Installation Photos and Tips

MERCEDES BENZ


Mercedes E430 with Bose® Audio System and HDSS® by TBI

In the above factory Mercedes-Bose system the four factory tweeters are disconnected and the TWEP51 tweeters are connected directly to the high frequency amplifier of this tri-amped system. The tweeters are low and out of sight while providing integration with the door speakers which now image at window level. You wonít need any bass or treble boost once the HDSS® tweeters are in the system. The front HDSS® tweeters can also serve the back seats or an additional pair can be connected situated close to the rear door speaker. Opposing tweeters are typically cross-oriented to the opposite passenger for best performance. Flush mounting is also allowed when necessary due to the extreme dispersion qualities of theTWEP51. In the above case extra wires will need to be added to connect the rear tweeters directly to the high frequency amplifier since this system is tri-amped and the door speakers do not carry the high frequency information. The included passive crossover is not used when connecting the TWEP 51 to an amplifier with a active high pass crossover. Now a quality automobile can have exceptional sound as well.

PORSCHE


Porsche Cayenne with Bose® Audio System and HDSS® by TBI

Modern vehicles are designed with aesthetics and performance in mind. While the sound system is important the location of the speakers must succumb to availability. In this Porsche Cayenne the best location for the TWEP51 is where the typical tweeter wouldnít even be heard. While out of sight the sound image is over the dashboard in the positions that you would only dream of. The tweeter must be located near its midrange companion if a realistic sound is to be presented. Again the Bose tweeters are disconnected allowing perfect integration with the door-mounted midrange. Dispersion and coherence must be present for this pairing and ET™ provides the magic. This compact SUV is equipped with rear mounted TWEP-51 tweeters for a real omnipresent musical presentation for all passengers. This surround sound equipped vehicle now has what it takes to provide its namesake as the high frequency diaphragm breakup of conventional tweeters will fatigue the listener rather than providing entertainment. Photo below shows the rear mounted TWEP51 that complete this sophisticated yet simple system.

PHOTO SHOWING REAR MOUNTED TWEP51 HDSS® TWEETERS IN PORSCHE CAYENNE



Nissan Pathfinder with Bose® Audio System
and HDSS® by TBI



The SUV has become the new standard in people hauling so getting the sound right for everyone on board is important. Here TWEP 51 tweeters are mounted flush in conjunction with the factory speakers. The extreme off axis position of the full range door speaker produces a natural roll-off for crossing to the HDSS based tweeter. Typically the integration will suggest a 3.5kHz crossover point with the typical door driver size. This is the range in which the included crossover network is designed to operate. The extreme off axis position of the tweeter will provide the proper level cues for the passenger so he will still have superb imaging at window level. This Pathfinder is using the supplied crossover connected directly to the right channel. This full range wiring to the doors allows the simple addition of the TWEP51 to the rear speakers using the same mounting hole but different crossover. The rear speakers use the same wiring arrangement. The owner was surprised when he could flatten all tone controls for better sound. The sound is omni-present in all positions in the vehicle with no passenger having to sacrifice sound quality. Typically the SUV will have headrest mounted video screens for watching movies and now the sound will thrill as well.

An additional benefit is provided for all users of hands free communications utilizing the vehicles sound system for the speaker. The vocals are very natural so that the person will appear to be in the vehicle with you. In the vehicle environment ambient noise rejection is a major consideration when a phone call is in progress as it is important that the conversation is heard without stress. Raising the volume of typical systems is combating noise with more noise. The intelligibility is improved using the HDSS® based TWEP51 by producing a natural acoustic presentation which is distinguished in the presence of ambient nose. The photo below shows the flush rear mounted door TWEP51. This is a direct factory replacement and again this flush mounting is possible due to the extreme dispersion characteristics of the TWEP51.

Nissan Pathfinder with Bose® Audio System and HDSS® by TBI in Rear



F-350 FORD KING RANCH LARIAT CREW CAB



Ford King Ranch Lariat Crew Cab Factory Audio with HDSS® by TBI

The pickup truck has been transformed into the working living room with amenities challenging those of a luxury car. The cabin of this Ford F-350 King Ranch is luxurious and accommodating for everything but speakers. Forget any fancy component modules unless you are going to remodel the truck so the natural upgrade is the extreme dispersion TWEP51 flush mounted tweeter to stay out of the way visibly. The almost floor location of this installation would seem ludicrous to a typical installer yet this ET™ based tweeter doesnít care about obstacles or legs as you must literally cover it up to stop the music. This truck has a roof mounted DVD and stealth subs in the corners behind the rear seats. Everyone including the rear seat passengers are entertained by this factory stealth audio upgrade. Typically the factory head unit will provide all of the necessary electronics unless a subwoofer is added. The included crossover allows for flexibility in installation.

Ford King Ranch Lariat Crew Cab Factory Audio with HDSS® by TBI



IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INSTALLATION INFORMATION

This a new day for vehicle audio so we will be adding new photos of unique HDSS® installations in an effort to show just how easy it is to be introduced to high-end sound right in your own vehicle. Ninety percent of the hardware already exists with top-notch technology already incorporated into modern head units.

At TBI we have determined that the real problem starts at the top and then from the bottom. Door and trunk mounted speakers in vehicles already enjoy the most ideal enclosure system for normal driver operation. The door speakers operate in semi-sealed enclosures when the windows are up while allowing the driver to breathe by virtue of the air channel to the outside. This arrangement isolates the front and rear wave while eliminating the boxy character typical of enclosed boxes.

The deck mounted mid-woofer also enjoys an ideal operating for the proper driver. The large volume trunk is actually an infinite baffle with little pressure behind it. In fact the rear deck speaker operates with almost equal pressure on both sides of the diaphragm. This is possibly the most ideal operating environment for producing naturally aspirated bass in a vehicle when available. Typically a small boost at the very low end can provide satisfaction if needed.

The rear deck can also act as a flush mount location for the TWEP51 tweeter using the rear window glass to spread the highs throughout the vehicle. The tweeter would mount adjacent to the rear deck speaker and in most cases produce better sound than if surface mounted for aiming.

The TWEP51 HDSS® tweeter also offers low frequency enhancement. The lowest frequencies in music are produced by waves with rather fast rise times. These leading edge transitions help define the actual bass sound, which require that the tweeter reproduce the fast rise times. This must be done for all involved listening angles for it to be effective in defining the bass note not just on axis. When the bass is defined better it is more natural and requires less volume to provide a musical foundation.

A subwoofer is actually less of a requirement and if employed will also have to operate using ET™ as its operating principle. The Magellan VI su is actually quite a useful product for this application although its intended operation is to bolster the foundation for true audiophile home systems. The Magellan subwoofer can be powered by any quality 12 V aftermarket amplifier that can provide at least 100 W into 8 ohms and crossover point at least to 40Hz.

The TWEP51 is operating in its ideal ET™ environment whereas the typical tweeter has a pressurized back wave causing standing waves and breakup in the most sensitive audio region. This non-coherent output is further disturbed by reflections from nearby objects limiting placement. The automobile offers the ideal listening situation when the tweeter is not limiting the performance. The application of TWEP51 HDSS® tweeter eliminates this performance limitation.

The benefits of HDSS® are enormous for all music sources as AM-FM,FM digital, satellite radio, cassette, mpeg and even hands free cell operation benefit from improved coherence from the high frequencies. FM radio, the most commonly used sound source in the vehicle, has been known to generate extremely musical sound in high-end systems and now it can in your vehicle as well. High resolution sound benefits every aspect of the mobile system.