Hey Guys I own a 2001 Ford F150 Supercrew. I bought a custom fit box for under my rear seat. at the time i thought that the box was an Up-Firing box, it turns out that the subs are faced down into the floorboards. i have about an inch and a half or so between the subs and the floor. The Sound Quality is O.K. but im wondering if building an up-firing box would sound better? I also think i need different door speaks. right now my system consists of: A "Dual" Deck (i know its cheap, i got my pioneer stolen) (4) 5-7 door speaks Memphis audio (2) 10" subs , memphis audio M series (1) 250 Watt Amp , Zapco I was thinking i need some 6.5" door speakers and an amp to run them. i dont know much about speakers, can anyone give me an example of a System for a truck that would be the whole package so i can see what i need to work toward? i dont know what i need for mids/highs/lows or where exactly they should be.
Sound quality from the subs depends on the enclosure...if the volume of the enclosure doesn't match the specs for what the sub calls for than most likely it won't sound too good. Also the Dual deck's aren't really known for their sound quality...more of from their "bling" factor Nice choice on the Zapco amp As for the door speakers...if they are the lower line black colored cones they aren't very good...the cones are very soft and made from like a rubbery plastic...not very good for any power as the cones flex a lot
It wont make much difference but if I had a choice I would build a down firing box. I think it's better for your subs to be firing at a ridgid chassis rather that a seat which can absorb some sound. I have some custom boxes I made to fit under the seats in my Silverado Crew Cab and they are only about 1" off the floor and they sound very good. I do however have very good subs and very good amps. Also my boxes are bulletproof and are totally air tight.
wouldnt it make sence to have them fire down so someone cant crush the cone if they wiegh a lot. or hit a bump.or anything that would cause someone to sit on them.or what ever could poke them. as for the doors just listen around and buy the best you can afford,or what ever sounds good to YOU.
If you want better sound quality the HU got to go, replace the HU for something better and you will hear a big difference....
you could also look at a 5x7 component set, when I switched out mine on my Taurus it was night and day in sound quality.
building a box that fires the subs up would most likely yeild less bass. Are you looking for better sound quality, or QUantity????? Alot of times folks get the two mixed up, not intentionally either..............
Someone on here had a suggestion about going to a high end home audio place and listening to a system in there....That is an excellent idea if you really want to hear SQ... My number one word of advice....My the best quality stuff you can afford...Put it in and try to dial in the gain structure as best that you can.. Avoid dash mounted graphic EQ....A cheap and easy way to check your system for peaks and valleys yourself is to get a test disc with test tones and an SPL meter.....At a given volume of the HU, go through the frequencies and right down the DB readings of each...See if you have any very high or very low readings....If you are going with factory speaker locations, there is not a ton of things you can do to improve unless you acoustically treat things (short of EQ)....With a good quality HU and good quality components, you should get a good sound....If you have big problems with freq. response, you can get a 1/3 octave EQ and try to dial in...if you go that route, try to find a place that has an RTA and good reference mic...They can set it up and help you dial in....of course a ruler flat freq response does not always make good SQ...Use your ears as the final judge (or someone else who you trust)....EQ should be used to repair minor flaws of the listening area...If your bass response is lacking, look for a reason before you crank up the bass or low EQ...Could be a cancellation problem or a gain problem or a poor component problem....EQ as a last resort.....You should check the bass response before you build (enclosure) or permanantly install the subs...Firing the subs up or down, back or front, can change this....You might be surprised how much flatter you can make the bass response by moving the box a few inches forward or backward (if you have that option)... At home and in my car, I prefer to use no EQ..... Try to not use the "loudness" button if you can avoid it.....the loudness feature is actually there to change the very high and very low freq. when the volume is turned pretty low (it boosts low and highs and leaves midrange untouched)....We hear all frequencies pretty even with our ears, but at low volume, the highs and lows are not heard as well with our ears as the midrange is....This is why an SPL meter has an "A" weighted switch...This will let the meter "hear" the sound as our ears here it.... Getting the best signal through the chain as untouched as possible will give you the purest and cleanest sound.... The gain controls on the amps are NOT volume controls...They are designed to let you match components to achieve the best S/N ratio and let all your components work as the best "system" you can get.... Willy
