hehe ok well I know you pulled your head unit, but in all your research did you learn if the non-RF head unit has any line level outs? so far what you've told me and now seeing your build out thread, I think I will be best served by using the amps I own + a DIY enclosure with the JL's I already own but I really need to get a good line out from the HU. I know I keep reading how the Navi Unit has 2-ch line out but I haven't found the answer about the basic head unit.

Heck since I own all the bits already it would make it even easier to just pay a good installer to save me the effort hehe. Of course I never trust anyone to do the work with the level of detail I know I will. Same for clutch swaps and t-belt changes hahaha

 

Wish I could tell you, but I don't know.

Sometimes paying a pro for a part of the job can be a value. I had a local shop run the wire. Few words can describe how much I loathe doing it, so the $40 was well spent.

How much room is the under the seat of a X? As you saw, the IX was a shoehorn fit and I had to make a ring (square, actually) to extend the mounting depth of the driver right under the cushion. We used very thin material for the enclosure, much to the dismay of quite a few car audio folks, because of the space constraints and to save weight. The driver, too, was chosen for its physical attributes as well as its power response in the enclosure. Its low weight didn't hurt, either. I don't know if you've used any of the modeling apps. WinISD is a free download.

I probably should mention that if you become interested in a sub that will beat your *** like a pinata, weigh ~33lbs with its enclosure, and require little power and money to do it, such a combo exists albeit at the expense of some panel flex. Personally, I feel that a smaller, intelligently configured solution can be just as musically satisfying, but I'd be less than honest if I said that its presentation exists on a similar scale.

 

I'm right there with ya. I did notice your thin MDF but I'm willing to go that way too if it means getting what I want. I expect the X has the same room under the seat as the IX but I'll have to check.

I'm not too concerned about the weight of the driver I have, but it is designed to give nice tight bass in a very small enclosure. Heck usually the weight comes from using 3/4" MDF and getting silly with internal bracing. We're not talking about that here ;-)

I used to play about with BassBox way back in the day, so I'll have to get familiar with what is available now. So thanks for the tip. That said, when I did my homework back in the day it was with really the same design constraints as I have now. And now I have alrady spent the money on most of the parts so if done right the project doesn't have to cost too much.

 

If this works out, you'll have (AFAIK) the first X with an effective, lightweight aftermarket system. Are you planning on modding your SE?

As far as the enclosure material, most car audio folks prefer to use 3/4" MDF. Nothing wrong with that other than weight. MDF is very heavy, as you know. They use thick MDF to control the rigidity of the box, using mass as its foundation. Acoustically, MDF releases its energy fairly low in the spectrum. This, coupled with a sub that extends very low, can cause cause a few anomalies to come about, though in an automotive system the effect is strictly academic. OTOH, a lightweight yet rigid enclosure will release its energy fairly high in the spectrum, above the x-over point of the sub.

Then, there's the concern about the pressure inside the box causing it to literally tear itself apart. The idea does have merit, though the magnitude of the effect almost solely dependent on the application. Looking a 6lb underseat woofer box, its config limits its extension by design, and its placement (coupled with the sensitivity of the driver) necessitates a MUCH lower power requirement. As such, it really doesn't generate a whole lot of pressure inside the box, allowing us to explore a more workable alternative.

 

Well effective will certainly be in the eyes of the beholder and depend on my abilities. But I might be the first to try what you did in an X.

Yeah 3/4" is just stupid heavy. then you look at some of the home DIY's that are using double wall 3/4" and wonder if they have taken into account the point load rating of their flooring :O haha

It does make me wonder ... what do you think about spraying accoustic coating on the outside vice carpet? It is thinner than carpet, has more accoustic damping, and is still black to help make it stealth. It is no substitute for mass but damping is usually a good thing.

Structure strength ... yeah I thought of that and figure you are right and that I would be sure to REALLY over engineer the joints. dowles, very strong glue, and LOTS of screws. I might even put in some braces on either side of the driver to couple the two large faces on the front and back. It would take up some enclosure volume but might be worth it.

 

On car audio forums, at least once a week someone asks how to raise the back of a car saddled with 400-500lbs in its trunk. Then, the same guy goes to the OT forum to talk about performance.

Let me refer you to Don's site:

www.sounddeadenershowdown.com

If you read every page, you'll know exactly what can and cannot be done, and how effectively.

You know, the box is so small that if we prorate its size and the thickness of the martial for a larger volume - the kind typically used with bigger drivers meant to reach lower in the spectrum - proportionally, it holds up well. I cut two dowels and glued them in, vertically, ~2/3 of the way into each end of the enclosure. Best part of the whole thing, the woofer is invisible used the seat. A carpeted box looks just like an extension of the factory flooring.

 

Reading your posted link in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

[nodding agreement on the rest of your post]

 

This link wouldn't open for me.

 

<blush> Fixed the link.

 

I just did a google search for what I knew you meant and found it.

 

Suggestions on vendors to buy the sound deadening materials in the post?

 

You can only buy the materials directly from SDS. Shoot Don an email, make sure to tell him you're from the Evo forum, and explain what you'd like to accomplish. He'll make some suggestions and you can take it from there. Don is the authority in this field.