Car audio - I need suggestions for a high efficiency driver ... (1 Viewer)

[Marcus Lewis]

So I don't need a massive amp to generate the big SPLs I'm looking for.
For my use, sound quality > total SPL level, but Impact is very important ...
How about: HSU ASW1202 or even the 1202M??
Thanks in advance for any advice ...
Marcus

 

[Mark Seaton]

Marcus,
I am a big fan of using high efficiency drivers when possible. Unfortunately small box sizes don't co-incide with this desire. THE best means to efficient bass in a car is via ~infinite baffle. I've done a few cars in this manner, including my own. Basically you use your trunk as the box and seal it off from the main cabin. This also makes your cabin effectively smaller, so you get more cabin gain. This is a great way to retain your trunk space, and get great sound quality. A friend and I recently did an Acura Legend with only a 4ch amp, which left us 150W bridged for the subs. After a little hunting, I chose a pair of Swan 305 drivers from Madisound ($58 ea.). While never straining the amp, these delivered VERY deep bass with a slight rise to the low end response, and levels which you would normally need 300-500W to most 12" subs like a Shiva to attain. The friend who owns the car still can't believe I got that much bass for so cheap, and such little power.

 

[Greg_R]

Mark,
Could you elaborate a bit more on the design? Specifically, where do you mount the drivers and which direction do they fire? Do you know of any good resources that describe this process? (I'm familiar with HT sub design but am new to car audio).

 

[jeff lam]

Just about any decent driver will give you good impact in car due to cabin gain. If you don't want massive amps, go with a lower power driver.

 

[Marcus Lewis]

Sounds all good Mark, unfortunately, I have a hatch back, so I'm not too sure if your idea will work for me ...

Any comments on the HSU drivers above??

 

[Mark gas]

before you start you should read this Link Removed
for drivers you should look into image dynamics IDQ's there cheap (can find them used for $100) Sound good ( used in many IASCA winning cars) and can go into very small boxes (.65 cubes for 1 10) Efficiency is not a big issue in car audio because power is so cheap ( you can get a JBL 1200 watt true rms for less than $300). Also for a SQ system you want to spend most of your money on the front stage and the install.

 

[Mark Seaton]

Hi Marcus,

Well, honestly I used your post to just express how happy and impressed I was with my little "find." Normally the first question to ask is... What car is this going into? followed by... How much space are you willing to give up? These two factors will determine the limits of what can be achieved.

The Hsu drivers could certainly work, but I would have to see the specs first. FWIW, I do recall that the other option from the IB was to use the two Swan 305s in a 2.5-3 cu.ft. sealed box. But that isn't a small box. What's more confounding is that efficiency ratings will be misleading between different drivers. It can be an indicator for some drivers, depending on the box alignment, but others, like a Shiva usually suprise some as to the in-car output/power input. Also, before we get away from ourselves, what do you really consider "moderate" power? To some this is 100-150W, to others, this is anything less than 500-1000W. There are some very nice mid-power amplifiers out there now for rather reasonable prices.

It's all about the application...