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Audiophiles w/ Model 3's
- Thread starter groovyd
- Start date
Thanks, swazi. That's a great idea and I just posted a new Topic for anyone interested here: Brackets to install Aftermarket Speakers in Model 3
Yes it's tempting to think that you can get the Focals into the existing door but I don't believe it's possible.
First of all they have a much deeper magnet structure, and they're actually larger in terms of their diameter then the existing drivers. Keep in mind that these are really just frankly subwoofers in the front door. They really make no contribution to mid-range at all and they're crossed over very low with an extremely aggressive low pass at the amplifier level.
I'd love to see a replacement for them but the biggest problem frankly with the front speakers is not the acoustic quality of the driver but rather the acoustic quality of the enclosure . . . or the lack thereof. The front door resonates potently in sympathy with the output from these existing woofers. Unless you can solve that problem I think you are probably wasting money on putting expensive drivers in there.
And that's totally aside from the question of whether or not they can fit. Take a look at earlier in the thread where I showed how shallow those woofers are and also how to Dynamat both the area around the woofer and the woofer basket itself. That might pay more dividends for less money.
If you do buy a woofer for that application, make sure you have return privileges if it's not installed because otherwise you may own some expensive drivers you can't use. I do not believe that an 8-inch woofer will fit in that space without essentially a custom bracket of some kind and without modification of the door sleeve itself.
More trouble than it's worth in a lot of ways in other words. If you need more Bass or lower Bass, your best bet is to replace the stock subwoofer and provide separate amplification for it. And that's an Electronics project given that without a special insulating relay, powering the amplifier off the DC / DC converter will throw codes and potentially leave you stranded. Don't bite off more than you can chew in other words. Modifying this car stereo system is not for the technologically inexperienced.
@dfwatt I know you popped onto the other thread dedicated to the bracketing project already, but I really do appreciate your input since you have already done some work on your audio. You are exactly right in what seems to be the biggest issue and I don't know if its possible yet either. I am going to find out though, since I already pulled the stock speaker out! 
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I don't know about the resonance issues, and I haven't had any issues I can hear there yet, but I also don't play a lot of bass-heavy music (as I prefer jazz, instrumentals, and vocals), though I do occasionally have fun with a hard hitting song. So perhaps I just haven't pumped them loud enough to hear the resonance issues there. I think you're correct for someone like me especially, who is mostly disappointed with the high range sound and mid range sound anyway, and can't wait to replace the mids and tweeters. I will focus on those, but I intend to see it through and see if the 8" woofers really can fit, all things being ideal, or not.
. I don't know about the resonance issues, and I haven't had any issues I can hear there yet, but I also don't play a lot of bass-heavy music (as I prefer jazz, instrumentals, and vocals), though I do occasionally have fun with a hard hitting song. So perhaps I just haven't pumped them loud enough to hear the resonance issues there. I think you're correct for someone like me especially, who is mostly disappointed with the high range sound and mid range sound anyway, and can't wait to replace the mids and tweeters. I will focus on those, but I intend to see it through and see if the 8" woofers really can fit, all things being ideal, or not.
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@dfwatt I know you popped onto the other thread dedicated to the bracketing project already, but I really do appreciate your input since you have already done some work on your audio. You are exactly right in what seems to be the biggest issue and I don't know if its possible yet either. I am going to find out though, since I already pulled the stock speaker out!
I don't know about the resonance issues, and I haven't had any issues I can hear there yet, but I also don't play a lot of bass-heavy music (as I prefer jazz, instrumentals, and vocals), though I do occasionally have fun with a hard hitting song. So perhaps I just haven't pumped them loud enough to hear the resonance issues there. I think you're correct for someone like me especially, who is mostly disappointed with the high range sound and mid range sound anyway, and can't wait to replace the mids and tweeters. I will focus on those, but I intend to see it through and see if the 8" woofers really can fit, all things being ideal, or not.
I've done the front three 4 inch dash drivers on two cars, and the rear door drivers on one - all with the Infinity 4022s. Mids and highs are significantly better, although overall, I like the spectral balance of the car that didn't have the rear door drivers swapped out a bit more - it's just about right in my estimation, at least sitting in the front. There is also this impressive option - which should be a better and easier fit esp. in the rear doors - the Faital 4 inch neodymium.
I'm thinking about replacing the 2 rear door 4 inch drivers in my wife's car with those. They are a bit more expensive, but the response curves are quite good, and I suspect it's a bit more neutral overall than the Infinitys, which can sound, at least in this car, just a bit bright. That may be due to the driver, or to the steep high pass filter presumably applied at the amplifier level. There is no bass output in the Model 3 from these drivers (stock or replacement) and what sounds like a modest attenuation of lower midrange (around ~300 Hz?) with the Infinities, at least relative to treble.
Will be interested to see what you find with the 8 inch woofers. Good luck!
@dfwatt One more question: Have you messed with the tweeters in any of those vehicles? It seems logical to me to also replace those with something a little brighter (like titanium alloy or silk dome) while I'm at it. If I can get the focals to work for woofers, I will use the bundled focal silk tweeters, but if not, what have you heard in that regard?
Originally, that was my supposition too. But after replacing 5/7 of the stock 4 inch drivers with the Infinity 4022s, there is if anything, an abundance of treble on some material, such that I didn't feel that there was any need for replacement. The infinitys have a 1/2 (?) inch dome tweeter coaxially with the four inch midrange. So no, haven't bothered, and probably won't. The highs sound pretty detailed and extended to me as it is.
Another consideration to keep in mind and that is that this is not like a typical 3-way system where the woofers are crossed over in the lower mid-range. The woofers in the door appeared to be basically subwoofers and handle no mid-range of a meaningful sort at all.
flashflooder
Member
Hardest part will be finding a speaker wire to tap for the line out, since the SR doesn't have the rear amp and easily accessible low-pass speakers (that go to the stock sub in the premium). Your best bet is probably to tap the leads for the front door woofers, at the computer located behind the glove box.
Wanted to share a great blog by a guy named Travis Llado, wherein documents his install experience. He does a graet job of organizing, illustrating and documenting his install steps and issues encountered.
Tesla Model 3 Stereo - Part 1: Door Insulation
Also QQ for those who have run non OEM amps for a while. Have you had any negative side effects of any kind? I
I've held off my own install primarily due to potential consequences of amp draw. Even with the gains nearly at zero, my setup could draw 100a+ at medium volumes; concerned what the impact would be to the pack and 12v in daily use.
Tesla Model 3 Stereo - Part 1: Door Insulation
Also QQ for those who have run non OEM amps for a while. Have you had any negative side effects of any kind? I
I've held off my own install primarily due to potential consequences of amp draw. Even with the gains nearly at zero, my setup could draw 100a+ at medium volumes; concerned what the impact would be to the pack and 12v in daily use.
How is your amp drawing 100A at medium volumes - that sounds insane. Normal listening volumes should be drawing maybe 10-15A at the most. Or are you just blasting a subwoofer like mad?
Also did anyone ever find a good installer in the area or a plug and play kit?
Was curious and looked. Their home page says:
All Good Things, Must Come to an End
We sadly announce the end of B.A.Design Works. With changes at Tesla as well in our own lives, we have decided to end B.A.Design Works.
Mrbrock
Active Member
Just got a Demo model 3 a couple weeks ago and am looking at doing a speaker upgrade. While looking at the Faital Pro speakers and other installs, it seems the main issue is 4 hole mounting vs 3. Coming from a BMW X3 with 3 hole speakers, would using a speaker designed for those cars work? The same site that carries the Faitals has the GRS B100-4 and B100C-4 available. Once is a regular speaker and one is coaxial. They have the smaller neodymium magnet structure and everything else looks about the same except for the mounting brackets. Better done and voice coil material as well. Has one tried these?
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