Dash Console Sub Project

126195 Views 475 Replies 98 Participants Last post by djPerfectTrip, Sep 8, 2013

BowDown

Discussion Starter · Sep 15, 2010

Well in an effort to get better bass impact up front I'm looking to install an 8" Elemental Designs 9kv.2 in a custom sealed fiberglass enclosure where the dash center console once lived.

Here's a pic with the console removed:

I'm going to be relocating the vents, heads up display, and pushing the headunit down to the bottom of the stereo bezel where the 'CD Pocket' lives.

Should be a fun project. The sub will be fed by my Alphasonik @ 300watts RMS.

Stay tuned for more mock-up/cutting/fabrication.

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ChiTownSQ

· #2 · Sep 15, 2010

That is a good chunk of real estate to use! Good Luck, hope this works out!..

Are you going to hide the woofer or try and get as much space from it as possible and have it bulge out of the cubby there?

BowDown

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 15, 2010

All depends on what I discover during mockup. I'm going into the project with the thought of aiming the baffle below the surface of the dash, and putting a stealth trim/grill piece over top to make it appear stock.

Mic10is

· #4 · Sep 15, 2010

Make an enclosure. attach to firewall. Drill some holes in the firewall and run it infinite baffle so you get better low end response.

BowDown

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 15, 2010

Mic10is said:
Make an enclosure. attach to firewall. Drill some holes in the firewall and run it infinite baffle so you get better low end response.

:lol: While IB does sound fun.. I doubt with that huge metal cross member support I'd be able to touch the firewall.. nor would I want to cut a hole in my firewall connecting the cabin to the engine compartment. lol. Tis a daily driver.

Mic10is

· #6 · Sep 15, 2010

If you can seal off the underside of the dash really well, you could also get away with using a variovent behind the speaker.

BowDown

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 15, 2010

Ya that is an idea. If I have the sub on 2 extreme planes I might be able to keep the waves separate enough to fend of cancellation. Should be a pretty good separation if i was to vent on the back or bottom side. Have a source for such vents?

BowDown

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 15, 2010

Looks like madisound has the scan speak version for $7. Good deal.

https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=404_85&products_id=1323

Just bought one. $12.95 shipped.

Notloudenuf

· #9 · Sep 15, 2010

Ok, I'm interested.
Subscribing to see what happens.

theRESONANCE

· #10 · Sep 15, 2010

This is going to be interesting!

I've never seen those aperiodic vents before..Really interesting.. i might incorporate one of them in my build.

n_olympios

· #11 · Sep 16, 2010

I'm here, and I'll be following this thread.

quality_sound

· #12 · Sep 16, 2010

This build wil be interesting but you don't need an 8 in your dash to get up front bass.

BowDown

Discussion Starter · #13 · Sep 16, 2010

I have up front bass now. That's not what this project it for. Its to create more bass impact up front.

mattyjman

· #14 · Sep 16, 2010

tuning in for this build... i really liked your last one as well.

have you thought about larger midbass drivers up front? I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for, but if it's "impact", a lot of that is from the midbass frequencies

BowDown

Discussion Starter · #15 · Sep 16, 2010

Possibly but I do like the idea of killing 2 birds with 1 stone. If I can take the sub up to about 120hz... that will take alot of weight off my midbasses.

mattyjman

· #16 · Sep 17, 2010

i'm not sure how much you have played around with different frequencies and such, but if you ever want to identify the area that you feel you are lacking, get an amp, plug in a sub or midbass speaker, play your favorite "midbass"y track, and as it's playing, swing the lp filter up. if you pass 120 and it's still not "punching" you like you think it should, then you are focusing on the wrong frequencies.

i know you are not focusing on the elusive "midbass" frequencies, but when you say you want "better bass impact up front" i think the same thing. however, I don't feel it'll come from a sub. but that's just my opinion.

i have watched your build log previously, and can't help but think that the weak link is not the sub, but rather your choice of midbass drivers. i have never heard them, so this is just conjecture, but two drivers with that little cone area can't possibly give the midbass "punch" that you would expect in those frequencies.

i'm not trying to crap all over your thread and idea at all, i think this will be cool if you go through with it. however, before I would go through the relocation of vents, fiberglass, moving radio and ac controls, etc, i would attempt to get more cone area in your midbass region...

just my .02 cents

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BowDown

Discussion Starter · #17 · Sep 17, 2010

Possibly correct. The midbasses I selected while having a smaller cone area (I already owned them) have a long xmax. They can move a bit of air. Being crossed over from 80hz to 450hz gives them a decent sweet spot. I have played with the eq a bit and some tracks have more punch than others... But anything over 80hz @ 18db I can start to localize the sub. About the 120hz crossover point is when I can start to feel in my back the area I'm missing. So maybe it is in the bottom of the midbass range.. But an upfront sub can't hurt.. Will I swap out the midbass for the 6.5" version in the future? Possibly. Lol.

mattyjman

· #18 · Sep 17, 2010

BowDown said:
But an upfront sub can't hurt..

true that.... i look forward to seeing the progress

Mic10is

· #19 · Sep 17, 2010

mattyjman said:
i'm not sure how much you have played around with different frequencies and such, but if you ever want to identify the area that you feel you are lacking, get an amp, plug in a sub or midbass speaker, play your favorite "midbass"y track, and as it's playing, swing the lp filter up. if you pass 120 and it's still not "punching" you like you think it should, then you are focusing on the wrong frequencies.

i know you are not focusing on the elusive "midbass" frequencies, but when you say you want "better bass impact up front" i think the same thing. however, I don't feel it'll come from a sub. but that's just my opinion.

i have watched your build log previously, and can't help but think that the weak link is not the sub, but rather your choice of midbass drivers. i have never heard them, so this is just conjecture, but two drivers with that little cone area can't possibly give the midbass "punch" that you would expect in those frequencies.

i'm not trying to crap all over your thread and idea at all, i think this will be cool if you go through with it. however, before I would go through the relocation of vents, fiberglass, moving radio and ac controls, etc, i would attempt to get more cone area in your midbass region...

just my .02 cents

I agree
No replacement for displacement.
I would never run a sub regardless of location past 90hz-thats getting well into bass/midbass regions where there starts be to some stereo separation.

chithead

· #20 · Sep 17, 2010

Subscribed.

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