# Finally, the S2000 gets some love!



## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

After owning this car since August 2001 with the stock CD player and some JL Audio VR 6.5 coaxes, I decided it was time upgrade. I have had a simple amp rack out back for testing amps and such while I made a better bench for the garage. 

The Sony CDX-F605X has been in for a few months, but has seen little use since it's been cool here for some time. Outstanding head IMO, for the minimal cash I laid out for it. Here is link to my review on DIYMA:

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5161










Here is a shot of the face in the dark. It's very clear and I like that you can see the time, cd time, track, and eq settings all at once. If you have an MP3 disc or a newer CD with title info, it displays just above the CD time. Nice.










TA, EQ and Crossover is handled by the "Deal of the year" Precision Power DCX-730. I mounted the controller in the lower dash panel on the passenger side. Goal here was to be able to fine tune the sound for top up and top down driving. The unit is mounted in a custom aluminum sleeve and is held in place by lining the sleeve in felt. Having the sleeve there allows me to slide the controller out for tuning and then slide it back in when I'm done. 










S2000's have a pretty decent size trunk for a convertable, but it's by no means huge. Since my all the speakers will be mounted upfront in the passenger compartment, the trunk need only hold the two amps, DCX unit and the passive crossovers. Here are pics of the amp rack so far. When it's done, it will be wrapped in synthetic suede from SP and covered by a panel with fans to keep everything cool.



















Next weekend I will (hopefully) post some pics and a review of the Pioneer Premier TS-C720PRS 6.75" comps. I plan on putting the midbass in the stock door location and the tweeters cross-fired from custom pods on the A-pillar. For substage, I have a eD eU-700 subwoofer and a JL Audio 6W0-4 subwoofer; Not sure which one will get the nod yet. I have not listened to either very much, so I made a sealed test enclosure to try out both of them. I'm not expecting much output, but I'm sure that I will need more cone area with the top down. It will be installed in a fiberglass enclosure in the passenger foot well, off to the side. My girlfriend is just shy of 5' tall and with the seat adjusted, she is still 6" away from my test enclosure. Short girlfriend = Bonus!

Amps are brand new from 1994 Precision Power Sedona APA100ix and APA200ix, from my stash of PPI goodness. The 200 will provide 100 watts/ch to the Premiers and the 100 will be bridged into the JL, or stereo 2 ohm to the eD 700. Either way, it amounts to approximately 160 watts to the substage. Should be plenty for such a small sub.

Any thoughts or comments? Thanks -Kris


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## FoxPro5 (Feb 14, 2006)

Looks good Ponch.  Those amps are in damn good shape for how old they are.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Man, if I was not a family guy I would Sooooo have an S2000! Good job!

Chad


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

You'll get better than you think output from eu700.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

B-Squad said:


> Looks good Ponch.  Those amps are in damn good shape for how old they are.


Thanks! They are actually brand new amps and to my knowledge, have never seen power. I bought quite a few new old stock PPI amps from a guy who bought them from a shop here that went belly up. Great little amps for the dough.

Chad- Older S2000's are coming down in price, time to scoop one up before the values bottom out and start to rise. It's an incredible machine. You can tell that they spent all the R&D money on the car and not the stereo. The factory speakers consisted of two 6.5" mids with wizzer cones. Awful.

Mless- I got my test enclosure done last night. Wait until you guys see this cobbled together monstrosity. It was only about 55 or so degrees in my garage so I made this ugly wooden one instead of FG. It's bad, but it's .23 sealed and stuffed.

Oh, and I'm real pissed that Ted Turner is sitting on the DVD rights to CHiP's. C'mon, between CHiP's, The Fall Guy and A*Team, all I can buy on DVD is freaking A*Team.


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## IMPALAMAN1 (Jun 7, 2006)

COOL SETUP!


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

Mless5 said:


> You'll get better than you think output from eu700.


Wow, you weren't kidding were you? 

I left it playing overnight to give it some break-in time and gave it a good listen when I got home. The eD is an impressive little beast of a subwoofer!

The Premier comps have not been installed yet, so I gave the eD a listen with the JL VR coaxes still in the doors. I have been somewhat skittish about Elemental, with all the hype and accusations of industrial espionage. Wherever they designed, or stole the design, it's a good one. The bottom end is fantastic for such a small driver. Very musical. I dunno, mabye I was expecting so much less output from it? It's exactly what I needed/wanted, just some extra oomph to fill out the bottom end. The excursion is damn impressive too.

As soon as my digi-cam recharges, I will post up some pics of my ghetto box. It's really funny!


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## 02bluesuperroo (Oct 31, 2006)

coffee_junkee said:


> Wow, you weren't kidding were you?


I see in your sig that in your ion you have a PG sub. Is this a RSD12? If so, how do you like it. Mine should have been shipped today.


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

I got a set of these as well (Pioneer Premier TS-C720PRS 6.75" comps). Looking forward to what you have to say about them.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

02bluesuperroo said:


> I see in your sig that in your ion you have a PG sub. Is this a RSD12? If so, how do you like it. Mine should have been shipped today.


I need to update my sig!  The PG refers to all the old-school PG accessories I have in the car. When I joined this forum, I didn't have a sub in the Ion. 

Currently in the Ion: Alpine 7949 > PRA-H400 > Xtant 403a and 302a. The 403a powers an Image Dynamics 10" on the sub channel and some Xtant (Morel) 4.2 XIS 4" concentric comps on the high pass channels. The 302a runs CDT HD 6's in the front doors. 

I have two complete amp rack/sub box combos for the Ion. The other has a PPI ProMOS 450, ProMOS 425, DCX-730 and two ID8's. When spring arrives I will install my new three way active front stage and put the ProMOS amps back in. Leaning toward Peerless Exclusive 7's, 4.5's and V-Line ring tweets. My biggest stopping block with this install the is a suitable sub crossover. I have several DCX's, but I hate to install one just as a sub crossover..  May scoop up an 880PRS and use it's sub crossover. It would match my dash better, that's for sure!  

But I digress..


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

coffee_junkee said:


> Chad- Older S2000's are coming down in price, time to scoop one up before the values bottom out and start to rise. It's an incredible machine. You can tell that they spent all the R&D money on the car and not the stereo. The factory speakers consisted of two 6.5" mids with wizzer cones. Awful.



It's crossed my mind more than once. I think I'm going with an older 'Vette (older like mid 80's) and making a screamer. It's a father/son thing, we are already tinkering with one import and one muscle/American. I want to BUILD a big one with my kid. He's young, we have time


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

I've been so busy at the shop and the S2 project has been back-burnered for a few days. It was nice here today, 50 and sunny, so I took her for a spin... With no tunes!  I really need more free time! Anyway, here is a pic of my ghetto-ass test box:










It looks like shizz, but sounds damn good, actually. It's about .25cu sealed and stuffed with polyfill. The inside has one layer of fiberglass to add strength. It's ugly, but it cost me nothing as I made the whole thing from scraps. My final box should be pretty sweet, if I ever find the time!

Since it's a disposable, I'm going to cut a hole in it for a Scan-Speak aperiodic vent and see what happens to the sound. If it improves, I will incorporate it into the final design. I have used the SS aperiodic vents before with success, so we'll see...

While I didn't take any pics, three layers of Raammat were applied to the door skins and two layers to the inner structure. The trim panels also received some deadner and ensolite. Doors close like a bank vault now!  

I will also post my thoughts on the Premier TS-C720PRS comps I purchased for the S. According to the tracking number, brown suit Santa should be dropping them tomorrow. Yay!


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

You should be very impressed with them. I haven't got to install mine yet, but by looks alone they are pretty awesome.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

rekd0514 said:


> You should be very impressed with them. I haven't got to install mine yet, but by looks alone they are pretty awesome.


Sweet Mary, I just got the Premiers and I can't believe how heavy the box is! The UPS tag says 14lbs and it feels like it.

I unboxed everything and the midwoofs are seriously sturdy. Everything feels of substantive quality. Can't wait to get home and start the auditioning!!


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## zfactor (Oct 19, 2005)

lucky ... damn they are gone everywhere.. i tired through a bunch of my distibutors everyone is out of them.. this sucks


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

YES!!!, I am sure glad I picked them up before they were gone then!


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## Sephiroth619 (Jun 24, 2005)

Coffee, mind if I ask where you purchased your Sony headunit? I'm thinking about buying the same one.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

sephiroth619 said:


> Coffee, mind if I ask where you purchased your Sony headunit? I'm thinking about buying the same one.


The eBay store was called "millionbuy". Great service and fast shipping.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

I finally got the mids installed into the doors. There were two layers of RAAMmat installed to the inside skins of the door. Once I get the amp rack done, I can hook everything up and experiment with tweeter placement. So far, I think the A-pillar is where it's at, but only the ears will tell!

Worth noting: The TS-C720 mids require the use of their mounting rings in just about any installation scenario I could think of. My S2 needed the stock mounting ring to be almost completely hollowed out for them to fit. Not a huge deal, but these are not plug and play by any means. Dremel = your friend!!










More to come when I have spare time!


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

How come you didn't make some MDF baffles for them? You wouldn't need the mounting rings in that scenario would you.....?


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## unpredictableacts (Aug 16, 2006)

damn those mids look aggressive as hell.....like the got the aids or something......what are they again? and where do you find them????the speakers not the aids.


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

They're the new Pioneer Premier Reference mids.


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

Ya, they are the new Pioneer TS-C720PRS component set.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

rekd0514 said:


> How come you didn't make some MDF baffles for them? You wouldn't need the mounting rings in that scenario would you.....?


No, I wouldn't have needed them if I made custom baffles. Problem is, the depth would have required more than one layer of MDF and this way yielded a much cleaner finished product. Just took longer 

I did use some neat foam gasket material from a kit Lexus uses to fix rattles and wind noises. It went between the door, Honda spacer and Premier spacer to seal them all up.


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## datac99 (Apr 5, 2006)

coffee_junkee said:


> ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You gotta, show that beast in context so it makes sense for people... I got a friend that's just been having a rough time coming up with something workable for his S... Looks like you found a good solution. 

Really nice looking components too BTW... Can't wait to see it all come together.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

I'm going to be able to get some work done today! YAY.

Here is a pic of the tweeter mounted on the A pillar. I listened to them in several different locations and this provided the best staging. They are tilted about 40 degrees on axis in the car.

This is also my first use of the barrier terminal you see in the picture. Wow, what a great find at $.15, each. I have used all sorts of butt connectors in the past and hate that they sometimes come undone over time. There are places where soldering in the car is difficult and or not even an option, so these worked very well. Just a little Sharpie action on one side to identify polarity and you're set! Plus, if you're like me this method makes switching out gear a snap.










More to come in a little bit!


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## Preacher (May 8, 2006)

I've been using those barriers for hu installs and remote wire distribution blocks for a while. They're great. I never thought of using them for speakers; great idea better than interconnects.


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## lpreston (Dec 29, 2006)

Those terminals work great. The only thing I do 'wierd' with them is insert the wire, tighten the screw, back it off, pull the wire out, dip in flux and tin. That way the wire conforms to the connector and the screw for more surface contact and you don't have broken wire strands from tightening and vibration.


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

Where do you get them? I don't really understand exactly what they do. Perhaps a better picture or I may have to see them in person. haha

I have found the 3M T-Tap to be pretty handy and they can be found on ebay for cheap. They are great for tapping into different power sources.

http://www.tessco.com/products/displayProducts.do?groupId=620&subgroupId=24
http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/T...ONNECTORS_PART_1_OF_2_TTAPS_page_1_c_237.html

Those PRS tweets are looking good. How do you have them mounted right there? Did you cut a hole in the pillar and mount them without any of the tweeter mounts provided?


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

rekd0514: I used the angle/surface mount cups on some used pillar trim I purchased from an s2ki forum member. I like how they sound on the pillar so far, but they are a touch bright and the stage is not as focused as I like. I'm thinking that I may reverse mount them in front of the woofers under the door grille. Kinda coax style and use a notch filter with a small wideband on the pillars. Dunno, this is version 1.0, so who knows... 

I did get some work done today:

Here is the amp rack out of the car. 









Here it is being test fit in the trunk storage well. The front edge will not be seen when the plexi windowed trim is placed over top. The cover will have an intake and exhaust fans mounted in it to cool the old school Sedonas!










A quick shot of the dash with the CDX-F605X, PPI DCX and one stolen Chili's fajita pan potholder to protect my e-brake handle!


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## Amish (Oct 2, 2006)

That looks sweet! So clean! Where did you get the plastic trim pieces for your power wire and RCAs?


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

Amish said:


> That looks sweet! So clean! Where did you get the plastic trim pieces for your power wire and RCAs?


They are Heyco plastic grommets. There is a local tool shop that carries them, like $.05 each.

Thanks for the compliments on the work! Much appreciated.


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

Wow I like the amp rack. Those grommets really take an rack like that to the next level. I like how small cheap details can add soooo much to an install. Great work on everything, it looks really clean. 

I thought that you were not using the passive crossovers? I might have to buy some pillars for my car to mess around with as well.

Ooooooh I am telling Chilis. haha


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## niceguy (Mar 12, 2006)

Looks good....I've had the CDX-705 for a few months now and have no complaints...miss the multicolor graphics/display, look and some features of my Pioneer 5500mp but the aluminum look is fine. Plus, w/4ch 13band EQs, some kind of TA and a MUCH better CD player (Pioneers don't like to eject CDS) with no hiss, I'm pretty happy...

BTW, I was wondering why the Fall Guy hasn't been released yet!!

Jeremy


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

niceguy said:


> Looks good....I've had the CDX-705 for a few months now and have no complaints...miss the multicolor graphics/display, look and some features of my Pioneer 5500mp but the aluminum look is fine. Plus, w/4ch 13band EQs, some kind of TA and a MUCH better CD player (Pioneers don't like to eject CDS) with no hiss, I'm pretty happy...
> 
> BTW, I was wondering why the Fall Guy hasn't been released yet!!
> 
> Jeremy


Yes, it really honks me off that someone is sitting on the rights to both "Fall Guy" and "CHiP's"!  Fockers.

I'm consistiently impressed with the Sony. When I was doing some testing of the wiring last week, I gave the RCA's a listen through my bench amp. I couldn't believe the lack of hiss in the signal. The pre-amp and CD transport in this thing belie it's price by a long shot. IASCA zero-bit track with the volume at max, nothing. Only thing I can figure is that it has a zero bit detector that's not mentioned in the manual anywhere. Don't know why though because this is a worthwhile feature for competition intentions.

I'm hoping that Sony comes out with a high-end deck similar in spirit to the C90 for 2007.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Pretty much everything now has a 0 bit detector. but the 0 bit CD track is great for detecting problems in the analog chain!

Chad


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

chad said:


> Pretty much everything now has a 0 bit detector. but the 0 bit CD track is great for detecting problems in the analog chain!
> 
> Chad


Up until this time last year, I hadn't bought a new car cd player since my Clarion DRX9375R and it advertised the ZBD quite boldly on the carton. Great CD player IMO..

Ahh.. Back in the day..


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## khail19 (Oct 27, 2006)

I think Sony is getting better lately. At least on their decks, still not ES quality but getting better. It seems that the more the Xplod logo keeps shrinking, the better the product is getting. I really hope they release something nice this year, Alpine seems to be getting back on track so maybe Sony will too.


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

When I was 13, watching the lights on my pal's Sony XE-8 MkII made me drool. Its one of the things I can remember that really made me passionate about audio.


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

jeffrey said:


> When I was 13, watching the lights on my pal's Sony XE-8 MkII made me drool. Its one of the things I can remember that really made me passionate about audio.


Why not relive a fine memory of audio goodness?

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-Sony-XE-8-...5QQihZ004QQcategoryZ79841QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Buy it dude, buy it!!


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## WLDock (Sep 27, 2005)

WOW, now that takes me back. I remember that Sony EQ back in like '90 when I really first got into and installed my first full system.


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## SOHCKing03 (Nov 21, 2006)

Did you ever try those aperiodic vents out? I'm looking to buy one to increase my enclosure's size but want to know if I'll lose SQ.

Thanks

-Brad


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

SOHCKing03 said:


> Did you ever try those aperiodic vents out? I'm looking to buy one to increase my enclosure's size but want to know if I'll lose SQ.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> -Brad


It would be used to decrease your enclosures size by up to 20%. I have one in my test enclosure now and it reduced the boominess quite a bit. Made the mistake of gluing it in, so now I have to purchase a few more. With the gain set the same before and after, I can tell you that it needs more power now. Nothing crazy, mind you, but I'm thinking another 3-4db gain would help bring the level back up.


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## SOHCKing03 (Nov 21, 2006)

Reduced boominess? Does that mean you saw an increase in SQ or a decrease? I may just switch to the DIYMA if I can't get the right size for this sub.

Thanks for the info though.

-Brad


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## coffee_junkee (Jul 13, 2006)

SOHCKing03 said:


> Reduced boominess? Does that mean you saw an increase in SQ or a decrease? I may just switch to the DIYMA if I can't get the right size for this sub.
> 
> Thanks for the info though.
> 
> -Brad


SQ is such a relative thing dependent on many things, mainly the listener, but I understand what you're getting at. Yes, to me the SQ was increased significantly by making the output smoother and less boomy. There were upper notes that were exaggerated that made some bass heavy music sound very bad.


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## SOHCKing03 (Nov 21, 2006)

Well I guess I will have to get one and test it out myself then. Thanks for the info!

-Brad


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## s4play (Dec 7, 2009)

Nice job on the install - love my s2000's


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## Jayvuu (Dec 11, 2007)

cant wait to pick up my s2k.


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## turbo5upra (Oct 3, 2008)

holy cpr batman..... you guys brought this one back from the dead


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

yes someone did, missed it the first time so I enjoyed it.


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