ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries

St. Anger · 3rd September 2012, 10:36

Chasing Illusions Again:

It’d been a while since the B&T install had been into play. While I’d come to enjoy most things, there were a few that didn’t sit right. I do recognize that nothing is perfect but the heart wants what it wants. Back when the Llucies had turned out to be a DNP (Did Not Power), it had been disappointing. Having had first heard the Llucents in our resident Dentist & ICE Czar’s setup (Dr. Frank Mehta), I knew what they had been capable of. He didn’t know it back then, but I had lusted after the llucies ever since that day.

In those days, the youngest in the Illusion line-up, the Electra’s were doing front stage duty in my previous ride. And I’d been chasing Illusions ever since. It never mattered where they were built or how they originated. All that mattered was that they were close to what sounded like music to my ears. But somehow they continued to elude me.

Then one day, there was this Advert in the Classifieds that said the magic words 'Illusions for sale, mint, sparingly used, going cheap'. The best thing was, they were located in Bombay itself. So back I went home, emptied all my savings and then borrowed some more and when I knew I had the finances in place, I made an important call.

A jolly voice replied and when the conversation ended, it had me screaming and hopping with happiness. People at home thought I’d lost it. My neighbours gave me weird stares. I couldn’t sleep that night. Yes, I was chasing Illusions again.

A day or two after that, I met up with Ramie, the man behind that jolly voice. It was night time and I was eager to lay my eyes and hands on those beauties that he had with him. Then another unexpected thing happened. He asked me to take them home with me. Just like that. I mean, I’d met him for the first time. It had been 5 minutes and here he was asking me to take along a rare and expensive piece of equipment without any hesitation, Wow!

In stunned silence, I returned, carrying the box up the stairs like it was a two month old puppy. Firing up the cam, I couldn’t believe what was happening. The Illusions that I’d chased all along, those that I’d dreamed of, they were finally right before my eyes. Every bit of them felt the way I’d imagined. The drivers, the weave of the cone, those baskets, and my hands were trembling from the excitement. The tweeters too had a certain heft to them; had heard so much about them, these innocuous looking things. The crossovers were among the simplest looking ones that I’d seen. But they were of a proper size and had weight. Things were looking good and I remember sleeping that night, thanking God for blessing me with this miracle.

A phone call with Ramie was all it took to decide upon the day of the install. Brilliant fella that he is, I didn’t have to wait too long. For some strange reason on the scheduled day, I kept driving by his shop and yet missed it. This happened about four to five times. On each occasion, I remember him and his younger brother guiding me patiently, giving directions and landmarks. About the sixth or the seventh try, I finally got it right.

The Soundfactor team were all geared up for me. For the second time in under a year, the Figo had her front doors opened up. Never before in my life had I done this. From entry level speakers, I’d taken a double jump watching the Illusions turn into reality.

As the guys prepped the Figo for the swap, it was decided to take care of the few rough edges that had been missed out from the previous time. New spacers were fabricated, the routing of the crossovers was changed and the amp was reset. The Focal PolyGlass 165VB’s were dismounted. I’d not seen the drivers closely before and therefore took time to make amends. I liked how they felt in my hand, the Focal mid-basses. In went the Illusions!

Wow! I was still pinching myself. This really was happening.

The Illusion Tweeters proved to be a mite larger than those of the Focals but the Soundfactor team had them fitting snugly in the sail panels in no time. Back went the door panels, everything was properly fastened, with the team checking and double checking to ensure that there was no oversight.

Listening Preferences & Tuning:

I love to experience for myself first hand, how equipment sounds straight out of the box. For, in my miniscule ICE experience, I’ve had speakers change their sound according to what Amp & HU they are connected to.

For e.g. The Electra’s used to sound like ordinary coaxial with a Pioneer. Kickers too sounded the same and so did Helix’. Thought it was just the HU and swapped it out for a Clarion and boy, did the Electra’s begin to sing or what!!!

The Kickers & Helix however didn’t respond as favourably. The Helix were finally paired off with a Sony and they then came into their own. The Kickers on the other hand preferred to be paired with a Kenwood.

With the Amps too, it was a similar story. Each component set was powered off a JBL GTO 75.4, a Pioneer GM4000F & a Clarion APA 4xx. The Clarion was the sweetest sounding amp; the Pioneer was a fence sitter, with a slight leaning towards the treble camp. The 75.4 needs no introduction, having been a firm favourite with many around here. It was and still is a brute, throwing out a good amount of power. It has always been quite grainy though. This became evident when I did an A/B comparison with the Clarion APA. The Electra’s were happier with the power that they were fed from the 75.4 but they sounded way smoother with the Clarion APA.

Having had the opportunity to know the capabilities of both, the Audison VRx 6.420 & the JVC 836, I knew that all sound changes could be attributed to the Illusions. And with this in mind, the tuning session began. The EQ’s on the Amp & HU were set to flat. The Illusions tweeters were at -3Db.

As I began playing my custom compilation of test tracks, a huge grin started to form on my face. The sound was something else. Straight out of the box with just a 3Db cut for the tweeters, I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was happy. As I thanked the SoundFactor team and made my way back home, I remember taking the longer route just so that I could bask in that warm, full sound a little bit more.

As the Illusions opened up over the next few weeks, the sound was only to improve. Songs that I’d heard endless times before were being played back with new gusto, unveiling nuances that left me spellbound. I did go back to tweaking things a little at the Amp end of things and Ramie once again did a fantastic job of understanding and adjusting the sound to suit my preferences.

The Story Behind the Illusions:
How one man’s benevolence became another man’s dream come true

The Carbons are worth everything that I had ever imagined them to be. The mid-bass is fast and full, vocals take on a warm, natural feel and the tweeters are smooth all the way up into the higher end of the spectrum.

How they came to be mine makes for a wonderful tale. Apparently, there was this fine gentleman who’d booked an Audi – an A4 (if I remember correctly). The delivery was still some time away and he needed a car urgently. So he went ahead and picked up an SX4. Unhappy with the stock ICE in the SX4, he came to Ramie & got the Illusions installed. They hadn’t even reached the half-way mark of their break-in period when the fine gentleman got word from Audi that his car is ready for delivery.

The SX4 was surplus and he decided to sell it off. But the Audi was a fully kitted version that came with a top-of-the-line OEM ICE of its own. So, he came back to Ramie and returned the Carbons to him. And the rest is, well, you know the story...

A few pictures of the Carbons being unpacked, the illusion family & the mid-bass driver at its new home:

97_Octane · 6th September 2012, 15:51

Very nice setup there buddy! I'm sure you're enjoying every bit of it. Just out of curiosity, how's the sound signature of the Carbons? Are they laid-back or bright? (Hope you can understand what I'm trying to ask here)

St. Anger · 18th September 2012, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97_Octane

Very nice setup there buddy! I'm sure you're enjoying every bit of it. Just out of curiosity, how's the sound signature of the Carbons? Are they laid-back or bright? (Hope you can understand what I'm trying to ask here)

Hi 97_Octane,

As someone who has been chasing Illusions for a long time, the Carbons were indeed a dream come true.

My music repertoire ranges from classic rock, EDM, regional/devotional to popular bollywood stuff. I expect speakers to respond crisply and my ears to be fatigue free over extended listening.

The Illusion Carbon Nd 6 have been all this and more. The mid-bass is ample, yet they don't bottom out. They go loud and are controlled at the same time. The tweeters complement the mid-basses beautifully. They are warm and mellow. They haven't yet made my ears bleed.

I usually tune my system with the HU set at flat and the Carbons have come closest to aural nirvana in my limited exposure to the world of ICE.

If you and anyone else is ever interested in a demo, do pm me. All you'll need is to bring over your own music collection, for it is best to audition stuff with music that one is familiar with.

Hope this helps

97_Octane · 20th September 2012, 13:36

Great to know that you are happy with them! I will get my hands on them one day (hopefully)

shuvc · 26th September 2012, 20:24

Nice ! Carbons !

Do you have any snaps showing
a) how the 6.5" speakers are mounted in the stock locations?
b) the tweeter installs

driftagain · 21st April 2016, 16:58

I am planning on upgrading ICE on my 5 year old FIGO. Though I might sell it off in 1 year, I would keep the ICE components so want to plan accordingly.
First and foremost please advise on some good installers in Ludhiana/Jalandhar or Amritsar. I stay in Amritsar but can manage the other 2 places.

I have some stuff from my previous installation in my swift and I would need some stuff new.

I want a set up inclined towards SQ but with tight bass.

I would need a Head Unit for sure and rest of things will depend on the condition of the old ones.

I have so far decided on Pioneer AVH-X1890 DVD
https://pioneer-india.in/product/avh-x1890dvd/
I wanted a touch screen which could play from android/ipod. Not very keen on BlueTooth as I will keep a separate device for music connected by wire and not use my phone
It mentions 13 band equaliser. Auto Time Allignment and Flac support. Please advise if there is some other unit in this price range which I should consider and also at what price should I be able to get this one.

I have the following from my previous install (These had been removed and have not been used for about 3 years):

Front Components: 6.5" Hifonics Atlas (I was in love with these but they need to be checked. They were not bright ) Please suggest something if these don't work. Budget for Components 10k

EFX 4 Channel Amp HD 4300 : 65x4 RMS at 4 Ohms. There is rust on the connectors. Is this is a sign on any problem or can it simply be cleaned and used.

ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries-20160421_150759.jpg

ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries-20160421_150809.jpg

HiFonics 12" Sub in MDF Box (perfect condition) I plan to use it
EFX Scosche wiring (perfect condition) I plan to reuse it

below is my thread from previous install which was done at EVO in bangalore.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...all-swift.html

Would need damping as well as there is plenty of outside noise that comes in the car. How much should I budget for it and which one?

Gurus please advise.

3rd September 2012, 10:36	#16
St. Anger BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 155 Thanked: 29 Times	Re: ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries (Chasing Illusions Again) Chasing Illusions Again: It’d been a while since the B&T install had been into play. While I’d come to enjoy most things, there were a few that didn’t sit right. I do recognize that nothing is perfect but the heart wants what it wants. Back when the Llucies had turned out to be a DNP (Did Not Power), it had been disappointing. Having had first heard the Llucents in our resident Dentist & ICE Czar’s setup (Dr. Frank Mehta), I knew what they had been capable of. He didn’t know it back then, but I had lusted after the llucies ever since that day. In those days, the youngest in the Illusion line-up, the Electra’s were doing front stage duty in my previous ride. And I’d been chasing Illusions ever since. It never mattered where they were built or how they originated. All that mattered was that they were close to what sounded like music to my ears. But somehow they continued to elude me. Then one day, there was this Advert in the Classifieds that said the magic words 'Illusions for sale, mint, sparingly used, going cheap'. The best thing was, they were located in Bombay itself. So back I went home, emptied all my savings and then borrowed some more and when I knew I had the finances in place, I made an important call. A jolly voice replied and when the conversation ended, it had me screaming and hopping with happiness. People at home thought I’d lost it. My neighbours gave me weird stares. I couldn’t sleep that night. Yes, I was chasing Illusions again. A day or two after that, I met up with Ramie, the man behind that jolly voice. It was night time and I was eager to lay my eyes and hands on those beauties that he had with him. Then another unexpected thing happened. He asked me to take them home with me. Just like that. I mean, I’d met him for the first time. It had been 5 minutes and here he was asking me to take along a rare and expensive piece of equipment without any hesitation, Wow! In stunned silence, I returned, carrying the box up the stairs like it was a two month old puppy. Firing up the cam, I couldn’t believe what was happening. The Illusions that I’d chased all along, those that I’d dreamed of, they were finally right before my eyes. Every bit of them felt the way I’d imagined. The drivers, the weave of the cone, those baskets, and my hands were trembling from the excitement. The tweeters too had a certain heft to them; had heard so much about them, these innocuous looking things. The crossovers were among the simplest looking ones that I’d seen. But they were of a proper size and had weight. Things were looking good and I remember sleeping that night, thanking God for blessing me with this miracle. A phone call with Ramie was all it took to decide upon the day of the install. Brilliant fella that he is, I didn’t have to wait too long. For some strange reason on the scheduled day, I kept driving by his shop and yet missed it. This happened about four to five times. On each occasion, I remember him and his younger brother guiding me patiently, giving directions and landmarks. About the sixth or the seventh try, I finally got it right. The Soundfactor team were all geared up for me. For the second time in under a year, the Figo had her front doors opened up. Never before in my life had I done this. From entry level speakers, I’d taken a double jump watching the Illusions turn into reality. As the guys prepped the Figo for the swap, it was decided to take care of the few rough edges that had been missed out from the previous time. New spacers were fabricated, the routing of the crossovers was changed and the amp was reset. The Focal PolyGlass 165VB’s were dismounted. I’d not seen the drivers closely before and therefore took time to make amends. I liked how they felt in my hand, the Focal mid-basses. In went the Illusions! Wow! I was still pinching myself. This really was happening. The Illusion Tweeters proved to be a mite larger than those of the Focals but the Soundfactor team had them fitting snugly in the sail panels in no time. Back went the door panels, everything was properly fastened, with the team checking and double checking to ensure that there was no oversight. Listening Preferences & Tuning: I love to experience for myself first hand, how equipment sounds straight out of the box. For, in my miniscule ICE experience, I’ve had speakers change their sound according to what Amp & HU they are connected to. For e.g. The Electra’s used to sound like ordinary coaxial with a Pioneer. Kickers too sounded the same and so did Helix’. Thought it was just the HU and swapped it out for a Clarion and boy, did the Electra’s begin to sing or what!!! The Kickers & Helix however didn’t respond as favourably. The Helix were finally paired off with a Sony and they then came into their own. The Kickers on the other hand preferred to be paired with a Kenwood. With the Amps too, it was a similar story. Each component set was powered off a JBL GTO 75.4, a Pioneer GM4000F & a Clarion APA 4xx. The Clarion was the sweetest sounding amp; the Pioneer was a fence sitter, with a slight leaning towards the treble camp. The 75.4 needs no introduction, having been a firm favourite with many around here. It was and still is a brute, throwing out a good amount of power. It has always been quite grainy though. This became evident when I did an A/B comparison with the Clarion APA. The Electra’s were happier with the power that they were fed from the 75.4 but they sounded way smoother with the Clarion APA. Having had the opportunity to know the capabilities of both, the Audison VRx 6.420 & the JVC 836, I knew that all sound changes could be attributed to the Illusions. And with this in mind, the tuning session began. The EQ’s on the Amp & HU were set to flat. The Illusions tweeters were at -3Db. As I began playing my custom compilation of test tracks, a huge grin started to form on my face. The sound was something else. Straight out of the box with just a 3Db cut for the tweeters, I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was happy. As I thanked the SoundFactor team and made my way back home, I remember taking the longer route just so that I could bask in that warm, full sound a little bit more. As the Illusions opened up over the next few weeks, the sound was only to improve. Songs that I’d heard endless times before were being played back with new gusto, unveiling nuances that left me spellbound. I did go back to tweaking things a little at the Amp end of things and Ramie once again did a fantastic job of understanding and adjusting the sound to suit my preferences. The Story Behind the Illusions: How one man’s benevolence became another man’s dream come true The Carbons are worth everything that I had ever imagined them to be. The mid-bass is fast and full, vocals take on a warm, natural feel and the tweeters are smooth all the way up into the higher end of the spectrum. How they came to be mine makes for a wonderful tale. Apparently, there was this fine gentleman who’d booked an Audi – an A4 (if I remember correctly). The delivery was still some time away and he needed a car urgently. So he went ahead and picked up an SX4. Unhappy with the stock ICE in the SX4, he came to Ramie & got the Illusions installed. They hadn’t even reached the half-way mark of their break-in period when the fine gentleman got word from Audi that his car is ready for delivery. The SX4 was surplus and he decided to sell it off. But the Audi was a fully kitted version that came with a top-of-the-line OEM ICE of its own. So, he came back to Ramie and returned the Carbons to him. And the rest is, well, you know the story... A few pictures of the Carbons being unpacked, the illusion family & the mid-bass driver at its new home: Attached Thumbnails
	(2) Thanks

6th September 2012, 15:51	#17
97_Octane BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 180 Thanked: 85 Times	Re: ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries Very nice setup there buddy! I'm sure you're enjoying every bit of it. Just out of curiosity, how's the sound signature of the Carbons? Are they laid-back or bright? (Hope you can understand what I'm trying to ask here)
	() Thanks

20th September 2012, 13:36	#19
97_Octane BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 180 Thanked: 85 Times	Re: ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries Great to know that you are happy with them! I will get my hands on them one day (hopefully)
	() Thanks

26th September 2012, 20:24	#20
shuvc Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 2,913 Thanked: 352 Times View My Garage	Re: ICEventures of St. Anger: The Figo TDCi Diaries Nice ! Carbons ! Do you have any snaps showing a) how the 6.5" speakers are mounted in the stock locations? b) the tweeter installs
	() Thanks

21st April 2016, 16:58	#21
driftagain BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 70 Thanked: 167 Times	Ice Upgrade : Previous Generation Figo I am planning on upgrading ICE on my 5 year old FIGO. Though I might sell it off in 1 year, I would keep the ICE components so want to plan accordingly. First and foremost please advise on some good installers in Ludhiana/Jalandhar or Amritsar. I stay in Amritsar but can manage the other 2 places. I have some stuff from my previous installation in my swift and I would need some stuff new. I want a set up inclined towards SQ but with tight bass. I would need a Head Unit for sure and rest of things will depend on the condition of the old ones. I have so far decided on Pioneer AVH-X1890 DVD https://pioneer-india.in/product/avh-x1890dvd/ I wanted a touch screen which could play from android/ipod. Not very keen on BlueTooth as I will keep a separate device for music connected by wire and not use my phone It mentions 13 band equaliser. Auto Time Allignment and Flac support. Please advise if there is some other unit in this price range which I should consider and also at what price should I be able to get this one. I have the following from my previous install (These had been removed and have not been used for about 3 years): Front Components: 6.5" Hifonics Atlas (I was in love with these but they need to be checked. They were not bright ) Please suggest something if these don't work. Budget for Components 10k EFX 4 Channel Amp HD 4300 : 65x4 RMS at 4 Ohms. There is rust on the connectors. Is this is a sign on any problem or can it simply be cleaned and used. HiFonics 12" Sub in MDF Box (perfect condition) I plan to use it EFX Scosche wiring (perfect condition) I plan to reuse it below is my thread from previous install which was done at EVO in bangalore. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...all-swift.html Would need damping as well as there is plenty of outside noise that comes in the car. How much should I budget for it and which one? Gurus please advise.
	() Thanks