Lifestyle store have them on sale for 189 but they don't have it on the demo board to listen to. I picked up a set today
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Speakers again
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luzinit
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Snowmotion
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Re: Speakers again
What is the quality / acoustic difference between a round speaker (ie Focal 165AC) and an Oval 5 x 7 speaker (ie Focal 570AC)?
The 570AC looks like it could fit straight into the door.
The 570AC looks like it could fit straight into the door.
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NC1| WP 1:09.42 | SMP-S 1:03.191 | SMP-N 1:16.1856 | SMP-GP 1:48.288
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muzzy66
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Re: Speakers again
Snowmotion wrote:What is the quality / acoustic difference between a round speaker (ie Focal 165AC) and an Oval 5 x 7 speaker (ie Focal 570AC)?
The 570AC looks like it could fit straight into the door.
To be honest I haven't really done any back-to-back comparisons between an oval speaker and a round speaker from the same model line, so it's hard for me to give a conclusive answer. The theoretical 'speculation' on the street has always been that a circle is the superior shape for sound quality, as the odd profiles of an oval speaker cause it to flex more on one axis then it does on the other, hence causing more harmonic distortion.
I've never seen any conclusive test evidence to prove this, primarily because nobody really uses oval shaped speakers anywhere but in the lowest end of the speaker market. Most of the enthusiasts who are serious enough to test speakers wouldn't use a speaker from that end of the market.
If I had to go off my "hunch" feeling I would suggest that the word on the street is probably correct. Not only are all high-end car speakers round, but this is also true when you look at high end Hi-Fi speakers as well as all of the DIY speaker drivers available to man. While the Car and Home audio markets can tend towards "form over function" at times (makes for good marketing), the DIY speaker market is focused pretty much exclusively achieving maximum sonic accuracy, so the fact that pretty much every DIY driver I've ever seen has been round, my gut feeling suggests that this IS the optimal shape for a speaker.
DIY Speaker companies (like Scanspeak, SB Acoustics and Seas) build some of the best performing and most technologically advanced speaker drivers on the planet, and are always trying to make use of new design ideas (like special surround designs, fancy motor designs, etc) to try to optimise performance. If these companies were able to take advantage of an the extra cone area of an oval shaped cone without sacrificing significant sound quality, I'd imagine they would have done a long time ago.
So in short - does a round speaker sound better then an oval speaker, if all else the same? I'm going to go with yes, though you should take into account that I am basing this on assumptions and theory, and cannot offer any credible objective evidence to back it up. Lets just say that I would never buy a speaker that is anything but round, so the theory makes enough sense for me to feel convinced.
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Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
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Snowmotion
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Re: Speakers again
Thanks for the info Muzza.
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NC1| WP 1:09.42 | SMP-S 1:03.191 | SMP-N 1:16.1856 | SMP-GP 1:48.288
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muzzy66
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Re: Speakers again
Actually, in the case of Focal themselves, the best bet is to pull up their data sheet and take a look for yourself!
1) Go to the Focal link here: http://www.focal.com/en/access/465-165-ac.html
2) If you scroll down towards the bottom of the page, you'll see a "Documentation" section. Click on "Access 165 AC Technical sheet"
3) Look at the graph labelled "Frequency Response/Impedance". You want to focus on the black line, not the red one. Along the vertical axis is output/volume, and along the horizontal access is frequency. The theoretically perfect speaker should output all frequencies at the exact same volume level - in other words, the graph should be as close as possible to a straight line. The black solid line shows you how the speaker performs on axis - i.e. pointing directly at your ear. The black dotted line shows you how the speaker performs 30 degrees off axis (i.e. angled 30 degrees away from your ear). In a car your speakers are never going to be pointing directly at your ear (except maybe tweeters, but still uncommon) - typically they will be somewhere between 30 deg - 45 deg off axis. Because of this, when you look at a car audio graph you generally always want to look at the off axis measurement.
4) Notice that the off axis measurement (the dotted line) is almost dead flat from about 100hz to about 15,000hz? That's a great indication that this speaker has a very nicely balanced frequency response, which is not very common for a speaker at this price point. Frequency response isn't by any means the ONLY thing that determines how good a speaker sounds, but it is a big one.
5) Look at the parameters and specifications on the right. Notice the "SPL" figure of 87.19 dB/w/m. This is a measure of the speaker's efficiency - i.e. how efficiently can it convert input power into sound energy. Every speaker will lose some power in the form of heat - some speakers will waste more power then others. If a speaker with higher efficiency/sensitivity will go louder then one with lower efficiency/sensitivity when given the same input power. In this case the 87.19dB 1w/1m figure on this speaker tells us that if we were to feed this speaker 1w of power, it will produce 87.19dB of output in the form of sound energy. Another speaker with a sensitivity of 85dB, if given 1w of power, would only output 85dB of sound energy. Sensitivity doesn't directly impact on how good a speaker sounds, however it does tell you how loud the speaker will play for each W of input power. As a general rule a sensitivity of 83-84.9 is pretty poor, 85dB - 86.9dB is solid, 87dB -89dB is excellent. Sensitivity levels below 83dB and above 89dB 1w/1m are pretty rare. The sensitivity of this speaker is 87.19 which is on the good side, so it will be able to run quite easily off minimal amplifier power (or even off a head unit). As a general rule, you need to double your input power to gain 3dB of output, so if speaker A has 3dB higher sensitivity then speaker B, it means that speaker B will need twice as much power to reach the same output level.
6) Notice the "Sd" value - this refers to the surface area of the cone (a.k.a. the cone area). Also notice the "xmax" value in the specifications - this tells you the maximum linear excursion (i.e. how far the cone can move inwards and outwards, before hitting it's limits). A speaker is a bit like a car engine, in that every speaker effectively has a bore (cone area) and stroke (excursion). The displacement of the speaker can be calculated by multiplying the cone area by the excusion, and this displacement figure effectively tells you how much air the speaker can move. This will effective determine the mechanical power handling of the speaker and is critical to a speaker's ability to reproduce low frequencies at high volume levels. This speaker as an Sd of 136.85 cm^2 and an xmax of 2.5mm (0.25cm) so you could say it's displacement is roughly 34.2cm^3,
7) Notice the "Fs" value. This is the resonant frequency of the speaker - as a general rule, the lower the "FS" value, the lower the speaker is going to be able to play if running in free air. In fact the "FS" pretty much completely determines how low the speaker is naturally capable of playing, before other factors (like enclosure, etc) come in to play.
We'll leave the technical stuff there for the time being, as I don't want too intimidating with it, but using the information above we can now look at the technical sheet of the 570 AC (link: http://www.focal.com/en/access/464-570-ac.html) and see how the two compare:
1. Frequency response
165AC: Off axis response is mostly flat from 125hz to 15khz
570 AC: Off axis response is mostly flat from 140hz to 5khz
Result:
165AC wins by a mile. Not only does it play a little bit lower (125hz vs 140hz) it also plays a LOT higher (15khz vs 5khz) which means you are going to get a lot more detail with things like guitar strings, triangles, cymbals female vocals, and anything else that occurs high up in the frequency range. The 165AC is going to have MUCH better sound quality then the 570AC.
4. Resonance Frequency
165AC: 73.17 Hz
570 AC: 78.9 Hz
Result:
The 165AC wins here, which means that in theory it should be able to play lower frequencies better then the 570AC can. This matches up with what we saw in the frequency response graph, as the 165AC played flat down to 125hz while the 570AC only played flat down to 145hz. This is a pretty important number, as it plays an important role in determining how good your midbass performance will be. The 165AC should do a better job of producing deep male vocals, bass guitars and drums.
3. SPL Sensitivity / Efficiency
165AC: 87.19dB @ 1w/1m
570 AC: 88.65dB @ 1w/1m
Result:
570AC wins by a significant margin - if all you care about is maximum volume, then the 570AC will go noticeably louder. Not night and day louder, but noticeably. It has rougnly 1.5dB higher sensitiivty which means that the 165AC off 75w would go just as loud as the 570AC off 50w. would go off 75W. In the grand scheme of things this difference in output is worth mentioning, but if sound quality is your main goal then the frequency response difference is going to be far, far more important.
4. Displacement
165AC: Sd = 153.93cm^2, xmax = 0.25cm, displacement = 38.48
570 AC: Sd = 136.85cm^2, xmax = 0.25cm, displacement = 34.21
Result:
The 570AC wins, but by a very small margin - only about 11% greater displacement which, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty much irrelevant. Not worth considering in your decision.
Conclusion
If you don't care at all about sound quality, and the only thing you care about is getting as loud as you possible can, then the 570AC is the way to go - it will go noticably louder. If you care even the slightest amount about sound quality, then the 165AC is the no brainer here. The difference in sound quality will be HUGE - pretty much night and day.
1) Go to the Focal link here: http://www.focal.com/en/access/465-165-ac.html
2) If you scroll down towards the bottom of the page, you'll see a "Documentation" section. Click on "Access 165 AC Technical sheet"
3) Look at the graph labelled "Frequency Response/Impedance". You want to focus on the black line, not the red one. Along the vertical axis is output/volume, and along the horizontal access is frequency. The theoretically perfect speaker should output all frequencies at the exact same volume level - in other words, the graph should be as close as possible to a straight line. The black solid line shows you how the speaker performs on axis - i.e. pointing directly at your ear. The black dotted line shows you how the speaker performs 30 degrees off axis (i.e. angled 30 degrees away from your ear). In a car your speakers are never going to be pointing directly at your ear (except maybe tweeters, but still uncommon) - typically they will be somewhere between 30 deg - 45 deg off axis. Because of this, when you look at a car audio graph you generally always want to look at the off axis measurement.
4) Notice that the off axis measurement (the dotted line) is almost dead flat from about 100hz to about 15,000hz? That's a great indication that this speaker has a very nicely balanced frequency response, which is not very common for a speaker at this price point. Frequency response isn't by any means the ONLY thing that determines how good a speaker sounds, but it is a big one.
5) Look at the parameters and specifications on the right. Notice the "SPL" figure of 87.19 dB/w/m. This is a measure of the speaker's efficiency - i.e. how efficiently can it convert input power into sound energy. Every speaker will lose some power in the form of heat - some speakers will waste more power then others. If a speaker with higher efficiency/sensitivity will go louder then one with lower efficiency/sensitivity when given the same input power. In this case the 87.19dB 1w/1m figure on this speaker tells us that if we were to feed this speaker 1w of power, it will produce 87.19dB of output in the form of sound energy. Another speaker with a sensitivity of 85dB, if given 1w of power, would only output 85dB of sound energy. Sensitivity doesn't directly impact on how good a speaker sounds, however it does tell you how loud the speaker will play for each W of input power. As a general rule a sensitivity of 83-84.9 is pretty poor, 85dB - 86.9dB is solid, 87dB -89dB is excellent. Sensitivity levels below 83dB and above 89dB 1w/1m are pretty rare. The sensitivity of this speaker is 87.19 which is on the good side, so it will be able to run quite easily off minimal amplifier power (or even off a head unit). As a general rule, you need to double your input power to gain 3dB of output, so if speaker A has 3dB higher sensitivity then speaker B, it means that speaker B will need twice as much power to reach the same output level.
6) Notice the "Sd" value - this refers to the surface area of the cone (a.k.a. the cone area). Also notice the "xmax" value in the specifications - this tells you the maximum linear excursion (i.e. how far the cone can move inwards and outwards, before hitting it's limits). A speaker is a bit like a car engine, in that every speaker effectively has a bore (cone area) and stroke (excursion). The displacement of the speaker can be calculated by multiplying the cone area by the excusion, and this displacement figure effectively tells you how much air the speaker can move. This will effective determine the mechanical power handling of the speaker and is critical to a speaker's ability to reproduce low frequencies at high volume levels. This speaker as an Sd of 136.85 cm^2 and an xmax of 2.5mm (0.25cm) so you could say it's displacement is roughly 34.2cm^3,
7) Notice the "Fs" value. This is the resonant frequency of the speaker - as a general rule, the lower the "FS" value, the lower the speaker is going to be able to play if running in free air. In fact the "FS" pretty much completely determines how low the speaker is naturally capable of playing, before other factors (like enclosure, etc) come in to play.
We'll leave the technical stuff there for the time being, as I don't want too intimidating with it, but using the information above we can now look at the technical sheet of the 570 AC (link: http://www.focal.com/en/access/464-570-ac.html) and see how the two compare:
1. Frequency response
165AC: Off axis response is mostly flat from 125hz to 15khz
570 AC: Off axis response is mostly flat from 140hz to 5khz
Result:
165AC wins by a mile. Not only does it play a little bit lower (125hz vs 140hz) it also plays a LOT higher (15khz vs 5khz) which means you are going to get a lot more detail with things like guitar strings, triangles, cymbals female vocals, and anything else that occurs high up in the frequency range. The 165AC is going to have MUCH better sound quality then the 570AC.
4. Resonance Frequency
165AC: 73.17 Hz
570 AC: 78.9 Hz
Result:
The 165AC wins here, which means that in theory it should be able to play lower frequencies better then the 570AC can. This matches up with what we saw in the frequency response graph, as the 165AC played flat down to 125hz while the 570AC only played flat down to 145hz. This is a pretty important number, as it plays an important role in determining how good your midbass performance will be. The 165AC should do a better job of producing deep male vocals, bass guitars and drums.
3. SPL Sensitivity / Efficiency
165AC: 87.19dB @ 1w/1m
570 AC: 88.65dB @ 1w/1m
Result:
570AC wins by a significant margin - if all you care about is maximum volume, then the 570AC will go noticeably louder. Not night and day louder, but noticeably. It has rougnly 1.5dB higher sensitiivty which means that the 165AC off 75w would go just as loud as the 570AC off 50w. would go off 75W. In the grand scheme of things this difference in output is worth mentioning, but if sound quality is your main goal then the frequency response difference is going to be far, far more important.
4. Displacement
165AC: Sd = 153.93cm^2, xmax = 0.25cm, displacement = 38.48
570 AC: Sd = 136.85cm^2, xmax = 0.25cm, displacement = 34.21
Result:
The 570AC wins, but by a very small margin - only about 11% greater displacement which, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty much irrelevant. Not worth considering in your decision.
Conclusion
If you don't care at all about sound quality, and the only thing you care about is getting as loud as you possible can, then the 570AC is the way to go - it will go noticably louder. If you care even the slightest amount about sound quality, then the 165AC is the no brainer here. The difference in sound quality will be HUGE - pretty much night and day.
-
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
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Snowmotion
- Racing Driver
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Re: Speakers again
I got the 165AC so I will see how the install goes over the next couple of days. 
Thank you.
Thank you.
NB8A| WP 1:15.6 | SMP-S 1:08.56 | SMP-N 1:21.35
NC1| WP 1:09.42 | SMP-S 1:03.191 | SMP-N 1:16.1856 | SMP-GP 1:48.288
NC1| WP 1:09.42 | SMP-S 1:03.191 | SMP-N 1:16.1856 | SMP-GP 1:48.288
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luzinit
- Fast Driver
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- Vehicle: NB8A
Re: Speakers again
Some really interesting information there muzzy66. You explained it in a way a total newbie could understand, well done and thanks.
Snowmotion - are you making adapters to fit the speakers into the stock 8" holes?
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Snowmotion - are you making adapters to fit the speakers into the stock 8" holes?
Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
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muzzy66
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- Vehicle: ND - 2 GT
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Re: Speakers again
ManiacLachy wrote:I'm not currently in the market - but I expect to be in time, once I finish addressing other areas of the car.
I guess I was looking for a bit of a general buyers guide, so that various forum members with their various budgets would have a point of reference (rather than being specifically about me, my needs and my budget).muzzy66 wrote:I, personally, look at it something like:
A: Cheap & Dirty: < $200
B: Entry Level: <$200 - $349
C: Mid Entry Level: $350 - $499
D: Mid range: $500 - $699
E: Mid High End: $700 - $899[url]
F: High End: $900 - $1,499
G: Audiophile: $1,500+
Just let me know which of these price points you are curious about, and I should be able to recommend you something
In keeping with my original intent, I think B, C & D would fill the general price points of most people. I'd likely be shopping at C.
Thanks!
Ok I'm going to go one step further and will make recommendations for every one of the above price points!
A: Cheap & Dirty: < $200
Hertz ECX165.4 - $149 RRP (http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/car-audio-coaxial-energy-ecx165_5/
Morel Maximo Coax 6 - $195 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/maximo-coax/
** Focal 165AC - $219 RRP (http://www.focal.com/en/access/465-165-ac.html)
B: Entry Level: <$200 - $349
Rainbow DL-C6.2 - $249 RRP (http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/speaker/dream-line/
Morel Temp Coax 6 - $287 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/tempo-coax/)
Morel Maximo 6.2 - $299 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/maximo-2-way)
Crescendo Evolution 1S2 - $309 RRP (http://crescendo.audio/)
Focal 165AS - $329 RRP (http://www.focal.com/en/access/461-165-as.html)
** Hertz ESK 165L.5 - $349 RRP (http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/car-audio-systems-energy-esk165l_5/
Focal PC165F - $369 RRP (http://www.focal.com/en/flax-cone-coaxial-driverspeaker-kits/599-pc-165f.html)
Rainbow SL-C6.2 - $349 RRP (http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/speaker/sound-line/
C: Mid Entry Level: $350 - $499
Morel Tempo 6 - $449 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/tempo-2-way)
Crescendo Opus 3 - $499 RRP (http://crescendo.audio/)
** Focal PS165F - $493 (http://www.focal.com/en/expert/436-ps-165-f-3544050750197.html)
D: Mid range: $500 - $899
Rainbow SL-C6.2 Pro - $529 RRP (http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/speaker/sound-line-pro/
** Focal PS165FX - $599 (http://www.focal.com/en/expert/437-ps-165-fx-3544051750196.html)
** Focal ES165K - $699 RRP (http://www.focal.com/en/k2-power/590-es-165-k.html)
Hertz HSX165X.4 - $699 RRP (http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/car-audio-speakers-system-hienergy-hsk165xl)
Rainbow Germanium GL-C6.2 - $699 RRP (http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/speaker/germanium-line/
Morel Hybrid Integra 602 - $785 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/hybrid-integra/
E: High End: $900 - $1,499
Morel Hybrid 602 - $925 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/hybrid-2-way/
Dynaudio System 242 GT - $1,099 RRP (http://www.dynaudio.com/car-audio/aftermarket/esotec/esotec-system-242-gt-two-way-component-system/)
Arc Audio Black 6.2 - $1,359 RRP (http://www.arcaudio.com/p/black-6-2?pp=24)
** Micro Precision 7.16s - $1,399 RRP (http://www.microprecision.de)
F: Audiophile: $1,500+
Morel Elate Ti 602 - $1,960 RRP (http://www.morelhifi.com/product/elate-titanium-2-way-3-way/)
Focal Utopia 165 W-RC Passive - $1,999 RRP (http://www.focal.com/en/utopia-be/367-165-w-rc-passif-3544050754041.html)
Brax Matrix 2-way System PP - $3,399 RRP (http://www.audiotec-fischer.de/lng/en/brax/products/speaker/)
** Focal Utopia Be Kit No 6 - $3,999 RRP (http://www.focal.com/en/utopia-be/76-utopia-be-kit-n6-n6-active-3544056754038.html)
** Rainbow Platinum CS275.28 - $4,999 RRP (http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/speaker/platinum-line/
Rainbow Reference CS260.30 - $9,999 RRP (http://www.rainbow-audio.de/en/speaker/reference-line/
Note 1:
The speakers that have a ** next to them are ones that either:
a) I have been especially impressed by when I've heard them previously
or
b) Have great on-paper specs that really stand out in their price point
Note 2:
There weren't a lot of speakers in Category E ($799 - $899) that I felt were really worth the money, so I have merged this into Category D and made it a $500 - $899 category.
Last edited by muzzy66 on Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:08 pm, edited 4 times in total.
-
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
-
muzzy66
- Fast Driver
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:38 pm
- Vehicle: ND - 2 GT
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Speakers again
Snowmotion wrote:I got the 165AC so I will see how the install goes over the next couple of days.
Thank you.
No problems, will be eager to hear what you think once they are in!
-
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
-
Snowmotion
- Racing Driver
- Posts: 750
- Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:47 pm
- Vehicle: NC
- Location: Sydney
Re: Speakers again
luzinit wrote:Snow motion - are you making adapters to fit the speakers into the stock 8" hole.
Yes. I have a spare mounting spacer from the standard speaker and using that as my template with a 140mm hole in the center as required for the speaker. Going to use 20mm MDF as this should give the right depth.
NB8A| WP 1:15.6 | SMP-S 1:08.56 | SMP-N 1:21.35
NC1| WP 1:09.42 | SMP-S 1:03.191 | SMP-N 1:16.1856 | SMP-GP 1:48.288
NC1| WP 1:09.42 | SMP-S 1:03.191 | SMP-N 1:16.1856 | SMP-GP 1:48.288
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bear2230
- Racing Driver
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- Contact:
Re: Speakers again
Super Informative as ever Paul, Well done.
I was at FHRX today getting stage 1 in the WRX. Door deadening. I was going to do it myself but I didn't want to take all the door trims off a brand new car incase of the dreaded clip breakage.
They did all 4 doors inside and out including diffusers and upgraded the earthing. Took Jaco about 4 hours. The difference this made on the Harman Kardon system was massive and will do for now but you know this will only be short term. It always is.
If you don't do at least some of this you are pretty much wasting your time buying better speakers. Not to mention the difference it make to the outside noise.
Richard.
I was at FHRX today getting stage 1 in the WRX. Door deadening. I was going to do it myself but I didn't want to take all the door trims off a brand new car incase of the dreaded clip breakage.
They did all 4 doors inside and out including diffusers and upgraded the earthing. Took Jaco about 4 hours. The difference this made on the Harman Kardon system was massive and will do for now but you know this will only be short term. It always is.
If you don't do at least some of this you are pretty much wasting your time buying better speakers. Not to mention the difference it make to the outside noise.
Richard.
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muzzy66
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Re: Speakers again
bear2230 wrote:Super Informative as ever Paul, Well done.
I was at FHRX today getting stage 1 in the WRX. Door deadening. I was going to do it myself but I didn't want to take all the door trims off a brand new car incase of the dreaded clip breakage.
They did all 4 doors inside and out including diffusers and upgraded the earthing. Took Jaco about 4 hours. The difference this made on the Harman Kardon system was massive and will do for now but you know this will only be short term. It always is.
If you don't do at least some of this you are pretty much wasting your time buying better speakers. Not to mention the difference it make to the outside noise.
Richard.
door_ds_bare_and_cleaned_1.jpgdoor_ds_deadening_inner_1.jpgdoor_ds_deadening_outer_1.jpg
Haha you probably never saw how crazy I went with with the install on my old Alfa!
The grey stuff you see inside the door is 1" thick acoustic foam! Somehow it managed to actually fit without blocking the window from going up and down haha
I must admit, I did go a little crazy with that install, but credit to Marty and his crew for matching my anal pickiness every step of the way:
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Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
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ManiacLachy
- Forum Guru
- Posts: 3265
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:35 pm
- Vehicle: NB SE
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Speakers again
muzzy66, thank you so much for that, better than I could have even hoped for!
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muzzy66
- Fast Driver
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:38 pm
- Vehicle: ND - 2 GT
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Speakers again
ManiacLachy wrote:muzzy66, thank you so much for that, better than I could have even hoped for!
No problem at all, happy that I could be of help!
If anything I apologise for taking so long to respond, just had to do a bit of research as I've been out of the game for a bit.
Thanks to life (and that annoying thing they call "responsibility"), I've had no audio in my life for more than two years now. I miss being around audio and it's depressing as hell - if I can't play around with my own audio, then talking about it and helping other people with their own systems is the next best thing!
Always happy to take questions and offer advice
-
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
Car
2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Audio
Source: Clarion HX-D2
Speakers: Focal 165WRC
Amp: Zapco Reference 350.2
Sub: DLS Nordica 10i
Amp: Helix H1000
-
ManiacLachy
- Forum Guru
- Posts: 3265
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:35 pm
- Vehicle: NB SE
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Speakers again
It's been a while - whoa, it was 2016! It does NOT seem that long ago I was asking for guidance! 
So, I wanted to follow up and report. I bought a pair of the Focal 165AS from Muzzy's Section B "Entry Level" recommendations, and I finally got them installed last year. But I didn't get to hear them until a couple of weeks ago, thanks to my various issues with the car.
Now I can assert: the speakers are great, and exactly what I was aiming for.
My car is somewhat loud, makes a lot of squeaks and rattles and carries a fair amount vibration resonance, so pristine audio was not my goal. I wanted "better" than the old OEM speakers, and that's what these speakers have delivered. When the car is not at speed with tyre and engine noise, I can hear far better detail in my music than before. And when I am at speed the speakers deliver more power more easily, so while I'm sure some detail is still lost I can still hear the music! These Focals were not overly expensive but have delivered a great result for me.
I'm very happy, so thank you Muzzy for your guide and recommendations!
So, I wanted to follow up and report. I bought a pair of the Focal 165AS from Muzzy's Section B "Entry Level" recommendations, and I finally got them installed last year. But I didn't get to hear them until a couple of weeks ago, thanks to my various issues with the car.
Now I can assert: the speakers are great, and exactly what I was aiming for.
My car is somewhat loud, makes a lot of squeaks and rattles and carries a fair amount vibration resonance, so pristine audio was not my goal. I wanted "better" than the old OEM speakers, and that's what these speakers have delivered. When the car is not at speed with tyre and engine noise, I can hear far better detail in my music than before. And when I am at speed the speakers deliver more power more easily, so while I'm sure some detail is still lost I can still hear the music! These Focals were not overly expensive but have delivered a great result for me.
I'm very happy, so thank you Muzzy for your guide and recommendations!
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