Ma(n)son's OHC Upgrade!!

[manson]

Wassup people.
Finally got time to hit the last nail in my setup on Sunday.

For those who don't wanna read all of it, setup is:

Pioneer 6950 HU with 12 CD changer
Pioneer Rear speakers 6977, or was it 6987
Jbl 506 compos in the front
2 nos. Magnat 15" subs
Audiobahn A800T Monoblock amp running both the subs
Sony MK 222 running the front compos

Had been wanting to Ice the Ohc since a while now, and over the last few months exchanged a ton of pms with the Icemen on the forum.

Initially i had some decent Pioneer speakers at the rear and front to go with a Pioneer 6950 HU and 12 CD Changer.
This was great, made good for a real long time.

I first wanted to add a Sony 4 channel and a Pioneer sub and extract some budget boom, till, yes till i came across B&T's Garage Sale, it had some Magnat Subs for sale.
Had heard the Magnat demo car years ago, my brother had his home theatre installed by the guys as Ajay's place, and surprisingly i didn't bump into him back then.
Anyways, back to the point, recalled the demo car to be a nice sounding thing, i first thought i'll pick one sub and plug it to a 4 channel amp and use the 2 channels for the speakers. That thought didnt last too long, Ajay recommended i use a better amp.

Enter Blueraven, he helps me out with an Audiobahn A800t monoblock to run the sub, by now i'm all excited about having some fancy ice. Figure that the A800T can run two subs, i grab both the subs from B&T

Pick the subs up, eagerly waiting for the amp, much anticipated amp reaches me, rather i reach the amp!!!
In the meantime two individual boxes for each 15" sub had been ordered.
Pick the amp and subs up, stuff them into my car and i am off to the installer's place.

Chap uses Monster Cables, takes a couple of hours and its done.
Switch it on, and it sounds CRAP!!!! Too much bass, can't hear the speakers, very very bad. Something surely with the tuning, the guy installing isnt too familiar with the products being installed.
A call to Ajay (B&T), and some basic settings he tell me of, installer sets the gains to that, and everything sounds better, not great though.

While at this, the front stage, rear speakers have been left unchanged.
Pay Sam a visit soon after the install. Accroding to him, the subs sounded good, boxes were average at best and the setup didnt sound complete for obviosu reasons, i.e. the heavy rear was drowning out the puny front 4" pioneer speakers.

Take advice, few more pms with the gurus, and in a short while install the entry level JBL 506 2 way compos, few settings made to the balance and things are beginning to sound good, maybe great too.
The bass is absolutely great, have lost all of my boot to the Magnats, one thing i didnt want to, but then it all seems worth it.
For the first time, i can feel the bass from the subs rather tha just hearing it, the driver's seat is half a decent effort at being a massage chair i tell ya!!

I forgot to mention this in the start, i was intending to spend 7-8K in the start for the Sony amp and Pioneer Sub, and by then end of it all i have spent 3 times that intended budget, if not more!!

The compos provide some front stage if i could call it one, but it surely wasnt prominent. The next step was to add a 4 channel amp to power the rear speakers and front compos. After a few weeks of staying with the compos, i land up at the installer's on a sunday morning to add a JBL 60.4 to make for a good base to upgrade later.
Andddddd, then comes it, i need an HU with 3 pre outs and all that, this after waiting for an hour for the installer to reach the shop!!!
Though he did say, he could bridge it and do something else, but then i cant manage the front and rear balance, etc.
Leave it at that to get home and figure my options.
Navin suggest getting some adaptor, but quite honestly i wasnt prepared to spend further than an amp.
Sometime last week, Sam too mentioned something, but i was sorta novice to understand whaat he was really saying.
Put my foot down here, have had a Sony 2 channel 222 amp lying at home since a long time. On Sunday, i got that installed to run my compos off it.
And, now i am more or less satisfied with the outcome.

Car could surely do with damping, but i don't think thats gonna happen anytime soon.
Will upload some pictures of the install later in the evening or sometime tomorrow.

Inexpensive/free corrections are welcome. Others can hold onto them for a few months.

manson.

[moralfibre]

Nice writeup Manson. I have heard those subs installed in the Sierra and they sound brilliant. I had an option to pick them up at one point of time (If these are the same subs installed as a pair in a box). Amazing bass.
I remember when we bought the Zen, the 222 was everyone's delight at Milan subway and people would rush for that amp without a second thought. I felt very great about myself when we got a 444 instead of the 222 in my Zen in 2001-02. We have a come a long way ahead after that, all thanks to the ICE section on team-bhp.
Hope to see the pictures soon or I will be forced to give you the pictures from this link - Pics (Hyderabad-Pune-Hyderabad in Red Cutie [Part 1])

[hydrashok]

Congrats, Manson!

Two 15"? That's some serious basssss!

Originally Posted by manson

Inexpensive/free corrections are welcome. Others can hold onto them for a few months.

You sure know your way around here.

[jkdas]

WOW !

what made you choose audiobahn? and where are the pix!!!

[blueraven316]

Originally Posted by jkdas

WOW !

what made you choose audiobahn? and where are the pix!!!

It was the price I think.

[xinome]

blueraven audiobahn now hifonics then very recently tyres, your coming up in this part of the world 3 cheers to you

and as for manson i am GAGA

2 nos. Magnat 15" subs ( holy molly )
Audiobahn A800T Monoblock ( this is a good MB man Have heard it already Serious BASE )

Why dosent anyone post pictures these days!

[manson]

Originally Posted by jkdas

what made you choose audiobahn? and where are the pix!!!

Originally Posted by blueraven316

It was the price I think.

He knows he made me an offer i could not refuse

Quite frankly, i doubt i can distinguish between brand names.
Blueraven, navin, B&T, e.t.c were patient enough to answer the most novice questions i had to offer, and extensively.
Going by that i was almost certain i was getting something nice eventually.

Gave my ICE ample time this evening, and it sounds brilliant after the Sony 222 install and has changed my thoughts of 'more or less satisfied' in the first post to 'satisfied'

manson.

[low_bass_makker]

Hmmmm two 15 inch subs...Another Low bass Makker in the house.

Good work Mason Phaji. you must be loving the bass in your car....

and do post the pics...

[vikram18]

Post some pics soon.

[blueraven316]

Originally Posted by xinome

blueraven audiobahn now hifonics then very recently tyres, your coming up in this part of the world 3 cheers to you

and as for manson i am GAGA

2 nos. Magnat 15" subs ( holy molly )
Audiobahn A800T Monoblock ( this is a good MB man Have heard it already Serious BASS )

It's more like audiobahn then and hifonics now, and thanks man !

[manson]

Some pictures of the products and install. These were taken quite a while ago, the Sony 222 is installed on the left side of the Audiobahn (which you can see sneaking behing in the picture with both subs installed).




























manson.

[low_bass_makker]

Phaji the tweeter fitting in not correct as it is facing the roof....try it with facing the listener...

[manson]

what would be an ideal place to fit the tweeters?

manson.

[low_bass_makker]

Originally Posted by manson

what would be an ideal place to fit the tweeters?

manson.

the place is correct but the facing of the tweeter is not correct.

[Bass&Trouble]

Oye Mummmeet, nice install. Looking better than I expected.

LBM is right. Please aim each tweeter towards the distant listener. Right now you are using Bose direct/ reflecting technology.

Lastly, when a company kindly supplies some tweeter mounting cup options, it is not necessary to use all of them together for every install. Your tweeter looks like it can swivel, travel up and down and do a jig if required.

P.S. You called me yesterday for something? I'm sorry my Hutch phone doesnt have coverage in the office and I heard the voice message only late in the night.