P5s_LetsRoll

Has anyone installed custom kick-panels in their protege(5) yets? Or a 3-piece component set in the doors??

If so about how much $$$, and how do they sound.. I mean as far as sound imaging.. I know it will all depend on power and speaker but how does it sound over all.

I am going to purchase a pair of JL Audio XR653-CS 3-way components to start my system off.. These will be run by an Eclipse 5303 (dead face Head Unit) off of a JL Audio 450/4 "Big Block"

Does anyone know if their is awesome sound imaging coming from Protege Cars..

Any help is appreciated... Thanks

hihoslva

I can tell you that in stock form, there is no "awesome imaging" coming from the Proteges.

The speakers are just way too low in the doors to get any real good imaging. But it all depends on what you are looking for.

Kick pods can create a great soundstage in almost any vehicle. If that's your plan, I would put mid-basses in the doors, and put the mid and tweeter in the kick.

If you want to stay fairly stock, your choices are limited. I have my tweeters located just above the stock door speaker, and they are aimed toward me. Imaging and soundstage are *aight* - nothing great. But it still sounds very nice and "cohesive" - all the sound coming from the same place.

You can also try mounting tweets in the mirror sail panels - I did this earlier on with my car. While the soundstage was certainly higher, and the imaging maybe a bit better (probably just different), the sound source separation of having the tweet so far from the mid kinda sucked. Plus, one tweet is much closer to your ear in that position, which can be kinda screwy (imaging again) unless you have some sort of time-alignment function on your deck, or can balance the sound left/right properly. Even then, it's still tough to get things "cohesive".

Overall, I like my present tweeter location. Not as "in-your-face" as it was up higher.

You should play with the tweeter location before mounting - use some duct tape, and move them around until you find what suits you best.

I am going to be re-working my system soon (again ), and just might try to make angled adapters in the doors again. Since I have MDF plates to mount 6.5"s in the 5x7 holes, I had always planned to make angled adapters - to "aim" the mid a bit more toward the passenger compartment rather than at my calves. I've been through 3 sets of speakers, and have yet to do it, though - maybe this time! I just have to figure out how to make them without a table saw.....

~HH

MisterT

QForms doesn't make any kick panels for Mazda Protege, but they do make a universal one which must be cut to fit properly. I don't know how it would look, but I would talk to a local hifi shop about it (one who sells them). Also, on Sounddomain.com there was a set for sale by one of the members. Whether or not they are sold is another thing, but they were custom made (nice looking too!!!)

MisterT

P5s_LetsRoll

I will be going to put $$$ down on the XR651-CS today.. I will be doing custom kick panels done by a HIFI shop that has done many competition vehicles in the past 15 years..

Everyone has looked at the car and said kick panels would work the best, but I just don't see how when you/passengers legs are in the way with the sound imaging..

I guess these guys know what their talking about when it comes to space, distance, imaging.. So I'll let them do their job..

Does anyone know someone who owns JL Audio W7's and has them in their protege5??? If so please let me know..

thanks

walight01

check out this guys setup

jl audio makes very good quality stuff, the w7 is another reason jl audio is ahead ofhttp://www.sounddomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=207769&page=1 the curve

P5s_LetsRoll

Well I've done.. I've started my competition system now, now the journey doesn't end!!!!

I went and purchased the XR653-CS yesterday, they are the best sounding component's I've ever heard in my 5 young years of Car Audio.. Twice as good as the 3-way Boston Pros sound. (I think)

I will doing a kick panel installation for imaging purposes and space constraints.. I will be using a JL Audio 300/2 for them in the front.

UP in question is what to use on rear speakers once I get new ones.. My Alpine V12 Expert 75x2 or purchase another small JL amp.. If I run them off the Alpine it'll save me roughly $400 that I could use for wiring or dynamat.. I think it's the best way to do.. What do you all think?

thanks

Dave Cameron

what type of sound system is your objective here? SQ or SPL? A daily user car or a nuts out competition sound platform?
I am working or a three way set up of Focals in the Mazdaspeed right now using a combination of the doors and custom kickpanels. using both can be done, it will trash our a set of front door panels to do it.
Make sure the shop doing the front kicks build them in such a way that sometime in the future you can remove them should you elect and not have holes in the standard carpet or kickpanels. The easiest way I know to build kickpanel pods involves "cheating" a touch and using some of the exsisting materal to build the new panels, but at the cost of how it looks when thoses kick panels are removed.
Kicks provide the closest to equidistant locations for the driver, so sound will hit the front listeners ears as close to the same time as possible.
If you are serious then about the quality of sound, you can get a headunit with time phase correlation, and compensate for the exact distances, and come up with a very nice front soundstage.
The rear speakers can really muck up a good front soundstage, I personally one see merit in them if doing car audio-video systems with pro logic. Consider the focus on the best quality amp for the front instead. JL makes fine amps in the class, and there are a favorite with a nice three power rail design, well thought out and quiet! It would also save you more $ for the wiring and sound deadening. Check out www.b-quiet.com for deadening at much better pricing. Folks who don't get factory sponsership on deadening are now choosing this stuff allot more from what I am seeing in competition.
Good Luck, and let us all know how you progress and how the system evolves-

1st MP3 in NH

On this note what are your guys thoughts on this.
I have been debating using 2 sets of 3 way components up front. Putt both 4"s in kicks with 1 tweeter. The other tweeter up high as an ambian and both 6.5"s in teh doors.
I am trying to embark ona mission of SQ and SPL!
Well your thought?

walight01

$$$$$ but gr8 idea

1st MP3 in NH

I was planning to run whatever system I choose with a JL 300/2 to each set. If that helps

walight01

even more $$$$ it will be awesome though

1st MP3 in NH

Well JL and MB quart give the employees of dealers a great discount so thats will be my likely speaker route even though I would love to do the Boston Acoustics Z5s and then the 6.5" from the Z6s in the doors.
The other thing I came across was the Pioneer DEX-P9 and DEQ-P9 combination. I MUST HAVE IT!

Dave Cameron

Hey there 1st! How are you? I have set up dry (in a rack) the setup for the mazdaspeed, and the signal source system in the DEX and DEQ P9. I am impressed with it! If you ever played with the P1R, you have gotten a glimpse of what the p9 can do- in it's sleep. I am setting up for a time aligned, three way front sound stage using three amps mated to a matched 12 inch sub in the rear. The optical line between the headunit and the processor is a fun feature- I plan to take full advantage by using the shortest RCA lines I can becuase of it.
I would imagine you will be able to get a good deal on the set- I ended up shelling out about 580.00 and 680.00 the the headunit and processor respectvily.
I have seen a few cars that were designed to pull both SPL and SQ, and a very few that were able to pull it off well. You are onto the big concept that I saw work ( I think this is what you are onto) whichis the right speakers for the right purpose. The cars that worked on this we ones that had seperate sets of speakers in the front to use in different catagories. I saw that a lot in multi amp/sub setups so the same platform/car can be used in several catagories in a event.
And you know that I really really like JL hardware!!
Let me know how your design comes along, and what I can do to help out from afar!

pimpp5

Click the www button on the bottom of my post and it will take you to my cardomain site I made custom kick panels for the car also tweeter pods to.

1st MP3 in NH

Hey dave thanks for the advice. I have decided to drop the 2 3-way idea and go with dual 6.5s in each door and a set of closely matched 5.25s int he kick panels with the smae 5.25s in back and abiant tweeters. I am awe struck from using the DEQ and DEX in Jeff Lambs black grand prix GTP. The installer that bebuild it a bit is a good friend of a friend and I spent a late night watching them tune it a few months ago. The same installer will hopefully be making atleast my door pods and from the QWSOME price ha gave me probably the kick panels too. I love to do the work myself but I am strapped for time as it is and he is a much better installer.

I was thinking of using all JL and use XR525csi in the kicks and 4 XR650cws in the doors. Each will have a 300/2 powering them. I would love to do BA Z series speakers but I don't have the money even at discount for them. Although I might if I wait for there next tour.

The subs are killing me though, I simply can't make a decision although I am leaning toward 3 10W6v2s in a tub firing upward.