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Thread: E36 - How to improve kick panel bass response?

  1. #1
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    E36 - How to improve kick panel bass response?

    I will be installing a component set in the next week or two. I had some time to play around and took off the kick panel and removed the 5.25" speaker. Would my bass be improved if I added some sound deadning and polyfill behind the speaker and get rid of the baffle? Is it somewhat air tight behind the speaker or is it open to the elements?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    sound deaden it as well. I would recommend edead from edesignaudio.com just because it is the cheapest. Enter the coupon code eDeadBA for a 20% discount as well.

    [SIZE=1]r
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  3. #3
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    Thanks, I was mainly concerned about it not being air tight back there. I would like to get close to what the components would sound like in a sealed box.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmerLover84
    Thanks, I was mainly concerned about it not being air tight back there. I would like to get close to what the components would sound like in a sealed box.
    You can try to seal any holes with expanding insulation foam (available at hardware stores).

    Let me know how much luck you have with this, as I'm about to try this myself.

    You may try sticking a digicam in the speaker hole and aim it different directions to take pictures. This way you can see where the holes are that you need to fill.

  5. #5
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    Just be careful not to drop anything too small in the hole. The bottom of that area opens up into the front part of the side skirt. Trust me, I spend about 1 1/2 hours today trying to fish a maglight out of there...

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Z
    You can try to seal any holes with expanding insulation foam (available at hardware stores).

    Let me know how much luck you have with this, as I'm about to try this myself.

    You may try sticking a digicam in the speaker hole and aim it different directions to take pictures. This way you can see where the holes are that you need to fill.

    Spray foam I would not use. Serious. If you do, use the low to no expansion stuff, The blue label. using normal red label or high expansion black label can make for very fun looking fenders. and by fun I mean you'll hate them.

    Having pulled the baffle on all e36's I've done stereo work on and not having an environment problem, I wouldn't worry about it too much. and that baffling that's there on some of the cars is a foam that retains water like a diaper - but I think they switched to that gray foam (or vice versa); so I don't know if moisture was ever an issue.
    -

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    might work on an e30 also .

  8. #8
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    use the expanding foam but tape everything up... i did that before i installed the 6.5s in my kick panels, as well as bondoing the 12 oclock position where the speaker cavity opens into the bottom of the glove box and that whole mess of wires
    But I'm tryin, Ringo. I'm tryin real hard.

  9. #9
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    Spray foam will just loose airspace, i would go with dynamat all around inside and polyfil, just like your originally mentioned.
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    LOL, who resurrected this thread?
    VP Electricity

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  11. #11
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    hello,

    The only holes you should plug or seal off are the ones on the kick panel surface. You DO NOT want to seal off the inside at all!

    I would suggest taking a large piece of dynamat extreme [or similar] and placing it over the entire face of the kick panel from as high as you can to the floor. In the kick panel cavity just deaden the metal parts that you can and maybe put some dynaliner or dynaxorb directly behind the driver.

    I would also very strongly suggest going up to a larger driver, such as a 6 1/2'' and that will also get you much more impact from the front.
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  12. #12
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    Couple of thoughts - most midbass drivers on the market are not designed for a totally sealed enclosure, so the goal shouldn't be to seal off the kick panels unless you have a driver that's optimized for that. Also, I agree with Tap. Bigger drivers are the best way to improve kick panel bass response in these cars.

  13. #13
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    Completely disagree with you guys about non sealed midbass enclosures. Built many many competition systems for SQ and SPL, as well as being a sound engineer for a living.

    The transient response, roll off, and power handling advantages are superb for midbass. Porting or venting is great for extending into low frequencies and allowing higher excursions to occur, but the mid range of frequencies do not require much excursion for optimal midbass resonance.

    heres a great link too: http://caraudiomag.com/articles/mid-bass-response

    Also I would suggest visiting the diy audio forums and perusing the car audio section.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dark Fears View Post
    Completely disagree with you guys about non sealed midbass enclosures. Built many many competition systems for SQ and SPL, as well as being a sound engineer for a living.

    The transient response, roll off, and power handling advantages are superb for midbass. Porting or venting is great for extending into low frequencies and allowing higher excursions to occur, but the mid range of frequencies do not require much excursion for optimal midbass resonance.

    heres a great link too: http://caraudiomag.com/articles/mid-bass-response

    Also I would suggest visiting the diy audio forums and perusing the car audio section.
    Dude, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but all those people have passed on except Benny, and he can't hear too well anymore. Are you a time traveler?

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    Quote Originally Posted by bobmw View Post
    Dude, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but all those people have passed on except Benny, and he can't hear too well anymore. Are you a time traveler?
    Huh? Speak up please

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    this guy has come in here and bumped a few old threads for God only knows why. Seems like to just give his opinion.

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    ^ I like your signature

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    Quote Originally Posted by 12v Electronics View Post
    ^ I like your signature
    THANKS! me tooo

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  19. #19
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    This thread has been unnecessarily bumped twice now. And, yes, I've moved on to better things, and still know more than anyone else on this board.
    -

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by JPWheelr View Post
    This thread has been unnecessarily bumped twice now. And, yes, I've moved on to better things, and still know more than anyone else on this board.





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