camusmuse

Since there seems to be an "old school"(though I personally hate that term FWIW) faction here, I was hoping that some people would post up pics of their old/first systems. I know that when I got into car audio, early nineties....it was pretty much DIY or pay a shop big money. Me being broke I taught myself and eventually got MECP certified. I have had countless systems over the years, but a hard drive crash has left me with only a few pics of some of my earlier systems. So....... Here is my S10 blazer circa 1993....yep ten inch subs for midbass.....didnt work out quite like I planned, but the two 15"s on an Autotek 7300 would pop a quarter about five feet off the roof(flex) of the blazer with the right tone. Ended up selling the 15's and just ran the two tens(and got almost all my cargo space back)....I guess that was the beginning of me getting old. That was my second vehicle...will have to look for a pic of the first...Autotek 7204 bridged on two Orion XTR 12's in a Nissan 720D KingCab wedge box right up againist the seats....gotta love a good back rub.....lol. Few more of a system my cousin and I built around the same time..... Nothing really to "see" since then anyway.....we both had our systems ripped off, everything has been completely stealth since. Though I do have a mind to do a removable quad 15" setup with two Autotek 7600's for my dually toy hauler. It currently has an biamped ESX setup(60.4, 475.1) with Orion NT 8's and 1's, and a prefab under rearseat box with two SoloBaric tens. It's plently loud, great SQ, but a good burp would be fun every now and then.....

If there is a pole vent yozu can roll that dustcap back out J I think I goofed the settings here, trying not to have another repeat pic....oops...guess I deserve that newbie status afer all..... Yeah, its there, but it has coil rub, so something is out of whack in there. I havent even put power to it yet, in case the coil is only slighly bent. I have a second one in almost same condition, exept that the spider is collapsed. Still "plays", but I have "BIG" plans for the two of them in SQ, and they will be perfect mechanically when I do recone them, cosmetics will be a close second. Going to try my best to save the cones, what really makes them different from the JBL prosound drivers, well that and the nominal impedance. Plus the heavier cones seem to take a bit more "abuse" that comes naturally in a car environment, plus according to the T/S parameters listed they play a bit lower due to the added mass I assume. I have plenty of MEK on hand to soften up the joints there. Just not a priority project ATM. Even if I have to make my own domed silk screens, when I am done with them, they'll be "purdy" enough to fool most. Thanks for the great suggestion though, I have popped many a dust cover back out...even with out vents. pins and vacuum cleaners work wonders...lol. even proper placed gaffer's tape pulled at just the right angle and speed(think band aid...lol) can even make the creases disappear. Only been able to pull off that last one once though....bad pun intended...lol....

Lovin' that this thread is still alive and kickin'...quite surprised to see the topic notification show up in my email. Seems like its been way more than five years though, time flies I suppose. Rather ironic that I am a "newbie' here too..lol, oh well...much like my systems now....guess I'm "stealth" as well...lol...fine by me....seriously...hehe.... But I do still collect old gear like a nutcase(when I can find/afford it)....have sadly cut the collection about in half though....STILL looking for some Purple NT amps....sorry for the shameless plea....lol....they are all that I am missing for my "NT" system...oh well...I have plenty to put in place(including a pair of HCCA 425 boards in Orion "XTR" sinks...(the purple ones' "red" cousins that I franensteined)...but I simply must get my grubby hands on at least two of Purple NT, preferably four....lol, depending on model of course..but in reality I will take ANYTHING, any condition. Should of bought some ten years ago, as I havent even seen any for sale in the past few years....oh well....some day my pretties, some day....lol Sill enjoy looking at the "old" posts here from a few years back, and even the "new" ones; kind of an odd paradox now though, in the year 2015....still get a chuckle out of seeing now ten year old gear being called "old school", or the like. Nothing malicious or mad, just a chuckle.... SOO....keep them "old" pics a comin'....I KNOW there are more 90's pics around. I only went to a few local (midwest) shows way back when, but I am sure there are some pics of some of my "old" systems out there somewhere... I quit competing with my own vehicles after I went to a show and few days later someone "liberated" from me a silver/Blue Autotek BTS7204(my FIRST Autotek) AND (still grinding teeth in anger twenty plus years later) a MINT Autotek BTS 7050XX....I was original owner(one of the few amps I bought new, even with employee discount...lol) and had only had it for about a month or so....Both were in the pictured Blazer but with a larger box and only the 15's no 10's for "mid bass"...good idea...poor execution on my part(those Kicker Comp tens were the WRONG speakers for "midbass', at least in that setup...I eventually just un hooked them...lol, and the the 15's "do their thing".... Anyway, as I always have hated on posts with no pics, here is a "old school" one I took for someone who didnt believe me that there were 10" versions of the Gen1 JBLs, granted they arent marked "1000Watt", they are a measly "600Watt" , the "test" cd is there for size reference..lol ...all I am missing are the 8"s...though even I am still not sure if they ever existed...lol...seen JBL lit, but that still doesnt mean they were "REAL"..lol...not until they are in my hands... Further size reference, that pool table is a 4.5'x 9'. Yes, the 18" needs a recone(poor packaging...very sad, but I will try to salvage the dustcap...might take some creative "artwork' though..), the 12" I bought "as-is"(I DID NOT do that recone...) and threw it in the pic because I had already sold off the rest of my 12's.......only have that and one other...one reconed to 8 ohms, the other to 4 ohms...seller neglected to mention that "little" detail....lol. Oh well...still have 4 of the 15's NIB....and there they will stay...lol, unless some Purple NTs show up on my door step...lol...sorry I really cant help myself...I have an addiction..... Enjoy....Bonus if you can identify the "preamp" at the top of the pic...hint, not car audio...and it "glows".......that one I WILL take to the grave, it was a gift from a very good friend/employer who couldnt make payroll one week(long sad story)....I had NO IDEA what a "gift" it was until several years later...so sorry and ashamed that I was "PISSED" at not getting "paid" that week....live and learn....

Hello, As stated I am looking for some or any of the Orion NT purple amps. I know its a tall order, but I will take just about anything, from junk to NIB. I also have LOTS of GOOD stuff to trade if you are interested or looking for something in particular. I have mostly Zed Oem and Orion, but a little bit of everything. Problem is I dont have my purple amps!!!! I do have some very rare stuff too. I hope no rules were broken here. I could spend a month inventorying and testing amps, speakers, etc and taking pics, and if it come to that, I will. I just want my amps...lol. So all you other amp hoarders out there, if you dont have them PLEASE point me in the right direction if you know of any available. Ideally I would like some of both amps, I have a system planned out( I have since I first saw a prototype purple WAAY back when...and WAAY out of an installer's price range. Please help this old audio fool fulfill his dream....well one of them.... Thanks everyone, Nathan Pitman

Nice clean looking install....very nice for the times..... Looks like you might have a first gen and a second gen XTR there, seems to be more writing on the subs on the left, (series2, maybe)....did you get a little heavy on the volume and toast a sub? Just curious. I had some of the first series one XTRs and they took all the power i could throw at them at the time..Orion 250HCCA @ 2 ohms....it was a SQ system, so i didnt push it too hard, but every now and then I let it fly....had a second 250 for the highs, orion nt1, 4 and 6 for front stage..... miss that system, and the taurus sho it was in....right around 94-95 as well. Again...nice install and great looking car too.....love nissan/datsuns.....

Those the old pyramid super blue amps? My first amp was a 75x4....actually sounded decent for the money. Heard a rumor they were designed by PPI...no proof though... Wish I still had it for nostalgia sake, dont see them come up very often. I pushed my HARD bridged to two channels on a pair of CV 12's(yes the ones with the red surround).....fwiw...first HU was also a Kenwood....with changer control.....I thought I was so cool...lol...

I had a few of those Jenson amps.... Really not bad for the money....plus you could remove that curved "diamond plate" cover and they looked ALOT better IMO. But stealing is BAD.....mmmmmmKAY?.....lol....even though autozone deserves it....oh well. Oh, and of course I love the old Kicker Comp.... Yeah there is a thing as too big a box, but I bet it "boomed" like a SOB....at a very narrow bandwidth....... been there done that.

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!! Right on!!!! What's that? You'll have to speak a little louder....I have a bit of hearing loss..........

Actually do have two of the tens still, havent checked the foam in a few years but I used them well past 2000 in my multi car "beater box". A basic trunk box that would fit about anything mid size and up. Changed cars like shoes there for a while.....lol. The fifteens were sold with the blue truck, but they took quite the pounding by that time. I would be very surprised if they were still around. The kickers were great "cheap" speakers. Sold countless pairs to friends. Running two solobarics(round) in my truck now, though I think that I might be up for a system change soon...have four total, but looking to downsize a bit...sorta. Still plan on using two tens, or maybe two twelves...but in the rear doors(98 dodge ram). Have yet to tear in to the rear door to see what is there to work with. Have some relatively lightweight peerless tens that have amazing out put. oh well....guess that is a "system future"...

Though I have a ton of old Sony ES head gear in my collection, I have decided to go modern for my wife's ride, a 2003 Aviator. I am pretty much sold on a touch screen double din unit, but I have been out of the "game" for so long that I really dont know what is "quality" anymore. I have been looking hard at the Alpine INA-W900BT.....but it only has 2volt outs??? I plan on keeping the rest of the system stock for now, definitely want to retain steering wheel controls(I know the Alpine requires an additional module). Would eventually like to go with a full blown SQ all active system, so I want to plan for the future. Reliability is must as well.... My question is....what do you all like, and what are your experiences with these type of head units? I would love to get a Sony, but I have heard nothing good about them since they came out with the xplode line. It would be nice to use one of my old Sony changers if that is even possible. Yes I am stuck in the stone age, I still like my cds, but also want to run a flac or lossless input(i dont want to hear about mp3...lol....i CAN hear the difference there...). Navigation seems to be included with everything, but I have it on my Crackberry so its not a big deal. DVD also seems to be bundled with anything decent, but it wont get used much, would like to have AV out to maybe put a screen in the back someday though. So again...what is thought to be a good if not great SQ double din touch screen head unit. Any input would be appreciated...

Had to take an electronic vacation so to speak....good for the soul(and the eyes)) Well ya talked me into it....got what I think to be a decent deal off fleabay for a complete system 505, 701, changer, nav unit, couple extra monitors......and a good weeks worth of reading in instruction manuals(good thing i suppose....read on.....) Now for the kick in the nuts....the vehicle that this was supposed to go into decided to take a dump the day after I "won" the auction. In the shop now, most likely awaiting a new transmission(est. @ over $3k). So I got a big box full of cool gear and all the kits, steering wheel controls, and harnesses....and nothing to do with it. Oh well...I suppose it will give me some more time to think over system design and component placement. (and my sanity....lol) I still would be interested in opinions of the "lessor" touchscreens, like the 205.....as I said....my others rides need love too....and well since they run and return that love, one of them might be getting the 505 system, and the tranny whore might have to wait.....lol. I mean the SUV.....NOT my wife....LOL, so glad she doesnt read this stuff.......

Thanks for the info..but I got a feeling that its gonna be kinda pricey.....I'll still look into it though. Any particular advantages over other brands/models?

What are your thoughts on the Alpine 205? This is for the wifey's winter vehicle, and mine during the summer....usually. I also have a MKVIII(Wifey's summer) and a Dodge Dually(she doesnt drive a stick... thank god....lol)....both also with double din. I am considering a touch screen for each of them....truthfully I drive the dually the most....so that might get the "best" system, but wouldnt mind starting with something a little cheaper like the 205 to see if I even like how they work. I know I have to get a bunch of add ons to get get the features of the 505 or the current models, but they are pretty inexpensive relatively speaking. Each system will be a "work in progress", done in stages...so I will see how they evolve....which has the best interior for "real" SQ and which ones just deserve a "good" SQ system..... Think that would be a good place to start, the 205? I already have the DQXS(two actually)....so that will get first shot....

Thanks for the info...

What do you think about the optional XA-H100? Also I will most likely be running an Audio Control DQXS for crossover, when the time comes. Are there any other advantages to the older units(components, specs)? I was really hoping to get new, (warranty and install....). How often do the older screens come up and what "conditions" to I need to look out for when buying used. I would imagine that touch screen wear is a problem.

Technically the bass and treble ARE an EQ (a simple two band EQ).....either boosting or cutting the level at a certain set frequency. There is nothing wrong with using or experimenting with an EQ, but my theory has always been...never use it to boost, only to cut(that goes for the treble and bass knobs too). That being said,yeah if you arent happy....you need more power, better speakers, etc etc...... The only real downside to an outboard EQ is that it is another component that can add noise, and as mentioned before....can really make a system sound terrible, even destroy equipment, if used incorrectly. They are good for getting a "flat" response, but that might not always be the best "sounding" configuration....everyone's ears are different...

Relatively new to these kind of speakers(power hungry, big foam, high excursion monsters). Used to my old Orions and JBL GTI(the real ole ones that were based on pro drivers). Anyway, picked up a pair of these Eclipse SW8122DVC...spec sheet here(found in a different thread on this forum....TYVM) http://www.cartoys.com/cartoy/pdfs/Eclipse_spkr_manual.pdf The sheet seems to call for a sealed box.....but I have a feeling that a slotted port might be a good option too. I am shooting for a SQ system(yes I read here that there is no such thing as """""SQL"""""....lol, and I get the point, but I have had plenty of SQ systems that got REAL loud....sorry, it was back before everyone and their brother had a spl meter...but easily loud enough to make your ears hurt). Anyway...I am planning on running a 2 of these 12"s each with their own Autotek 7600 bridged and the subs DVCs run in series at 8 ohms. The front stage will be 8"s in the door(Autotek 7300 in stereo), along with dual 3" speakers in a pseudo horizontal d'appalito(sp)array with an Orion nt 1 in the middle, all on an Autotek 7204 (four channels). As for the amp overkill.....what can I say....I like my "headroom", plus by overpowering....at low volumes(90% of listening time) I can keep the amps closer to Class A. Car is a 98 Lincoln MKVIII....I know that keeping the front stage in the stock locatiion is horrible...but I will also be running an AudioControl DQXS..so I will have some time alignment capabilities. Being stealth and keeping the interior stock looking is very important to me too.... Subs will be in trunk, facing forward with about 4 inches of space between the box and the back of the seat. Will also pull the rear arm rest down, and do a cutout for a pseudo port(kinda making it a band pass....kinda). Done the same before in my old Taurus SHO and it worked pretty good. So basically....what is everyone's opinion on whether I should run sealed or ported on the subs? The 8"s will probably be run down to around 80hz...have to see how they tune to the door before I know for sure. This aint my first rodeo, and have several box design programs, but I feel that real world experience is just as important. Stage one will be getting the wiring run, but keeping stock headunit and stock mids/highs, and just running the subs off a PAC line level convertor....if it sounds respectable....then I will move on to the full install. Thanks in advance!!!

Ive always considered that a "loaded" 4th order BP.....but im sure there are other names for it...... was considering something similar many years ago....came up with this..... two tens on each side.....cant see the other two because of the angle.....each side was sealed from right to left, but the speakers facing eachother had about a 3 inch slot to "share" airspace. Still get some sort of loading effect I think, but it was an experimental build.....so no calcs except for box volume. It worked, and worked well....hurt your chest with just a Sony XM-4040 pushing them. If they had some real power it would off been something else. It was my cousins truck and it was too much bass for him so he ditched the box after a month and did two orion tens with a 225hcca.....still pissed at him for that...lol. I kept half that box for years and used it as a home theater sub....if I would of kept the other side, I would still have them as the bottom end of one of my home systems.... we got lucky with speaker and box design...doesnt happen often. thats why i do mostly sealed.....fast fun and easy....lol Yeah, then I can't store stuff on top of the box I think I'm just going to do a simple down firing setup, it's easy, if I need to get to my subs I won't have to cut the box open, I don't have to guess with the center gap. Thanks for everyone's opinions, except for the glue gas bs.

Jazz at the Pawnshop....recorded live, many years ago, but listen for the background noises and locations....glasses clinking together, slightly mumbled conversations....all very well located) I use many other songs and artists, but that is the standard I use.... laugh....but also Madonna - Vogue(even has some stereo surround sound if you got the setup right).... Pink Floyd - Money.....really just the intro. too many more to list....everyone's hearing is different anyway.....

sounds like dual 12" sealed down firing box might be the winner....hard to go wrong with box design too. sealed are very forgiving enclosures.... not enough cubes? over stuff with poly, too many and add "filler" blocks made out of scrap material to "shrink" the box... at least thats what I would do....other opinions may vary....

raise the table with a jig.... little extra work, but it will work.... or if you can get ahold of it...get some wiggle board, bends GREAT, but you usually have to 'glass it to give it real strength...

First, I would keep the subs on the same side. Not one facing one way and one facing another. You want them to operate as close to a single unit as possible. Ports facing up could easily be mistaken for cupholders......could get messy...lol. I kinda agree on a single fifteen if you can make it fit...I would fire it downwards with a 3-4 inch space from the floor. The raised box would create its own natural slotted port and help naturally spread the sound around the cab. In theory.... OR.... you could do a band pass box and keep that speaker nice and safe and run the ports around the back of the back seats as suggested..... my biggest suggestion would be to make the box look as factory as possible as an arm rest for the rear seats.....hell, throw some cupholders in the top and do vinyl inserts, round the corners, nice big radii ...too nice a truck just throw a square box in there..... keep the progress posted.....

Yeah....I kinda figured as much....couldnt get much better than the old Sony ES. Like I said, I know I have dealt with at least a couple people on here at some point in time...maybe more. I still love the ES, but for example....I have a C90 in my truck....and the display is shot....Im sure I could get it fixed(maybe do it myself)....but at what cost and how long before it breaks again? Source units arent like amps....they get manually used and parts wear out alot faster. I have several headunits, changer, processors.....about half of which work....and who knows for how long? Is it worth the time to install them? NOT a big fan of Sony Service either....any good Sony ES techs out there? There are a couple of old Sony ES fans on here.

Yeah...Ive got too many to count.....even have some drawn up in autocad...the whole nine yards.....then of course I sold the car/truck. Ive finally settled down some on what I like to drive, so finally I'll get a chance to go all out like I did in the old days.... sorry no system pic here(install was mostly stealth...stock headunit in place with sony es hidden in console, and amp under box with active cooling)...but this was my second nissan that i got a little carried away with modifying....lol.....system was two kicker 15's and that same autotek 7300.... pic is from about 94.....yeah.....i have no excuse for the bed.....but it sure was fun!!!...and yeah, that is static lowered....i took out many a speedbump....lol...ahh the good old days....I'm the non blonde fwiw.... I am surprised I havent seen more motorized stuff on this and "other" boards. Little trick....power window and power seat motors and their gear can easliy be adapted with a set of ball bearing drawer guides you can get at the hardware store. I did one system like that, but it was for a customer...didnt keep the pics....didnt want to....if you know what I mean. St. Louis can be a rough town....lol... if you have the room, an old flywheel on a lazy susan rotary with a power window motor can make for a cool spinning display...the wiring you gotta figure out yourself..... motorized panels are a must for stealth....imo Hey, us older guys got plenty system ideas as well and ahead!!! Got no plans of checkin' out any time soon!!!!

Yeah I really need to "thin the herd" some. Ideally I would like to get down to a couple "sets" of amps as I hate passive xovers and almost always run active setups. Some of the older ones will get a trip out to Mr. Mantz for a refresh/upgrade. Eventually all of them I decide to keep will get the treatment...in a perfect world. I also have a lot of Sony ES/XES, but with carputers getting better(along with the software), I really dont see the sense in keeping all the sony stuff....well, I'll keep a complete XES just to display...lol..yeah, I know......Hello. My name is Nathan, I have an addiction....heheh..... I did pull out two M44 amps, can see a few more but need my ladder to get to them.... I know the feeling. I regret selling some amps in the past, and never coughed up the big bucks for one of the larger ones that seem to have an aura that grows every year making the legend even bigger all the while the internal CAPS are getting older too.