My Audio Build

SharpPointyStick · 11-07-2010, 08:22 PM

Starting my Audio build (currently have the base system), and thought I would start a WIP thread.

Bought the following from Musicar Northwest aka VP Electricity

2 Zapco DC200.2 (one for front mids/highs, one for underseat woofers)
2 EQ SWS-8
2 Rainbow 210.25 kit (tweeters and 4" mids)

Started this weekend fab'ing the amp mounting brackets, some photos below. Going to install the amps vertically into the bucket in the trunk, below the trunk carpet. Going to have the amp cooling fins upwards, with the wiring downwards.

Edit - Going to paint the aluminum black, to match the amps. Might see about getting a Zapco vinyl stick made in white, to place onto the bracket.

Just waiting on getting the mid mounting rings (missed in the original shipment) then I can hopefully finish everything over this long weekend (took Friday off

)

SharpPointyStick · 11-07-2010, 08:24 PM

-

ctuna · 11-07-2010, 08:28 PM

Why two 2 channel amps and not one 4 channel?

SharpPointyStick · 11-07-2010, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctuna

Why two 2 channel amps and not one 4 channel?

Originally was going to get one 4 channel, but VP Electricity suggested the two two channel amps would mount within the "trunk well", making for a cleaner install, and I agreed

VP Electricity · 11-07-2010, 08:49 PM

Only works in 325/328 - the well isn't there for 335 due to the second muffler.

flawlesskid · 11-07-2010, 09:39 PM

Looks like you're a real enthusiast! Zapco and Rainbow are 2 names only spoken by guys who are really into sound. Looks like you have good plans! The setup as is should deliver good bass down in the 40's, but do you plan to add a sub to reach a little lower? BTW, you suck for sparking my interest back up into sound! I gave it up after i traded my 325i

mkPOTO · 11-07-2010, 09:43 PM

subscribed!

flawlesskid · 11-07-2010, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkPOTO

subscribed!

Didn't know that option was available, but SUBSCRIBED!!

I can talk audio all day!

SharpPointyStick · 11-10-2010, 11:15 PM

Any suggestions on the AWG size I should get for the subwoofers? I am thinking that #16 should be fine?

Quote:

Originally Posted by flawlesskid

Looks like you're a real enthusiast! Zapco and Rainbow are 2 names only spoken by guys who are really into sound. Looks like you have good plans! The setup as is should deliver good bass down in the 40's, but do you plan to add a sub to reach a little lower? BTW, you suck for sparking my interest back up into sound! I gave it up after i traded my 325i

I have no plans right now to get a trunk sub.

flawlesskid · 11-11-2010, 05:13 AM

I've always used 12 for speaker cable.

SharpPointyStick · 11-11-2010, 11:46 PM

Todays progress;

All the aluminum for the Zapco bracket primed.

Also the fuse holder mounted.

SharpPointyStick · 11-16-2010, 02:00 AM

After four long days I am finished...completely forgot to take any pictures during the build, so all I have to show is the trunk area.

I am thinking of adding ared LED strip under each amp...just for some show. Would power it off the remote, pretty sure there is enough power?

Really love the sound improvement.

I am getting a odd remote delay, see this thread

Atorsesh · 11-16-2010, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SharpPointyStick

After four long days I am finished...completely forgot to take any pictures during the build, so all I have to show is the trunk area.

I am thinking of adding ared LED strip under each amp...just for some show. Would power it off the remote, pretty sure there is enough power?

Really love the sound improvement.

I am getting a odd remote delay, see this thread

Running LED's off the remote would be a little risky when you could easily just use a relay and never have to worry about it.

I'm very jealous of the sound system, should be quite an upgrade

SharpPointyStick · 11-23-2010, 11:26 PM

I installed the woofers using the plastic spacers that jtsherri makes.

I see a lot of talk on here about sealing the woofer enclosure. With people placing sealing material around the rings, lining the housing with DynaMat etc.

Should I have done this, or is dropping in direct c/w plastic rings fine? Why do you guy go go to the trouble of sealing the enclosure?

VP Electricity · 11-23-2010, 11:46 PM

How does it sound? FWiW, we don't do that.

fdriller9 · 11-24-2010, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SharpPointyStick

I installed the woofers using the plastic spacers that jtsherri makes.

I see a lot of talk on here about sealing the woofer enclosure. With people placing sealing material around the rings, lining the housing with DynaMat etc.

Should I have done this, or is dropping in direct c/w plastic rings fine? Why do you guy go go to the trouble of sealing the enclosure?

I don't think it will make much difference. When I had SWS-8s under the seats, I didn't seal it. However I noticed the stock speaker has foam? on the underside of the lip.

bmw325i · 11-24-2010, 05:37 PM

How are you mounting your amps in the "trunk well" did you drill holes and bolt them in?

VP Electricity · 11-24-2010, 05:48 PM

I'm not sure how he did it, but I used the OEM bolts to tie off of, and you can see in his pic that he can do the same.

Don't drill holes in your tub, anybody, is my advice.

SharpPointyStick · 11-25-2010, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

How does it sound? FWiW, we don't do that.

Sound is great...I now have some bass!!! So much I actually turn down the base to -3 on the HU.

Even at high volume the sound is clear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmw325i

How are you mounting your amps in the "trunk well" did you drill holes and bolt them in?

I placed the amp bracket assembly into the tub, and then secured it to existing tub bolts. You can see one of the brackets I used to secure to the existing tub bolts in the below picture, off the rear center bolt.

I also added a bracket to the front most bolt to the tub bolt. I'll take another picture tonight.

I was initially going to drill holes into the tub, but since the other side of the tub is outside the car, I thought sealing it would be difficult so I decided against it.

SharpPointyStick · 11-28-2010, 10:32 PM

I am embraced to say that I have been listening to my system for ~2 weeks without the mids working, and didnt really know...some audiophile I am

I installed the wire from the x-over to the speaker too tight, and when I installed the door panel the connector to the speaker pulled out.

I suspected there was an issue, so pulled the door panels off today.

Took some photos of back of the panel for peoples info.

One of the connectors below is to the tweeter, the other the source from the amp.

taranonline · 11-20-2011, 01:43 AM

No processor on base system? Or you had hifi with tweeeters?.

ctuna · 11-20-2011, 04:06 AM

The Zapco DC reference amps have a built in processor.

11-07-2010, 08:22 PM	#1
SharpPointyStick Second Lieutenant 35 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2006 Alpine White 323i (E90) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (2)	My Audio Build - Done Starting my Audio build (currently have the base system), and thought I would start a WIP thread. Bought the following from Musicar Northwest aka VP Electricity 2 Zapco DC200.2 (one for front mids/highs, one for underseat woofers) 2 EQ SWS-8 2 Rainbow 210.25 kit (tweeters and 4" mids) Started this weekend fab'ing the amp mounting brackets, some photos below. Going to install the amps vertically into the bucket in the trunk, below the trunk carpet. Going to have the amp cooling fins upwards, with the wiring downwards. Edit - Going to paint the aluminum black, to match the amps. Might see about getting a Zapco vinyl stick made in white, to place onto the bracket. Just waiting on getting the mid mounting rings (missed in the original shipment) then I can hopefully finish everything over this long weekend (took Friday off ) Attached Images Last edited by SharpPointyStick; 11-16-2010 at 01:50 AM..
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11-07-2010, 08:24 PM	#2
SharpPointyStick Second Lieutenant 35 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2006 Alpine White 323i (E90) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (2)	Wiring Diagram - Attached Images
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11-07-2010, 08:28 PM	#3
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,358 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	Why two 2 channel amps and not one 4 channel? Why two 2 channel amps and not one 4 channel?
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11-07-2010, 08:49 PM	#5
VP Electricity Brigadier General 294 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	Only works in 325/328 - the well isn't there for 335 due to the second muffler.
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11-07-2010, 09:39 PM	#6
flawlesskid Private First Class 4 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i Sport Package Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Greensboro North Carolina iTrader: (0)	Looks like you're a real enthusiast! Zapco and Rainbow are 2 names only spoken by guys who are really into sound. Looks like you have good plans! The setup as is should deliver good bass down in the 40's, but do you plan to add a sub to reach a little lower? BTW, you suck for sparking my interest back up into sound! I gave it up after i traded my 325i __________________
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11-07-2010, 09:43 PM	#7
mkPOTO Mr. Nice Says Hello 649 Rep 16,662 Posts Drives: BMW M3 \| X5 xdrive 35i MSport Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: USA iTrader: (25) Garage List 2002 Lexus GS300 [0.00] 2008 BMW E92 M3 [5.58]	subscribed!
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11-11-2010, 05:13 AM	#10
flawlesskid Private First Class 4 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i Sport Package Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Greensboro North Carolina iTrader: (0)	I've always used 12 for speaker cable. __________________
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11-11-2010, 11:46 PM	#11
SharpPointyStick Second Lieutenant 35 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2006 Alpine White 323i (E90) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (2)	Todays progress; All the aluminum for the Zapco bracket primed. Also the fuse holder mounted. Attached Images
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11-16-2010, 02:00 AM	#12
SharpPointyStick Second Lieutenant 35 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2006 Alpine White 323i (E90) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (2)	Done After four long days I am finished...completely forgot to take any pictures during the build, so all I have to show is the trunk area. I am thinking of adding ared LED strip under each amp...just for some show. Would power it off the remote, pretty sure there is enough power? Really love the sound improvement. I am getting a odd remote delay, see this thread Attached Images Last edited by SharpPointyStick; 11-16-2010 at 02:14 AM..
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11-23-2010, 11:26 PM	#14
SharpPointyStick Second Lieutenant 35 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2006 Alpine White 323i (E90) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (2)	I installed the woofers using the plastic spacers that jtsherri makes. I see a lot of talk on here about sealing the woofer enclosure. With people placing sealing material around the rings, lining the housing with DynaMat etc. Should I have done this, or is dropping in direct c/w plastic rings fine? Why do you guy go go to the trouble of sealing the enclosure?
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11-23-2010, 11:46 PM	#15
VP Electricity Brigadier General 294 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	How does it sound? FWiW, we don't do that.
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11-24-2010, 05:37 PM	#17
bmw325i Major General 237 Rep 5,118 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: United States iTrader: (8)	How are you mounting your amps in the "trunk well" did you drill holes and bolt them in?
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11-24-2010, 05:48 PM	#18
VP Electricity Brigadier General 294 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	I'm not sure how he did it, but I used the OEM bolts to tie off of, and you can see in his pic that he can do the same. Don't drill holes in your tub, anybody, is my advice.
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11-28-2010, 10:32 PM	#20
SharpPointyStick Second Lieutenant 35 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2006 Alpine White 323i (E90) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (2)	I am embraced to say that I have been listening to my system for ~2 weeks without the mids working, and didnt really know...some audiophile I am I installed the wire from the x-over to the speaker too tight, and when I installed the door panel the connector to the speaker pulled out. I suspected there was an issue, so pulled the door panels off today. Took some photos of back of the panel for peoples info. One of the connectors below is to the tweeter, the other the source from the amp. Attached Images
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11-20-2011, 01:43 AM	#21
taranonline Banned 28 Rep 494 Posts Drives: Man Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Usa iTrader: (0)	No processor on base system? Or you had hifi with tweeeters?.
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11-20-2011, 04:06 AM	#22
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,358 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	He used Zapco Amps with built in processor The Zapco DC reference amps have a built in processor.
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