This weekend was the start of sealing up and deadening the doors. Much more labor intensive than I anticipated, and I will only be getting the front doors completed this weekend; as I initially expected getting all passenger doors and rear access completed in one swoop.
Cleaning the doors in prep wasn't as difficult as I had expected. I used brake cleaner to wipe any contaminates off, there was almost no dust/dirt inside the door - this was also a pretty big surprise.
I have gone as close to 100% coverage that I am able to (inside/out), and I can tell you the sound of the door inside and out from an impact standpoint is night and day. Even closing the door with the panel off has a completely different sound.
For this go round the new Alpine SPX 17PRO front woofers will not be going in. I will be putting the factory Bose speakers back in until I can get the panels finished and the amps in. The nice part about doing it this way is a real comparison on how this application can change the characteristics of even a low grade factory speaker - maybe this only proves the theory of "installation over product" to me - though time will tell.
Also being installed is a rubber diffuser behind the woofer, this was a recommendation taken from others installs - I assume with such low power and a crappy Bose paper cone woofer that this may not really make a huge audible difference, can't hurt thought right?
First impressions - Interesting.
There is definitely a noticeable difference in the mid-bass - bass reproduction. Performing the door sealing will not fix or repair something lacking nor will it give you "more" bass. What it will do is give you more accurate reproduction and wake up your mid-bass. This will give you a more controlled and musically correct sound.
This increased control is what I had noticed immediately when playing Cee Lo Green, The Police, Qwote, Alicia Keys - and then I had arrived back home and it was time to turn the car off. Previously the bass/mid-bass from the factory Bose speakers was "sloppy" and felt like the speakers bottomed when loud on certain songs. I am now using the same speakers, and feel they maintain better response after completely sealing the interior and exterior panels.
Quite excited to be installing the Alpines soon!!! (I think?)
P.S. Sorry for only giving you guys cell phone pics, I just don't feel like dragging out the SLR when building