I seriously need some help

[Jlace 10+ year member]

LOL, his final conclusion.

If you really need to do this in the absolutely least expensive way and are not convinced or concerned by the demonstrated inferiority of asphalt based sound deadeners, go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a roll or two of Peel & Seal. This is the least expensive option and you won't have to worry about shipping costs. I can see no difference in Peel & Seal and the asphalt based aluminum skinned products in this review.

 

[MiniVanMan 10+ year member]

Isn't this what we're talking about?
"FYI, I can think of one metal cone that can be used with a first order crossover. If you use the SEAS L15RLY/P and a notch filter around 7.8Khz, you're OK to use a first order crossover. Of course, given the natural rolloff at 2Khz, the effective slope is more than 6db. That seems to bother some folks for some reason. Some of their other metal cones in that series can be treated similarly. "

Good find, and it is a testament to the quality of the L15. The same can be true of the CA15. The roll off happens higher (closer to 3k) and has no breakup. The driver can roll of naturally with no crossover work. The CA18 works in the same way, and that's why it's such an easy driver to work with. The L15 is designed to be as simple as an aluminum cone driver can be, but with it comes compromises, and that compromise is top end extension. As you can see, we're having a hell of time finding the right tweeter for this baby. I can think of a lot of tweeters than will mate up with it frequencywise, but only the Seas Neo in any kind of budget range. All others come in the $100+ range per tweeter.

You might want to call Rick, of Raammat. He is a fantastic guy, and extremely knowledgeable. In fact, though I'm not sure anymore, he gives discounts to DIYMobileAudio members. He may do that on all sites, though. His product is top notch, as well as his customer service.

You being in Dallas, you are prone to issues with heat. Peal and Seal will perform better in a Dallas summer than it does in a Chicago winter, but it can still fail in extreme heat. Peal and Seal is fine for a lot of situations, but I mostly recommend it only in a pinch. I used some Peal and Seal in my wife's vehicle and it failed. The SecondSkin I had in there is still going strong, though.

Oh, and don't forget the ensolite. That stuff rocks when implemented correctly.

Don't be afraid to call Rick. He's a very nice guy, and he likes to make time for his customers. If you would rather PM him, he can be found on http://www.diymobileaudio.com (where I spend most of my time). He's under the name Raamaudio. He's not a bad guy to bounce ideas off of either. He's got a ton of install experience.

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

Any thoughts on Image Dynamics CX52 and cx 54 or are we already better than that with L15's?

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

Let's just go with the L15 and neo tweet then. We haven't found anything better as a combo that will fit. CA18 won't so it's really down to two CA15 and L15.

Sure I could spend more but doubt I would hear more.

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

Here's what I think you have said all along.

L15, better SQ overall than Ca15 but needs the slope. That's why I bought the Memphis.

Nothing wrong with that neo tweet, some people seem to rave about it even. It fits the apillar, the spec fits the L15's and it's in budget. Seems like a plan to me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

I found this:

Got my these Seas Aluminum tweets about a week ago. They do sort of fit into the LPG angle mount, but will need at grind out the back a bit.

As for listening, i am blown away at the sound. I was previously running LPG 26NA's and CA18's. I had the new tweets with the CA18's for a while, then switched to Reference RS180's.

My LPG's were a little hissy with S sounds and i had to EQ 6-8k down quite a bit, and even then it was always slightly edgy. And down near 3k, the snare drum was also very edgy...i managed to tame that with a higher crossover.

Anyways, on to the Seas. It is very smooth and natural but detailed as well. The upper end has none of the edginess or S's of the LPG. Very balanced. It also goes down to 2k nicely. Pointing directly inwards on the A-pillar i've yet to add any EQ, whereas the LPG had 2 bands trrying to even it out. I'm very happy and it's quite an improvement on the LPG if you ask me. Mainly for, better balanced, and the lower crossover. IT doesn't give up anything in detail either.

 

[MiniVanMan 10+ year member]

L15, better SQ overall than Ca15 but needs the slope.

Not better, just different. The L15 is much more dynamic, the CA15 is much more laid back and neutral. Both are very clear and distortion free. However, coming from Focal, you'd have a very hard adjustment going to the CA drivers. To that end the L15 is a better solution.

Nothing wrong with Image Dynamics. I don't know if they're worth the extra money over the L15.

If those Seas Neos fit in the a-pillars, then you'll have no problems, and will have a phenomenal setup. Definitely keep me updated on the install, and I hope you're happy with it.

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

Now I'm confused! I found this...

Just so there's no confusion:

Large format tweeters:

27TBFC/G (H1212) Alum/Mag

27TDFC (H1189) Textile (no /G designation)

Small format:

27TAFNC/D (H1397) Alum (Madisound mistakenly has it as AFNC/G)

27TFFNC/G (H1396) Textile

Same H1397 tweeter:

http://www.seas.no/Prestige%20Diskan...TAFNCH1397.pdf

or

http://www.madisound.com/cgi-bin/ind....8155&pid=2138

All of them:

http://www.seas.no/Prestige_line%20line%20up.htm

Small format comments from Zaph:

Seas 27TAFNC/D ($29) - Smooth response with a mild Qts bump at the bottom. Multi-chamber neo magnet allows lower Fs than many other neo tweeters. Good but not great HD, but should have no problem crossing over at 2kHz.

The Vifa D26NC55 deserves mention as the best small flange neo tweeter I've ever tested, with performance that rivals the bigger and more expensive tweeters. Very low distortion, provided it's not crossed too low. If you need a very small tweeter, look no further. The Vifa XT25SC50 and Seas 27TAFNC/D, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, tie for second place in the small flange neo tweeter class.

Large format comments:

Seas 27TBFC/G ($30) - Very smooth response, down a few dB at 20kHz. Very low distortion of all types, particularly the near non-existant high order harmonics. No notable energy storage problems. Ultrasonic breakup node at 26.5Khz. The hexagrid cover is ugly.

Seas 27TDFC ($29) - Exactly the same as the TBFCG, but with a fabric dome. Slightly rising top end response but overall very smooth. No ugly hexagrid. Similar to the old 27TFFC, but with a polymer surround and slightly cleaner performance.

The Seas 27TBFC/G is the winner of this group, and has been one of my long time favorites and it's easy to see why. Completely smooth and clear, and set to erase the mindset that metal dome tweeters sound like doorbells. The 27TDFC is close behind, with an ever-so-slightly more aggressive and bright sound that some prefer and some don't.

__________________

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

THIS is the one I want right?

http://www.seas.no/Prestige%20Diskanter%20PDF/27TAFNCH1397.pdf

 

[MiniVanMan 10+ year member]

THIS is the one I want right?
http://www.seas.no/Prestige%20Diskanter%20PDF/27TAFNCH1397.pdf

Correct.

 

[Jlace 10+ year member]

Thanks so much for your time here. I know it's been painful and I do appreciate you sticking with me. Something tells me I am going to be blown away with the new sound. It's a beautiful BMW inside and out and this will only help push it forward.

My plan is go get the drivers in, that may take next week all week. Then schedule the installer the following week. He said to give him a days notice and leave it with him for two days min. That means somewhere about April 12th it should be done.

Of course I'll write back and let you know what I think! It's the least I can do.

Thanks again.

Joe