<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Kuruma Hayai:
Shinjohn:
Based on that long post and based on the current set up of an EX, where would you put the tweeters without using Q-forms? And are pioneer components worth buying?
Thanks.</font>
Wow, I feel so negligent having not checked this board yesterday evening....
I have Boston Acoustics RM6 coaxials in my (wife's) '01 EX Ody. I am not planning on installing components. My wife put her foot down on this one, stating she wanted to maintain factory appearance in this vehicle, even though she knows I can do an install that is not factory, but looks like "factory"..... Anyhow....
IF I were to approach the ody on the standpoint of using high quality component speakers, and custom kick panels were out of the question (many high end car audio places will fabricate them for you, but for big $$$) I'd probably do a tweeter kick panel install, or custom coax-like mount.
I'd experiment with the kick first, after having mounted the mid-bass in the door. I looked at the Ody kicks and you can fit a tweeter either flush or surface mount there (I prefer flush, but requires cutting big hole!). The main issue I see with using the kick for the tweeters is that the factory location for the mid-basses are unusually high in the door, compared to most cars, so that increases the distance from the tweeter if kick mounted. This may be OK, but needs experimentation.
The way to do it is use tape or whatever to experiment with the tweeter location AND adjust the mounting angle of the tweeter. Tweeter angle is almost as important as location for response, depending on the component selected.
In as far as figuring out the optimal tweeter angle, ask yourself whether you want the system's imaging to be "tuned" for a particular seat location, such as the driver's seat, or, you want to compromise for both front seat locations.
For optimal results in the driver's seat, start by pointing the tweeters both directly at the driver's ears. If you want to compromise for both seats, start with the tweeters pointed at the center of the vehicle, or "cross fire" them by pointing the right tweeter at the driver and the left tweeter at the passenger. Yep, sounds weird, but works very well for many speakers, you'd be surprised. Anyhow, use your ears, sit in both seats, and listen to different types of music. You'll quickly figure out what sounds best to you. Also play with the individual tweeter level adjustments on the passive crossovers that come with the components. I've seen people use different tweeter attenuation levels on either side, in conjunction with weird mounting angles... Whatever you like is what's best. Note that many tweeters for car audio are artificially tuned for very bright response, because they actually anticipate and intend the tweeters to be mounted off-axis relative to the listener's ears. This is something to keep in mind, and don't be afraid to experiment.
My next try would be placing the tweeter on top of the mid-bass with a custom mount (look at Boston Pro-Series; they offer a coaxial mount as one of the mounting options), again playing with tweeter angle as stated above. Or, move the tweeter down the door a little, near the kick, and then up the door, going as high as the sail panel, to see how response and imaging is affected. Use a long speaker lead at first for the tweets, and find the best location and angle before you do any cutting. Once you've got it down, then you can mount them.
In as far as Pioneer components are concerned; I haven't heard their latest generation, so can't comment. Years ago, I really didn't think much at all of ANY Pioneer speaker, but the 1695 is not bad. Not truly "audiophile" but for $80 geez, it's hard to beat IMHO.
I made some recs to texneus in another thread on some more expensive components based on his preferences, and knowledge of his expectations and his current home setup. Tell me more about what types of music you listen to, what your expectations are in terms of sound quality, and what your budget is, and I'll try to make a recommendation based on my experience. I haven't heard everything, but have heard and experimented with alot out there....
Anyhow, whew. Good luck. Need to get back to the grind....
-SJ
------------------
DEP '01 EX no-navi
p.s.- odyfox, feel free to start a thread on the "Off Topic" area in the Odyclub, I'll check there and we can take alot of the more technical, non-Ody discussions there. Seeya around! Oh, and would you mind posting your real name? I feel kinda weird not knowing.... Mine really is Shin John, and that's what I go by...
[This message has been edited by shinjohn (edited 10-03-2001).]
