Terrible Tweeter Trouble

[Nick Nick]

Hi All,

I've had a good look through the forum for anyone that has mounted custom tweeters in the dash of a 2.0Gti 8V beeza, but cant find anything other than the pioneer aftermarket sets, or a very dubious method of mounting them using tupperware containers that just happened to fit the dash holes...

I have changed the door speakers from the nasty standard ones to a set of dual magnet Kenwood 3 way speakers which I had in my Ford Deathscort, and yes, I bothered to run new cables by drilling small holes in the plasic things that hold the cables between the car and the door (boy was that a mission). I have them connected to one side of an Alpine MRV-545 amp, and a set of (now very old) Kenwood 7x10s connected to the other side of the amp. I have disconnected the standard rear speakers.

Originally I had the dash mounted tweeters plugged in to the speaker out of my head unit, and the 2 pre-outs running the front and back inputs on the MRV-F545. There is an output from this amp to an alpine MRD-M605 which runs the Type R sub that I have.

It sounded like a bag of Sh*te, even though everything is set correctly, polarity, gain (from the headunit output voltage), xover freq's etc. So I disconnected the tweeters, and am just running the Sub, the 7x10s and the front 3way Dual magnet speakers, however I am still totally dissapointed with the sound that I have for the money that I have spent.

So.....

I have just bought a set of brand new Alpine SPx-177R components, and am looking to replace the rears with a set of Alpine SPX-17MB mid-bass speakers (yes, Im an Alpine wh0re). I can cope with the rear stealth shelf, but the tweeters in the front are vexing me.

I thought about trying to manufacture a disc or similar size in either wood (MDF), metal or acrylic/plexiglass but it seems like a total mission to do that. I'm also not that confident in the end result....

Another gripe is that my door cards rattle a bit when the beats are pumping...


So questions are:

1. Can anyone suggest any way to mount the tweeters in their orignal positions using some sort of custom mount, other than a tupperware container lol

2. Suggestions/comments/flames on my choice of component and rear speakers - I'm praying that its going to sound better than it currently does.

3. what is the best way to deaden the rattle from my door cards, especially since I'm about to change the speakers to even more powerful ones.


Something else that I've been looking at is stereo imaging, and I've read about 'kickboards'. Has anyone made any kickboards to mount speakers in for a beeza GTI? The door location is (IMHO) totally crap to get the sound to your ears - my ankles enjoy pumping beats on axis, but my ears hear flab...
And would mounting the rear midbass speakers in a stealth shelf facing directly up be significantly worse than mounting them at an angle facing a bit more towards the driver/passenger? From what i've read, treble is much more directional than bass...

Ok, thats taken a little while to compose, so any suggestions would be greatly welcomed.

Nick

My beast - Copper Ibiza 2.0GTI, standard everything except ICE.

 

[Krishen]

On my gti ive ripped out teh original tweeters from their holding place and simply put new ones in. Used a screwdriver and hammer to smash the actual tweeter from its mounting and then just put the new ones in thier place. that way you can still replace the tweeter mounting back with new tweeters and it fits. (DOnt know how much of that made sense lol)

 

[surcalation]

mounting tweeters like this?

My choice of components for front speakers where rainbow ones. I also have a skinz sound deadening system in place to reduce rattles and increase sound quality.

These are yet to be amped to my phoenix gold amp which is currently driving my HO box. Soon as I get a JL 500/1 amp for the HO box my poenix gold amp will then power the components.

My ice was installed by Source Sounds in Sheffield.

 

[surcalation]

just done a quick web search for you as I think you will want some specialist advice. Closest place to you which might be able to help is:

http://www.cannoncaraudio.co.uk/index.htm based in Waterlooville

They are involved with IASCA so I would hope they have the knowledge/advice your after. Maybe not Ibiza specific but I they might be your best bet.

 

[surcalation]

http://www.mtxaudio.eu/article.php3?id_article=1094

for a reference for ya 2

 

[Nick Nick]

Thanks Krishen, I thought about that, but I think my tweeters would sit a bit high, or id have to get a bit medieval with the current tweeters and gouge out great chunks to flush mount them - there's also that annoying lump to make flush mounting nigh on impossible!

Thanks for the info and pics surculation,

That looks ilke a promising installation method - I had another little ponder this evening and its a toss up between mounting them like that, or mounting them in the space in front of the door handle in the door card - but that means wiring TWO sets of wires each side through those little plastic adapters to the xovers in the car... eek! :S. I thought about mounting the xovers in the doors, but access will be a nightmare etc.

The reason for the second choice is that the grille over the tweeter has a nasty round plastic support thing directly between my ear and the tweeter to carefully block th sound... grrr. Im thinking about removing parts of it.

I'll have to have a look at the Skinz sound deadening products - I only started looking at that this evening. I have big worries about the electric window & door mechanisms... - did Source Sounds install the Skinz stuff for you, or did you take the plunge yourself?

anyway, thanks again for the piccies - I will check out the links when i'm being paid tomorrow

 

[Nick Nick]

arse, its late, sorry, 'surcalation' ... I even checked that once

 

[surcalation]

source did the skinz system for me. Just stuck to the door really. Shall try and get pics when I starting swappin out my grey doorcards for black ones. Seems easy enough.

If its any consolation my crossovers are in in my dash somewhere. I know one is tucked behind the drivers side glovebox, not had the effort to look for the other one. Just had the wires fed between the doors. Should be a grommet thingy. Just electrical tape wrapped around it all. Shall see if I have any better pics