DSP recommendations and opinions for our double cab trucks?

Thanks right now I’ve decided to knock out one thing at a time and my original post still interests me but I’m definitely looking to knock it out of the park with my next speaker upgrade with sound quality most important and ease of install with least amount of mods to factory interior

 

I’m willing just want to pick the best speakers with budget first to do so. I really just don’t want to start drilling holes and cutting up pieces of my interior is what was meant by that bc I’m not all that experienced nor good at that. Ive built railroad cars and repaired them for a living and now I’m lucky enough to manage it as partial owner so electrical and audio are new to me although I’ve really enjoyed learning and researching it... It’d take me swrveral tries to get it right and more money than I’d be happy to spend. Unfortunately we don’t have very many highly regarded install shops where I’m from neither

 

If an Audiofrog GB set is in your comfort range financially then who am I to discourage it? I'd just suggest taking your time with the woofer install in the doors...as in deadening, sealing and adding absorption. It will be a night and day difference from just slapping them in.

 

Doors are already completely deadened with 3 layers. One layer of boom mat butyl black one layer of noico 80 mil butyl black and top layer of noico 150 mil red. I mean yes if they’d mix well with the focals I’ve listed I’m completely comfortable with them. I want to get it right. I also do have time alignment control on my Kenwood HU. I’m running the 8000 series stinger rcas which some say I wasted money on that and some say it’s worth the cost

 

Im running a audiocontrol dm-810 in my truck, but I am using it on a full active 3 way components in the front. I needed the time alignment and control of each channel that comes with the dm-810. I have a android headunit connected to the 810 via rca cables, then the 810 sends 9 channels of signal to a pair of 4 channel amps and a single mono amp. 6 channels go to the front, 2 channels to the rear and 1 for the sub.

 

@5nahalf I’m thinking about doing the dm 608 OR JL vx600/6i with my JL xd700/5v2 paired up IF I go 3 way and active. Right now though first things first and I’ve gotta make a decision on speakers. High end coax Focal elites with GB15s in dash or focal kx2s or JL C7 w audio frog GB15. I’d love to get some feedback on the GBs being ran and their high frequency range (the specs say 20khz)so I’ll know if they’d give me the crispiness and definition I like w my treble. With that lack of feedback and knowledge though I’m leaning KX2 currently and just rolling with what I’ve got for a while

 

Im running JBL stadiums at the moment, but eventually thinking of swapping up to a set of focal Ms, go with the 1/3/8 (inches). The main thing keeping me from swapping up to something higher end is the MN weather. Its not friendly at all, we will go from 30 degrees during the day to -20 overnight followed by snow the next day. It really really takes a toll on speaker systems. In the summer it will be 95 degrees with 95% humidity... its like getting hit with a wet sponge when you step outside.

If I lived near my brother in AZ, then I probably would of started with the focals, though I would have some pretty nasty dust to deal with all the time.

I originally wanted to go with the dm608, but since I went active front + rear + sub, I needed at least 10 outputs, the 608 only offers out 8 and that would only get me front speakers and sub, or all speakers and no sub. I could of run the sub right out of the headunit, but since I wanted all my sound levels to match, I pushed everything through the dsp.

 

I just want to say don't put coaxials in the front. Feedback I've heard on Focals is their tweeters will eat your face off. That might be what you're looking for.

 

I’m looking for crystal clear and dynamic acoustics but not dull or flattish if that makes sense. The JL and morels imo to my ear seem too dull until JLs C7. Infinity seems a bit more energetic and focals definitely seem to me to be the most energetic of all and possibly on the edge of harsh but damn they sound incredible at the same time. All of these top end speakers do in their own way

 

It has been demonstrated that layers of CLD are no more effective than a single layer FWIW and that 100% coverage in a single layer isn't even necessary. A barrier layer and decoupling layers are also parts of a full treatment - as is again absorption. Damping is only one piece of the puzzle. A good, strong baffle is important too - especially if you'll be using lots of power.

Skipping forward a little, if you're listening to speakers on a sound wall, that can help somewhat to compare side by side, but once they get in a vehicle, all bets are off. That's where processing comes in. It's there to help overcome challenges that the vehicle itself presents. I don't know where you are, but I know a couple folks here who could possibly demo Audiofrog GB systems for you. One in particular I'm thinking of ditched his Focals for Frogs and seems to be happy with the swap. Not an easy decision regarding speaker drivers for sure, but sounds like you have the budget to make few compromises there. I'd personally go with GBs myself were I willing to drop that much coin.

I didn't make it all the way through the posts yesterday as I was on my phone during some down time. Looks like you're not sure whether you wanna do 2 or 3 way. That changes woofer selection - at least in my world. In a 3-way I'd be looking for a dedicated midbass instead of one of these compromise woofers that's designed to play over 2 kHz in a 2-way.

 

This has been my experience with Focal tweeters. They can be tamed, but out of the box on passives - no thanks.

 

I have boom mat speaker baffles in my doors with quarter of the back on bottom side sliced out of it if that’s what you’re meaning by good solid baffles? As far as the 3 layers. The top is actually with insulation in mind keeping the weather out of the cab as much as possible and I’d bought the noico together as package so I just used it all. I even did my floors front and rear and behind 2nd row seat. One thing I still haven’t figured out is since I took out the plastic storage for my JL sub I can hear that damn vent back there loud and clear on the highway or interstate. More so than I ever remember hearing it before hand so that kinda sucks

 

Wow I didn’t realize it got that hot up there in the summer... always thought it was pretty frigid year round lol -20 I could not handle it. Coldest it’s ever been here in Tennessee that I can recall was -8 in 2015 and we closed the shop up for a few days lol bc it was so cold and icy

 

I have not been able to compare on wall. No place is within 2 hours of me that has anything setup to compare all these brands side by side. I only know I like focal bc I’m impressed with their entry level coaxial speakers that I’m currently running so that’s my lean toward them. Audio frog dealer is 2.5 hours from me one way. JL audio dealer is only 1. I’ve been able to listen JL and though I’m very impressed with them in many ways, they’re almost too smooth and mellow for me. Just have a “flat or dullness” to them that is probably great for certain types of music but for the money they just don’t take me over the top. I listen to all types of music literally all types so I want a speaker that’s dynamic and energetic and not harsh but on that edge of harshness more so than dullness. Hopefully I’m explaining this good enough to comprehend. I have done most of my comparisons on the Crutchfield listening technology which is probably a garbage way of comparing and the reason I’m asking so many questions before pulling the trigger. On the other hand I do have JL sub LG108w3v3 and JL xd700/5v2 amp and am very impressed and happy with both so I’ve nearly talked myself into the JL speakers a couple times bc of it with the thinking that they may sound better to me inside my truck. Then again I may not love them if they sound the same and be out all this money and unsatisfied

 

Yeah, MN seasons are dumb. In fall or spring, we can have below zero days, then the next day it will be 60 degrees out. We have both extremes in temperature up here. I feel like MN is one of the harshest environments for cars, between the salt, the hot, the cold, the rain, the sun, and the humidity, everything on a car gets tested.

 

Sounds like Tennessee weather just not as extremely cold lol btw @5nahalf i checked out your build thread and I’m almost tempted to try out what you did in the sail panels with your mids or tweets. Your sub box looks badass too and that makes me think you’re a lot better at this stuff than I am so may not be a great idea for me to try sail panels lol

 

The sail panels are super easy. I used a hole saw, clamped both panels together so the holes would be in the same place on both sides. Then I used a heat gun to soften the plastic and forced the tweeter mount in. Then I just hot glued it in from the backside.

The sub box was pretty simple too, I used 1/4 plywood, cutting each piece as I put it into the cubby. Then when it was all glued I fiberglassed the inside of the box to give it more strength. The outside I sprayed with 3m glue, then layed it down over pin hole vinyl and pulled it tight and stapled it in place. The box itself is a rectangle, just the front and top are cut to fit the cubby.

Pretty much all the things I built are made 100% half assed while trying to keep an eye 9 kids running around my yard.

 

Do you go by the same name over on the Sienna forum?

 

You know, my neighbor keeps asking me to go in on a mini van with her.

 

All these high end drivers you're considering are legit. They can all be made to sound great. And if you're driving as opposed to sitting and listening in the garage, you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference in the 2 way systems assuming they're using similar power and tuned the same (although I suspect the Frogs will pwn the others in the midbass department). Not only that, but Andy Wehmeyer (the guy who owns Audiofrog) will personally help you through design and install.

Yeah, that Crutchfield comparison technology stuff - I dunno. It makes one big assumption - that you're listening on a reference system. I guess it would also assume lossless files on both ends. I call useless. Parameter sets and modeling will tell you far more than that ever could.

I own a few XD amps and love them. But your speakers will not sound better because they are made by the same company. Not dogging on JL's speakers by any means, but there is no benefit to using the same brand of speakers and amps. Unless you are sponsored.

I dig those VXi amp/processors too with one exception. Can't bridge. Not yet anyway. Maybe in future versions?