Only slightly better? Makes me wonder if it's worth it.
GR86 Focal 2 way component OEM retrofit
- Thread starter Dal3D
- Start date
Salko_GR
Obsessed member
- Apr 25, 2022
- 170
- 359
@Triggaaar , depends how do you value good sound?
In my book improvement gained is worth more than £150 plus 1 hour install time.
In my book improvement gained is worth more than £150 plus 1 hour install time.
I think it's subjective. I love my music but I'm not bothering, considering those stock speakers weigh something silly like 150g they don't do bad at all. To get full advantage of the Focals you really need to power them through an amp, they are each rated to 120w, 60 RMS and are powered off a headunit that probably can give them 20w. Then when you do amplifier them your interior trim can't hack it and it starts buzzing and rattling like crazy.
callahan
Totally Hooked
I added the Puzu amp to mine for the reasons stated above, but also to give me some DSP control. I think it's a good upgrade and I don't get much rattling - I will be adding some more sound deadening and possibly removing the vapour barrier to aid this, but only when (if?) the weather warms up.
Alistair31
Totally Hooked
How easy is the Puzu to fit and set up?
Whilst I think the Focals are a worthwhile addition, I’d like to make the most of them.
Whilst I think the Focals are a worthwhile addition, I’d like to make the most of them.
Gibbo78
Obsessed member
Ones person's easy is another's challenge, so depends on experience and patience, oh and your enjoyment of sharp edges from within the dash! The install is the more challenging aspect rather than the 'app' in my case, but it is the usual first time you is s-l-o-w, but then if you need to adjust anything it is a lot quicker. The pics and video's are helpful to digest over a brew before work commencing. It all comes out very easily, there isn't a lot of play in the wire looms behind the headunit, make sure your gearknob and vent controls are protected and installing the amp above the glove box is *tight*. USB cable into the glove box is a good idea to allow laptop hook up.
Alistair31
Totally Hooked
Did you enjoy the sharp edges enough to consider installing for someone else? (me)
If so, feel free to let me know what it’d cost me.
ninjin
Totally Hooked
- Aug 29, 2023
- 532
- 762
I didnt take any pics but I had the annoying vapour barrier buzz from the passenger side. So I bought some pyramid foam, as I like to call it, and stuck it all over the back of the door panel on Saturday past. No more buzzing and the sound is much tighter (I had previously put sound deadening in the doors with the Focal install). Definitley worth the £10 or so.
It compresses down well enough to not hinder refit of the door panel but also thick enough to take up any voids.
I got 2m of this:
200/ 50 Deadener Mat Deadening - Temu United Kingdom
on 200 50 deadener mat deadening dampening foam mat accessories on Temu. on Temu to .
callahan
Totally Hooked
Nice idea. I have seen installs where they remove the plastic barrier, but I'm wary of doing that. It does rain a lot....I didnt take any pics but I had the annoying vapour barrier buzz from the passenger side. So I bought some pyramid foam, as I like to call it, and stuck it all over the back of the door panel on Saturday past. No more buzzing and the sound is much tighter (I had previously put sound deadening in the doors with the Focal install). Definitley worth the £10 or so.
It compresses down well enough to not hinder refit of the door panel but also thick enough to take up any voids.
I got 2m of this:
200/ 50 Deadener Mat Deadening - Temu United Kingdom
on 200 50 deadener mat deadening dampening foam mat accessories on Temu. on Temu to .www.temu.com
Think I'll get some of the foam ordered too. Thanks.
ninjin
Totally Hooked
- Aug 29, 2023
- 532
- 762
Unless you are chasing ultimate SQ, which we are not with just focals and a PUZU, the removal of the vapour barrier is really a no no. You'll be surprised at how much difference that foam makes. I was just hoping it would stop the buzz from the passenger door but has gone beyond my expectations. Report back when you have fitted it, so I know if its just a placebo effect or my ears weren't lying to me!
ninjin
Totally Hooked
- Aug 29, 2023
- 532
- 762
On a different note, after fitting the foam, I'm just spent an hour re-tuning the Puzu. Currently, I've disabled the rear speakers totally, have zero time delay and EQ'd the left and right front channels independently. Right channel is also -5db compred to the left.
I'm no SQ setings expert, so my method was to have only 1ch playing sound at a time and set up the sound to how I would like, then I would repeat on the otherside.
Then switch them both on and listen. To compare, I would just load up my previous saved setting and can say that the sound is much improved.
The Puzu is a powerful tool and TBH way beyond my skill set. I think the setup cost with a car audio expert would cost more than the Focals and Puzu combined....
I'm no SQ setings expert, so my method was to have only 1ch playing sound at a time and set up the sound to how I would like, then I would repeat on the otherside.
Then switch them both on and listen. To compare, I would just load up my previous saved setting and can say that the sound is much improved.
The Puzu is a powerful tool and TBH way beyond my skill set. I think the setup cost with a car audio expert would cost more than the Focals and Puzu combined....
Dal3D
Totally Hooked
- Thread starter
- #272
Don't get me wrong - the Focals are way better than the OEM - especially at being able to go louder without distortion, but it's not going to be the same as a decent setup with amps and a lot more expense let alone a home setup. It's a car - enjoy some tunes but it'll never be near reference quality will it.
For the £150 + a bit of time and sound deadening, I thought it was well worth doing for the results. Not got the puzu thing, but didn't fancy taking the dash half apart and fannying about with sound quite that much with the EQ.
Adding the Puzu DSP is definitely worth it and represents a decent upgrade in terms of sound quality. Yes it was a bit fiddly to do but wasn’t terribly difficult (and I am a complete novice when it comes to these things!). There’s plenty of tutorials available - so long as you take your time, it’s fairly easy. Just to note, somebody on here took time out to calibrate the DSP and uploaded the settings too (so it’s just a simple case of loading those settings on to the DSP using the DSP software). This saves a heck of a lot of time and the setup sounds much improved!
KobayashiMaru86
Totally Hooked
I don't have a personal laptop so never bothered with the PUZU software, only using the presets on the phone app. It's too clunky to manually change on the phone. The presets do me fine.
Yeah I don’t have a laptop either and was loath to buy one just so I could adjust the DSP. I also have an IPhone and understand the app isn’t great. I eventually set up my desktop in the garage and updated the DSP that way. Was a lot of faffing around, but I am glad I did it now.
ninjin
Totally Hooked
- Aug 29, 2023
- 532
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I remember the member that kindly uploaded the file. Do you know if it has different left and right channel settings? At the end of the day, our seating positions are all different along with our Aural Perception. I've got some time today, so will carry on tinkering with it. But what I noticed is that its so hard to set it up to work with all music types. I listen to everything, I mean the whole lot. Vocal to dance, opera to pop. You get the settings perfect for Vocal stuff and its way too bright with the dance stuff, I guess the dance stuff is already EQ'd at source to make it sound good on a vanilla system.
KobayashiMaru86
Totally Hooked
Dance and Trance can be very bright but I'm hearing things in stuff I've listened to for years I never have before which is cool too. Eurobeat is pretty good as is more rock type music but being an 86, that's no surprise.
I am pretty sure the channel settings are different. If I remember right, the guy who kindly uploaded the file, used some sort of calibration tool (some sort of microphone perhaps) in order to conduct the calibration. I take your point about music types and seating position. For me, the calibration gives a decent improvement on the overall sound quality/bakance. With regard to the DSP, I am currently in the process of installing an Audison sub - using the two (low level I think) outputs from the DSP. I’ve been putting it off for ages but finally got round to starting it yesterday. Just need to get the power cable from the battery into the car. My anxiety levels are off the scale at the moment. Hopefully be able to complete the install today
ninjin
Totally Hooked
- Aug 29, 2023
- 532
- 762
the file is no longer live to donwload, would you have it saved on your pc? Where are you mounting the sub? I was considering one too but only if it would fit under the seat which it doesnt....I am pretty sure the channel settings are different. If I remember right, the guy who kindly uploaded the file, used some sort of calibration tool (some sort of microphone perhaps) in order to conduct the calibration. I take your point about music types and seating position. For me, the calibration gives a decent improvement on the overall sound quality/bakance. With regard to the DSP, I am currently in the process of installing an Audison sub - using the two (low level I think) outputs from the DSP. I’ve been putting it off for ages but finally got round to starting it yesterday. Just need to get the power cable from the battery into the car. My anxiety levels are off the scale at the moment. Hopefully be able to complete the install today
Yes - still got it on my pc somewhere. I’ll have a look for it and try to upload. Probably be later on this evening though. I’ve gone for the Audison APBX 10 AS2, which mounts in the boot. Very easy to remove from the boot if needs be - few easy unplugs then it just lifts out.
