Klausmobile, 1999 Install
One easy system: five speakers, all directly powered by independent amp channels (active XO at line level). All quality components although not the top-of-the line.
POWER: Optima Yellow (750A). Double fuse holder directly on battery, then AWG2 wires for +12V and ground run less than 3 meters to secondary dist blocks. PG cap (1/2 F) located at amplifier terminals. Note the heavy noise damping - even under hood.
SOURCE: СDP Alpine 7842 (stock location) + 6-disc changer, Alpine CHA614 (rear left, upright mounted)
SIGNAL PATH: AudioControl EQL (13 band EQ recessed flush into the front sub wall - right behind the passenger seat. Yes, the driver can reach for the seat release, fold the seat and adjust it all from his seat. Even change internal amp/processor fuses). EQ output drives the crossover, AudioControl 24XS (placed close to amplifier), set at 3000 Hz 4-thy order. Interconnects - PG Zeropoint and KlausMobile KitchenMade.
As you can guess, once there was a rear seat bench, apparently made for less than Seven Dwarfs, let it rest in peace - the sub box looks and sounds much better. And I have twice the original trunk space.
Crossover (24 XS) is buried under the rear cover - here's the shot in process.
AMPLIFIER - 6-channel PPI PC 6600. Great amp for the price, not to mention shiny chrome, built like a tank and souds good (did I mention poor functionality, no subwoofer inputs?). Also mounted on sub box. In the top right corner is the internal fused dist block. Although PPI doesn't rate their subs for less than 4 Ohm bridged, it drives at least one 3 Ohm sub (bridged) all the way to voltage-limited clipping. No wonder - the sub's 'rated impedance' of 3 Ohm is 2.4 Ohm for DC but jumps in the usable bandwidth - 20 Ohm at resonance (38 Hz), 5 Ohm at crossover point (90 Hz).
if the lower edge of the box looks twisted, it is! the lower 7-10 cm of rear cover is not wood, it's a carpet flap covering some empty, 7 cm deep space that I use to stow all small things and tools. 3-4 spray cans fit ideally.
FRONT SPEAKERS - Focal 136NX (5N3201 in kickpanels + TN46 on pillars), wired directly to four amp channels. Yes I know placing tweeters in kickpanels gives far better, comfortable sound but soundstage was poor, so I raised them above instrument panel cover for better stage and imaging. It's very good from the right seat, not as good from the driver's seat. Dark green car colour continues on seat covers - speaker grills - and HU trim.
This closeup doesn't tell a lot about the kickpanel shape. It's a sealed fiberglass + plywood mold, damped inside (lead shot) and outside (Dynamat and carpet), about 3 liters each. That's the beauty of Focal 136 NX - one of the few car audio midbases actually made for small boxes (like home audio drivers).
SUB: The sub box replaced the nearly useless rear bench. Inside, it's 60 liters sealed (more than the recommended 30-50 liters). Focal 33S driver is mounted recessed into a 70 mm front baffle. The box is damped to the bone! The sub fires into the windshield, and the few (really few) out-of-band artifacts it makes help localize bass somewhere above the front bumper. As a true thoroughbred SUB-woofer, it really plays under 50 Hz, ignoring anything above 60, and needs beefier midbases that mine - that's the fitst thing to upgrade.
One sunny winter day... No flash required.
