[thill]

Originally Posted by ean611

First things first, Don't care how good the install is, You will rarely get great results without an EQ. This is just a fact. (Disclaimer, my definition of good is very high). Time alignment is key, as you can adjust the phase of the speakers to simulate them being equidistant from you, as they would be in a good home audio setup.

I really appreciate your honesty and insight. I know you are right about this, and my installer was pretty much telling me that, just like home theater, EQ in the car will make all difference. Which is why he likes the OEM + solution. I do agree with you on this and it will be addressed, but it might be a few months since I have other priorities like getting my car paid off. I am going to go over my options with the installer. Are there any particular EQ processing options you recommend on a budget? There are tons of options out there.

If you can build a great enclosure, go for it. There is one reason I don't: I live in an apartment, and do not have the space for a workshop.

Yes, if I did not I would be going with something like a JL Stealth or other custom solution that fits my car. I built all my home theater subs and had fun with it, so I plan on learning and having fun with the car sub. For about $20 or so in wood, if I am not happy, that is about all I am out and can use the driver in a different enclosure.

Now as for the two-way setup, you'll end up seeing two effects.
1. Low sound stage: This is where while the high "airy" sound (like cymbal crashes) will come from your windshield, much of the lower sound (saxophone, horns, low guitar (meaning low notes)), will sound like they're coming from lower down. Some people do not care much about this, but it is something that is there.
2. Muddy mid range: The doors, specifically the left door, is not going to be good for the mid range areas. Lower mid range / upper midbass area sound tends to spread differently. As you move to higher frequency, sound gets more directional. This means that since if you look at your left door, you do not have a path to your left ear from the woofer. There is pretty much nothing that can solve this. FYI, given how off axis your left door is, (in most cars) any woofer without a phase plug will not work well in that application period. The C5 does not have a phase plug, meaning the off axis response is likely poor. The few Helix speakers I googled look like nice construction, but again, the lack of a phase plug will be detrimental to what you're trying to do.

http://hybrid-audio.com/imagine/

I'd check those out for your setup. I would not use their Stage III or IV, (higher end) as those lack the phase plug, and will not be as good. The stage V and VI are excellent, and are what I use in my own system. (Excellent off-axis response)

This is good info. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. Looking at the hybrid speakers (this is the first I have heard of them) and the Imagine series, these are 2 way, correct, not 3 way? None of the installers I spoke with mentioned them, but I will do a little more research on them. I have already purchased the JL's at a very discounted rate, but I may be able to use them in our other car, because off axis is important to me, since I assume as the driver, I would potentially be sitting off-axis....

I just include those for a reference, but there are many woofers with decent off axis response, but typically they have to have a phase plug, or you get your left / right difference being huge.

Thanks, again this is something I will need to consider. I am hoping EQ could assist, but obviously speaker design is essential.