Installing the SR6500 comp for pure SQ

[Bandieramonte 10+ year member]

I'm about to install the SR6500 into a Jeep Liberty, and the Venezuelan car audio installers are very pathetic.. they only know how to throw in some low end subs and 5-way speakers without regards to how and where they install it. There are no SQ car audio shows whatsoever either. So I'm really needing a lot of help regarding quality SQ installation of this set of comps:

1) I'm still not sure what is on-axis tweeter placement. I understand that it means to place the tweeters on the A-Pillars facing to the center of the car. But where exactly is such center? See, I uploaded a picture (see attached) of the vehicle's interior, to help you help me find an on-axis placement. In the picture, I found two locations, labeled as 1 and 2. In 1, it would be on the car tweeters' stock location, firing towards the windshield, while in 2 it would be in a pod on the A-Pillars, firing to [**please indicate here where exactly should it point to**]. However, this location would not be above the dash level since there is an obstruction in the A-Pillars (signaled by the red arrow), unless I install it above such obstruction, but I think it would be too high then. Please help me find a good on-axis install for the tweeters in the picture, defining also where should the tweeters face.

2) Should the mids be on-axis too? I'm thinking on installing them in the Jeep's front door 6.5'' stock location, but it is under knee level, and it would not be firing towards the driver's seat, but to my lower legs.

3) I heard that the drivers should not be enclosed, since they work better on free air, is it true? If so, how can I do this? I'm thinking that if I install the tweeters in some pods on the A-Pillars, it would then be enclosed. How could they be on free air?

4) My head unit will be the Pioneer PRS800, having TA capabilities, as well as xovers and 32 band equalizer for the right and left sides separately (right?). I read that if someone has TA, then out of phase setup for tweeters would not be necessary. But I also read that if the tweeters are installed distantly from the mids, then out of phase is necessary. So I don't know if I should do this, or whether if out of phase setup for tweeters actually improves sound quality. If I should, then please link me to some web that explains this since I can't find any info about this.

5) I got this crossover suggestions for the SR6500:

Tweeter:

highpass= 4KHz@24db(most common) to 5KHz@12db

attenuation= -4 to -8db

phase= 0 to 180 degrees pending driver separation and use of time alignment

Midrange:

lowpass= 4KHz@24bd(most common) to 5KHz@24db

highpass= 40Hz to 63Hz (pending volume tastes) @24db

attenuation= 0

phase= 0

Now, would that be active of passive crossover? The amp I will use to power the SR6500 is the pa500.4, and I don't know whether if I should achieve that crossover setup with the amp's crossovers, the SR6500's crossover, or with the head unit crossover. Or should that be done with them altogether? (I don't think I will try to do the tweeter highpass at 5khz since it was said that it's harder)

6) I'm thinking on using JL Audio's high end wires for the installs, but still not sure of the specific model. Are their high end wires good enough for this SQ install?

I'm sorry if this post was long, but its longitude is a mere reflection of the amount of knowledge I still got to learn about this topic.

Thank you.

Click to read more...

 

[bigaudiofanati2 10+ year member]

I am going to say option one 2

Also if you rely want to get into real SQ I would look at Image dynamics or Rainbow. Do not get my wrong the polks are amazing but there is still better out there.

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

Okay... I will try to explain most of your stuff as simple as possible.

First off you have picked great gear.

On Axis in a nut shell mean the drivers pointed at you meaning that the tweeters whould be pointed at you when yous sitting down in the drivers seat. With that beiing said, If I were you I would put the tweeters in location 2. The tweeters off the SR6500 have great on axis response. I dont like many tweeters firing off the dash into the windshield due to reflection, cancelation and such(It wont sound as good).

You picked a great H/U in the 800PRS I have the same unit. You dont have to go Active and just use the crossovers that came with the speaker set. If that is the case you wont have to mess with the crossovers on the H/U or the amp. For some people that is fine. If you want to control your crossover points then you should use the processing of the 800PRS that is a great unit. Nobody can tell you what crossover points to use as it varies from install to install. I could be using the same speakers and have different crossover points due to tons of variables.

After you do all that then you could move on to T/A. Time alignment is really subjective and you will have to play around with it for a while. If I were you I would leave it alone until you got everything installed the way you wanted. I do T/A with each set seperate meaning I do the tweeters first then the mids. The phase issues are something that I cannot tell you over the internet. Again to many variables.

Yes the 800PRS has a bad ass EQ set up and you may be able to just get away with using the Mic to do everything for you.

My personel opinion on wrie is that wire is wire forn the most part. You dont have to use JL. Kicker is quality and so is Hooker, Stinger and other top brands. If you have anymore questions feel free to PM I am tierd of typing.

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

I am going to say option one 2
Also if you rely want to get into real SQ I would look at Image dynamics or Rainbow. Do not get my wrong the polks are amazing but there is still better out there.

The Polk SR6500's are on par with anything I've personally heard from ID or Rainbow.

I'm sure ID and Rainbow offer better choices in higher price ranges, but the SR6500's are extremely nice too...

 

[Bandieramonte 10+ year member]

Thank you stuckinok,

You picked a great H/U in the 800PRS I have the same unit. You dont have to go Active and just use the crossovers that came with the speaker set. If that is the case you wont have to mess with the crossovers on the H/U or the amp. For some people that is fine. If you want to control your crossover points then you should use the processing of the 800PRS that is a great unit. Nobody can tell you what crossover points to use as it varies from install to install. I could be using the same speakers and have different crossover points due to tons of variables.

If I want to achieve the crossover numbers I posted in point 5), should I be doing active or passive crossover? With which unit can I achieve those numbers? Can the 800PRS get those numbers?

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

The Polk SR6500's are on par with anything I've personally heard from ID or Rainbow.
I'm sure ID and Rainbow offer better choices in higher price ranges, but the SR6500's are extremely nice too...

Yes I agree.... Anything better then the SR6500 is coing to cost a arm and a leg unlees you go Raw Drivers

Thank you stuckinok,


If I want to achieve the crossover numbers I posted in point 5), should I be doing active or passive crossover? With which unit can I achieve those numbers? Can the 800PRS get those numbers?

If there are specific crossover point you want to achive then you would have to go active. I do not know off the top of my head the point on the passive crossover so use the 800PRS to achive what you what. Then again the numbers you have sound good on paper but may not be the best once you get everything installed.Experiment, Experiment then Experiment again. It will take quite a bit of tunning time to get what you want out of your set-up.

 

[Bandieramonte 10+ year member]

So if I will be going active with the PRS800's crossovers, does this mean that I would not even use the crossovers that came with the SR6500 comp, nor the crossovers built in with the pa500.4 amp? Or do the SR6500's and pa500.4's crossovers perform functions other than adjusting lowpass, highpass etc frequencies?

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

So if I will be going active with the PRS800's crossovers, does this mean that I would not even use the crossovers that came with the SR6500 comp, nor the crossovers built in with the pa500.4 amp? Or do the SR6500's and pa500.4's crossovers perform functions other than adjusting lowpass, highpass etc frequencies?

You will not use the supplies crossovers if going active. As for the amp crossover you dont have to use them at all.

 

[Bandieramonte 10+ year member]

I think I'm ready enough to begin installing the SR6500.

I really appreciate all help received in this thread.

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

ca.com is full of help..... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

I would go option 2 but imo I wouldnt go with either and I wouldnt go with stock locations for any of it.

 

[Bandieramonte 10+ year member]

So, in your opinion, where would you install the tweeters and drivers?

 

[perfecxionX 10+ year member]

So, in your opinion, where would you install the tweeters and drivers?

im gonna hazard a guess here and say he would do kickpanels

 

[Bandieramonte 10+ year member]

But if I also install the tweeters in the kick panels, wouldn't that dangerously lower too much the stage height to my foot, reducing the sound realism?

I'm also thinking that installing the mids there would be a good idea since it would be more in-axis that if I installed it in the Jeep's stock location for the 6.5'' area, which fires towards my lower leg to the opposite door.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

People have installed in kick panels for over a decade and if set up correctly still have propper stage height.