Hi guys,

needing some advice here, I like to get more out of my sound system. I find that my setup lacks midbass, does well on highs and lows. My current set up as the following:

3xRca Sony Headunit : ($2000
Wiring Kit Audioline ($80)

Front splits: JL C2600 ($160)
Rear Speaker: JL TR600 CXI ($250)
Amp: Pioneer GM6500F ($200)

Sub and Amp: Dual 12" Kicker with Kicker mono Amp ($600)

I dont really want to have to sell all my gear, what would be my biggest bottleneck here? How much should i be spending on a new amp or speaker, to get noticable difference to my current set up? If so what would be first on upgrades?

Cheers

AND YES, ive dynamated too!

Mounting the speakers on custom MDF panels would be a good start, getting them as close to, and lined up with, the speaker holes as possible' A lot of sound can be absorbed by the door card, and/or bouncing back, cancelling the noises you are try to make. ( Many car I've been in the door cards move substantially with the Mids, this is wasted sound energy, put into the door cards, this should minimized or isolated all together)
Sometimes, depending on the car, MDF rings ( even angled ones ) are needed on top of the MDF mount to bring the speaker as close to the speaker hole in the door card possible, the more effort the better..
( as per peaandham the MDF can be sealed with silicon around the inner door frame, making every improvement possible, it might be a minor percentage, but an improve all the same).

Next is sealing all the access large holes in the door with perspex/MDF trying to create an infinite baffle.. And Dynamat for the smaller ones.

Setting the Gains correctly with enough power on tap also has a part to play, as does tuning and speaker/amp choice.
But doing all the work on the door inside is the key to chase midbass if you are not happy with what you are currently getting...
Some people are happy with just a set of speakers, others try to chase everything they have to give, if the latter is you, work on the doors, as it will have to be done if you upgrade the speakers and are still not happy...
Welcome to the heavy door and shaking side mirror club ;)

Thanks Sh00t,

so i really should be investing money on making my current gear sound better than to buy new gear aye.

Ive already sound deadned the doors, is it worth the effort to make custom MDF boxes for the speakers? Ive already covered holes in the door with dynamat.

Cheers
Simon

Covering the holes with Dynamat isnt really enough, from someone been down that path, an installer did that for me....

You may have sound deadened the doors, but did you seal all the service holes? What that does is help make the door the best possible sealed enclosure it can be, we cant seal the door completely because of bits like the drain holes however the best frequency response will come from a door that is sealed to the best of its abilities. This is why pre fab home theatre speakers sound better than car audio the environment for one is a lot more forgiving and the boxes once designed to be sealed or ported dont need to factor in air leaks, you dont need deadener etc. What I suggest is not only relying on deadner to seal the holes but something like 6mm MDF or 3-6mm perspex, it will really stiffen it up alot.

Making an MDF mount it you want good sound isnt always a MUST, however for the Magnas I would recommend it absolutely, the factory mount covers a large area and its only really as rigid as it needs to be, so get some marine ply, and you will notice a difference. If you can get yourself some Tnuts and Hex headed bolts too, this will assist in ensuring the speaker mounts solidly.

thanks for the tips this is very useful,

in regards to filling service holes, the surface is not flat. There are bits that protrude out from where the holes are. How do i tackle this?

I did my large service hole all in one piece of MDF, parts of the top and bottom sit high and slightly wider than the whole.... ( or vice versa) cant remember with out taking the door off)
The middle width is sits inside the hole, with a ridge cut out partially along the middle for the armrest support beam...

Recently, I saw a pic posted somewhere ( I looked but didnt find) where the big hole was covered by 2 Pieces.

Any MDF you place in the door should be painted to reject water and therefor swelling wont be a problem, then Tape the Pieces in place...
Use cardboard as a template.

Not any easy job, but worthwhile of you want advance, or seeking the extra rewards..

Hers a good guide, and the blokes over there are real helpful when asked the right way..
http://www.caraudio.com.au/content/sound-deadening-your-vehicle/

335W RMS from a Phoenix Gold Tantrum 600.4 running 8 inch Dynaudio MW170's
3 layers of Dynamat and 18mm MDF
Sure beats ANY factory plastic !

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o182/sjh350/My%20Car/8-1.jpg

This is from a while ago, but the hole above the speaker should be filled, as well as covering the smaller socket access along the top with dynamat or similar...

thanks for the tips this is very useful,

in regards to filling service holes, the surface is not flat. There are bits that protrude out from where the holes are. How do i tackle this?

Just make a flat piece, it does not need to follow the contours at all, basically you will be just sealing the hole to prevent air from coming through and making it as rigid as possible.

I made mine out of fiberglass but thats just me.

found this web page in regarding to this subject, this fellow has a little bit of a different method of how to sound deadener a car
what's your thoughts??
http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/how-tos