loudspeakers -latest twist

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Brucey
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loudspeakers -latest twist

Post by Brucey »

A little while ago, I replaced the old 6" round speakers a PO installed (edit; actually it was almost certainly a BMW UK dealer option on the car from new) in the kick panel below the rear seats. I went for a set of 6x9" Sony Xplod speakers, but I might yet upgrade later on. My 'nibbler' tool came in handy for cutting the holes the right size in the thin material, but I had to go through part of the double-skinned section under the seat as well, and this was hard going. In the end I had to use an angle-grinder; pretty brutal stuff this, inside the car.

While I was in there, I fitted some custom bass-reflex ports. These are made from 14swg aluminium. I machined out the front plate, then TIG welded to a ~1.5" bore tube section that had already been slightly flared to give the radius. Then the weld beads were turned off, (which is when you find out if your welding is any good) and finally everything was polished. A backing plate similar to the front plate is used for the mounting, which is via 6-off M6 stainless button head screws and nylocs. I used an existing hole in the metal kick panel, so minimal further drilling and cutting was required.

After much reading of acoustic theory I knew there was no way I'd work out the right port length, so I knew I'd have to make them adjustable, then suck it and see.This is why I made it so that these ports can be tuned to any length for pennies; I made them so that push-fit plastic waste plumbing fittings can be used on the back. My guilty little secret is that these ports don't actually do very much right now, and won't do until I seal the enclosure under the seat properly.

I'm quite pleased with the look though (although it is maybe a bit blingtastic), what do you guys think?

cheers
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Post by bfons »

I think it looks great...


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spaekers

Post by Smithy »

Looks like a fantastic job. How's your back???
The only thing I would have done is maybe painted the covers to match the interior color to make it look like they belong there. Not a criticism, just my taste. They mst sound great. :D
horsetan

Post by horsetan »

So, er, when can we expect video screens in the headrests :?: :wink:

Someone call "X-to-the-Zee" X-Zibit :lol:
sohlman

Post by sohlman »

They look fantstic brucey.

Fancy doing the same on my car.

I was thinking a good set up was to get some 6x9 subs under the rear seats and then fit some 4" midrange components in the rear enclosures with tweeter on the rear shelf.

James
The Sixer Kid

Post by The Sixer Kid »

I also would like to do something like that, but instead of 6x9 speakers I was thinking of a pair of subs. I've got a pair of 10 inch subs in the trunk right now and I'm truly amazed at how little the bass carries through to the cabin (their powered by a 500 watt amp). I know the depth under the seat isn't too great but do you think that the bottom of the back seats could be altered enough to fit a pair of 8 inch subs with a (very) custom enclosure?
BIMMER

Post by BIMMER »

I am sorry but I don't like it :oops: . I like it more when the car is original.
UKDaveJ

Post by UKDaveJ »

Nice neat job Brucey - mind you, from you I'd expect nothing else! :D

At least you have somewhere to stick your brolly other than the parcel shelf now!!!

I like, quite discreet really - I mean, how often do you look into the car from that angle, most of the time the seats are back on the runners I'd a thought!
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Brucey
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Post by Brucey »

BIMMER wrote:I am sorry but I don't like it :oops: . I like it more when the car is original.
-fair enough, but my car already had speakers fitted there by a PO. All I did was go for bigger better ones. In fact, as modifications go, this is not very invasive- after all the section of carpet that is cut is seperate anyway, and the steelwork is far from structural (albeit it does support the rear seats).

In fact Dave got it right- you don't notice at first unless the seats are forward- its quite a subtle mod really...

-Glad the rest of you guys seem to approve,

cheers
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sohlman

Post by sohlman »

I don't just approve. I love it Brucey.

James
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Post by sharkfan »

I approve too - time to dig out that drill and abra file :wink:
BIMMER

Post by BIMMER »

Brucey wrote:
BIMMER wrote:I am sorry but I don't like it :oops: . I like it more when the car is original.
-fair enough, but my car already had speakers fitted there by a PO.
Ow, I am sorry :oops:
six

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Post by six »

How else to bring the funk to such an obscure spot?? Verry Niice!!

8) 8) 8) 8)


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Lymond

Post by Lymond »

I definitely like the look, do you have any more in depth photos of the installation? I just put my M6 in the shop today and since its not running right now I have started numerous other projects, one of them is now right along those lines. I would like to have only the ports coming out there and maybe concealed sub/subs. Though Im a terrible welder so I dont know how I will reproduce such tasty looking ports.
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Rear speakers

Post by ron »

Superb job Brucey,I think I'll try something similar.
No patent on it yet????
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UKDaveJ

Post by UKDaveJ »

I'm looking forward to the 'Brucey kit' being advised as being available!!!

I love the idea of being able to tune the ports with plumbing waste - top thinking mate!!

So the kit would comprise your adjustable ports - anything else you can think of?! :D

I'd considered putting a bass speaker in one side, an amp in the other, but hadn't really thought of having speakers protruding - obviously a dedicated bass being a mono signal & 6 x 9 speakers are doing quite different jobs.

I fitted 6 x 9's under my rear speaker pods on the Highline, really made a huge difference (& totally hidden from view Bimmer:wink:), but I would like a bit more bass, not to chav levels, but so I can appreciate some of the more subtle low frequencies in most music.

What else can I say, top banana!! :D
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Re: spaekers

Post by Brucey »

Smithy wrote:Looks like a fantastic job. How's your back???
:D
-I could have used help to be 'unfolded' afterwards.... creaky old bones....
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Post by Brucey »

thesixerkid wrote:I know the depth under the seat isn't too great but do you think that the bottom of the back seats could be altered enough to fit a pair of 8 inch subs with a (very) custom enclosure?
Yes, probably, but the drive units would have to be tilted or mounted horizontally I reckon. An 'invisible' (bar the port) subwoofer system could be constructed using a fourth order bandpass type enclosure. The enclosure itself would have to be moulded to fit the weird space under there. I have a plan for doing this;

1) temporarily line the space with cardboard or carpet to a thickness of about 1/4".
2) Put a bin-liner in the space, with the neck poking out through the port hole, and replace the seat.
3) Now fill the bin liner with builder's aerosol foam. You now have a 'plug' to work with.
4) The plug can be used one time, or be used to make a mould for multiple uses (in which case step 1 isn't necessarily required). In either case the plug can be laid up with glass-fibre, and the foam removed afterwards. This can be done using solvents that attack the foam, or a mechanical technique. A high pressure jetwash would do it.
5) for a fourth order system the enclosure will have to be divided and the drive unit mounted on the dividing panel, so more glass-fibre work required.
6) finally the port(s) will have to be connected.

This page;
http://www.diysubwoofers.org/bnd/4thorder.htm
explains fourth order enclosures better than I can.

A straightforward ported system (which is close to what I've tried to achieve) is also possible. As I've indicated in my first post the port won't do much unless the enclosure is sealed, and as it stands it is a long way from being sealed...However this is simpler to do as its just a question of blocking all the holes rather than making up a divided enclosure as is required for a fourth order system.

I don't think there is enough room for an 8" driver in the kick panel; the surround for my 6x9" units is 7 1/4" top to bottom and there isn't much room over.

Have I inspired many others here?

cheers
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Post by sharkfan »

Brucey,

Would these be any good

Image

New Concept Bass System for Compact Vehicle , Installation for Rear Deck (Saving the Space of Trank Room, Supplied with Wired Remote Control (6m), 6"x9" Whisker Pearl Mica Cone Woofer , D-class Amplifier Circuit (Mono Channel), 1.5 ohm Dirve , Speaker Level Input for Easy Up-grade,

http://www.hendoncarstereo.co.uk/cgi-bi ... /index.htm

No affiliation with vendor or Kenwood - I was just looking for something nice and easy for a duffer like me to put in :oops:

I think they're 6 x 9's :D

Sharkfan
Last edited by sharkfan on Thu Aug 04, 2016 6:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
sohlman

Post by sohlman »

That looks good kevin

James
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Brucey
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Post by Brucey »

-if you don't mind cutting through the parcel shelf into your boot, if that is where they are going.

If installed in the kick panel below the rear seats the enclosed volume may not match the speaker design as well- best read the specs first if that is where they are going.

cheers
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Post by sharkfan »

Brucey,

I'm stumped :roll:

You have PM :D

Sharkfan
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Post by sharkfan »

Brucey wrote;
In the end I had to use an angle-grinder; pretty brutal stuff this, inside the car.
Brucey, is an angle grinder the best thing to get through this area to put speakers in - would a dremel do? Have you any other particular tips for myself and others who might be embarking on this - speaker positioning etc

Cheers, and thanks in advance,

Sharkfan
Mountain Shark

Post by Mountain Shark »

sharkfan wrote:Brucey,

Would these be any good

Image


No affiliation with vendor or Kenwood - I was just looking for something nice and easy for a duffer like me to put in :oops:

I think they're 6 x 9's :D

Sharkfan
Brucey - are these too deep for the pods? I just bought a set of "highline" pods with the centered bigger OEM speaker to replace my old pods with the little 4x6 speakers in them. I planned to put some 6x9s in place of the stock 6 inch (or 5 or whatever they are)

don't want to cut anything though!!
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Post by Brucey »

for cutting the metal in the kick panel you have a few choices;

1) Nibbler
2) Abrafile
3) Tin snips
4) Angle grinder
5) Die grinder
6) Drill lots of holes, snip and file/grind to shape
7) Cold chisel (not advised)
8) Rotozip
9) Use hole-saws
10) Plasma cutter

The only tools which will do the whole job in the kick panel are
1) an abrafile (or three) provided you have a choice of hacksaw frames
2) The drill route
3) The rotozip (although they are not meant for steel IIRC)


As I mentioned before mostly the kick panel is very thin and flimsy, BUT there is a double-skinned part to the kick panel as well; each skin is thicker and most of the above tools couldn't hack it at any speed, even if they access OK (which many don't); this is when I got brutal and got the angle grinder out.

cheers
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