2012 Cruze ECO MT : Hi-end full audio system upgrade

[XtremeRevolution]

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just picked up the subs for the install.

as noted, i'm going to be using two 12" IDMax v.3 d4 subs.

here are some pics of the subs themselves, and a couple with them sitting next to the woofers and mids being used.

Such awesome subs!

On an alternate note, have you heard anything about their V4 lineup?

[jstoner22]

They've had the 'coming soon' on their site for a while now.

I'm interested to see what they will be like since the company has new owners now and -correct me if i'm wrong- will be manufactured overseas.

They company was in shambles for a little bit there when the original designer/owner of their subs left.

I have heard for the longest time that the v4 line-up will include a 15" sub, which I'd be very interested in seeing.

[XtremeRevolution]

They've had the 'coming soon' on their site for a while now.

I'm interested to see what they will be like since the company has new owners now and -correct me if i'm wrong- will be manufactured overseas.

They company was in shambles for a little bit there when the original designer/owner of their subs left.

I have heard for the longest time that the v4 line-up will include a 15" sub, which I'd be very interested in seeing.

I kept up to date on that as I've been a big fan of ID for a while. My understanding was that Powerbass was a financing partner in their company with the agreement that the owners would be able to buy back their share after the company grew. Turns out Powerbass didn't want to give up their share and negotiations just went downhill. Matt Borgardt and Eric Stevens if I remember correctly were the lead engineer and founder of the company. They left the company, but I'm not sure what they're doing now. I heard some rumor they were going to get into home theater, but who knows.

Just about everything is manufactured overseas. I had an issue with my IDMax10 due to assembly of the cone. Apparently some of it is manufactured overseas, but assembled here in the US. I have no reason to believe that the V4 IDQ and IDMax subs will be any different. Their support has always been excellent so I can't complain.

I saw the whole situation go down over on DIYMA and was asking Eric questions for a while. Matt started up a new forum called backyardinstallers.com shortly afterward, but that went downhill, and seems to be back up now but with very little traffic.

[jstoner22]

Sorry about the lack of updates here. Everything was delayed a little bit with the holidays being hectic and mulling over the install details.

A couple big decisions.

1. I have decided to have this done professionally for a few of reasons.
a. I do not have a heated garage, and it is January in Canada.

b. I simply do not have a desire right now to complete the install. I've installed all of my past systems myself - time for a change.

c. Peace of mind - if something breaks, its not on me haha

2. After thinking it over, the mids will be installed in custom enclosures in the sail panel. They will be vented into the doors. Basically I am going to have an exact copy of the pictures seen below (the driver pictured is the same that I'm using.) This placement will allow minimal alteration, no loss in visibility, and optimal placement for stage height and width.


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All parts were just ordered yesterday (harness, wiring, breakers, etc)

The install is booked for February 8 until completion.

[XtremeRevolution]

Sorry about the lack of updates here. Everything was delayed a little bit with the holidays being hectic and mulling over the install details.

A couple big decisions.

1. I have decided to have this done professionally for a few of reasons.
a. I do not have a heated garage, and it is January in Canada.

b. I simply do not have a desire right now to complete the install. I've installed all of my past systems myself - time for a change.

c. Peace of mind - if something breaks, its not on me haha

2. After thinking it over, the mids will be installed in custom enclosures in the sail panel. They will be vented into the doors. Basically I am going to have an exact copy of the pictures seen below (the driver pictured is the same that I'm using.) This placement will allow minimal alteration, no loss in visibility, and optimal placement for stage height and width.


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All parts were just ordered yesterday (harness, wiring, breakers, etc)

The install is booked for February 8 until completion.

Can't wait to see the results.

One thing to note: there will be no purpose in venting the mids into the doors. You don't need airspace with those drivers as you won't be playing them low enough. Instead, create a sealed chamber and stuff it with acoustic foam. You'll probably only take those down to 600-800hz or so and let your door speakers take care of everything below that.

[jstoner22]

Can't wait to see the results.

One thing to note: there will be no purpose in venting the mids into the doors. You don't need airspace with those drivers as you won't be playing them low enough. Instead, create a sealed chamber and stuff it with acoustic foam. You'll probably only take those down to 600-800hz or so and let your door speakers take care of everything below that.

If I were only going to 600-800 you would absolutely be right, and I would definitely just keep it sealed.

These will be playing down to 315hz daily. They do it no problem whatsoever, and louder than I need. They will be run lower than that if I decide to compete.

Our previous conversation actually played a role in me deciding this placement. I was toying with the idea of an enclosure in the door storage area, but with an install like this, I'm not going to half-ass it with the most important driver in setup.
So thank you for making me rethink that!

[XtremeRevolution]

If I were only going to 600-800 you would absolutely be right, and I would definitely just keep it sealed.

These will be playing down to 315hz daily. They do it no problem whatsoever, and louder than I need. They will be run lower than that if I decide to compete.

Our previous conversation actually played a role in me deciding this placement. I was toying with the idea of an enclosure in the door storage area, but with an install like this, I'm not going to half-ass it with the most important driver in setup.
So thank you for making me rethink that!

I personally wouldn't see a purpose to increasing enclosure size unless I was playing below 200hz. If you do vent this into the door, I would use a generous amount of acoustic material wherever possible.

I'm glad you went with this placement instead of what you had previously considered. This will vastly improve your sound stage.

[jstoner22]

so it begins!!

just don't look to closely, there is an unfortunate banner from a past era lol



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[jstoner22]

some more pics!!

As you can see, the two A900's fit perfectly in the trunk cavity. The foam holder behind the flap that houses the inflator kit is going to be removed, and the opening slot is a perfect fit for the small amp powering my shaker.

By doing this install I am barely losing any flat trunk space. Yes there is going to be a box, but the ECO's cavity will not be flush. Making the entire front a flat usable trunk.

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[jstoner22]

not a whole lot of progress to see today, but I figured I'll post whatever pictures I have so people can see behind the panelling.Haven't removed it yet, but the thoughts are that my mic will be installed in the rear view mirror casing seen in the pic.Wiring will be near completed today. Box, dampening, woofers, headunit, and amps will be completed on monday. The mid range enclosures will be completed by wednesday.so lots of more interesting pics to come!20130209_105745.jpg20130209_110132.jpg20130209_110147.jpg20130209_110125.jpg