"Biggest stereo bang for the buck mod" is right! I used the 330s. I can actually tell there are woofers back there.

 

Good choice!!!!

 

Hmmm! My thanks to the OP who did the original experimentation and found the solution. This may well be the only thing I "mod" on my SRT-6. In addition to being a car nut, I'm a 30 year card carrying audiophile. So when I first listened to the sound system in the Crossfire, it sounded horrible to me. My solution in the first two weeks of ownership has been Bass -3 and Treble +3. It makes a difference. But, as the OP pointed out it's a crude fix and not really satisfying. This quick filter fix seems to make a lot more sense than rushing out to spend gobs of cash on new equipment.

I couldn't believe the post from the guy who wanted to put two 12 inch subs in the rear. OMFG! You've got to be kidding. More Bass? Also can't believe that some people are lamenting the reduced "bass" output from the doors. To me it's just obnoxiously unbalanced. But I suppose it's a taste thing. If you like hip hop and enjoy sharing your vibrating car with everyone around you, the crossover modification will likely disappoint.

The Crossfire is a really small environment and the factory Nav radio has plenty of power. It really is just a spectral balance problem for me. I'm not certain I'm in love with the door mounted tweeters but I don't think it's really possible to tell until I can get the Bass/Midbass sorted out. I wonder why the designers chose this sort of balance (or imbalance)? Most cars of 2005 vintage had this sort of thing pretty well sorted out. German hip hop engineers? European techno punk?

I didn't read this entire thread, has anyone investigated a high pass filter for the door tweeters to keep low frequencies from over loading them.

 

I considered putting my 330s in line with the input to both speakers. I figure the tweeter has it's own capacitor. Are you thinking a "real" crossover network would be an advantageous?

 

Well, I'm at least wondering if the same engineers who developed the (complete lack of) crossover for the door mounted 6.5 inch speakers were also on crack when they developed the crossover for the rest of the system. I'm disappointed by the quality and spectral balance of the high frequencies at the outset. But until I get the 6.5" units under control, it's really hard to tell what the tweeters are doing. I may experiment with a high pass filter there as well.

All comments about a crack addled engineering team aside, I'm surprised an Infinity sound system like this ever made it to market. I also own a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica Limited (at one time I had two of these simultaneously). The Pacifica has a 10 speaker Infinity audio system that is excellent in absolute terms and from a completely different universe when compared to the Crossfire.

The crossover is a crucial part of a three way system such as the one in the Crossfire. The whole point of high/mid/low frequency drivers is to only feed the bandwidth to each driver that they are capable of managing. That is the job of the crossover. Separate the frequencies, manage the power, don't let phase get out of alignment. Infinity didn't do a stellar job with the Crossfire.

 

I hated mine from the test drive. I ended up replacing everything BUT the subs.

Replaced the Becker headunit with a Pioneer and replaced the mids with Infinity (real Infinity) 6 1/2" 2-ways. Oh-plus the cap (270 uF) install. I like it now!

And, before someone pipes up: I know the speakers say "Infinity" on the back.

Just like the Rolex I got in Singapore says "RoleX".

 

I've just recently purchased an 06 Crossfire roadster. Been reading this thread and decided to go out and find the capacitors suggested here. Went to a car audio shop and they had some nice caps called Bass Blockers. Real nice with insulated wires and available in a few different sizes. Here's a link with a wiring diagram: All About Bass Blockers I went with the 300's. I'll be installing them this weekend. Wish me luck!

 

Should work fine. Let us know.

 

No luck needed for this mod. Pretty straight up. So easy owners of BLACK Crossfires have been able to do it!

Welcome to the form new guy! Pleanty more mods where this one came from. Keep reading!

Yo Max. 3:53AM? Can't sleep?

 

Central time zone. 5:53? I'm already at the lab! I get more work done (!) and I can avoid the truly awful drivers around here.

 

Not on crack. Busy designing a cup holder.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome. I've been reading my a$$ off and learning. I installed the bass blockers and they do work great. I can now hear and FEEL my subs! Now for my next mod...

 

OK, I did the install today. Another satisfied customer. Because I'm a car nut but also an audiophile, I took some measurements before and after the passive high pass filter was installed.

Test Conditions

• Engine Off - so the SPL meter was hearing the audio system and not engine noise.
• Windows Up - to eliminate wind and other environmental noise.
• Radio Shack Analog SPL Meter Set To C Weighting Scale With Meter Set For Fast Response
• 0dB Level Set For 90dB @ Volume Level 33 on Crossfire Nav Audio Unit With Microphone Placed Where Driver's Head Is Located.
• Stereophile Test Disk...12 one 3rd octave warble tones centered at 1,000Hz; 200; 160; 125; 100; 80; 63; 50; 40; 31.5; 25; 20

Before Modification
Red Line = Baseline OEM System with Bass Control = 0 and Treble Control = 0
Yellow Line = OEM System With Tone Correction with Bass Control = -3 and Treble Control = +3

After Modification
Blue Line = High Pass Filter with Bass Control = 0 and Treble Control = 0
Yellow Line = High Pass Filter With Tone Correction with Bass Control = -2 and Treble Control = +2



You can clearly see in the RED line what everyone is noticing. Bass response is elevated from about 140Hz down to about 40Hz. The red line was generated with tone controls set flat. The one anomaly here is the FR bump at 200Hz that disappears from the other curves which have very consistent FR curves.

Next up is the YELLOW line where I measured the response with the tone control settings (Bass -3 / Treble +3) I had been using before the filter was installed. Note that while the overall curve shifted downward, it still maintained the same overall shape as the RED curve as you would expect. The Mid/Upper Bass was still exaggerated but the hump at 200Hz magically swung the opposite direction. No explanation here.

Next up, the BLUE line which is after the high pass filter (capacitor) was installed but with the tone controls set flat. Note that with the high pass filter in place the absolute levels in the front speakers dropped significantly at some frequencies causing me to recalibrate the 0dB level by raising the volume setting. That's why the blue curve has the highest overall level. As you can see, the curve is now much smoother but still rising to a 50Hz bass peak. Speaking of the 50Hz peak, it must be a system resonance reflecting the overall speaker/ car interior interaction. It's present in all the curves to varying extents and this high pass filter had little effect on it.

Lastly, the GREEN line. I played around with measurements of a bunch of tone control settings but I settled on (Bass -2 / Treble +2). That's what you see in the chart. The end result is a much smoother frequency response from about 140Hz down to about 60Hz followed by that damned bump at 50Hz and then a steep rolloff down to about 30Hz. The high pass filter combined with these tone control settings yielded a result I can live with. Note also that the tone control now has a great impact. i.e. -2 setting on the bass control produces a much bigger drop from the blur curve to the green curve than a -3 setting dropped the yellow curve from the red curve before the capacitor was installed. It is MUUUUCH better!

I used the following recordings before and after to assess progress.....

• Norah Jones - Come Away With Me - Female Voice
• Mark Knopfler - Golden Heart - Male Voice
• Santana - Supernatural - Low Bass & Male Voice

The OEM system now sounds pretty good and much better than before the filter was installed. Voices are more natural, the bass has much more definition, and the high frequencies are much more balanced/ audible. FM radio announcer's voices are especially improved. It now sounds like an Infinity OEM sound system.

 

Hmmm.....can't edit post above. Anyway, what I was left with is that ~7dB peak centered at 50Hz. That's much less problematic with voices than the elevated curve from 140Hz to 50Hz. That stretched more than an octave and it was in a range that our hearing is much more sensitive to. The remaining problem centered at 50Hz is nowhere near as broad and it's far enough down in frequency that it doesn't bump into the range of human voices..

 

did you us 270s?

 

The cap value is in the graph title. 266 uF / 50V non-polarized electrolytic. So, yeah pretty much 270.

 

I did this mod today and love it. A big thanks to the OP for posting it.

 

Hey thanks,you nailed the stock sound on the money...its exactly what has been buggin me with the sound and turning down the bass to 3 only helped a little......gonna try your mod...let you know the results...2005 xfire ltd

 

totally agree,to much bass from doors and I cant even tell the back speakers are working at all. What is best to use 200 hz or higher hz ? I know nothing about this stuff but I DO know sound. So could spell it out for me, my best option for this mod...thanks I copied your post to show a installer

 

I used the 330uf caps and this was perfect for me.