Notices

Improving The Sound System

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old 07-24-2003, 02:34 PM
  #1  
Momentum Keeps Me Going
Thread Starter
 
Spin9k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,036
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Improving The Sound System

Due to my ever inquisitive nature, and the fact I am generally not impressed by the Bose sound system after hearing previuos and present cars I own, well, I've started to take my car apart already!

Hopefull this thread can share ideas of speakers and other improvements possible for the RX-8 and new sources of equipment as they come on line and are available. So...

Did some serious listening today and found that (I like) what sounds best is Bass +4, Treble +6 Fader R3 (rear +3). Volume is actually pretty good, with minimal distortion, bass is so-so OK even at high db levels....it's just that overall there really doesn't seem to be any presense, any pizzaaz, that feeling like you are "there', it's simply flat and unimpressive.

I LIKE impressive sound, wheather it is loud or soft, IT'S GOT TO SOUND GOOD!! This stock system just doesn't SOUND great, sorry to say. So what I want to do is upgrade what is easily possible, without hacking away at the car or just replacing everything.

So then I started looking at these little tweeter type spks on the doors. Noticed that if I put my hand up to them to act as a reflective surface, I could ACTUALLY HEAR SOME HIGHS!

1) If you study them, notice that they point not AT YOU, but down and away from you towards the floor. Other cars have these pointing roughly at the drivers face level. So poor design here.

2) So I took that black plastic holder piece off the door and find a 5 cm cone speaker with a 1.5 cm dome cap in the center. Playing music and moving it around shows it has about a 10 degree dispersion angle at best. Meaning if it ain't pointing at you, you don't hear highs worth diddly!

3) The little fella says Bose, but it certainly looks to all the world like a shitful cheap speaker with a simple capactor crossover on it, probably better suited to a phone frequencies than music.

4. The center speaker is likely the same one. So sides and center can stand BIG TIME UPGRADING, and perhaps a SHIM of some type on the sides will re-position the tweeters to pint up and AT US! This sounds SIMPLE AND EASY and we could end up with GREAT SOUND! WOW, HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!

5) So we know that there is no ACTIVE CROSSOVER IN THE RX-8, no high quality DOME tweeters in the RX-8, but PRETTY FAIR amplification (the amp is in the trunk). The back 6x9's probably aren't much either, they don't sound awfully good by themselves, so could use and upgrade as well.

OK guys and gals, any BRAND, MODEL SUGGESTIONS for speakers I can try??

Happy Listening
Old 07-24-2003, 03:10 PM
  #2  
Registered User
 
aar_eks_8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Tempe, AZ
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i read in the nissan 350Z forum that the 350Z's have a BOSE system that no one is happy with....i also read that BOSE and Nissan have acknowledged that the system is sub-standard and have agreed to fix (probably a recall...).....
several people here have already mentioned that they don't like the BOSE system...maybe the problem is the same as the 350Z...
Old 07-24-2003, 03:37 PM
  #3  
Lurking troll
 
Magnesium's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Most all Bose systems are sub-par. In case you don't know, Bose does not have subwoofers. In any of their systems. Car audio, home, commercial, etc.

If you notice, they call their equiv. a bass module. This is usually due to their inability to use something other than a 4 to 5 inch cone.

Bose is all smokin mirrors imo.
Old 07-24-2003, 03:57 PM
  #4  
Registered User
 
blizz81's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Omaha
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't know about newer bose systems, but in the mid to late 90s, their systems were typically as such that at the least complex, they would use an uncommon impedance for the speakers, like 2ohms, so you had to take that into consideration when going aftermarket.

In my maxima, each speaker has an amplifier and active equalizer, making any selective aftermarket replacement pretty much impossible - I replaced the hu, speakers, and wiring.

They sound more simple these days but I'd still be wary over just simply replacing speakers and expecting it to work/sound decent with the stock amp/hu. But if I could just imagine how an aftermarket deck could work with the 8's crazy layout...
Old 07-24-2003, 04:05 PM
  #5  
Love to rev!
 
Quick_lude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mississauga - Ontario
Posts: 1,081
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why would you fade the sound to the REAR? Do you go to a concert and stand with your back facing the stage?
Old 07-24-2003, 04:37 PM
  #6  
Registered User
 
626joe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: STL
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If Bose spent half as much money on R & D as they spend on advertising, maybe their sound systems would be worth listening to.

My Mazda MPV EX with the "Priemium" 9 speaker stereo is the best I've heard in any car I've owned, whether it was aftermarket or stock.

Mazda should let the people who design the audio systems for the rest of the lineup do the "Premium Sound" for the 8, and save their customers some money by not charging them for the "Bose" name.
Old 07-24-2003, 05:42 PM
  #7  
Registered User
 
Sputnik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Posts: 2,045
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Improving The Sound System

Originally posted by Spin9k
5) So we know that there is no ACTIVE CROSSOVER IN THE RX-8...
No, we don't know that. Active crossovers could very well be included in the BOSE "amp" located in the rear.

The problem with BOSE is that their stuff is very proprietary (like the 2 ohm thing that BLIZ81 mentioned). It is normally very very difficult to just replace speakers in a BOSE system. Alot of times, you have to start from scratch. With the odd faceplates, the integration of steering wheel controls, and the integration of the NAV system, we hope that we'll be able to take out the BOSE amp and speakers, and use aftermarket processors, crossovers, equalizers, amps, and speakers with the stock head units.

---jps
Old 07-24-2003, 08:00 PM
  #8  
Drive it like U stole it!
 
ZoomZoom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Woodbridge, Ontario
Posts: 859
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by Magnesium
Most all Bose systems are sub-par. In case you don't know, Bose does not have subwoofers. In any of their systems. Car audio, home, commercial, etc.
Not true - the 350Z with the touring package has a subwoofer.

From what I have read the sound system in RX-8 is much better sounding than the one in the Z and it does not have a subwoofer, go figure that one out. Actually, most reviewers' comments regarding the sound in the RX-8 are very positive. Can better sound be had in the 8? You bet but please keep in mind that it is a base factory system, at least in Canada it is.

I'm not going to change the sound system in mine, it's more than adequate!
Old 07-24-2003, 10:16 PM
  #9  
Registered User
 
MrWigggles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Houston
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
The 80mm speaker in the center is not the same as the 50mm tweaters in the doors.

The fact that the tweeters in the doors are cheap cone speakers is typical Bose engineering. Bose does spend a lot on R&D, enclosure design and advertising, but where they usually get cheap is with their drivers.

My guess is that replacing those would make the biggest improvement. There aren't a whole lot of real 2" tweaters out there, but you are going to need them. I'm guessing that since they have 9" front woofers that the audio going to the tweeters is going to be possibly as low as 1KHz. You'll need a tweeter that can go that low if you don't want to fry it.

BTW, the in-line capacitor going to tweeter might just be for removing any potential DC offset from the digital amplifiers used in the stereo. I hope Bose used real electronic crossovers in their amp. If the crossover is nothing more than a cap, I will be royally dissapointed.

-Mr. Wigggles
Old 07-24-2003, 10:30 PM
  #10  
Go baby!
 
8_wannabe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla CA
Posts: 1,303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by Quick_lude
Why would you fade the sound to the REAR? Do you go to a concert and stand with your back facing the stage?
I often do this in cars. I find the default factory setting (Fade = 0) puts all the sound in front, you don't get the depth of sound from the rear speakers. That's probably to avoid annoying backseat passengers who may have the rear speaker right behind their ear. With no rear passenger, you fade to the rear and get much fuller sound. Haven't tried it on the 8 yet as I've been having so much fun playing with the Nav and just plain driving!

Boy, if anyone swaps out their tweeters I'd sure like to hear about it.
Old 07-24-2003, 10:36 PM
  #11  
RX-R8ED
 
TJRX8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Valrico, FL (Tampa)
Posts: 606
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
bose

amp/eq in door too
Old 07-24-2003, 11:20 PM
  #12  
Momentum Keeps Me Going
Thread Starter
 
Spin9k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,036
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
TJRX8 - Great link - did not see that before. Now that is very interesting. I'm beginning to think speaker upgrades may just do it once we find out impedence and can match sizes.

On that Music System Highlights sheet, I love the line under "Proprietary active equalization circuity" - "Automatically balances the output at all frequences, no confusing ***** and switches".

Yikes!! Makes me want to puke - big (BOSE) brother at work again! Since when has bass-treble, maybe loundness 'confused' someone? Sheesh.

And 8_wannabe, that is exactly what I found happening, quite a bit firmer bass, better imaging by using more of the rears in comparison to having the fronts at '0' level. Works quite well!

I'm sure between all of us well get to the bottom of this problem, then solve it! Thanks.

Last edited by Spin9k; 07-25-2003 at 07:52 AM.
Old 07-25-2003, 04:50 PM
  #13  
Registered User
 
OdinGuru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Baltimore MD & Washington DC
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Due to my ever inquisitive nature, and the fact I am generally not impressed by the Bose sound system after hearing previuos and present cars I own, well, I've started to take my car apart already!
Bravo... I'm about to go there my self. Hopefully I will get some time this weekend to get some basic measurments done (like pink noise output measurements and speaker impedance measurements).


it's just that overall there really doesn't seem to be any presense, any pizzaaz, that feeling like you are "there', it's simply flat and unimpressive.

I LIKE impressive sound, wheather it is loud or soft, IT'S GOT TO SOUND GOOD!! This stock system just doesn't SOUND great, sorry to say. So what I want to do is upgrade what is easily possible, without hacking away at the car or just replacing everything.
Agreed, the most lacking part of this audio setup isn't anything majorly glaringly wrong so much as a lack of any thing standing out as done RIGHT.


So then I started looking at these little tweeter type spks on the doors. Noticed that if I put my hand up to them to act as a reflective surface, I could ACTUALLY HEAR SOME HIGHS!

1) If you study them, notice that they point not AT YOU, but down and away from you towards the floor. Other cars have these pointing roughly at the drivers face level. So poor design here.

2) So I took that black plastic holder piece off the door and find a 5 cm cone speaker with a 1.5 cm dome cap in the center. Playing music and moving it around shows it has about a 10 degree dispersion angle at best. Meaning if it ain't pointing at you, you don't hear highs worth diddly!

3) The little fella says Bose, but it certainly looks to all the world like a shitful cheap speaker with a simple capactor crossover on it, probably better suited to a phone frequencies than music.
This actualy confirms one of the worries that I had about the BOSE system as soon as I saw the diagram labeled with the driver sizes. For those of you know anything about speaker physics, you know that the larger the driver, the more it beams at high frequencies. Even a 1" dome starts to beam before 20 KHz, albiet above 10 KHz so it's not that noticable. But a 2" cone driver is bound to beam at significantly lower frequencies. So, if they aren't oriented to point directly at the ears.... NO highs. Even worse for the 3.15" center driver.

Same principle applies to the 9" front drivers... based on their 9" size they should definatly NOT be producing frequencies in the 1.5 KHz range, but I highly doubt the cheap BOSE 2" drivers have the xmax to cover frequencies down that low.

Also I've been underwhelmed by the Q of the large 9" drivers... they only hit one low note and it's very loose (high Q).

The biggest advantage I see with the BOSE system is that when I go to replace drivers, I've got bigger holes to mount new ones in and hopefully pre-wired runs to the trunk. (I'm hoping BOSE wiring harness actualy has some clean line-outs hidden in there, and decent pre-run wires to all the speaker locations.)

As for brands/manufactures to use as a replacement, I can't say much. I come from a home audio DIY tradition, so I'm tempted to roll my own solution using those drivers and my own crossovers. In general I've been underwhelmed by most of the car audio I've heard. There is a classic problem of price != quality in the car audio industry which makes it hard to find what you are looking for.
Old 07-25-2003, 04:54 PM
  #14  
_________________
 
Lensman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cambridge - UK
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
This is all VERY disappointing. One of the selling points of the RX-8 for me was the supposedly excellent audio system and I'm sad that once again I've been conned. Can anyone compare this system to that of the 350Z? If so which is better please?
Old 07-25-2003, 06:34 PM
  #15  
FX8TED on my RX-8
 
khoney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Have you tried turning off Audiopilot? IMO it does some funky things to the sound under certain conditions. But I agree, the Bose system isn't as nice as I would like - I feel we got ripped off with the GT package, since it didn't come with the 6-disc changer. I'd be more forgiving of the Bose if the changer had been included, but I just don't think the GT package is worth $3900.
Old 07-26-2003, 04:33 PM
  #16  
Pu-36 Space Modulator
 
jonalan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: St Charles, MO
Posts: 463
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Another problem, is that the center speaker (dash) is too loud. The sound seems to come from the middle of the dash instead of around the interior of the car.

Anyone know of a way to control the volume levels of each individual speaker? All I know of is the fade front to back.
Old 07-26-2003, 07:40 PM
  #17  
Momentum Keeps Me Going
Thread Starter
 
Spin9k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,036
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Well I did it, put holes in my new car! But what a difference a few holes makes! I've been searching out 2" replacement tweeters, and actually found a few decent ones at a decent price at www.partsexpress.com.

BUT first the story, I also did a little work to determine crossover frequency on that 2" **IF** it is a simple highpass capacitive crossover. (One amp per door, with a simple crossover between the woofer/mid-tw pair maybe??)

The 2" has a 20uf (rather high value) cap on it. And knowing that Mazda calls the 2" a tweeter/midrange (according to the Japanese RX-8 site) means that the crossover **IS**likely quite low. Guessing the woofer and t/m both are at 8 ohms and going to http://www.lalena.com/audio/calculator/xover/ gives a 1st order crossover of 1000hz with 20uf cap. seems to fit! Wow, that **IS** low, but what to hey? The REAL impedence of the 2" is the unknown here, but still.

So I got to thinking that the 2" is **REALLY** a midrange that BOSE is trying to make work as a tweeter... and of course it **FAILS MISERABLY**! But that I already know as there is ZERO presence and highs are all dull or not there (esp. if you are used to HI-Q home or car sound).

OK, so maybe best to leave the 2" there as a miderange and ADD a tweeter?? Could be SIMPLE (what I want), fairly inexpensive (also would like).

So ready to order something online, then I happen by a Radio Junk, er I mean Radio Shack, and the wooses are closing out ALL THEIR SPEAKERS. No car stereo stuff/ no raw spkrs anymore in store. Go figure. BUT they do still have a Automotive tweeter set (part 40-1391 5k-20k 4 ohms 92db 40/60 watt w/built in crossovers), LITTLE neat descret black 1.25" round cans 5/8" deep w/easy one screw mount clip that also allows tilt adjust, $30 pair now Clearance $20. So I bag 'um!

Long story short, mounted on that plastic thingy with the 2", wired in parallel (after the cap) to pull a little more current from the amp to the high side of things and *** NOW - MY RX-8 BOSE ROCKS :D :D :D :D ***. what a difference a little "highs" make!!

I know it's not perfectly engineered, but it looks GREAT, sounds GREAT comparitively with PRESENCE and SHEEN to the sound which is just what it needed. IT'S also DONE, and now I can go ROCK-AND-ROLLING with great sounding tunes as I Zoom-Zoom!!

Worth a shot if you can get some or something close to try.

Last edited by Spin9k; 07-26-2003 at 07:43 PM.
Old 07-26-2003, 08:16 PM
  #18  
Registered User
 
MrWigggles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Houston
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Spin9K,

Could you take some pictures?

BTW, the tweeter is probably 4 ohms (easy to test with a multimeter) so that 20 uF cap would actually create a 2KHz crossover point (which is still pretty low for a tweeter.)

On my test drive today and Paul Simon's Graceland playing, I had the treble at +6 and the bass at +3 and it sounded very good. With the treble control centered at 0, the music sounded VERY flat. Some upgraded tweeters aren't mandatory, but that really seems to be the weak spot of the system. (audio pilot worked great, imaging was very good, and there was a fair amount of bass.

Good luck,

-Mr. Wigggles
Old 07-26-2003, 09:57 PM
  #19  
Registered User
 
Sputnik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Posts: 2,045
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, 1k or 2k is low for MOST tweeters. But this is BOSE. They do things different. To make a 9" mid-bass work well, you would pretty much have to cut it off lower than a 6.5" or 5.25" midbass. And since you are cutting of the midbass lower, you would have to cut off the tweeter lower. And so the tweeter will have to cover a larger frequency range, which is why it is 2 inches, instead of a more common 1 inch or so.

That is the compromise they had to make to get range without a subwoofer. They did that so that they could get all of the soundstage in front of the listener, but they gave up some other things to do that. This is why some of us were not optomistic about the BOSE system six months ago, before we ever heard it.

---jps
Old 07-26-2003, 10:03 PM
  #20  
Momentum Keeps Me Going
Thread Starter
 
Spin9k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,036
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Here you go. They look obvious here, but I put my wife in the car and she didn't know what I had changed, she thought they were there before (?). In reality, they blend in nearly perfectly with the interior.

I have them pointed pretty close to car center at shoulder height. That's as far as the tweeters holder's adjustment will allow. But you can see it is way different direction than those 2 inchers.

Last edited by Spin9k; 07-26-2003 at 10:20 PM.
Old 07-26-2003, 10:05 PM
  #21  
Momentum Keeps Me Going
Thread Starter
 
Spin9k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,036
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
One more pic... and honestly, I've tried several CD with crisp highs from my collection, played w/the bass-treble and rear adjust... it's a BIG difference. Can just put my hands over these little guys and the goodness all goes away. I can't believe it was so simple, but I AM thenkful for little miracles. Just imagine what some futher concerted effort could produce?

But for the time being, my next project is painting my nice grey-primed brake calipers red with stuff from these guys ( http://www.g2usa.com/products.shtml ) and maybe using their red anodized aluminim screen on the front bottom airway.

But now to just do more driving to get my 600-1K miles over with. Got 130 more in today!

Last edited by Spin9k; 07-26-2003 at 11:11 PM.
Old 07-26-2003, 11:45 PM
  #22  
Registered User
 
MrWigggles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Houston
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally posted by Sputnik
Well, 1k or 2k is low for MOST tweeters. But this is BOSE. They do things different. To make a 9" mid-bass work well, you would pretty much have to cut it off lower than a 6.5" or 5.25" midbass. And since you are cutting of the midbass lower, you would have to cut off the tweeter lower. And so the tweeter will have to cover a larger frequency range, which is why it is 2 inches, instead of a more common 1 inch or so.
Agree 100% It is tough to intigrate such a big woofer as front speaker.

That is the compromise they had to make to get range without a subwoofer. They did that so that they could get all of the soundstage in front of the listener, but they gave up some other things to do that. This is why some of us were not optomistic about the BOSE system six months ago, before we ever heard it.

---jps
Yeah, a subwoofer would have been nice. But without a sub, 9" woofers in the front is a good call IMO. Maybe they should have done some sort of 3-way design, but BOSE typically neglects everything above 10KHz in their designs. (a paper 2" tweeter can't do 10KHz well, period)

I like the sound coming in front of me and the Bose System sounds very good. It sounds a lot better than my Lexus SC300 sound system and that system has a free-air sub in it. For factory systems, taking in account all of its features (audio pilot, center speaker, etc) I would rate it a solid A. Now in absolute terms, with the best IASCA system out there being an A+, I would give the Bose system a B+.

Replace the tweeter and add a sub and I think it can be an A- possibly an A, IMO.

Spin9K,

Thanks for the pics. Where is the best pry point to remove the tweeter panel? Did you just use a screwdriver to pry it or is there a hidden screw or something.

BTW, off the top of my head the best replacement 2" tweeter would be 51AT made by the German company LPG:

http://www.madisound.com/lpg.pdf

It is an aluminum dome 2" tweeter with rubber surround. I swear this is the company that makes the tweeters for JL audio. (JL audio openly admits that their component speakers are made in Germany), But even without the flange it is still 4" in diameter and 2" deep. I would be very tricky to get it to work.

-Mr. Wigggles
Old 07-26-2003, 11:54 PM
  #23  
RX-R8ED
 
TJRX8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Valrico, FL (Tampa)
Posts: 606
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Spin,
Save me a little trouble: how does that plastic piece (where you mounted the speaker) come off?
Old 07-28-2003, 10:38 AM
  #24  
Momentum Keeps Me Going
Thread Starter
 
Spin9k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,036
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally posted by TJRX8
Spin,
Save me a little trouble: how does that plastic piece (where you mounted the speaker) come off?
It's too easy, just grasp the black plastic piece's lip at the window's edge side (with the windows down of course), and gently but firmly pull into the car. POP! It comes off. There is just one plastic snapin holding that whole piece.

It was scary the 1 st time, but it's really easy!
Old 07-28-2003, 10:54 AM
  #25  
Sponge Bob RotorPants
 
pmacwill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 466
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
this definitely peaks my interest.
probably want to put a little better tweeters in than the $30 radioshack variety. I'm sure they are better options (infinity, kicker, cv, etc) but you could still use their mounting brackets.


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: Improving The Sound System



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:02 PM.