# What makes a system an SQ system?



## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

At what point does a nicely upgraded system be considered an SQ system? Is simply adding nice tweeters and mids with a DSP/Amp combo get you that level? Properly integrated subwoofer to the previously mentioned component set? Whats the minimum number of speakers in a system that will put you at that level?

I know..................too many questions but they all pretain to the same outcome.

Having said that I'm interested in an SQ type system for my MINI Cooper. It's a daily driver so nothing outrageous but I do want good sound quality. In the interest of simplicity can you go as simple as a two-way component setup in the doors and a sub in the back? It's my basic setup right now with Tang band 25-2176 tweeters mounted in the top of the door and some Dayton Audio 6" Reference in the lower part of the door. I tried using a three way passive crossover with the 6", 3" and the tweeter but it never sounded right. Much improvement when I switched back to the two-way crossover eliminiating the 3". Rear speakers are some CDT 6x9 mid bass types running band passed from 80Hz to 500Hz with a 12db slope and just to help the 6" speakers in the door a little. Amplifier is a Kicker iQ1000.5 controlling everything with the front speakers from the factory radio feeding the signal to the amp. The base model radio puts out a clean full bandwidth signal up to 4V so I have the gains adjusted accordingly. I like simple and I know only so much can be done with a minimum number of speakers. I'm made great improvements over the factory base system but that wasn't difficult as it sucked.


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## unix_usr (Dec 4, 2013)

If you want simple, with better SQ - dump the rear speakers entirely and throw away the passive crossovers and go active up front. Your amp has a pretty decent dsp built in, use it. Invest in a decent calibrated microphone and do some basic measurements. The rears band passed they way you have them now are likely really mucking up alignment - rear fill is stupid hard to get right, and rarely ever better sounding than a more solid front stage. 

My $0.02 with the info so far...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rainstar (May 22, 2017)

depends on the owners perspective. I have seen loud and proud people who claim their sound is so clean and crisp with ear piercing highs while the entire car turns into a vibrator.

to each their own.


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## rastap (Dec 26, 2009)

You must spend at least $10,000 for your system to be considered SQ. 


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## Mahapederdon (Aug 19, 2016)

I think it means your not aiming to break windows or have your neighbors hear you bumpin too $hort from down the street. Finely tuned instead of just making you deaf. Having everything sound like it's coming from in front of you.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

unix_usr said:


> If you want simple, with better SQ - dump the rear speakers entirely and throw away the passive crossovers and go active up front. Your amp has a pretty decent dsp built in, use it. Invest in a decent calibrated microphone and do some basic measurements. The rears band passed they way you have them now are likely really mucking up alignment - rear fill is stupid hard to get right, and rarely ever better sounding than a more solid front stage.
> 
> My $0.02 with the info so far...
> 
> ...


That was one of my thoughts. My initial setup was an easy amp swap to put the kicker in and that was a huge improvement initially with the control I gained with the eq and dsp. The rear 6x9's can go away easy enough.

Thanks for the input.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

Rainstar said:


> depends on the owners perspective. I have seen loud and proud people who claim their sound is so clean and crisp with ear piercing highs while the entire car turns into a vibrator.
> 
> to each their own.


I know what you mean. I like to hear my sound stage on the hood of my car if possible. Loud is entertaining but I rarely crank it. I can't stand a shrill sounding tweeter. Much prefer a soft dome and then I tend to pad it down.

Thanks


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

Mahapederdon said:


> I think it means your not aiming to break windows or have your neighbors hear you bumpin too $hort from down the street. Finely tuned instead of just making you deaf. Having everything sound like it's coming from in front of you.


Correct. I like my hearing to stay where it is. And I like my neighbors.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

An "SQ" system to me is a system that can play aurally flat from 20hz to 20khz at decent volume without distortion. It will also have a good strong center image with well defined left and right boundaries at the same height as the center image AND sound like the subwoofer is up front on the dash. You should be able to have good up front bass WITHOUT having to cut the sub so much it may as well not even be turned on.

For your setup I'd get a calibrated mic like the Dayton usb mic and download REW (Room EQ Wizard). Look up Kyle Ragsdale's tuning tutorials o youtube and follow them. I learned to tune with rta through his video's and things turned out quite well my first try at it.

You can get a good sq setup with what you have. If you have the Tang tweeters I think you do start with crossing them at 2500hz 24db slope. Cross those 6" speakers around 125hz on bottom and 2500hz on top 24db slopes on both ends. Then cross those 6x9's from 40hz up to 125hz with 24db slopes. They're getting a mono signal so you don't want to cross them any higher than the 120hz range and many will even say that's too high but I'm keeping your current mids up front in mind with my suggestion. Start at these cross points with eq roughed in for tonality and get back with us in a few days. Your ears will need to process what's going on before you can truly make up your mind on if it sounds good. I think it will sound MUCH better than your current configuration


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

rastap said:


> You must spend at least $10,000 for your system to be considered SQ.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


This post made me laugh. Last month I sat in a few purpose built SQ cars with systems that most likely well exceeded the 10 grand mark. Hell one of them might have had more than that just in ampsWhile they were impressive they just aren't something I would consider practical for the common man. The systems that impress me the most are the ones that were built and tuned by the owner on a tight budget but still sound great. This forum did start out as a forum for people who wanted to stretch their dollar as far as possible but still get great results from science and wise equipment choices.


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Once it accurately reproduces the signal, it becomes an "sq system"

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

Hillbilly SQ said:


> An "SQ" system to me is a system that can play aurally flat from 20hz to 20khz at decent volume without distortion. It will also have a good strong center image with well defined left and right boundaries at the same height as the center image AND sound like the subwoofer is up front on the dash. You should be able to have good up front bass WITHOUT having to cut the sub so much it may as well not even be turned on.
> 
> For your setup I'd get a calibrated mic like the Dayton usb mic and download REW (Room EQ Wizard). Look up Kyle Ragsdale's tuning tutorials o youtube and follow them. I learned to tune with rta through his video's and things turned out quite well my first try at it.
> 
> You can get a good sq setup with what you have. If you have the Tang tweeters I think you do start with crossing them at 2500hz 24db slope. Cross those 6" speakers around 125hz on bottom and 2500hz on top 24db slopes on both ends. Then cross those 6x9's from 40hz up to 125hz with 24db slopes. They're getting a mono signal so you don't want to cross them any higher than the 120hz range and many will even say that's too high but I'm keeping your current mids up front in mind with my suggestion. Start at these cross points with eq roughed in for tonality and get back with us in a few days. Your ears will need to process what's going on before you can truly make up your mind on if it sounds good. I think it will sound MUCH better than your current configuration


Your the second one to mention a calibrated mic. I'll try your suggestions before eliminating the 6x9's. Its all part of the fun. 

The Tang Band tweeter I have will cross over lower than most normal tweeters. Some people cross as low as 1800Hz but I believe that's pushing them. 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get back soon.


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## fischman (Jan 3, 2007)

So there's 2 ways I look at this question. One is the way many on here have described, with is the definition of an ideal SQ System. My definition for your question, "At what point does a nicely upgraded system be considered an SQ system?" is as soon as you define your goal as reaching that ideal SQ system described by others in this thread. 

That's to say that when you choose to upgrade your equipment, you have 2 options, although they can sometimes be combined. That is you can aim for a well staged, flat/house curve response, with clarity and low distortion, or you can aim for loud at all costs. Most people, even on here fall in between with a lean towards the former. As you make decision and purchase equipment and decide what you like and don't like about a stereo you can move further one direction or the other. However, I don't think there is some magical line you cross where a stereo is all of a sudden an SQ System. There are things that will ruin SQ in a system but then if you like it that way, your goal isn't SQ. 

Everyone starts somewhere, if your goal is SQ and all you can afford is a nice set of components and a small amp. Great, you have an SQ system, it might not be the pinnacle, but that's your goal and you've started down that path. Even people with 10's of thousands on here are still chasing the rabbit down the hole by upgrading and changing to get more SQ out of their systems.

Josh


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## Ifixtheinternet (Jan 29, 2016)

SkizeR said:


> Once it accurately reproduces the signal, it becomes an "sq system"
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


This.

The point of SQ is to have a system capable and configured to reproduce the music faithful to the original recording, with minimal distortion, and with the instruments / vocals placed on the "stage" where they were located during the recording.

If you can close your eyes (not recommended while driving) and picture the vocal dead center with instruments in their respective places left / right, that is a sound quality system.

The system should virtually reproduce what you would hear if you were standing in front of the artist(s) performing live. Or as well as possible in such a poor environment such as a car.

Separate tweeters and mids are better than coaxials for SQ since their locations usually enable you to raise the stage to the approximate level it would realistically be.

For the separate drivers, you need to run active to have proper time alignment to get the image and phase correct between them.

You need to have comfortable overlap between drivers so you don't have holes in the frequency band. You need decent drivers that don't have frequency breakups and ample power for them.

You need as much EQ control you can get your hands on, to improve the left / right image and overall curve.

If you can do a minimum of 2 way active plus sub, you can get very good SQ.

Like others have said, ditching the rear speakers is a big step toward a realistic stage.
Artists don't perform behind you.

A mic and REW is really necessary to get the system tuned properly. 

I got the Umik-1 with Cal files from cross-spectrum, and it is fantastic.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

when system is capable to reproduce music as it was ment to be heard from the artist/mixer, with all dynamics, details, transparency, timbre, ambience, well defined stage/imaging.....


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

There are already a lot of good answers, but my take on what separates an "SQ" system from just a decent aftermarket upgrade is in the staging. 

It's pretty easy, and inexpensive, to get decent overall tonality from a basic upgrade. This can make listening to music much more fun in the car, you can dramatically improve output, dynamics, and clarity with a pretty basic aftermarket system (most of the time). The hard part is getting a system with proper stereo imaging, and a good stage. Having a nice sound stage takes a decent sounding system to a much more accurate, and enjoyable level. 

The thing is, most people don't even know what staging and imaging are. Partly because they listen to music that doesn't have much of a sound stage to begin with, and partly because they don't even know what they're listening for. The illusion of a "stage" is what makes stereo what it is, and in order to take advantage of the stereo illusion you need to jump through some hoops in a car. Stereo is easy at home with a fairly symmetrical room, and speakers placed equal distance from the listener, but in a car it's much more difficult. You need to compensate for the terrible acoustics, highly reflective surfaces, asymmetric layout, and different distance from the listening position to the speakers. A DSP is pretty much necessary in order to fix what the car does to the stereo image. 

One thing to note, sometimes having great staging in a car can go to waste. Depending on your listening and driving habits, you may not need to take your system to that level. It's really important to me to have great staging for my critical listening, but that doesn't happen in a car often for me any more. My commute is a bit of a nightmare, and I have to be much more focused on traffic these days than I used to, which really takes away from my ability to listen to the music in a way that justifies a perfect sound stage. Eventually I'll finish my current build, but it won't be anywhere near as complex as previous builds. 

A simple 2-way front, with subs, and some active processing can take you pretty far away from a basic aftermarket system that has good dynamics, and tone, toward a nicely imaging "SQ" system. There are diminishing returns, systems really start to get more expensive and complex as you really chase the perfect soundstage. If you're listening and driving habits allow for it, then having a true "SQ" system can be really satisfying, but there are plenty of options for very satisfying "middle of the road" systems.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

Thanks to everyone for your replies. It has helped me focus more on what my actual wants are. Being minimalist myself I'm going to go for a simple two-way front with sub with active processing. Parts-Express.com has everything I need that I don't already have.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

mpm17 said:


> Thanks to everyone for your replies. It has helped me focus more on what my actual wants are. Being minimalist myself I'm going to go for a simple two-way front with sub with active processing. Parts-Express.com has everything I need that I don't already have.


That should do the trick. One recommendation I have for a 2-way setup, don't skimp on the tweeters. The tweeters in a 2-way do more work than in a 3-way, you need a tweeter that can play pretty low, those are usually bigger and harder to install, or more expensive. It's worth it though to find something that can play cleanly down to about 2.5khz.


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

LBaudio said:


> when system is capable to reproduce music as it was ment to be heard from the artist/mixer, with all dynamics, details, transparency, timbre, ambience, well defined stage/imaging.....


That about covers it ??


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

gijoe said:


> A DSP is pretty much necessary in order to fix what the car does to the stereo image.
> 
> 
> A simple 2-way front, with subs, and some active processing can take you pretty far away from a basic aftermarket system that has good dynamics, and tone, toward a nicely imaging "SQ" system. There are diminishing returns, systems really start to get more expensive and complex as you really chase the perfect soundstage. If you're listening and driving habits allow for it, then having a true "SQ" system can be really satisfying, but there are plenty of options for very satisfying "middle of the road" systems.



You pretty much summed up my thoughts. This is the route I'm going to take as it will make the system even more impressive considering only 5 speakers will be used. I have the DSP/Amp and front speakers. Only need to run wires to the door and I'll need to(want to) upgrade my sub. Current sub sounds good considering what it is. Will probably get another Dayton Audio Reference Series sub to match the front door speakers and build a more permanent sub enclosure into the side of the hatch area. 

Thanks for your insight


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

gijoe said:


> That should do the trick. One recommendation I have for a 2-way setup, don't skimp on the tweeters. The tweeters in a 2-way do more work than in a 3-way, you need a tweeter that can play pretty low, those are usually bigger and harder to install, or more expensive. It's worth it though to find something that can play cleanly down to about 2.5khz.


I think I have the tweeter covered. How are these? Tang Band 25-2176S


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## Ifixtheinternet (Jan 29, 2016)

mpm17 said:


> I think I have the tweeter covered. How are these? Tang Band 25-2176S


I like them. They play well down to 2500hz. 
I run them active with the DEH-80prs. 

They have a pretty flat response, and I think they seem to be about the best you can do for that price range. 

They have a warmer sound which I like, not too harsh.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Any system that sounds better to you compared to what you had, or you heard before you installed it.

Then to understand, why some are better or even notice the one seat tuning show, that's another deep rabbit hole to explore that needs information to really understand it and then appreciate it.


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## K-pop sucks (May 28, 2018)

When your system costs more than your car.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

K-pop sucks said:


> When your system costs more than your car.


If my wife were to find out that happened I'd be sleeping in the car. The guns in the safe are hard enough to explain.


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

mpm17 said:


> If my wife were to find out that happened I'd be sleeping in the car. The guns in the safe are hard enough to explain.


This made me LOL as i'm cleaning a new 1911 my wife has not seen yet. I purchased it while she is out of town.


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## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Are you still in the garage cleaning it and is it the new 992? I was admiring one moving moderately on the freeway 2 weekends ago near Berkeley. The guy must be breaking it in too gently. The rest of us break it in by driving like we normally do everyday (almost like it's stolen lol).


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

i helped someone w/ a tune in a mini cooper-s last month. please take time to treat the doors. deadener, closed cell foam, and mass loaded vinyl (if you can fit it).


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## Sine Swept (Sep 3, 2010)

Nobody suggested a DSP? The first thread I've read that didn't mention getting one!


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

diy.phil said:


> Are you still in the garage cleaning it and is it the new 992? I was admiring one moving moderately on the freeway 2 weekends ago near Berkeley. The guy must be breaking it in too gently. The rest of us break it in by driving like we normally do everyday (almost like it's stolen lol).


I think he meant a gun known as a 1911.


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

Hillbilly SQ said:


> I think he meant a gun known as a 1911.


correct Ruger Target to be more specific.


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## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Oh ok I see...


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Welcome to DIYMA!

Your journey has just begun down the SQ rabbit hole, LOL! 

Before adding a subwoofer or making any other physical changes to the system, I would follow _*Hillbilly SQ*_'s suggested setup advice in post #9. ?

My main concern with using the 6x9 midbass drivers in your system (as it currently stands) is that you do not have independent L/R control over their individual levels, EQ, and Time Alignment.

What MY or generation MINI do you have?

My 1st Gen MINI S was absolutely terrible in terms of cabin and road noise. I had to do _extensive_ work using a multitude of sound treatment products combined together to reduce the road noise. But what I did made a significant improvement, and my overall enjoyment of the system increased exponentially. But it pretty much took an "all or nothing" approach to achieve.

And as stated by _*nadams5755*_, the doors needed a SIGNIFICANT amount of attention to deaden due to the design of the door panels.

One of the most significant contributors to the road noise were the run-flat tires. You'll find that to be true on any vehicle, but the MINI just seemed to amplify the tire noise coming from the wheel wells. The use of quieter tires will make a vast improvement at nipping the source of the noise in the bud.

You didn't post if you had a set budget for any improvements or upgrades? That would be useful information for any suggestions we may offer. 

Also, where are you located?

There may be several DIYMA members in your area who could get together with you to offer help or system setup and/or tuning advice. And Nick Apicella (_SkierZ_) offers a "remote DSP Setup & Tuning" service which could be extremely beneficial to improving the SQ of your existing or future setup.

I would definitely allocate a decent percentage of your funds and planned improvements to sound treatment. Although as stated, on my MINI S, it pretty much took an extensive "all or nothing" approach to reap significant rewards.

But besides road noise reduction, perhaps more importantly, the sound treatment/deadening products are used to create an ideal, sealed, and sturdy mounting baffle and "enclosure" for your door-mounted midwoofers.

Sealing and isolating the mounting baffle to keep the front and rear sound waves of the speakers isolated is of paramount importance, along with reducing the resonances and vibrations created by the speakers. Those resonances will be hugely detrimental to both SQ tonality and to the quality of your imaging & sound stage.

A solid and sealed mounting baffle would be equally or even more important for the 6" x 9" midbass driver's rear mounting locations if you intend to keep them in your setup.

And those Dayton Reference speakers are excellent performers at their price point. However, they do have their limits on the low end, so care should be taken when setting up the crossovers and transition to the subwoofer (if you don't plan to use the 6x9 midbass drivers in the rear).

Having clean and dynamic low end extension is important in a 2-way front stage setup, so besides creating the ideal mounting baffle in the doors, I would concentrate most of my attention on using the best midwoofers & tweeters that you can afford. Capable midwoofer drivers are especially important when needing to overcome louder cabin environments due to the road noise.

The quality of the speakers will obviously provide the largest gains in SQ, second to only a DSP (and the proper tuning of that DSP).

And as stated, the capabilities and quality of the tweeters should not be overlooked, (again) especially in a two-way front stage setup. We are most sensitive to the frequencies that are typically right in the tweeter crossover area, so it's important to have a smooth, low-distortion response here.

Having that iQ1000.5 DSP/Amp is an excellent way to go in small vehicles such as the MINI. ?

Where and how do you plan to install your subwoofer?

What subwoofer models have you looked at or considered for this system?

One of my sisters also owned a MINI S, and I used an inexpensive 10" Polk Audio MM1040D subwoofer in a custom sealed enclosure located in the rear floor "cargo" area. The Polk's are not a specific "shallow subwoofer" design, but they are only about 4.5" mounting depth. It was the older model shown here...

*Crutchfield - Polk Audio MM1040D*

It was really impressive, especially for the cost, it didn't require a ton of power, and provided PLENTY of clean, low-distortion bass. IIRC, the sealed enclosure I made was about 0.7cf with some loosely stuffed poly fiberfill. The enclosure filled the entire rear floor area and was roughly an inch higher than the factory floor lid. I mounted the sub up-firing in the far rear passenger-side corner of the cargo floor.

Anyway, good luck in your SQ journey!


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## JCsAudio (Jun 16, 2014)

Solid advice there bbfoto.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

Sine Swept said:


> Nobody suggested a DSP? The first thread I've read that didn't mention getting one!


I got that covered. Kicker IQ1000.5


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

bbfoto said:


> Welcome to DIYMA!
> 
> Your journey has just begun down the SQ rabbit hole, LOL!
> 
> ...


First off, Thanks for taking the time to put together such an extensive answer/question reply.

I have a 2012 R58 MINI Cooper S. Run flats have been removed and it switched to a 16" rim/tire combo. Instant improvements in reducing noise inside the car at highway speed. 

Some treatment in the door as I type but it sounds like I have much more to do for any significant benefits. I'll work on it.

The 6x9's are an option at any point in this build. They are mounted with some sealing in the compartment they are in. In the R58 chassis the 6x9's sit directly behind the front seats pointing at the back of the seat. It's fine if they are not used. Better 6.5's are in order

I also have a PRV 6MB200 6.5 4ohm. I'm not sure it will reach any lower than the Dayton Audio Reference. I'm open to get something different in the $200 range for a set. Any suggestion that would let me eliminate the 6x9's with no signicant gaps? My current tweeter is the Tang Band 25-2176S. 

Current sub is a MCM 55-2421 8" in a small ported box tuned to 39Hz. I want to build something into the side like you mentioned and will likely go sealed 10". 

Budget is always dependent upon the the war and finance department(wife). Upgrades have to come in steps so I started with the most expensive individual part. The Kicker IQ1000.5. Was a significant step in the SQ direction with that one piece. 

Once again, Thanks for your time and insight into this slippery slope of upgrades.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

mpm17 said:


> First off, Thanks for taking the time to put together such an extensive answer/question reply.
> 
> I have a 2012 R58 MINI Cooper S. Run flats have been removed and it switched to a 16" rim/tire combo. Instant improvements in reducing noise inside the car at highway speed.
> 
> ...


Thanks for providing all of the details & information on your car and setup. Great little car. ? And props for choosing an inexpensive but great little 8" subwoofer. 

When I have a bit more time I'll try to reply with other suggestions, but I think you're on the right path.

Are you using the OEM head unit as your main playback source? Do you have a iPhone or Android smartphone, and if so, how are you using it to playback music through your system?


FYI, Alabama is a great place to be for car audio SQ. There are several DIYMA members in AL that have amazing SQ setups, and some excellent shops as well.

You might want to try and get together with a few of them if possible on a weekend or weekday evening just to demo their sound systems to get an idea of what is possible.

I'm sure that most would be happy to offer suggestions and advice, and possibly even help you tune the DSP to maximize your setup. It's much easier to discuss and comprehend shared knowledge & suggestions when in person.

A lot of these guys have gone through many iterations of SQ setups in their vehicles to get to where their systems are now, so they've got extensive experience on what works and what doesn't, and may even have some very nice previously used gear available at a decent deal that may work well for the upgrades in your install.

Or they could refer you to other resources to help you achieve your goals.

You might even want to start a thread with a title such as, "*Birmingham AL SQ noob seeking Casual GTG/Meet Up for SQ Demos/Tuning Advice!*". And put a link to this thread in that post so they can see you car & existing setup.

If you ever have the opportunity to demo DIYMA member & Alabama resident _ErinH_'s SQ system in his Honda Civic, I would highly recommend it. Unfortunately, I haven't heard it myself yet, but just about everyone here that has will tell you that it performs in the SQ/SQL Top 10. Erin is considered one of the few SQ "mad scientists" here and has deep knowledge and understanding of acoustics and speaker transducer science relating to car audio.

HTH. If you have more pictures of your install, interior, and setup, you might also want to start a Build Log thread. Be sure to include "*2012 R58 MINI Cooper S*" in the title. This would really help others see what you have done so far in regards to your speaker locations/mounting, deadening, amp/DSP setup, and general setup, etc, to help offer more appropriate suggestions.

Good luck.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

bbfoto said:


> Are you using the OEM head unit as your main playback source? Do you have a iPhone or Android smartphone, and if so, how are you using it to playback music through your system?
> 
> 
> FYI, Alabama is a great place to be for car audio SQ. There are several DIYMA members in AL that have amazing SQ setups, and some excellent shops as well.
> ...


I've tried different source setups with my MINI. The factory radio sucks without having significant EQ to get it closer. I tried using my cell phone by itself and found it significantly easier to listen to with the EQ relatively flat across the board. I did have to crank up the gains to get it input voltage matched but there was no noticeable downside except I had no volume knob control or left right balance, but it did sound better. I just used the volume on the side of the phone. There are one or two aftermarket android radios available for the MINI but SQ is unknown. The MINI radio is not traditional single(there is a single din in there connected via a ribbon cable) or double din at all. Its the pie pan speedometer combo dead center in the dash. The android unit does give me the ability to add navigation, backup camera and it has RCA outputs. It will help keep it stock looking so I'll probably end up with that eventually. 

I read thru some of ErinH build thread. "Mad Scientist" seems accurate. Very impressive the depth he has gone to from all aspects of his build. 

I am going to start a build thread as soon as my IQ1000.5 gets back from kicker. It started making a squealling noise like you would hear from a bad capacitor or such. Will be a few weeks but its a good time to work on the door treatment and run some better wire to the doors.

Regards


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## metanium (Feb 2, 2007)

Forgive me if I missed it somewhere, as I didn't read the entire thread. Have you considered using the Kicker IQI intertface along with your phone, instead of a typical HU?

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206IQ1/Kicker-42IQI.html?tp=61658&p=551691

It looks like you have a great start, equipment-wise to build a decent system.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

metanium said:


> Forgive me if I missed it somewhere, as I didn't read the entire thread. Have you considered using the Kicker IQI intertface along with your phone, instead of a typical HU?
> 
> https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206IQ1/Kicker-42IQI.html?tp=61658&p=551691
> 
> It looks like you have a great start, equipment-wise to build a decent system.


 I do not have the interface but I will research it. I'll likely end up with the following Android HU. The MINI Cooper dash is not single or double din friendly. It can be done but I really like a factory look.


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## allenm324 (Dec 15, 2018)

Let me know if you need any advise on the running wires to the doors, I did it through the MOLEX connector. Also, where are putting the amp? I'm sure you know about the Integral Audio installation guide. Do you have the base or Harmon Kardon audio system? 
It looks like the doors are the same as my 2012 R56 MCS, so I can help with some measurements on fitting the speakers and sound treatment. If you have any questions let me know.


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## mpm17 (Jun 2, 2019)

allenm324 said:


> Let me know if you need any advise on the running wires to the doors, I did it through the MOLEX connector. Also, where are putting the amp? I'm sure you know about the Integral Audio installation guide. Do you have the base or Harmon Kardon audio system?
> It looks like the doors are the same as my 2012 R56 MCS, so I can help with some measurements on fitting the speakers and sound treatment. If you have any questions let me know.


Thanks allenm324. I'll run the wires thru the MOLEX connector. Currently using a 2-way crossover off the factory wire in the door. When I get my IQ1000.5 back from repairs I'll run two dedicated wires to each door for a full active setup. I'm still in limbo about final location. Probably the bulkhead in a vertical position in the hatch area. The car has a base system. I've read the Integral Audio installation guide. My doors are the R56 doors with basically a different piece of glass. Basic sound treatment at the moment. I have some additional sound deadening ordered to work on the door some more. These are older pics but you can see the tweeter location in the upper door. With the base system you don't get tweeters in the a-pillar so I cut holes in the door panel. The Tang Band tweeter looks a little like a factory piece.


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