XTC baffles. A little "muddy"

[WrenchGuy 10+ year member]

Granted the XTC baffles have their purpose I've come to realize the output is lacking a little.

Right now I have the Premier D720 set with the woofer in the doors using the XTC baffles.

I'm thinking the "muddiness" is a structural issue. The baffle I think might be too soft or something. Um the vocals aren't as pronounced as the CL4's I had in the A pillar. I was thinking of making a fiberglass copy of the baffle or an insert for it cuz the foam bends in the little nook I need to fit it there. I put polyfil in the baffle which helps a little.

It sounds nice and rich but doesn't seem "throaty" enough. Anyone have some input?

Its running passive so I'm not sure if maybe its the crossover itself not letting me in.

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[I Like Waffle]

EQ? When i changed my door pods out to vented ones it drasticly effected the midrange too, maybe you should try tuning the EQ a bit

 

[mokedaddy 5,000+ posts]

I would not use the xtc baffles as any sort of enclosure.

I do occasionally use them with the back and bottom cut out to keep water off of the driver.

 

[WrenchGuy 10+ year member]

EQ? When i changed my door pods out to vented ones it drasticly effected the midrange too, maybe you should try tuning the EQ a bit

Yep. Thats what I'm going to toy with today. I just got em 2 weeks ago and have been slowly breaking them in. I stretched em out a bit yesterday and reset everything so its EQ day today. They've gradually been taking more power. I might be right at the limit now. I'll DMM the gains to set it for final I think.

Have you ever talked into a plastic bowl?...lol The resonance from that scenario isn't in the the XTC baffle. Its was crispy in the cardboard tube I used for the CL4 which makes me believe some of it might be the baffle. We'll see.

 

[I Like Waffle]

I have plastic bowls for my baffles //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif Really stiff ones though. Have a 3 inch circle cut into the bottom for them to vent into the door panel which is sealed, and they sound awesome.

 

[SPLaudio 5,000+ posts]

metra makes hard ones that dont resontate...

 

[WrenchGuy 10+ year member]

I'll see what I get. Its nothing to glass it and sturdy it.

Thanks guys.

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

I wouldn't use them. Car audio mids are usually best suited to IB installs.

 

[WrenchGuy 10+ year member]

I wouldn't use them. Car audio mids are usually best suited to IB installs.

I don't need the low end of them though. I will still be playing with a 10" mid too.

I also have them running well over 100 watts. The tweets like it I guess.

I'll see what tweeks I can do to make a more functional IB out of it if it comes down to it. Its not in the door at all more or less panel mounted.

 

[WrenchGuy 10+ year member]

Got it. Easy enough.

Had to play around in the area of 200hz-800hz a little. Sounds good now continuing on.

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

I don't need the low end of them though. I will still be playing with a 10" mid too.
I also have them running well over 100 watts. The tweets like it I guess.

I'll see what tweeks I can do to make a more functional IB out of it if it comes down to it. Its not in the door at all more or less panel mounted.

It's not about the low end, it's about increasing the Q of the driver like crazy. That will cause a very muddy midrange and a very colored sound (especially if you try to EQ correct it as an EQ can't fix the Q of the driver). Cut the back out of the XTC baffles and call it a day. They will sound like shit even if you harden everything up.