Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine I51-2, User Manual

Page 1: ...Imagine I51 2 High Performance Mobile Audio Speaker System User s Manual and Mobile Audio Reference Handbook ...

Page 2: ...8 Section I Getting Started Basic System Installation 9 Coaxial Component Set Conversion 11 Installation 11 Section II Moving Forward Advanced System Installation 14 Lessons Learned 14 Lesson One Off Axis Response 14 Lesson Two Equalization of Pathlength Differences 14 Lesson Three The Effect of HRTF ITD and IID 16 Lesson Four Point Sourcing 17 Lesson Five Reference 18 Advanced Installation of the...

Page 3: ...the publication of this user s manual and reference guide it is our goal to assist the do it yourself enthusiast and professional installer alike in getting the highest level of performance out of Imagine 2 way convertible coaxial and component set using straight forward installation advice and practical application of timeless acoustic principles As you begin to read this document you will quickl...

Page 4: ...water proof paper cone car audio speaker systems on the market The treatment protects the cone from periodic drips such as inside a door panel as well as accidental splashes to the front of the cone Phase Plug Cast ABS plastic When using the midbass in component set mode the tweeter pole piece is replaced with an ABS extended phase plug pole piece The extended phase plug pole piece is critical for...

Page 5: ...a small diameter soft dome tweeter the I1 is the antithesis of large diaphragm and metal dome tweeters for the effective and convincing reproduction of treble frequencies Voice Coil and Motor System 25mm Complimentary design The motor assembly is conventional dynamic with a compact neodymium magnet structure to ensure a small footprint size and shallow depth A perforated grille protects the dome T...

Page 6: ...ndling RMS 100 watts musical input Peak Power Handling 230 watts musical input Recommended Power Range 20 150 watts musical input Nominal Impedance 4 ohms Thiele Small Parameter Discussion for Imagine Midbass Speakers The mechanical and electrical parameters of the Imagine I5 midbass are amenable to a variety of different installations and speaker locations The high Qms Q factor of mechanical syst...

Page 7: ...re included in the box CAUTION use care to remove the midbass speakers with two hands and avoid pressing your thumb or fingers against the cone of the midbass1 Two Imagine I5 5 inch 150mm midbass speakers with integrated tweeter crossover Two Imagine I1 1 25mm tweeter speakers pre installed in coaxial mode Two midbass grilles with anodized aluminum Hybrid Audio Technologies nameplates and ABS gril...

Page 8: ...his manual is divided into two parts The first part focuses on a typical basic installation of the Imagine product and follows in general what you d expect from a mobile audio component system owner s manual The second part delves into more advanced topics on optimized speaker placement lessons learned a topical discussion of real world applications use of sound damping products and acoustic absor...

Page 9: ...and If you plan to use the vehicle s existing speaker wire you will need to know which wire is positive and which is negative at each proposed speaker location If you re unsure we highly recommend the use of Installation Excellence an on line resource for wire colors wire locations fit guides and technical support To access the Installation Excellence site click your mouse on the blue highlighted ...

Page 10: ...idbass and tweeter are equalized to each other and the speaker will perform as intended There is much less amplitude control of the tweeter amplitude with respect to the midbass amplitude when the set is converted into component set mode This is due to simple physics If the midbass drivers are placed low in the door for example and the tweeter is placed high in the dashboard sail panels or a pilla...

Page 11: ...ed Tighten securely but don t over tighten Note the screw is the perfect length to snug the pole piece to the former DO NOT shorten the screw or use a different screw The last several turns of the hex key actually cut threads into the phase plug ensuring that it does not come loose over time Keep turning the screw until the phase plug is secure Please read here for more details http hybrid audio c...

Page 12: ...gned to install directly into the factory supplied speaker baffles or speaker openings The speaker should fit snug to the baffle without air gaps do not force the speaker into a baffle that is too small as this will damage the speakers If the factory supplied mounting baffle is too small refer to Section II for advice on how to build custom baffles When tightening your speakers to the baffle alter...

Page 13: ...ter and will be increasing the loudness of frequencies between approximately 6 000 10 000 Hz by doing this Once all four speakers have been installed and the level set as per the above the sound damping cropped so as to allow for the re installation of door panels and or interior panels and all wiring neatly wire tied away from heat and noise sources or from abrasion and areas where the wires may ...

Page 14: ...your audio system the second issue that being installation techniques can see a significant improvement as well by understanding and incorporating some or all of the techniques in the following sections Lessons Learned We like to call this our Lessons Learned section where we expose some critical lessons that we have learned through thousand upon thousands of hours of trial and error Lesson One Of...

Page 15: ...l arriving about 0 9 milliseconds earlier than the furthest channel It is Hybrid Audio s opinion that the end user should try to keep PLD s to less than 30 centimeters in a vehicle which is intended to have good imaging and staging character from both seated positions The best way to go about evaluating certain locations in your vehicle is in general to look for the potential locations as far forw...

Page 16: ...cenario c represents a kick panel installation where the midbass are placed far forward in the A frame cavity of the kick panels present in most vehicles The kick panels are the small panel next to the throttle and brake pedals down by your feet While it is not immediately obvious looking at a two dimensional drawing in many cases the kick panel location affords the best equalization of pathlength...

Page 17: ...t offer an amicable location in the dashboard or a pillars for good image placement for both seated passengers especially in the critical frequencies sub 500 Hz In addition to the time equalized placement of the drivers the end user must also consider that above approximately 2 000 Hz intensity plays a key role in good sound staging and imaging Therefore the Imagine midbass should be placed in an ...

Page 18: ...rivers are long throw midbass and the plastic mounting baffles that come from the factory in virtually every vehicle will lead to buzzes rattles vibrations and resonances all of which negatively effect the Imagine installation In other vehicles you may have attached the Imagine midbass directly to the door metal hopefully with a layer or two of self adhesive sound damping in between but this is st...

Page 19: ...all with respect to the size of the Imagine midbass chamfer or round sharp edges including in particular the mounting hole s rear inner edge flush mount the speaker whenever possible and use shallow surface mounted hardware Also remove all unnecessary protrusions from the baffle surface Acoustic Treatment A considerable benefit can be made to any mobile audio system with the select placement of ac...

Page 20: ...een may become an issue a dashboard mat or other soft furnishing may be a noticeable improvement It will require trial and error to get it right but the learning is in the experimentation Advanced Installation Conclusions Sadly there are no rules in mobile audio only several hypothesis and theorems that seem to work for most vehicles Your vehicle may be different and defy everything we know and ev...

Page 21: ...arranty of the replacement parts is limited to 90 days or the unexpired portion of the warranty period of the product on which the parts are being used whichever is longer This warranty does not cover any defects or costs caused by 1 modification alteration repair or service of this product by any persons or company other than Hybrid Audio Technologies 2 physical abuse to overload of or misuse of ...

Page 22: ...offering backed up with unsurpassed customer service and technical support will advance the Hybrid Audio Technologies namesake in the coming years We are pleased that you have joined us in our new generation of in car audio If there is anything we can do to help you get the most out of your Imagine installation please do not hesitate to contact us at info hybrid audio com or by visiting us on line...