Speaker upgrade - Alpine

conaero · May 9, 2019

Gooner said:
Hi, thanks to this thread and a few others on the forum I’m about to do this. I have a 2002 Spyder. Can you tell me exactly where you mean on the rear bulkhead? I was thinking just behind the drivers seat.

Also I’m think of just connecting it up to the feed to the rear speakers. Before I start pulling the carpets up do you happen to know the wiring route from the back of the NIT to the rear speakers?

I already have some replacement Focal front speakers on order, and looking forward to doing that in the next week or two.

Rear bulkhead is the vertical part behind the driver or passenger seat...the wall between the passenger compartment and the roof/boot area.

If you mount it low down as possible the seat wont crush it as the seat is angled back so the top of the seat/headrest makes contact with the rear bulkhead first.

Raulpereg · May 9, 2019

Hi Andrew. I have installed that one. So finally I have this configuration:

Pioneer SPH-10BT car receiver
JBL gt7-6c in the doors
Alpine sxe-5725s in the rear seats
Some old model of MB Quart 5" in the rear parcel
Sub Kipus Nitro S10 in the compartment for the wheel of the trunk

Good feedback overall. The pioneer is impresive for the money. You can do really detailed audio settings and also allow easy daily use. What I think could be improved is the app, it is not possible to close it in the device and sometimes can close connection with the car, but usually working well. These are software issues that could be solved with new app version.

Sound is now much better. The sub, even if far and with couple of barriers from your ears is performing well and completing the bass that was completely missing. It is just 5,5 cm high, but even this one was not entering below the seat so I decided to install in the trunk and result is good too.

hunta · May 9, 2019

Raulpereg said:
Hi Andrew. I have installed that one. So finally I have this configuration:

Pioneer SPH-10BT car receiver

...

The pioneer is impresive for the money. You can do really detailed audio settings and also allow easy daily use. What I think could be improved is the app, it is not possible to close it in the device and sometimes can close connection with the car, but usually working well. These are software issues that could be solved with new app version.
...

Thanks for the reply. From a quick web trawl it sounds like you're not the only one less than 100% happy with the Pioneer app. Do you know that there's a new version coming, or just hoping? Are you on Apple or Android?

Also, did you do the install yourself, and was it straightforward?

Raulpereg · May 9, 2019

No, the installation was done by a professional, so I cannot help there. About the app Im not 100% happy but very happy still. Having an update is just a hope, but as I think this product will be a success it would be rare if Pioneer dont pay attention to claims... For me the other option was to buy a unit with robotized screen, as the other 1 din you cannot have a proper screen for navigator, and these are around 5 times the price of this one. Having the phone as the main unit is a good advantage in my eyes as you will always have updated apps for nav, music...

Gooner · May 10, 2019

conaero said:
If you mount it low down as possible the seat wont crush it as the seat is angled back so the top of the seat/headrest makes contact with the rear bulkhead first.

Thanks. I thought it looked too tight behind the seat but looking again I can see that what you say makes sense. That’s the next job then!

strikeout · Jun 15, 2020

I've put in the Alpines in the front doors, the rear section and disconnected the rear shelf speakers completly.
The sound is "ok" but the BASS is completly missing now (like a cut off everything below 100hz). Really disappointing.
I put an original speaker back in the passenger door to have at least some low frequencies as I dont want to go full subwoofer&amp install here (not 25 anymore).

conaero · Jun 15, 2020

strikeout said:
I've put in the Alpines in the front doors, the rear section and disconnected the rear shelf speakers completly.
The sound is "ok" but the BASS is completly missing now (like a cut off everything below 100hz). Really disappointing.
I put an original speaker back in the passenger door to have at least some low frequencies as I dont want to go full subwoofer&amp install here (not 25 anymore).

That’s odd, there was almost too much base when I did mine, something is clearly wrong with your setup.

Ebenezer · Jun 15, 2020

Did you wire one of the speakers antiphase?
Eb

strikeout · Jun 15, 2020

Ebenezer said:
Did you wire one of the speakers antiphase?
Eb

I used an app for proper phase detection so I'm relatively confident they are all wired correctly. It is also noticable with just a single speaker running and not multiple ones neutralizing each others phases which would make total sense.
If I set the fader just to the front door speakers and go with the balance from driver-side (Alpine ALP SXE-1750S) to passenger-side (OEM speaker, non-Audiotrium) I can cleary hear the OEM does have much more low-end oompf (even though it doesnt nearly sound as transparent and smooth as the Alpine).
The EQ is in user-mode and almost flat, except +2 bars in the 60hz range, no loudness or other settings enabled.

Oneball · Jun 15, 2020

Easiest way to check a speaker’s polarity if it’s not marked is to put a constant supply through it and see which way it moves.

strikeout · Jun 15, 2020

Oneball said:
Easiest way to check a speaker’s polarity if it’s not marked is to put a constant supply through it and see which way it moves.

I've used the amazing (free) "KRK Audio Tools" iphone app. Connected it via line cable to my loudlink. It sends clicking noises, measures the delay (~22ms) and analyzes the phase of the recorded audio of the speaker. Like I said I'm pretty confident polarities are not the issue as I measured and rewired all speakers seperately.

Oneball · Jun 15, 2020

What did you do with the tweeter?

strikeout · Jun 15, 2020

Oneball said:
What did you do with the tweeter?

I did not remove the door panels so no big wiring changes:

connected the Alpine tweeter to the existing tweeter speaker-cable, with the little supplied hi-pass filter in between and glued the old tweeter-grid on the new one
the bigger 6.5 "woofer" also connects to the cables already coming out of the door - I just removed that yellow plug, no freq-filter in between.

Oneball · Jun 15, 2020

strikeout said:
I did not remove the door panels so no big wiring changes:

connected the Alpine tweeter to the existing tweeter speaker-cable, with the little supplied hi-pass filter in between and glued the old tweeter-grid on the new one

the bigger 6.5 "woofer" also connects to the cables already coming out of the door - I just removed that yellow plug, no freq-filter in between.

Do you need the supplied filter? Won’t the existing setup already have something as there was a tweeter there already?

strikeout · Jun 15, 2020

Oneball said:
Do you need the supplied filter? Won’t the existing setup already have something as there was a tweeter there already?

The OEM tweeter had some kind of coil glued to its side near the connector. I'm pretty sure thats the hi-pass for the tweeter.
I've read on the forum the speaker-cabling in the door is one cable coming into the door and then goes into a Y-shape, going up to to the tweeter and one going down to the woofer

Oneball · Jun 15, 2020

strikeout said:
The OEM tweeter had some kind of coil glued to its side near the connector. I'm pretty sure thats the hi-pass for the tweeter.
I've read on the forum the speaker-cabling in the door is one cable coming into the door and then goes into a Y-shape, going up to to the tweeter and one going down to the woofer

Yep one wire into the door, at least there is in the 3200, couldn’t remember where the filter was though.

CatmanV2 · Jun 15, 2020

Can you hear anything or feel anything on the woofers?

C

strikeout · Jun 15, 2020

CatmanV2 said:
Can you hear anything or feel anything on the woofers?

C

Yes, yes! Woofers work - but the low-end frequency response is pretty sub-par with the Alpines.
The sound is "ok" as I mentioned, clear and transparent from both components.
But when putting on something electronic with a nice low-end (below ~100hz) there is just not much happening. My feeling in all this is: Alpine wants to sell you an additional sub. The 6.5 OEM speakers in our city-car, an old VW Golf 4, sound better, with a better low-end.
Thats why I kept one OEM woofer in the passenger door to at least get some reponse at the 60hz range tho I dont like this kind of *******-setup at all.

Gooner · Jun 16, 2020

Oneball said:
Do you need the supplied filter? Won’t the existing setup already have something as there was a tweeter there already?

I think the existing filter is a 2.2microfarad capacitor in-line. I took this off the old tweeter and fitted it to my new one.

I’m pleased with the upgrade but sorely tempted to do the job properly and install this in place of the NIT:

SPH-EVO62DAB

6.8" Clear type touchscreen modular multimedia player with easy smartphone connectivity via a simple USB cable supporting Apple Carplay, Android Auto, WebLink, DAB/DAB+ Digital Radio, Waze, Bluetooth and a 13-band GEQ.

www.pioneer-car.eu

CatmanV2 · Jun 16, 2020

Gooner said:
I think the existing filter is a 2.2microfarad capacitor in-line. I took this off the old tweeter and fitted it to my new one.

I’m pleased with the upgrade but sorely tempted to do the job properly and install this in place of the NIT:

SPH-EVO62DAB

6.8" Clear type touchscreen modular multimedia player with easy smartphone connectivity via a simple USB cable supporting Apple Carplay, Android Auto, WebLink, DAB/DAB+ Digital Radio, Waze, Bluetooth and a 13-band GEQ.

www.pioneer-car.eu

You'll need to move the NIT somewhere....

C

Speaker upgrade - Alpine

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