Squawker upgrade, help!

My Infinitys came with a 100uF cap that I installed (400Hz highpass). Integrates perfectly with the door speakers.

I played around with the sqawker angles. Like rrolff said, because of the windshield angle, they are already pretty much optimized. In the end, that's how I left them.

BTW - the Infinitys tweeters must stick out a little more than the Pioneers. I removed most of the OEM grille tabs (except for the two sliders at the windshield base and the two nearest the cabin) and also ground out a lot of the stiffening ribs underneath the grille. The grilles pop in, but it's obvious they are rubbing on the tweeter cover. I may just dremel this area completely out to make a 4" circle and cover it with cloth. It will sound a lot better.

Dave

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

That should work well- a simple 6dB/octave high-pass filter.

Get a 100V 320uF NP/BiPolar like

320uF 100V Non-Polarized Capacitor

and bypass it (parallel it) with a 400V+ .01uF film cap (polyprop., polystyrene, or teflon) like

Dayton Audio DFFC-0.01 0.01uF 400V By-Pass Capacitor

Place that package in line/series with the + and there ya' go!
Just make sure that it's secured well in place. Don't want to encourage any more rattles.

About $12 worth of parts + s&h.

This should give you what you want, and not sacrifice SQ.

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Thanks - why the second cap in parallel with the first? Two caps in parallel just end up adding - so I would net 320.01uF (am I missing something here?)...?

 

It's quite a nice amazing difference... It really brings the mids / voice up. I've got a Stereophile CD someplace with test tones (different frequencies should sound equally loud) - time to find it....

Great find - and simple install. I only needed to trim the drivers side plastic screw hole (the right hole) - I noticed a slight rattle today - so I need to open it up again to hot glue the things in...

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

You're right (excepting that the caps are 5-10% tolerance)

Why bypass an electrolytic cap?
You can increase transient response, which helps with macro and micro dynamics. This can also have other effects too, like better separation of the musical instruments, better imaging in various ways, and a quieter background to the music.
The higher quality cap will, in a sense, "fix" the sonic deficits of the larger (cheaper) electrolytic cap.
A 300uF HQ film cap can easily top $30-$50 each. This method will give you a significant percentage of the SQ at a fraction of the cost.

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

hey dan I'm trying to follow you, this will take the bass music from the new pioneer's (squawkers) and send it to the bigger door speakers?
thanks,
putty

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Quite the opposite. It will remove frequencies below around 200-300hz, passing only the midrange and high frequencies on to the squawkers (squeeters?) so they're not damaged or overloaded- as is happening to rrolff.

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Thanks!!! Guess Radio Shack will get a calling tonight... I still don't understand the parallel caps (from an engineering perspective) - but it sure can't hurt...........

The Pioneers are rated to 60Hz (haaaaa) - so I thought 120 might be a nice real world target... I paralleled the speakers at the crossovers - so it shouldn't be that hard to play with (they are accessible down low...).

I do recommend anyone doing the squakers screw (hard to do) or hot melt in the squaker for vibration.

 

I have no plans for Pie tonight. But I do think the new setup will give around 2.718% better mileage based on previous tests - it's constantly EEExciting.

Though before further testing, we have an event at a restaurant at an aquarium this evening featuring 42 dolphins - needlessly to say, we will be eating fish and saying thanks before we leave......

We're driving a Ford to the Restaurant (it's reliable - and the restaurant is far far away)...

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Radio Shack will be of no help at all.
Parts Express (through Amazon, if you want) will be one of the best choices, or, if in a major hurry, a car audio store can sell you "bass blockers" which will do the same (although not sound as good).

From an engineering perspective so far as bypassing: think along the lines of lower ESR (equivalent/effective series resistance) due to paralleled caps, lower inductance (same as prev), and, sonically, the composite cap takes on the better electrical characteristics of the higher quality unit.

Have Fun!

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

I think we have a few options.

1. For the squaker, simply put a cap in-line to the +. This creates a 6db high pass filter. Depending on cap, you can choose the frequency that goes to the speaker (only that one speaker). So a 4 ohm speaker, with a 300 uF cap will stop anything lower than 120hz (+ / - give or take, not a hard stop, but a fast one that should be fine)... Crossover Design Chart and Inductance vs. Frequency Calculator(Low-pass) shows a simple calculator to figure out the frequency vs cap...

2. Probably better/more ideal - install a 4 channel amp ($100) - you have to run the main (RCA) out to under a seat - run power, speaker wires etc - but most amps allow you to change volume to each set of speakers (which is easier to match existing vs new squakers). Also, many have built in crossovers - so you can run the existing setup straight, and custom the squaker (cut out at 120 Hz, vary its power to match the existing). I have the amp, just am too laze to run all the wires, and take up the space under the drivers seat... Might happen once i've lived with this for a while, and understand it...

3. Active crossover (I have one of these too) - they are powered, take the line level (RCA), and you can tailor the passable frequencies (and how hard they 'cut off)' - I think mine runs cut offs to like 6, 9 or 12 db (from memory) - it also does bandpath (you can select 120hz - 1Khz), low pass (only lower than xx hz) and high pass (only higher than yy hz). You need an amp too...... Lots more work - so it will also sit in my garage...

I'd suggest starting with the passive (cap in-line) option.

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Thanks for the engineering update I'm on my 3rd day of reverse vacation (kids are away for Spring break, wife/SO took her parents on a 5 day cruise).

I have around 72 hours left of my reverse vacation - torn my car apart twice (120 VAC inverter issue, reverse cam on the blink, and squakers), watched several Stallone/Seagal type movies, mixed in the Lakers, and Final 4.... It's been exhausting...

Needless to say, I'm enjoying my vacation at home

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Simple, easy and effective (and tuneable by changing cap values).

Not as optimal sonically as your other scenarios, but we are talking about a car with a fairly high ambient noise level when in motion.
If we don't need in increase the power (using separate amps or separates w/electronic xover) it should do well.

 

Re: limiting frequencies (low) to the squaker replacement...

Enjoy the vacation!

If you really want to get this done, Metra, Stinger, Fierce Audio and others make the bass blockers and can probably be gotten at your local Best Buy. You can always do the bypass at a later time if you want to.....

Have Fun!:rockon:

 

Frodoz...

I did a squawker upgrade and now my nav directions volume is so low I can hardly hear it.

I didn't add an amp or anything.

Any ideas how to fix this?

 

I'm not frodoz, but.......

What did you replace it with? (make, model, etc.)

Since you have the NAV, you've got the 8 speaker JBL system.....

 

If all you did was swap speakers (squaker), then there is a good chance that the speaker you swapped in is less efficient (not as loud at a given power),

Your speaker could also be rated differently (8 ohms vs 4), which may mess with any existing crossover........

As an aside, for my install, I went to Best Buy, and bought a set of "bass blockers" - basically an electrolytic cap - you choose the frequency (I think I went with like 400 hz - or was it 100???) - they only had two frequencies to choose from... It works flawlessly - sound is as good as before, but no more bottoming out on songs with low frequency content.

 

You really must give more info. Your sig shows you have Prius III JBL/Nav. Did you replace front squawkers only, brand, specs, did you use a capacitor...?

 

I am getting excellent audio from replacing the factory squawkers with a standard tweeter(Polk DB1). It eliminated the need to do much cutting in the squawker wells and with the built-in in-line crossovers, the highs are nicely loud, but actually so loud that I had to dial it down on the HU.

Having a flexible HU is a tremendous help(Kenwood Excelon). It allows me to set the presence/absence of tweeters, dial in the distance of the woofers, tweeters, and subs, adjust the crossover of each, and even the type of the car.

With a good set of door woofers, there is really not much need for an additional woofer on the dash.