I clearly have experience and a level of requirement etc. much higher than you...but I admit to knowing nothing about car sound systems...and even less about pickups...I've never had one
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My experience with Wiim Ultra
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castalla
Major Contributor
I have had higher level of home gear and I have not had a car system in over 10 years, just not into it as much, do not drive much as no need to. We parked long term in a beautiful area by a river, amazing views, safe, good air, wild life, great climate and decided to stay here permanently. We sold our newer 5th wheel and dually and bought an older but best chassis ever 5th wheel and have been rebuilding it since into a very nice place to live. I added 1.5 ft to the end so I could have a space for a good audio system. I will continue on back into a long time hobby with building things to try out in it and or just to make changes for the fun of it. I might end up with a higher end streamer and DAC but not crazy money stuff, not even interested in it. This is a tough place to get a good setup in so at some point it would be a waste of money to spend more on it.
I went through a phase where I mostly listened to the system and not the music, it was the best recordings I could find but it was to hear the system. Now I am far more into the music and much less into the system so I know, from again lots of experience, one can have a very satisfying system without that much cost, especially if DIY all you can.
Rick
I went through a phase where I mostly listened to the system and not the music, it was the best recordings I could find but it was to hear the system. Now I am far more into the music and much less into the system so I know, from again lots of experience, one can have a very satisfying system without that much cost, especially if DIY all you can.
Rick
I come to this site and far more to DIYaudio to learn as there are very talented and dedicated as well as highly experienced people on such sites. If I can share a bit of what I have learned then get questioned about my knowledge, especially if condescending, it gets my hackels up a bit I will admit. If I also see things posted I have learned, in my experience and from dealing with others often far more than I am I will stand up and say what I know to be the truth, again no matter what some may say. If some like to act like little pissed of punks, well it shows just a bit about them. If some are locked into the measurements only side of things, which I am fine with until they try to force it upon others, then I might stand up to that as well. If some think post count gives them the right to put others down in any way then I will stand up to them as well and not just on a forum, in person, I am not afraid nor programed like far to many people are.
So, I stated my real world, long time, vast resources, experience, which I still learn everyday I pay attention, to show I have a bit more of a clue than many. I never say I know it all as that is impossible for any of us and new things are understood all the time, especially now as things advance so fast. These are exciting times we are in, a bit scary in some aspects but also things are looking up, humanity has been on the brink for a very long time of going one way or the other, I believe we will sort it out and thrive. (I might not be here for much if any of it but still glad to at least see it coming)
I have a very active life outside of audio and forums, it is but one of the great things I am able to partake in and enjoy.
If anymore condescending posts are put up here, I find in hard to bake down from any bulling tactics, I never have, online, in person so say what you will, it might be fun, it might end in notice to decease from the admin, etc...but you can take your BS and shove it
Rick
So, I stated my real world, long time, vast resources, experience, which I still learn everyday I pay attention, to show I have a bit more of a clue than many. I never say I know it all as that is impossible for any of us and new things are understood all the time, especially now as things advance so fast. These are exciting times we are in, a bit scary in some aspects but also things are looking up, humanity has been on the brink for a very long time of going one way or the other, I believe we will sort it out and thrive. (I might not be here for much if any of it but still glad to at least see it coming)
I have a very active life outside of audio and forums, it is but one of the great things I am able to partake in and enjoy.
If anymore condescending posts are put up here, I find in hard to bake down from any bulling tactics, I never have, online, in person so say what you will, it might be fun, it might end in notice to decease from the admin, etc...but you can take your BS and shove it
Rick
Sorry. Missed your comment, I already had the 12v LPS from Ali Express powering my DAC before adding the DDC. The improvement was there but when I connected the DDC via optical cable that really was a big big difference.
Again, this may very well be the difference between switching from USB to optical though…)
castalla
Major Contributor
Sense of proportion needed, maybe?I come to this site and far more to DIYaudio to learn as there are very talented and dedicated as well as highly experienced people on such sites. If I can share a bit of what I have learned then get questioned about my knowledge, especially if condescending, it gets my hackels up a bit I will admit. If I also see things posted I have learned, in my experience and from dealing with others often far more than I am I will stand up and say what I know to be the truth, again no matter what some may say. If some like to act like little pissed of punks, well it shows just a bit about them. If some are locked into the measurements only side of things, which I am fine with until they try to force it upon others, then I might stand up to that as well. If some think post count gives them the right to put others down in any way then I will stand up to them as well and not just on a forum, in person, I am not afraid nor programed like far to many people are.
So, I stated my real world, long time, vast resources, experience, which I still learn everyday I pay attention, to show I have a bit more of a clue than many. I never say I know it all as that is impossible for any of us and new things are understood all the time, especially now as things advance so fast. These are exciting times we are in, a bit scary in some aspects but also things are looking up, humanity has been on the brink for a very long time of going one way or the other, I believe we will sort it out and thrive. (I might not be here for much if any of it but still glad to at least see it coming)
I have a very active life outside of audio and forums, it is but one of the great things I am able to partake in and enjoy.
If anymore condescending posts are put up here, I find in hard to bake down from any bulling tactics, I never have, online, in person so say what you will, it might be fun, it might end in notice to decease from the admin, etc...but you can take your BS and shove it
Rick
At the end of the day, it's just a bunch of mass produced electronics used to produce sound. Some are good, others are mediocre or worse. Final judgements on what is good or bad are so subjective that there will never be a resolution.
A case in point - some days, the built-in audio system in my car sounds better than the house system. The only variable that has likely changed is my own psycho-auditory system. Almost all audiophile enthusiasts seem ignorant of the variability inherent in living organisms, the listener
I come to this site and far more to DIYaudio to learn as there are very talented and dedicated as well as highly experienced people on such sites. If I can share a bit of what I have learned then get questioned about my knowledge, especially if condescending, it gets my hackels up a bit I will admit. If I also see things posted I have learned, in my experience and from dealing with others often far more than I am I will stand up and say what I know to be the truth, again no matter what some may say. If some like to act like little pissed of punks, well it shows just a bit about them. If some are locked into the measurements only side of things, which I am fine with until they try to force it upon others, then I might stand up to that as well. If some think post count gives them the right to put others down in any way then I will stand up to them as well and not just on a forum, in person, I am not afraid nor programed like far to many people are.
So, I stated my real world, long time, vast resources, experience, which I still learn everyday I pay attention, to show I have a bit more of a clue than many. I never say I know it all as that is impossible for any of us and new things are understood all the time, especially now as things advance so fast. These are exciting times we are in, a bit scary in some aspects but also things are looking up, humanity has been on the brink for a very long time of going one way or the other, I believe we will sort it out and thrive. (I might not be here for much if any of it but still glad to at least see it coming)
I have a very active life outside of audio and forums, it is but one of the great things I am able to partake in and enjoy.
If anymore condescending posts are put up here, I find in hard to bake down from any bulling tactics, I never have, online, in person so say what you will, it might be fun, it might end in notice to decease from the admin, etc...but you can take your BS and shove it
Rick
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. I also feel that this space sometimes can get a bit toxic, but come on, this is just a fun hobby and lets enjoy it..)
For example, in my case for a beginner audiophile it’s great that there are so many people here who are willing to share their knowledge.
So what are your thoughts about my setup, I feel that my speakers are the bottleneck at the moment:
Wiim Ultra -> USB -> SMSL PO100 Pro -> Optical -> Geshelli J3 (Sparkos 2590 op amps and a dedicated LPS) -> RCA -> Musical Fidelity M3Si -> Buchardt P300
Sub: JL Audio D108
Zap Rekowski
Senior Member
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That's exactly what happened to me last weekend!Ignore the news at your peril otherwise you won't see it coming until it smacks into you
- Joined
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Let’s try to keep this discussion civil, and on topic please.If anymore condescending posts are put up here, I find in hard to bake down from any bulling tactics, I never have, online, in person so say what you will, it might be fun, it might end in notice to decease from the admin, etc...but you can take your BS and shove it
Zap Rekowski
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2024
- Messages
- 376
I long to be back in the rehearsal room or on stage with my old band. That was sound!
A fat Tama behind me, fat Marshalls to the right and left...
A fat Tama behind me, fat Marshalls to the right and left...
Just got back, out of town for a few hours today.
I have not experimented with the Ultra yet, just been too busy, when I get more time and get more gear out of storage I will try the different outputs and see what I think is best but so far from several posts it seems the optical and using DDC might be best, I hope not to need the DDC but if it does improve things that is a very low cost upgrade
These days and in some vehicles in the past stock car systems can be quite good and also difficult to upgrade at a worthwhile cost. My beloved 2003 V8 AWD 4runner with 315k miles has the stock JBL system in it and sounds pretty dang good, just needs a bit more bass and I would not change anything else except I keep putting off a new HU as mine does not have NAV.
I have also thrown away many brand new Bose car audio systems as all I have dealt with were just crap, maybe some of the newer ones are better but not holding my breath. I developed a complete audio and sound deadening package for the C5 and C6 Vette and sold a bunch of them, only added 40 lbs and made the car not only made the audio hugely better, lower noise and lower cabin heat.
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I do agree, psycho-auditory system, we are all inherently different and constantly changing due to epigenetics, a facinating field of study.
I find it very easy to accept we might just hear things differently and or things others might or might not hear and the current measurement methods and gear just might not cover everything possible, more to come I am sure.
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I am not familiar with your whole system so only can comment on what I am familiar with or would estimate things to be true.
A couple of things to consider.
In the analog realm we want the highest, none distortion, signal starting from the source and feeding through each gear as we can dial in, it is called setting up the gain stage.
In digital whatever is the highest clean bit rate one can pass from one section to the next and then when in analog set the gains stage.
Cables matter but one can build very low cost great cables that are plenty good enough so make sure those are taken care of. Digital cables, Ethernet, etc, just decent cables are enough for most systems, if a very fine one perhaps, a bit higher end cables might be needed.
Great power supplies car do wonders and not cost a fortune.
Clean power from the wall is nice to have, my setup has two dedicated 20 amp, dual shielded power runs from the panel to the system outlets where I used hospital grade outlets for tight fitment. I do not believe in spending more money on "audiophile outlets" though there might be some merit in some that are not insanely overpriced.
Since there are a bunch of smart meters very close to my system I brought in the shielded power and am shielding the area really well but soon will move our RV to a spot without any meters near by.
Ethernet to the Ultra is the only way I would run it, I not use wifi nor use BT when I can avoid it. I might be a bit paranoid in this area but I spend many years withing feet of power source and weapons I cannot say more about.
I will look over the whole system but for now your front end up to the DAC is a very nice setup, I am considering the same exact DAC and do some chip rolling for fun and hopefully land on one I really like
Not sure about your sub, back in my car audio comp days I had JB subs for a very short time, sounded fun but in the end did not like their "signature sound" as it was not accurate be any means. Might not be true with the one you have.
Going to take a look into the amp, speakers, etc now.
Have a great evening!
Rick
I have not experimented with the Ultra yet, just been too busy, when I get more time and get more gear out of storage I will try the different outputs and see what I think is best but so far from several posts it seems the optical and using DDC might be best, I hope not to need the DDC but if it does improve things that is a very low cost upgrade
These days and in some vehicles in the past stock car systems can be quite good and also difficult to upgrade at a worthwhile cost. My beloved 2003 V8 AWD 4runner with 315k miles has the stock JBL system in it and sounds pretty dang good, just needs a bit more bass and I would not change anything else except I keep putting off a new HU as mine does not have NAV.
I have also thrown away many brand new Bose car audio systems as all I have dealt with were just crap, maybe some of the newer ones are better but not holding my breath. I developed a complete audio and sound deadening package for the C5 and C6 Vette and sold a bunch of them, only added 40 lbs and made the car not only made the audio hugely better, lower noise and lower cabin heat.
--------------
I do agree, psycho-auditory system, we are all inherently different and constantly changing due to epigenetics, a facinating field of study.
I find it very easy to accept we might just hear things differently and or things others might or might not hear and the current measurement methods and gear just might not cover everything possible, more to come I am sure.
---------------
m_sherzod
I am not familiar with your whole system so only can comment on what I am familiar with or would estimate things to be true.
A couple of things to consider.
In the analog realm we want the highest, none distortion, signal starting from the source and feeding through each gear as we can dial in, it is called setting up the gain stage.
In digital whatever is the highest clean bit rate one can pass from one section to the next and then when in analog set the gains stage.
Cables matter but one can build very low cost great cables that are plenty good enough so make sure those are taken care of. Digital cables, Ethernet, etc, just decent cables are enough for most systems, if a very fine one perhaps, a bit higher end cables might be needed.
Great power supplies car do wonders and not cost a fortune.
Clean power from the wall is nice to have, my setup has two dedicated 20 amp, dual shielded power runs from the panel to the system outlets where I used hospital grade outlets for tight fitment. I do not believe in spending more money on "audiophile outlets" though there might be some merit in some that are not insanely overpriced.
Since there are a bunch of smart meters very close to my system I brought in the shielded power and am shielding the area really well but soon will move our RV to a spot without any meters near by.
Ethernet to the Ultra is the only way I would run it, I not use wifi nor use BT when I can avoid it. I might be a bit paranoid in this area but I spend many years withing feet of power source and weapons I cannot say more about.
I will look over the whole system but for now your front end up to the DAC is a very nice setup, I am considering the same exact DAC and do some chip rolling for fun and hopefully land on one I really like
Not sure about your sub, back in my car audio comp days I had JB subs for a very short time, sounded fun but in the end did not like their "signature sound" as it was not accurate be any means. Might not be true with the one you have.
Going to take a look into the amp, speakers, etc now.
Have a great evening!
Rick
It did not take long at all to find very good reviews on the integrated amp, seems to be very well respected for it's price and performance. As long as good match for your speakers it should be a great aspect of your overall system.
It seems you have put together a very nice system for a very decent price, speakers get great reviews and should match pretty well with your amp.
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I prefer DIY speakers but for what you picked out not a bad price for very decent performance. If you are satisfied with the overall sound, bass level, which they seem to be able to play most music fine without subs. then you should be good to go.
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Now I would take a really good look into cables, low cost custom made or even better DIY.
AND, room treatments and setup of the system as were the speakers a located and aimed. Room treatments are more important than all the gear so do it the best you can.
Once the cables are up to the grade they should be, if not already and I would never spend much on them, then room is sorted out the best you can do just enjoy the music, making changes after that for lessor and lessor improvements goes up exponentially in cost. If you have the funds and want to do so by all means do it but watch out for the snake oil, a lot of it to slip and slide around in.
Rick
It seems you have put together a very nice system for a very decent price, speakers get great reviews and should match pretty well with your amp.
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I prefer DIY speakers but for what you picked out not a bad price for very decent performance. If you are satisfied with the overall sound, bass level, which they seem to be able to play most music fine without subs. then you should be good to go.
-----------
Now I would take a really good look into cables, low cost custom made or even better DIY.
AND, room treatments and setup of the system as were the speakers a located and aimed. Room treatments are more important than all the gear so do it the best you can.
Once the cables are up to the grade they should be, if not already and I would never spend much on them, then room is sorted out the best you can do just enjoy the music, making changes after that for lessor and lessor improvements goes up exponentially in cost. If you have the funds and want to do so by all means do it but watch out for the snake oil, a lot of it to slip and slide around in.
Rick
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For RCA cables, referred to interconnects and other names, I have used Canare L-4E6S Star Quad for at least 35 years now if not longer, it is a dang fine cable and just needs good connectors soldered on properly. The method I have always used is to silver solder them and the return twisted pair and shield wires at the input end, the one coming out of the gear before going to the next stage, DAC to AMP, etc..... On the output end going to the next piece of gear I cut the shield wires off and carefully tuck them into the cable jacket. The theory here is any noise picked up on the shield is grounded back to the chassis of the gear the signal is coming out of. I have never had a noise issue on any system I have used these on out of many sets of cables. Back when I first started making them the cost about $8 for a 6 ft pair of cables and were tested at in an actual aerospace lab on the best test equipment made and found to be exceptionally good cables, as good as every really needed.
I have never made custom power cables for equipment but going to test them in the future when I have the time.
Speaker cables, I have messed around with some but need to do more and there are great ones to be made with a different Star Quad or Beldon cable that are also cheap and excellent.
Another often overlooked area is all connector contacts, input and output, on the gear and the cables. I usually use Deoxit Pro Gold as that is the one I first used to fix a critical military communications control system while waiting for new parts that had to be custom made at great expense. It was an old system that was well past it's prime and a new system was in development. After I found a way to get us by while waiting the parts order was canceled before it was even started in production. It was a lot of money involved that was saved using a case of contact cleaner.
I have seen it used in other systems since as well and can be done live if have to. I prefer to shut it down whenever possible and that is most certainly easy on an audio system. Pull out the connector, spray it a bit, push in and out a few times, done and powering up right away has never been an issue.
They make other products and some use those, maybe one of those is better and there are some dang expensive "audiphile" ones that are likely no better if not as good but perhaps there could be some expensive ones worth the price but I doubt it.
All the little details add up, instead of chasing the higher and higher cost equipment trail, do all the little things first to maximize what you have and you might find it is all you want or need in the end.
RIck
I have never made custom power cables for equipment but going to test them in the future when I have the time.
Speaker cables, I have messed around with some but need to do more and there are great ones to be made with a different Star Quad or Beldon cable that are also cheap and excellent.
Another often overlooked area is all connector contacts, input and output, on the gear and the cables. I usually use Deoxit Pro Gold as that is the one I first used to fix a critical military communications control system while waiting for new parts that had to be custom made at great expense. It was an old system that was well past it's prime and a new system was in development. After I found a way to get us by while waiting the parts order was canceled before it was even started in production. It was a lot of money involved that was saved using a case of contact cleaner.
I have seen it used in other systems since as well and can be done live if have to. I prefer to shut it down whenever possible and that is most certainly easy on an audio system. Pull out the connector, spray it a bit, push in and out a few times, done and powering up right away has never been an issue.
They make other products and some use those, maybe one of those is better and there are some dang expensive "audiphile" ones that are likely no better if not as good but perhaps there could be some expensive ones worth the price but I doubt it.
All the little details add up, instead of chasing the higher and higher cost equipment trail, do all the little things first to maximize what you have and you might find it is all you want or need in the end.
RIck
Thank you very much sir! The cables I forgot to mention, the power cable on my amp is Wireworld Stratus 7 and on my sub custom made Van Den Hul cable, both came as a bonus when I purchased the units.))
From DAC to amp I use Worlds Best Cables RCA and from amp to speakers I use Micca speakers cables, both cost around 30-40$ on Amazon and have very good reviews.
My dedicated room is 4,4 meters long and 3,6 meters wide. I have a thick carpet material covering the whole room and thick curtains on the sidewalls and back wall, front wall is almost totally covered with a projector screen, and some snake oil I have put cheap foam corner bass traps from Ali Express as you can see..))
Regarding the speakers I really enjoy them, but these are my first true higher class speakers and no other reference point. Where I live there are not much retailers who sell hi-fi gear, I have listened to some Polk and B&W in the local store and did not like much. My entire setup is based on internet research and reviews)) but there is a general consensus on the internet I hear often that speakers should comprise about 50% of your total setup, because they make the most impact and at the moment my speakers comprise about 20-25% of my setup budget.) I am waiting for more information to come out about the new Buchardt E50, maybe in the future I will pull the trigger on them.)
From DAC to amp I use Worlds Best Cables RCA and from amp to speakers I use Micca speakers cables, both cost around 30-40$ on Amazon and have very good reviews.
My dedicated room is 4,4 meters long and 3,6 meters wide. I have a thick carpet material covering the whole room and thick curtains on the sidewalls and back wall, front wall is almost totally covered with a projector screen, and some snake oil I have put cheap foam corner bass traps from Ali Express as you can see..))
Regarding the speakers I really enjoy them, but these are my first true higher class speakers and no other reference point. Where I live there are not much retailers who sell hi-fi gear, I have listened to some Polk and B&W in the local store and did not like much. My entire setup is based on internet research and reviews)) but there is a general consensus on the internet I hear often that speakers should comprise about 50% of your total setup, because they make the most impact and at the moment my speakers comprise about 20-25% of my setup budget.) I am waiting for more information to come out about the new Buchardt E50, maybe in the future I will pull the trigger on them.)
Looks like you have the bases covered quite well, great work on the internet search results.
As a general rule of thumb spending a higher percentage on the speakers, once all other things are done well enough, is not a bad idea.
If you do go with different speakers and willing to spend more it looks like the brand you picked at least uses good crossover elements and their higher end one use better ones as well. I could consider towers or big stand mount that will dig down deep so you can run them as low as possible before crossing to the subs.
I would also look into DIY speakers if you can build them yourself, open baffle being the easiest and most often most musical and do not need a lot of power. I want to run them but not enough room in my full time RV.
I would look into dual subs, ran in stereo if you can, not an absolute but I do prefer how they can perform, emphasis on how.
You might want to try a bit less wall treatment, might be too much, mostly we need it right beside and a bit forward of the speakers, I have seen some pretty good diagrams to go by, even formulas but I do not have a link to any of it.
Overall your setup is very fine and well sorted and probably sounds a lot better than many with far greater investments, great job!
Rick
As a general rule of thumb spending a higher percentage on the speakers, once all other things are done well enough, is not a bad idea.
If you do go with different speakers and willing to spend more it looks like the brand you picked at least uses good crossover elements and their higher end one use better ones as well. I could consider towers or big stand mount that will dig down deep so you can run them as low as possible before crossing to the subs.
I would also look into DIY speakers if you can build them yourself, open baffle being the easiest and most often most musical and do not need a lot of power. I want to run them but not enough room in my full time RV.
I would look into dual subs, ran in stereo if you can, not an absolute but I do prefer how they can perform, emphasis on how.
You might want to try a bit less wall treatment, might be too much, mostly we need it right beside and a bit forward of the speakers, I have seen some pretty good diagrams to go by, even formulas but I do not have a link to any of it.
Overall your setup is very fine and well sorted and probably sounds a lot better than many with far greater investments, great job!
Rick
Hey thanks. This hobby really makes you feel like a little kid, you get really happy when your playmates praise your toys. 
I was also considering the CSS Criton 1DX DIY speakers, a lot of really positive feedback about them. Which other diy speakers you can recommend?
For floorstanders I am a bit concerned, cause my space is not that big, I am afraid that bigger speakers could overpower the room..
I was also considering the CSS Criton 1DX DIY speakers, a lot of really positive feedback about them. Which other diy speakers you can recommend?
For floorstanders I am a bit concerned, cause my space is not that big, I am afraid that bigger speakers could overpower the room..
Glad I can help and I agree, back when I was competing in very high end car audio my favorite parts was learning from masters and applying my own ideas to them and having great results then when I demoed it to others and blew them away, that as super good times I was at a big custom indoor car show once with my Tacoma and had a line of big bucks show car competitors lined up all day to hear my system and they all loved it and wanted to know how to get something like it. That was a crazy expensive system, around $40k in today's dollars. Still the most important aspect was the install, deadening, driver alignment, power supplied and tuning. I replaced the parts with what would be $4k now and it still blew people away and was a great system to listen to music on, far better than any audio shop system I ever listened to, really.
Long winded but wanted to share some of the fun times I have had in this hobby I have dabbled in since I was very very young though I took extended breaks away from audio at times due to other interests, deployments in the Navy, car and bicycle racing(and building) I always come back to audio.
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I am looking into the Frugelhorn XL as really like the style but not big enough for the driver I am considering, it is a full range driver, the Mark Audio MA200 which is an 8" so I have to look into other cabinet designs. My constraint is we want copper colored cones and something I can build from quality plywood or cover with veneer. That is a pretty easy way to go as no crossover parts and one driver, only around $320 a pair. I am willing to spend a great deal more as researching and asking for help on DIYaudio. Things about FR and horns, etc, low power needs but also might not go low enough as am trying to go without subs and might need a tweeter up top depending on me space and ears. I like the looks of the FH the best and it gets low but I would have to use a smaller driver as the biggest cabinet is to big for our space. I plan to build several different types of speaker systems for this RV, once the rebuilding of it is done, for the hobby and see what I can do in this restricted space.
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I do not have any experience with the CSS kits, ask around, search first, on DIYaudio for some great info and advice. One thing on kits, make sure the crossover parts are top notch, for any speaker they should be. When buying nearly any factory build speaker crossover parts are usually not up to par with price you pay.
The CSS kits offer upgrades to crossover parts and maybe even drivers on some, go for it if you do it.
Flatpacks are available and free shipping, cost quite a bit but save a great deal of work so highly recommended unless you have access to good shop tools. I have a very good portable table saw and fold out extensions, router fence, chop saw, big router, etc...so only need a few more clamps so I plan to do my own wood work.
Again, check DI and ask around, tons of good stuff there, some rather more effort to sort through but worth it.
Time to go to the VA, ultra sound on my kidneys today
Rick
I was at a big custom indoor car show once with my Tacoma and had a line of big bucks show car competitors lined up all day to hear my system and they all loved it and wanted to know how to get something like it. That was a crazy expensive system, around $40k in today's dollars. Still the most important aspect was the install, deadening, driver alignment, power supplied and tuning. I replaced the parts with what would be $4k now and it still blew people away and was a great system to listen to music on, far better than any audio shop system I ever listened to, really. Long winded but wanted to share some of the fun times I have had in this hobby I have dabbled in since I was very very young though I took extended breaks away from audio at times due to other interests, deployments in the Navy, car and bicycle racing(and building) I always come back to audio.
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I am looking into the Frugelhorn XL as really like the style but not big enough for the driver I am considering, it is a full range driver, the Mark Audio MA200 which is an 8" so I have to look into other cabinet designs. My constraint is we want copper colored cones and something I can build from quality plywood or cover with veneer. That is a pretty easy way to go as no crossover parts and one driver, only around $320 a pair. I am willing to spend a great deal more as researching and asking for help on DIYaudio. Things about FR and horns, etc, low power needs but also might not go low enough as am trying to go without subs and might need a tweeter up top depending on me space and ears. I like the looks of the FH the best and it gets low but I would have to use a smaller driver as the biggest cabinet is to big for our space. I plan to build several different types of speaker systems for this RV, once the rebuilding of it is done, for the hobby and see what I can do in this restricted space.
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I do not have any experience with the CSS kits, ask around, search first, on DIYaudio for some great info and advice. One thing on kits, make sure the crossover parts are top notch, for any speaker they should be. When buying nearly any factory build speaker crossover parts are usually not up to par with price you pay.
The CSS kits offer upgrades to crossover parts and maybe even drivers on some, go for it if you do it.
Flatpacks are available and free shipping, cost quite a bit but save a great deal of work so highly recommended unless you have access to good shop tools. I have a very good portable table saw and fold out extensions, router fence, chop saw, big router, etc...so only need a few more clamps so I plan to do my own wood work.
Again, check DI and ask around, tons of good stuff there, some rather more effort to sort through but worth it.
Time to go to the VA, ultra sound on my kidneys today
Rick
castalla
Major Contributor
What's service in the military got to do with discussion of hifi?
