# ScanSpeak "Signature Car Audio Kit" (Passive 2-way) at Madisound



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Scan Speak has designed 2 versions of a car audio kit - passive 2-way system using a Revelator woofer and Illuminator tweeter - which are for sale at Madisound.

One version includes the 15w woofer and d2004 Illuminator dome tweeter.
Madisound Speaker Store

The other version includes the 18w woofer and d3004 (or r3004) tweeter.
Madisound Speaker Store


Unlike some other kits sold by Madisound, this kit was measured and designed by Scan Speak themselves through various in-car testing _for the car audio application_. While I typically don't condone a passive system for serious car audio dudes (namely because there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone), I do understand there is a market for passives because of their ease of use. The thing I like about these sets is Scan has done due diligence by testing and measuring configurations to arrive at a final crossover design (and gives the user the option to control tweeter attenuation).

So far, the Illuminator tweeters I've used (which include the 3/4" dome and ring radiator as well as the 1" dome and ring radiator) all measure superbly with excellent, low distortion and great frequency response. The Revelator woofers are also very highly regarded drivers and one look on the internet will tell you there are many people very satisfied with them.

Note: I always praise Scan Speak and some may call me a fanboy because of it... and I am... for good reason. They make solid products for a great price and there frankly just aren't many companies that can touch the performance of Scan Speak drivers based on both my own subjective testing but _moreso _the objective testing I do. So, if that makes me a fanboi, so be it. 
I also have to admit that this is a plug for Madisound. They have been great support to me during my testing so alerting the forum to a new product available from them and made by a company I feel is the cream of the crop in driver manufacturing is a no brainer.

Anyway... just thought this was some interesting news. Scan Speak is certainly paying attention to it's car audio consumer. If you're looking for a passive solution, this would _absolutely _be at the top of my list. 

- Erin


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Perfect timing as I am looking for a passive system to run in my 11 Dodge Ram. I will have to check this out.


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## robert_wrath (Apr 24, 2011)

A bit pricy for those, just might deter peeps at first glace.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

robert_wrath said:


> A bit pricy for those, just might deter peeps at first glace.


Not really though, it's only $50 for the passives plus the price of the drivers. Only pricey if you don't value these particular drivers worth. I'd say its a bargain for anyone that needs a package of this type.


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## robert_wrath (Apr 24, 2011)

$800.00+ I'd seriously consider these:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/car-audio-classifieds/132431-german-maestro-ms-6508-fs-ft.html


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## Shadowmarx (Feb 12, 2012)

what kind of power does the 18W/4531G ??? Spec say 70???


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## Sinfoni_USA (Mar 9, 2005)

VERY nice !

I'm an admitted passive freak.... Those are some serious passive components...


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

robert_wrath said:


> $800.00+ I'd seriously consider these:
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/car-audio-classifieds/132431-german-maestro-ms-6508-fs-ft.html


You're comparing a set of used components to a set of components at BNIB pricing. Not really a fair shake.

Plus, I don't know of any objective data on the ones you linked. There's tons of it for the scan speak drivers listed. And all of it is very solid. So, IMO, the Scan would be the 'safer'* choice and might still be cheaper than what you listed when you compare BNIB prices (apples to apples).

*With that, let me just look at specs of the GM...

Sensitivity is about 5dB less than the Scan set (depending on which tweeter you choose to use). 
The FR is not known (again, going back to the missing objective data thing). The graph they do provide is a crock... it's not a real FR measurement. More like a sim based on nominal (where nominal is flat) which is unrealistic. Compare this to the real FR given on Madisound. You have something tangible to go by.
There are no real T/S parameters to see from the manual on their site so that's a real bust. There's plenty of it not only from Scan but from 3rd party tests as well. 
The GM's use a 1.6" 'tweeter'. The polar is going to suck. That's just physics. That driver will beam at about 8.4khz which means it's top end is going to start falling off above this point, the more off-axis you get. Realistically, it'll probably be lower than that based on tweeter measurements I've done. But, the bottom line is this tweeter will beam before most other tweeters simply due to its size. Whether you prefer beaming is up to you. My experience is that a wide dispersion works great in the car and narrow dispersion (beaming) does not. While that's a tradeoff for the (typical) lowered distortion you'd get when crossing low, this particular set has the tweeter crossed at 2khz which pretty much negates that. The Scan 1" tweeters can handle a 2khz crossover point just fine.

So, based on what I have in front of me from MS (which, is really not much), the Scan seems like the wiser choice. Even if you don't care for "specs", the fact there are none to speak of for MS can make it a risky buy. It's the old "trust me, man, they sound greeeeeaaaat" idea. For $800, you better have _something _to point me toward so I can see their performance rather than just take a dude's word on it. 

Maybe someone can send me some of the GM drivers to test one day so we can see just what these drivers do. Until then, I couldn't recommend buying those over something where the performance is well documented. 

- Erin


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Were you high when you wrote this?



robert_wrath said:


> $800.00+ I'd seriously consider these:
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/car-audio-classifieds/132431-german-maestro-ms-6508-fs-ft.html


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## robert_wrath (Apr 24, 2011)

thehatedguy said:


> Were you high when you wrote this?


Not at all. Convincing the car audio market to invest in a component set at $800.00+ is a tough task - especially when peeps are too naive of the fact Scan Speak is a Major OEM plant.


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## SouthSyde (Dec 25, 2006)

I personally think its a great move, its a greatt product for a great price. The 800 is either comparable or cheaper than some midline components out there. For example the focal k2p, hertz mille, hybrid se, and even the morel elates retails for more. And the Scans build quality and sonics are just as good if not better than those component sets.


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## mmiller (Mar 7, 2008)

robert_wrath said:


> Not at all. Convincing the car audio market to invest in a component set at $800.00+ is a tough task - especially when peeps are too naive of the fact Scan Speak is a Major OEM plant.


Scan Speak manufactures some of the best drivers available on the planet at any price point... I'm not sure what kind of snake oil you're trying to sell, but nobody's going to buy it!


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## robert_wrath (Apr 24, 2011)

mmiller said:


> Scan Speak manufactures some of the best drivers available on the planet at any price point... I'm not sure what kind of snake oil you're trying to sell, but nobody's going to buy it!


I never insinuated selling anything. Been there, done that. A 13 year career selling home audio (entry level to mid fi) & mobile entertainment. 

The point of my conclusion is High End established companies i.e. Focal, Dyna Audio, ESB etc have proven to corner the market within the upper echelon of car audio component speakers. ScanSpeak truly is among the ranks nonetheless excels along the lights of the DIYr home audio speaker builder.


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

I understand what he is saying...I think.

Scan has little brand recognition in the retail market, they are known as an ODM/OEM. And it would be hard for someone with that background to ask the prices they are asking when looking at the market.

But that is a double edged sword (if I understand the point he is trying to make)...You might have to look at it as why or how is everyone else charging so much money for lesser engineered speakers. That is of course if you are the educated consumer.

Then some people might not like the Scan sound.


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## molsonice (Jul 15, 2012)

bikinpunk said:


> You're comparing a set of used components to a While that's a tradeoff for the (typical) lowered distortion you'd get when crossing low, this particular set has the tweeter crossed at 2khz which pretty much negates that. The Scan 1" tweeters can handle a 2khz crossover point just fine.


Very cool car audio setup from madisound. I have the D3004/6020-00 tweeters (1" dome) with the cheaper, discovery 18w/4434g-00 woofers. Although I'm sure these tweeters can hold up to the low 2khz crossover point I get too much distortion when doing so even with the linkwitz riley 4th order xover. They're great at 2.5khz though!

On a side note, maybe the deep chamber 1" scans would do the trick.


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## james2266 (Sep 24, 2009)

molsonice said:


> Very cool car audio setup from madisound. I have the D3004/6020-00 tweeters (1" dome) with the cheaper, discovery 18w/4434g-00 woofers. Although I'm sure these tweeters can hold up to the low 2khz crossover point I get too much distortion when doing so even with the linkwitz riley 4th order xover. They're great at 2.5khz though!
> 
> On a side note, maybe the deep chamber 1" scans would do the trick.


PM sent.


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## jpswanberg (Jan 14, 2009)

Scan Speak does have a "house sound". So does Dynaudio, Maestro (aka O/S MBQ), Focal etc. I happen to like the Scan Speak and Dynaudio sound. The others not so much. It amazes me that as a Swede I prefer a Danish sound to a Swedish sound (DLS). For my next car, I will be going with Dynaudio, Scan Speak or SB Accoustics (engineered by ex Scan engineers, if my memory is correct), active not passive though. Knowing that it would be nigh impossible to hear the Scans or the SBs in a car (I have had Dyns previously), it is comforting to know that the engineers have found what drivers work in a car (and are willing to give a glimpse into their testing).


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## jooonnn (Jul 26, 2009)

Has anyone tried/bought this set yet? I'm ready to buy a new set ASAP (oh impulsive me) but am having trouble deciding between Focal KRX2 or this. I've never heard either set, but I'm looking to try something new after coming from the Audison Thesis line! I'd ideally look to run active, but like the comfort of trying out passive for the first time in years just in case it sounds good! Any advice super subjective advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## sqaudi (Jul 27, 2008)

Sounds like a good price for Scans. My Scan tweets cost $800/pair by themselves. Most people that get in my car do not recognize any brand inside except for the headunit. Its a pioneer/premier.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

I know this was posted ages ago but just wondering if anyone ever tried this using the crossover and if the crossover was bi-amp or not? Have a build I'm being asked to do that may use the ring tweeter (because he likes how it looks, haha) and 18W woofer in and there will not be a processor, just Alpine HU tuning capability (including time). Guess I don't really NEED the crossover but might be advantageous to do so given the research put into it, especially, especially if its bi-amp-able.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

sirbOOm said:


> I know this was posted ages ago but just wondering if anyone ever tried this using the crossover and if the crossover was bi-amp or not? Have a build I'm being asked to do that may use the ring tweeter (because he likes how it looks, haha) and 18W woofer in and there will not be a processor, just Alpine HU tuning capability (including time). Guess I don't really NEED the crossover but might be advantageous to do so given the research put into it, especially, especially if its bi-amp-able.


If I may guess at it.. Since they spec the ability to swap resistors for tweeter attenuation, I bet it's designed with a single channel in mind, meaning no bi-amping. However, you might contact Madisound on that.. Reason I say that is here...









As the circuits for each driver appear (keyword) to be simple independent circuits, Madisound might be able to accomodate you with a modded version, keeping the +/- leads for each driver separated and providing connects for each (2-channels in).


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Hmm didn't think that they might alter it... I'll ask.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

sirbOOm said:


> Hmm didn't think that they might alter it... I'll ask.


I think (keyword), the crossover board is their own part. If they can do a bi-amp version, that'd certainly add value to the set.


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## mmiller (Mar 7, 2008)

Scan has a lower end model that is more car audio specific for a car, and it uses a ring tweeter... 820013 | Solen Electronique - World leading producer of high-end crossover components

IMO those Rev/Illuminator paper cones are going to turn into mush in a car door.. I don't know of anyone that's used the above kit but with the exchange rate they could had for well under $400... And whos know they could knock the piss out of a lot of component sets costing 2X the money.


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