice that new solid baffles were made to support the new midbass drivers. These can actually take my whole weight standing on them. 










Next came the final layer of Focal BAM and the mounting of the Dynaudio ESOTAR E650 midbass drivers. A layer of BAM was also used as a gasket between the baffle and the flange of the E650s

















.

The door trims also were deadened and pieces of the factory speaker grill were cut out to allow more sound out 





































Door trims were put back on and after a full retune, the difference was night and day. The E650 drivers are so detailed and musical, yet they still give a solid kick. And when closing my closing they now give a very solid thud. Very happy with the results and totally worth the 4 weekends of labour and the outlay of the E650s.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Also decided to finally put some 3D printed trim rings on the Audible Physics NZ3P midrange drivers. I had no black paint so I decided just to use many layers of Plastidip...lol. In the end they turned out pretty good and they also “focussed” the NZ3Ps a little. 



















I also attended a Comp last weekend and drove away with a trophy too


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## dcfis (Sep 9, 2016)

Awesome


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

dcfis said:


> Awesome



Thanks buddy


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## Reyne (May 18, 2010)

Excellent build. Very interesting for me as I'm currently doing a build on my 06 VZ Calais. Did exactly the same process to my doors, except I've added a sheet of mass loaded vinyl over the deadening. Havnt settled on what drivers to run yet.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Reyne said:


> Excellent build. Very interesting for me as I'm currently doing a build on my 06 VZ Calais. Did exactly the same process to my doors, except I've added a sheet of mass loaded vinyl over the deadening. Havnt settled on what drivers to run yet.



Thanks mate. I’d love to see progress pics of your build. Have you started a build log on here as yet?


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Ok update time, I recently purchased a Mosconi AS100.2 amp to replace my Mosconi ONE 120.2 amp that runs the HAT L1Pro tweeters, purely so I have all matching amps. Naturally as soon as I got my hands on the AS100.2 amp, it was dissembled and sent to the powdercoaters to get the "Class A" finish the other two amps had (AS200.4 & AS300.2).


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Also my stereo is now sounding killer while stationary with the engine off... however I swear I have a massive cancellation around the 50-70Hz range while at speed in my loud cammed V8. Therefore the plan is to do the following:
- Remove the seats and floor and add 2.2mm pingjing sound deadener and 10mm acoustic foam 
- Remove wheels and plastic inner guards and cover with Dynamat Extreme


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Also another thing I really want to do to combat the road/exhaust/engine noise is to go a 4 way active front end. I got the idea after talking to Peter Steinbacher from Pssound over Messenger. Basically I want to remove the glovebox and build an enclosure for an 8" subwoofer to really hit the 50-70Hz region hard (while still using the twin Arc Black 12s in the boot). But unfortunately I have already used up all the channels of the existing processor (PS8). Therefore the decision was made to buy the Helix DSP PRO DSP MK2 complete with director, DMP moulding and the HEC-HD AUDIO USB card. 




























Amp wise, I may use my existing ONE 120.2 amp to power the future 8" sub. Or I may buy another AS200.4 amp to power both the tweeters and the 8" glovebox sub (with the 3rd and 4th channel bridged). Just a decision I'll need to make in the next few months. Although can someone please recommend me a great 8" sub that doesn't require a huge enclosure? I'm thinking maybe the Arc 8D2???


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Now I’m on the hunt for a good DAP (Digital Audio Player) to connect directly into the Helix Pro MK2 DSP by digital coax. I’ve narrowed it down to the Fiio X5iii and the more expensive iBasso DX150 unit based on forum reviews etc. The reason for the DAP is I really want a hi-res player to really get the most out of my SQ setup. While driving I’ll be using my Pioneer head unit with CarPlay and SD card filled with FLAC files. But while the engine is off I really want to do some critical listening and enjoy my setup with Hi-res songs. 

Hopefully I’ll be able to physically demo both the X5iii and the DX150 in the next coming weeks, and then I’ll make a decision.


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## CAudio (Aug 29, 2016)

Hertz Space 8 or the ESB 8" from Italy.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

CAudio said:


> Hertz Space 8 or the ESB 8" from Italy.




Thanks for the suggestions CAudio. I’ll have a look into them.

I also have a Dayton Audio Ultimax on my shortlist as it doesn’t need a large enclosure to play low. 

http://www.theloudspeakerkit.com/dayton-audio-um8-22-8-ultimax-dvc-subwoofer-2-ohms


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

My new toy. A Fiio X5iii digital audio player. The plan is to use this as my hi-res source straight into the Helix Pro Mk2 DSP via digital coax and bypass the Pioneer AVIC head unit. However when driving around I’ll still use the Pioneer head unit for CarPlay, FLAC files stored on the SD card etc


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

. awesome build dude . Love those pillars !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

optimaprime said:


> . awesome build dude . Love those pillars !
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Thanks buddy. I really appreciate it


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## CAudio (Aug 29, 2016)

What material are the blanking plates made out of and what did you use to adhere them to the door panel?


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## Chris12 (Sep 20, 2018)

Awesome build and car. Those SS’s really are nice. I considered buying a used one earlier this year, but they’re almost impossible to find since the production was so low (here in the US at least).

Thanks for posting!


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

CAudio said:


> What material are the blanking plates made out of and what did you use to adhere them to the door panel?




From memory, the material is a thick non-rigid plastic composite with decent acoustic properties. They’re held in place with adhesive to the vertical aluminium braces and then the FOCAL BAM does the rest


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Chris12 said:


> Awesome build and car. Those SS’s really are nice. I considered buying a used one earlier this year, but they’re almost impossible to find since the production was so low (here in the US at least).
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for posting!




Thanks for the kind words mate .
Yeah I’ve always had a soft spot for Commodores/HSVs.

Ah that’s right, you guys got the VF SS Commodores aka Chevrolet SS in 2013/2014 and before that you got our Monaro (2004 Pontiac GTO). The USA was actually very lucky as your SS models got the LS3 straight up, whereas in Oz we had to wait a few more years to get the 6.2L in our Commodores


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## No ConeSS (Aug 26, 2015)

mechatron said:


> Thanks for the kind words mate .
> Yeah I’ve always had a soft spot for Commodores/HSVs.
> 
> Ah that’s right, you guys got the VF SS Commodores aka Chevrolet SS in 2013/2014 and before that you got our Monaro (2004 Pontiac GTO). The USA was actually very lucky as your SS models got the LS3 straight up, whereas in Oz we had to wait a few more years to get the 6.2L in our Commodores


Sorry to necro this thread, but I'm getting more serious about upgrading the audio in my '15 SS (that I took the bowties off of to put Holden logos on...). Had an '04 GTO for a few years, sold it (and missed driving it), missed out on the G8s, so I jumped on the SS when I had a chance.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

No ConeSS said:


> Sorry to necro this thread, but I'm getting more serious about upgrading the audio in my '15 SS (that I took the bowties off of to put Holden logos on...). Had an '04 GTO for a few years, sold it (and missed driving it), missed out on the G8s, so I jumped on the SS when I had a chance.




Nice choice mate. What audio gear are you thinking of getting?


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## No ConeSS (Aug 26, 2015)

mechatron said:


> Nice choice mate. What audio gear are you thinking of getting?


I just added a single Soundstream SS10R 10" on a small amp. This summer I'm going to replace it with a pair of PPI Powerclass Pro 8" flat-piston subs on the same amp.

The future plan is active 3-way with DSP and upgraded subs. Weighing my options, but I'm still at least a year out. Tossing around all Audiofrog GBs, Stereo Integrity stuff, or budget build using stuff from Madisound and Parts Express with AE subs in IB configuration.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

No ConeSS said:


> I just added a single Soundstream SS10R 10" on a small amp. This summer I'm going to replace it with a pair of PPI Powerclass Pro 8" flat-piston subs on the same amp.
> 
> The future plan is active 3-way with DSP and upgraded subs. Weighing my options, but I'm still at least a year out. Tossing around all Audiofrog GBs, Stereo Integrity stuff, or budget build using stuff from Madisound and Parts Express with AE subs in IB configuration.




Sounds like you have a good plan in place. Have a good look at Scanspeak’s range of home audio speaker drivers. They’ve also got a car audio range too


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