Time to think about sound

[tony_ack 0]

My head unit is a Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB 54. I like the design and functions, but the sound in the Corrado with the original VW speakers isn't great (it sounded fine in my old MK2 with better speakers).

 

I'm considering upgrading the speakers and possibly getting an amp. I don't want a sub really as the car is a daily and I need all my boot space and spare wheel.

 

I'm not looking for monster sound, just something that sounds half decent and doesn't distort too much at higher volumes. I'm also more than willing to invest in sound deadening to improve quality.

 

Is the headunit I have a good base to start with? I'm sure it's capable of more with better speakers and would like to keep it if possible, but on the other hand I don't want to spend money on upgrading the rest of the system, just to realise it is being let down by the source.

[Andy-H 0]

I have this head unit Mate ;)

 

 

The main reason I wanted it was the display colour to go with the factory lighting. When I replaced my dash, therewas only one tweeter in there and it wasn't connected and so, with the speaker grills being quite restrictive in the dash I decided to install some component speakers in the door cards.

 

 

As for the sub/amp, as I don't have rear seats, this gave me room to add a shallow fit sub & some 6x9's . I lined the original seat base with dynomat and ported the shelf I had made .

 

 

Aquired a cargo net from a Peugeot 206 and I still have a boot (of sorts :D )

[mimjed 0]

i have a hifonics nemesis 400w amp that i cant use anymore. also a pioneer deh-p7100bt head unit should you decide to upgrade ;)

[Pete 0]

Hi Tony, I used to have a Woodstock54 in my old Lotus Elise. Sounded ok but any stereo in an Elise is really just fill.

 

I bought a set of Alpine components in a previous Civic and was really impressed when I combined them with a few sheets of Dynamat. Made the music should a lot better, and also reduced road noise. Plus gave the doors a more satisfying thud when closing.

 

Was the first time I've ever dabbled in the sound proofing, but if I were to ever do another install I'd use it again, and before things like cable upgrades.

[tony_ack 0]

Thanks for the answers so far

 

Andy - it looks like a neat install, however I also need to keep my back seat as well due to our baby daughter! I also am a little reluctant to cut holes in the door cards - they're beige leather and hard to replace. It may seem a little picky now, but having spent almost a year trying to find replacement original door cards for a 25 year old Golf, to replace the ones with speaker holes cut in them, I don't want to go through the same again!

 

mimjed - the amp may be an option, though to be honest I've no idea about the price of them. I've heard Hifonics are a good make, though I don't want to break the bank! Would it fit behind the passenger rear door card?

 

Pete - I had the radio on yesterday on the way home (normal FM as I don't have a DAB aeriel) and the sound was surprisingly good, even when I cranked it up a little. I've since learnt that the Woodstock has seperate sound configs for the different sources, so I'm thinking that the SD card source (MP3) may not be configured properly, but the one on the radio is better. It also has fairly good reviews, even if it is a little long in the tooth now, so I'm inclined to keep it in.

 

I've also been looking at Dynamat too - it seems a good option in reducing both vibration and road noise and I think must be the first thing I look at doing before spending anything anywhere else. It's expensive stuff, so I don't want to go mad with it, so what are the best places to soundproof? The doors obviously, anywhere else? How much will I need?

 

I've remembered that I've got some Pyle speakers (yellow) too left over from the Golf - dash tweeters and 13cm components. Reviews aren't great on these frankly, but would they offer an improvement on the stock speakers? May be a reasonable short-term upgrade while I consider better options?

[Pete 0]

I got the audio shop to throw in two sheets of the dynamat for half price with the speakers.

 

Not sure about the Pyle kit? I thin for not much money you could get a set of components, like the Alpines I used for about £50 or something a little better like Infinity Reference/Kappa for 80-100 or so. You couid put the tweeters in the dash and the mids in the door positions.Will look nice and stock.

 

Alternatively (and the way I would go) would be to mount the tweeters in the A pillar trim panels. It's a nice and flat panel, and you could use an angled tweeter mounting for a good soundstage. You can either surface mount them or sink them in if there is space. Beauty of this is that you can use the existing cable from the head unit to the door as your carrier to the crossover which is mounted inside the door, and then run new cable up inside the door to the mid and tweeter. No need to run cables from the door to the dash etc or try even touch the head unit install at all!!!

 

Bit like this.....

 

Edited May 19, 2011 by Pete

[Andy-H 0]

Aaaaaah, didn't realise you had beige leather. I think Pete's Idea is a good one for the tweeters, I thought of this myself but only after buying the components and they were the wrong type to mount that way :(.

[Pete 0]

Andy, must confess its not my car lol. I'm rocking the old-skool cloth at the moment, though the idea of caramel leather in my flash red car does make my fizz a little! I pinched this from t'internet.

 

I went for these Alpines in my old Civic R, and was really happy with the sound. They were much better then the standard Honda coaxial's, and mounted the tweeters so they crossed the sound waves at head height above the gearstick. They were enough money to spend considering I didn't want to renew the cabling or even the Honda head unit and couldn't be bothered re wiring through the grommet into the back of the dash etc. Was a simple snip into the cross over and I stuck the xover to the inside of the door skin with some number plate pads and tape.

 

The only evasive bit was the drilled holes in the A pillar but at £50 it's not like your going to be removing them when you sell the car!

 

The other reason I like them is because the tweeters have no logos on them, so to the eye they look completely OEM ;) Useful living in Swansea and using the car as a daily driver!

 

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/5324.html

[mimjed 0]

Im not looking for the earth for it ;)

 

Its a nemesis nx400 if you want to have a read about it.

 

Not sure how big the space is behind there so wouldnt like to guess at it fitting or not.

[krishen 2]

i have a hifonics nemesis 400w amp that i cant use anymore. also a pioneer deh-p7100bt head unit should you decide to upgrade ;)

 

Hi. How much are you after for the pioneer 7100bt HU?

 

Cheers

[mimjed 0]

100 for cash. Boxed with instructions.

[tony_ack 0]

I was planning to put the Pyles in today to see how they behaved, but I got hung up on swapping the tailgate. I've found the manual for the headunit, so I'm going to have a read through that too.

 

Plan is...

 

Try the Pyles first and try to adjust the sound output on the HU

If it's still pants, then try some new speakers (Pioneers seem a good shout)

If the HU can't cope with the new speakers, then try an amp (how much are you looking for mimjed?)

 

---------- Post added at 07:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------

 

Forgot to mention, I found this when the boot was stripped out earlier:

 

 

Any idea what it is? Something useful, or a non-standard connector for something? It was accompanied by a L/R coax

[krishen 2]

The black lead looks like a cd changer cable.

 

The red cable looks like a phono lead. Have a look around for a 2nd rca cable.

 

Looks like there may have been a cd changer and amp in there at some point.

[Pete 0]

Agree with Krishen, it looks to me like a D-Bus for a CD shuttle.

[mimjed 0]

not sure really, i guess £60 for it. cost over £200 when new.

 

give me a shout if you want it. will need to unbolt it from the sub.

 

jim.

[Pete 0]

Got inspired by the thread and decided this week to update the sounds in mine...

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?51423-Pete-s-second-Corrado...&p=723585&viewfull=1#post723585

[tony_ack 0]

I wish I had the money to match my inspiration!

 

I did some restoration on the door cards last week. While they were out, I fitted some Dynamat-style stuff to the insides of the doors, and fitted the Pyle speakers. The Pyles are good for 300W apparently...

 

It's better, but still not great. I also did some fettling with the head unit and got some better sound out of it.

 

I think an amp may be in order... but the question is where do I put it?