New Amps

[violentrapture]

Going to finish up the stereo and interior install here coming up and just ordered matching Soundstream Picasso series - my shorts are slightly damp:

Soundstream PCA2.520
RMS
160x2@4
260x2@2
520x1@4
T.H.D.: 0.02%
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO: >97dB
DAMPING FACTOR: >200
Platinum RCA inputs and outputs
Platinum 4-gauge power connectors



Soundstream PCA2000D
RMS:
1100x1@4
1500x1@2
2000x1@1
T.H.D.: 0.5%
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO: >80dB
DAMPING FACTOR: >200

[Satsuriku]

dont forget, once you get it all done, you gotta take more pics all around the car dude!!! looking good

man thats gonna sound amazing, good pick-i wish i had that kinda money...

So i take it soundstream makes decent amps???

[violentrapture]

They're like any company - they have their good and their bad. Overall though, they're highly regarded for their products.

~vR

[sofa]

Big ups

yeah soundstream makes sum good stuff that should pound quiet nicely. How you goin to mount ur amps?. Rich makin sumthin up for you?

[violentrapture]

lol, how'd you know Richie would be involved? :P
Yeah, we're scheduled to get together June 3rd to do the install - as far as specifics... shhhh (it should be very cool though).
Cheers,
~vR

[violentrapture]

Just ordered some more goodies - getting slightly hard now:

Soundstream PQ-7



Soundstream 20 Farad Cap :



Soundstream Power Plant:



Soundstream 12" woofer grill (but I have 10s you say, hmmm - what could it possibly be for?):



I can't wait for this stuff to arrive.

~vR

[nickgonzo]

why a cap? for show purposes?

[violentrapture]

Yep, purely for show - same as the speaker grill.

[johny_boy32]

i wish i had more money to spend on my setup when i did it but I simply needed to spend the funds elsewhere on my car. It seems to me that your concentrating on your trunk and sound...is that correct? And by the looks of it, your taking a lot of time and consideration into the equipment you are buying and the ultimate ending result. So far so good man, make sure to take plenty of pictures.

[violentrapture]

heh, it's sort of a mismash really I guess - the exterior is most likely going to be the last thing I do though.

Started off with the little apperance stuff like cleared corners, silverstar bulbs, springs, etc.

Did a basic stereo install (HU/stock speaker upgrade/alarm) then did wheels.

Some small performance upgrades like the intake, exhaust, rotors,headers (there's some nifty stuff I've been talking to with nosweat about a bit though regarding performance)

I've been mainly concentrating on the interior and ICE lately - lots of fiberglass work done, painting, carpeting, etc. (as well as just keeping it running lol... it's back in the shop today because the front wheels/brakes are grinding like a mofo)

I've been swapping various speakers, amps, subs and enclosures in and out for the past 6 months or so and think I've finally found the combination that I like, so the final ICE install is in progress (still have two more sub enclosures being made at the moment to demo and decide on). Actually the trunk is the thing that's gotten the least attention so far - sound deadened with some carpeted MDF pieces slapped on the floor for now. I definitely have an idea in mind as to what I want to do with it, but it won't be finalized until I make a decision on the enclosure for the Treos.

I'm keeping the outside work until last mainly because it's going to be hella expensive (for me at least... looking at anywhere from about $8k to $15k depending on which direction I go) and also because nothing inside is bolted down due to swapping stuff in and out and it'd be really easy for someone to bust a window and snatch 'n grab, so I'm not wanting to advertise her yet.

Also everything is going slower than I would like simply because I have too many pots boiling so to speak - the new motorcycle which I'm finding out is a cash drainer (lots of fun stuff to do with them), my photography (need an expensive hobby?) :P, computers (just snagged one of the new 13" macbooks today), partying, etc. etc.

Wow, nothing like rambling eh? It's a Tuesday and I can't concentrate on work while my car is in the shop so there ya go.

Hopefully the entire thing will be fit, finished and called good by the end of the year.

[tonkpils]

not to thread jack but i noticed in another post you unhooked your rear speakers,,did it make that much a difference?

[violentrapture]

heckuva difference - I'm still playing with imaging and location - so far the best I've found is both tweeters dash mounted firing into the windshield... probably because of the odd angles the mids are at. With the tweeters where they are right now my soundstage is just over my head and about A pillar forward. With the tweets moved to the very front dash firing forwards I can get it to about mirrors and midhood - can't really move the mids now without completely redoing the doors, so I think I'm going to have to live with it as is. I'd like to be able to get it to somewhere around outer doors open and front hood, but it'd probably be way more redoing of stuff than I'd like.
I've only got about 130w going to each side, and from what I've read the HD-62s don't come alive until about 150, so I'm hoping with the new amp (160x2) it'll help somewhat.

rear fill = poo Since we take my car everywhere, my girlfriend has gotten used to how it sounds and when we took her car while mine was in the shop the first words out her mouth were "omg that sounds so horrible and distracting with the sound coming from the back speakers". Consequently she's getting a 6.5" component set+subs for her install (think the gigantic dash of the beetle is gonna be interesting staging though)

~vR

[tonkpils]

sweet,,im gonna disconnect mine and see how i like it,,do you still have that black box with the olds logo for 2 12's?

[violentrapture]

Unfortunately I don't - actually my local installer is doing an install on an Olds at the moment and snatched up the Vegas and box as a package. I can give you the info on the guy that built the box though if you'd like it.

One thing about just disconnecting your rear speakers - if your front stage sucks you might not like it right off the bat. The goal is to get the widest, furthest imaging you possibly can - you don't want the sound sounding like it's coming from around your ankles/neck, which might happen. Think about going to the symphony - you aren't sitting in the middle of the orchestra, but even if you're sitting in the back and close your eyes the sound almost surrounds you - that's what you want to hear.

Running no rear fill isn't for everybody, but with the proper front stage it's pure bliss.

~vR

[mikegett]

How deep are you into photography? I started out with a fuji s7000 for my honeymoon. From there I grew to a Old Nikon and Minolta 35mm and eventually my Nikon D70. I take that baby with my everywhere. I recently upgraded my macro lens to the Nikon 100. Now I just can't wait to get a flash and work on my interior lighting and portraits.

[tonkpils]

it actually sounds alot better now,,i have the memphis sync components and it sounds real good,,i could tell a huge difference,,thanks man

[violentrapture]

lol, pretty deep - I have about 30 film cameras (probably 100 lenses or so) ranging from P&S to medium/large format Contax and Mamiyas as well as several (10 or 15) digitals ranging from P&S to my babies, a Canon 5D and Nikon D200. My snatch 'n grab kit usually has a an old DTL-1000 and Fuji s9000 in it, with a few prime lenses for the 35 (28mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm) and a telephoto. I really like the s9000 as a digital - fixed lens that does 28-300 in 35mm equiv. Only thing I don't care for is not being able to do hyperfocal (f/8 is the smallest).

One of my favorites to shoot with is a Holga though... I got addicted to toy cameras awhile back - only problem is waiting for development since nowhere local does roll film.

If you're looking for a flash unit and are into macro, I use the R1C1 package on my D200 and it's amazing.
For a general flash unit, look at the SB-600 and SB-800. I'm more of a Canon than Nikon fan though and don't keep too much up to speed with them (USM L lenses... nothing like them)

~vR

[violentrapture]

Originally posted by tonkpils@May 16 2006, 07:22 PM
it actually sounds alot better now,,i have the memphis sync components and it sounds real good,,i could tell a huge difference,,thanks man

Quoted post

haha, that was fast - another no rear fill convert - yay!

Drive around with it for about a week, get a feel for where your soundstage is, then start messing around with different locations and see what you come up with (might want to run some longer wire from your crossovers to let you "move freely about the cabin")

Once you've heard a properly imaged front stage it becomes an obsession trying to figure out how to get yours close, and when you get into somebody else's car you find yourself reaching for the fade control.