FEATURED 2004 Ram 2500 SQ Build

[GoldCountryCA]

Then I deadened before installing the plywood

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Amps in place

Used these to get power wire from outside to inside the cab. 300a in, ground, and 80a out for my camper’s DCDC charger.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Test fitting go the seat feels on the 2” risers

Dual 1/0 feeds each on a 300a zcase fuse

With the protective cover installed

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Got the HU, speaker pods and new dash in place.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Back area mostly buttoned up…

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Remaining gauges installed and took it to get tuned.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Not really happy with the sound yet. It’s way too bright. On axis mid and tweet may not help. The shop I took it to for tuning is a high end shop. They are the guys who sold me the helix v8 DSP. The type of shop where component sets start at a couple grand.

They thought CDT’s recommended frequency of 2-3k for the tweeters was way too low. I told them to do what sounds best. It sounded good in the parking lot, but too bright on the way home. I was thinking maybe the mid to low frequencies were getting cancelled by diesel vibration and mud terrain tires. Anyhow, taking it back in next week to retune. I need a windows based pc to play with the software myself, as well. I’m sure they’ll get it right. A lot of it is preference.

Next project is a Honda Element I have. I’ll start another build thread for it. Still more questions before this one is finished satisfactorily.

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

Not really happy with the sound yet. It’s way too bright. On axis mid and tweet may not help. The shop I took it to for tuning is a high end shop. They are the guys who sold me the helix v8 DSP. The type of shop where component sets start at a couple grand.

They thought CDT’s recommended frequency of 2-3k for the tweeters was way too low. I told them to do what sounds best. It sounded good in the parking lot, but too bright on the way home. I was thinking maybe the mid to low frequencies were getting cancelled by diesel vibration and mud terrain tires. Anyhow, taking it back in next week to retune. I need a windows based pc to play with the software myself, as well. I’m sure they’ll get it right. A lot of it is preference.

Next project is a Honda Element I have. I’ll start another build thread for it. Still more questions before this one is finished satisfactorily.

Personally I'd cross those tweeters at 2500hz and let the midrange play up to it.

Brightness can be cut in the dsp. But seeing as they want to run such a highpass on those tweeters I question their tuning ability. The helix is a fine piece of gear that cam do almost anything you want it to do. Really one of the best on the market.

If they aren't using a measurement mic to tune they aren't tuning they are simply winging it.

Another thing getting bass out of doors is quite hard you need really good if not perfect phase alignment between each midbass and the subs. And most people don't cross midbass below 80hz which limits bass as it is. Lowering belown80hz can sometimes yield more bass but it exposes some installs to speaker damage or at the very least door panel buzzing.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Personally I'd cross those tweeters at 2500hz and let the midrange play up to it.

Brightness can be cut in the dsp. But seeing as they want to run such a highpass on those tweeters I question their tuning ability. The helix is a fine piece of gear that cam do almost anything you want it to do. Really one of the best on the market.

If they aren't using a measurement mic to tune they aren't tuning they are simply winging it.

Another thing getting bass out of doors is quite hard you need really good if not perfect phase alignment between each midbass and the subs. And most people don't cross midbass below 80hz which limits bass as it is. Lowering belown80hz can sometimes yield more bass but it exposes some installs to speaker damage or at the very least door panel buzzing.

I’m going to ask for the file for the tune when I go in next. Also considering getting a separate tune from a different Helix dealer for comparison. If I can avoid that I will because shop rate is $160-200/hr in town. The initial tune was $300.

I’m hopeful the first shop will get it much closer this go ‘round. Again, there’s some personal preference involved, so it’d behoove me to get a windows based laptop to do my own tweaks beyond the timing/delay aspects. I assume once that part is dialed, adjusting frequency response won’t require further timing or delay changes.

 

[chipss36]

Humans can't hear above 20k hz and that's if their hearing is good. The number is lower for most adults. I can't see a problem.

Then you do not understand harmonics friend.
Just saying.

 

[chipss36]

It’s probably tuned pretty flat, and that’s a common issue, if you have never been around a truly flat frequency response, and sound treatment .

In my studio my main and near fields for mixing are very flat and unforgiving, also very fatiguing, but they tell me no lies, that works for mixing or mastering music. And having that mix translate well on all types of systems.
Ya it’s bright .

in the car for music listening pleasure, I don’t want a flat response,
Many much more fun curves exist.
Seems to me they just tuned it flat, ask them!
I would talk to the tuner about being unhappy with the tune and why, and what you are looking for.
It cannot hurt, to let them know you are not happy with the sound. See what they say, before blowing them off.

Nice install man, the pictures tell the story well.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

It’s probably tuned pretty flat, and that’s a common issue, if you have never been around a truly flat frequency response, and sound treatment .

In my studio my main and near fields for mixing are very flat and unforgiving, also very fatiguing, but they tell me no lies, that works for mixing or mastering music. And having that mix translate well on all types of systems.
Ya it’s bright .

in the car for music listening pleasure, I don’t want a flat response,
Many much more fun curves exist.
Seems to me they just tuned it flat, ask them!
I would talk to the tuner about being unhappy with the tune and why, and what you are looking for.
It cannot hurt, to let them know you are not happy with the sound. See what they say, before blowing them off.

Nice install man, the pictures tell the story well.

Definitely not blowing them off and didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I’m taking it back and explaining what I’d like to achieve. There’s somewhat of a language barrier, as I’m a neophyte. I’m doing my best. I know what I want it to sound like, just struggle to convey that.

Fatiguing is a good way to describe the sound right now. I felt like I had to turn the volume up to a certain level to hear the bass I wanted to hear, but at that point, the mid and tweet was screaming in my face.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

It’s probably tuned pretty flat, and that’s a common issue, if you have never been around a truly flat frequency response, and sound treatment .

In my studio my main and near fields for mixing are very flat and unforgiving, also very fatiguing, but they tell me no lies, that works for mixing or mastering music. And having that mix translate well on all types of systems.
Ya it’s bright .

in the car for music listening pleasure, I don’t want a flat response,
Many much more fun curves exist.
Seems to me they just tuned it flat, ask them!
I would talk to the tuner about being unhappy with the tune and why, and what you are looking for.
It cannot hurt, to let them know you are not happy with the sound. See what they say, before blowing them off.

Nice install man, the pictures tell the story well.

So flat can be synonymous with bright? I assumed otherwise…shows my level of understanding.

Speaking of mixing or mastering, the way it’s setup now, some stuff sounds great. I have a new appreciation for whoever did work for the Dire Straits. So far, it sounds the most accurate with the way it’s tuned.