One of the best rock-pop-folk--however you want to classify them--bands of the last decade or so. Had the chance to see Cafe Tacuba at the Hollywood Bowl. The only negative was the concert was too short (and they didn't play "Maria").
Cafe Tacuba "Como Te Extrano", "Maria"
Ser De Agua is a great album. This band has an ultra-smooth jazzy-pop style, but excels at other types of pop music.
Presuntos Implicados "Como Hemos Cambiado", followed by "Gente"
Two of the biggest stars in Spanish language pop music, Spain's Miguel Bose and Mexico's Julieta Venegas on the former's "Morena Mia". Particulary engaging verison, especially with Venegas on it.
Miguel Bose/Julieta Venegas "Morena Mia"
The former lead singer for the trio Mecano, Madrid-born Ana Torroja is one of our favorite Spanish pop artists. With its unusually hooky stanzas as well as the pretty chorus, "Ya No Te Quiero" is a great song in any language.
Ana Torroja “Ya No Te Quiero”
One of the biggest pop stars in the world, very comfortable across different genres of music, whether it's a traditional bolero, weepy love ballads or a pop-dance number like this.
Second Skin, which was started in 2002 by Anthony Collova, was recently sold to an individual buyer. After 22 years in the auto glass business, Ken Kanefield decided that the timing was good to pursue an entirely new venture. Ken remarked, “The auto glass business was extremely good to my family and I for many years; but, I just didn’t feel challenged by it any longer. After I sold the business, I began looking for a challenge in a different segment of the automotive industry. When I came across Second Skin, I was immediately drawn to it.”
Anthony Collova, who attributes a significant part of Second Skin’s rapid success to his social and web marketing efforts, said, “It was important to me to sell Second Skin to someone that I felt could take it to the next level and Ken and Sue couldn’t be a better fit.” He continued, “I spent the last eight years building Second Skin and I’m confident that Ken and Sue will be equally as successful.” Max Kanefield, Ken and Sue’s son, is following Collova’s lead by keeping Second Skin actively involved all over the web.
As Ken and Sue are new to the 12 volt industry, they are eager to become involved. Immediate plans are to put Second Skin products to work as they have a
complete audio / video system installed in Sue’s 2004 Honda Odyssey. Next on the list will be Ken’s 2009 Lexus RX-350. Ken had the following to say in regards
to the upgrades, “We are anxious to get our products in our own vehicles. I was into car stereo when I was younger and now that we are in the business, I can think of no better way to familiarize us with our customers’ needs. I am very excited to improve the audio systems in both of our vehicles and what we’ll be able to learn as a result.”
The Kanefields are in the process of relocating Second Skin headquarters to their home town of Tucson, AZ. This should be completed by the end of September. In the meantime, it’s business as usual and the Kanefields don’t intend to miss a beat. For more info, contact Second Skin Audio at (800) 679-8511, or visit www.secondskinaudio.com.
Honda Element Subwoofer and Amp Install - This Tricks of the Trade is about the sub/amp install in a Honda Element. This vehicle served as one of Alpine's show vehicles a while back. Some of you may recall that we ran another how-to on the building of the pillar-mounted speaker enclosures in the magazine. Here we focus on the subwoofer/amplifier area in the rear hatch. This is a good example of a nice-looking, easy-to-build custom project that won't break the bank. If you haven't worked with fiberglass very much, a simple project like this is a good way to get some experience.
1) Our Honda Element project vehicle received a complete Alpine audio/video system. In the hatch, we wanted to have good bass in a nice looking package, so we decided to put the amps and sub in the spare tire well. The first step was to make a ¾” MDF border around the edge of the spare tire area.
2) Making the enclosure for the 12” subwoofer was simple, since we decided to make it out of ¾” MDF. Notice how the top of the box angles the woofer up slightly, for better viewing of the Alpine equipment. This box was bolted through the floor of the spare tire well to keep it in place.
3) We also wanted two amplifiers to mount behind the subwoofer enclosure, so we welded ¾” square steel tubing together to form mounting frames for each amp. If you don’t have a welder, a local welding shop can perform basic welding like this for a nominal fee.
4) Next, we placed the steel amp frames where we wanted them, and temporarily held them in place using MDF strips and super glue. More ¾” square steel tubing was welded between the amp frames and the spare tire well to permanently mount the amp frames. Now, we have a complete amp rack that is welded into the car.
5) All of the components are in place, so next up is the framing process that dictates the shape of the top trim panel. The amps are mounted on the amp rack, and an MDF rectangle was made to fit around each amp. An MDF ring fits around the subwoofer as well. MDF strips are then super glued between these components and the MDF border that we made in step 1.
6) The front view shows how each amp is framed, and how the ribs connect these frames with the border around the edge.
7) Polyester grill cloth is now tightly stretched and stapled over the frame, followed by five layers of fiberglass mat to build strength. Once this has cured, a layer of Dura-Glas goes over the top to fill any major surface imperfections.
8) After the whole thing has cured for at least 12 hours, it can be removed from the car. A grinder is used to roughly finish the surface, then a layer of Rage Gold body filler finishes off the filling process.
9) The Rage Gold is sanded down with 36 grit sandpaper to make the shape smooth. At this point, the piece should fit well, but if any additional filling is needed now is the time. We decided to fasten the trim panel to the car by using three bolts on each edge.
10) To hide the six trim panel bolts, an insert was made on each side of the trim panel. Masking tape covers the area where the insert is needed, followed by a layer of aluminum foil.
11) More fiberglass mat is added over the insert area, and the piece is finished in the same fashion as the trim panel with Dura-Glas and Rage Gold.
12) One additional detail we added on this installation was a skeleton housing to hold two 6.5” video monitors. This was done with MDF, with a little Dura-Glas and Rage Gold on the edges to smooth out the look.
13) The final product shows a nicely integrated and custom subwoofer/amp/video display. We decided to paint the main panel silver, with black accent coloring on the video mount and on the bolt-concealing inserts on each side. As an added bonus, the subwoofer rocks since it loads well against the rear hatch door.
Alpine SWX-1243D - Subwoofer Review - Budget woofers are great, big bass for small bucks. But if you can afford a little more, you can get that much more performance and musicality for your car audio system. Here, we look at the more than formidable Alpine SWX-1243D, a finely engineered product that's great in terms of SQ and for serious output as well. It's only in recent years that Alpine's developed into a strong subwoofer brand. That's in large part to the engineering department in the U.S., working in conjunction and leading the way for new products. This Type-X woofer is one of the first of continuing achievements from Alpine on the speaker side. Another is the new Type-R flat woofer which we will be reviewing soon. —Ben Oh
The first gen Type-X 12" subwoofer from Alpine, reviewed in 2005, had our evaluators saying things like, "Alpine has done an incredible job in creating a wonderful sounding subwoofer." That wasn't enough for the engineers though; they had to make it even better. Alpine improved the Type-X woofer in '08. Cosmetically, it's hard to distinguish any changes at all aside from the obvious difference in color of the two-piece, cast-aluminum frame—now a semi-gloss black. But dive deeper into the technical side of things and the real story unfolds.
One of the primary goals in reinventing the SWX 12 was to improve efficiency. Initiating this meant addressing the issue of weight, starting with the three-layer cone. Tipping its hat to the original, the new gen SWX uses a parabolic-shaped cone with a carbon-fiber layer out front and a Kevlar-reinforced paper layer at the rear. The big difference, however, is the core material in this sandwich that has changed from an aluminum honeycomb to Rohacell—essentially, a foamed acrylic polymer. This strong material is extremely lightweight, thus lowering the moving mass of the driver, and thereby improving efficiency. Rohacell also benefits the cone by adding more bonding surface area with the other layers (compared to the aluminum honeycomb), improving rigidity. Additional stiffening comes from Alpine's force transfer assembly," an 8-armed injection-molded polycarbonate and glass fiber structure that supplies attachment and suppport to the rear of the cone and a collar at its base, which connects to the voice coil former.
The second step in bettering efficiency was to address the motor components. While the new structure still uses a three-magnet stack, most of the metal components have been altered to fit the larger 80mm (2.83"), six-layer dual voice coil (VC). Size is not the only thing that changed with the VC. Interestingly, three of the six winding layers reside inside the VC former while the other three wrap around the outside in a traditional manner. Dividing the layers up in this fashion helps maintain cool VC operating temperatures by doubling the wire surface area in contact with the surrounding air. The design also doubles the area in contact with the "Twin=Wall" aluminum former, the latter helping wick heat away. This is particularly important since the VC wire is now made of aluminum (instead of copper, as in the previous generation), which is less tolerant of heat than copper. While your first inclination may be to question this decision, it actually benefits the driver by lowering the mass of the moving parts. These design elements also allow the driver to maintain its impressive power handling numbers listed as 1,000 watts RMS and 3,000 watts peak.
The increase in VC size also required changes in the metal components of the motor structure. The most notable is the redesign of the Compound Radius Curve (CRC) pole piece. The pole piece is the magnetic return in the center of the VC that usually (and in the case of the SWX-1243D) contains the vent hole you see at the rear of the driver. At the top of the pole, the newly designed CRC helps smooth the air flow and focus it through the copper shorting ring and heatsink. More importantly, the shape of the CRC controls the flux fringe field—the dispersion of magnetic flux within the magnetic field. By changing its design, Alpine was able to extend the range of the magnetic flux, thus bettering the magnetic X-max over that of the mechanical X-max. This means that the VC will always stay within the magnetic gap, lowering distortion at high-power levels. It also increases the efficiency of the motor, and with efficiency you get better response and more output.
These improvements should go a long way in the perfromance of this driver, so let's get to the good stuff.
Getting Ready
Normally, I prefer to test subwoofers in the recommeneded enclosures listed in the owner's manual; but Alpine was up front in saying that the best performance would be achieved in a larger-than-recommended sealed enclosure nettting 1.5 ft3 (the manual recommends 0.65-1.25ft3). Per this recommendation, I built an enclosure from 3/4" MDF with a 1.5" faceplate and minimal polyfill inside. I inserted the thoughtful VC configruation jumpers in the proper slots to achieve a 2-ohm load and connected the 12-gauge speaker wire to the gold-plated brass block terminals (insulated by an injection-molded form) using the provided hex wrench to secure the set screw. The C-shaped rubber gasket stretched over the basket's mounting flange provided a tight seal against he enclosure. Once screwed in place, a slick cosmetic rubber cover press fits on top of the gasket, hiding the screws altogether.
The enclsoure was placed in the rear cabin of my F150 and adjusted to the optimum postion. For this test, I installed a 2,200-watt Zapco C2K 9.0. After a little adjustment, the crossover was set to 70Hz at 12dB to achieve the best transition with my system's midbass.
Listening
R&B
Usher Confessions
At "mega" volume, I released the pause button and secured myself for the powerful bass not that kicks off "Confessions". I actually repeated this scenario numerous times as I was impressed with how strong and natural the SWX went from 0-45Hz and back to 0Hz. The sharp punches that followed were snappy with an abrupt decay. Exactly as desired. It was almost as if a mule were kicking the back of my seat. However, I didn't find the rendering of the staggered bass lines as spectacular. They just weren't as distinguised as I'd like, with the lowest notes sounding too similar, and leaving the impression as if it weren't extending low enough. But I later dispelled that inital impression by playing the following track, "Caught Up". Here the lowest notes came through with authority, but did seem to do better at moderate- to high-volume levels—at low volume it just wasn't as articulare as it could have been. Score: 8/10
Jazz
Diana Krall "All or Nothing at All"
The scaling of the string bass in this track really works the crossover area between the midbass and subwoofer. It's here that a system's transition between the bass ranges is delineated. With the Alpine, there was absolutely no draw to the sub's location—the bass seamlessly transitioned betweeen the front stage and the sub so well that I verified that the sub was actually playing. The bass stayed up front and well-focused throughout the entire track. Very ncie.
While listening to the timbre, I noticed a slight anomaly. At low-volume levels, the defining tones of the strings were less resolved that I like. However, goose the volume to medium and moderate levels and the SWX-1243D comes alive, providing a nice bit of resonance to the front end. Score: 9/10
Reggae
Ziggy Marley "Gone Away"
Overlapping bass lines can be troublesome for some speakers,. With this in mind, it's easy to see why "Gone Away" can be a difficult track for subwoofers. The heavy electric bass guitar often dominates the track's lower frequencies, overshadowing the drum beats.
Once again, I noticed that volume dictated the sub's level of accuracy. While not bad at low levels, there was a definite improvement at moderate volumes—not uncommon on larger format subwoofers such as this, and nothing that would be discernable when placed hehind the back seat or at driving levels. Note shifts of the guitar were easily detectable and the drum was reasonably taut with a little power behind it.
As with Diana Krall, the transition from the midbass of the front stage and the subwoofer was remarkably smooth. The sub also maintained a good, complementary image that was up front with the rest of the system that never stepped out of place. Score: 8.5/10
Electronic
Techmaster P.E.B. "Bass Computer"
Power Supply "Bass Boom Bottom"
While rearranging my music collection, I found some "real" bass CDs I thought were long lost. Back when bass was big and crusin' was cool, these CDs got a lot of play by subwoofer-loaded ground shakers that could rattle your mirrors from 10-car lengths back. The label on Techmaster P.E.B. reads: "Caution" Ultra Low Bass May Damage Speakers," which may have carried some truth with subs of its time. Today's drivers are far more advanced—but that didnt' stop me from trying.
I first delved into Power Supply and pulled up the title track, "Bass Boom Bottom". This is an intense, electronically derived composition that has nearly constant bass the entire duration of the song. Hoping my electical system would hold up, I cranked the volume knob until the system reached the "neighbors are complaining" level. The Alpine woofer clearly had no problems with my action, as it stretched its surround to near max. Its output was quite spectacular—enough to make me surrender to the beast in the box.
With Techmaster came the ultra-low frequency goods. The lowest notes of Bass Comptuer" came through with authority, proving the SWX-1243D to be rather linear on the frequency scale. To that end, playing "Bass by Numbers" provided further prooof of its abilites. Driving these ultra-low frequencies at high volumes, I was highly impressed at the composure of the Alpine subwoofer. In short, it nvever seemed to display nonlinear behaviors or exhibit even the slightest hint of cone breakup. Its output (at comparable power levels) performance neared that of the ultra-impressive Critical Mass UL12 I had on hand for reference, but at a quarter the price. That of all things is pretty impressive in itself. Score: 9/10
Rock
Candlebox Candlebox
Most every track on Candlebox's self-titled album is loaded with drum kicks, like every good rock album should be. The pace and ferocity of the hammer hitting, cracking the skin of the kick drum differs slightly between the tracks and when accompanied with a bass guitar the sub should be able to maintain good distinction.
I started off with "He Calls Home." In this slower-paced track the kicks should play through the accompanying bass guitar. Here the Alpine scored high with the kick drum very distinct as the snap of the hammer was presented with good attack and decay. The bass had a nice bit of resonance in its fundamental tones and again the SWX showed it can play nicely with the other speakers in the system.
Tracking back to "Don't You," I paid close attention to the double kicks and how they differed from the individual beats. Again the Alpine proved to be fast and accurate, making it easy to detect changes in the amplitude of the drum kicks. Score: 9.5/10
Conclusion
Alpine's latest iteration of the venerable Type-X sub is further proof that the company is serious about sound. While the improvements over the previous gen may go unseen, they're a definite step in the right direction.
Alpine really has built an outstanding performer in this competitive price range-a musical subwoofer that is capable of turning out some serious SPL. Needless to say, I really enjoyed my time spent auditioning it. Regardless of the music genre, it was one of the most transparent subwoofers I've added into my system, and that goes a long way in terms of long-term listening enjoyment. If you have $500 for a subwoofer, check out this from Alpine. —Casey Thorson
SUBJECTIVE SCORE CHART
Points
Alpine
Possible
SWX-1243D
Overall Sound Quality
50
44
Tonal Balance
10
9
Low-Frequency Extension
10
9
Clarity at Low Volume
10
8
Clarity at High Volume
10
9
Impact
10
8
Total Subjective Score
100
87
Classic Installs: Custom Mercedes Benz S500 - Gear gets old, but a great install design doesn't age, as is evidenced here with this amazingly sophisticated system by top installer Calvin Thomas from a while ago. We saw a lot of bad custom cars for celebrities over the years on the magazine. And we unfortunately even ran a few (or perhaps more than a few!). This is definitely NOT one of them. The car may be owned by Jermaine Dupri, but stands as a testament to the talents of another type of artist, the kind that turns a ride into more than a mode of transportation. I think it's safe to say that had Calvin had an opportunity to work on a major build like a lot of the "Best Customizers", he would've been on that list. —Ben Oh
When you don’t come home “‘til 8 in the mornin’” you need a smooth ride that provides sound quality rivaling your studio. Jermaine Dupri has been a music powerhouse since the early nineties when he introduced Kriss Kross to the world (we won’t blame him for the unfortunate fashion side-effects). As the founder of Atlanta’s So-So-Def Recordings, Dupri has worked with such acclaimed artists as: Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Xscape and countless other popular Rap and R&B musicians. At the ripe, young age of 19, Dupri turned his fancy to automobiles and with a bank account to support his automotive creative urges, and began his association with Car Tunes of Atlanta. Over a decade and 25 cars later, the team has produced yet another hit single, the 2000 Mercedes Benz S500 featured in Car Audio magazine.
As the owner of countless top of the line automobiles, music producer Jermaine Dupri had little use for this 2000 Mercedes and decided to offer it as a dare to his friends at Car Tunes. With little instructions, and even fewer limitations (remember the song “Money Ain’t a Thing”), the team at Car Tunes was challenged to “make [Dupri] want to keep it”. Car Tunes faced the pressure of not only of pleasing Dupri’s discerning ear, but integrating a fine audio system into a visually pleasing package to ensure that Dupri’s comrades feel at home (read: add lots of sophisticated bling). Lead Installer Calvin Thomas and store manager Jeff Smith, both IASCA competitors, corroborated to provide Dupris’ 2000 model with 2004 technology in a seamless install. The system is not overly showy, blending with the Mercedes’ subtly luxurious interior, but the sound divulges the time, energy and talent the dynamic duo invested in the car.
Up Front
The factory bezel which once housed the factory A/C controls and radio were removed to make room for a new custom bezel fabricated out of body filler, that was sanded smooth and painted silver to match the car’s exterior. This bezel is the new home of Alpine’s flagship CD Player, the CDA-7990 along with an Alpine 6.5-inch LCD monitor. The monitor provides Dupri with directions to the nearest Cartier store and allows him to enjoy a DVD en route (Poetic Justice, perhaps?). The brain for the navigation, the Alpine NVE-852A is discreetly located underneath the passenger seat. Inside the glovebox, Dupri has the option of loading six audio or video discs into the Alpine DHA-S680 6-disc changer controlled through the Alpine 7990. When Dupri runs out of fresh cuts in the changer and tires of local radio commercials, the Alpine TUA020M XM Radio with XMAT RF controller gives him over 100 channels of digital satellite broadcasts. The XM antenna TERK XM3 is mounted on the exterior of the car and painted to match the Benz’s silver paint.
Big Beatz
Since Dupri usually cuts a CD in the studio and then takes it to his ride to demo, MB Quart (Microphone Builder Quarternote) speakers were installed throughout the Benz. In the front doors of the car, the MB Quart QSD 164 6.5” midbass and QSD 210 4” midrange are installed in custom baffles. The bottom of the door panel was removed to fabricate baffles for these drivers out of MDF and fiberglass which was later rewrapped in vinyl to ensure the interior maintains a seamless appearance.
In the A-pillars of the Benz, Calvin Thomas with the help of installer, Brandon Shane, mounted MB Quart 1” tweeters that he integrated using body filler then rewrapped in gray suede. The tweeters are located in the A-pillars to maximize the width and height of the audio soundstage presence. The rear doors are accompanied with a MB Quart QSD 210 4” midrange and a MB Quart 1” tweeter. All of the grills were sanded smooth and painted silver.
When Dupri switches his system source to DVD format, a 5th channel of audio appears from the center of his dash. This center channel is a custom-built pod painted to match the car and home to a single MB Quart QSD 213 5 1⁄4” midrange and 1” tweet.
Back that Thang Up
Opening the custom-embroidered trunk lid reveals four logos well-known throughout the audio industries: SoSoDef Recording, Alpine, JL Audio and MB Quart. Because this ride sees a lot of time on the street, trunk space is premium. The spare tire was removed and a custom fiberglass enclosure was built in the wheel well to house four of the inverted surround MB Quart PWE 254 10” dual voice coil subwoofers with titanium coating. These subwoofers display true German engineering and incorporate the latest technology to provide competition-grade sound quality with street credible sound-pressure levels. Being a celebrity does have its perks as Car Tunes of Atlanta laced Jermaine’s ride with the first production shipment of these subs to Georgia. To protect these four works of art, Calvin made an acrylic cover: you can look, but don’t touch.
In each side panel of the trunk resides a JL Audio amplifier. Calvin chose these amplifiers because “The JL Audio amplifiers have plenty of power allowing us to use two amplifiers to power the entire system rather than three or four. These amplifiers gave us the ability to keep the trunk symmetrical on both sides.” On the left side lies a JL Audio 450/4 “The Big Block” which provides 2x150 watts of raw power to the front doors and 2x75 watts to the rear doors. The JL Audio amplifier is the 1000/1 model providing 1000 watts to the subwoofers. Both of the amplifiers were installed in fiberglass tubs that were sanded and painted to match the color of the car’s exterior.
In the deepest part of the trunk rests the heart and soul of the system, the Alpine F#1 Status PXA-H900 processor. This processor was Car Tunes’ weapon of choice to tame this audio beast due to its powerful DSP processing and level of flexibility. The processor receives the digital audio signal from the CDA-7990 then performs all of the digital sound processing that was programmed by Jeff Smith before sending the analog signal to the amplifiers via IXOS 700 series RCAs. IXOS 1 gauge power wire feeds the pacemaker-like Alumapro 5 Farad Capacitor outputting power via (2) IXOS 4 gauge wires. The 4 gauge wires then feed two of installer-friendly IXOS FB840 Mini ATC distribution blocks that straddle each side of the processor.
David Kinard of Car Tunes also laced the Benz with aftermarket performance mods as well (what can’t these guys do). He first outfitted Dupri’s ride with new shoes, 20” Lowenhart LD1 with Bridgestone Potenza SO-3 tires with custom painted inlets. To make the car even more intimidating he equipped the ride with a mean Lorinser body kit.
With all the audio equipment installed along with 48 sq. feet of Dynamat Extreme, a Lorinser exhaust was then bolted on. Combined with a Renntech CPU chip upgrade and air intake they give the Benz some of its horsepower back that the audio system’s weight has taken away. With a system of this quality, Dupri is set to find the next platinum hit while tearing up A-town’s streets.
Top 11 Bargain Subwoofers - Big bass doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, these days it’s easy to round out a system on a budget without sacrificing much in the way of sound quality or overall volume.
We spoke to some of the finest installers from across the country to get their recommendations for the best in bargain and value-oriented subs (read: less than $250). Their favorites—which run the gamut from bargain basement $50 woofers to more high-minded subs—are listed below. So if you're on a budget, these are some great bass options.
Turns out, there really are still values to be found in car audio.
Ultra LV6
Priced at a mere $169, Ultra’s LV6 6.5-inch sub is a popular choice for tight spaces and budget-minded systems. Jon Kowanetz, an installer with Handcrafted Car Audio in Mesa, Ariz, says he uses a lot of them for pickup truck installs, where space is often at a premium. “I typically do two of them down firing and they sound real good. It's all the sub you need.” The 4 ohm, single voice coil design can hand le up to 175 watts RMS and mounts in less than four inches. Click here for specs.
JL Audio W3v3
“When I think of value-oriented subs, the first speaker that comes to mind in the JL Audio W3v3 series,” says Ernie Onate with Sound Innovations in Hayward, Calif. “They’re an overall great value and a great sounding speaker.” Sound in Motion’s Jim Cavanaugh agrees, calling the W3v3 an “insane woofer.” “It’s got great sound quality, it’s durable, it’s versatile, I think it’s priced really well and it’s made in the USA. It’s one of our favorites.” The woofers are available in a range of sizes from 6-13 inches for use in compact sealed or ported enclosures. Click here for specs.
Alpine Type-R
Alpine’s entry into the budget-minded sub category, the Type-R series, ranges in price from $200 for the 10-inch to $220 for the 12 (though other sizes are available at higher price points). According to Jim Cavanaugh at Boston’s Sound in Motion, the Type-R is a good sub for the money, though there is a price to be paid when compared to nicer subs. But then again, that could be said for all the bargain woofers featured here. “For a kid who’s just starting out it’s got good bang for your buck and it sounds pretty good,” he says. That may be an understatement! Click here for specs.
Rockford Fosgate P3
Priced at around $250 in a 12-inch, Rockford’s P3 series woofers are, according to Bjorn Gunnlaugsson with Custom Autosound in Oakland Park, Fla., “just great, great subs. You can beat the living hell out of them, they’re extremely efficient and they have good power.” According to Rockford, the 12-inch version can handle 500 watts RMS and 1000 peak.Click here for specs.
Hertz Energy 10
A 10 for all seasons, the Hertz Energy 10 features of a double voice coil designed to coax the most possible power out of a smaller box. This versatile design also allows for a wider range of wiring and installation possibilities. “At around $200, it’s just a nice, solid woofer,” says Handcrafted Car Audio’s Kowanetz, who adds that the Energy 10 is probably his go-to for 10s. Click here for specs.
Memphis SClass
For installations that call for a shallow depth woofer, the Memphis SClass is Jason Kranitz's weapon of choice. Jason runs Kingpin Car Audio in Wilsonville, Oregon and he says, “It’s just a phenomenal sounding thin sub,” he says. “If you’re going to do a thin sub, you really can’t go wrong.” At around $229 for the 10, Memphis offers the SClass in both single and dual 4 ohm coil designs and the woofers can be installed at a mounting depth of just 3 inches. Click here for specs.
Image Dynamics CTX
In terms of pure bang for your buck, Jay Oliphant with Drive Customs in San Luis Obispo, Calif. says the CTX series from Image Dynamics is hard to beat. “There’s just nothing out there that gives you the kind of sound quality and volume output that they give you at that price. Usually with subs you get one or the other, but with the CTX you get the output level plus the kind of musicality that you usually just don’t see in a $99 woofer.” The CTX series is available in a range of sizes and is built to last, with UV-protected surrounds and cones. Click here for specs.
JL Audio WX
Like the JL W3v3 subs mentioned above, the lower priced WX line is another beneficiary of “trickle down technology” from the company’s flagship models. Available in both 10- and 12-inch varieties and priced at around $100, the WX line is positioned as an entry-level sub for performance-minded users. “The WX subs are really good sellers for us and they hold up,” says Peter Riker with The Specialists in Tucson, Ariz. “JL has always been right up there at the top with their engineering and they include all of that technology even in the cheaper models." Click here for specs.
Arc Audio KS 10
Built to handle up to 200 watts RMS without punching a hole in the bank account, the $119 KS 10 from Arc Audio is advertised as offering high-end sound at an enthusiast price. According to Arc, the Kar Series, of which the KS 10 is a part, is designed for use in small, low-power systems. Handcrafted Car Audio’s Kowanetz is a fan, saying he’s “always had good luck with them” as a good, basic sub. Click here for specs.
Image Dynamics IDQ 10
Available in single- and dual-voice coil varieties, the IDQ 10 from Image Dynamics also gets high praise from installers for its versatility and overall value. Custom Autosound’s Gunnlaugsson calls the IDQ 10 “phenomenal” and says they sell a lot of them in the shop. “I really like it because you can use it free, sealed, bandpass, ported; just about any application you can dream of.” The IDQ series is priced in the $230 range, depending on the cone size and other options, and can handle up to 250 watts RMS. Click here for specs.
Planet Audio RX
There’s a thin line between “value-oriented” and “cheap,” but it’s one that Planet Audio’s RX series subwoofers walk nicely, according to Drive Customs’ Oliphant. “They’re durable, they sound pretty good and they have pretty good output,” he says. “They're much more about output than sound quality, but for a guy who just wants to slam they’re a good fit.” Best of all, Planet Audio’s RX subs can be had for well under $100 (sometimes even less than $50) and come in a range of sizes and ratings (though the 12 can handle 180 watts RMS at 4 ohms). Click here for specs.
2011 Kia Sportage LX FWD - It has been more than two weeks since we purchased our CAE project vehicle, the 2011 Kia Sportage. During that time, the odometer has zoomed past the one thousand mile mark. Having had a bit more experience with the vehicle, including two roundtrips to San Francisco and a good deal of time trudging through that densely packed urban jungle, it is time to do an review to sort out our initial impressions of the vehicle.
Good: Attractive inside and out, smooth and eager powertrain, superb handling characteristics, loaded with features, frugal and safe with an excellent warranty and lower pricetag.
Bad: Ride can be jarring, rear profile can seem a bit awkward, limited cargo space with the rear seats up.
Exterior Styling and Quality
After two weeks, I am happy to report that our initial enthusiasm for the Sportage’s visual appeal hasn’t diminished one bit. The overall silhouette is a good mixture of macho and cutting-edge, with a steeply raked front windshield flowing into a gently downward trending roofline, and ending with a sharp sloping back window and hatch. The relatively short overhangs, fore and aft, give the car an aggressive and muscular stance when viewed from the side. On closer inspection, what appears to be pretty straightforward and flat surfaces are actually full of curves and creases, which heavily accent the broad shoulder and hips. If viewed from directly overhead, I would imagine the overall shape to be quite sexy. I particularly like the swooshing crease that originates right behind the front wheel arch and traveling well into the back door panel, which serves to break up the typically mundane side panels of a tall vehicle; and in my opinion, this treatment works much better than the more straight-edged forms found on many of the vehicle's competitors. For me, the best angles to view the Sportage is from dead ahead, where its futuristic grille and trim design is well executed and not too "tacky"; or from three-quarters rear, where the subtle curves, edges, and dips of its sheet metal really accentuate the overall design concept. If I have any criticisms, it would be that the back of the car ends a bit too abruptly. Coupled with a rising shoulder line, it presents a very small rear window and very long hatch door, making the whole car look a bit hunchbacked. I think an appropriately sized roof spoiler would've broken those lines nicely and added a welcoming touch. There is an OEM roof wing option but it is a tiny lip that does little to alter the car’s appearance. I also wish that the front grille and the trim right above the fog light locations had been done in body color or black instead of chrome. With no other chrome accents on the vehicle, I feel that these two shiny items really stand out in a negative way. All in all, these are two minor complaints that I will seek to address with aftermarket additions in the near future.
From a fit and finish standpoint, the new Sportage is easily on par with its more established competitors: shut lines are tight and uniform and, with the exception of the heavy hood, all the moving surfaces are nicely weighted and operate in a smooth manner. The doors also feel quite substantial and shut with an authoritative thump.
Looking back at Kia, and the Sportage in particular, it is hard to imagine that the vehicle sitting in our driveway carries the same emblem and moniker. The first generation Sportage was a fun little SUV with real off-road capabilities, but like other Kias of its day, it wasn’t exactly the most exciting to look at, and quality was questionable at best. The second generation, though much improved, really got it all wrong in the styling department. From any angle, it just looked awkward and ill-sorted. A V-6 that produced less power and more racket than many of its competitors’ four-cylinder engines also didn’t help its cause. Since almost going broke and being bought out by its one-time Korean competitor Hyundai, Kia has really started to benefit from the dramatic improvements made by its new master in recent years. The Forte was a very good step in the right direction with the Sportage being perhaps their best overall product to date; from a exterior styling standpoint, I would even say that Kia has one-upped Hyundai (as well as many of its Japanese competitors) by utilizing a design language that is unquestionably unique and modern without suffering the pitfall of going overboard and becoming tacky.
Interior Design and Ergonomics
Overall, the cabin of the new Sportage is a pretty comfortable place to be for your daily commute. The dash is tastefully done in a combination of dark and silver-grey plastic, with way the two materials intermingle gives the unique impression that some of the darker shades have been chiseled away to reveal the lighter color underneath. The instruments are large and very easy to read, and all the important controls are placed at sensible locations. The decision to have the stereo mounted high and near the driver’s line of sight is particularly pleasing.
The door panels are well sorted with abundant storage space, including a curved section in the lower pocket space designed to function as an additional beverage holder. The seats are comfortable with adequate support for a vehicle of this class, and our LX model features the standard range of manual adjustments fore and aft, up and down as well as seat back rake. The lack of lumbar support stands out as the main deficiency. The overall seating position for the front occupants is quite high, giving you a command-view of the road with ample space all around.
The backseats fold down 40/60 to yield up to 54.6 cubic feet of storage space, which is about average in class. The same can be said for rear occupant comfort and space, allowing me to sit very happily behind myself, and should handle five adults just fine on long road trips. As far as areas for improvement, having a sliding and tilting function such as on the Toyota RAV-4 would be much appreciated and it is also worth noting that the seats do not fold completely flat but rather at a noticeable upward angle; but the Sportage is hardly unique in these shortcomings.
Two sacrifices in utility are made for the sake of external styling. The first is the relatively small side windows and the lack of a true C-pillar glass which gives the Sportage bigger blind spots and a more claustrophobic cabin than some of its peers; the other is a somewhat limited cargo area with the seats up, a result of its short overhangs and sharply terminated rear section.
Overall fit and finish is quite good as well, though the plastics used throughout the cabin can be a bit hard and cheaper feeling than some of the Japanese offerings. The controls all have a nice refined feel to them, not quite on par with Volkswagen perhaps, but certainly no worse than the CR-V and the RAV-4.
Overall, I am quite satisfied with the interior of the Sportage; and for once, we are thankful that the designers didn’t try too hard to adapt any kind of space-age external styling factors into the interior, which often leads to bizarre combinations of shapes and colors that are decidedly poor on ergonomics and overall taste. It is comfortable, spacious, well-designed, and easy to use; and that is all we can ask for from a economical daily driver.
Mechanical Attributes and Driving Experience
New for 2011, the Sportage is powered by a Hyundai sourced 2.4L four cylinder engine producing 176 horsepower and 168 ft/lbs of torque, which is more powerful than the outgoing Sportage’s V-6 and at the higher end of the class for base engines. At 3186 lbs for our FWD model, it is also one of the lightest cars in its category and shaves nearly 200 lbs compared to the 2010 V6 FWD variant. The other important feature worth noting is the standard six-speed automatic transmission. Virtually every other car we sampled featured four or five speed gear boxes, with only the higher trim levels offering the occasional extra cog. The fact that Sportage (as well as its mechanical twin Hyundai Tucson) offers this transmission as the only automatic choice (a 6 speed manual is the only option on the base model) is simply remarkable considering its price point.
On the road, this engine and transmission combo, coupled with a low curb weight, makes for a pretty satisfying driving experience. Acceleration, though hardly breathtaking, is right on par with the more powerful RAV-4 and CR-V. Fuel economy also benefits and the EPA rating is top of the class at 22 city and 31 highway. When you are light on the throttle, a green ECO light illuminates on the dash, so if you are trying to save fuel, the game is to try and keep this light on as often as possible. By trying to observe this electronic nanny (while still trying to enjoy ourselves) over the last one thousand miles, we averaged around 26 MPG, with conditions split about 65/35 highway and city.
The biggest surprise, however, is the almost invisible manner in which the drive train goes about its business. NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) factor is decidedly near top of the class and going from our previous vehicle, the Civic to the Sportage, my wife and I immediately noticed how much smoother the Kia’s engine felt throughout the rev range. At idle and light throttle, it is almost impossible to feel the lump working at all. Only when you really give it some pedal, does it start to get a bit raspy towards the higher end of the rev range; but again, this is pretty much the norm among the vehicles we test drove.
The six-speed automatic is decidedly programmed for comfort and is a smooth operator, normal driving conditions yields hardly discernable shifts; even when pushed hard, it is far from harsh or abrupt and just offers up firm and polished gear changes one after another. By moving the shifter to the left, you can also engage a manual shift program via fore and aft movements, predictably, the changes come at a pretty leisurely pace with a slight pause in between shifts during hard acceleration runs. I would say this is a feature that 99 percent of the public will never explore unless driving in an extremely hilly environment.
On the handling front, the Kia engineers may have over-cooked things a bit. The Sportage was perhaps the most stiffly-sprung car we drove throughout the vehicle selection process. While this tuning has its benefits, such as a flat cornering profile and a ton of confidence-inspiring nimbleness, it is perhaps the wrong setup to offer as the standard suspension on an economy-minded compact SUV. Going over rough patches of pavement yielded sensations on par with many sports sedans I have driven in the past, and a particular broken section of highway 880 near Oakland really gave us a good shake-down. It is thankful that the body structure is rigid and interior bits well put together as to not emit much creaking and rattling, but I think the overall “sportiness” could definitely be toned down a few notches to make for a more comfortable ride, at least for our particular purposes.
On the flipside, the electric power steering system with variable assist was a true blessing. At low speeds, the effort is almost video-game like in its lightness. I found that I can almost steer with just one finger on the wheel. This means navigating the tight confines of a parking lot or downtown San Francisco is a breeze, especially for weaker armed drivers like my wife; as forward velocity begins to build, so do the weight of the steering wheel, and at normal highway speeds, I found it extremely easy to maintain a precise path despite the somewhat harsh body motions generated by the suspension.
Other attributes worth noting are the anti-lock brakes and Electronic Stability Program, both standard across the model range. Two more curious standard features are the Hill Hold and Decent Control. The former is a feature more commonly seen on today’s manual transmission equipped vehicles—holding the brakes for a few seconds when getting underway on a steep incline to prevent the car from rolling back. Yet the only manual available on the Sportage is the bottom of the range base model. The latter, activated through a button on the dash, engages the brakes in a gentle and progressive manner at ultra low speeds so the car can safely creep down a slippery and steep hillside. Useful in off-roading situation, it is doubtful that any FWD Sportages such as ours will ever experience the full benefits of this system. These are by no means demerits, of course, and letting the car idle down the famously winding Lombard Street in San Francisco without hitting the brakes was quite an amusing experience.
Safety and Warranty
When we purchased our vehicle, it had not been tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but judging by the recent record of Hyundai and Kia products, we were confident that it would pass with flying colors. Sure enough, less than two weeks later, a report surfaced that the new Sportage has earned the IIHS coveted “Top Safety Pick” award. This means it scored the top rating of “Good” virtually across the entire range of tests, bettering more established rivals such as the RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rouge. A quick visit to IIHS’s website also points to the dramatic improvements Kia has made over the past decade, with the first generation Sportage receiving generally “marginal” or “poor ratings” and the second generation netting scores of “Average”. Beyond the aforementioned standard ABS and ESP, the vehicle is also equipped with a plethora of airbags deployed from seemingly every crevice of the interior. All in all, it is confident to say that this is among the safest compact SUVs you can purchase.
Warranty is another strong selling point for the Sportage, like all new Kia and Hyundai models, the standard bumper to bumper warranty runs 5 years or 60,000 miles, with the power train protection lasting 10 years or 100,000 miles, this is far superior to the industry norm of 3 years 36,000 miles/5 years 60,000 miles. Coupled with the ever increasing quality rating from the Korean manufacturer, we are fairly certain that our Sportage will be providing us with years of trouble free service without stressing our pocket books.
Potential for Aftermarket Electronics
Being a project car for Car Audio and Electronics, it is natural that we evaluate the 2011 Sportage on its adaptability to an aftermarket audio system. The stock non-navigation head unit resides in a detached trim panel in the middle of the dash, and should easily accommodate an mounting kit for single or double-din options. Some people may want to retain the unit, however, on the account that it provides standard Sirius Satellite Radio as well as integrated IPod control and Bluetooth. The latter can be controlled via three steering wheel mounted buttons and features full voice-recognition dialing.
Front speakers consists of a 6.5"-class midbass in the lower doors, and a small format tweeter in a rather unique mount at the top corner of the door panel just under the sail trim. The tweeter grille is on the top portion of the door card and, as a result, the two tweeters roughly fire towards the map lights on the roof. While this isn’t a terrible configuration for those seeking simple stock replacement options, those with more ambitious goals will be happy to see the expansive A-pillar cover that flares out at the bottom. This design should easily contain drivers up to four inches in diameter. Furthermore, the instrument cluster hood has a very slight rise in its profile, meaning less potential for unwanted sonic reflections. The rear door features a 6.5” full range driver in an identical lower door mounting location, again easily swapped out with an aftermarket speaker.
Lifting up the cargo floor reveals a gargantuan spare tire/storage well. If one chooses to remove the spare tire, it is quite feasible to hide a sizable amp/sub system entirely within its confines. Those looking to retain the spare tire can utilize the four inches or so of space between the cover panel and the top of the spare tire to mount amplifiers, and molding a side-firing subwoofer enclosure on either side of the cargo area. There is a stock subwoofer option that resides in the passenger side rear trim panel, which suggests that quite a bit of additional space can be had behind the plastic pieces possibly allowing for a 100 percent stock appearance.
Overall, I would say the potential for customizing the new Sportage from a aftermarket audio standpoint is excellent and I will be eagerly anticipating the release of vital installation accessories so I can start my project.
Conclusion
The common sentiment today is that Korean carmakers such as Hyundai and Kia are giving Japanese companies the nervous jitters much the same way the Japanese rattled the European and domestic manufacturers a couple of decades ago: by offering ever improving products at a decidedly lower price point. After purchasing our first ever Korean car, I have to agree wholeheartedly. The 2011 Kia Sportage balances performance, comfort, safety, quality, and styling in a package that costs significantly less than its Japanese and domestic rivals; Yet it is also important to note that we may well have chosen the Sportage even without its price advantage, for this is a vehicle that can stand proud solely on its inherent attributes without resorting to the bargain card. More to come soon on our Project Kia Sportage!
One of the main reasons people put a car audio system in a car is to achieve pumping sub bass. For many years I have enjoyed cruising around town late at night with the back of my car thumping. I am sure most of you can relate to the excitement of feeling the effects of that kind of sound in a car.
Before you start a car stereo subwoofer project, there are a few rules for building a subwoofer enclosure for a car that we need to cover. Then we will get into a few specific ways to mount the sub and enclosure.
First, let’s discuss some foundational points.
1. One of the most important parts of a good subwoofer system is choosing the type of enclosure to build. Equally important is picking what size enclosure to build for your subwoofers. To decide the correct enclosure type for the subwoofer, you first have to find the efficiency bandwidth product of the driver – or EBP. EBP = FS/QES. FS = the driver free air resonance in Hz. This is the point at which the driver’s impedance is at its maximum. QES = the driver’s q (a measurement of the control coming from the speaker’s voice coil and magnet) at resonance. The FS and QES values can be found by using the Thiele/Small specifications included in the paperwork of most subwoofers. The general rule of thumb is an EBP of 50 or less = a driver that is best used in a sealed enclosure. An EBP of 50 – 90 gives you flexible enclosure type options. An EBP of 90 or higher is best used in a ported enclosure. So for example, a Sony subwoofer XS-L1290P5 had an FS value of 20.3 at 2 ohms and QES value of 0.35. When applying the EBP formula to these values, the EBP for this driver is 58. So this driver would work well in a sealed or a ported enclosure.
2. The most common type of usable sub enclosure is one that is sealed. To determine the size sub enclosure to build, you first have to know what volume of air space the subwoofer requires. This volume can be found inside the owner’s manual of most subwoofers. So in my example, we’re planning a custom box around a subwoofer that requires 1.00 CF of air space. The first step is to measure the trunk and see how much available space there is for a box. So let’s say there is trunk space for a 13” wide by 16” deep by 11” high box, and we’ll use ¾” wood to build it.
Now we have to consider two measurements: 1) the measurement of the box in the trunk space, which we already said is 13” by 16” by 11” – this is the outer measurement of the box; 2) the measurement of the inside of the box, which is where the volume of air space will be measured. Remember, we’re using ¾” wood to build the box, so to attain the inner measurement of the box, we must subtract 1 ½” from each side (L,W,H). This calculates a measurement of the inside of the box to be 11 ½” wide X 14 ½” deep X 9 ½” high. To calculate what the cubic feet of air space will be – or Net Volume of the box – we need to multiply LxWxH and divide the answer by 1728. So 11 ½” x 14 ½” x 9 ½” = 1584.125 divded by 1728 = .91674CF.
So this size enclosure gives us .91674 CF inside the box and is a little too small since we know we need 1.0 CF. However, for this example we have the ability to increase the box depth because there is some extra space in the trunk. So if we increase the box depth by 1 ½” and recalculate the formula above, we get a box that is 1.01157. It does not matter which side of the box we increase in size. What matters is the interior volume. This process is the same if we needed to decrease the box size to get a smaller box volume.
3. When planning the box design we have to decide on which side of the box the woofer will mount. A big misconception is that the woofer needs to fire at the front passenger area to get the most bass. In my experience, aiming the woofers at the rear trunk or at the hatchback glass provides the deepest hitting bass. For the loudest bass, always try to aim the subs at a reflection point in the car.
Now let’s discuss specifics on how the box and woofer will attach securely in the car. I have looked at many nice systems and a common problem I see is a sub enclosure simply sitting in the trunk. Not only is this very dangerous, but it causes the bass to sound terrible.
Here are a few facts regarding sub and enclosure mounting:
1. A single sub enclosure with an installed speaker can weigh over 40lbs. In a 30 MPH collision, this box will produce over 1200lbs of force. This is Big Danger. Now imagine if it was an 80lb box at an 80MPH collision. To reduce the danger to you and your passengers, mount the box to the car with Grade 8 automotive bolts. (You can buy them at Lowe’s in the hardware section. They are located in the slide-out drawers with the other specialty fasteners.) To mount a box properly, drill through the bottom (or side) of the box and into the car, and attach the bolt with a large washer on both sides. Then screw the subwoofer into the box to conceal the bolt. This will require a second person under or outside of the car to attach the washer and nut on other side of the bolt. Do this in at least two places on the box.
2. Always look under the car before you drill any holes. Try to locate a bolt or wire that goes from inside to outside of the car to use as a reference point. Do not drill through the gas tank or fuel lines, which are usually located in the rear of the vehicle.
3. Do not use screws to mount a box to your car. The subwoofer cone, playing 80HZ bass notes, will be accelerating with over 3 G’s of force. If the box moves even a little, it will produce a loss of SPL. Screws will not hold it securely enough. If you want loud, clear bass then make sure the box is bolted to the car.
4. Always attach the subwoofer to the box with small bolt fasteners. I use small bolts with T-Nuts. T-nuts can be purchased at Lowe’s and will allow you to mount and remove the sub repetitively without the screws stripping out. See the photos below.
5. Always put a thin weather-strip around the subwoofer before it mounts to the box. This will allow the subwoofer to make an airtight seal to the box, which will help the box pressurize and give you more sub bass output and better sounding bass.
6. Do not ever, ever screw the subwoofer to the box with a drill. If you do, you will end up putting a hole in the surround of your sub. The proper way is to mark the mounting holes with a sharpie marker, move the sub out of the box, then drill the holes with a small drill bit. Install the T-Nuts and then mount the subwoofer using a hand held allen wrench. A drill tip will ruin your subwoofer faster than anything else.
For more information, you can purchase How to Install Automotive Mobile Electronic Systems, available at Amazon.com and most major bookstores or you can email the author at info@jasonsyner.com.
1. Once your box is designed, and you have a sketch and cut list of all of the pieces you will need, pre-cut all of your box sides. MDF ¾” is the best material to use and is available at Home Depot or Lowe’s.
2. CA glue is a great way to join the sides of a box together. Using a square is mandatory to align the sides of the box.
3. A drill and a small drill bit is the best way to produce speaker mounting holes. Notice the speaker is safely out of the way while drilling.
4. T-Nut fasteners are one of the better ways to secure a subwoofer to a box.
5. Using a mounting bolt instead of a screw allows you take the subwoofer in and out of the box, tighten it back up and not strip out.
6. The T-Nuts install on the back of the sub box. The bolt goes through the subwoofer flange and into the T-Nut.
7. Install the T-Nuts before the face board (where the subs mount) is glued into the box.
8. Hela-coils are similar to T-Nuts except they mount into the box from the top.
9. Hela-coils are installed in the box slowly, hand twisted. Be careful not to over tighten.
10. It is a good idea to test fit the subwoofer and all of the mounting bolts before installing the box.
11. Once the box is completely assembled, and test fit it is ready to be upholstered.
12. Set the enclosure into the trunk and decide the best mounting option. Usually the sides or bottom will be the ideal spot to secure the enclosure.
13. Quarter-inch bolts are drilled thru the rear side fenders from inside the sub box.
14. A ¼” bolt is drilled on the passenger side to securely hold the box to the car.
15. Underneath the rear fenders on the outside of the car is where you will install the large washer and nut. This will deter potential thieves from snatching the box out of the trunk.
16. Foam weather-strip tape is sold at Home Depot and is available in different sizes. If you have a large gap in the top of the box, use a thicker or wider weather-strip to seal it up.
17. Carefully apply the foam weather-strip to the mounting flange of the subwoofer.
18. Shown here is the completed weather-striping on the subwoofer. Try not to have any more than one seam and overlap the weather-strip1/16”.
19. Mount the subwoofer to the sealed box to hide the inner bolts.
2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI - The VW Golf TDI is several thousand dollars more than the gas version, but of course is significantly more fuel efficient than the latter. The regular Golf with the 2.5L engine does about 23/30 whereas the TDI has an EPA estimate of 30/41. Plus there is a tax credit you can get if you're among the first 60,000 customers to buy the TDI this year. Still, I don't know about buying the diesel car over the gas one. So let's say you save $500 a year on fuel—with the higher sticker price it'll take several years to recoup your cost. By that time you'll probably want to buy a new vehicle. Of course, you do get a torquey car that's relatively fun to drive. Whether or not that's enough will probably depend to some extent on how much of a VW fan you are.
Add to the cost a Dynaudio system, navigation, the Cold Weather Package, power sunroof and Bluetooth (yes, VW charges separately for that), among other extras and you're looking at $27,090 for a Golf. That's how much our 6-speed manual press car lists for, making it fairly expensive for a vehicle that's supposed to help you save some money on fuel. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the car—and I'm not even a V-dub fan. However, I will say that I'd seriously think twice about getting any of the aforementioned options. While the car delivers, fuel- and performance-wise, I was less than thrilled with the extras. And frankly, Bluetooth should be standard; people shouldn't have to pay more for that. It should be like a safety feature that's priced in.
Interior
When I first got in the Golf I had to spend a few minutes with the seat. Even after multiple adjustments I couldn't get comfortable. No matter what, the seat was angled too far back. I like to sit angled forward a little more. This made working the clutch a little more inconvenient. But not a major issue. Once I started driving, I was immediately distracted by how quick the car was. The cabin seemed quiet, but when I used Bluetooth for hands-free calling, I found the interior louder than I'd thought. Partially that was because the Bluetooth audio wasn't that great. It's not so much that road noise does not penetrate the cabin; rather, engine noise is well sealed off from the interior, giving you the feeling of an overall quiet ride.
Dynaudio
I've heard Dynaudio in a Volkswagen before. They made a very high-powered system in a Passat which was impressive for OE audio. But the Golf (even the TDI version) isn't a Passat. Maybe VW felt they could go simpler for the audio. The "Dynaudio Advanced Sound" system adds $478 to the price tag. Pretty cheap, you might say. But then you don't get a whole lot for the money. You have some woofers in the doors and rear quarter panels and tweeters in the sail panel. There is no dedicated subwoofer.
I listened to my usual test tracks and found some obvious problems. I played "Boxenkiller" off the Focal demo disc. To get the feel of the drum kit that's played on the track you have to listen to this at a decent volume. When I increased the volume though the speakers struggled with the material. At high volume the woofers started bottoming out. At moderate volume, the song lacked in terms of midbass and bass. The kick drum lacked impact. Adjusting the audio didn't help much.
I played a Sigur Ros track next. Again the music lacked on the low frequency end. And moreover, the highs were a little too bright. The problem would get worse when I increased the volume for more midbass. At a certain point the highs would be overbearing and I had to dial it back.
I followed that with Rage Against the Machine's "Take the Power Back". It was already clear at this point the system didn't have sufficient power to play this type of music properly. And once more, I noticed the lack of bass on this track. So I switched to some jazz, Tierney Sutton. On "Get Happy" I had to lower the bass and mid to get anything close to an authentic standup bass sound. The cymbals and vocals were reproduced decently, but anything on the lower end was compromised.
When I played music that didn't challenge the system's ability to produce bass, I noticed that the imaging was not all that bad. In fact, the stage height was more than acceptable. The stage breadth wasn't spectacular, but it was passable. As I tried various music, I did find that the system did better with synthetic bass sounds. For instance, Yello's "Resistor", a high energy electronic dance track, sounded full, the speakers didn't struggle to convey the artificial musical information.
If you're in the market to possibly buy this car, you would be a lot better off getting some aftermarket Dynaudio products and adding amps and a subwoofer. For convenience sake you may still want to pay for the navigation system. There are certain aspects of this that I quite liked.
Navigation/Electronics
The nav is pricey at $1,750, but you get a well integrated system that does everything it should effectively, save for one aspect. The touchscreen isn't that responsive. I had to go into the settings menu and turn on the beep sound to alert me when I connected with an icon/function on the monitor. I found myself pressing the screen and not knowing whether or not I was getting through. Aside from that, I rather liked the rest of the system. In particular, I liked the integration between the source and the little screen that provided information between the gauges. It gives you audio info, navigation directions as well as info on the rest of the car's systems.
The source has a built-in 30 gig hard drive, offers, CD/DVD/iPod playback and also accepts SD cards (and you get six free months of Sirius from the dealership). As an overall entertainment or infotainment system, it's loaded with features and functions very well. The navigation worked nearly flawlessly and the map graphics are fine. Ergonomically, the system is well designed, from the buttons on the dash and the steering wheel controls. If not for the lack of responsiveness on the touchscreen side, I'd give the system very high marks in this regard.
As I already mentioned, the Bluetooth did leave something to be desired. It was very much inferior to some Bluetooth systems on aftermarket units we've been evaluating lately. I couldn't hear the other party clearly and they had trouble hearing my voice as well. Both sides sounded far away to each other. That's a lot of the reason why I resent that VW charges separately for this feature. You're probably going to want to use your Bluetooth ear piece instead.
Conclusion
I took the Golf TDI on a weekend trip and really appreciated the car's fuel efficiency. And in terms of performance, handling, the suspension and the electronics system, the car gets an excellent grade. It was actually the audio system that was the biggest drawback on the car. Like I said, if you really like this Golf and care enough about car audio to be tempted to get the Dynaudio Advanced Sound, then do so with an aftermarket audio dealer. Find the nearest shop that sells and installs Dynaudio gear. You'll be a lot happier when you're easing past traffic (and a lot of gas stations) with your favorite music playing through high quality components.
Rockford Fosgate Prime System Review - With the economy being what it is now, everyone's looking for a bargain, for value. That's the reason why a person would buy a Toyota Camry. It's not exactly an exciting ride, but it's relatively inexpensive, reliable and not without some aesthetic appeal—"some" being the key word there. After a while, this oh-so-average car can start to wear on the soul though. That's why we decided to turn this into our project vehicle for a budget system/install.
So what do you do with an '06 Toyota Camry to give it new life? You add an aftermarket audio system of course. It's still a Camry, but it doesn't sound like one with the audio system at high volume. In this case, we added all new speakers, woofers and amps from Rockford Fosgate, utilizing their Prime line of products. The total cost of the components was a little under $1,000 (we went for a little extra bass, but you can save a lot if you go with a single woofer and one monoblock—around $720 total). Add the expense for the box materials, a basic CD player, an amp wiring kit and you're right around $1,200 for our configuration. With some basic install skills you can make this a DIY project. If not, it still wouldn't be too pricey to have this installed at a shop. Either way, it's not too shabby for a full system that packs a lot of power, and completely revitalizes your car and your daily commute.
R250-1 Mono Amplifier ($179.99)
Amplification in the Camry starts with a pair of Rockford Fosgate Prime R250-1's. These mono amps feature a footprint that's as small as a ream of paper (2.40 x 7.67 x 11.54 inches). Still, they have enough power to run a few small subs in parallel or feed the center channel of a surround sound system. Rated power at 4 ohms comes to 150 Watts (66.1 percent efficiency) and 250 Watts (58 percent efficiency) at 2 Ohms. The dynamic power stacks up to 285 Watts.
For rich bass, Rockford Fosgate bundles the Prime 250-1 with a Remote Punch Level Control which corrects for the inevitable acoustic anomalies found in a vehicle. It's connected to the gain control when on. Crossover controls let you fine tune in the 40Hz-130Hz range and the Punch Bass can be adjusted from 0dB to +12dB at 45Hz. Overall frequency range is from 20Hz to 130Hz +/-1dB.
R300-4 Four-channel Amplifier ($229.99)
To accompany the dual monoblocks, the system packs a single 4-channel amp, the Prime R300-4. This versatile piece of equipment has a 2/4 channel switch depending on the setup you want to run. True to the model name, all four channels' rated power adds up to 300 watts, with 50 watts x 4 at 4 ohms, 75 Watts x 4 at 2 ohms and 150 Watts x 2 when bridged at 4 ohms. Average efficiency measures 59 percent at 4 ohms and 49 percent at two.
The R300-4 has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz +/-1dB. Crossover controls include High-Pass at 80Hz @ 12dB/octave Butterworth and Low-Pass at 50Hz-250Hz @ 12dB/octave Butterworth. As with the mono amps in the system, tone control can also be tinkered with. The R300-4 does take up a bit more room measuring in at 2.40 x 7.67 x 17.09 inches.
R1S412 4-ohm SVC Subwoofer ($99.99)
Matching up to the amplifiers, the Prime 12" subwoofers provide a great value. Upon inspection, the solid stamped steel frame and Parabolic polypropylene cone are immediately noticeable. Optimized for sealed enclosures, the R1S412 has a mounting depth of 5 inches and a displacement of 0.101 ft3.
The anodized aluminum voice coil former provides excellent heat dissipation (up to 100 degrees at full power levels), serving as a heat sink and keeping the sub cool even during high SPL conditions. Other features include 12-gauge quick release compression terminals. The speaker can handle up to 300 watts of power with 150 watts RMS.
R1693 6x9 Full-Range Speakers ($89.99)
Ideal for replacing factory speakers, these 6x9s found a home in the Project Camry thanks to their great sound quality and even greater value! Mica injected polypropylene cones in a foam surround and a Mylar balanced dome tweeter are cradled in a stamped steel basket.
This 3-way speaker has a frequency response of 48Hz - 22kHz and a power handling of 60 watts RMS (with 120 Watts max) and boasts a sensitivity of 89dB. With a depth of only 2.89 inches it's an easy fit either as a factory swap or an addition to a custom install.
R1652-S Components ($119.99)
Rounding out the system are the Prime 2-way components. Also ideal as a factory swap, these 2-ways still provide great sound. Like the R1693, these components sport the Mica injected polypropylene cones and half-inch Mylar balanced dome tweeters. The tweeter's in-line crossover (6dB high-pass) makes installation simple as does the numerous mounting options.
The stamped steel basket brings the midrange diameter to 6.5 inches while the depth reaches down to a mere 2.17 inches. The R1652-S comes with all the hardware you'd need for the install and the handsome grille is a given. More specs include the frequency response of 55Hz to 20kHz, sensitivity of 89dB and a power handling of 40 watts RMS with 80 max. See the pics in the gallery for a comparison of the factory 6x9s in the door next to this woofer. The factory speaker weighed next to nothing. The Rockford component is not a high-end speaker but it's far superior to the stock counterpart.
Amplifier Install
The Prime amplifiers install very easily; they have four legs that allow the amplifiers to be secured down to a flat surface. Although it may be a very simple mounting method, the legs are very sturdy and allow plenty of support for the amplifiers no matter what position they are installed in. The terminals on the amplifiers are typical to those found on less expensive amplifiers; however, if used correctly they can provide a solid connection. When wiring up the amplifiers, I soldered spades on each of the wires and then screwed the spades down into the amplifier blocks.
Subwoofers
The 12" Prime subwoofers have great terminals that allow for up to a 12 gauge wire to be inserted. I was very happy with these terminals. Being a budget subwoofer I was expecting something inferior which can be a pain to use when installing. The subwoofers mount easily with eight screws. Note: there is no trim ring to go over the mounting holes leaving the screws exposed when installed.
Coaxial Speakers
The Prime 6x9s fit snug into the factory Camry locations and did not require any cutting or modification to the rear deck. Be aware that the terminals are not very solid and bend easily if you are not careful when installing them. I decided to solder the wires directly onto the terminals for a very secure connection instead of using quick disconnects.
Component Speakers
The front doors in the Camry used 6x9s also, so in order to install them I cut out MDF baffles for the components to screw onto. I screwed the baffle into the door and sealed it off using some non-hardening clay to avoid the baffle from rattling against the door. The components have a built-in crossover which makes for an easier installation because you don't have to deal with the extra work of finding room for the crossover (and then have to worry about securing it). Even though the built-in crossover is a great idea for saving space, I did not like that they were not adjustable. Most crossovers have the feature to attenuate the output level on the tweeter; these did not have this feature making it difficult to help integrate the tweeter to the mid bass driver. However, this is a budget system/install. You may have to trade features for price, depending on your level as a car audio enthusiast.
Sound
The big question though is how does it sound. Well, first we'll give you an assessment of the factory audio system and then contrast with the Prime system: The factory Camry stereo consisted of two pairs of 6x9s, one pair in the front doors and the other pair in the rear deck. The speakers had plenty of cone area; however, they did not pack much of a punch due to the fact they have a very low power-handling rating, and were constructed of a cheap paper cone and a plastic basket. When metered inside the car, the factory system peaked out around 90 decibels and had a decent frequency response considering the quality of the components. The overall sound was really weak and undermined any recording that has a big dynamic range. The factory system rolled off after 8khz , had some peaks around 1khz and obviously had very poor sub bass due to not having a dedicated subwoofer. If I had to score the system for output and SQ it would be a score of 4/10.
The Rockford Prime speakers we used in the rear deck were the same size as the factory speakers while up front in the doors we decided to go with 6.5" components with a .5" tweeter. With a power handling of 40 watts RMS they naturally packed much more a punch then the weak factory speakers. In addition to the speakers, the pair of 12" subwoofers we added made a dramatic difference in the low-end output of the car. The Rockford Prime system obviously metered much better than the factory stereo did, with a maximum SPL of over 120dB and a frequency response without any major peaks or dips after some tuning. If I had to score the system for output and SQ in contrast to the factory system it would be a score of 8/10. It was night and day. If you're looking to improve on your factory audio, then Rockford's Prime line is an inexpensive solution that will definitely provide new life to your tired daily driver. —Neel Mehta
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