Is anyone a dealer for Xtant anymore? I can't find anywhere online as a source for purchasing these amps. Do they just deal with the local mom and pop dealer/installers?
Is anyone a dealer for Xtant anymore? I can't find anywhere online as a source for purchasing these amps. Do they just deal with the local mom and pop dealer/installers?
very nice write up, but if you're using an external amp for your sub, couldn't you just adjust the filter in your amp to filter out mid to high frequencies and raise the gain causing more bass and allowing you to turn the bass down for the rest of your speakers?
I just bought some high pass filters for my headrest speakers (tsunami's that filter out everything below 100hz). I went to install them today and when I took my deck out I noticed that my sub out is hooked to the rear speaker out. I switched it over and now I can keep my rear speakers in full range and turn the built in hpf up to 50hz and everything sounds crystal clear. Now I don't need the hpf's that I bought lol.
Also, running 4ohm speakers in your headrest on an aftermarket deck is safe. Most new decks can handle 2ohms -8ohms safely per channel. It's 1 ohm and more than 8 that you have to worry about.
My setup is Pioneer DEH-P5800MP head unit, 2- Nitro 3-way 4x10 speakers in the dash (100/300 watts rms/max each), 2- AG Audio 3-1/2" 2-way speakers in each headrest (35/100 watts rms/max each), Scosche 250/550 watt two way amp bridged to a 250/750 watt 10" LA sub behind the passenger seat. Sounds amazing and I spent about $450. $200 for the deck, $75 for the amp, $35 for the sub, $115 for all of the speakers.
very nice write up, but if you're using an external amp for your sub, couldn't you just adjust the filter in your amp to filter out mid to high frequencies and raise the gain causing more bass and allowing you to turn the bass down for the rest of your speakers?
The Xtant 1.1i amp is designed as a Class D full range amp. It doesn't have a built-in filter/crossover which is why I've used an external filter. I've adjusted the gain so the bass is balanced with the rest of the system. The best thing about this amp is that's it's powerful for it's size and will fit on the floor under the passenger seat without any interference.
The Xtant 1.1i amp is designed as a Class D full range amp. It doesn't have a built-in filter/crossover which is why I've used an external filter. I've adjusted the gain so the bass is balanced with the rest of the system. The best thing about this amp is that's it's powerful for it's size and will fit on the floor under the passenger seat without any interference.
yeah, I wasn't too worried about it all looking stock anymore, so I was able to buy a more inexpensive amp. I don't have audiophile sound quality (almost impossible using stock speaker locations in the fiero), but it sounds great. I'm really satisfied with how well the cheap speakers I bought sound. They're made of high quality material, so I shouldn't have problems with them, and they sound better than some fosgates that I had in my chrysler conquest.
Did you make any sort of enclosure for the dash speakers? I've been told that every speaker should be enclosed to create great sound, I just haven't tried to tackle it yet with the dash.
Did you make any sort of enclosure for the dash speakers? I've been told that every speaker should be enclosed to create great sound, I just haven't tried to tackle it yet with the dash.
I just installed the Tang Band subwoofer in the factory housing (modified and filled per your directions). I'm using the factory subwoofer amp with an aftermarket head unit. It sounds AWESOME.
I just installed the Tang Band subwoofer in the factory housing (modified and filled per your directions). I'm using the factory subwoofer amp with an aftermarket head unit. It sounds AWESOME.
I'm glad you're more than happy with how great this sub works.
People who hear this system can't believe I'm running all the main speakers off a factory deck, and that such a small sunwoofer makes such BIG bass. Now it's NOT going to sound like your typical boom-box ricer driving down the street, but it is MORE than adequate to fill out any sound system in the Fiero.
Did you do something to increase the impedance of the components? The info I saw said they were 2 ohm... isn't that a little rough on the head unit?
No. It seems to be OK - no problems with these. You have to remember it's running through a crossover and that impedance varies somewhat throughout the frequency range. Infinity also says that these are "safe" for factory decks, none of which would be 2ohms anyway.
While I would not personally wire 4ohm headrest speakers in parallel, which creates a 2ohm load, others have done so without problems.
Great write up! With this set up, can you still use the stock premium sound slider switch on the headliner?
Thanks. I have an 84 so it didn't have a slider (premium sound wasn't available until 86?). But someone figured out a way to make the slider work with an aftermarket amp. It's covered here: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/097104.html
Has anyone else had any problem with their speaker plates. Made two sets out of hard board but each ended up breaking at due to the large size of the hole required for the 5.25" speaker...very thin walls. Gonna make them out of 3/16" aluminum - should resolve the problem.
I've installed an updated system in my 84 project car recently. I wanted a stock look and much better sound without building an all-out system like I have in my 87 GT.
One of the first things to do is gut the interior and install soundproofing of some type. This will quiet the car from road noise and greatly improve the acoustics and efficiency of your stereo system. There's various products around like Dynamat and it's competitors and some people also use peel 'n stick roofing materials with sucess. Don't forget to cover the back of your door panels.
Where did you buy this roofing stuff? I've been to Lowe's and Home Depot and the only peel n stick stuff I could find had the granular (sand) stuff on the non stick side. It was in a roll. Thanks for help!
It IS a pretty impressive speaker. Any details? Are you running this with stock deck and sub-woofer amp?
Yea I know, that much bass from a 5 inch sub-woofer?? When I tell people i got a 5-inch sub, they are like...HAHA. I say just wait till you hear it. I'm running a late 90's Pontiac radio, Just like the one you have in your Indy, i think, except mine has a cassette player (I didn't install it ). And yes, I'm using the stock amp, works great for my needs. My car has the Performance Option, I just swapped speakers. You should have seen the old one. The cone was so bad, i could break it off in chips. Oh, and i'm still using the factory 4X10s and 4X6s. Still sound good enough for me.
Hey fierosound - you're really an inspiration, thanks for the great write-up.
Question:
My idea was to wire up b-pillar speakers in my 84, and install a high-pass crossover for the seat speakers, so only the highest ( and most directional ) pitches come from them. Either that, or I'll ditch the seat speakers all together. What's your opinion on that, and what kind of crossovers would you use? (If its not a dumb idea)
My idea was to wire up b-pillar speakers in my 84, and install a high-pass crossover for the seat speakers, so only the highest ( and most directional ) pitches come from them. Either that, or I'll ditch the seat speakers all together. What's your opinion on that, and what kind of crossovers would you use? (If its not a dumb idea)
Not sure what you're trying to accomplish. Normally, you want to your music to be FRONT sound-stage, and the rear speakers just recreate the ambiance (echoes/reflections) you'd get in a room with a live performance on a stage in FRONT of you. Some of the biggest winners in really high-end car audio accomplish this with NO rear speakers at all. Sounds like you want it to sound more "live" and the band is BEHIND you??
To be honest, I don't know too much about sound staging, which is one reason why I wanted your opinion. I really don't like people singing right into my ears, but I was trying to think of a way to incorporate the headrest speakers simply because of their cool factor.
I can see how it would be strange to have the majority of the sound coming from in front of you and a few high pitched noises coming from right behind you though.
I really don't like people singing right into my ears,
... and you would have made this effect much sharper. You may like the system better with pillar speakers and no headrest speakers to eliminate that "in your ear" effect.
Hey Fierosound, great writeup and thanks as always for sharing your vast experience with fixing the tinny audio in our beloved cars. I did want to point out that using the term "bass blockers" for a capacitor is way inaccurate for what they actually do. A capacitor only reduces the level of the AC signal at a given frequency by 6db per octave below the initial cutoff frequency, also known as a first-order crossover. It's simple and it has essentially no phase or other distortion. But it's more of a rolloff than a total block. For example, say you've got a capacitor with a 120Hz cutoff frequency. You have an input signal that's a flat 90dB across all frequencies. At 90Hz, you'll be down only 3dB at 87dB. At 60Hz, the first full octave, you'll be 6dB down at 84dB. At 45Hz, you'll be at 81dB, and at 30Hz you'll still be at 78dB. That's still a lot of bass going to those speakers.
For something closer to a block, you want the steep rolloff of 24db/octave or fourth-order, as is used in active crossovers. Fourth-order passive crossovers can be done, but they are very difficult and expensive to build.
hey fierosound: great write up. any thots on what is the most important upgrade of all that you have done here? so that i can prioritise my work schedule on my car. perhaps the front speakers? thanks jon
hey fierosound: great write up. any thots on what is the most important upgrade of all that you have done here? so that i can prioritise my work schedule on my car. perhaps the front speakers?
Thank you.
If the dash & interior is out - soundproofing and subwoofer. Other speakers and radio can be done anytime without dismantling the car.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 04-21-2011).]
Fantastic writeup and I've read it a few times now. But I must ask... do you have any suggestions for those of us who have no access to the appropriate componentry to install the factory subwoofer enclosure? Would love to give my system a little more fill, but being that there's zero parts availability here and my car's converted to RHD, there's not really any way I can do the stock enclosure. Was thinking of one of those underseat type sub/amp units, but I have my doubts about the quality of such contraptions.
). And yes, I'm using the stock amp, works great for my needs. My car has the Performance Option, I just swapped speakers.
