Build Log: 2006 Audi A4 Avant Stealth 24" sub build.

[ProjectTwin]

Stuck another video online that covers just how much the build plan for the car has changed since it came here. It's been one long, ever-evolving project.

Fortunately all of the gear that's here for the car is nothing that will change again so now it's a matter of upholstering three panels in the rear, building the floor, and as show in the video, re-upholstering the A-pillars. Those things looked great when done but the suede released from the foam backing two days after they were wrapped.

Anyway, here's an update. I think it's cool that the mic picked up just how different things are out of the car vs in the car.

 

[ArTi54N]

I watched the whole video..

I think one of the coolest things, is how you got them to change those tweeters..

 

[ProjectTwin]

I watched the whole video..

I think one of the coolest things, is how you got them to change those tweeters..

Crazy. Dude makes the most bad-ass home theater subs, has great stuff for car audio, but he as zero install experience. Just college and 20+ years designing/selling speakers. Home theater subs, mostly.

The tweeters were his first design. When I started asking questions about why they were so deep it just became frustrating to hear. There was no good explanation for it. It's not like that was a tuned chamber behind the motor because everything was sealed around that magnet.

So I told him that the current design sucked. He had already machined them down to reduce diameter and now depth is an issue...but it doesn't HAVE to be an issue. The depth is totally unnecessary and for every car that can't fit them due to mounting depth, that's a lost sale. Doesn't matter how good they sound if they can't be packaged/installed in the car.

So...he listened.

He also listened about those mids and tweets going in the A-pillars.

No way in hell I was putting them up there.

 

[ArTi54N]

Its hard for me not to talk about my background in mobile audio.. Im sure I have said stuff before in your thread.. and I dont like to derail threads, as much as i used to do it.. cuz it's rude or something..

I was in the club that started the Texas Heatwave shows.. and eventually many other shows in Texas.. which you must have heard of.. eventually many of the people I hung out with the most became very sought after.. some had their own Stereo Shop companies, but I mostly hung out with people who worked at Custom Sounds based in Austin,tx.. for many years I was staff at mobileaudioworld.com ..and I would go to lots of events.. and learn all sorts of stuff.. I almost started workin at Custom Sounds but I would of been at the bottom, doing all the shit work and they told me I would ahead of time.. so I decided not to.. besides I loved installing at my own pace on weekends, etc. I havent installed anything for like 7-8 years.. I am way out of the loop

your stealth install keeps reminding me of this one car in particular.. at a heatwave.. he pulled in, and we told him the spectator entrance was the next gate down.. and he was like oh no, Im entering in the audio competition.. and he paid and we let him in etc.. and we were laughin and laughing at his beat up piece of shit car.. that looked like it wouldnt run.. the joke was on us.. later he showed me his system.. he literally had about 15 grand in stereo, all hidden.. the car was built to make a point..

edit: I looked, and I hadnt remarked in this thread before.. kinda suprised

 

[crispins]

Its hard for me not to talk about my background in mobile audio.. Im sure I have said stuff before in your thread.. and I dont like to derail threads, as much as i used to do it.. cuz it's rude or something..

I was in the club that started the Texas Heatwave shows.. and eventually many other shows in Texas.. which you must have heard of.. eventually many of the people I hung out with the most became very sought after.. some had their own Stereo Shop companies, but I mostly hung out with people who worked at Custom Sounds based in Austin,tx.. for many years I was staff at mobileaudioworld.com ..and I would go to lots of events.. and learn all sorts of stuff.. I almost started workin at Custom Sounds but I would of been at the bottom, doing all the shit work and they told me I would ahead of time.. so I decided not to.. besides I loved installing at my own pace on weekends, etc. I havent installed anything for like 7-8 years.. I am way out of the loop

your stealth install keeps reminding me of this one car in particular.. at a heatwave.. he pulled in, and we told him the spectator entrance was the next gate down.. and he was like oh no, Im entering in the audio competition.. and he paid and we let him in etc.. and we were laughin and laughing at his beat up piece of shit car.. that looked like it wouldnt run.. the joke was on us.. later he showed me his system.. he literally had about 15 grand in stereo, all hidden.. the car was built to make a point..

ediAmt: I looked, and I hadnt remarked in this thread before.. kinda suprised

Amazing story (looks around for pancakes to toss in a fire)

 

[Firstram]

Video or it didn't happen

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Crazy. Dude makes the most bad-ass home theater subs, has great stuff for car audio, but he as zero install experience. Just college and 20+ years designing/selling speakers. Home theater subs, mostly.

The tweeters were his first design. When I started asking questions about why they were so deep it just became frustrating to hear. There was no good explanation for it. It's not like that was a tuned chamber behind the motor because everything was sealed around that magnet.

So I told him that the current design sucked. He had already machined them down to reduce diameter and now depth is an issue...but it doesn't HAVE to be an issue. The depth is totally unnecessary and for every car that can't fit them due to mounting depth, that's a lost sale. Doesn't matter how good they sound if they can't be packaged/installed in the car.

So...he listened.

He also listened about those mids and tweets going in the A-pillars.

No way in hell I was putting them up there.

I have 4 of nicks 18” subs in my home theater. They work great!!

Excited to see this project all finished up!! Keep up the good work.

 

[montrose818]

Its hard for me not to talk about my background in mobile audio.. Im sure I have said stuff before in your thread.. and I dont like to derail threads, as much as i used to do it.. cuz it's rude or something..

I was in the club that started the Texas Heatwave shows.. and eventually many other shows in Texas.. which you must have heard of.. eventually many of the people I hung out with the most became very sought after.. some had their own Stereo Shop companies, but I mostly hung out with people who worked at Custom Sounds based in Austin,tx.. for many years I was staff at mobileaudioworld.com ..and I would go to lots of events.. and learn all sorts of stuff.. I almost started workin at Custom Sounds but I would of been at the bottom, doing all the shit work and they told me I would ahead of time.. so I decided not to.. besides I loved installing at my own pace on weekends, etc. I havent installed anything for like 7-8 years.. I am way out of the loop

your stealth install keeps reminding me of this one car in particular.. at a heatwave.. he pulled in, and we told him the spectator entrance was the next gate down.. and he was like oh no, Im entering in the audio competition.. and he paid and we let him in etc.. and we were laughin and laughing at his beat up piece of shit car.. that looked like it wouldnt run.. the joke was on us.. later he showed me his system.. he literally had about 15 grand in stereo, all hidden.. the car was built to make a point..

edit: I looked, and I hadnt remarked in this thread before.. kinda suprised

and on top of it, youre like 6 feet tall

 

[ProjectTwin]

I have 4 of nicks 18” subs in my home theater. They work great!!

Excited to see this project all finished up!! Keep up the good work.

You should step up to 24s.

 

[ProjectTwin]

Fusing info.

 

[bigun]

Fusing info.

Saw that last night pretty cool

 

[backchat]

Thank you for that. was looking for better solutions for the truck, you nailed it.

 

[Roc Doc]

I have 4 of nicks 18” subs in my home theater. They work great!!

Excited to see this project all finished up!! Keep up the good work.

What are you using for an AVR?

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

What are you using for an AVR?

A marantz 7009 receiver. Some cheap inuke 3000w amps to power them. 1500w each. I need to upgrade my mains before anything else. Just some older Miller and Kreisel’s for mains and surrounds.

Been pining over a set of JTR Noesis 212’s to replace them. They are supposed to the the ones for a home theater. There is a big group of enthusiasts down by milwaukee and chicago and they have used everything and the jtr’s blew everything out of the water.

 

[Roc Doc]

A marantz 7009 receiver. Some cheap inuke 3000w amps to power them. 1500w each. I need to upgrade my mains before anything else. Just some older Miller and Kreisel’s for mains and surrounds.

Been pining over a set of JTR Noesis 212’s to replace them. They are supposed to the the ones for a home theater. There is a big group of enthusiasts down by milwaukee and chicago and they have used everything and the jtr’s blew everything out of the water.

Well with 101db sensitivity, they should get you all the SPL you want.

 

[bdkw1]

Mmmmmmm horns!

 

[ProjectTwin]

I have 4 of nicks 18” subs in my home theater. They work great!!

Excited to see this project all finished up!! Keep up the good work.

Nick sent me a couple of videos. You'll want to have headphones on for them.

These are both of the new TM65 MkIVs and the new M25 tweets playing with a pair of the carbon HS-24s.

None of this is optimal. The TM65s are in too small of an enclosure (they're designed for car doors) and the tweets are just sitting there.

No other speakers playing.

Home towers will be built when the 8" midbass is fully developed.






I'm reworking and re-upholstering the sails and re-upholstering some other pieces in the car. Getting rid of the coat hangers that are part of the headliner trim pieces at the rear seat and rear cargo area.

Sucks to have to strip things that were otherwise good to go, but it'll make for a better end result.

 

[bigun]

Way better than my old hearing I am sure. No headphones never liked them because they block off other sounds. Yeah I am that paranoid,

 

[ProjectTwin]

Way better than my old hearing I am sure. No headphones never liked them because they block off other sounds. Yeah I am that paranoid,

I often use Bose noise-canceling headphones while working with a migraine. Also helpful when people call for advice/want to BS. I can keep working.

 

[ProjectTwin]

Still plugging away. The A-pillars, D-pillars, and one panel above the rear seat were all stripped and re-upholstered.

When I originally installed the head unit I ran the USB cables to where they were when the car came to me - in the glovebox.

I started thinking about how awkward/cumbersome that would be when people get in to demo/judge the car and installed a dual USB port in the center console under the folding arm rest.

A USB drive or USB cable plug in just fine and have plenty of clearance below the arm rest.

I have a XS Power battery for the car and since it's nice and white it didn't make sense to leave the engine bay dirty and install the clean, white battery.

So...I gave the engine bay some quick detailing. I had previously steam cleaned the engine bay to get the majority of the grime off, but the area where the battery sits was still dirty.

Now to get the cargo floor built, install amps, and tune.

In the home stretch.

 

[ProjectTwin]

Oh...shop AC took a shit. Capacitor this time.


While the guy was here he was checking on the Audi. He had seen it before when he came for service.

I went over things. Showed him the interior pieces I had rebuilt to go back in, metal work I had done, kick panels in the car, Director in the center console, and went over all of the sound treatment in the car.

I decided to let him sit in the car to hear how quiet it is sitting in the thing.

He got in, closed the door, and for some reason started laughing.

I told him to say something out loud while in the car.

He spoke, put on a weird face, and got out shortly after.

"Closing the door, it feels so solid and tight. It's like being in an armored vehicle. It's so solid I felt like there was no way for air to get in or out.
When you told me to say something I could hear your voice, but couldn't tell where it was coming from."

I pointed out that there was no sub in the back of the car and there was a massive hole in the rear floor so when I spoke to him he likely heard the majority of it through that hole - even though I was standing outside door where he was sitting.

"I'm not claustrophobic, but I felt like I needed to get out of there. That messed with me."

He said he definitely noticed how different his voice sounded inside the car vs outside of the car.

I should've recorded his reaction. I could tell it actually messed with him. Lots of nervous laughter after being in the car.

 

[budget76]

^^that's pretty damn cool, wonder if it's similar to those isolation chambers people meditate in in the sound regard

 

[Roc Doc]

Oh...shop AC took a shit. Capacitor this time.


While the guy was here he was checking on the Audi. He had seen it before when he came for service.

I went over things. Showed him the interior pieces I had rebuilt to go back in, metal work I had done, kick panels in the car, Director in the center console, and went over all of the sound treatment in the car.

I decided to let him sit in the car to hear how quiet it is sitting in the thing.

He got in, closed the door, and for some reason started laughing.

I told him to say something out loud while in the car.

He spoke, put on a weird face, and got out shortly after.

"Closing the door, it feels so solid and tight. It's like being in an armored vehicle. It's so solid I felt like there was no way for air to get in or out.
When you told me to say something I could hear your voice, but couldn't tell where it was coming from."

I pointed out that there was no sub in the back of the car and there was a massive hole in the rear floor so when I spoke to him he likely heard the majority of it through that hole - even though I was standing outside door where he was sitting.

"I'm not claustrophobic, but I felt like I needed to get out of there. That messed with me."

He said he definitely noticed how different his voice sounded inside the car vs outside of the car.

I should've recorded his reaction. I could tell it actually messed with him. Lots of nervous laughter after being in the car.

I've been in the anechoic chamber at the JBL facility in Northridge, it's a weird sensation for sure. Makes the tinnitus extra loud.

 

[ROCKTACO]

I have 4 of nicks 18” subs in my home theater. They work great!!

Excited to see this project all finished up!! Keep up the good work.

Specs, Lets see that shit! Can't imagine that much bass in a house.

 

[ProjectTwin]

Specs, Lets see that shit! Can't imagine that much bass in a house.

How about 12 24s?

Nick sent 12 of them for The Hahn Theater. They were built into what they called "UberSubs".

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Specs, Lets see that shit! Can't imagine that much bass in a house.

How about 12 24s?

Nick sent 12 of them for The Hahn Theater. They were built into what they called "UberSubs".

Here is my build thread on another forum. I built it 90% myself. Had the cabinet maker build and stain the columns. Keep in mind it took me 5 years to get it to be useable, and todate still not 100% done. I’m sceeps long lost cousin. I would like to add some wide highs and replace the m&k’s with some
Jtr’s.

The Gravel Pit Build

www.avsforum.com

2 18” full Marty subs behind the screen and 2 18” half Marty’s in each corner.

It’s nice not nearly as nice as the one project twin linked. I really enjoy it.

 

[plym49.2]

Here is my build thread on another forum. I built it 90% myself. Had the cabinet maker build and stain the columns. Keep in mind it took me 5 years to get it to be useable, and todate still not 100% done. I’m sceeps long lost cousin. I would like to add some wide highs and replace the m&k’s with some
Jtr’s.

The Gravel Pit Build

www.avsforum.com

2 18” full Marty subs behind the screen and 2 18” half Marty’s in each corner.

It’s nice not nearly as nice as the one project twin linked. I really enjoy it.

Does all that fancy equipment make the closed captioning read better? Asking for a friend.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Does all that fancy equipment make the closed captioning read better? Asking for a friend.

Sure lol makes it bigger so you can read it easier .

 

[Roc Doc]

How about 12 24s?

Nick sent 12 of them for The Hahn Theater. They were built into what they called "UberSubs".

That's a hell of a theater.

When I worked for Mirage Resorts I talked my boss into doing a large format Superbowl party in the Mystere theater. It was 2001 and we used a couple of the biggest Barco projectors made, double stacked and converged and shot the image on to a 22.5' x 40' RP screen and used the house PA system, (Crest / LCS / EV). Many people had never seen a HD image at that time, and I remember standing at the entrance with my boss, and just watching the reactions of people when they walked in, lot's of "Oh my God" comments, I guess seeing a 16' tall football player will do that.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

That's a hell of a theater.

When I worked for Mirage Resorts I talked my boss into doing a large format Superbowl party in the Mystere theater. It was 2001 and we used a couple of the biggest Barco projectors made, double stacked and converged and shot the image on to a 22.5' x 40' RP screen and used the house PA system, (Crest / LCS / EV). Many people had never seen a HD image at that time, and I remember standing at the entrance with my boss, and just watching the reactions of people when they walked in, lot's of "Oh my God" comments, I guess seeing a 16' tall football player will do that.

Awesome