Building sound system

[LudviG]

Last weekend i started building a soundsystem in my Galant. Thought i would share this build with you people.

Started off with removing alot of the interior to route the cables. 3 RCA wire, 90mm power cable and some smaller cables for remote, lights and other stuff that i may want to install later. Not any pics from this process sadly.

Then we started to build the box for the subwoofers:

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You need the correct tools. One for drilling, one for countersinking and one to screw in the screws

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The case was build from 22mm MDF, and came together as nice as it could.

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The case was dresses in dark grey speaker fabric and dampened with dampening material.

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Then it was time to get it in the car. It is a really snug fit, we actually had to mod the strut bar to get it in. Used a dremel and made the holes in the brackets for the strut brace a bit higher so the strut bar came further up.

The rest of the sound system is not done yet, but everything is ready to be fitted. Just need the time.

Further plans:


The the subwoofers in the box. 2 x Zachry BX-T10 (http://www.ljudia.no/Archive/ProductFiles/931284/BX-T10%20parameters.pdf)
New speakers in all the doors.

These (http://www.ultimate-sound.com/products_t3_components.html) in the front, 5,25"

These (http://www.ultimate-sound.com/products_t2_speakers.html) in the rear doors 5,25"
Rack for 3 amplifiers, condensator and fuses in the spare wheel well.



I will post pictures of the rest of the building when it is continued.

[Atik]

Looks good, and even better that you got them to fit under the strut bar.

[CANDEE]

Is that 90mm2 power wire? If so thats even bigger than the 50 or 75mm2 we user for battery relocations....

Hopefully by a condensor you dont mean a capacitor?? If so you shouldnt need it with a decent battery. :) Also not sure on the reason to dampen the box(unless you used it to make the box "bigger" to the sub. :)), I havent used in the last 10 years(competition use too) as most subs these days dont need it.

Otherwise a nice little job getting it in there. :)

[LudviG]

Looks good, and even better that you got them to fit under the strut bar.

Thanks, and it was a close call. Not much space for the subwoofers. The original plan was a tiltet side for the subwoofers too, but then they would not go in.


Is that 90mm2 power wire? If so thats even bigger than the 50 or 75mm2 we user for battery relocations....

Hopefully by a condensor you dont mean a capacitor?? If so you shouldnt need it with a decent battery. :) Also not sure on the reason to dampen the box(unless you used it to make the box "bigger" to the sub. :)), I havent used in the last 10 years(competition use too) as most subs these days dont need it.

Otherwise a nice little job getting it in there. :)

90mm2 power wire yes. Mind you, it is not the best sort for stereo. It is an cable for a welder originally.

I think it is capacitator i mean yes, i know they wont to much good, and that battery and alternator is more important. But I believe the light dimming according to the bass is a little bit less with one there. I may fool myself to believe that, but hey i got it laying around, why not use is?

The dampening in the box is from old habit i guess. But the box is also slightly small for the subwoofers in litres.

[BraindG]

Looks really good so far, good work!

[sonicsoundzdj]

looks good mate! have you considered putting the amps under the removable floor bit in the boot? there's a little space there, iv got 3 alpine amps under mine, not had problems at all, that way you can keep your spare wheel

[LudviG]

looks good mate! have you considered putting the amps under the removable floor bit in the boot? there's a little space there, iv got 3 alpine amps under mine, not had problems at all, that way you can keep your spare wheel

Yeah, that have been considered, and well there will be one on there. In the inner bit. I have actually cut the tray in 2 and fitted one amp there, but it needed to be a cutout for it. Cause the amp was tp high. And there where no possibility at all to get all three under there. So there will 2 in the inner part of the tray, and 2 on the spare wheel well. Kinda hard for me to explain in english, but there will be pics later :)

[LudviG]

I was wondering if someone could help me. I am trying to find something to protect the subs, but i dont want a grill. I am looking for some bars, but i cant really find any. Anyone who can point me in an direction?

[CANDEE]

90mm2 power wire yes. Mind you, it is not the best sort for stereo. It is an cable for a welder originally.

I think it is capacitator i mean yes, i know they wont to much good, and that battery and alternator is more important. But I believe the light dimming according to the bass is a little bit less with one there. I may fool myself to believe that, but hey i got it laying around, why not use is?

The dampening in the box is from old habit i guess. But the box is also slightly small for the subwoofers in litres.
Welding cable is fine for power wire, I have it for my battery relocation, and for my power to my amps. :)

The dampening should help in that environment. :) Be interesting how it goes/sounds. :) I used to have 2 x 12's in my leggie, but found that I had just as much bass from one 12. ;)

[CANDEE]

I was wondering if someone could help me. I am trying to find something to protect the subs, but i dont want a grill. I am looking for some bars, but i cant really find any. Anyone who can point me in an direction?
You may not find anything commercially, but if you get a couple of bars made up(should be pretty easy for an engineering firm) you can have something custom. :)

[LudviG]

I found one site that offers some grills i liked, but i have to order for over 50$ before they send out.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=260-441&scqty=2

To find engineering firms wich do stuff like that for normal people is actually hard. And if you find one, they want your shirt, one arm, a foot and both klidneys for doing it.....

[CANDEE]

They seem a bit arrogant to want a $50 order to ship anything.. :(

I suppose Im lucky I have a captive shop that will fab almost anything then... But I thought that most of them would be happy to do small cash jobs like this...

[LudviG]

They seem a bit arrogant to want a $50 order to ship anything.. :(

I suppose Im lucky I have a captive shop that will fab almost anything then... But I thought that most of them would be happy to do small cash jobs like this...

Yes you are, off course you can find these kind of firms in Norway too, but i dont know any.

A bit steep, but when i look at other places offering this kind of grill they often take 40-50$ in shipping, while these have free shipping if i did read correctly.

[horndog]

while these have free shipping if i did read correctly.

*Small print*
Free Economy shipping (to a single address) for orders with a merchandise total over $98
Available only to on-line orders shipping within the Contiguous U.S. (excluding APO/FPO)

[LudviG]

*Small print*
Free Economy shipping (to a single address) for orders with a merchandise total over $98
Available only to on-line orders shipping within the Contiguous U.S. (excluding APO/FPO)

Off course, i just figured that out myself. Not sure what to do though...... still if i find stuff i need for 100$ it is not bad.

[LudviG]

And the international shipping is not free. 90$ on top of the purchase price :O

[Barney]

There are some good looking drawer handles in kitchen suppliers with different lengths that could span the openings .....

[LudviG]

There are some good looking drawer handles in kitchen suppliers with different lengths that could span the openings .....

Nice idea, too sad i just ordered it :O

[LudviG]

Got the grills today, and installed them.

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Also started on the rack for the amplifiers. More pics will come later.

[crazydriver81]

Looks nice Alf John. :thumbsup:

I'd prefer to use a different material for damping the inside of the box.

Currently you are using a kind of foam, right? - http://www.intertechnik.de/Lautsprecher-Shop/Accessories-and-Miscellaneous/Damping/1768,en,16,47626
I'd prefer to use such type of filter mat's (like in the kitchen, yes!) - http://www.intertechnik.de/Lautsprecher-Shop/Accessories-and-Miscellaneous/Damping/1768,en,16,47619

These fibre mats will give a better reflectance within the box, which literally enlarges the volume of the box and gives a deeper resonance. Important is, NOT to pack them into the box tightly. They have to be a bit loose inside. This will improve the low frequency behavior and gives more punch in the iportant 60Hz range.


If you see the data sheet for the woofers, I guess you have now a 36l enclosure without ports. By using this fibre mat's you can get around the 50l mark and can use a port. If you see the last columns, you will see the lowest frequency do drop from 53Hz to 37Hz. This means a different compression ratio in the box and more power to be delivered from the woofers within 40-80Hz.

[LudviG]

Yeah, i am thinking of changing the dampening, but i dont want a ported box. Never liked it myself.

Sendt from HTC Desire using Tapatalk Pro, cause iPhones are for suckers.

[crazydriver81]

it depends on the kind of music you like to hear. ;)

If you are on electro, you want to have a closed box for the accuracy of bass. If you are on HipHop you want to have fat bass and want to have the lazyness of a ported box.

[LudviG]

And i listen to metal and rock so i want my subs to be quick and with a punch (wanna feel the double bass drums kick me in the spine) :) so closed boxes are perfect for me. Nice to hear suggestions and comments on the system. Keep it up!

Sendt from HTC Desire using Tapatalk Pro, cause iPhones are for suckers.

[LudviG]

If you see the data sheet for the woofers, I guess you have now a 36l enclosure without ports.

My box is actually 2x32 litres. It was all i could with the box design as it is.

Sendt from HTC Desire using Tapatalk Pro, cause iPhones are for suckers.

[LudviG]

Some updates again. Dont seems like much, but took me most of the day. Sadly i just had my phone at hand when i was done.

Cut the trays under the floor in 2, put fabric on it and made the amplifier lower. This is cause it was too high to fit in the tray. Made a cutout and made a lower plate underneath for the amplifier.
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With the floor in place:
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Still have to make a rack for 2 amplifiers and other stuff in the spare wheel well:
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And change all the speaker.
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[LudviG]

Been ages since last update here, but this project is finally gone forward again after a long time dormant.

I made new plates for the speakers both in the front and rear, the rear ones where wrng size and the front ones did not have space for the magnet. So i made new ones of plywood (I think that is what it is called in english). Also put baffles on the rear of the speakers, just to protect them a bit more. The baffles where too long, so they would hit the window. I shortened them and used the front end as a "gasket" between the speaker and the wood.
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The rear speakers, Ultimate T2 5,25"
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The Front speakers, Ultimate T3 5,25" component set. The tweeters got glued to the tweeter covers, since my car did not originally have speaker, and i missed the tweeter bracket. I only ordered the covers.
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Made a new bracket to hold both my air filter and the fuse for the sound system. Looks good in my opinion :)

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Hopefully i get the time to do more tomorrow, but i am also trying to figure out what is wrong with my powerwindows, changing the faceplates of the gauges and mounting UTCOM.

[CANDEE]

Very interesting that there was no space for the magnet of the front speakers.. I run some 6.5" components with HUGE magnets and have no clearance issues, the rear doors are an issue though...

[LudviG]

Very interesting that there was no space for the magnet of the front speakers.. I run some 6.5" components with HUGE magnets and have no clearance issues, the rear doors are an issue though...

Thats weird, maybe the plates that hold the speakers are different on different cars then? The reason mine did not fit in the original plate, was that where a partly boxed.

[CANDEE]

I know that some of the cars have 5.25" spacers factory(the ones I used for my spacer templates were 5.25" not 6.5" like the vr4's), but they can all be cut out for the magnets - this I had to do to fit my current speakers in the factory spacers.

Heres some pics of how I did it:

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I currently run no water shields over the back of my speakers without any ill effects, the only issue with how I see that you have done it above is make the shield into an "enclosure" for the speaker minimising its bass qualities by limiting the sound waves from the speakers. Usually they like to run in a large enclosure ie the whole door. :)

[LudviG]

I thought of cutting them too, but found it easier to make new ones from plywood. I have the same thought in my head concerning bass, as you did. The baffles are there for testing, they may be removed for the good of sound. Maybe i even make speakerboxes. Nothing is decided yet :)

[CANDEE]

I usually find that speakers in a sealed door ie the service holes covered up and sound deadened, beats running speaker boxes, unless you are going full SQ... ;)

[LudviG]

I usually find that speakers in a sealed door ie the service holes covered up and sound deadened, beats running speaker boxes, unless you are going full SQ... ;)

I am going to try without the baffles when i come home. They will probably be binned :O

More pics of the progression:

Making a new rear tray (Remeber i cut my tray in 2) This will now house 2 amps. It can also be lifted to acces the well.
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Rouding the corners for better look when it get clad in fabric
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The front tray housing different stuff. This one will not lift cause of the box for the woofers, so this will basicly lay still. This is the underside.
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The other side of the front tray. This can easy be acceses by removing the floor in boot, thats why the fuses go there :)
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More pics will come later. Just bought myself a new amp for the front set too. Harman/Kardon CA280. Got it for about £30, new in box. Been lying at my mates place for 2 years without being used.

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[LudviG]

Finally found the time to do some more with the sound system. Before today the speaker ran off the head unit, and only subwoofers had amp. Now i gotten the 2 amps for the speakers in, in their own tray. I ran the power and signal cables, and hopefully i will connect the speakers to the amps later today. And then it is just the sound adjustment left, wich tend to take alot of time.
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Underside of the inner tray. Not the cleanest setup, but it works. And since it is hidden i cant be arsed to make it look better :P



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With the inner tray down it looks alot better :)



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With both trays down, it start to look good imo. I am hapy with the setup, and the original floor fits perfect :)

[Badger_01]

Looks awesome!! How does it sound now?

[LudviG]

Looks awesome!! How does it sound now?'

ATM it does not sound good. Just got the speakers connected to the head unit and no subwoofers. I will hopefully finish the connections later today. I have to solder the speakers cables to the cables that now run to the head unit. Since my head unit is fastened to the frame inside the dash, i have to remove alot of the dash to get to it.