[supertinu]

Hello Gurus, need help in finalizing ICE config for my new Figo. Before i get into details some background, typical music i listen to mainly includes Bollywood, punjabi, Classic/hard rock. I usually listen to low and mid level volumes and prefer punchy bass over boomy bass. Budget is bit constrained and I donot want to change the stock HU on the Figo as it has all the features i can ask or need. I also dont want to put a plank on the back for 6x9 ovals to have flexibility with boot space.

To begin with I started with speaker upgrade and change the front speakers to Infinity Reference 6830 CS components thanks to SushantV who had got these from US for his Figo but didnt use them. These are 5x7 OEM size and fit the existing slots like a charm. The highs and mid range quality definitely improved but i am not getting any appreciable bass from them. Not sure if the OEM HU is not able to drive them properly. I am just not enjoying the music with the depth kind of missing esp at lower volumes.

Based on this experience I decided against changing the rear door speakers and did some exploration. Spoke to Suraj at Sachin's auto shop in Koramangala (Bangalore) and he suggested the following config for my needs

• JBL GT-X646 4ch Amp. 2ch for front components, 2ch for sub

• Axxess Hi - Low converter for my OEM HU. He has good experience with this product and has used on other Figos

• JBL GTO 804 8 inch sub in a sealed enclosure. Very compact foot print of the enclosure, punchy bass, easy to remove incase complete boot space is required

• Scosche wiring kit and damping on front door. Will leave OEM speakers running on rear doors as is.

This setup does fit my budget but had few questions where I needed feedback from the forum

• How is the audio quality with hi/lo converter feeding the amp? I read about alternator whine getting into the audio system with converters. Couldnt find much reported on tbhp.

• Any other equivalent amp/sub i should consider. Based on online reviews I didnt really find too many good quality 8 inch subwoofers available in that price range, but lot of amps are available.

• Any other feedback is definitely appreciated as long as it doesnt shoot my budget

[flipsyde]

I had Hi-Lo Converters installed on my Civic for about 2 weeks before I chucked the OE HU for a Pioneer Double Din. The Hi-Lo converters are the cheapest way to use your existing HU. My strong advice would be for you to change it to a Pioneer or Kenwood. If you want to retain it for aesthetics I would suggest you look at Audio Processors. They cost about 18-20k (Audison) and give you all the flexibility you need to tune your setup.

Also would suggest you try a 10 inch woofer over the 8 inch.

[navin]

Originally Posted by supertinu

Infinity Reference 6830 CS components ...but i am not getting any appreciable bass from them.

• JBL GT-X646 4ch Amp. 2ch for front components, 2ch for sub

• Axxess Hi - Low converter for my OEM HU. He has good experience with this product and has used on other Figos

• JBL GTO 804 8 inch sub in a sealed enclosure. Very compact foot print of the enclosure, punchy bass, easy to remove incase complete boot space is required

• Scosche wiring kit and damping on front door. Will leave OEM speakers running on rear doors as is.

This setup does fit my budget but had few questions where I needed feedback from the forum

• How is the audio quality with hi/lo converter feeding the amp? I read about alternator whine getting into the audio system with converters. Couldnt find much reported on tbhp.

• Any other equivalent amp/sub i should consider. Based on online reviews I didnt really find too many good quality 8 inch subwoofers available in that price range, but lot of amps are available.

• Any other feedback is definitely appreciated as long as it doesnt shoot my budget

Before we answer your questions please check first if the 6830 has been installed well. By this I mena check if the joint between the door and the basket of the 6830 is sealed and there are no air gaps. This would be one area where you can loose bass. Secondly check if both 6830 are in phase. The easiest way to do this is reverse the terminals on any one 6830 and see if the bass increases or reduces.

Hi-Lo connectors need additional care in insalling. They can be sensitive to alternator whine so make sure your installer has done this before with your make of car. In your case this does not seem to be an issue. Except with very high end systems the audio degradation from these converters will be un-noticeable so dont worry too much about that.

JBLs 804 is a good option. I think Bull Audio also has a 8" but check if your instalelr has them.

Lastly if you have the budget damp the doors as it will help reduce the resonance.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by flipsyde

I had Hi-Lo Converters installed on my Civic for about 2 weeks before I chucked the OE HU for a Pioneer Double Din. The Hi-Lo converters are the cheapest way to use your existing HU. My strong advice would be for you to change it to a Pioneer or Kenwood. If you want to retain it for aesthetics I would suggest you look at Audio Processors. They cost about 18-20k (Audison) and give you all the flexibility you need to tune your setup.

Also would suggest you try a 10 inch woofer over the 8 inch.

Thanks flipsyde for the feedback. Since I am budget constrained Hi-Lo converter might be a good starting point. I will try and listen to some existing setups. I chose 8inch mainly due to form factor and also since i dont want earth shattering bass. On my other car i am happy with 6x9 ovals.

Originally Posted by navin

Before we answer your questions please check first if the 6830 has been installed well. By this I mena check if the joint between the door and the basket of the 6830 is sealed and there are no air gaps. This would be one area where you can loose bass. Secondly check if both 6830 are in phase. The easiest way to do this is reverse the terminals on any one 6830 and see if the bass increases or reduces.

Hi-Lo connectors need additional care in insalling. They can be sensitive to alternator whine so make sure your installer has done this before with your make of car. In your case this does not seem to be an issue. Except with very high end systems the audio degradation from these converters will be un-noticeable so dont worry too much about that.

JBLs 804 is a good option. I think Bull Audio also has a 8" but check if your instalelr has them.

Lastly if you have the budget damp the doors as it will help reduce the resonance.

Thanks Navin. Good inputs. Regarding checking the phase, should I swap the wires at the speaker or before the crossover?
Will check on bull audio sub if available. Also will listen to an existing setup from the installer if possible. HE was very confident cause he had done this setup both on Figos and Swifts with hi-lo converter and didnt have any whine issues.

[navin]

Originally Posted by supertinu

Thanks Navin. Good inputs. Regarding checking the phase, should I swap the wires at the speaker or before the crossover?.

Swap at the amp end. It is easiest as all other connections (dont want to confuse you with tweeter/woofer phase issues) will remain constant.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by navin

Swap at the amp end. It is easiest as all other connections (dont want to confuse you with tweeter/woofer phase issues) will remain constant.

Thanks Navin. Another question, the installer who fixed my components placed the crossover at the bottom of the doors due to their size and wrapped it in plastic to avoid water seepage in it. Is that a good idea?

[navin]

Originally Posted by supertinu

Thanks Navin. Another question, the installer who fixed my components placed the crossover at the bottom of the doors due to their size and wrapped it in plastic to avoid water seepage in it. Is that a good idea?

If the plastic is too tight it wont let the rear of speaker breathe. One option is this

XTC 6"x8" Speaker Baffles Protect your speakers at Crutchfield.com

You can fabricate some crude ones using open cell foam.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by navin

If the plastic is too tight it wont let the rear of speaker breathe ...

Navin, he is talking of the XO, not the speaker.

Best location would have been in the footwell, but wrapping in plastic is not a bad option. Another precaution should have been applying petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the terminals before closing the door pad.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Navin, he is talking of the XO, not the speaker.

Best location would have been in the footwell, but wrapping in plastic is not a bad option. Another precaution should have been applying petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the terminals before closing the door pad.

Thanks DerAlte, one of the cross over rattles as it probably didnt stick to well. So I need to open and fix that and also check the phase as suggested by Navin, will apply some petroleum jelly as well to the contacts. I am assuming the jelly is mainly to avoid any corrosion and keep contacts clean.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by supertinu

... one of the cross over rattles as it probably didnt stick to well. ... I am assuming the jelly is mainly to avoid any corrosion and keep contacts clean.

Yes, the petroleum jelly retards the inevitable rusting of the screws and washers.

The phase reversal you should carry out at the amp end, not at the XO end.

While you at it, use plastic tie-straps to anchor the XO to the nearest hole - will prevent future detachment and rattling.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by navin

Swap at the amp end. It is easiest as all other connections (dont want to confuse you with tweeter/woofer phase issues) will remain constant.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

The phase reversal you should carry out at the amp end, not at the XO end.

Thanks guys for your advice. It really was an out of phase issue. I changed the phase for the left hand side front door speakers and boy did it make a world of difference. Suddenly my system is alive again with lot more depth and clear mid bass. The infinity components are now doing justice to their brand . Planning to hold on to my ICE upgrade for some more time as its not that urgent any more .

[DjNik]

Hi guys would like some advice from you guys on Ice for my figo.

1.HU- Shotlisted the Pioneer AVH P3490 or the Kenwood DDX 5032(reason being 24 Bit DAC & 3 Preouts)
2.4 channel Amp- JBL 1004 (Have it from my previous install)
3.Mono- JBL 7001 (Have it from my previous install)
4.Front Componints- JBL 6560c (Have it from my previous install)
5.Rear Speakes-Undecided (Budget 4-5K)
6.Sub-Undecided (budget 10-12K)

Inputs/suggestions & improvements from fellow members will be highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance

[DerAlte]

You have a mono from your previous install, so where is the old sub???

1. Any JBL coax (GT6-S266 or -S366) would match the sound signature of the JBL components, which I am sure you are happy with

2. Get the Infinity Kappa 120.9 in a small sealed box. Another option is the pre-finished GT5-1204BP - will go louder (though a bit boomier - ported box) with the mono

[vicjain]

Figo OEM unit is pretty good with features and can be upgraded with good sets of amplifier and speakers, recently we have done one installation where we have fitted two sets of polk audio db 6501 components on doors powered to arc audio xxd 4080 amplifier and connected it at 2 ohms, subwoofer was polk mm2104 dvc and was powered to sony xm gtr 3301d mono amplifier, we used connection audison hi low convertor which is probably the best available in market today, dynamat extereme damping mat and other wiring accesories.
you dont have to change headunit untill and unless you are looking for video receiver. if using avh 3490ub , activate auto eq option .

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by vicjain

... recently we have done one installation ...

Hi Vipin,
1. Please read the rules of TBHP thoroughly to understand the non-commercial principles we operate with
2. We welcome your contribution to the forum, but first please declare your commercial affiliations in the Ice Commercial Involvement Declarations thread