# 2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, Exodus



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Probably a little premature on making this thread but Im too excited not to 

This is going to be a long thread but I will be as detailed as possible with it and try to answer any questions. 

I picked up an 08 the other day:




Instead of doing any perfomance or appearance mods first(which is my usual route) I am focusing on the audio first. This car is a great platform for an audio setup and I am going focus on sound quality while having the ability to play loud. My goals are to have a great center image, tonality, and impact. Depth will come second.

I already have some gear from my previous civic and have purchased some for this new build. Here is a rundown of what is being used(could POSSIBLY change but for now its pretty set)

Source:

Pioneer DEX-99PRS

Power/speaker/rca cable:

Stinger HPM 0/1 awg power wire
Stinger Pro series 14 awg speaker wire
Stinger 8000 series 17' RCA (2 runs of 4 channel)

Amps:

Phoenix Gold Elite.5
Phoenix Gold Elite.4

Speakers:

ScanSpeak D2004/6020-00 Tweeter
Audible Physics AR3A Midrange 
Exodus Anarchy Midbass 
Stereo Integrity BM MKIV Subwoofer (x2)

Noise/rattle/vibration control:

40 SDS Tiles
9 yards SDS MLV
1 roll SDS Butyl Rope
10 ft 3m thinsulate
26 sq ft Second Skin Damplifier Pro
5 yards RAAMaudio peel n stick CCF


Everything listed is in my possession besides the Stereo Integrity woofers which are going to be available for me to pick up early next month. I am going to try and see if I can fit one up front in the passenger foot area under the dash. The sub requires .5 cu ft sealed and is only 3.5" deep so it may be possible. If not, I will have a box made for the trunk that is shallow and tall to give the two of them 1 cu ft total without killing my truck space.


The deadener will be the first part of this project. As you can see, I went with a few different brands. I went this route because I like the features of certain products that each one offers. SDS is definitely top of the line and reasonably priced. I will be using the tiles at full coverage on the front door inner sheetmetal(that midbass will be mounted to). The second skin damplifier pro will be on the outer skin and other areas of the car needing attention. I purchased the SS on cyber monday at 40% off, otherwise it wouldve been all SDS on the CLD.

RAAMaudio peel n stick CCF was chosen for its convenient backing so I do not have to use glue or tape to mount it. 

I will probably start this portion of the build this weekend. 


The PG Elite.4 will power the midranges and tweeters (175w per channel)
The PG Elite.5 will have bridged stereo channels for 300 watts per channel for the midbass, and the sub channel will give either 675 at 2ohm for one sub or 1175 at 1ohm for two subs.

A couple of pics of gear until I get started:

elite.5



pioneer 99rs in my 99 civic



anarchy midbass



anarchy, ap ar3a, scan illuminator


----------



## mitchjr (Mar 8, 2010)

I'll definitely be watching this one.


----------



## Wy2quiet (Jun 29, 2010)

Yeah subbed as I am going to start mine in the spring and mine is a lot alike. (picked it up 2 weeks ago) Congrats dude.









If you come across any model-specific tips post them up please. I am not going 3 way but will probably do an active 2 way.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks guys! ill keep you posted as best I can. I think papasin and bikinpunk are probably the go to guys for chassis specific tips for sure. ill definitely be asking them questions as they come up. congrats on your new purchase too! i love the way it drives and the layout overall


----------



## REGULARCAB (Sep 26, 2013)

sub'd, got my eyes on a civic.


----------



## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

In for the Galaxy Grey Civic  Looking forward to how this turns out


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

You got a little over 3 weeks.


----------



## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Subbed for the PG Elite.Porn!


----------



## dgr932 (Mar 31, 2011)

As they say SUB'd!!! Better get a move on you 3 weeks it is


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

doubt ill bring it to the meet lol. ive still got the pioneer stuff in the 99, i may bring that just so you guys have something to listen to


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

looking forward to this. good looking car too


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks Chris, im interested to see what you do with your new honda!


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

casey said:


> thanks guys! ill keep you posted as best I can. I think papasin and bikinpunk are probably the go to guys for chassis specific tips for sure. ill definitely be asking them questions as they come up. congrats on your new purchase too! i love the way it drives and the layout overall



I appreciate the vote of confidence, and I'll do my best but know I have plenty to learn still. 

Looks like you have the SI like me, so going to be a couple very subtle differences compared to the DX/LX/EX sedan (i.e. louder OEM exhaust, 8" stock sub location in rear deck, etc.). But I agree that it has been a good platform. Should be fun.


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

casey said:


> thanks Chris, im interested to see what you do with your new honda!


haha, me too  i think the interior up front is pretty similar so i may be able to steal some ideas from this log. the factory navigation unit is killing me though...


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Im along for the ride. Ill se what you do different and maybe steal you ideas! haha


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Nice Civic Casey!

This will be fun!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

DBlevel said:


> Nice Civic Casey!
> 
> This will be fun!


im hoping you think that after we do some deadening on wed! 

ill definitely try to keep this updated. once i sell my other civic things will get rolling a little more


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Can't wait to see what you do with the car man! Even more excited to hear it. 
I said over on 8th how big those anarchys are, will fitment be an issue in our doors? I know we do not have allot of room in their any way.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

you guys plan on being at the Spring NC meet? If so, we'll have a strong Civic turn out.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

bikinpunk said:


> you guys plan on being at the Spring NC meet? If so, we'll have a strong Civic turn out.


yessir. i have heard great things about your car. cant wait to hear the point source drivers and hope you get tired of them one day and sell the setup to me


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> Can't wait to see what you do with the car man! Even more excited to hear it.
> I said over on 8th how big those anarchys are, will fitment be an issue in our doors? I know we do not have allot of room in their any way.


youre local, you should help me install some stuff lol

anarchys will not be an issue as far as i know. some of the sheetmetal on the opening will need to be trimmed but with a good 3/4" spacer depth shouldnt be an issue. theres another guy on 8thgen running them in the doors as well. 

im going to go a little overboard on the doors to keep resonance and rattles down. going to do close to 100% coverage as i can, with mlv, ccf and the 3m product going in them as well


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

I plan to be at the spring meet. 

Hey I can if you want. Just let me know. 
I'm using a 3/4 spacer with the imagines as well.

With the size and power your running make sure to trim your door card. The part that is literally Infront of the speaker when installed. You will see what I'm talking about when you pull the panel off if you don't know what I mean already.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> I plan to be at the spring meet.
> 
> Hey I can if you want. Just let me know.
> I'm using a 3/4 spacer with the imagines as well.
> ...


havent pulled them off but i assume there is a thin plastic ring around the soeaker opening if i think i know what youre talking about. ive got tin snips so shouldnt be too much hassle


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

You should be able to see the trimming in the pic below of what JSM-FA5 is referring to.










IME when I had speakers in the doors, having a healthy dose of CLD and strategic application of CCF on the door card also did wonders...until I threw in the towel and went kicks.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks for the pic Richard.

I definitely will be giving a healthy treatment on the door card as well. The oem system gives a little buzz on the cards on bass heavy songs, but with some work I dont think itll be much issue.


----------



## THE VIKING (Oct 23, 2007)

This is going to be one to follow for sure. Nice equipment line up i do have a question is the tweeter that you have chosen much better sounding than say the SEAS Prestige 27TFFNC/G or just a better match with the other drivers ?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

to be honest, I have never heard the seas tweeter, or the scan illuminator that I have. I bought these because I have never heard a bad review on them, and they have excellent power handling as well.


----------



## THE VIKING (Oct 23, 2007)

The reason I ask is because I plan on much the same driver setup in a 3 way set up but was looking at the SEAS Prestige 27TFFNC/G due to is shallower mounting depth and also seen in used here a lot.


----------



## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

That is a fantastic driver lineup. Can't wait to see it all installed.


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Papasin that would be what I was talking about. Casey you already knew about it though haha. If you need a hand let me know. Im just about 20-30 minutes away from you.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

I'd recondiser cutting that piece of the door card. I did it, too, and wouldn't do it again... not unless you absolutely needed to in order to fit the driver in the door. The reason why is simply because, with it there, it acts as a way to direct the sound energy through the door panel grill, as opposed to the energy being spread out in to the cavity behind the panel, which creates more issues with rattles and incoherency. 

Just my $.02.


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

bikinpunk said:


> I'd recondiser cutting that piece of the door card. I did it, too, and wouldn't do it again... not unless you absolutely needed to in order to fit the driver in the door. The reason why is simply because, with it there, it acts as a way to direct the sound energy through the door panel grill, as opposed to the energy being spread out in to the cavity behind the panel, which creates more issues with rattles and incoherency.
> 
> Just my $.02.


To be honest I thought about that when I was cutting mine. But I thought with it only being two inches or so it would not make a drastic difference. I now realize any difference affects the sound. I just did it for peace of mind vs the sound. I would always be thinking about the driver hitting that if I left it their.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

When I had a door speaker, after I trimmed the door card, I used a speaker gasket to form a seal between the speaker and the door card, similar to the one pictured below (pic courtesy of Musicar NW).


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks for the suggestions on the door card, I may just trim it back and use some ccf on it like that pic if it is too close to the speaker.

Finally made some progress, went over to Russ's(DBLevel) house. We started on the deadening.

Sorry for the ****ty pics, I forgot my camera(which isnt much better anyway)



The man, the myth, the legend, dblevel



SDS rope on the safety bar, Second Skin Damplifier Pro on the outter door metal, close to full coverage as possible





giving Russ moral support while working his side. SDS Tiles at close to 100% on the inner skin.



being lazy, we "sealed" up the door with second skin pro(i got 26 sq ft during their black friday sale at 40% off) we didnt have anything to brace the opening with, but the motor assembly provides enough support in the middle of the opening(its the non-moving part of the window assembly)



started getting a little sloppy towards the end (drinking vodka on an empty stomach isnt the best idea while working on stuff, but it sure is fun ) applied RAAMat ensolite peel and stick over the deadener



Russ finishing up his side, a little cleaner than mine for sure


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

"started getting a little sloppy towards the end (drinking vodka on an empty stomach isnt the best idea while working on stuff, but it sure is fun ) applied RAAMat ensolite peel and stick over the deadener"










I think you forgot a pic to add to that section. Your meditation period we'll call it I guess.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

I was meditating. for sure.


Also bought this today. Group 34 Platinum


----------



## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Thumbs up on the die hard. Also the comedy level on this build thread is epic.


----------



## mitchjr (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm curious about the battery. My lx takes a group 51r, is the Si different? And no sears in the pittsburgh area had a platinum 51r, was it hard to find?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

they dont make a 51r. this is a little bigger than the oem battery but can be fitted without a lot of work.


----------



## mitchjr (Mar 8, 2010)

That explains why they couldn't find one. I wish the guy at sears knew that. While I was waiting I also heard this guy tell a customer he needed a brake fluid flush because he had water in his hydraulic system and it worked its way into his caliper sliders and caused it to freeze up. So if he didn't want it to happen again he needed a flush. Then he charged him $230 and all he really needed was rear pads, probably $30 @ advance and 2 bolts. Sickening. 
Sorry for the rant. I can't wait to see what you do to make it fit so I can copy.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

*2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, E...*

Been there.   










There's a DIY on 8thCivic. You just need a new battery tie down and bend back the tabs a bit.

http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/diy-...-upgrade-your-battery-07mugencivic-no56k.html


----------



## mitchjr (Mar 8, 2010)

Man, I forgot the Si's intake goes the other way. My air filter is so close to the battery I already had to trim the hold down a little. But thanks for that I may be able to push my intake up a little to go over the battery instead of tucked behind it.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Ah I got ya. Worth a shot!


----------



## Wy2quiet (Jun 29, 2010)

Did you guys notice any difference switching to a larger batt? I ask because my car struggles a bit when it is really cold (-20 here) and I would upgrade if it was worth it.

To be 100% honest I had a 1 month old new Exide AGM with 5 year extended warranty in my protege and then the car got written off and I saw it didn't fit so I didn't try. Would have been nice to see the DIY before that hehe.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

i havent installed it yet. the dealer put a brand new oem honda 500cca 51r in mine and when its 15-20* here I can tell some more juice would be helpful. The platinum has 850cca, I would put money on it helping cold starts in addition to being a benefit to the audio system over stock.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

couple of little updates from the past few days...

Got a few odds and ends in(the little stuff that adds up in the end):

Oem honda dash kit for double/single din install - I am very particular about using oem as much as possible, simply for fit, quality, and in this case, it matches perfect as well. It ended up being about 3x as much as a metra/scosche kit but it is worth it to me.

PAC steering wheel module - decided to do this as well to retain my controls, once again, i like having everything work like it should 

speaker ring adapters - I decided to take a chance on these. They are from PVC Speaker Adapters - CNC Machined - In Stock or Custom Made and ended up being $35 shipped. If they will fit the anarchys then great, if not they will let you return them. If they do work, the owner of the site emailed me and said if you take 10 pics of the install they will refund half the cost, which isnt bad. They looked to be well made, 3 layers of pvc, totaling 3/4" thick, and are "bolt on". They are not "sealed" but that is nothing a few pieces of butyl rope wont fix. 



one my cats (Hulk Hogan) trying to figure out wtf im messing with






I also did some more sound proofing work to the car on Wed and Thur. Russ was working on his car and helping his daughter with her new car purchase so I was on my own but he was nice enough to let me work at his house and steal his fine silverware while he was out.

Here is the SDS MLV. I was quite surprised with how easy this product is to work with. It is very high quality and Don did his homework with coming up with this vs a standard mlv which ive heard is sometimes difficult.

Started laying stuff out and cutting(razorblade works awesome, was doing all this freehand and my first time)



started to seam it all together. Instead of the vinyl glue he offers, i used a thin, strong ducting tape. I want to be able to remove/adjust if i ever need to, and I already had it. All cuts/seams had pieces to make sure exposed areas were covered.







after this was done, I was definitely interested in seeing if i could notice a difference. I had a few hours labor into it and the cost of the product. I can say with certainty that this is definitely worth doing if you want a quieter ride. I was extremely pleased with the reduction in noise from the rear of the car, and will be doing the whole floorboard once I order more MLV.

Made sure it all buttoned up like stock with all push clips and screw clips in place





And lastly, I stuff the **** out of the doors with 3m Thinsulate Acoustic that SDS sells as well. You simply cut it and apply with hot glue. This is another product I was interested to see the benefits of, and once again I was not disappointed. With the oem SI system, it sounds awesome. No rattles, I get a midbass thump surprisingly, and no buzzing. 

The only thing I want to attempt at some point on the doors is a layer of MLV. I spent a couple hours trying to make a piece work but I couldnt quite get it. If i cant get MLV in there, it wont be a huge disappointment, but if I can work on it enough to fit it, then great.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Maybe next week we can make some progress on it. We still need to get the sound deadening order together for the rest of the goods!

For both our cars...........


----------



## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

Nice job in the trunk area with the MLV, lots angles and not so easy to get all the factory stuff back in place. Well done.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

DBlevel said:


> Maybe next week we can make some progress on it. We still need to get the sound deadening order together for the rest of the goods!
> 
> For both our cars...........



definitely! ill email don today, maybe we can get it by wed or thur if we are lucky.

I want to try and get the speaker wire ran and rca ran if we have time this week.




Pitmaster said:


> Nice job in the trunk area with the MLV, lots angles and not so easy to get all the factory stuff back in place. Well done.



Thanks sir. It wasnt too bad, just took my time on it, made sure I could shape it how i wanted, and only had to test fit the panels once luckily.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

couple of updates:

we laid MLV on the whole floorboard and under the rear seats as well as ran 3 sets of speaker wire down each side of the car and 2 runs of 4ch rcas on the passenger side. 

to be completely honest with you, between the alcohol that was consumed and the amount of removal, I did not get any pics 

it was a time consuming pain in the ass but will be worth it in the long run.




the anarchys do not fit the pre-made baffles so i will be returning them.

mark w gave me a call and we set up a game plan on getting baffles made for the midbass as well as getting the pillars done and a box for the sub(s)

Hopefully the next update I give will be of some great fabwork from him, now that all the tedious work has been done besides running my power and grounds.


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Sounds good Casey! Have you guys placed your order with don yet?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

we did...i have a TON of leftover MLV if you want to buy it off me.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

monthly update since I havent done much on the car in the last few weeks:

sold the 3" ap mids and picked these up:




I am about to head out the door to drop the car off so I may have some good updates in the next week or two


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Where are you dropping the car off?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Mark Worrell will be doing a few things for me. We discussed what Id like done and he has the car, so I should have some good updates soon


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Wow you've really stepped up your game Casey.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Coppertone said:


> Wow you've really stepped up your game Casey.


we will see 

ill start posting pics as I get teasers from Mark on progress. He is slammed so im being patient as possible. He had stuff for a handfull of other members on here ready to go/in progress as well.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

a few little teasers mark sent me of the box build. EXCELLENT so far as I expected. The pretty opening on the back is 3/4" plexi. Front has not been cut for the subs just yet since Im waiting on the SI BMIV, but should have them next week


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

So far..................WOW

#Doctor


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks Kendall! Hopefully there will be some more shortly.

couple more phone pics to hold over while mark works his magic. Went and picked up my subs directly from Nick at Stereo Integrity. He tested them for me when I picked them up. These are very nice looking drivers. Not too flashy. I cant wait to see them in the box with the illumination.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

:snacks:


----------



## quietfly (Mar 23, 2011)

nice!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

another teaser from mark.

I have a few others but Im holding out...I will say it is coming together above expectation


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> another teaser from mark.
> 
> I have a few others but Im holding out...I will say it is coming together above expectation


Casey,

Thanks for stopping by the shop to pick up your woofers. I'm sure you will enjoy them...especially seeing how incredible your install is coming along. :thumbsup:


----------



## req (Aug 4, 2007)

looking cool man! the anarchies are some beastly mids...


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks guys. I am getting hyped about the finished product. Itll be ready with a rough tune by the spring meet I hope


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

That's looking FANTASTIC.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Electrodynamic said:


> Casey,
> 
> Thanks for stopping by the shop to pick up your woofers. I'm sure you will enjoy them...especially seeing how incredible your install is coming along. :thumbsup:





captainobvious said:


> That's looking FANTASTIC.




Thanks Nick, good to meet you and talk shop a couple minutes, thanks for dropping in the thread.

Thanks Steve. I wouldnt expect any less after seeing pics of your pillars Mark did. 

I cant wait to put some high resolution pics on here to really show how nice it all is. Mark assures me there will be enough blue LEDs in the trunk when the covers are off that youll need  to look in :laugh:


----------



## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

That box is looking really good. Can you show a side profile pic of that sub?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

sorry I didndt take a side profile, they are definitely the advertised 3.4" depth though, and a very nice looking sub on top of that


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> sorry I didndt take a side profile, they are definitely the advertised 3.4" depth though, and a very nice looking sub on top of that


There's a side profile pic of the mkIII (used the same basket as our mkIV) on our main web page. Like Casey said, there's not much of a profile.


----------



## Wy2quiet (Jun 29, 2010)

How is it all going on the pillar front dude? I am looking to get some built as well but it seems I can't find anyone. May just go two way with tweets in pods. Have you decided yet?

I am even more interested in how you are going to get the anarchy's in the doors as we are in similar positions. I have all the tools and jigs necessary to make rings out of MDF or HDPE but not sure if it will fit behind the door card.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Pillar work and door work will be done after the trunk work so no updates on that yet. I think the anarchy will fit behind the card with sheetmetal trimming and a nice spacer.

Mark is most likely going to mount mine like he did Jasons car (Bertholomey) by isolating the driver from the door and mounting it flush with the panel so that it only fires into the cabin.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

casey said:


> Pillar work and door work will be done after the trunk work so no updates on that yet. I think the anarchy will fit behind the card with sheetmetal trimming and a nice spacer.
> 
> Mark is most likely going to mount mine like he did Jasons car (Bertholomey) by isolating the driver from the door and mounting it flush with the panel so that it only fires into the cabin.


You shall be Lord of the Rings as well. :surprised:


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

LOL. Thats assuming Mark can fit that huge bastard in there how he wants. If he cant, I may have to buy some crappy Dyns :O


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

07azhhr said:


> That box is looking really good. Can you show a side profile pic of that sub?


Here is a side profile shot of the sub










Awesome work Casey! I love the deadening work that you did - lots of work, but it should really pay off in the long run as you mentioned. 

The teaser shots that I saw of the sub box and the amp rack..........as I replied back to you.......I'm Jealous! You are going to be extremely happy once you see it in person (I'm looking forward to that as well). 

With a little adjustment to my tune, my SI BM is sounding even more amazing! I'm really looking forward to hearing two of these amazing subs in your car.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks Jason, youll probably be tired of hearing it soon though, since Im contracting you to help with dialing it all in 

we can get some locals together like you mentioned. I need this thing ready for the spring meet!


----------



## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

casey said:


> Pillar work and door work will be done after the trunk work so no updates on that yet. I think the anarchy will fit behind the card with sheetmetal trimming and a nice spacer.
> 
> Mark is most likely going to mount mine like he did Jasons car (Bertholomey) by isolating the driver from the door and mounting it flush with the panel so that it only fires into the cabin.


 You should like the Anarchy's. I know I do. I got lucky in my car and did not have to trim any metal to make mine fit. It will be worth the trimming for sure though. 

That sub looks oh so nice. For space savings I am half tempted to run 2 of those.


----------



## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

bertholomey said:


> Here is a side profile shot of the sub


 Thank you.


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Mark was telling me he was working on a car with those PG amps...didn't know it was yours. Should be pretty badassed. Mark will make the car do what he wants it to do.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

yessir. I know he is the best at what he does so I have complete confidence. There just isnt room on the card, tight quarters. 

yes, the amps are monsters. heres one more teaser of them with a few white leds illuminating them


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

You may have already seen this...but : Phoenix Gold Phorum • View topic - Elite LED lighting

Those would look REALLY sick with the white LEDs inside to show off the beautiful internals.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

dammit steve. i saw some of that on PG's facebook. I was debating it and that may have sealed it for me.


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

#Doctor




Damn you Scuba Steve!!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

scuba steve is a bad influence...


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

casey said:


> scuba steve is a bad influence...



Blah........both you are


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

DBlevel said:


> Blah........both you are


right right. I told you to leave your setup as is


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

casey said:


> right right. I told you to leave your setup as is



No reason to bring up old s**t


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

i know where you live. dont make me come up there when i roll through


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Oh hell here we go.

I'll leave the light on for ya!

Just wait till you get the Civic back so I can see what Mark did...........


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

You gotta admit...it looks pretty badass!

#Doctor


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> scuba steve is a bad influence...


If I keep this up, I'm going to have to come down TWO weeks before the spring meet to get my Mazda buttoned up just so you can fit me in...


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> You gotta admit...it looks pretty badass!
> 
> #Doctor




I love it so far!

I can't wait to see the finished product.........


----------



## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

Very nice amp rack and subbass enclosure.....more pics, more pics...


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

casey said:


> thanks Jason, youll probably be tired of hearing it soon though, since Im contracting you to help with dialing it all in
> 
> we can get some locals together like you mentioned. I need this thing ready for the spring meet!


Sounds good to me - just give me a shout.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Three days and no update?!?!

#Doctor?


----------



## Salami (Oct 10, 2007)

I was over there peeking in the windows today but I could not see a thing. Need more pictures.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

no new pics this weekend, he was cutting rings for the front stage so hopefully there will be some next weekend!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Yeah, the Doctor is burning the midnight oil right now. He's got multiple projects on the front burner all sharing the same flame


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

He can handle it. Keep his phone off the hook and off of the forum.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Any new updates? Looking forward to seeing the progress on that trunk!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

I got one new pic from him Saturday. It's coming along! Ill wait till I have some better ones to update, since I'm selling the work short with phone pics


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

crossing my fingers the #doctor sends me some update pics this weekend.

hopefully we are still on track to have it ready for the meet at the end of the month.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I'm sure he'll have you ready to rock 

Looking forward to checking it out!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Casey, cannot wait to see your car in a couple weeks! I am planning Mark doing my install as well and hopefully (if budget allows) 2x Stereo Integrity mkIV subs as well. Looking forward to hearing your setup 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

crea_78 said:


> Casey, cannot wait to see your car in a couple weeks! I am planning Mark doing my install as well and hopefully (if budget allows) 2x Stereo Integrity mkIV subs as well. Looking forward to hearing your setup
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk



thanks sir, you will not be disappointed with what you get.

I posted these in the NC meet thread, but here is a couple teasers for everyone else. Once again just cell pics that dont do the work justice, but they will do for now


----------



## Salami (Oct 10, 2007)

Looks good and even better in person!!!

Just stopped by to get a quote on some work and Mark showed me what has been done so far. VERY nice!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

well damn, youve seen more than I have then 

I havent seen anything on the front stage yet


----------



## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

Like I said before, this is looking great! Are the lights adjustable or are you running just blues?


----------



## Salami (Oct 10, 2007)

casey said:


> well damn, youve seen more than I have then
> 
> I havent seen anything on the front stage yet


If it makes you feel better I didn't get to see inside the cabin except for the enclosure. Mark told me what was happening but I didn't ask to see any more than what he showed me quick. I felt bad taking up any time other than what I was there for. I know he has TONS of work to do and don't want to take from it. 


Now what is Jason's car doing back there also?????


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Salami said:


> If it makes you feel better I didn't get to see inside the cabin except for the enclosure. Mark told me what was happening but I didn't ask to see any more than what he showed me quick. I felt bad taking up any time other than what I was there for. I know he has TONS of work to do and don't want to take from it.
> 
> 
> Now what is Jason's car doing back there also?????



cool deal! I think Jason is getting an amp rack done as well, im interested to see it with his custom mosconis.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

rdubbs said:


> Like I said before, this is looking great! Are the lights adjustable or are you running just blues?


thanks again, just blue, but lots of it lol


----------



## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

casey said:


> thanks again, just blue, but lots of it lol


Not a bad thing  Especially with a honda  Can't go wrong with blue or red


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> thanks sir, you will not be disappointed with what you get.
> 
> I posted these in the NC meet thread, but here is a couple teasers for everyone else. Once again just cell pics that dont do the work justice, but they will do for now


Wow, that looks awesome so far!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks Nick, Ill send over some high res pics once I have them. The baskets on these things are too pretty to not show off


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

casey said:


> Thanks Nick, Ill send over some high res pics once I have them. The baskets on these things are too pretty to not show off


Unless the whole thing is hidden up under the dash 

But you are exactly right - those baskets are fantastic!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

rdubbs said:


> Like I said before, this is looking great! Are the lights adjustable or are you running just blues?





bertholomey said:


> Unless the whole thing is hidden up under the dash
> 
> But you are exactly right - those baskets are fantastic!!!


that would be the exception for sure!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

got some updates from Mark over the weekend. Front stage has been started on the pillars, hopefully will have some more trickling in this week. Cutting it close for the meet lol. If I have to I will take friday off to get the head unit and power/remote wire ran and maybe a quick tune with Jason


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Casey, which subwoofers are those again ?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Stereo Integrity BM MKIV


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Wow those baskets are absolutely stunning, you really have to make sure those puppies are put out for display.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

few more little teaser updates. Mark has been busy on my project and many others, but I believe this is coming to a close soon 

Mark has been worried throughout that the anarchys depth would not allow a door install that was reasonable. His fears were confirmed when he started his test fitting in my doors. He called and advised that without doing some custom work on the the door cards, the speakers would stick out an inch or so past them. He said with them flush mounted, the window would not roll down completely. I wasnt ok with that, so he started looking into other options.

My midbass was the only piece of my setup I wasnt completely set on, but was an affordable solution at the time(and I thought they would fit). If you know Mark, he is going to do everything he can to get something to work, and do it right. He happened to have a few Dyn drivers in stock and started some test fitting. Here is what I got pics of, I present 8" mw172 Dynaudios in the doors 
dyn 8 rear left, anarchy rear right, oem front left, dyn 7 front right



the lame oem opening on the door card



test mounted for fitment....how did that even get in there?



with grille on, perfect look and fit!






i couldnt believe he was able to fit these in the door, I am super happy about it and even more excited to get it back soon(eta 1-2 weeks at this point!)


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

impressive, looks good! i'm excited to hear this at one of the upcoming meets. i got rid of the insight back in february and just signed papers on a 2013 fit base last night, hoping to get started on mine and make it to some meets this year.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

sounds good Chris, congrats on the new fit. I wanted a 1st gen for a while, they are awesome cars. What color did you get? the new teal color is crazy!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Looks great Casey

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I must say Casey that I am very impressed that an 8" fit so well into those door panels. Hopefully you will be able to sell those 6.5s quickly to offset some of your cost.


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

thanks  i've wanted a taffeta white fit since i started looking at getting a new car in 2011, and they happened to have one in stock. i was hoping for a manual, but they only had 2 manuals, one red and one silver and i didn't care for either one as much as the white. are you talking about the polished metal metallic or something else? it looks kinda like teal online but as you know the paint all looks very different in person! they only had about 5-6 fits on the lot and i don't believe any of them were that color, but it is actually one of the other colors i'd be interested in.

http://i.imgur.com/ggMEM7z.jpg

^that's about 5 minutes before i drove it home at about 10pm at night, unfortunately my phone camera isn't that good + the lens had a big fingerprint on it and i didn't have a cloth to get it clean 

you'll have to take me for a ride in the si. i don't have enough experience with manuals to feel comfortable test driving one of the new si's at the dealer, but there was a blue si sedan staring me in the face in the showroom that i wanted dearly. maybe in the future


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks guys!

I sold the anarchys on here in about 15 minutes haha. It covered a little of the hit.

Chris that looks very nice! Wheels and a drop and you're set! I've yet to post up my wheels, suspension, and hfp front lip.

The color is blue raspberry on the fit. I've seen a few in person, it's wild


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Casey, you need to update your system diagram now


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I'd say the 8" Dyn's are a bit of an upgrade... 

That's awesome ! And it looks stock (of course). Nice work as usual by the #Doctor.


----------



## BlueAc (May 19, 2007)

Awesome.... there's really some talented installers out there!


----------



## heyhi (Apr 29, 2014)

Very confused , civic?


----------



## heyhi (Apr 29, 2014)

Woa im amazed that people still hook civics up. Here in ny its kind of a unspoken law . Ur not allowed to show ur face if ur driving around in a civic hooked up.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

We can't all wear polyester suits and drive around in Lincolns and Caddy's, man. LOL

Jay


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Wait I also live in NJ. And the gents around here take great pride in what they are doing with their Civics. Paint jobs are great, suspension is high end, and they are generally nice people who go out of their way to help other Honda owners. Even though I can afford to drive a lot of cars, I like what I like and can respect the owner of anything as long as it was purchased honestly. 

If it weren't for the fact that Civics are fwd, I would have a daily of one for my wife. But where we live and for what she does. We need awd/4x4 to ensure she arrives at her office.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

heyhi said:


> Woa im amazed that people still hook civics up. Here in ny its kind of a unspoken law . Ur not allowed to show ur face if ur driving around in a civic hooked up.


Oh thanks. 

Ill keep that in mind. 

I have quite a few friends that live in the armpit of the states(Jersey) that make the best of it (probably having to deal with people like you on a regular basis), and also build some quality honda/acura badged cars. I could go into that or show some of my previous builds, but it would probably bore you.

Id ask what you drive but I dont really care enough to know. 



On another note, Mark redid the grills, he stamped some out himself, and is also building throats for the mid bass to fire directly into the car. Cant believe how awesome they have come out so far. He is going to be smoothing the throats out and putting some sort of finish on them(I usually tell him to do what looks good and is easy on him)


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Casey, if it is a Saturday when you finally pick your car up, I would love to come to Audiomasters and take a listen 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

sounds good Jason. I am hoping it will be a wednesday or a thursday. I am off those days this month...and Im hoping itll be this month lol. Also, car wont be tuned upon pick up. Im going to get mark to set my gains with the o scope but will be doing a little tuning myself and having Jason B and Claydo help/give pointers on tuning


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

casey said:


> sounds good Jason. I am hoping it will be a wednesday or a thursday. I am off those days this month...and Im hoping itll be this month lol. Also, car wont be tuned upon pick up. Im going to get mark to set my gains with the o scope but will be doing a little tuning myself and having Jason B and Claydo help/give pointers on tuning


Sounds good, I am off Thursdays too, so hopefully it will be that day. Tuning or not, I bet it will still sound pretty good.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

Updates?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

papasin said:


> Updates?


nothing exciting at the moment.


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Your front stage is very similar to a couple of my favorite old setups- Steve Cornell's Impala SS and Mark Turner's truck. They used the Scan 6600 tweeter because the Illuminators were out them. There is some magic to be had in the combo you have if it's tuned right.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thehatedguy said:


> Your front stage is very similar to a couple of my favorite old setups- Steve Cornell's Impala SS and Mark Turner's truck. They used the Scan 6600 tweeter because the Illuminators were out them. There is some magic to be had in the combo you have if it's tuned right.


that sounds good to me. I know my choice of gear wont hold me back, so its on me and my contracted tuning buddies :laugh: to get it dialed in


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

It is easier to get there when you have good stuff and a good install.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thehatedguy said:


> It is easier to get there when you have good stuff and a good install.


true enough. one of the reasons i went ahead and decided to do it right


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

a few refinements/revisions to the doors were done. New grilles, throats were redone as well. Also a few shots of the trunk completely buttoned up

stainless mesh sub cover



fitted



carpeted


----------



## theoldguy (Nov 17, 2009)

love the stealth look. Where did you get the grill material behind the subs from?


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Tell mark to hurry up so we all can hear your system . Also love the stealth look with the subs

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

theoldguy said:


> love the stealth look. Where did you get the grill material behind the subs from?


thanks! not sure where he got the material though, sorry


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

crea_78 said:


> Tell mark to hurry up so we all can hear your system . Also love the stealth look with the subs
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


haha no kidding, im dying to get it back


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Mark took a sheet of metal and punched each hole in it by hand...or he told the metal that is what he wanted, and it did it by itself.

Seriously though, it's just perforated metal. One of the places you could get it would be Parts Express or McMaster-Carr.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

You can get it from Mobile Solutions, too. But it's about 4 times the price of McMaster-Carr. lol

Jay


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I left some at the shop for him so hopefully he got to make some use of it  (Although I don't know how much was left over so who knows. He may have had to source more).
Stainless perforated can be had from local sources and from some sellers on ebay. It's not cheap, but it's really nice stuff. Mark made my sub grill/cover for my trunk build with the same stuff. Excellent strength and looks great. You don't necessarily have to go with the stainless stuff and most people don't, it's a bit overkill. Not surprised Mark went with it here on Casey's build...taking it to the nth degree is how the #doctor rolls 

Things are really coming along nicely Casey! I love how stealth that trunk looks. You'd never know anything is in there until you start popping panels- exactly the way I wanted mine and Mark did a fabulous job for me too. You must be getting excited when you see these shots!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> I left some at the shop for him so hopefully he got to make some use of it  (Although I don't know how much was left over so who knows. He may have had to source more).
> Stainless perforated can be had from local sources and from some sellers on ebay. It's not cheap, but it's really nice stuff. Mark made my sub grill/cover for my trunk build with the same stuff. Excellent strength and looks great. You don't necessarily have to go with the stainless stuff and most people don't, it's a bit overkill. Not surprised Mark went with it here on Casey's build...taking it to the nth degree is how the #doctor rolls
> 
> Things are really coming along nicely Casey! I love how stealth that trunk looks. You'd never know anything is in there until you start popping panels- exactly the way I wanted mine and Mark did a fabulous job for me too. You must be getting excited when you see these shots!



thanks sir! I knew after seeing your trunk that mine would come out exactly how I wanted. Im ok with overkill for sure, might as well do it right the first time! 

I am excited to get it back for sure. It will be 4 months on the 22nd of this month. I have to have the car back for a trip Im taking in July so things should be wrapping up shortly I hope


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

3/4" plexi for the sub enclosure window. drilled and countersunk, masked and painted, 36 screws 




and illuminated  
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

DANG............... I mean that in a really good way.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Coppertone said:


> DANG............... I mean that in a really good way.


haha thanks. very similar to my response when i got the pic too!

I cant wait till i get some pics to really show off the work


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Forget the pics lol, have him bring you the car.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

That's SICK Casey! 

#Doctor doing what he does...


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> That's SICK Casey!
> 
> #Doctor doing what he does...


yessir! Im sure Nick at SI is going to approve of that display as well haha

Heres a couple of the fan setup Mark came up with. (I know youve already seen it Steve)


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Looks great! It will all be worth it when you get the car back bro


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

That's lovely. More fans for you for those beefy Elite's. I think I can get away with 2 because I've got class D amps back there. This thing is really coming along nicely!


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> 3/4" plexi for the sub enclosure window. drilled and countersunk, masked and painted, 36 screws
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Mark showed me these pics a few days ago...and they made me re-think my install in the Jetta to duplicate your install. Absolutely killer looking!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks Nick, I figured he showed you as well. Definitely shows off your product in a great way. 

hoping that I get some pillar updates this week, ready to pick it up!


----------



## topsub (Jun 15, 2014)

I stopped by and saw mark today and he had your civic in the shop. I must say it looks amazing! Mark has some top notch work, he cares about the details and that is what you want in an installer. I dropped off some items for him to do for me after seeing the care he takes in your car. You will be very impressed when you see how it comes together and the switches he added for your fans and lights, Very thought out!

Edit: The Subs i never heard of before but they are impressive and i would be very interested in hearing them!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks! glad you found him, you will not be disappointed. you should definitely come to the NCSQ meets. Nothing formal, just a good time with a bunch of cool people.

The next one is in July, I wont be able to attend because Ill be in Chicago, but definitely check it out!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

I also stopped by the shop today and Casey your car is turning out to be top notch. Love how the Dyn midbass install looks like it is stock by the wayMark built them into the doors. Beautiful all around and look forward to seeing the final product.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks for the reports from the shop lol. I tried to see if Mark had any sneak peek pics of the pillars and he didnt let any out. He was whining about the drivers side and hump for the dash cluster or something, i wasnt listening


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

casey said:


> He was whining about the drivers side and hump for the dash cluster or something, i wasnt listening



I know exactly what Mark is talking about, or more appropriately, JT does. The passenger side is WAY easier. Are yours sealed or vented?


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

*2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, E...*

Indeed. The drivers side hump is a lot harder to work around. When fitting the pillar back in, it takes some finagling to get it over the that little hump. All the sets I built were a pain when it came to this.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

papasin said:


> I know exactly what Mark is talking about, or more appropriately, JT does. The passenger side is WAY easier. Are yours sealed or vented?


theyll be sealed, those 12m's require about .5 -.7L air space. 

I know both of you guys have had a few sets done. I am hoping I dont have to have any more done after this lol


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

casey said:


> theyll be sealed, those 12m's require about .5 -.7L air space.
> 
> I know both of you guys have had a few sets done. I am hoping I dont have to have any more done after this lol


Wow, you better believe it's not simple to have a sealed set of pillars in the driver side of that car. I dunno if Erin had a set that were sealed pods integrated to the pillars, but my first set with the AP drivers were a major/royal PITA to get the pod in first, then shoehorn the pillar in when it's all integrated in one piece. Knowing Mark, I know it's going to look very good, but what you're also going to have to appreciate is what you don't see. And just hope you don't have to take that pillar off, and try to shoehorn it back in. Really looking forward to how it comes out, but rest assured, it's no easy task!


----------



## deltasaurus (Apr 9, 2014)

What a Suhhhweeet build! Absolutley missing my Nighthawk Black 8th gen SI 4 door right about now. Now you are going to force me to ammend some plans I had for one of my first builds in 16 years. The SI BM MkIV, I think, may become a must get. Been bouncing the idea around, but this install may have sealed the deal. The PG Elites are another. Also contemplating moving to NC. Nah, still love my shop, but.... Still, maybe! Awesome and hope one day I may run into the car at a comp so I can maybe hear the goodies.


----------



## Wy2quiet (Jun 29, 2010)

Here is a snapshot of one of my sealed pods. Same car as all of you.

Now running FR89's in them, finished in black flocking. I'll get better pictures when my install is done. No idea how many litres they are. I used ikea bowls and then made custom MDF rings and glued them to the bowl.


----------



## topsub (Jun 15, 2014)

Wy2quiet said:


> Here is a snapshot of one of my sealed pods. Same car as all of you.
> 
> Now running FR89's in them, finished in black flocking. I'll get better pictures when my install is done. No idea how many litres they are. I used ikea bowls and then made custom MDF rings and glued them to the bowl.




No Image.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

papasin said:


> I dunno if Erin had a set that were sealed pods integrated to the pillars, but my first set with the AP drivers were a major/royal PITA to get the pod in first, then shoehorn the pillar in when it's all integrated in one piece.


Yep, I did. Remember, the first set you had were originally mine:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/1490253-post44.html
^ I had to go to your build log to make sure because I couldn't remember if you wound up with them or not. I made a joke about it at FreezeFest at you looked at me like I was crazy so I thought maybe you didn't. lol.

And yes, they were a PITA to get in there. The later iterations were even worse because that's when I went on-axis with the 12m's, then the HAT L4SE, then the 12mu, JL C5 4", and finally the Kefs I have now. The more I tried to sink the driver in to the pillar, the harder it was to get them back in. The 12m was the worst offender because I tried to tuck that one almost in line with the pillar boundary which meant the mounting ring was just inside that little hump on the driver's side by the pillar and it was a HUGE PITA to shoehorn that pillar in. That particular install was also the one that had the Alpine variant of the Scan d2904 mounted just above the mid. That was a sweet sounding setup. Out of all the setups I had, besides the current one, that was the one with the most potential. I did those pillars a month before finals and placed 3rd behind Gary Summers and Steve Cook in modex. I was stoked.



Anyway, Casey, I think Richard and I have enough experience here to tell you that what Mark is doing isn't an easy task. Heck, I had a hard enough time getting the build right... and the aesthetic was just an after thought that wound up getting grill cloth thrown over the pillars. I can only imagine how long it would have taken me if I were trying to make it both functional and awesome looking.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

*2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, E...*

^ that first setup with those pods I was actually able to get in there without ever taking off the pillar. Sorry if I didn't understand what you meant during Freezefest. After judging that many cars, I was a bit exhausted and my brain wasn't quite at at 100%. Even though the aiming of those first set of pods were suboptimal, I actually got those to sound pretty decent and scored in the high 70s. But Gary really likes the current setup after hearing it with only a really basic tune. It has improved imho quite a bit since. 

But I agree with Erin, Casey. Don't give Mark too hard of a time for taking so long with your pillars. They can be really frustrating, but when done right, will be quite rewarding.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

papasin said:


> ^ that first setup with those pods I was actually able to get in there without ever taking off the pillar. Sorry if I didn't understand what you meant during Freezefest. After judging that many cars, I was a bit exhausted and my brain wasn't quite at at 100%. Even though the aiming of those first set of pods were suboptimal, I actually got those to sound pretty decent and scored in the high 70s. But Gary really likes the current setup after hearing it with only a really basic tune. It has improved imho quite a bit since.


agreed. those particular ones were not near as bad as the later versions I used. 

and I agree, the aiming was sub-optimal for sure. that was why I dropped them. They were great from a hidden POV but I wouldn't recommend going that route to someone else again unless they just absolutely understood the tradeoffs. 


no worries about FF. I made a joke about it and the look I got was "whaaaaat?". So, I immediately thought you never wound up with them. Glad to see I wasn't crazy. lol.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

ErinH said:


> Glad to see I wasn't crazy. lol.



Of course you are...as are we all.  :laugh:


----------



## Wy2quiet (Jun 29, 2010)

topsub said:


> No Image.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

ErinH said:


> Yep, I did. Remember, the first set you had were originally mine:
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/1490253-post44.html
> ^ I had to go to your build log to make sure because I couldn't remember if you wound up with them or not. I made a joke about it at FreezeFest at you looked at me like I was crazy so I thought maybe you didn't. lol.
> 
> ...


thats what I like to hear Erin. I know I bugged you and Richard a bit during the initial parts gathering of this build, along with a few other peoples opinion I trust highly, which is how I ended up with the drivers I have.

Yeah Mark likes to yell at me via text occasionally :laugh: I know I gave him one hell of a task, but I know I chose the right guy for the job


----------



## Porgy (Jun 8, 2011)

This install looks absolutely stellar. I'm just sad because when I found the thread you had the EXACT same front stage components Im about to try to squeeze into my car (illuminators, AR3A, Anarchys, p99) . I'm going to be very sad if I can't get the Anarchys in...... 

But seriously, amazing work.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Porgy said:


> This install looks absolutely stellar. I'm just sad because when I found the thread you had the EXACT same front stage components Im about to try to squeeze into my car (illuminators, AR3A, Anarchys, p99) . I'm going to be very sad if I can't get the Anarchys in......
> 
> But seriously, amazing work.


thanks! Post up a thread on yours, Id love to see the progress. As for the anarchys, Mark said in order to get them to fit, the window would not roll all the way down, or have to stick out past the door card. Sucks, but I definitely am glad I ended up with something a few steps above.

I would see if you can get ahold of some PHD FB6.1 pro mids, theyre about 115 each and seem to be a solid driver from what others have said


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Heres a few of the pillar, looks ridiculous!!! A few different angles, a ton of work in this im sure!


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Mark probably did that in 30 minutes...


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

thehatedguy said:


> Mark probably did that in 30 minutes...


Or less........


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

That was including cure time with the resin and filler.


----------



## topsub (Jun 15, 2014)

Looks good!! He is working on some sail pods for my truck, can't wait to see them finished!!


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

WINSLOW!!! you forgot the dry time for slick sand!

the drivers side is a pita!


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

sail panels you say....I'll be in touch with you soon Josh.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

TREOSOLS said:


> the drivers side is a pita!



Yep.


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Damn it, make it 32 minutes then...lol.



TREOSOLS said:


> WINSLOW!!! you forgot the dry time for slick sand!
> 
> the drivers side is a pita!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

picked my car up from Mark today. Completely blown away by everything!!! The fit, finish, and attention to detail are jaw dropping. I couldnt even really say anything when I picked it up other than smile and laugh at how awesome everything is. The trunk goes from completely incognito to over the top with a couple panel pulls. Dropping the rear seats and seeing the inside of the enclosure illuminated with the mkIV baskets takes it to another level. If you didnt know any better, the doors would not stand out at all. I am also convinced the pillars could not be done any classier and cosmetically pleasing.

No pics, just got home. Plan to install the amps and put the p99 in this week!


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

That's what happens when you have a guy who has talent, skills, and passion...and can shag to some beach music.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

he didnt dance for me


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

congrats on getting your car back, might have to meet up sometime in the coming weeks and get a listen  the install looks excellent from the pictures so far!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

I knew the car would be ready in a week when I saw Mark last Monday but was sworn not to tell . Glad you got your car back!! Casey, can you post pictures of the finished pillars. That is the only thing I couldn't see when I went there.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

casey said:


> he didnt dance for me


Not sure I would really want to see that anyway :uhoh2:


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

DBlevel said:


> Not sure I would really want to see that anyway :uhoh2:


The Shag Master is a sight to behold!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

He cant be good at everything right? 

Heres a few of the pillars today. Just snapped with my phone before driving to work


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Wow! I'm glad that I'll be the first to say....I love the look of those! I really like the shape, I really like the textured finish, I really like the grill - truly an amazing job!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

on a side note - turned on the JL app while doing 60mph on the hwy. It of course went up and down 3-4 DB(was as low as 69.x) but Ill definitely say the deadener is working pretty well. Not too shabby for a 2008 civic!


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Pillars look great!


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

ErinH said:


> Pillars look great!



Agree. Congrats Casey. Now the tuning fun begins.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

papasin said:


> Now the tuning fun begins.


yep.

so, how you gonna tackle that one, Casey? You've got a lot of experienced guys in your area. I'd try to bribe some of them with promises of fresh salmon! 

Seriously, I know you're new to this stuff... so, I'd definitely be trying to tag up with who you can and get some insight from them. Aside from that, Richard and Myself have a lot of experience with this car so you can always give us a shout for some e-help.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks guys! I agree, the pillars are exactly what I wanted, I kept checking them out at stop lights on the way to work haha.

As for tuning, Mark is going to set my amp gains with his O scope and help with a base tune, and "old man" (as called by Mark) Jason will be working some magic on it as well. Clay also may join in on the festivities


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

ErinH said:


> yep.
> 
> I'd try to bribe some of them with promises of fresh salmon!


is that an Alaskan Bush People reference? lol


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

With those 3 fellas on the scene, I'm sure it will be sounding great in short order!

BADASS work on the pillars and the car as a whole.

#DOCTOR


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

It would be great to have Clay's and Jason's cars while tuning...sounds like everybody needs to get a day pass.


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

I just got the IS back last night so I can have wheels to go somewhere....


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

TREOSOLS said:


> It would be great to have Clay's and Jason's cars while tuning...sounds like everybody needs to get a day pass.


id be ok with that. Jason was talking about a local small GTG anyway at some point


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

casey said:


> id be ok with that. Jason was talking about a local small GTG anyway at some point


It would have to be early in the day.......this old man has an early bed time!


----------



## bigbubba (Mar 23, 2011)

Those pillars are very nice! What are they covered with, vinyl?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

bigbubba said:


> Those pillars are very nice! What are they covered with, vinyl?


looks that way, but believe it or not, its a textured spray finish. Curves on the pods wouldnt allow the vinyl to conform. The finish on them matches the interior black very well. Pics make them look a little off but they arent


----------



## req (Aug 4, 2007)

dang man. those pillars look awesome.


----------



## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

Those pillars are amazing, wish there was a mould of them so I could just pop them in my civic :laugh:


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thank you! You can ask Mark how much fun they were LOL. Im sure hes as happy as I am about me getting my car back at this point. Im sure he could do a set for you though!


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

Those pillars are awesome!!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

That whole build is ridiculous.

Getting excited now Nick ?


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Mark= best hack that I know.


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> That whole build is ridiculous.
> 
> Getting excited now Nick ?


Oh yes. Getting excited indeed.


----------



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

casey said:


> He cant be good at everything right?
> 
> Heres a few of the pillars today. Just snapped with my phone before driving to work


I have to repost these pics again....absolutely gorgeous!!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks for the compliments everyone, Mark is the man.

Russ and I are going to try and knock out all the grunt work tomorrow:

Head unit install with oem dash bezel
PAC install
remote wire run
power wire run
run power wire for remote power relays
install amps
ground wire run for amps
remove rear speakers and sub to allow more bass into cabin

I think itll be a full day but should be doable with two half wits like us


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

2 half-wits makes a whole so you should be good to go


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> 2 half-wits makes a whole so you should be good to go


NICE! Well Played!!!


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

I'm just glad I get enough credit for just a half-wit. Maybe an over estimate but I'll take it!


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

DBlevel said:


> I'm just glad I get enough credit for just a half-wit. Maybe an over estimate but I'll take it!



And they say you are the brains of that operation ?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

bertholomey said:


> And they say you are the brains of that operation &#55357;&#56841;


debatable  depends on the whiskey intake

I am probably going to get started on some of the work tonight after work if get a chance. 

Picked up stuff from napa to keep me busy tonight hopefully


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

bertholomey said:


> And they say you are the brains of that operation ?


:surprised:


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Well we got most of it done. I dont have any pics because there is nothing exciting about pulling a car apart in 90* weather. We stopped for one trip to home depot for some bolts for the side terminals on the battery(kept my oem terminals and wiring and just ran the 0awg power right off the side terminal and a new 0awg ground) and picked up a 12 pack of tacos(and we ate them all)

We were able to get everything done besides final amp install. Mark made a relay center for all the bells and whistles and gave me a heads up on whats what on them. I ran a power wire for them and used a fused wire from Napa to the amp power wire. I ended up getting no power at all and had to call it a night at 8:45 because Russ wanted to watch Matlock at 9pm. 

I popped my trunk before work and managed to open up the fuse holder on the wire...no fuse. That will definitely do it for not getting things powered up. I will roll over to Napa on my lunch at 4:30 and grab some fuses to get this thing power.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Matlock lol.

Get that bish fused mang !!


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Seems like a better day today weather-wise to work on it than yesterday. Good luck! I'm looking forward to hearing it!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

At work but I couldnt wait for lunch. Went out, turned breaker on. jumped it with a piece of wire just to make sure. just the 4ch hooked up, gains completely down. xovers set properly and about 30 seconds worth of TA. Im shaking Im so excited lol. Can click to play!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

went to napa, got a few things. bought a $3 6' measuring tape. Measured my speaker locations and used Erins's time alignment calculator. WOW! Opened the stage up super wide, can pick out where instruments are, multiple vocals, very cool.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Wait till you get Jason in there to help tune it. :rockon:


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

...and until you get midbasses and subs in the mix 

That's going to be one dynamic system Casey!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

well some good news and bad news:

took the car to Mark on Saturday for some gain setting/level matching and initial tuning. He finished up the trunk wiring and we changed a few things around that I had done to make the amps go in and out a little easier if needed. After we got them wired in, we dusted them off and took a few pics. They should speak for themselves, but the finished product looks nothing short of amazing:








that alone made my day! It looks super classy even without illumination, and the lighting just takes it over the top! The fans are so quiet that I didnt know they were running, with the cover off!


After that, Mark did some testing to get everything properly set. My head unit max volume is 61 out of 62 based on the output signal Mark measured. He used that reference to set the gains on my amps and showed me how it should and shouldnt look on the oscilloscope. Very glad he showed me, and I can see why setting amp gains this way is definitely the best way possible.

After that we started on some pink noise tracks. He brought out the mic and did some measuring. Everything seemed to be going fine and then the pink noise seemed to change. Popped the door open, no midbass output. I opened the trunk for Mark, and smoke rolled out. Not good. Killed power as quickly as I could being completely dumbfounded. 

My Elite.5 took a **** on me. All it was powering at the time were the mid bass drivers bridged on the front channels. Subs were muted at the head unit. I told Mark that I had not even hooked the amp up since getting it back from PG for a very similar issue I had with it while running my last build. I was pretty upset, Mark as well. Im more than willing to take blame for my mistakes, but I cant blame myself or Mark for this one. He pulled the amp for me. One corner of the amp was easily 150 plus degrees. After examining at home, whatever went got hot enough to warp the smoked plexi above it.

At this point, I was ready to throw in the towel for getting a solid start on setup before my vacation. Mark wasnt having it. He ended up having an SD500 PG amp sitting around. Able to do 250x2 bridged, it was a little lower on power than the elite.5 bridged, but he made it work. Mark level matched it again, we did a little more pink noise. 

He had me cut 4db at 100hz, 2.5db at 3.15 and 2 at 4k just to tame those frequencies. The plot looked like your gradual roll off you wanted otherwise. I set my slopes back to 12db. Midbass are set 63/250, mid range are 250/3.15k, tweeters 3.15 up.

He asked if had my time alignment set. I told him I had used Erins calculator with some rough measurements I took at work but they sounded great to me initially when I played before tuning. He told me to throw some music on and listen to see if everything sounded level.

I popped in Mikes (velozity) demo from the fall meet. Played a couple go to tracks on there. What I heard blew me away. I was pretty bummed out about the ordeal with the amp. The way it sounded to me was EXACTLY what I was looking for. I could not believe the output the dyns have. After a few expletives expressing how pleased I was, and smiling my happy ass off, I cracked the door and told Mark how awesome it sounded and asked if he wanted to hear.

Mind you, my I dont have golden ears and am not an expert, but I know what I like. I got in the passenger seat, Mark in the drivers seat. I was expecting a "yeah thats not too bad" or "need a little work" etc. I can honestly say Marks reaction made me laugh. I think he was in as much if not more disbelief than I was. Getting confirmation that what I thought was what he thought really solidified that what has been putt together for me is something special. We listened for at least another 20 minutes. It will get LOUD. It is dynamic and full! The low end on the dyns is something special. The outer skin on the doors are begging for mercy on any tracks with some bass output. The tweeters and mids pair so well and sound so lifelike. I couldnt ask for more!

Mark gave me a "I ****ing hate you" after listening to track after track. Impressing the #doctor to the point of playful insults was a lifetime achievement. 

We did not touch the TA. There are 3 cuts on my EQ. It sounds stellar. 

Long post, but I just wanted to share the ups and downs of the weekend. Mark allowing me to borrow his amp to give me mid bass was more than I could ask for. It will make my 12 hour drive on Wednesday much more enjoyable and I couldnt thank him enough. 

On a non audio related note, I got the chance to give the car a wash today, had my tein s tech springs on koni orange shocks installed, along with putting my Mugen MF10 wheels on. Clean car inside and out, and a great stereo? Cant ask for more than that!

No sub power at the moment, but I can deal with that for now. Just had some bad luck with the amp. I will be contacting AAMP tomorrow to see what they can do to help out. 

Last thing is a pic of the car with the wheels/suspension and clean!


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Thanks for sharing the good news on the final outcome! However, it sucks that the amp died. If it's not one thing it's another sometimes.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Looks great can't wait hear it!

The Rota's look awesome as well


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

I lived through some of the joys and some of the sorrow from this weekend via text / phone. The joy of seeing the finished trunk photo. I would have enjoyed a shot of the trunk without the illumination as well to see the detail of the PG amps. 

Then the sorrow of an amp fail. A significant challenge......getting this one 'fixed' once for all.....or replacing it. With that beautiful custom trunk, there really is only one amplifier that goes there :worried:

And then the joy again of hearing the exclamations of delight about the sound. I'm looking forward to hearing it and seeing it in person. I really hope AAMP can get you sorted. I'm glad the #Doctor was able to hook you up with a mid bass amp for that long haul to Chicago, and the wheels look great!


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

The #Doctor NEVER loses a patient!


----------



## req (Aug 4, 2007)

bad ass man. im sorry to hear about the amp failure - im in kind of a similar spot, at least im hoping im not.

for some reason my subwoofers are not working at the moment - and i cant figure out why. i hope my mosconi is not the fault and its just something that i had overlooked.

either way, the pillars look awesome, the trunk looks awesome. cant wait to hear it man. A+


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Looks awesome Casey and I'm glad it sounds just as good. That little SD amp will surprise you with how capable it is. I had an SD1300.5 in my possession for a short period of time and ran it on my bench setup. They have a low noise floor and put out excellent power. It will be a worthy stand-in until the Elite can be made whole again by AAMP. Please keep us updated on the details as customer service in this industry (especially when dealing with high dollar items) is something we all should be aware of and keep in mind when making purchases. What good is an excellent product if a company won't stand behind it or takes forever to turnaround a repair?


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

req said:


> bad ass man. im sorry to hear about the amp failure - im in kind of a similar spot, at least im hoping im not.
> 
> for some reason my subwoofers are not working at the moment - and i cant figure out why. i hope my mosconi is not the fault and its just something that i had overlooked.
> 
> either way, the pillars look awesome, the trunk looks awesome. cant wait to hear it man. A+



I feel your pain. If it's not one thing, it's been the other with my system. From bad RCA cables, to ground loop noise, then a bad amp channel, bad woofer out of the box, now fuzzy sound from one of the L3pro's and a wierd scratchy sound out of one tweeter for about 10 seconds on a cold startup...

And still going...


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Can I say I told you so? I know what those same speakers can do...


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks everyone! Also need to give Russ a big shout out for helping me all day Thursday. Its always more fun with a friend helping. 

I knew there would be some bumps along the way but it happens. Steve, I know yours will get sorted and be great. Req - hope its nothing serious. It sucks paying big money for something to fail.

Kendall - the #dr definitely never loses a patient lol. Sucks that you live in BFE! 

Jason - I know Mark and I were bombing you thru text, had to keep you in the loop

thehatedguy(dont know your real name lol) - you were right! These are definitely what I was looking for, just glad Mark forced me into the 8" for the doors


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

So in looking at the MW172...I was curious why the MW182 did not share its same frame/ design geometry. Is the larger MW182 an older edition and the MW172 is much newer? Seems the MW172 has plenty of venting and a slightly larger mounting depth whereas the larger 182 doesn't appear to have any venting under the spider and has a slimmer mounting depth with their older frame.


----------



## edouble101 (Dec 9, 2010)

Sweet install, sweet ride. My favorite aspect is the cleanliness and stock appearing 8" midbass shoehorned in the doors. SICK!!!


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

My name is Jason Winslow...so another Jason.



casey said:


> thanks everyone! Also need to give Russ a big shout out for helping me all day Thursday. Its always more fun with a friend helping.
> 
> I knew there would be some bumps along the way but it happens. Steve, I know yours will get sorted and be great. Req - hope its nothing serious. It sucks paying big money for something to fail.
> 
> ...


----------



## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

Great to hear it sounds awesome Casey, I'm glad that everything is on the right path to being solved!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thehatedguy said:


> My name is Jason Winslow...so another Jason.


oh great, just what we need.  jk



rdubbs said:


> Great to hear it sounds awesome Casey, I'm glad that everything is on the right path to being solved!


thanks sir! ive been messing with cars in general for a while and nothing ever goes smoothly so its no big deal. It all comes down to how you handle it and the companies involved handle it. Not too worried at the moment, going to call them shortly and see what they think and go from there.


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

Great... now I have to work on my build. 

Something is wrong in those doors!!! Nora Jones sounds so good sitting on your dash!!! Yes, I Hate You!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

The #doctor has spoken! 

Here's the trunk with lights off for you Jason


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

Greenwall, hit the lights! The switch on the wall beside you! Go for it!... Flick it, QUICK!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

TREOSOLS said:


> Greenwall, hit the lights! The switch on the wall beside you! Go for it!... Flick it, QUICK!
> View attachment 54492
> 
> 
> View attachment 54493


look at those little pictures! 

wheres the camera pics of the build?! We need to get those on here to show all the work you put into my turd


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

casey said:


> look at those little pictures!
> 
> wheres the camera pics of the build?! We need to get those on here to show all the work you put into my turd


......and then update the #Doctor review thread


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

bertholomey said:


> ......and then update the #Doctor review thread


definitely will


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

Awesome thread so far Casey...although I have to admit I keep scrolling to see if the subs have been fired up yet.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks Nick! I got to hear them for just a few minutes on some music in between tuning before the amp decided to call it quits. it was low volume but I can tell they are going to really bring it to the next level


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Electrodynamic said:


> Awesome thread so far Casey...although I have to admit I keep scrolling to see if the subs have been* fired* up yet.



ohhh BA ZINGGG !!


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> thanks Nick! I got to hear them for just a few minutes on some music in between tuning before the amp decided to call it quits. it was low volume but I can tell they are going to really bring it to the next level


I was talking to Mark today about a shallow 6.5" XBL^2 woofer I'm working on and he mentioned the problems you were having with that amp. Bummer. Ask PG to send you a different (not the same board, fixed amp, etc) amp whether it be a cosmetic blemish model or what not. Try to get rid of that board ASAP.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Electrodynamic said:


> I was talking to Mark today about a shallow 6.5" XBL^2 woofer I'm working on and he mentioned the problems you were having with that amp. Bummer. Ask PG to send you a different (not the same board, fixed amp, etc) amp whether it be a cosmetic blemish model or what not. Try to get rid of that board ASAP.


I just saw the pictures of that woofer you are working on. That thing is going to be very very nice! Ive mentioned it to another 8th gen civic owner on here as a great option that wont require near the fab that these dyn 8" did

No real updates to speak of, car was flawless on the trip as well as the stereo.

The output and quality of these mid bass continue to amaze me. I have them playing from 63/24db up to 250/12db. I have a had a few people listen and have said they could live with it as is without subs. Outkasts old album Aquemini has never sounded so good. 

The 12m reproduces mid range exceptionally. On Jasons latest demo disc, "Hey Laura" by Gregory Porter reinforces how great they are. He has a voice that would give a lot of mid ranges a fit. It really is something special. 

Once again, kudos to Mark on the install. Ill be getting his official pictures and a couple other things squared away on Thursday. But he hit a home run with this one


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

Nice feedback Casey...wish we could compare each others' cars side by side! BTW, you should ask Jason where he got the idea of selections like "Hey Laura" from.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

oh he gave a shoutout to you, good sir. When it pulls up on my HU it clearly says Papasin beside it lol.

If there was anywhere in the mid west worth a damn we could have a GTG there  as I would love to hear yours and compare


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

casey said:


> oh he gave a shoutout to you, good sir. When it pulls up on my HU it clearly says Papasin beside it lol.
> 
> If there was anywhere in the mid west worth a damn we could have a GTG there  as I would love to hear yours and compare


Then he made a mistake. That's from MrsPapasin's playlist, lol. 

Well, not too long ago, I was just in TX...


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Ha! I'll beat him to it. I listed all the names of the people I got songs from when I put them on that desk. ?


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Casey-

Now that you've had it in there for a bit, I'd love to get your impressions of that Phoenix Gold SD amp. Was I right?


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Casey-

Now that you've had it in there for a bit, I'd love to get your impressions of that Phoenix Gold SD amp. Was I right?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

it definitely delivers, its tiny as well!


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> I just saw the pictures of that woofer you are working on. That thing is going to be very very nice! Ive mentioned it to another 8th gen civic owner on here as a great option that wont require near the fab that these dyn 8" did.


Thanks.  Preliminary measurements show HF extension up to 2,500 Hz so we are good to go regarding an official mid/woofer. Production will be 2.3" deep and have 10mm of Xmax. Should be quite the neat little 6.5" woofer. :beerchug:

Here is the initial RTA measurement without the dust cap:


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

2.3" deep 

You got me interested  

Kelvin


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

subwoofery said:


> 2.3" deep
> 
> You got me interested
> 
> Kelvin


and 10mm XMAX... wow!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Electrodynamic said:


> Thanks.  Preliminary measurements show HF extension up to 2,500 Hz so we are good to go regarding an official mid/woofer. Production will be 2.3" deep and have 10mm of Xmax. Should be quite the neat little 6.5" woofer. :beerchug:
> 
> Here is the initial RTA measurement without the dust cap:



Is this OB or in a sealed enclosure (volume if so)? What type of QTS are you targeting for this driver? Wondering if it will be more pointed toward IB/large enclosure or small enclosures. 
That's a nice slim profile to which should make it a good fit for almost any vehicle depth-wise. Consider me excited.
(And make sure I get in on the test run of these  )


-Steve


----------



## req (Aug 4, 2007)

ive got a .3 cubic foot enclosure i could put these monsters in... 

what kind of a price point are those going to be lol. the anarchies might need a rest...


----------



## TheDavel (Sep 8, 2006)

The trunk looks fantastic!


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

captainobvious said:


> and 10mm XMAX... wow!


Nah, 2.3" deep is much more impressive. 

10mm of Xmax is just for show... 

Kelvin


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

req said:


> ive got a .3 cubic foot enclosure i could put these monsters in...
> 
> what kind of a price point are those going to be lol. the anarchies might need a rest...


I think that I'm actually going to buy those in order to try the midbass array and I need a low distortion driver like your Anarchy (but shallower) in order to install them behind me. 
Planning a 4 midbasses array per side  

Been trying to dial in T/A with kick midbasses and OEM drivers in each front and rear doors - results? Promising 

Kelvin


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> Is this OB or in a sealed enclosure (volume if so)? What type of QTS are you targeting for this driver? Wondering if it will be more pointed toward IB/large enclosure or small enclosures.
> That's a nice slim profile to which should make it a good fit for almost any vehicle depth-wise. Consider me excited.
> (And make sure I get in on the test run of these  )
> 
> ...


The measurement was taken near-field. I'm still working on the woofer so I can't say anything about the exact Qts right now but I am designing it to be used in the door of a car (IB'ish) so the Qts will be on the higher than 0.2'ish side for bottom end presence (and lower Qts designs don't work well in large open alignments). I'll post or make a dedicated thread once I get the revised parts in and have another set of prototypes assembled and measured.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

dropped by the shop yesterday and grabbed the plexi cover for the amps.

Mark had another listen just to make sure everything sounded ok 

He gave me the thumb drive of all the (289) pics he took during the build. I have uploaded them to my photobucket and will post them when I have some free time today or tomorrow. The amount of detail and intricacy on some of the parts is ridiculous. It takes a lot of work to make stuff turn out as good as mine looks and I know I got ahold of the right guy for the job after seeing what went into it!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Cool Casey. Mark will be doing my car the day after Labor Day. Can't wait!!


----------



## topsub (Jun 15, 2014)

casey said:


> dropped by the shop yesterday and grabbed the plexi cover for the amps.
> 
> Mark had another listen just to make sure everything sounded ok
> 
> He gave me the thumb drive of all the (289) pics he took during the build. I have uploaded them to my photobucket and will post them when I have some free time today or tomorrow. The amount of detail and intricacy on some of the parts is ridiculous. It takes a lot of work to make stuff turn out as good as mine looks and I know I got ahold of the right guy for the job after seeing what went into it!


I meant to look at the final truck product while i was there. Forgot to take a look. Sounds great with just the front stage.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

topsub said:


> I meant to look at the final truck product while i was there. Forgot to take a look. Sounds great with just the front stage.


We will wait for the second amp to return back before showing off  
Thanks for the complement on sound as well!


Pardon me if some of these arent in order, I will try and group them together as best as possible. I wont be posting all 289 but I am pulling some that show the amount of work and precision that was done


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)




----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Awesome pics Casey


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Those pillars are absolutely insane. Lots of VERY fine, tight tolerance work right there.


----------



## REGULARCAB (Sep 26, 2013)

LOVE the pics of those pillars coming together!


----------



## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

Gosh he made building those pillars look so simple... My gosh they are awesome


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Yeah the pillars were no easy task for sure! If you have any requests to see other things let me know and Ill dig through the pics.

My tein s tech/koni orange suspension combo has broken in and settled. I had a chance on my days off this week to do some paint correction as well. Did wash/clay/polish/gloss enhancer/sealant/wax. I mainly use chemical guys products. It came out great. Paint has felt rough since I purchased the car but still had a nice look in my opinion. After the correction/detail it REALLLY pops and looks wet.


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

I saw a lot of these via text as it was happening, but it is great to see all of them together - showing the progression. 

When I look at parts of the sub box and amp rack - I'm amazed - those little details, round overs, softened edges, etc that are all covered up once the amps are in, etc shows how much care Mark puts into each install.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

bertholomey said:


> I saw a lot of these via text as it was happening, but it is great to see all of them together - showing the progression.
> 
> When I look at parts of the sub box and amp rack - I'm amazed - those little details, round overs, softened edges, etc that are all covered up once the amps are in, etc shows how much care Mark puts into each install.


Its small stuff like that which takes it to the level its at. It makes the added stuff look more "natural" and there isnt as many sharp edges which makes it blend with the original parts better. Subtle things like that definitely show the type of care that was taken


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Skills?

Mark has a few...


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

*2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, E...*

Awesome galaxy gray FA5! Agreed. Those pillars are inspirational.
Got home to find these not so little bad boys waiting on me. 
So I'm thinking of possibilities now in the same pillars, or get silly and do some Illusion C4CX's instead in the same pillars. Decisions decisions. 

Either way, you, Erin and Richard have me feeling bold enough to step off into the tall grass. CA Glue on order. Uh oh!!!


----------



## evo9 (Jul 6, 2005)

So what's your take on the PG elites?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

evo9 said:


> So what's your take on the PG elites?


great amps, plenty of power. awesome looking as well

as for reliability...I havent seen much of anything on issues besides what Ive experienced. The complete opinion is still out until I see how PG wants to help resolve the current issue. Amp was delivered to them 2 weeks ago today and I have heard nothing at this point. Im hoping they handle it appropriately. Having one of their own techs service a flagship model, send it back to their customer and it pop within 10 minutes of powering it doesnt reflect positively on the product. How they take care of me in the end can definitely turn that around. Im out shipping ($80 one way believe it or not, twice) so we will see.


----------



## evo9 (Jul 6, 2005)

casey said:


> great amps, plenty of power. awesome looking as well
> 
> as for reliability...I havent seen much of anything on issues besides what Ive experienced. The complete opinion is still out until I see how PG wants to help resolve the current issue. Amp was delivered to them 2 weeks ago today and I have heard nothing at this point. Im hoping they handle it appropriately. Having one of their own techs service a flagship model, send it back to their customer and it pop within 10 minutes of powering it doesnt reflect positively on the product. How they take care of me in the end can definitely turn that around. Im out shipping ($80 one way believe it or not, twice) so we will see.




That's shocking to hear! I have both the same amps like you & never had any problem. Ran them for a year actively in my previous car. The elite4 ran a pair of morel supremo 9 & CDM88. The elite5 ran the morel piccolo's, rear fill & a single JL 12w3. I'm saving those amps for a future project being very pleased with them. Hope PG get you squared away.


----------



## Airforceyooper (Sep 22, 2005)

Yeah, I'd have to believe PG will take care of it. Who are you dealing with?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

me too because i love them and i dont have the coin to have mark redo my amp rack


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Did Stephen Mantz design those? If so, let me know. I can get in touch to see if he can help you out if you're not getting a satisfactory resolution from PG.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> Did Stephen Mantz design those? If so, let me know. I can get in touch to see if he can help you out if you're not getting a satisfactory resolution from PG.


thanks Steve, Im going to bet no. I would think they would name drop somewhere in the advertising and have not seen anything or heard anyone mention it. 

Mark W and audiomasters has a good relationship with their rep at PG and Steve at Syracuse is working with me as well so I think theyll get me taken care of


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> thanks Steve, Im going to bet no. I would think they would name drop somewhere in the advertising and have not seen anything or heard anyone mention it.
> 
> Mark W and audiomasters has a good relationship with their rep at PG and Steve at Syracuse is working with me as well so I think theyll get me taken care of



Ahhh, ok. Steve is good people, I wouldn't even worry.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> Ahhh, ok. Steve is good people, I wouldn't even worry.


I agree.

Spoke with Steve today. Apparently PG is saying they cant find anything wrong with it 

Hes asked them to take another look/retest.

It got hot enough to do this to the plexi while smoking. Im not convinced anyone has looked at it at all yet  Im also wondering if they actually did any repairs on it when I sent it in before install


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

How about some good news. I'm ready to put in an amp!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

TREOSOLS said:


> How about some good news. I'm ready to put in an amp!


you and me both. no news though.


----------



## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

This build is awesome and I'd love to hear it. Top notch work for sure.

How was the 'tunnel' between the midbass cone and the door panel constructed and attached?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks Grayson. Though I had some pics of that. It is a multi layer ring system. Mark made the throats out of fiberglass and cut to size and carpeted. He glassed them onto the last ring layer. The mid bass fits over the regular rings, the throat ring on top of the mb, and then screws through it. 

I saw you mention the power handling capabilities of the mw172 not impressing you...what songs are they giving you trouble on? I want to make sure Im not asking too much from mine. I may move the cross over back to 80 and play with the slope once I get my 5ch back


----------



## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

Ah ok, with the rings being grey it looked like just the speaker basket so I couldn't tell what was holding it on. That makes sense. I don't have the room to do such a thing, these just BARELY fit as it is.

As for their performance, they're fairly easy to bottom out on songs with a nice sharp kick drum hit unless I have them crossed fairly high. Model shows they run out of xmax with 60W at a 63Hz/24db high pass, which is where I would like to cross them. As it stands, they're crossed at 85 and I don't have issues. 

I've never had particularly good luck with getting midbass speakers to have much impact or play low in my doors. Don't know what it is. I've run plenty of speakers that others have praised for their low end performance and found them to fall short of expectations. Might just be something with my car.. I don't know. The ones I've had the best luck with have been the ones with the largest xmax.. go figure. The new speakers Nick is working on certainly have my interest. I'm hoping they're a little bigger than a standard 6.5" but I kinda doubt it. Either way, Vd will probably exceed most larger drivers.


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

I think Casey had the mw172's crossed at 63-65hz, with 250 watts per driver. 
a lot of mid bass, to say the least. Casey has been known to push the limits of volume, the look on his face when he picked the car up, and demo of a few tracks was awesome.


----------



## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

And it's feedback like that which makes me think it's just something with my car. Casey mentioned the possibility of being content with no subs. I don't think anyone would feel the same in my car. They're certainly strong at 100Hz+ but below that, not as much. I'd certainly like to hear them in a different car.

Mark, did you happen to see the finished product of my pillars that we were discussing in NC?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Ill let you demo it at the next meet we are both at Grayson and turn the subs off to compare. They are super smooth on the lower end and have good impact. It sounds like your doors are just tough to work with. 

On another note, Clay(do) did an hour demo in it last Wednesday and he was pretty impressed with the sound considering it has no tuning done. He gave me a couple of pointers and when Jason is back from Brazil we will be doing some work on it to get it to the next level. He mentioned how much low midbass they had, but from what it sounded, he may like a speaker with more punch than these offer...then again he is going to shallow mount 10" peerless for his midbass. I cant compete with that


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

strakele said:


> Ah ok, with the rings being grey it looked like just the speaker basket so I couldn't tell what was holding it on. That makes sense. I don't have the room to do such a thing, these just BARELY fit as it is.
> 
> As for their performance, they're fairly easy to bottom out on songs with a nice sharp kick drum hit unless I have them crossed fairly high. Model shows they run out of xmax with 60W at a 63Hz/24db high pass, which is where I would like to cross them. As it stands, they're crossed at 85 and I don't have issues.
> 
> I've never had particularly good luck with getting midbass speakers to have much impact or play low in my doors. Don't know what it is. I've run plenty of speakers that others have praised for their low end performance and found them to fall short of expectations. Might just be something with my car.. I don't know. The ones I've had the best luck with have been the ones with the largest xmax.. go figure. The new speakers Nick is working on certainly have my interest. I'm hoping they're a little bigger than a standard 6.5" but I kinda doubt it. Either way, Vd will probably exceed most larger drivers.


Wonder which other driver you've tried and which ones did you model? 
63Hz HP is a requirement due to the acoustic of your car? 

Kelvin


----------



## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

Haha yeah, Clay likes to rock, that's for sure. And I believe that you have good success with the 172's and I'm glad and would love to hear it. I just rarely have the same experience in my car for whatever reason.


Kelvin, I've tried and modeled a lot of midbass speakers in my car. I've ran:

- stock Infinity woofer
- Alpine Type S
- Boston Acoustics SPZ60
- Usher 8945A
- Audible Physics AR6K
- Peerless SLS6
- H-Audio Ebony
- Audible Physics Arian
- Dynaudio MW172

The only ones that could take a crossover below 80Hz were the Usher and Peerless. The Boston SPZ probably could as well but I didn't have much processing available back then. It was either 80Hz or no high pass.

Feel free to PM or discuss in my build thread so we don't get Casey's too far off topic


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

strakele said:


> Haha yeah, Clay likes to rock, that's for sure. And I believe that you have good success with the 172's and I'm glad and would love to hear it. I just rarely have the same experience in my car for whatever reason.
> 
> 
> Kelvin, I've tried and modeled a lot of midbass speakers in my car. I've ran:
> ...



FWIW -and valid since i had a 2003 Lancer OZ (same basic car and interior), I had pretty good success with the Peerless SLS8 and HAT L8v1 in the doors of mine. I remember crossing them as low as 40hz 24db and they were really smooth. If I wanted high output I would go to 60hz 24db. My door treatments included about 20sqft of cld, thick wood baffles (1.5" I believe) and some silicone sealant around the edges of the baffle inside and out.
*I never got great midbass output from smaller drivers though.* 8" midbasses in that car make a difference for sure. However, getting 8" drivers in the doors is a huge PITA as it requires a full door rebuild.

I recall giving a demo of that car while mid-build to a very well off fellow that had a mighty impressive home listening room (actually 2 of them) and an expensive Focal setup in his Hummer. He couldn't believe I had no sub playing and was looking around for them  That was with a HAT L4/L1pro setup along with the 830667 SLS8.


----------



## claydo (Oct 1, 2012)

On another note, Clay(do) did an hour demo in it last Wednesday and he was pretty impressed with the sound considering it has no tuning done. He gave me a couple of pointers and when Jason is back from Brazil we will be doing some work on it to get it to the next level. He mentioned how much low midbass they had, but from what it sounded, he may like a speaker with more punch than these offer...then again he is going to shallow mount 10" peerless for his midbass. I cant compete with that [/QUOTE]

I've been meaning to get on here and give you props casey, fo sho..........we had a good long demo session in the wally world parking lot, and I came away quite impressed with the civic! Knowing the quality of gear selected, and the talented installer, I had pretty high expectations coming in. Needless to say I was not disappointed. The mids and tweets had an effortless, natural blend that was smooth as butter....The stage was wide and presented good depth spanning across the windshield. The center was fairly solid, with just a couple wandering frequencies disrupting tight focus. Imagine my surprise when casey informed me the l/r eq hadn't been touched! The cars stage presentation is just a few minor tweaks short of brilliant. The performance of the dyns was impressive, playing deep and tunefull bass very smoothly, but if I get critical, a bit too smoothly for my tastes.....and that is solely opinion, for I like a lot of edge or punch from my midbass....All together an impressive showing, well on its way to being even more, with more complete tuning and of course some sub! I truly enjoyed the demo time casey, thanks, and let's do it again sometime! Oh and did I mention she gets plenty loud as well, while the pg elite retained control and even at volume let that super textured midrange from those 12ms shine through.....like I said.....very nice!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks for the post Clay. I have fun every time we hang out and jam and talk crap! We will definitely do it again. I cant wait to hear yours once its dialed in with the new stuff!


----------



## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

claydo said:


> On another note, Clay(do) did an hour demo in it last Wednesday and he was pretty impressed with the sound considering it has no tuning done. He gave me a couple of pointers and when Jason is back from Brazil we will be doing some work on it to get it to the next level. He mentioned how much low midbass they had, but from what it sounded, he may like a speaker with more punch than these offer...then again he is going to shallow mount 10" peerless for his midbass. I cant compete with that


I've been meaning to get on here and give you props casey, fo sho..........we had a good long demo session in the wally world parking lot, and I came away quite impressed with the civic! Knowing the quality of gear selected, and the talented installer, I had pretty high expectations coming in. Needless to say I was not disappointed. The mids and tweets had an effortless, natural blend that was smooth as butter....The stage was wide and presented good depth spanning across the windshield. The center was fairly solid, with just a couple wandering frequencies disrupting tight focus. Imagine my surprise when casey informed me the l/r eq hadn't been touched! The cars stage presentation is just a few minor tweaks short of brilliant. The performance of the dyns was impressive, playing deep and tunefull bass very smoothly, but if I get critical, a bit too smoothly for my tastes.....and that is solely opinion, for I like a lot of edge or punch from my midbass....All together an impressive showing, well on its way to being even more, with more complete tuning and of course some sub! I truly enjoyed the demo time casey, thanks, and let's do it again sometime! Oh and did I mention she gets plenty loud as well, while the pg elite retained control and even at volume let that super textured midrange from those 12ms shine through.....like I said.....very nice! [/QUOTE]

Clay, coming from you, that is a hell of a write up! Can't wait to hear your new upgrades.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Clay, coming from you, that is a hell of a write up! Can't wait to hear your new upgrades.[/QUOTE]

Definitely is, and he almost got the post quote right, too 


*edit* judging from my post...system error, not user error. In that case, good job Clay!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

no news on the amp. today is three weeks at PG :/

I did here a song on the way home that was interested to listen to:

Fugees - Ready or not. The background music pans back and forth throughout the song. Not sure what term to use for it really, but it was panning way past my passenger mirror and well past the driver.


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

I'm going to play that song when I get off work tomorrow. I'm wanting to test out the T/A. Although I'm sure yours is more dialed in than mine. 

Are you just going to keep waiting on PG? Or are you going to contact them again?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> I'm going to play that song when I get off work tomorrow. I'm wanting to test out the T/A. Although I'm sure yours is more dialed in than mine.
> 
> Are you just going to keep waiting on PG? Or are you going to contact them again?


I dont have much choice other than to wait. Isnt a huge deal as long as it gets resolved.

Have you measured your speaker distances and used Erin's calculater for time alignment?


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Yeah that's true I guess. And yes, that is exactly what I did. However I did not remove the tweeter covers and measure inside, so I'm sure I'm an inch or two off.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

I wouldnt worry about it that much. Id drop your crossovers on the tweeters to 4k and cross the mids at 4k as well and see how you like it


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

sent another pm to Steve to see if he can get an answer from PG. Today marks 1 month theyve had it in their hands.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> sent another pm to Steve to see if he can get an answer from PG. Today marks 1 month theyve had it in their hands.




You'd think they'd have AT LEAST been in touch with you by now to give you an update. Especially for its second trip back for repair!

I had a minor issue with one of my new Zed Leviathan III amps a little while back and I got in touch with Steve Mantz of Zed. I had a response within 24hours with RMA and shipped the amp back. Total turnaround time was under 2 weeks, and that included the shipping time both ways (from east to west coast and back). He had my amp repair done in 2 days and stayed in contact. This is how customer service SHOULD be.You hope to never have an issue with a piece of high end gear like these, but in the rare case that it happens, it's comforting to know that the company has a level of service that warrants the asking price. I love the PG products in the Ti2 and Elite lineup, but lacking customer service and communication like this would certainly give me pause in purchasing. I feel bad for your predicament Casey. Stay on PG. I'm glad Steve is in the mix to help you along. He's a good guy. Unfortunately he's at the mercy of PG as well.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks Steve. I have tried not to bug him too much because I know it isnt his fault but he is my middle man since the warranty card is in his name. I am a bit disappointed with PG's service at this point, but am hoping for a good outcome.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

received some good news from Steve at Syracuse earlier today. With his help giving a push on PG, they are sending a replacement to me tomorrow  hopefully Ill have it in the next week or two. After that, back to see Mark #doctor Worrell again to set gains. 

Jason and I are going to get our schedules aligned sometime to get some fine tuning done as well.


----------



## splaudiohz (Apr 1, 2011)

casey said:


> received some good news from Steve at Syracuse earlier today. With his help giving a push on PG, they are sending a replacement to me tomorrow  hopefully Ill have it in the next week or two. After that, back to see Mark #doctor Worrell again to set gains.
> 
> Jason and I are going to get our schedules aligned sometime to get some fine tuning done as well.


So who's car sounds better? Both of them look ready great.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

splaudiohz said:


> So who's car sounds better? Both of them look ready great.



Thanks! Jason and I have not had a chance to get together for a demo and tune on mine. I will tell you our cars sound quite different. His car is definitely the more dialed in car. Mine has no tuning besides taming some frequencies. Jason prefers a more laid back, mellow tune. It sounds great but I like mine a little more "in your face". Thats the great thing about this hobby. Two different setups, both sound excellent, but different. Thats one of the reasons I like the NC meets so much. You get to hear a variety of setups that sound awesome, but its not boring since they all have their signature sound


----------



## MiloX (May 22, 2005)

Casey... are you competing? I NEED to hear this car.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

MiloX said:


> Casey... are you competing? I NEED to hear this car.


thanks for the compliment in your build thread!

I dont have any real intentions of competing but I may make it out to events that are relatively close. I try and make it to the NC meets, I would definitely recommend making it to one, worth the drive


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I'm in Asheville. Would love to hear your roll.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Babs said:


> I'm in Asheville. Would love to hear your roll.


You arent too far away. I havent made it out your way much in a long time. If youre in the Winston/Greensboro/High Point area at some point give me a heads up and we can do that


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

good update:

The replacement Elite.5 arrived today. Took a shot of the birthsheet, will be sending some serious (365 watts) per channel to the dyns soon! And subs, ohhhh I get to have subs!!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Congrats Casey. Now you can fully enjoy your system after Mark installs it for you.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Awesome, now fingers crossed that this one is good to go.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

casey said:


> You arent too far away. I havent made it out your way much in a long time. If youre in the Winston/Greensboro/High Point area at some point give me a heads up and we can do that



If I can ever get away I'd love to take you up on it and see at least one of these great 8th Civ installs. 

Glad you got the amp situation hopefully resolved.


----------



## MiloX (May 22, 2005)

Casey, what failed on the .5?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

MiloX said:


> Casey, what failed on the .5?


couldnt tell you honestly...

When I had it in my previous car it worked fine for the most part. It would thermal after a couple hrs of play and the noise floor would go through the roof. When I pulled it, I sent it in to PG. Was sent back as repaired with a cap replacement.

When Mark installed it in my current car, it had major failure during rta right after setting gains, 10 minutes of play. Tons of smoke, hot enough to warp the plexi where it failed.


----------



## MiloX (May 22, 2005)

Gah. *crosses fingers*


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

MiloX said:


> Gah. *crosses fingers*


you should be good, I havent heard anything bad besides what happened to mine, and Ive had no issues with the 4. I was taken care of by PG but I think a lot of that was due to Steve at Syracuse


----------



## MiloX (May 22, 2005)

Nothing beats a great dealer. Glad to hear you are up and running.


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

I finally had the privilege to listen to Casey's car. He still had the PG Elite 4 playing the tweets / mid range and the borrowed PG amp playing the mid bass and no subs. 

I can concur with what Casey, Mark, and Clay stated earlier - the car sounds phenomenal! Casey has crossovers, slopes, T/A, and levels set with only a couple bands of EQ attenuated - fantastic sound. 

Everything had a wonderful balance - especially mid range tones and bass tones. The richness of the tonality of voices was outstanding - the definition and presence of the strings was also exemplary.

Top quality equipment, and a great installation demonstrates the importance of a great foundation. I'd like to have the opportunity to make some adjustments to the tune to see if there could be some further 'Wow!' factor there.....but it is low pressure - Casey loves the way it sounds now.....if he doesn't like what I do to it......he can just go back to what he has now  Great job my friend!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

bertholomey said:


> I finally had the privilege to listen to Casey's car. He still had the PG Elite 4 playing the tweets / mid range and the borrowed PG amp playing the mid bass and no subs.
> 
> I can concur with what Casey, Mark, and Clay stated earlier - the car sounds phenomenal! Casey has crossovers, slopes, T/A, and levels set with only a couple bands of EQ attenuated - fantastic sound.
> 
> ...



thanks for the review Jay! Im glad you enjoyed it and look forward to you tweaking it a little to see what we can come up with. Thanks for inviting me over and lending an ear to listen to it for a starting point


Sorry for being a little zoned out, sun poisoning got to me from Saturday


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

casey said:


> thanks for the review Jay! Im glad you enjoyed it and look forward to you tweaking it a little to see what we can come up with. Thanks for inviting me over and lending an ear to listen to it for a starting point
> 
> 
> Sorry for being a little zoned out, sun poisoning got to me from Saturday


No worries my friend - it was my pleasure. You weren't the only one who was zoned out


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Casey, Mark told me today that the Elite 5 channel amp you just got back gets so hot after 20 minutes while playing it went into thermal shutdown!! Man, this really sucks and hopefully you or Phoenix Gold can find an answer to this problem once and for all.

He also told me you might be thinking about Mosconi One Series or the JL HD amps. Good luck to you and I am sure everything will turn out to be "A OK"


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

crea_78 said:


> Casey, Mark told me today that the Elite 5 channel amp you just got back gets so hot after 20 minutes while playing it went into thermal shutdown!! Man, this really sucks and hopefully you or Phoenix Gold can find an answer to this problem once and for all.
> 
> He also told me you might be thinking about Mosconi One Series or the JL HD amps. Good luck to you and I am sure everything will turn out to be "A OK"


yep ****ty. I have emailed Morgan West at PG who is their product manager with what I have been going through. It seems like he genuinely wants to help, and has been emailing me. At this point, Im willing to trade this amp in plus cash for a brand new elite.5 if it would fix my issues.

Nothing is going to look nearly as nice and at home as the amps I have. I hope I can get this resolved as I dont want to change amps. There is no reason I should be having these type of issues with a flagship product that is installed and adjusted correctly.

Mark checked resistance on the sub ch and was dead on at 1 ohm. The bridged channels for the mid were 3.5ish ohms which is fine.

I will say this amp is a monster. 44.5v RMS. At 1ohm, with 80% efficiency from the D class, we are around 1450 watts. 300 over rated 

The SI BM MKIV are absolutely awesome. I cant believe how deep they get, output is stupid. I had to drop them -2 on the head unit so when I play electronic music it wont rip my head off. 

They are a perfect match to the rest of the system. I played with crossovers a few minutes with Mark. I was planning to do 80/18db as the x over for subs and mid but ended up with 63/24. The mids just flay awesome down this low, and the blending with the sub works. I may mess with it at another time to see if itll get better. 

I messed around with the sub TA a bit. I set it by ear and a recommendation from Mark. I ended up having the sub phase reversed based on my ears which I wasnt expecting.

At this point, if I can get the amp issue fixed, Im completely satisfied with what weve built. I do need to add some additional deadener and remove the rear speakers and subs, but overall WOW. The subs really took it up another level.


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Wow, you guys are making me need not want but need to keep my SI subwoofer and add a second one to the mix lol.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Coppertone said:


> Wow, you guys are making me need not want but need to keep my SI subwoofer and add a second one to the mix lol.



Ive heard the c12 and the mkIV in the same car. Opinions are opinions but I felt paying used price for the c12 was a bit much after hearing, and what I paid for the mkIV was a steal.


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Well then second subwoofer here I come after someone buys any of my f/s car audio.


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Can't wait to hear my 2 BM MK IV subs. Mark starts on my install in exactly one week  Soon, I will have the pleasure to hear these beauties in all their glory! One Saturday, we need to get together somewhere and listen to each others systems.


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Sucks to see your still having issues. Hopefully this time it all gets resolved and better yet, figure out what is causing the problem cause you have me wondering.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I totally agree with you Casey- The Elite.5 is really what you want for this install. I hope PG will swap that thing out with a NEW , NOT refurbed or other amp. I'd be doing the exact same thing, by trying to just get a credit for the existing amp and pay a little extra to have a NEW one sent to you.

On another note, have you guys tried putting this amp on the bench totally outside of the car system and playing it to see if anything changes? Really sorry to hear about the continued problems


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> Sucks to see your still having issues. Hopefully this time it all gets resolved and better yet, figure out what is causing the problem cause you have me wondering.


You and me both. It sounds awesome while its working. Luckily I can go to and from work without it going into protection. Im still working with PG Morgan West at the moment. I just got an email from him a few minutes ago asking for t/s on the MKIV. Based off the specs Nick received, with my wiring in a perfect world, they would be .78 ohm. However, real world shows differently since Mark measured .9-1.1ohm at the sub power wire where it connects to the amp.



crea_78 said:


> Can't wait to hear my 2 BM MK IV subs. Mark starts on my install in exactly one week  Soon, I will have the pleasure to hear these beauties in all their glory! One Saturday, we need to get together somewhere and listen to each others systems.


Definitely! Mark said he was going to get started on yours once all the details were worked out. I know youll be happy with what you guys come up with. We can all get up for a mini meet in the near future (Mark, Jay, Russ, Me, Clay, you, whoever) since I cant make the official fall meet grrr.



Coppertone said:


> Well then second subwoofer here I come after someone buys any of my f/s car audio.


Youre just as bad of an influence as anyone. If i could shove 3 mosconis in my rack, Id get your 300.2, another 300.2 and a 200.4 and call it a day.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Those Elite's do look good in there! I can't wait to hear the subs!


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I would offer to fold my 300.2 in half to make it fit your rack, but I'm pretty sure that you actually want it working lol.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Coppertone said:


> I would offer to fold my 300.2 in half to make it fit your rack, but I'm pretty sure that you actually want it working lol.


Itll fit length wise. Id just have to shove 3 mosconis in there. Send it over and ill see if i could make it work


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Have you tried wiring them into a 4ohm load to see if that makes a difference? You might be surprised just how well it will still perform.

I'm just wondering if the midbasses and/or subs are dipping below the minimum load the amp is rated for.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

itll heat up without any signal from RCA. I have just let it sit and idle to see how far for a few minutes, 120* happens pretty quick with no signal with channels muted at the HU.

maybe we can put it in russ's car since he is using the 99 and gains wont have to be reset to see if it makes any difference.

sorry Steve it looks like you posted just before my last one.


----------



## Velozity (Jul 6, 2007)

Just read through this thread. Casey. It's your fault I didn't get any work done this afternoon! Great car and great install by Mark! Can't wait to hear it in November.

Just replace that PG with a Zuki.....


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Just got done doing a little listening/tuning during my lunch break at work.

The time alignment is dead on at this point after a few more clicks. The ability of these subs to disappear and sound like they arent behind you is nuts!!! I have been playing a CD Erin made for the Spring NC meet to help tune. 

I cant believe how smooth and detailed they are until a bass line comes that is meant to get your attention. They seem invisible is the best was for me to put it.

I have seen a few people crossing these at 80 or 100. I tried 100/12, 80/18, and 63/24 with a matching mid bass crossover. These mid bass just do their job so damn well that 63/24 sounds the best to me. Subs are cut -2db, this sounds best on just about everything. There are a few super bass heavy songs that -5 to -7 seems to blend better but thats expected.

I do need to do some additional deadening. The rear deck shelf has some rattles which is expected since I have not done any deadening on it yet. Maybe Russ can help me take it apart so we can take out the rear oem speakers and oem sub and drop some ccf and cld.

Nick should be very proud of what hes come up with, I dont think I could have done any better on my sub stage for what I want. I took a crapshoot on them after seeing how the mkIII would sell for more used than his presale on the MKIV. Sight unseen, sound unheard


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Velozity said:


> Just read through this thread. Casey. It's your fault I didn't get any work done this afternoon! Great car and great install by Mark! Can't wait to hear it in November.
> 
> Just replace that PG with a Zuki.....


If I get the run around that may be an option haha.


----------



## Electrodynamic (Nov 27, 2007)

casey said:


> Just got done doing a little listening/tuning during my lunch break at work.
> 
> I cant believe how smooth and detailed they are until a bass line comes that is meant to get your attention. They seem invisible is the best was for me to put it.
> 
> ...


So it's safe to say that you like the two BM mkIV 12's that you have?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Definitely safe to say, Nick! They compliment everything else so well, it really brought the system together.

I did another test Morgan at PG requested. No speaker power wires connected at the amp and no rca power. Amp sat for 45 minutes with just signal from the remote wire, idle.

Went from this 



to this



So thats a solid confirmation it isnt speaker impedance related. 

After I hooked the wires back up, I put the plexi cover on (that I havent posted pics of till now) and lit up the LEDs. Mark Worrell #doctor, amazing job sir. It doenst get any sicker than this


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

well I havent heard anything back from Morgan West at PG in a couple days. Im going to pull the amp out with Russ on Wed. We are going to check the serial # on the chassis I have now, as well as the serial on the board in that chassis to see if it matches the chassis it is in, or if it may match the chassis serial I had originally and was swapped over as a "fix".

We will see. I really hope that isnt the case.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Got to hear this car Wednesday. Absolutely amazing! Everything blended so well!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

DBlevel said:


> Got to hear this car Wednesday. Absolutely amazing! Everything blended so well!


Im surprised you remember me coming over. You were turnt.:laugh:

Glad you liked it after we played some songs that showed you the subs really were on!


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

casey said:


> Im surprised you remember me coming over. You were turnt.:laugh:
> 
> Glad you liked it after we played some songs that showed you the subs really were on!


Lol, yea was twisted......

I did like how it sounded tho, everything blended great.



Oh.... The subs were playing :wiseguy:


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Damn all the fun in NC happens down in the flat-lands. All we got is topless-asheville rallies all up in here. Trust me.. You're better off down there.


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Babs said:


> Damn all the fun in NC happens down in the flat-lands. All we got is topless-asheville rallies all up in here. Trust me.. You're better off down there.


Fo' Sho'.......there are some Ashevillites that I certainly wouldn't want to see Topless


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

not quite sure how I should take this last suggestion, direct from PG...

Casey,

There is one other thing I would like you to try.

It involves a little work, but maybe you are up for it.

Take the amplifier and remove the power endpanel, but put the endcap back on. Do the same for the other side if possible as well. 

So basically you have the amp but no endpanels. Then take one (or more of) you fans and blow the air into the amplifier down the inner length of the the heatsink. Obviously targeting the warmer side of the amp’s heatsink. It’s important to keep the plexi top on, as this creates a wind tunnel that will help move the air. In a perfect world, you could do a push/pull fan arrangement, where its pushing air at one side and pulling at the other. We often had to do this with older MS amplifiers, and we even made a fan kit for the old M series amps as well to get longer play times out of them when loaded down on lower impedances. 

If possible also try to direct air under the PCB on the side that is getting warmer. If you see the attached picture, you will see there are fins located on the bottom of the amplifier. 

I know its not ideal, but try this first. 

Morgan


My response:

Morgan, thanks for the suggestion but this is a bandaid, not a fix for the issue on this amp. There is something messed up internally, as Im sure you could agree after my temp test I did for you the other night. I don’t have the time or talent to build end panels with fans for the amp. Ive owned the amp for about a year and I have had it working, playing in a car 3 of those months, and it has sat a few, and been in the PG shop or mail to or from me the rest of the time. I just need an amp that works as it has been designed. Ill be pulling it out Wednesday and will verify serial #s for you to see what this current amp was sent back for and if it even has my old board in its chassis. These amps are basically 30lb heat sinks, and I went with them because of all the talk of them not overheating if used correctly. Ive been pretty patient and understanding that things happen, but I need a real solution.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

and my thoughts (pardon my language)

Im not taking apart a ****ing $1300 amp to rig some fans on it because PG doesnt want to acknowledge that there is an issue with this amp. Thats ridiculous. 

Wednesday I am pulling it, checking serials, we are going to power it in Russ's car to lose the very last variable that my install is bad.

I have not seen ANY other issues from people, but obviously there has been some failures if they just "swapped" me for another amp, and have "b stock" versions.

Ive kept my cool but this is some stupid ****.


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Agreed...they are clearly avoiding responsibility and damaging their credibility in the process. That's too bad.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Wow.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

casey said:


> There is one other thing I would like you to try.
> 
> Take the amplifier and remove the power endpanel, but put the endcap back on. Do the same for the other side if possible as well.
> 
> ...


:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Oh wait, he was SERIOUS?? You have GOT to be kidding me. :wacko::dunce2:


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

casey said:


> and my thoughts (pardon my language)
> 
> Im not taking apart a ****ing $1300 amp to rig some fans on it because PG doesnt want to acknowledge that there is an issue with this amp. Thats ridiculous.
> 
> ...


Doesn't PG have a forum - I know they used to have one but is it still running? 
Try to post over there and see their reaction... 

Kelvin


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

They do. Im going to see what his response is before making a big deal about all of this. My first choice is to get a brand new elite.5 in there that works as designed. 

If that falls through, Ive already priced 2 300.2 and a 200.4 Mosiconi AS that should fit snuggly in my amp rack.


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Wow, you can fit (3) Mosconi amps in your rack ?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Coppertone said:


> Wow, you can fit (3) Mosconi amps in your rack ?


those PG amps are ginormous. 
23.3" L x 10.5" W x 2.6" H

The mosconi 300.2 and 200.4 are the same length but 2.57" more narrow and 6/10" less height. Im 99% certain i could mount 2 like the PG are and mark could modify the center to mount the third raised between the other two.

Its a last resort since its $$$ but is at least an option


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Well I for one am sad that you are being treated as such amp wise. There is nothing worse then coming close to a dream system, just to be slapped around by a company not wanting to honor their goods.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Russ and I took the amp out yesterday to test it in his car, same result. I took the cover off to see if I could find any identifying numbers on the board with no luck. I did find some damage, one haggard looking mosfet and another one that looks burnt(and this is in the exacty spot my original got over 200*) seems a bit fishy. Also the rail in front of them is bent, like someone was prying in there for some reason.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Just put some fans on the end.


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

Oh the frustrations. No doubt that was damaged by outside means. Hope things can get worked out...


----------



## Velozity (Jul 6, 2007)

Just so I understand, you bought a brand new one from an authorized dealer, it starting overheating after 3 months, you sent it in to PG and they sent you this B-stock one as a replacement, and it's also overheating right out of the gate? How long is the warranty on these? What does the fine print say about product replacement?


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Mike- 
I believe the original was a used unit, which Casey was up front about. It was "repaired" and sent back to him and he was seeing the same issue. After sending it back in again, he was supposedly sent another unit which has the same issue occurring.

Correct me if I'm wrong Casey.


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> Mike-
> I believe the original was a used unit, which Casey was up front about. It was "repaired" and sent back to him and he was seeing the same issue. After sending it back in again, he was supposedly sent another unit which has the same issue occurring.
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong Casey.


That is how I understood it as well. He bought the used unit from an authorized dealer. This has been a bit of a challenging situation to determine the responsibility of the manufacturer. If one is paying for a repair, it should return repaired or a statement of regret - it is beyond repair. IDK.....


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

It was purchased from an authorized dealer.

In each case the authorized dealer has been the go between on the return.

The Elite.5 was previously installed in another vehicle when the issue occurred. Didn't last anytime in that install before the sub channel went out. Literally I think a couple days and the sub channel went out.

Was sent back by the authorized delear, took awhile but got it back and sat until the new install in a different vehicle was ready. The gains on the amp were set (professionally) and I think the amp lasted about 30 mins and poof......... Samething.

After waiting for a while finally got the amp back for now a third go and SAME issue. This time it was taken to a professional again for install as well. 

I think the biggest issue with this is after the first time it was sent back it is in question whether an actual repair was done.......

Second issue is with the second trip back the question is was a repair made or was the same board just swapped with another heatsink. Possibly something might have been repaired on the second trip but the real cause of the problem WAS NOT repaired, found, diagnosed or resolved.......


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Thanks Russ for the concise summary – that paints a pretty clear picture.


----------



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

when I had an Issue with one of my JL 900/5 , I sent it in and they put a brand new board in my heatsink and basically sent me a new amp and thats common practice, instead of doing any actual repairs


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

The original was purchased from Syracuse Customs. It was Steve's personal amp out of his personal /demo vehicle, so it was shortly used. The warranty is 3 years if it is installed professionally with stinger product(which I think is silly but all my wire is is stinger anyway). So it was a used amp, but still well within its warranty limits, and still is.

The original one I bought would run fine for 1.5-2hr and then get a high noise floor and thermal shut down. I was running 4 ohm on each channel, including the sub channel, so that may be why it would play longer than my current setup which is asking a good bit more from the amp, and shutting it down in 30-45 min.

I sent the original back in December and was told a cap was bad and replaced. Once I received it back, it sat until the end of June when Mark put it in.

We were able to set gains and get a few more min of RTA done (20 min max of seeing power) and it bit the dust.

I sent it back to PG, it sat there for a month with PG saying they could not find an issue. After Steve at Syracuse pushed them for a solution, they sent the amp I have currently. Their policy is not to replace but to repair from what I understand, which contradicts what was done, which leads me to think I may have the same board in this amp. 

It has a difference serial #, but the board looks like something happened and has been hacked on from the pics I took above.

So Ive had 2 amps, 2 different cars with similar/same problems. Im not 100% convinced but I am thinking this may be the same board that was in the original. 

All my correspondence with PG has been thru Steve at Syracuse, up until I emailed Morgan directly. The amp is still registered in his name, and he has been more than helpful and willing to take it back for credit(which I may do if PG cant help)

Morgan said he is talking with customer service about getting me a new amp. I have advised him I purchased it from Steve in September of last year. He has the serial # of the original, so if its an issue Im sure Ill know.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Definitely keep us up to date. At this point, they should simply replace it with a new unit so as not to further inconvenience the customer, while they take back the faulty unit and take whatever time is needed to diagnose the root of the problem if they so choose to. It's under warranty, and they've had 3 chances now and plenty of time. Phoenix Gold needs to get this wrapped up and the customer made whole. Great products are only great if they work, and if the company stands behind them.

Mic- Your experience with JL doesn't surprise me in the least. They are easily among the very best in the industry in customer care/service. People say JL is "over-rated" or "over-priced" but they usually fail to recognize all that goes into bringing their products to market and supporting them. They _*actually *_fully design/test/build their own products (not use a chinese factory with a retread inferior design and a shiny new label passing it off as something unique), their products *do *work and reliably, and they _*absolutely*_ take excellent care of the customer by standing behind their product and going the extra mile. I have stories of my own as do others of their exceptional service. There's no doubt in my mind that if this were a JL amplifier, it would have already been replaced and working.

I'm hoping that Phoenix Gold steps up and does the right thing here- and promptly. To rebuild a legendary brand, you have to start with the basic fundamentals and customer care/support is certainly one of those.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

I wished I had received service like that Mic. I dont like to complain or down a company, but this has been quite an experience.

I havent blasted PG and made a big deal about it other than documenting whats been happening in my own thread here and on CAJ. 

Based on my convos with Steve, PG may be losing more than my business and others that are watching the thread, if you catch my drift.


----------



## Velozity (Jul 6, 2007)

*sighs, shakes head* I admire your patience because I probably would've jumped ship long ago. I came really really close to buying the same two amps you have. Hopefully they get you taken care of quickly. Does Morgan know that you've posted this? I have an executive contact at PG if you want some additional muscle.

IMO at this point you/Steve shouldn't accept anything less than a brand new recent production run amp. I'm especially surprised that you're still getting the runaround with Steve handling the logistics. It's bad enough to treat their consumer like this, but their dealer too?? How long does it take to "talk to customer service". It's an email. Either they will offer a goodwill replacement or they won't. I'm pissed-off for you! *scowls, grits teeth*


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

If I wasnt dead broke, Id just go ahead and buy a new elite.5 and sell whatever they send me. I have the money but Id at least like a solution to my current problem before buying another potential headache from PG.

If I had the money for all 3 Mosconis, Id say to hell with it and buy them and be done with it. But 3 AS big boys arent cheap, and even if I sold my two (once I get a working 5ch) Im still out a grand or close to it.

As much as Id love to talk someones head off at that level with PG, Id feel weird about it. Hey Mike Velozity gave me your # to let you know....

But on the other hand if you had their email, a link to this thread may be a fire under their ass to help. 

Morgan emailed me at 1:20 am saying he would request a new one from customer service. Not sure what sort of process it is, but at this point I think a complete goodwill replacement BNIB unit is warranted. I know theyd want the defective one back, and if I ship it a third time, ill be around $225 in shipping charges for this ordeal.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

edited until I have more info...


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

got an email from Morgan West that said customer service is looking over what options are available. 

I think at this point, once I get an elite.5 that works as intended, I will be selling my Elites and going with some Italian amps


----------



## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

casey said:


> got an email from Morgan West that said customer service is looking over what options are available.
> 
> I think at this point, once I get an elite.5 that works as intended, I will be selling my Elites and going with some Italian amps


Sinfoni? 

Kelvin


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

subwoofery said:


> Sinfoni?
> 
> Kelvin


LOL. Nahh not that fancy 

I can get a hell of a deal on Mosconi. 

2x 300.2
1x 200.4

should cover everything. Mark said he can fit them in. I think he can. Would just need a few things for wiring but shouldnt be too hard


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Casey, if you can, definitely go the Mosconi route. Such beautiful amps!!


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

crea_78 said:


> Casey, if you can, definitely go the Mosconi route. Such beautiful amps!!


Indeed, great choice!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I know where you can get 'em polished


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> I know where you can get 'em polished


lol. Ive got to do my own spin if I get them. Jason already took the best paint color for them, youve got the polish game on lock down. 

Ive got something in mind thats low key but will work in my install very well.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Vinyl Wrap? Chameleon paint? Internal LEDs? (I've actually given some thought to that and am considering it). Some sort of custom plexi top case would be pretty sweet as well, but I wouldn't have a clue where to start on that one.
The cases on the AS are purely cosmetic as the heatsinking is attached to the board, so there's options. You could do all three next to each other without the cases even, underneath that plexi cover in the trunk.


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> You could do all three next to each other without the cases even, underneath that plexi cover in the trunk.


That would be awesome!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> Vinyl Wrap? Chameleon paint? Internal LEDs? (I've actually given some thought to that and am considering it). Some sort of custom plexi top case would be pretty sweet as well, but I wouldn't have a clue where to start on that one.
> The cases on the AS are purely cosmetic as the heatsinking is attached to the board, so there's options. You could do all three next to each other without the cases even, underneath that plexi cover in the trunk.


that is true and I actually thought about that. If I do the swap, Im going to make sure they will play for an extended period of time before thermal shutdown (dont think this will be an issue.) and then decide. They would look wild naked though!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> that is true and I actually thought about that. If I do the swap, Im going to make sure they will play for an extended period of time before thermal shutdown (dont think this will be an issue.) and then decide. They would look wild naked though!



Yup! And since they are narrower than the Elites, I'm betting you could do the two on the and the third right in between them in the current layout. With open air, the existing fans built into the heatsinks and the fans in the trunk, I don' think you'd have any issues


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> Yup! And since they are narrower than the Elites, I'm betting you could do the two on the and the third right in between them in the current layout. With open air, the existing fans built into the heatsinks and the fans in the trunk, I don' think you'd have any issues


Thats what we are shooting for on the layout. As long as theres enough depth we should be good. Russ has a 300.2 that we are going to use for mock up to confirm


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

What kinda deal on Mosconis? Haha


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

JSM-FA5 said:


> What kinda deal on Mosconis? Haha


Best via PM if you are seriously asking, Hooah.....


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Mark does give killer deals on audio equipment but won't do it for everyone that comes through the shop.


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

crea_78 said:


> Mark does give killer deals on audio equipment but won't do it for everyone that comes through the shop.


Like most installers, he is a able to provide incentive pricing on equipment as part of the overall install bundle......that is what is meant by 'killer deals'.


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Exactly Jason. He knows you will spend the $$ on the install so will help the person out on the equipment. Either way, everyone wins.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Which is exactly how it should be. So many people wonder why they get a quote, buy everything online and the quote goes up. 

Jay


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> What kinda deal on Mosconis? Haha





bertholomey said:


> Best via PM if you are seriously asking, Hooah.....





crea_78 said:


> Mark does give killer deals on audio equipment but won't do it for everyone that comes through the shop.


I dont quote pricing/step on toes  . He will definitely make sure youre taken care of on install and equipment.


----------



## evo9 (Jul 6, 2005)

casey said:


> Definitely safe to say, Nick! They compliment everything else so well, it really brought the system together.
> 
> I did another test Morgan at PG requested. No speaker power wires connected at the amp and no rca power. Amp sat for 45 minutes with just signal from the remote wire, idle.
> 
> ...





I could hardly get any heat on my Elite.5 with a 4 ohms woofer & 1 hr. worth of play. Something is wrong with your amp! See post #9 Phoenix Gold Phorum • View topic - Phoenix Gold Elite.5 5 Channel















.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

evo9 said:


> I could hardly get any heat on my Elite.5 with a 4 ohms woofer & 1 hr. worth of play. Something is wrong with your amp! See post #9 Phoenix Gold Phorum • View topic - Phoenix Gold Elite.5 5 Channel




exactly my point. Im not doing anything out of the ordinary. The 2 Elite.5 I have had are garbage b stock apparently.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

So do you have new amps on the way?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

not yet. 

Morgan messaged me back. From his end they are willing to replace my current 5ch with a brand new for 250. 

Same day, Mark W called. The director of sales for PG was visiting the shop last Wed. Mark told me to call him so I did. He explained he has known him for a while and had filled him in on my situation. I spoke with Ken for a couple minutes. He said he is willing to swap my current amp for a new unit due to all the issues Ive been having, and also reimburse me for my shipping charges. 

I emailed him that evening and havent received a reply back yet, but am hopeful.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

not yet. 

Morgan messaged me back. From his end they are willing to replace my current 5ch with a brand new for 250. 

Same day, Mark W called. The director of sales for PG was visiting the shop last Wed. Mark told me to call him so I did. He explained he has known him for a while and had filled him in on my situation. I spoke with Ken for a couple minutes. He said he is willing to swap my current amp for a new unit due to all the issues Ive been having, and also reimburse me for my shipping charges. 

I emailed him that evening and havent received a reply back yet, but am hopeful.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

^ Yay! Hopefully the saga is resolved.


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

That does sound good. Hopefully this will be brought to resolution soon.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Notloudenuf said:


> That does sound good. Hopefully this will be brought to resolution soon.


We will see I guess.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Man, I hope they get this taken care of pronto. Great that it seems Ken is willing to do a full swap out. That really seems like the right thing to do here.

Stay on them with emails/calls. Make sure this gets resolved one way or another in a timely fashion from here forward.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Have called his cell two more times with no call back. This is frustrating to say the least. If youre going to make an offer to help, at least follow through with a call back, even if its just to let me know you havent had a chance to read my email.


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

That sucks Casey! You deserve better treatment than that after all you have been through!!


----------



## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Marks PG off of my list of amplifiers to one day buy.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thehatedguy said:


> Marks PG off of my list of amplifiers to one day buy.


they really arent making themselves look good :worried:


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

crea_78 said:


> That sucks Casey! You deserve better treatment than that after all you have been through!!


it is what it is. But I wont be a repeat buyer of their product, and im sure they probably have lost some additional sales due to this


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

update: 

Ken has been in email contact with me today and I will be calling him during my lunch. Hopefully ill be able to get the ball rolling now


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Finally!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Talked with Ken again. He advised that since the amp I purchased was a refurb(I thought it was a used demo amp from Syracuse) that they can swap it for a brand new for $200 out of pocket and will allow me to ship back to them using their ups account.

I agreed to this and will keep this updated as well.


----------



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

casey said:


> Talked with Ken again. He advised that since the amp I purchased was a refurb(I thought it was a used demo amp from Syracuse) that they can swap it for a brand new for $200 out of pocket and will allow me to ship back to them using their ups account.
> 
> I agreed to this and will keep this updated as well.


Hmmmmm, makes me wonder if PG just saying that to get their costs covered on the replacement amp? Did you ask Syracuse about it?

After all of this, I'd be finding out a little more info before agreeing to this. 

Food for thought....I saw a thread here on DIYMA about member that had an Esotar2 1200 with an issue. He purchased it used a couple years back (not from me). I am a dealer for Dynaudio. I believe it was over the weekend and I texted my contact and within 15 minutes we worked out a completed free of charge warranty exchange. Again, I didn't sell it, it wasn't under any warranty and we still got it done on a $1,600 MSRP sub and all it costed the member was the amount to ship the defective sub back and it was dealt with as quick as humanly possible over a weekend. I'm just trying to say, you should demand better for all you have been through!!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

I checked with Steve and confirmed. He had a few for sale and the one I got was a b stock. 

Not a big deal. Itll be easier for me to sell a brand new unit for a $1k than a used b stock for $800 if that makes sense. 

I will not be running their product if I can help it. Im out 3 months of my time, plus my shipping charges. If I used the brand new one and it crapped out on me, I dont have the patience to deal with this again.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Niebur3 said:


> Hmmmmm, makes me wonder if PG just saying that to get their costs covered on the replacement amp? Did you ask Syracuse about it?
> 
> After all of this, I'd be finding out a little more info before agreeing to this.
> 
> Food for thought....I saw a thread here on DIYMA about member that had an Esotar2 1200 with an issue. He purchased it used a couple years back (not from me). I am a dealer for Dynaudio. I believe it was over the weekend and I texted my contact and within 15 minutes we worked out a completed free of charge warranty exchange. Again, I didn't sell it, it wasn't under any warranty and we still got it done on a $1,600 MSRP sub and all it costed the member was the amount to ship the defective sub back and it was dealt with as quick as humanly possible over a weekend. I'm just trying to say, you should demand better for all you have been through!!!!



Thanks for sharing that Jerry. It seems like some of these companies "value" customer service, but only up until the product is out their door. I just don't get it. 

I also have a short experience I'd like to share. 

I had purchased a couple of used second hand JL Audio HD amps a while back and one of them had a pretty badly scratched up aluminum case. I didn't think it would bug me, but it really did. I figured, I may as well look into what a replacement case would cost for the amp so I could think about whether the cost would be worth it to swap it out. I reached out to Manville Smith simply to inquire about whether replacement cases were even available for the HDs, and then what one might cost. I had a return email within 24 hours from Manville with one of his sales/customer service guys copied to "take care of me" and have a new case sent to me. A brand new case was at my door in 3 days from my email. No charge, no issue. That's outstanding customer service and what I'd say is going far above and beyond the call of duty for your customers...and I hadn't even bought them new from JL. Just amazing customer care right there, and I'd say is right in line with what Dynaudio did for that customer. 
I think what some companies fail to realize is that a customer service experience does not start and end with a single customer. Each interaction affects (positively or negatively) potential future business as well. Poor experiences not only lose business from the customer you already have, but others via word of mouth, social media, etc. Yes, there is a cost of time and resource to providing quality customer care, but the upsides far outweigh the downsides. Business 101- It is less expensive to RETAIN customers than it is to find new ones.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> I checked with Steve and confirmed. He had a few for sale and the one I got was a b stock.
> 
> Not a big deal. Itll be easier for me to sell a brand new unit for a $1k than a used b stock for $800 if that makes sense.
> 
> I will not be running their product if I can help it. Im out 3 months of my time, plus my shipping charges. If I used the brand new one and it crapped out on me, I dont have the patience to deal with this again.



I wouldn't blame you if you did decide to move on.

If you go with the Macaroni amps, get in touch with Mark


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

yessir I will be making my purchase through Mark of course.

My elite 5 should be arriving to PG tomorrow and then Ill have the new one on its way to me to resell. 

In addition to all this fun, my driver side tweeter quit working last night and Im not sure why. I noticed it while playing the IASCA disc I picked up from Erin. I was playing it pretty much full tilt but it was playing fine. Wasnt doing any of the sine wave tracks, just music on my drive to the movies. After I got out of the movie I could tell something was up but had the volume pretty low on the way home. On the way to work today the stage was far right and found that the tweeter was not playing at all. Going to swap it with the other tweeter tonight to confirm that it is a speaker issue. Sucks but it happens, just surprised since my crossovers arent asking a whole lot from them and theyre only slightly over the 120RMS


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

false alarm on the tweeter.

found that I had some very oxidized wire connections where marks wiring from the pillar speakers connects to my wiring. I did the soldering while we were trying to do everything in one day at Russ's. The wires literally fell apart when I pulled on them, dust from the oxidation everywhere. Kind of dumbfounded. I dont know if the solder got too hot and did something to the wire or what. 

Either way, got the tweeter back, the other 3 definitely sound better now that the are getting powered by more than a few strands of copper.

Just have to find my soldering gun and redo the work so it will last


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Glad to see everything sort of working out. Have you for sure decided on the Mosconis?


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

casey said:


> false alarm on the tweeter.
> 
> found that I had some very oxidized wire connections where marks wiring from the pillar speakers connects to my wiring. I did the soldering while we were trying to do everything in one day at Russ's. The wires literally fell apart when I pulled on them, dust from the oxidation everywhere. Kind of dumbfounded. I dont know if the solder got too hot and did something to the wire or what.
> 
> ...


The life of car audio. I've had to do a couple of these fixes during my short time. Glade it wasn't more serious


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

yeah im ok with a little troubleshooting as long as its nothing expensive. glad it was just something simple for sure

jacob, i am 99 percent on the mosconis


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> false alarm on the tweeter.
> 
> found that I had some very oxidized wire connections where marks wiring from the pillar speakers connects to my wiring. I did the soldering while we were trying to do everything in one day at Russ's. The wires literally fell apart when I pulled on them, dust from the oxidation everywhere. Kind of dumbfounded. I dont know if the solder got too hot and did something to the wire or what.
> 
> ...



ewww, that sounds nasty. Maybe run all new speaker wiring direct from amps to speakers?  Not fun, but it will at least avoid any issues down the road with wiring connections failing and damaging drivers or amplifiers...


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

captainobvious said:


> ewww, that sounds nasty. Maybe run all new speaker wiring direct from amps to speakers?  Not fun, but it will at least avoid any issues down the road with wiring connections failing and damaging drivers or amplifiers...


dang steve ive missed a couple of your replies lately, my bad!

nahhh not that severe. A good solder and heat shrink job will more than suffice.


I received the new in box replacement elite.5 today. Already sold to its new owner SQ_MDX (thanks again Jeremy!)

I have a buyer for the elite.4 ive been nice enough to hold the amp for for two weeks and hoping they hold up on there end to purchase it by tuesday.

Time to order some new amps!


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

casey said:


> dang steve ive missed a couple of your replies lately, my bad!
> 
> nahhh not that severe. A good solder and heat shrink job will more than suffice.
> 
> ...


glad you got the amps sold, hope the new ones work out better for you!


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

The Mosconis are calling your name Casey


----------



## req (Aug 4, 2007)

wow casey. im glad i ended with the mosconi instead of the PG amps... i have not had a single problem with my amplifiers to this date. i just wish each channel on the AS200.4 had its own level setting


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

The mosconis certainly have plenty of output, low noise floor and have great impedance load versatility. I would say a pair of AS200.4's will MORE than suffice 

Oh and one SI BM mkiv kills it in my car (wink wink)for SQ, so two should be just nuts in yours!


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Speaking of which - that would have been a fun exercise at Finals - getting a tally of cars that had Mosconi amplification ?


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

bertholomey said:


> Speaking of which - that would have been a fun exercise at Finals - getting a tally of cars that had Mosconi amplification ?


Looked like a solid 30% + to me. LOTS of mosconi out there


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Yeah Im looking forward to having amp issues out of the equation so that I can focus on getting everything dialed in. 

2 200.4 would be enough but a little headroom never hurt  I still think itll be a single 200.4 and 2 300.2

I got enough play time on the elite.5 with subs hooked to tell you youre right. 2 of these is plenty. It was missing some "upper" sub bass though. When Russ and I were pulling the amp to test it, It was low passed for the sub channel at 30 or 40 hz. That will definitely kill a lot of natural drums and bass string instruments. We adjusted that and it was night and day. Definitely cant wait to throw similar power to them again.


----------



## claydo (Oct 1, 2012)

30%........that seems low steve! It was a mosconi sponsored event.......right? Seriously tho.....they were in every other rack....


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Been messing around with some things the last couple days out of boredom and also because Ill have to do some stuff anyway when I get new amps

I still have the 500.4 giving the mid bass power, and am borrowing a 4 ch us amps tube hybrid powering the mid range and tweeters (thanks Russ!)

My center image seemed a bit different after the amp swap, but I did not get the gains matched, I just did my best to even them out since it is temporary

I redid my time alignment a few days ago. My right side measurements were pretty close but the left were a bit different than what I had in there. 

It seemed to open up a little more but wasnt a huge change. I took a pic of my previous settings in case I decide to go back with it. 

My mid range are set to normal phase on the head unit, Mark suggested I put the mid bass reverse phase when we did the initial settings. It has remained that way, and Jason B confirmed it was definitely the right setting by switching to normal and back. Bass stays at eye level with this setting.

This got me thinking that maybe my tweeters could sound better with phase reversed. I switched them and instantly noticed more "pop" and "attack". Picked up a few DB in the range where they are sharing freq with the mid range it seems. Whether it is "right" is TBD. It definitely is more in your face and detailed, but sometimes it seems it lost a little "airyness" but that could just be because the main sounds in that frequency are more locked in. Ill have to get some opinions on it to decide if its right or I just like it because its different. 

It may even have something to do with the temp amp, I dont think I wired the tweeters backwards but its a possibility. I can check when I have more time later on.

I also ended up reading Erin's write up a third time just to confuse myself even more. I ended up doing some L/R level matching. I know its not optimal but I used a JL app that has a db meter on it. The IASCA cd I got from Erin has a pink noise track on it. I muted all channels besides the one I was testing, then would mute and play the speaker on the opposite side. I would attenuate the left side until output matched the left.

This made a difference as well, it sounds very well balanced across the stage from left to right without bringing your attention more to one side than the other. It never really had an issue with that but its good to know it may be better

I had a chance to listen to some stuff on Jason and Erins demo discs on the way to work and I was VERY happy with the results. Everything sounds very good and the impact from drums in the chest is great. Not sure if all the stars aligned or what, but am excited for the next step once new power arrives


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> Been messing around with some things the last couple days out of boredom and also because Ill have to do some stuff anyway when I get new amps
> 
> I still have the 500.4 giving the mid bass power, and am borrowing a 4 ch us amps tube hybrid powering the mid range and tweeters (thanks Russ!)
> 
> ...


I think it's harder to recognize phase issues in that upper treble region because differences are more amplitude dependent. That's why using time alignment on tweeters doesnt make nearly as much difference as mids and midbasses, etc. 


Unfortunately, when you change out the amps you'll likely be scrapping that sheet of previous settings. Unless the amps coming in have been level matched to the same voltages as the originals, it's going to throw things out of whack anyway. Better to just install the new amps, set any gain overlap structure desired and then do a full retune.

So have you decided which amps to run yet ?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

sorry for the lay out on that post. was just adding stuff in between calls at work lol


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

exactly why I dont mind messing with it, its going to get changed anyway.

Yessir, amps should be in Marks hands tomorrow. trio of mosconis


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Been in MD all weekend at a race at MIR. Mark was kind enough to send me a pic of my new amps that arrived a few days ago  Everything looks good, just need to get the rack back to him for a couple of modifications to mount them


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Very nice Casey! I'm sure those will not only look but will sound excellent as well.
I'm ready to check out the finished system.


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

casey said:


> Been in MD all weekend at a race at MIR. Mark was kind enough to send me a pic of my new amps that arrived a few days ago  Everything looks good, just need to get the rack back to him for a couple of modifications to mount them


:faint:


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> Been in MD all weekend at a race at MIR. Mark was kind enough to send me a pic of my new amps that arrived a few days ago  Everything looks good, just need to get the rack back to him for a couple of modifications to mount them


Awesome, nice choice Casey. I think you will be VERY happy with those.


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Congrats Casey!! Have to say that I am 'a little jealous' right now  Maybe one day I will get a 200.4 to power my tweets and mids.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks guys. Cant wait to get these installed and everything dialed back in.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

A little off topic, but here's a clip of one of the finals at the race I went to this weekend. The event puts classes of import and domestic cars together that run similar times. It makes for some great racing you wouldn't see elsewhere since the cars would never be in the same class otherwise.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=747719001949368


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

That was really cool - to see that big firebird come off the ground, and then the little car just pull away....amazing time / speed as well!


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

That Honda was GONE. That was insane!


----------



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

If you need or want any help tuning. Just lmk and I am sure we can work something out and meet up somewhere or something


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Mic10is said:


> If you need or want any help tuning. Just lmk and I am sure we can work something out and meet up somewhere or something


Mic that would be awesome! I really appreciate the offer. As happy as Jason is and everyone that has listened to his car, I cant turn that down. Plus your credentials speak for themselves


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Yeah, he's ok....I guess...


----------



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> Yeah, he's ok....I guess...


I cant argue with that


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

lol if Steve gives the meh hes ok, then Im ok with that.

Did a little work today. Since I have 4 channel RCAs and my subs and mid bass will be on separate amps now, instead of rerunning new RCA (HUGE pain in the ass!) I decided to buy some female RCA ends from partsexpress.com and make extensions. 

I have 5 pairs of Esoteric Audio Musica500 I have been saving. Picked them up over a year ago when someone was blowing them out on ebay for $6 a pair. They are as nice as any RCA ive seen. 

I took one and cut to length for two extensions to start putting on the female ends.

I cut off the insulation and pulled the foil off and twisted the shield into a single strand





tinned the shield and signal wire



soldered the shield to the outter/crimp and soldered the signal to the inner tab





crimped to the wire, and screwed it together. Voila! Looks like a professional did it


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I like the strain relief on those connectors.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thanks Steve. They are pretty high quality and inexpensive. I picked up a second set just in case


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Looks very nice, now we wait.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

yep! 

Dropped by Marks place today to give him the amp rack. Took a short look at my new amps as well. 

We discussed layout briefly and then just bs'd a while. Should have a fully functioning system soon :0


----------



## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

let me know when you get it all running, we'll meet up and demo each other's cars finally  i'll be out of town from nov 24th to dec 3rd but should have at least one new thing in the car before christmas.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Serieus said:


> let me know when you get it all running, we'll meet up and demo each other's cars finally  i'll be out of town from nov 24th to dec 3rd but should have at least one new thing in the car before christmas.


sounds like a plan Chris, I doubt mine will be ready before then so no rush!


----------



## SO20thCentury (Sep 18, 2014)

Damn, Casey, epic tale - I laughed, I cried, I developed a bad taste in my mouth at the mention of phoenix gold. Best of luck with mosconis! I hope you get to enjoy hearing your system at it's full potential for a good long time soon. You sure did justice to those BM MKIVs in showcasing all their beauty.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks for the compliments on the setup! 

It was 72 today so Russ and I decided to get some work done I've been putting off for almost a year. We pulled the rear deck, deadened it and the plastics. No pics, wasn't super exciting lol


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Atleast you did it! I never could get the side panels off of my last car lol


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Well... I'd say no more amp issues.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> Atleast you did it! I never could get the side panels off of my last car lol


theres a trick to it. I used my fist to do it lol


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Babs said:


> Well... I'd say no more amp issues.


I think those days are in the past for sure


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

casey said:


> theres a trick to it. I used my fist to do it lol


Sometimes you just have to go elbow deep


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

casey said:


> theres a trick to it. I used my fist to do it lol


Damn, the one tool I didn't use lol


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Lol, ill give you a hand if you want when you do your new si.

After a few weeks of listening with temp amps, ive come to realize I got spoiled on power. 

Right now Im getting 75wpc to the mid range and tweeters and 150wpc for the mid bass, coming from 150+ and 250+ wpc. Not only is the output down enough for me to notice it, the dynamics arent near what they were. I wasnt 100% sure if I was going be able to notice a difference when I switched to the temp amps, but its definitely there.

Another thing Ive done is swap the phase back on my tweeters. Output was brighter with reverse polarity but I think it was out of phase with the midrange in the vocal frequencies. I picked up more smearing and pulling of the image with the tweeters on reverse polarity so its back to how it was originally.


I may also have a Christmas present to myself that ill post up later. I dont have it in hand yet but just need to pay for it since a friend is holding it for me


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Sounds like a plan! Should be starting around the first of the year. 
Yeah, after hearing your car I am a believer in more power! (Obviously haha) looking forward. To demoing the full set up, as the subs were not working yet! 
Gonna tell us what the present is?


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Wish I coulda made the NC meet up. All us Si guys in NC, ya know.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Babs said:


> Wish I coulda made the NC meet up. All us Si guys in NC, ya know.


There will be a spring one, come hang out. I missed the fall meet so Im going to do everything I can to have a functioning car at the Spring meet



JSM-FA5 said:


> Sounds like a plan! Should be starting around the first of the year.
> Yeah, after hearing your car I am a believer in more power! (Obviously haha) looking forward. To demoing the full set up, as the subs were not working yet!
> Gonna tell us what the present is?


Ill post up the new piece when its in my hands before I install it.

And we can definitely arrange another demo once its 100%


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

casey said:


> There will be a spring one, come hang out. I missed the fall meet so Im going to do everything I can to have a functioning car at the Spring meet


At the rate I'm going, I *might* have mine done by then but I dunno. LOL! Taking forever.Good goodies on my a-pillars now at least.  ...

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/2204180-post1260.html

Tried to share stuff on 8thcivic on these, as I know 8thcivic guys would eat that up on tweeter placement, but the site blips out my username there wherever it's posted thinking it's a bad word, so I gave up on sharing stuff there.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Went and picked up my Christmas present to myself and installed it along with reprogramming my PAC controller(and I still dont have +volume working, dammit).

Russ had a second one stashed that I talked him out of. 

So now I can stop contemplating if I need anything more as far as a source unit  Im happy I went ahead and did it. Once I get the amps in, and a tune from Mic(if the offer still stands) I think it will be incredible


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

Hey Casey has Mark changed his cell phone number. I'm trying to get a hold of him so I can discuss coming down for a few days this late spring or so he can do up my Pillars. Just want to make sure he doesn't book anything during that time as I will have to take some vacation time to do this. 

I'm sure he's busy as hell so if that's the case I can wait as I'm not looking to do anything for a little bit.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I just read this thread again. All 25 tapatalk pages of it. It's awe inspiring. I'd say I'm speechless but more amazed. I was just surfing for civic door mid builds as I'm trudging through just trying to do well with some SB 6.5's, then realize again whoah wait.. 8" Dyn's!?!?! 

Hang my sorry head in shame, or be inspired. I'm somewhere in between. Hehehe. Bravo is not strong enough word. 

I WILL be at the NC meet but I can't park my very detail-needy dirty Galaxy Gray FA5 next to yours. It would just be flat out ridiculous. 

You guys all have done amazing things I can only hope to aspire to. I've lurked and wrenched a little but now I'm all in by the sheer inspiration of your car, Beckerson's, Erin's, Richard's. Just the awesome details even. Greatness. I'm so tempted to take a power tool to my civic door grills. Off into tall grass damaging expensive parts. Hehehe

Okidokie. Ass kissin over. Just hadda say it. Carry on.


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

Babs said:


> I just read this thread again. All 25 tapatalk pages of it. It's awe inspiring. I'd say I'm speechless but more amazed. I was just surfing for civic door mid builds as I'm trudging through just trying to do well with some SB 6.5's, then realize again whoah wait.. 8" Dyn's!?!?!
> 
> Hang my sorry head in shame, or be inspired. I'm somewhere in between. Hehehe. Bravo is not strong enough word.
> 
> ...


Well thanks for the mention and I and I'm sure Casey, Erin, and Richard all appriciate it. I can only attest to myself but we all know this hobby isn't cheap and being a inspiration to others gives me joy within the hobby. Even if it means doing as much as one can to assist others.

Have a lot of changes planned as well. Might just involve 8s. I won't be doing much of the build from now on due to time constraints but feel the choice in fellow DIYMA member will allow me to achive what I've been seeing in my head come to life. 

One thing I do strive to eventually do is make my way down that way. Was going to but due to some unforseen events on both parties I won't be down that way at least this year.


----------



## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

*2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, E...*

If I could only transport my car, maybe we could have an 8th audio meet. I think I'm the only one on the left coast.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Email that red beauty over here. I'll make sure v-tec still works with all that sound gear and MLV in there.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Dang my car is a hot mess right now. I'd do a build thread if I could get building instead of breaking.


----------



## Beckerson1 (Jul 3, 2012)

*Re: 2008 4 door Civic build log. Pioneer, Phoenix Gold, Audible Physics, Scan, E...*



papasin said:


> If I could only transport my car, maybe we could have an 8th audio meet. I think I'm the only one on the left coast.


Hellz ya...


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

wow didnt realize there was activity in my thread. 

Thanks for the compliment Scott. I cant take credit for the fab work, just the wiring jive, deadening, and equipment selection (with some suggestions of course)

wish I could contribute but have nothing new to report. Trying to get everything wrapped up for the meet(amps in and tune from Mic)


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Certainly. Cannot wait to hear it! I'm afraid I'll like all those systems going way too much, come home and start ripping out a-pillars and doing an IB wall.

On tuning we discussed.. This was the thread if messing with REW, if you've not seen it. I'd bet as far as using the REW too specifically it's about as thorough as it gets. The trick is to not get caught up in the minutia of responses, but stick with Hanatsu's main how-to posts and just measure away. 

I want to try this method after justing doing a simple T/A setup using Erin's tracerite calculator. Yeah I'll get right on that, just as soon as I do a few hundred other tasks to the point she's ready to fire up again.


----------



## lesliev (Mar 24, 2015)

casey said:


> Probably a little premature on making this thread but Im too excited not to
> 
> This is going to be a long thread but I will be as detailed as possible with it and try to answer any questions.
> 
> ...


You got a little over this is weeks







:laugh:


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Nothing new on my setup, but I did have a four day weekend and managed to take advantage of the weather. 

I did a detail and mild paint correction on the car. 2 stage polish on the hood, roof and trunk/spoiler, then did a glaze, sealant, and paste wax on the whole car. Also removed and cleaned the wheels. I recently got a new windshield due to something huge smashing it on the way to work a week ago. No deductible insurance for the win. Sorry for having a couple repetitive pics, was trying to captures the gloss/metallic of the paint with my iphone lol


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Nothing new on my setup, but I did have a four day weekend and managed to take advantage of the weather. 

I did a detail and mild paint correction on the car. 2 stage polish on the hood, roof and trunk/spoiler, then did a glaze, sealant, and paste wax on the whole car. Also removed and cleaned the wheels. I recently got a new windshield due to something huge smashing it on the way to work a week ago. No deductible insurance for the win. Sorry for having a couple repetitive pics, was trying to captures the gloss/metallic of the paint with my iphone lol


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

Looks damn good Casey!


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I'm not parking anywhere near you Dude!! Looks great!!!


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Babs said:


> I'm not parking anywhere near you Dude!! Looks great!!!


haha thanks man! Just takes some time and effort



DBlevel said:


> Looks damn good Casey!


thanks sir. you messed with your stuff any more?


----------



## DBlevel (Oct 6, 2006)

casey said:


> thanks sir. you messed with your stuff any more?



Not really lol. Might try later this week or this coming weekend.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

casey said:


> Nothing new on my setup, but I did have a four day weekend and managed to take advantage of the weather.
> 
> I did a detail and mild paint correction on the car. 2 stage polish on the hood, roof and trunk/spoiler, then did a glaze, sealant, and paste wax on the whole car. Also removed and cleaned the wheels. I recently got a new windshield due to something huge smashing it on the way to work a week ago. No deductible insurance for the win. Sorry for having a couple repetitive pics, was trying to captures the gloss/metallic of the paint with my iphone lol





casey said:


> haha thanks man! Just takes some time and effort


Yeah I'd need to:
1. wash, like twice, by hand.
2. clay-bar the front, and most of the car
3. do a final polish with the porter cable
4. glaze
5. sealant

... Oh, probably a good full day. Just on the outside.  That's what I get for neglecting it. She's become a daily beater.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

lol. i typically spend 8hrs on the outside if i have to polish


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

SI looks great Casey. My Mazdaspeed 3 desperately needs the same treatment. Have light scratches and swirls and I need to do some light correction as well. I picked up a PC 7424XP polisher about 6 months ago but haven't gotten to use it on the car yet. Which polishes/pads do you use? I have the Meguiars M105/M205 polishes to use, but haven't ever done this before. Also have some Hexlogic pads. (orange and white I believe)
I planned to simply seal it with Optimum Opti-Seal. Never used it but it is fairly inexpensive and has good reviews.


Gimme the run down on your products you use.


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

sounds like youve got the goods to work on it sir! Im not entirely familiar with the meguiars line up but they have some good polishes and compounds for sure.

I have an oribital (its a brand autopia used to sell, same as porter cable)
I use Chemical Guys products because they are reasonably priced and seem to have good results.

CG Mr Pink shampoo for washing
CG medium clay bar or Meguiars clay bar(both work great)
CG V34 polish/compound with a orange hex logic pad 1st stage
CG V36 polish with a white hex 2nd stage
I have V32 which is a compound and V38 which is a fine polish but I rarely use them. I also have 3M polish which is great as well. Just didnt use it on the recent detail

Glaze - CG Mirror wet finish - I use a black hex pad to apply
Sealant - CG Jetseal - I use a red hex pad to apply
Wax - CG 50/50 Concourse paste wax - I use a foam applicator

quick detail - CG Hybrid V07 detail spray and sealant

Im always open to trying new stuff but I am very happy with their products. I use a dressing on the tires, interior and black plastics called silk shine. It is the best I have ever used. Its water based so it doesnt get slimy like armor all and it works great


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

FWIW, this is what I used last year in lieu of clay bar... and I loved it. It makes claying the car a breeze with a DA. It gets a lot of really solid reviews from professional/hobbyist detailers on a particular detailing forum I joined when I set out to learn this stuff.

Amazon.com: Nanoskin (AS-006) AutoScrub 6" Fine Grade Foam Pad for DA Polisher: Automotive

Note: You'll also need their lubricant stuff which is to be diluted with water, so the full bottle will last you at least two cars' worth of use. If you use the lube and with proper care, a pad should at least last you a car. I did my entire car with one pad, but would get a new one if I were to do another car.


When I did my car last year it took the look from about a 6/10 to an 9/10. It looked MUCH better. I used the harbor freight DA, bought for about $50 or so, IIRC, via coupon. I used Meguiar's products all around from polish to sealant and was very happy. 

My hood and front bumper need more than I can provide though... frankly, they probably need to either be replaced or completely repainted. Especially the hood, with all the dents and dings in it. I actually was going to vinyl wrap the hood at some point but just haven't found the time (ordered the wrap last year).


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

thats definitely interesting. I like that its reusable but I wonder how it prevents the trash it pulls off the paint from causing any damage? I know most of what is pulled up isnt a huge concern but occasionally ill pull something up that I would think could scratch.

A friend of mine has a reusable pad thats probably the same material that he wasnt fond of. Said it took a ton of the lube since the surface area of the pad was so big.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

casey said:


> sounds like youve got the goods to work on it sir! Im not entirely familiar with the meguiars line up but they have some good polishes and compounds for sure.
> 
> I have an oribital (its a brand autopia used to sell, same as porter cable)
> I use Chemical Guys products because they are reasonably priced and seem to have good results.
> ...



Yup, most of the CG's stuff I've used is pretty decent. I use the Mr Pink in a foam gun for washes as well (sometimes the Citrus wash- both are great).


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Ive got citrus wash too, definitely good stuff. I picked up a gallon of mr pink when it went on sale for 30% off a few weeks back. 

let me know how your other stuff works out!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Will do!


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Great. And I thought I was doing good by planning to run mine through the car wash when I get in town. lol

I'll park by Babs. haha

Jay


----------



## crea_78 (Jan 6, 2014)

Casey, has Mark finished your amp rack? I would love to take a listen to the completed system this weekend if he has.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Little bump on this thread. I finally got a chance to hear this Magnificent build. Off the chain! Simply amazing! Between your build and Erin's you guys have me rethinking stepping up into 3-way territory. But this car sounded absolutely fabulous. Glad I finally got to hear it. 


Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I concur. The civic is sounding damn good already, even without a full tune on it. Love the install too.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Yeah the potential is massive. The impact was lovely. Got gobs of killer clean output to play with also. 


Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Sorry for the lack of updates. I havent done anything with the car since the meet LOL. I finally drove down to Kinston, NC and delivered my rack to Jeremy to modify. Its going to be a tight fit but should work! After delivering them, we met up with Kendal and went and ate some steak at a place he recommended. I may have eaten a 10oz ribeye, 2 salads, 5 meatballs, a roll, and a loaded baked potato. I was in a food coma but managed to make the 3hr drive home safely and got in around 11:30pm


----------



## Velozity (Jul 6, 2007)

Hopefully I can get to hear this gem next week. It's been a long time comin'!


----------



## Justintime (Sep 23, 2014)

Nice install. Love to see these build log.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Yeah I got the civic amp rack blues.. C'mon sing it w'me!











Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Didn't realize you were switching installers. What's the plan this go round?


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

JSM-FA5 said:


> Didn't realize you were switching installers. What's the plan this go round?


Plan is to get a finished product back, in a reasonable amount of time. 

Fitting 3 Mosconis in this rack is like putting 10lb of junk in a 5lb bag. Not only is total space an obstacle but also wiring. I will have to wire up the two bottom amps before putting the top piece on, then the top amp, and then wiring up the top amp. Once its all said and done, there should be very minimal wiring in sight.


----------



## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Man if your local we coulda knocked that out by now. 


Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Babs said:


> Man if your local we coulda knocked that out by now.
> 
> 
> Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


Yeah I have thought about having it done locally/with a friend etc but as much as I have invested I would hate to ruin the rack. 

Jeremy pointed out that he would have to build up the fiberglass on the bottom of the rack where the riser will be attached for the middle amp. I probably would have not caught or thought about that had I done the work myself or with a friend, and it would have failed at some point.


----------



## JSM-FA5 (Nov 18, 2012)

Sounds like a plan! Hopefully it works out this time around. Ready to hear it with all the intended amps/power


----------

