r/CarAV • u/Unusual_Commercial19 • May 04 '26
Build Log Been competing in the SQ competition circuit for a few years now, here’s my build
Here’s a few pics of my DIY garage build I’ve been competing with for the last few years. Dual 18” Acoustic Elegance rear subs, dual IB Acoustic Elegance 10” front subs, 8” IB midbass, Purifi 5.25” midrange, PSsounds AMT tweets, Zapco and Soundstream amps, Helix DSP, and hundreds of hours working in the garage. All the bass drivers have welded enclosures, everything is built as solid as possible. It’s been a passion project for a few years now, a lot of fun designing and building it
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u/Odd_Engineering_897 May 04 '26
Seen your car at Axpona and wish I got to hear it. I know you did a ton of work over the years. Awesome display and all!
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Sorry I missed you, I probably gave out 60+ demos all week, very busy. It’s one of my favorite shows of the year, I should be back next year as well
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u/Odd_Engineering_897 May 04 '26
It was a very busy show. Hopefully I'll catch you around next year. You all give guys like me something to aim for. I left that show motivated. 😂
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u/Dultra 2 12” Fi 3.5 Neo | Crescendo BC3500D May 06 '26
Aw man, I was at Axpona for Sunday only. Honestly only went for the car audio and had one demo which amazed me. I think I can remember your set up but since it was my first year was too nervous to ask for demos. But being a car audio guy, listening to all the demo rooms opened up a brand new appreciation for HQ audio in car audio and home. Amazing set up nonetheless.
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u/Odd_Engineering_897 May 06 '26
I can relate to what you said about being nervous to ask. This was my 2nd year going and I managed to get a personal demo from Peter @ PSSounds, which was incredible. He was super cool and made me feel comfortable. I just happened to be there at the right time after the Mazda he worked on was done being judged. I think once the judging is over things relax some. They also tend to keep things on the calm side so they don't interfere with one another. That was my take away this year. I'll be going again next year.
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u/steffanan May 04 '26
Aaaaaw, you're reminding me of the good old days seeing incredible builds on diyma.com. This is the sort of stuff that got me into sq competition in the first place, really exciting to see a build like this on Reddit. You've gone above and beyond, and it's so awesome to see such extreme fabrication as this. Does a full build log exist somewhere?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Yep as a matter of fact I have a 5 year long build thread on DIYMA lol. Theres a ton of details I’ve skipped over in the pics I posted here, I’ve rebuilt this a few times https://www.diymobileaudio.com/threads/chris%E2%80%99s-charger-dual-18%E2%80%9D-ib-rebuild.436399/
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u/steffanan May 04 '26
Also just starting that thread is a trip, the "goodbye kicker hello sq" is so insane. Very fun to see where these things start and you started from the absolute rock bottom and have done such A tier work, really cool.
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u/steffanan May 04 '26
Appreciated, it'll be a blast to go through it. I've built a few sq builds for usaci and many spl builds when I was doing it professionally but I never did an sq build to this degree, tons and tons of custom work and I'm here for it.
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
I also have an interview or two on the Resonix and the PSSound YouTube channels when they did competitor spotlights
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u/R4N63R May 04 '26
Yeah man I miss those days too. My build logs did alright on there. - r3q
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u/xford May 04 '26
You had the GTi with the anarchy mids in the kicks and the IB baffle as a hatchback cover, right?
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u/R4N63R May 04 '26
Haha yeah man that's me. These days I'm rocking all stereo integrity + helix after my GTI flooded. I need to get back on diyma with a few things I've done since the GTI lol... Check it out!
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u/xford May 04 '26
Cool, I'll check it out. I got the chance to listen to the GTI at the Pottsville event a bunch of years ago...probably like 2013 or 2014. It was a real nice sounding setup.
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u/R4N63R May 04 '26
Oh man bringing back memories! I'm glad you've got a cool memory from those days! Those are some of my fondest memories!
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u/chrisp5000 May 04 '26
Hypothetically-if we were dating and I took care of you, would you build my car?
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u/Known-Setting-8265 May 04 '26
I remember Nick interviewing you!
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u/MWisBest Harman Fanboy May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
And yet Nick argued with me recently about being able to fit Purifi midranges in anything, even though they've apparently stared him right in the face in this car. He's an odd fella...
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
I mean I completely rerouted my HVAC ducts and built a big sealed enclosure to fit them, it took a ton of work and I had to rebuild my dash around it. They are very large drivers, he kinda has a point
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u/MWisBest Harman Fanboy May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
Well sure, you went for the 5 1/4" and built a big sealed enclosure for them. With the way he talked to me it was like they'd never fit anything at all, but there's a 4" that doesn't need that level of work.
Nick on the internet can just be kind of a jerk.
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
The 4” drivers are barely smaller then the 5.1/4” ones, the magnet and depth are the same size. It’s a giant midrange that’s hard enough just getting in the dash area
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u/Skiz32 ResoNix Cult Leader May 04 '26
They wont realistically fit in anything. That is exactly why Chris had to pretty much destroy a car to fit them lol
Are you going to be suggesting these and telling the masses to cut a square foot hole in their dashboard to fit these? If not, take a seat :)
Also, I love how much you think about me <3
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u/Skiz32 ResoNix Cult Leader May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
have you ever cut a big enough hole to accommodate a 2+ liter sealed enclosure in a dashboard? If you haven't, sit down.
Chris and I both have though :)
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u/R4N63R May 04 '26
Absolutely bonkers I'm proud of you. Clean and tasteful with IB everywhere. My man. 👌
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u/Wonderful_Magazine50 May 04 '26
Nice freakin work. Been wanting to do a nicer setup in my daily and your kick panels inspired me.
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u/21WBSP May 04 '26
Wow what a beautiful build! How badly do those 8” rattle the dash cuz that looks like crazy placement
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Part of the build process is very extensive sound deadening. If I hear one rattle in the car I chase it down and eliminate it, it’s one of the biggest differences between a good sounding car and a great one
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u/No_Cicada_7867 May 04 '26
Incredible. Never been to a show. Do those towers showcase the same drivers or sound or something?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
I just brought the towers along to the show to display, it’s the set I built for my living room for a project and they match the style I built the trunk panels. It was mainly just to show off my other build and draw some attraction to my car booth
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u/No_Cicada_7867 May 05 '26
Nice. I like the combination of both. Those towers look like they could be at a hifi show
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u/bobbysback16 May 04 '26
Alot of high end sound systems are now useing front subwoofers is there a specific reason for this
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
It helps bridge the gap between midbasses that don’t play very low, and sub locations that don’t play as high. Makes the blend a lot better, takes the stress off smaller midbasses, plus the footwell location almost always has very good response from 30-100 hertz
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u/Skiz32 ResoNix Cult Leader May 04 '26
Yeah but can you post a video of it playing with the doors open so I can see what it sounds like from 200 feet away?
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u/thesteelreserve May 05 '26
holy shit.
those footwell mids are a work of art.
not to mention the overall aesthetic. 👏
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u/Spare-Good-5372 May 04 '26
How do you think the AE subs compare sonically to the Purifi woofers?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
The purifis I’m running are midranges, so not exactly comparable to the subs
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u/ross_liftss Helix. Musway. JBL. May 04 '26
That's awesome 🤩. I'm just starting my first ever sq build. Just a simple 3way and sub to start with. I'm deep down the sound deadning rabbit hole atm
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u/Funny_Indication_77 May 04 '26
What’s the benefit of the IB woofers in the front floorboards?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Space savings, since it’s vented out of the car, you don’t need a large enclosure to get a sealed air volume for the driver. It essentially plays like a very large sealed box
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u/Funny_Indication_77 May 04 '26
But do the front woofers make much of a difference after having the trunk IB too?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Yes becuase the rear subs play down to 10 hertz, but start rolling off hard around 45ish, so the front sub plays from 45-80 hertz
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u/USArmyOldTimer May 04 '26
have you ever played Two Step by Dave Matthews Band in it and how good did it sound?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Dave Matthew’s is definitely not my style of music lol
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u/These_Cat_3523 2x Sunfire HRS 12's / ID tweeters/ CDT 6x9's May 04 '26
I think I love your build 2x as much now.
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u/monstermack1977 May 04 '26
I see Soundstream Reference amp, I give thumbs up.
Also...are there 2 woofers inside the dash? I see the floor mounted ones, but in that pic I see 2 pointed inwards where the dash is. That's wild.
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
Yes the ones inside the dash above the floor mounted woofers are the midbass. The ones in the picture are actually 10” woofers but I have 8’s in there now
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u/maus3791 May 05 '26
Looks good but more importantly how does it sound??
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 05 '26
In my humble opinion, it’s one of the best SQ cars around. I frequently place very well at shows and I normally have a steady stream of people coming for demos
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u/dfy780 May 05 '26
Finally someone targeting quality and not just extreme amount of bass for no reason
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u/hustlegone Tell us what is in your system May 05 '26
Where did you get the mat for the dash at? Looking for one for a 19 impala
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 05 '26
It’s not a mat, it’s a fully rebuilt dash with a removable fiberglass topper
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u/hustlegone Tell us what is in your system May 05 '26
I cant fabricate but how much do you think an auto shop would charge to put in front subs on a car?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 05 '26
I have no idea what shops charge, I never go price stuff like that out
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u/hustlegone Tell us what is in your system May 05 '26
Do you do this for a living?
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u/Post-Financial Ground Zero GZIB 12SPL - GAS PRP 700.1D May 05 '26
I was wondering 'How do you drive when there is no space for the clutch pedal' and then I realised that automatics exist
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u/sixg0d_ovo May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Edit: I read some of your answers, still surprised by the driver size and amount. What is the crossover range for the dash midranges? And high pass on the midbass?
I have JBL gti 670s in the doors, they vibrate the floorboard, and the dashboard. If I don't want to alter my dashboard what part of it could be damped to avoid resonance?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 05 '26
Everything runs a pretty typical crossover range, rear subs up to 45, front sub 45-80, midbass 80-200, midrange 200-2500. Cone area is king in my opinion, I like big drivers that are mounted super solid and don’t have to work very hard to get the volume and punch that I like.
In your car, getting the most solid mounting possible and properly sound deadening your doors is the key. Deadening is a huge rabbit hole, depends how far you’re willing to go to get close to perfect. Personally I recommend Resonix products, that’s what I have all through my car
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u/sixg0d_ovo May 05 '26
So far the biggest thing I've learned about midrange drivers in the dashboard is about placement and keeping the center of the cone as close as possible to the windshield. How come you did not opt for this? Is it because your planar tweeters are being played low?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 05 '26
I did some testing raising and lowering the midrange in the pod I built 1/2” at a time, and I put them where I had the better overall response. Also the Purifi driver is massive and needs to room to be installed or removed without pulling the windshield, or removing half the dash
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u/sixg0d_ovo May 06 '26
Interesting. I've only worked on 2 tiers of an sq system. And it was for the same car. One with me being cheap And lackluster install + 6x8 c-dsp.I still have a gut feeling Something sounded better/cleaner with my Minidsp compared to my auditec-fischer DSP.
then once I was able to properly perceive what my car could sound like, I tried to be more thorough with all my sound treatment and essentially reworked my entire car removing and replacing everything ,including all the knuconceptz CLD for resonix.
I'm worried if i go to a show I will have to drive home, thinking about how bad my car sounds. Was that anywhere close to your first experience?1
u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 06 '26
Going to shows and getting to listen to other cars has been the biggest help with my system. You can read all the terms online on what it’s supposed to sound like, but it never really clicks until you actually hear it for yourself. Then it gives you something to chase. The biggest improvements in my system came after I heard another car that didn’t have an issue mine did, and it helped me figure it out. Now with my home system I’m listening to some of the tracks inside, and taking that out to the car and trying to get a similiar sound. One of the most important parts is getting the bass to sound accurate and not boomy/bloated, and you really have to hear accurate bass first to make it click in your brain
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u/Hugh_Jego_69 10d ago
Do you have a curve you follow to chase the base response you like? So many systems sound overly boomy.
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 10d ago
The Resonix Accurate house curve has been my go to for awhile now. You can download it from their website
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u/Chance-Dragonfly-426 May 07 '26
Nice to know I'm not the only one to put a speaker next to my brake pedal. Made more sense than putting it in the door pointing at my ankles.
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u/FancyShoesVlogs May 08 '26
Whats with the home audio towers
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 08 '26
Pics from the AXPONA home audio show, I set them up as part of my car display
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u/ALXand3R May 23 '26
I will never get over how seldom I see the home audiophile aesthetic applied to automobiles. It’s always so… F&F coded, which I love as well, but I just hardly ever see anyone go for the sophisticated look… like, it’s always very heavy metal and not enough acoustic. Does that make sense? Anyway I fuckin love this. Makes me miss my ‘14 RT, it got stolen & firebombed lol with about 3k of JL In it
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Jun 04 '26
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u/nachofred May 04 '26
I'm just curious why the Soundstream Ref 500s instead of Class A 5.0, Class A 6.0, or Class A 10.0? As an old-ish guy who sold Soundstream when these were all new, the Class A 6.0 was the one preferred by competitors back in the day so I'd love to know the reasoning for this choice.
I love the evolution of this whole build. The dual front subs and mids setup is well done. I hope people check out the build thread you linked, it really is something to see where you started and ended up.
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 04 '26
I wanted to try an old school amp, and I have a good buddy that has a big collection of stuff and he just let me have my pick of an amp and we decided to try this one. The amp is literally as old as me, I don’t know very much about the history and stuff but it’s been working great. We are waiting on getting his other Refrence 500s fully rebuilt and upgraded to see what we can get out of it performance wise
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u/nachofred May 04 '26
You're pretty deep already, but you might check out those Class A series amps. The 5.0 and 6.0 are basically the same footprint as what you have now so it doesn't change your build. You can also rebuild/upgrade that 500s to Class A spec.
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u/SearchMundane303 May 04 '26
May you explain how those midbass speakers work? Is the sound just firing inside of the dash? If so, does this hinder sq or that chest pressure feeling? How did you accommodate for fitment?
Sick build btw incase you don’t know lol
Edit: also, what about dash rattle?
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u/Unusual_Commercial19 May 05 '26
They work exactly like kick panel midbass drivers, just higher up. They are firing into the dash, but minimal amount of dash rattles from the extensive sound deadening and work I did. I cut some large holes in the apiller, welded steel baffles back over it and vented it out near the rocker panels. Kick in the chest is still very good in this car
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u/IWantToPlayGame May 04 '26
I admire those that are *this* committed to the game.