Suggestion for Upgrade in OHC Vtec

[viper]

Hi Guys,

As usual I get bored of stuff pretty soon and keep looking at upgrading. Listing below existing setup :

Existing:

Head Unit - Alpine CDA-9887 installed today.
Front Speakers - Hertz ESk 165.2(6.5" Components)
Rear Speakers - Hertz ECX 165.2 (2 Way Co axials)
Subwoofer - Hertz ES 300(12") mounted on Rear Tray
Amplifier - Audison SRx5 (5 channel 60x4WRMS + 1x180WRMS)
RCA Cables - Audison - BT6600
Speaker Cable - Audison FL214BL
Amplifier Power Kit - Audison FPK 300
Weurth Spray on damping extensively used all over

Am looking at a bit more punch in the bass at low volumes and better front stage and a more powerful system overall.

Dont mind adding another amp, changing speakers & subwoofer either from same brand or another brand. The subwoofer will have to be tray mounted as I cannot compromise on boot space.

BTW I want a total SQ system and not SPL. As an indication looking at spending max Rs50k more.


Looking forward to your suggestions.

Viper

[viper]

Bump,

Where are all the Guru's.

Viper

[shrivz]

Im no guru, but i'll try and help.

Jiggs, just clarify whether the Sub is recommended for free air usage.

If not, you'll have to change it, moreover since you're looking at a free air Sub, the 180 watts from the audison is gonna be a little less to drive it, but probably if you arent looking at high SPL, you can give the sub a higher gain setting. For front soundstage, Its the tuning which matters a lot.

I personally think that you have a good setup, it just has to be tuned right, cut off the speakers with the electronic x-over on the amp as per the specifications of the speakers, and then fine tune it by ear.
Also, set the HU EQ to flat and then adjust it as per your taste.

On alpines, I usually end up take the treble -1db and if required, the bass +1db.

[DerAlte]

1. How about trying out an IDQ12? Put a fiber-glass enclosure the width of the parcel tray about 6" deep (even lesser if you don't mind a protrusion to accommodate the sub depth). That should give you a decent box volume without compromising boot space, and more important, give you a sealed box for more bass definition at low volumes instead of the usual boomy IB. Time alignment in the Alpine HU would bring the bass forward.

2. Since you have already crossed the levels of ordinary, maybe it is time to put in ID compression horns below the dash to improve the front imaging. Gunbir / JB would be the best to advise on this. A tad costly, but the results would be spectacular

My 2 bits!

[RedOne]

Originally Posted by viper

Front Speakers - Hertz ESk 165.2(6.5" Components)
Viper

Viper,

How easy was it to fix the 6.5 on the doorpad? Drop in, just cutting the pad or extensive modification? I too am considering same.

Gears,
Red-One.

[viper]

Hi,

Its a drop in fitment.

Viper

Originally Posted by RedOne

Viper,

How easy was it to fix the 6.5 on the doorpad? Drop in, just cutting the pad or extensive modification? I too am considering same.

Gears,
Red-One.

[iraghava]

Viper - I'm pretty sure that fitting a 6.5" component requires cutting of the door pad since I tried to fit the same in my car & they wouldn't fit without cutting.

[viper]

Ishan,

This car had come with 6" co-axials installed by previous owner. Either he had cut the door pad or they fit as I certainly did not cut them. I simply replaced them with my speakers and they fit perfectly on mdf spacers.

Viper

Originally Posted by iraghava

Viper - I'm pretty sure that fitting a 6.5" component requires cutting of the door pad since I tried to fit the same in my car & they wouldn't fit without cutting.

[gbpscars]

Originally Posted by viper

they fit perfectly on mdf spacers.

Viper

Ishan and Redone, MDF spacers will do the work as the OHC's plastic door cladding protrudes in the front enough to accomodate the push by the MDF spacers.

Unless the speakers' base magnet design is such that it is too big for the OEM hole, it should not be a problem.

[iraghava]

Well when I tried shifting my Velocity's to the front, they didn't fit since the installer said that the magnet was too deep & would foul with the door.

Sam, Ajay, Navin - any personal experience with this? I wouldn't mind having 6.5" comps in the front of my car.

[Bass&Trouble]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Well when I tried shifting my Velocity's to the front, they didn't fit since the installer said that the magnet was too deep & would foul with the door.

Sam, Ajay, Navin - any personal experience with this? I wouldn't mind having 6.5" comps in the front of my car.

If the Electra 5.25" driver could be installed then the 6.5" after cutting will fit too, since the difference in mounting depth is just 3mm. 63 v/s 66 mm.

However, that would hardly be an upgrade, may I suggest the Luccent 6" comps. Mounting depth of 40mm.

[blueraven316]

Have you heard the Audison push that same sub off an Enclosure till date ? If no, then try that just for the heck of it to see whether even with a box does the amp live up to the power you seek. The sub for sure can handle more juice (almost double of what it's getting now) .
If you are satisfied, then you probably don't need a amp change.
If not, then you should go in for a new mono Amp. Good Options would be likes of JL Audio 250/1.
The 12" inch sub is on the parcel tray now, so you have already cut the metal below the parcel tray to a significant extent. I think getting an enclosure incorporated on the parcel tray itself will be little difficult for a 12" sub, but for a 10" sub you can get a new parcel tray custom built with a sealed enclosure at the bottom of the sub, hence not eating into boot space, and giving you some real tight and strong bass.
Now, depending on how much more juice you need from the fronts you may change the component Speakers, but that entirely lies upon what kind of SQ you want from the speakers, whether it's more loudness or stronger mids.

Originally Posted by viper

Existing:

Head Unit - Alpine CDA-9887 installed today.
Front Speakers - Hertz ESk 165.2(6.5" Components)
Rear Speakers - Hertz ECX 165.2 (2 Way Co axials)
Subwoofer - Hertz ES 300(12") mounted on Rear Tray
Amplifier - Audison SRx5 (5 channel 60x4WRMS + 1x180WRMS)
RCA Cables - Audison - BT6600
Speaker Cable - Audison FL214BL
Amplifier Power Kit - Audison FPK 300
Weurth Spray on damping extensively used all over

Am looking at a bit more punch in the bass at low volumes and better front stage and a more powerful system overall.

Dont mind adding another amp, changing speakers & subwoofer either from same brand or another brand. The subwoofer will have to be tray mounted as I cannot compromise on boot space.

BTW I want a total SQ system and not SPL. As an indication looking at spending max Rs50k more.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by Bass&Trouble

If the Electra 5.25" driver could be installed then the 6.5" after cutting will fit too, since the difference in mounting depth is just 3mm. 63 v/s 66 mm.

Hmmm... interesting, why didn't you tell me this info when I was getting the 5.25"? Would have done the upgrade then itself.

Originally Posted by Bass&Trouble

However, that would hardly be an upgrade, may I suggest the Luccent 6" comps. Mounting depth of 40mm.

Got any complimentary set lying around kya?

[navin]

Originally Posted by viper

Hi Guys,

As usual I get bored of stuff pretty soon and keep looking at upgrading. Listing below existing setup :

Existing:

Head Unit - Alpine CDA-9887 installed today.
Front Speakers - Hertz ESk 165.2(6.5" Components)
Rear Speakers - Hertz ECX 165.2 (2 Way Co axials)
Subwoofer - Hertz ES 300(12") mounted on Rear Tray
Amplifier - Audison SRx5 (5 channel 60x4WRMS + 1x180WRMS)

Am looking at a bit more punch in the bass at low volumes and better front stage and a more powerful system overall.

Dont mind adding another amp, changing speakers & subwoofer either from same brand or another brand. The subwoofer will have to be tray mounted as I cannot compromise on boot space.

BTW I want a total SQ system and not SPL. As an indication looking at spending max Rs50k more.

1. when you get bored of the 9887 let me know.
2. If you are willing to modify the front door panles I would suggest that a 8" 3way would be your best option.
3. it is very difficult to tune an IB sub to deliver the best SQ. one option would be switch to smaller subs (2 x 8" or 10 in custom boxes that fill up the nook can cranies in hte OHC boot. This will still rertain most of teh boot space (the nooks and cranies are rarely used when you are carrying 30" bags). I did something similar in my Octy and Gunman and co did something simialr to a CRV (2 x 8").
4. The SrX5 is too small an amp for your SPL needs. One option is to get a second SRx5. run the front and rear bridged. and use the 2 mono channels to drive 2 smaller subs (10" would be great).

[hydrashok]

For an SQ setup, I'd also think in terms of the following:

1) 2 x 10" subs. Preferably IDQs. Because these babies need very little enclosure volume (0.4 cu.ft per sub is enough), maybe you'll be able to get a shallow sealed enclosure made right in the parcel-tray itself with FG.

You'll definitely need to change the sub-stage for a proper SQ setup. IB-install for SQ is a definite no-no, IMHO.

This would burn about 22K-24K of your budget, including FG.

2) A new amp, for sure. Ideally, a Mono to drive the subs. Else, I'd get a powerful 2-ch amp like the SRx2S or the LRx2.500 and run the subs with it.

Or, you'll have to go crazy and sell the SRx5, and get a 4-ch amp and a mono amp/powerful 2-ch amp Very very expensive upgrade.

Navin's suggestion of a new SRx5 also sounds good -- the speakers get more power (the channels get bridged), esp. the front stage getsthepower it needs. However else you upgrade, I think one channel of that SRx 5 would remain idle. But an additional SRx5 would make sure that all channels get used.

BTW how does the new 9887 sound? Review pleeeeeeeeeez.