I was trying to listen to the radio on my morning cruise to pasadena, but the engine noise and wind noise was deafening. How many of you actually listens to music while driving your 914?

I can, you just have to have something that puts out a little bit of "oomph".

I have Pioneer 4x6's in the kickpanel enclosures, and 6.5" rounds in the doors, with a Pioneer CD unit. It ain't Bose quality, but it'll rattle some glass.

Now, don't expect mind-blowing audio out of the interior, unless you want to pack it full of speakers wherever you can find space, 'cuz there just ain't any.

I added just a ordinary stereo, amp, and an ipod....sounds awesome!

The amp idea seems quite good, a nice way to hook up an iPod. I think the main component in the sound has to be the speakers - you can only do so much with the 4x6 in the stock location. I think the morphenspectra speaker pods let you put in 6 1/2 inch round speakers, and also have some center bin speakers available.

Does anyone have experience with which speakers fit best in the Morphenspectra speaker pods? Has anyone found any other locations to mount speakers? Years ago, there used to headrests available that had tweeters in them, I always thought that would be a great location in a 914.

i have a radio, but only listen to it on longer trips...not only because i love the sound of the engine, but need to listen to make sure it's not blowing up:)

make sure you dynamat the firewall on the inside of the car, that should help alot...

I was thinking about a 250 watt amp and 10 inch subwoofer in the front trunk, tweeters on the door panels, and 5.25 inch midrange in the center console. what do you guys think?

I added a small JVC self powered sub behind the passenger seat and it helps alot. My Alpine stereo is an AM/FM,CD,MP3,Ipod,XM ready unit. I just stick the Ipod in the glove box, plug in the cable and crank it. The Alpine displays what would normally be on the Ipod screen, so I can choose artist, song, etc... Thats my tunage.

Just like yer 914 motor...how much does wanna spend......"I" had a system that made my ears bleed...of course I'm old and I'm armed with a .356 and pissed off at blue hairs oldpharts that gimme the stink eye.....

HEY SAMMY!!!!!!! time to chime in......

Will, I hid my amp in the center console. I tried putting a single small midrange in the center console but was a bit too tight and somewhat muffled--it did add some nice base to the system. I didn't want to cut the console. I would think twice before cutting your door panels, unless they've already been cut.

If your'e like me, I haven't put the roof on my car in a year...I love driving with it off. Unfortunatley, you'll have a hard time overcoming the road noise.

What we need are some real small high powered speakers, i.e. Bose that could be hung in the top corners by the targa bar--still looking for some that would work.

I thought about that..but I didn't think one would fit. What size did you put back there?

Put a sub in the passenger footwell, or console. Morphenspectra's kit for the kick panels. That would be good start.

Waay back when I installed car stereos, the first car we did was a 914. We installed 6.5 in the doors, 4x6 in the kick panels, did a custom backpad with 4x10 between the seat and the door lenghtwise and 2, 6.5 mid bass speakers between the seats. lots of foam fill and shaping and the backpad looked pretty good.

i have morph's 6.5 pods w/speakers and his footwell sub box with a 8" sub, running off a 2 channel rockford fosgate that is hidden in the gage console. the amp is one of the old one's, a punch 45. it sounds good. you can hear it at freeway speeds.

how does a subwoofer sound in the front trunk. My goal is to have good sound without chopping up my car. I like the factory interior look.

I'll be home tomorrow and post the part number for you then.

I don't remember his name but there was a guy at the RRC this last year that had a whole front trunk full of stuff and you probably could hear it at the end of the world....big bucks tho IIRC.

That was in the 930 Jim... it will make your ears bleed if you let it...

BJH

I couldn't do a system thats correct for my end result for less than 1800.00 worth of materials (minimum) and many hours of work.
(and no... I don't smoke crack)

On another note, Loudness and quality is SOooo subjective. Whats sounds really great for one person is mediocre or less for another.

Premium quality sound is very expensive in my way of thinking.
Thats why I got away from the IASCA challenge and sound off competitions years ago.

It's a very expensive addiction...!!!!
(look for a pair of DynaAudio D-28 tweeters on the net) (you will get the idea)

Yet I have built (in my head) a truly badd ass sytem for a 914 that is pretty well hidden and has all the features of a competion winner for sound quality.

A really good sound sytem is like a Jake engine.
Very few people are willing to pony up for the cost.
And very few people have the discerning ear to appreciate it.

What the hell... The sound of a six or Subie or a built type 4 is the music I like....

Then again. If I had a free month and 2 or 3 Grand to piss away.. I just might do one more system. Just to say i did....................

C

What is the set up you conjured up in your mind......if price was not a factor and if 1000 dollars was my budget?

Me no comprende.

clarity please.

C

If I only had 1000 dollars to spend, what do you recommend?
If I could build the dream system, what do you recommend?

Clarity is ALWAYS an issue unless you only cared about BASS and had a FART tube.....but then of course you wouldn't be posting on this list.....


Because you would be a ricer ASSHOLE......but what do I know...I could be wrong...?

714.944.0821

call me.

This takes time to explain.

C

Mike,

Please don't talk about Howard that way in public... it isn't kind.










Did ya get your 4 lug to 5 lug adapters? I sent em up to ya with a friend.

C

I might be offended by this statement. no all ricer are asshole. I have a lot of ricer racer friends.

So do I...

It's just Mike's way of telling us he loves us...

ya got to know the guy... he is finest kind.... AND butt ugly

C

And before I forget... he smells bad too...

C

Not for the faint of heart.

The labor would be more than the components. And the car would look bone stock.

With the exception of a non stock radio.

I am all about stealth.

3 woofers. One 12 in trunck. Two tens up front.
4 mid base (5.25 - 6.0 inches)
2 tweeters in dash (28mm)
One mini woofer (3 inch) and one tweeter (28mm) under the dash pushing up through the defrost vents.
2 more tweeters (28mm) in the side vents.
3 amps
One head unit.
Lotsa active crossovers.

Most of the tweeters are turned down to a much lower ambient level than the rest of the system.
The trick here is to bring the sound stage into the middle of the windsheild in stereo.

Just like if you were in front of a live band and you were sitting in the middle seats at the same height/level as the band.

It ain't easy. It takes many hours of trial and error in speaker placement and amplitude and crossover points of each driver to pull this off.

It's really a labor of love and appreciation of the music to do it right.

Been there....Done that... And it is really kewl once done.

And it is never good enough... Never.....

That said.......

Whatcha got in mind.....

Note: The last guy that asked me to help..... Spent enough bucks to put a down payment on a condo. It's a disease if you get hardcore into this... thats my experience. Yours may well be differant.

Did I tell ya this is addictive???????

Oh yeah... Just beating a dead horse.

C

Oh...

Brand names.

Eclipse or Alpine for head unit.

12s, My secret
10s, JL audio
Mids, dyna audio
Tweets, dyna audio or Morrel
Mini base, SEAS

Upgraded alternator and back up mini battery.

Amps, ALL high current, non AB switching amps. (clean)

Bunch of fiberglass, foam, High density fibreboard (for baffles), PVC pipe for port tuning, bunch of very good cabeling, a few caps, a few toroid coils, and a shit load of air saw blades and sanding disks, etc.

And all the tools and knowledge needed to giterdone.

Thats just for starters.

C

Funny...I've inherited a few Alpine units from DAPOs....they always seem to be pretentious pieces of crap...I even wanted ....ONCE .....to match an Alpine head unit with a CD changer....PAID for it...it would have had to IMPROVE to just crappy.

Just becuase it's pricey and trendy don't mean it's worth a shit...

Mike,

I am talking about the newest stuff out. I know THE GUY at Alpine.

Their latest stuff is nice. The stuff I would use has NO amplifier in the head unit to go break. Only pre-outs.

Therefore much less to go wrong. And I can get 8 volt+ output if I tweak it right.
This allows me tweak the output signal to the processors and the amplifiers for the least amount of noise, which inturn allows me the freedom to get the best signal to the drivers possible.

Or I simply stay in the digital domain all the way to the amps. (No analog signals)

This allows ZERO spurious noise in the signal path.

Just depends on bucks and time. Neither of which any sane person wants too spend anyway.

C

Agreed.

C

Uh oh, looks like we lost Mikey to the whine and cheeeze crowd. Is that a Pre-A Mikey?

I've got a pair of Alpine 6.5 in the kick panel pods
a pair of Alpine 5 1/4's in the doors
and a pair of Quart 8" subs
Alpine head unit Cd, MP3
Alpine type R 5 1/4 door and 6.5 kick panel speakers driven by Alpine T240 amp unit
8" Quart subs driven by Alpine T220

I think it sounds really good, hard to get hi fidelity in such a small cabin, but I can sure crank it up.

QUOTE

If I only had 1000 dollars to spend, what do you recommend?

I really don't know what "I" would do with a G spot.

Now that you have me thinking in that direction.....

And assuming I was the installer and i was gunna spend a K note on my car.

First, i would buy everything that I could either slightly used or at some killer price from the the net. I would spend time finding all the components that I would need fpr the build.

Probably take a month or so of looking on Evilbay and craigs list and wherever I could find a smoking deal on parts.

The speakers are the hard part as they usually come in high end home audio.
(cept the woofers)

I would draw out a very generic plan. Assemble the system in my head as far as speaker placement and options for that specific part of the build.
As this is a learn as you go part of the process.

Gut the interior and gas tank.

Get used to the idea that I am going to cut holes in my car. And I need to be OK with that part of the plan. Nothing structurel. It just IS gunna happen to get this right.

Then build, place and test... then build, place and test some more.
Until I have a great notion of where the final speaker placement will be.

Then build the appropriate eclosures, install the drivers. Jury rig the amps and active components. Start the car and see what and where any hum is coming from. (if any)
Mitigate that issue.

Leave the install of the 12 till last. As it might not be needed. And i would have to seal the front trunkas it would now become the speaker enclosure for the 12.

Then take a look at permanent placement for the electronics. As the spekaers would already be ball parked on placement.

Make the speaker enclosures as invisible as possible from the cab area.
(do-able, even hidden)

Start to hardwire and fasten down all components. Fix ALL the rattles in the car as the subs will rattle everything to tears and create terrible accoustic anomolys.

Install whatever sound deadening wherever it is needed.
(I like Neoprene for the big pannels that won't see water, 1/6th thick foam and lead tape for the tight spots like doors and under dash and low expansive structurel spray foam for the hollow places I can't get to)

Get the upholstery, and cosmetics figured out and pull the trigger on the final install.

Install now done 95%.

Go hit the "Bruel & Kjaer RTA" and check all speaker alignments, DB spread from left to right and center at head level, and accoustic (Hz) waterfall curves. (MLSA)

Finish by tuning by ear with and without a passenger. Check it on the road and in the parking lot.

Beat the shit out of it and tweak again....

Then stop the madness as it is never done. As air temp, humidity and ambient sound (noise) changes the accoustics greatly.

Now enjoy.

Now I remember why i don't do this often....

I better shut up now.... cause this all starting to make sense.

Hey.... How about them Dodgers...??????????????????????????????

Cheers,

C

Like Mike said, "clarity" is the most important to me. The music I listen too is mostly vocals and midrange sounds....Guns and Roses to Phantom of the Opera. I already have a kenwood head unit plus boston acoustic 5.25 inch with tweets. I need to figure out where to place them for optimal performance. I would spend about 400 dollars on an amplifier. The rest of the budget is for building materials...wires, wood, etc.


Dodgers will be better next season....
Tito ortiz versus Chuck Liddell????

Accoustic Clarity is EVERYTHING

It is not easily attainable in a 914 while it is driving.
Especially top off.
This car has one of the most difficult enviroments to get acoustic clarity without spending a LOT of time and experimentation.

A Rag Ghia or a Vert is infinently easier to get right.

It can be done. It just takes GREAT speakers, Lotsa power, a killer install with perfect speaker placement as possible.

Just like any other high end system.

Again... I repeat. The sound SHOULD come from the middle of the windshield right in front of your face.

And thats the art of physchoaccoustics.

Unless a person has heard a percieved accoustically correct high end car audio system and understands that these systems can rival dam near ANY high end HOME audio system as far as clarity and performance.

It is unbelievable what can be done... especially by folks smarter than I.

The sound can be truly amazing to hear, feel and be enveloped in.

A great system can create an enviroment that lends itself to a emotional experience that can only be experienced in a car enviroment.

I am 52 years old. I ain't into loud unless for transitions. I am into clear as can be made possible.

Loud when needed and soft when the occasion arrises.

From Prokofiev to M&M to Korn to CSN&Y. It has to work for all of it.

C

I used the 6.5" pods with Polk coaxials and a home grown 8" Polk Sub with a 200 watt amp located where the glove box used to be. I also have Polk 1" tweeters on the rear pillars (where the non-functional coat hangers go) and it sounds pretty good. Like stated above, it's all subjective. I won't win any boom contests, but I can actually hear my tunes at 70mph with a growling 6 behind me and that's without a backpad yet. Oh yeah, I'm running a Kenwood Siruis receiver for a head unit. It drives the 6.5s and the tweeters.

Click to view attachment

Holidays always make me bitchy and my jokes don't always hit the right chords with all readers....

A .356 is a play on a .357 handgun and my turbo charged 356 that is the bain of the oldphart blue hairs here in town.....as to my ricer comment, I just finished watching "Cars" with my kids last night....funny movie.

I never said you WERE a ricer only that if you were...you wouldn't be posting here.....get it????

And Clayton, yes I'm ugly but I'm better looking than YOU...

personally for around a grand id get a nice set of componants, like bostons or mb quarts.
that would be around 250-300
then a 8" sub for the low end.
that would be around 150-250
then an amp to power it all prolly a 4 channle and then bridge 2 channels for the sub
that would be around 200-350
and then a nice HU. personal favorit would be an alpine.
so that would be around 250
and then all the misc wires and everything would be another 100

so the low end price would be 900-950
and the high end is 1250
but as always im cheap and buy used. so for me i wouldnt spend more then 500 for all this.

steve

This is the stereo I had LONG ago... I think it's around 1998, my freshman year of college. During high school I worked summers at a car stereo shop in Phoenix (Soundwerks, still there).

Now I just have an iPod at two 6.5" coaxials in the stock location. Sometimes less is more...

-Steve

That box was something like 17 peices of wood... One 8" JL Audio something...

-Steve

Spend 900, buy a kick ass exhaust. spend 100, buy a cheep ass mp3 player.. get black individual earphones, put one in your right ear.

done.

I have had my $500 sterio system disconnected from my car for 3 years.

I have a related question, is there any head unit that incorporates sound cancelling technology? I mean the type of cancelling where it will put out a negative sound wave to cancell out cabin noise and only allow the music to be heard. I would be suprised if it did not already exist. If not maybe I will get some duck tape and some parts and see what I can make

if im not mistaken blaupunkt had some sound cancleing stuff.
let me look and see what i can find.

steve

Just keep in mind how much weight you add with an extreme sound system. Obviously huge subs, amps, sound deadening material, and everything that goes along will add a good chunk of weight to the car.

I admit to not reading all the posts so if this was mentioned, sorry...

I had a simple system that really sounded great in my 914 before I went apeshit with the V8 conversion. I had a simple Alpine CD head unit (any head unit will do, it is about the speakers and amp more than anything). I had a couple small (4x6 IIRC) speakers in the stock kick panels that were not amplified (just stock head unit, maybe 25watts/channel) and I had a 6" mid in an 18" long plywood tube (think Bazooka tube-like) that I didn't EQ at all (ran all freqs through it) and set it between the seats. I had a 100-watt amp with really low noise wired to it and that was it. It freaking CRANKED in that little car and I didn't expect that. And it made a perfect height arm rest for me. Wish I had a pic...

To make it clean and do it over again, I would use a Bazooka powered speaker and run all freqs through it (don't cut the highs). Then the amp is built in. Simple deck, couple nice kick-panel speakers and a 6" Bazooka between the seats would be really simple - no hacking - and work well enough to ring your ears.

There are certain really good "test" songs out there - and I listen to a wide variety of stuff - so trust me, put these songs through any system - Chaka Khan "Ain't Nobody" (check the bass line in that!!) followed by Van Halen "Black and Blue", then Bob Marley's "Jammin" and finally Slayer's "War Ensemble" and many can't handle that gammut very well. That simple little setup would jam ALL of those songs unbelievably well.

IMO, FWIW.