06LexIS350

It is tough getting good shots...too far away and my cam doesn't pic up..too close and it wont focus...the scratches are very eye visible...I am going to try in a dark garage tomorrow..I was getting a ton of reflections from sun and flashes...Sorry these are so blurry and poor

4DOORFUN

That's why Infiniti switched the interior trim to real aluminum in 2005 on the G35. Plus, kinda silly to sell fake aluminum trim in a $30K plus car.

06LexIS350

Here is photo 2. The thing only allows for 1 at a time

06LexIS350

Here is 3 of 3

06LexIS350

I will try to get better shots tomorrow

cmusic

Here's the door picture with the interior panel removed. The 6.5" woofer in the lower door has been removed.

Bichon

Can you post a picture of the woofer? Curious about the quality/construction and manufacturer of the drivers they use.

jlin101

actually real aluminum gets scratched just as easily, from my experiences working with aluminum pc cases. I believe real aluminum trim has similar urethane coating as wood trim (fake aluminum trim is painted instead). The switch to real aluminum stems from criticisms of cheap-feeling plastic; although even $70k German cars use fake aluminum trims (there's really nothing magical about aluminum--too hot in the summer and too cold and creaky in the winter). Technologically, it may not be economically feasible to have scratch-proof trims--same way the paint still gets chipped and the door still gets dinged in milliion dollar cars. How about cars with fake carbon fiber trims and "leatherette?"

cmusic

First, no more pictures after this post from me with the door panels removed. I broke two retainer clips getting the panel back on. They are relatively cheap and can be replaced but I can't just go out and rip my car apart when someone wants to see what's behind the panels. The next time I take the panels off will be when I replace the speakers in the spring.

This is the 2.5" mid. It is a polypropolyne cone. Frequency range is about 500-800 Hz and up.



The woofer is a polypropolyne cone with a rubber surround (good for protecting againt moisture). The whole black speaker assembly is molded to the speaker.


The rear of the woofer shows a standard magnat assembly. Notice "4 ohms" and "China" stamped on the magnet.


The speakers are slightly better than the standard speakers from other manufactures I have seen, but there is nothing notable about them. I can get simular Pioneer speakers from an audio distributor for under $20 ea for the woofer and under $10 ea for the mid. The speakers I am looking at to replace them are hand built in Denmark and will be in the $650 a pair range.

Bichon

I'm sorry, you've made me feel very guilty.

I thought you took the door apart to replace the speakers, and assumed that the woofer was already out of the car. I certainly didn't intend for you to disassemble the car for the sake of my curiousity. So thanks!

Whose Danish drivers are you planning to use? Peerless/Vifa/ScanSpeak?

jlin101

sorry to hear that, cmusic. Are these the stock speakers or ML, if ML speakers are any different?

cmusic

Don’t worry about it. Retainer clips only last through removing the door panel 2 or 3 times before they have to be replaced. They are only a dollar or two for a pack of 5 at a local auto parts store. I got the door panel off in less than two minutes last night. It was when I was putting it back on was when the clips broke. The first pictures of the door panel removed were from the first time I took the panel off. I was checking out what sizes of speakers I could fit, since the car was so new there were no aftermarket audio databases with the speaker info I needed.

I like Scan-Speak Revelators. That’s what I used in my last car. I have also used Dynaudio speakers in the past and liked them. I am also thinking about using a new speaker from a company called Audio Technology. A man named Skaaning in Demark designs them. Mr. Skaaning was the founder of Scan-Speak in 1969 and Dynaudio in 1976. The Audio Technology 6.5” speakers I am considering costs $330 each. I am considering using Hiquphon tweeters, which are also made in Demark. I guess you can tell I am a very particular when it comes to my audio.

Do a search on this forum for a thread I started called “IS audio system overview”. I talk about the IS’ standard audio system and give some upgrade recommendations.

The speakers in the pictures are stock. The ML speakers are upgraded, but I have not gotten to listen to them yet, so I can’t really say how much better (if any) they sound.

Bichon

I'm also a big fan of Scan-Speak. I use ProAc loudspeakers (built in England) in my home audio system. ProAc's designer, Stuart Tyler, uses Scan-Speak drivers in many of his designs. I'm not sure whether it is the quality of the drivers or Tyler's expertise in voicing them, but I love the way they sound.

I used to be into aftermarket car audio about 15 years ago, but after two separate break-ins where I lost lots of gear (not to mention damage to the car), I had decided to stick with factory systems in the car, and do my serious listening at home. Now I'm thinking that as long as I can retain a 100% stock appearance, I may tinker with replacing some of the drivers in my IS this summer. I'll be interested in reading about your experiences.

Tony1

Can just changing the speakers alone, really make a distinct difference?
(Taking into consideration, that our stock drivers, aren't "total crap" of course...

cmusic

For myself, absolutely yes. They are the biggest contributor on how the system sounds.

For most people, they really don't pay attention to the sound quality when listening. They pay attention to what is said, sung, or played. A regular person may never catch that the third violin plays slightly out of step with the rest of the orchestra, they pay attention to the whole performance. They might not notice that Howard Stern sounds like he has a slight cold when listening in the car as compared to the radio on the kitchen table.

Musicians, recording engineers, and audiophiles listen to how each note, word, or verse sounds as compared to a live performance. They analyse the sound as they enjoy it, not just listen to it.

If you like the sound quality you are hearing then you are fine. But if you are like me I have learned to hear into and beyond what a normal person hears. Different speakers change the sound, some for the better, some for the worse. For myself the factory IS speakers are good for most people, but not good enough for me.