cushman Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Hey guys, been in and out of this forum for a while just looking for information/inspiration. I just finished my audio install in my OB, here's a link to my gallery showing construction shots, etc. I have an Empeg in-dash MP3 player and wanted to upgrade the sound system to match the quality of that unit. In short, Nakamichi HU and amps, MB Quart speakers and a JL sub in a custom enclosure. http://gallery.cushman.net/projects/caraudio/IMG_1184_screen.JPG Let me know what you guys think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifiandmtb Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Dunno about everyone else, but I reckon you've done a great job. Man...your car-apart shot makes my simple sub install look like a walk in the park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Tough call - part of me wants to say "great work" & part of me wants to throw something at you for coming so close & yet missing simple stuff. This is going to sound very critical but it's obvious you've got skills & judgement plus experience so please understand that if you were a newbie I wouldn't bother making the following criticisms. The sub box - great construction quality, polished FG work. Clearly you know what you're doing. So why not take the extra time to match the sub carpet to the car interior?? Gear - Nak deck & amps, Empeg, quality interconnects - and Discus-line Quarts?? What gives? Why hamstring a great system like that? False floor - you went to a lot of trouble to put together a stealth system & make it look great, finish it off by hiding the screws on the false floor or at least making them symmetrical... Deck - there's GOT to be a cleaner way to mount the two HU's. You're soooo close to a showcase system... All the same, obvious you've put a lot of thought & work into the whole deal. Great work so far. With your ability this could be better if you go the last mile. I know the temptation to start saying "close enough" once you're in the triple-digits for invested time & just leave it as is. I just hope this feedback pushes you over the edge to clean up those last details to make a kick ass system. Either way, enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushman Posted May 28, 2006 Author Share Posted May 28, 2006 The sub box - great construction quality, polished FG work. Clearly you know what you're doing. So why not take the extra time to match the sub carpet to the car interior?? Back atcha. I actually took a panel from the floor to a custom trim shop and had them order me matching carpet for the sub. As you can see from the pic I have 3 colors of carpet in the car - the backs of the seats, the floor and the sides over the wheelwells. The carpet matches better in normal light (not camera flash) but it is not perfect. Besides, this carpet is special audio-quality carpet that makes the sub SOUND better. Gear - Nak deck & amps, Empeg, quality interconnects - and Discus-line Quarts?? What gives? Why hamstring a great system like that? A good deal on the Quarts. This is my first install. Before this, I had my Empeg hooked up to the factory stereo with an inline FM modulator. If I decide they could sound better, I can always upgrade with the same trim rings I made for the doors. False floor - you went to a lot of trouble to put together a stealth system & make it look great, finish it off by hiding the screws on the false floor or at least making them symmetrical... Yeah, the screws are aligned for strength, since the top trim supports the weight of the amp rack below. The amp rack actually does not rest on the spare tire below, the weight is held up by the top. I'm not finished with the rack yet, I might cover it with some material or at least paint the screw heads (torx security screws). The top also supports weight from the cargo area to protect the amps also. I'm probably not done with that amp rack just yet. Deck - there's GOT to be a cleaner way to mount the two HU's. You're soooo close to a showcase system... Very hard to do. The Empeg is a Euro-DIN pullout size and the Subaru is Japanese-DIN. I agonized on the setup for a long time when I got the Empeg, but decided on that configuration because the Empeg is the primary component - everything else is there to enable the Empeg. See my docking station for where the Empeg lives on my desk at work. Without the Empeg I would not have installed any aftermarket system in my car. As for a showcase system, well... I hope I don't show it off enough for it to get stolen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushman Posted May 28, 2006 Author Share Posted May 28, 2006 Oh yeah, one more excuse. At about this point in the install my second son was born. Somehow when that happens your priorities get re-arranged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Point taken - my system certainly isn't above criticism yet! My excuse on the box was I'd rather have the trim color (which actually matches pretty well) on top of the carpet than vice versa. Even played with doing it two-tone, didn't work. If you're carrying the Empeg from home to car I'm guessing it's 90% of what you listen to or more. Why not jettison the factory CD altogether? I learned the hard way that the speakers aren't where you look for a deal - the premium series is the minimum you want with that system, the Q's would be a better match for those sweet amps. Otherwise it's like tying Herschel Walker's shoelaces together. Good luck with the new "priorities." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushman Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 Point taken - my system certainly isn't above criticism yet! My excuse on the box was I'd rather have the trim color (which actually matches pretty well) on top of the carpet than vice versa. Even played with doing it two-tone, didn't work. And I'm not saying your install isn't nice, either! I'm sure it sounds great, it's just really hard to match the carpet perfectly, especially when it's in different lighting! If you're carrying the Empeg from home to car I'm guessing it's 90% of what you listen to or more. Why not jettison the factory CD altogether? CD101 and NPR. The Empeg doesn't have a FM tuner built in, and the add-on ones are expensive. Besides, I don't take my Empeg out to the car 100% of the time and on the short trips for milk I like to listen to the radio. I learned the hard way that the speakers aren't where you look for a deal - the premium series is the minimum you want with that system, the Q's would be a better match for those sweet amps. Thanks, I may try them someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 CD101 and NPR. The Empeg doesn't have a FM tuner built in, and the add-on ones are expensive. Besides, I don't take my Empeg out to the car 100% of the time and on the short trips for milk I like to listen to the radio. Yeah, if you can even find one of the tuners. I almost got an empeg a year ago, poked around learning about them, what a cult! I wish someone would re-invent that wheel, great product. Bought a Dension in-dash unit very similiar but the SQ wasn't up to spec. Good thing, else I would have cut a hole in my new dash to install it. Your home mount rig is pretty - is that from the guy that was making & selling them online, or a DIY? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushman Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 I built the dock myself. I dabble in woodworking, so the docking station was pretty easy to make out of MDF and wood (curly maple and cherry). It was made out of scrap I had around the shop, so it only cost me about $30 in parts for the connectors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushman Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 Yeah, if you can even find one of the tuners. I almost got an empeg a year ago, poked around learning about them, what a cult! I wish someone would re-invent that wheel, great product. You can still find them for sale over on the Empeg BBS. The tuners are quite rare, though. I don't think anything comes close to the Empeg in terms of functionality, even the iPod (I bought my wife a 5G iPod, I'm not bashing them). Hierarchial playlists, tweak playlist order, hackability, control with a Palm, control over the web, nice display, user upgradable hard drives, dockability. I doubt another company would make them this open, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderguy Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 So I poked around your pics there, Eldo, Table Mtn, CO Nat Monument, some of my favorite places. You get to climb the Monument while you where out there? Nice cabinetry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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