I am looking to improve on my sound quality. I currently have a Premier DEH-P880PRS head unit, MB Quart QM 3 way components in front 6.5",4",19mm tweet, Planet Audio 6x9 component rear, with a Memphis PB100 on mids and highs, 3 L7 12s on 2 KX 1200.1 amps. I am wanting to improve on sound quality with my mids and highs. I was considering useing DD or Elemental Designs for mids and highs with matching amps. I will be replacing the L7s with 4 DD 9512 and probly 2 DD Z2 amps but Im unsure what to do for mids and highs.Any educated help apprecited.
Theres nothing really wrong with any of it. I just want to improve if possible from what I have now. I will be changing the subs and sub amps to DD for improved sound and improved pressure. I know I can improve on the mid/high amp quality but unsure what amp will suit my needs. Im strongly considering using MB Quart Preimier series 6.5" component set in rear so it will match the front as far as brand. Are MB Quart 4 channel amps clean sounding? Thanks
a quality installer can take what you have now and get to the world finals in sound quality events. the only thing i'd personnally do is ditch ther rear speakers in general and just work on the install and tune. if you really feel the need to spend money i'd go out and do some listening because with what you have your going to be spending 100's of dollars changing equipment for very minimal gains. and even that may not be true if your install isn't top notch.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
So you wouldnt change the subs and sub amps? As fot the install its all custom install to my 91 Z24, The 6.5s in the front are in sealed fiberglass door pods, the 4s are in the stock dash holes with dynomat all behind them, tweets are mounted to the top of the stock grilles angle mounted back to me. I actually thought about building new door pods to accept the 6.5 and add a set of MB Quart 8" midbass drivers for the rear channel. Im just throwing around ideas now so I wont have to rebuild again later. Thanks
Oh almost forgot, I already have Street Wires 1/0 power cable with 3 Yellow Top Optimas, Street Wires Zero Noise RCA cables. I have already done the " Big 3" back about 2 yrs ago, I have 5 1/0 grounds, 3 body and 2 engine grounds. One of the few things I have not done yet is to install Dynomat. That will be done when I rebuild. I have past Professional install experience and have a friend who helps some who has been an installer for 14 yrs. Everything is done right I just want better if I can. Thanks
well sndsgood beat me to it...
i was also going to suggest ditching the rear speakers. for a SQ system, the more sources you have that are producing music (ie. speakers) the more sources of noise you have and the higher the chance of cancelation is.
also i know you said your tweeters were angled back to you, but are the aimed directly at you? the frequencies that tweeters produce are very directional so the need to be somewhat aimed at you, but if they are pointed directly at you they can be a little overpowering sometimes.
all in all your setup seems damn good... i would worry more about imaging and setting up the sound stage more than anything.
1997 RedR - ZedR
im thinking the install is having allot to do with the sound. mb quart speakes are designed for off-axis listening, wich means not directly pointed at you. this is why some people claim that mb quart is to harsh. because they are listening to them in the wrong application. i bet if you took the 4" and tweeter and made kickpods with the speakers almost facing each other you'd end up with allot better soundstage and sound. if shop installed them that way dont go back to them because they dont know how to install the products they sell. if you notice in the pic i added (during construction) how flat the speakers are sitting against the kickpanel ares. almost vertical and are close to pointing at the speakers on the opposite side. this is more how mb quarts need to be installed. also how is your midbass? is it there, or is it non-existant. poor midbass is going to really hurt the quality of your music as well midbass drivers are generally designed for free-air enclosures. or rather a really large enclosure. put a midbass driver in to small an enclosure and your likely to lose allot of your midbass. properly installed that midbass should be able to play down to the 60hz range without much problem at all. a great install can get it down to the 50hz range. and this is where your sub takes over. if your crossing your sub over down in this range 50-60hz it should be pretty clean sounding in the proper enclosure. your mids and highs play 90% of the music, so if you get those sounding good the sub shouldnt be that big a deal.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
As much as I love my 9515s, you're not going to improve your SQ by going with 9512s over L7s. SPL and durability, yes, but probably not SQ. Don't get me wrong, they're good for daily, but not a trophy winning SQ system.
Is this going to be on 12V? If it is, ditch the Z2 idea and pick up a Z1a (or two). Alot more power than a Z2 on 12V, and slighly less $$. But again, don't expect to get the same level of SQ out of a SPL amp as you would with something made by Zapco etc.
I've also heard a few DD components, and while they do have good midbass, the highs weren't terribly sharp. Decent, but not at the same level as your Quart QMs. I'm with Sndsgood - take another crack or two with the install of your Quarts. They can sound phenominal in the right install.
Sounds to me like you're coming over to the dark side (SPL)
GAM (The Kilted One) wrote: if you think you're that much better than them because you're "correct" I hope your progeny don't turn out as screwed up as yourself.
As of today the subs and sub amps are sold and gone so now Im going to ride and listen to the mids and highs UNTIL i get the sound I want. IMO thats the only way to get truly near perfect mids and highs. The tweets are approx 75 degrees angle from windsheild. As far as the install I made the pods and stalled myself, the pods are almost directly facing me and the mid bass is good enough for now. Do I need to build a kick panel with the front channel only and the tweets mounted 90 degrees of the windsheid in the stock grilles at - 6db and do a front door pod for the rear channel with the 8" driver for improved sound stage? Thats been one of my ideas as alot of heavy type rock uses the rear sound for midbass. When it really comes down to it I want a full sound field with plenty of mid bass and highs to run with 4 DD 12s and still sound good. Thanks again guys.
what kind of rock is using midbass in the rear. your stereo only has two channels a left and right, it doesnt seperate sounds from font to back unless you have a surround sound proccessor and that is a completly diffrent ball game. if your speakers are facing you, your not going to get the best sound out of them. if you want to keep the same location i'd start looking for new speakers that are designe for on-axis listening.
heres the pic i had mentioned but forgot to add on. see how flat the speaker is, and notice its not pointed back towards the listener. this is how mb speakers need to be aimed (generally speaking)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
I have always been more SPL than anything but came across the Quart QM set for free when I was installing and decided to put them in my car. Now I want the SPL and SQ if I can. The last time I competed I ran 2 L7 12s in the trunk with 1 KX 1200.1, hit a 144.4. I may even go back with Kicker subs and amp later not sure right now. Im going to start on the new pods in a few days. I will let you know how it turns out.
