So apologies if this turns into a wall of text, but I'm hoping that someone can advise me on a few issues.
I've just got my first car in about 20 years (previously had company cars and / or lease cars), a 2014 BMW X1 with CIC Business NAv but the base audio (4inch mids & tweets in doors, 6.5 inch woofers in underseat enclosures, and 4 inch mids in rear doors, no amp).
The BMW base stereo applies an EQ to compensate for teh crappy speakers so I knew I needed something to DE-EQ that, so was looking at a cleansweep or Bit10. Then comes along a cracking deal for a Audison AP5.9 on ebay that I bought.
I'm planning on replacing the underseat woofers with some standard HiFi level (a chap on Bimmerpost has done lots of measurements and reckons they are the best bang for buck, particularly 2nd hand) running them in mono (would be about 1.7ohm in parallel) from the 1x270 sub feed from the amp.
However, the door speakers are where I'm wavering, particularly as the AP 5.1 is 2x20w and 2x50W.
I have the following options for hardware:
Reuse my old Infinity kappa CS1b 4 inch mids - will require a new foam surround, and Emit tweeter mounted on dashboard)
Reuse my old Infinity Kappa CS1b 4 inch mids and a DLS T20 tweeter in the door pods
Buy a set of custom fit components - Audison Prima currently favorite but also considering Eton, Gladon and Focal....or others?
If I'm going active then I guess I could also go the full DIY mid (eg Dayton Audio RS100P + DLS T20???)
Options for wiring:
1) Tweets (2x20W) and Mids (2x50W) run actively
In my old car audio days running active was the domain of the pros and required no end of fiddling (as well as a lot of sound equipment). With the Ap 5.9 processor is that still the same or is it much easier now?
+ probably the best sound when setup
+ all speakers suitably powered
- Will require an extra wire through the door connector if I use the door tweeter pods for either new or reuse the DLS tweets
- Could be a nightmare to tune
2) Tweets and Mids run passive of the 2x50W
+ simple install
+ potentially less faffing around tuning (and re-tuning)
+ could potentially use the spare 2x20w for the rear speakers (pointless really, but while I've pulled the interior out wouldn't hurt)
- possibly worse quality
- Not most efficient use of amp
I'm not too interested in going loud (old git now who mostly drives with partner and babies), more into SQ.....although I do have a an absolute gem of a Focal Utopia 27WX sub and a Focal solid 1 mono amp tucked away that I'm toying with the idea of doing a removable 'all in one' boot install.
I'd really appreciate any advice anyone can give me regarding any of the above and whether going active with the AP5.1 is the same minefield that tuning an old active crossover used to be.
Thanks
I've just got my first car in about 20 years (previously had company cars and / or lease cars), a 2014 BMW X1 with CIC Business NAv but the base audio (4inch mids & tweets in doors, 6.5 inch woofers in underseat enclosures, and 4 inch mids in rear doors, no amp).
The BMW base stereo applies an EQ to compensate for teh crappy speakers so I knew I needed something to DE-EQ that, so was looking at a cleansweep or Bit10. Then comes along a cracking deal for a Audison AP5.9 on ebay that I bought.
I'm planning on replacing the underseat woofers with some standard HiFi level (a chap on Bimmerpost has done lots of measurements and reckons they are the best bang for buck, particularly 2nd hand) running them in mono (would be about 1.7ohm in parallel) from the 1x270 sub feed from the amp.
However, the door speakers are where I'm wavering, particularly as the AP 5.1 is 2x20w and 2x50W.
I have the following options for hardware:
Reuse my old Infinity kappa CS1b 4 inch mids - will require a new foam surround, and Emit tweeter mounted on dashboard)
Reuse my old Infinity Kappa CS1b 4 inch mids and a DLS T20 tweeter in the door pods
Buy a set of custom fit components - Audison Prima currently favorite but also considering Eton, Gladon and Focal....or others?
If I'm going active then I guess I could also go the full DIY mid (eg Dayton Audio RS100P + DLS T20???)
Options for wiring:
1) Tweets (2x20W) and Mids (2x50W) run actively
In my old car audio days running active was the domain of the pros and required no end of fiddling (as well as a lot of sound equipment). With the Ap 5.9 processor is that still the same or is it much easier now?
+ probably the best sound when setup
+ all speakers suitably powered
- Will require an extra wire through the door connector if I use the door tweeter pods for either new or reuse the DLS tweets
- Could be a nightmare to tune
2) Tweets and Mids run passive of the 2x50W
+ simple install
+ potentially less faffing around tuning (and re-tuning)
+ could potentially use the spare 2x20w for the rear speakers (pointless really, but while I've pulled the interior out wouldn't hurt)
- possibly worse quality
- Not most efficient use of amp
I'm not too interested in going loud (old git now who mostly drives with partner and babies), more into SQ.....although I do have a an absolute gem of a Focal Utopia 27WX sub and a Focal solid 1 mono amp tucked away that I'm toying with the idea of doing a removable 'all in one' boot install.
I'd really appreciate any advice anyone can give me regarding any of the above and whether going active with the AP5.1 is the same minefield that tuning an old active crossover used to be.
Thanks