Featured 2004 Ram 2500 SQ Build

[GoldCountryCA]

 

[GoldCountryCA]

DC AUDIO 2.0K - 2000 W RMS AMPLIFIER

1.2kw competition series amplifier

www.down4soundshop.com

Would this be a better option than the 1800w kicker for my two 850w subs?

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

cool build man

 

[GoldCountryCA]

cool build man

Thanks! The project’s budget is in the “caught on fire and I’m having trouble putting it out” phase. The more you learn, the more the components cost.

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

HELIX V EIGHT DSP MK2

8-channel amplifier with 10-channel DSP, 8-channel highlevel input & ACO platform

www.audiotec-fischer.de

I just picked up this amp/DSP. Now I’m looking at the response and it only goes up to 22,000 Hz. Is this a bad idea or problematic for SQ? The DSP 3S that I had previously selected goes up to 44,000 Hz. My tweeters go up to 50,000 Hz.

Humans can't hear above 20k hz and that's if their hearing is good. The number is lower for most adults. I can't see a problem.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Humans can't hear above 20k hz and that's if their hearing is good. The number is lower for most adults. I can't see a problem.

I realize that 16 to 20 K is the threshold for most adults with decent hearing. I have read, and I’m not sure if it’s true, that the extra range above that is detectable in a way that really deep sub bass notes are—not so much auditory, but something you can supposedly feel. It adds richness or some other fancy speak. Again, I don’t know, just reading stuff.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Started on the sound deadening / absorption

 

[GoldCountryCA]

I finished with the floor material and stripping the doors. I replaced the harness in the rear doors that had some wire breakage in the door boots. I’ve planned out the wire routing up to the doors. The only way I’ve figured out how to get the wiring into the doors is to drill some fresh holes. There’s no room to drill a hole through the connector.

I assumed this would be the case and why I ordered wire that has a round OD. Should seal nicely to a grommet.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Here’s another disaster to address with this project.

Got these online for the a pillars

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Speaker wire in rear door

Used 3m VHB tape to mount these metal strips for the plywood that the amps will mount to.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Then I deadened before installing the plywood

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Amps in place

Used these to get power wire from outside to inside the cab. 300a in, ground, and 80a out for my camper’s DCDC charger.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Test fitting go the seat feels on the 2” risers

Dual 1/0 feeds each on a 300a zcase fuse

With the protective cover installed

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Got the HU, speaker pods and new dash in place.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Back area mostly buttoned up…

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Remaining gauges installed and took it to get tuned.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Not really happy with the sound yet. It’s way too bright. On axis mid and tweet may not help. The shop I took it to for tuning is a high end shop. They are the guys who sold me the helix v8 DSP. The type of shop where component sets start at a couple grand.

They thought CDT’s recommended frequency of 2-3k for the tweeters was way too low. I told them to do what sounds best. It sounded good in the parking lot, but too bright on the way home. I was thinking maybe the mid to low frequencies were getting cancelled by diesel vibration and mud terrain tires. Anyhow, taking it back in next week to retune. I need a windows based pc to play with the software myself, as well. I’m sure they’ll get it right. A lot of it is preference.

Next project is a Honda Element I have. I’ll start another build thread for it. Still more questions before this one is finished satisfactorily.

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

Not really happy with the sound yet. It’s way too bright. On axis mid and tweet may not help. The shop I took it to for tuning is a high end shop. They are the guys who sold me the helix v8 DSP. The type of shop where component sets start at a couple grand.

They thought CDT’s recommended frequency of 2-3k for the tweeters was way too low. I told them to do what sounds best. It sounded good in the parking lot, but too bright on the way home. I was thinking maybe the mid to low frequencies were getting cancelled by diesel vibration and mud terrain tires. Anyhow, taking it back in next week to retune. I need a windows based pc to play with the software myself, as well. I’m sure they’ll get it right. A lot of it is preference.

Next project is a Honda Element I have. I’ll start another build thread for it. Still more questions before this one is finished satisfactorily.

Personally I'd cross those tweeters at 2500hz and let the midrange play up to it.

Brightness can be cut in the dsp. But seeing as they want to run such a highpass on those tweeters I question their tuning ability. The helix is a fine piece of gear that cam do almost anything you want it to do. Really one of the best on the market.

If they aren't using a measurement mic to tune they aren't tuning they are simply winging it.

Another thing getting bass out of doors is quite hard you need really good if not perfect phase alignment between each midbass and the subs. And most people don't cross midbass below 80hz which limits bass as it is. Lowering belown80hz can sometimes yield more bass but it exposes some installs to speaker damage or at the very least door panel buzzing.

 

[GoldCountryCA]

Personally I'd cross those tweeters at 2500hz and let the midrange play up to it.

Brightness can be cut in the dsp. But seeing as they want to run such a highpass on those tweeters I question their tuning ability. The helix is a fine piece of gear that cam do almost anything you want it to do. Really one of the best on the market.

If they aren't using a measurement mic to tune they aren't tuning they are simply winging it.

Another thing getting bass out of doors is quite hard you need really good if not perfect phase alignment between each midbass and the subs. And most people don't cross midbass below 80hz which limits bass as it is. Lowering belown80hz can sometimes yield more bass but it exposes some installs to speaker damage or at the very least door panel buzzing.

I’m going to ask for the file for the tune when I go in next. Also considering getting a separate tune from a different Helix dealer for comparison. If I can avoid that I will because shop rate is $160-200/hr in town. The initial tune was $300.

I’m hopeful the first shop will get it much closer this go ‘round. Again, there’s some personal preference involved, so it’d behoove me to get a windows based laptop to do my own tweaks beyond the timing/delay aspects. I assume once that part is dialed, adjusting frequency response won’t require further timing or delay changes.

 

[chipss36]

Humans can't hear above 20k hz and that's if their hearing is good. The number is lower for most adults. I can't see a problem.

Then you do not understand harmonics friend.
Just saying.