I like what you did with the aftermarket radio in the recess in front of the shifter (XM or Sirius?). What are the wires running from the radio to what looks like into the cassette door? What was involved with putting in the aftermarket subscription radio hardware? I wanted to get XM or Sirius at the time of vehicle purchase, but the $400 hardware price from the dealership struck me as too steep. I have seen aftermarket units for about $150, but would like more information regarding how easy or hard it is to connect such a unit. Thanks.

 

Did you look at the T/S parameters for this sub? The only positive that I can find is the Qts of .656. That is a little better for IB use. Other than that, they aren't good. Here's a comparison of the specs where I think the ED sub is much better:
ED.......MTX
23hz.....42hz - Fs (resonant frequency - lower=better)
14.1mm......7.62mm - xmax (excursion capability - higher=better)
231cm^2.....214cm^2 - Sd (surface area of the cone - higher=better)
dual 2ohm......dual 4ohm - voice coils (the ED sub can be configured to run at 1 ohm like the Bose sub, the MTX can't)

-Robert

 

While you can't argue with specs, I can say that 2 things helped me to make a decision on that particular sub: price and it's readily available. I can't argue that the ED subs aren't better but where are they sold? I didn't see a price on the website either. Maybe I missed it(probably did) Further, I have no desire to run my subs at 1ohm, pushing the limits of my amp. I plan on doing more than simply swapping out speakers. I plan on a complete redesign of the sound in the vehicle, including amps. The way the vehicle is amped now is part of the issue.

 

They are only available from ED's web site for $95 each (shipped free). You get a 10% discount when ordering 2 or more. You get a lot more woofer for the money since they are cutting out the middle-man and retailer. The only way to get them cheaper is by ordering a few hundred directly from the build-house (in ED's case, that would be Image Dynamics).

I missed that part.

Dual 4 ohm voice coils are available also. That gives you a lot of different wiring configurations. No matter what, keep us up to date in this thread.

-Robert

 

No problem, thanks for your insight. You know quite a bit about subs. You know sometimes we have to succomb to the fact that someone knows more about a subject than we do.

 

robert_j, what do you think about these? they are specifically made for the type of speaker applications in the Max.
Kicker SS Series 8"

 

A quick google search found them for $100 less at most places. Also, Kicker classifies them as a midbass. They don't even list the T/S parameters so there is no way to predict the performance.

I modeled the ED sub in an IB install using Unibox and it looks really good. The F3 is a little high but the roll-off is very shallow. The cabin gain should more than make up for it.

An IB is install is modeled like a very large sealed box. When designing a sealed sub, most people shoot for a Qtc of .707 (Qtc article). That will give you the flattest response with the lowest F3. In an IB, the Qtc is the Qts of the sub. It's alright if the Qts of the sub is below .707 because you can easily EQ it to sound like .707. Now, if you subs Qts is higher than .707, it is much more difficult to EQ it to .707.

-Robert

 

You completely lost me. Isn't the reason for an 8" subwoofer to produce the midbass notes? Further, you seem to know tons about subs and their specs, what's good and what's not good. maybe you can start a thread about buying subs for the 6th gen., what subwoofer specs mean, etc. I think it'd be a good sticky. Hint hint.

 

I do that some times. Sorry.

No. A sub produces low bass. In my opinion, that 100hz and below. I haven't run any frequency sweeps on the Maxima's Bose system to find out how high the "subs" run. My guess is that they are crossed over much higher than 100hz. That's OK. Most smaller subs are capable into the midbass range as well.

As much science as there is in driver design, some people don't care. They have their opinion about what sounds good and facts won't change their mind. That's one reason I rarely post at car audio sites. A simple opposing opinion can turn into a name-calling fest in two or three postings. I'll answer specific questions and try to back up my opinions with facts. I don't want any postings of mine turned into stickies.

-Robert

 

If you want a good pair of speakers id recommend you getting the Infinity Kappas. I used to install stereos at Circuit City and those speakers are bad ***. Also if you want a nice pair of great sounding subs id recommend either alpine type R or L7 kickers. If you live in the los angeles county you can shoot down to downtown LA to 11th street audio district and pick up either of these speakers or subs for less than 150 bucks each.

 

Infinity Kappas (or Kappa Perfects) don't come in 8" free-air applications. They need to be in a box. The rear deck of the Max houses 2 8" subs if you have the Bose package. We're(or I) trying to replace the speakers in the vehicle to achieve a higher level of sound quality becasue the Bose system leaves a lot to be desired. Just my .02

 

I've been reading alot about upgrading the sound in my Maxima. I haven't gotten all my questions answered yet (dealers are no help), and I would like some opinions:

Front Doors: Infinity Kappa 60.5 component speakers
Rear Doors: Infinity Kappa 62.5l 2-way speakers
Rear Deck/Box: Either Infinity Kappa 693.5l or Dual Kappa series 10" or 12" in a box
Infinity 4 or 6 channel amp

I don't know how many channels the radio has. Are the rear deck speakers on a sub output?

Infinity cannot confirm if the Kappa 60.5 component speaker will fit in the front door. Has any one tried these speakers yet?

I really don't want to cover the passthrough from the trunk to the cabin so I want to experiment with mounting a sub box under the rear deck. I don't want to wake the neighbors with it, I just want my music to sound GREAT!

What do you think?

 

i think you should pm pearl96max because hes a dealer... who can actually help.

 

stay away from the kappa's. unless you like only highs. they have no midbass.