Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine I69-2 User manual

Imagine™ I69-2 High-
Performance Mobile Audio
Speaker Sys em
User’s Manual and
Mobile Audio
Reference Handbook

Table of Contents
(Use your mouse and click o advance o various sec ions below)
Welcome and Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3
Imagine Individual Component Parameters ................................................................................. 4
Midbass Speakers (Imagine I69) .......................................................................................................... 4
Twee er Speakers (Imagine I1) ............................................................................................................ 5
Imagine System Specifications .......................................................................................................... 6
Midbass Thiele/Small Parameters (incl. mounting dimensions ............................................ 7
Unpacking/Inventory............................................................................................................................. 7
How to Use This Manual ........................................................................................................................ 8
Section I - Getting Started – Basic System Installation............................................................ 9
Coaxial / Componen Se Conversion ..................................................................................................10
Ins alla ion ...............................................................................................................................................11
Section II - Moving Forward – Advanced System Installation ..............................................14
Lessons Learned .....................................................................................................................................14
Lesson One: Off-Axis Response .......................................................................................................14
Lesson Two: Equaliza ion of Pa hleng h Differences ...................................................................14
Lesson Three: The Effec of HRTF, ITD, and IID .........................................................................16
Lesson Four: Poin -Sourcing ............................................................................................................17
Lesson Five: Reference .....................................................................................................................18
Advanced Ins alla ion of he Imagine Componen Sys ems ............................................................18
Mounting Baffle Considerations ..........................................................................................................18
Acoustic Treatment ..............................................................................................................................19
Advanced Ins alla ion Conclusions .......................................................................................................20
Warranty ....................................................................................................................................................21
Thank You! ................................................................................................................................................22

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 3 of 22
Welcome and Introduction
Congra ula ions on your purchase of high performance Imagine-series mobile audio
componen loudspeakers, and welcome o he world of Hybrid Audio Technologies, where
high-end mobile audio loudspeaker developmen is our passion! When ins alled and se -up
properly, he Imagine componen sys em you have purchased will make a remarkable
improvemen in he sound quali y of vir ually any mobile audio sound sys em and give years of
superior performance.
Thank you for going “on line” o read and download your User’s Manual. Our offices are
loca ed amongs he evergreens in Nor h Georgia USA, and we happen o like rees. Aside
from he obvious aes he ic benefi s, rees improve our air, pro ec our wa er, save energy, and
improve economic sus ainabili y. Addi ionally, i is expensive o prin and dis ribu e housands
of copies of an owner’s manual; we’d ra her inves our produc ion dollars in o an incredible
line-up of speaker sys ems for your lis ening pleasure. Wi h online resources becoming he
main source of informa ion for more and more people, we are pleased ha you’re here,
reading his manual on line, verses having a prin copy which migh ge read once and pu
back in o he gif box, or worse ye , discarded.
Wi h he publica ion of his user’s manual and reference guide, i is our goal o assis he “do i
yourself” en husias and professional ins aller alike in ge ing he highes level of performance
ou of Imagine 2-way conver ible coaxial and componen se using s raigh -forward ins alla ion
advice and prac ical applica ion of imeless acous ic principles. As you begin o read his
documen , you will quickly realize ha his is no your ypical user’s manual. This manual has
been wri en o be more or less a minia ure mobile audio reference guide ha can be used o
be er any sound sys em, and in par icular, a sys em ha u ilizes he Imagine componen
speaker sys ems. I is an in roduc ory primer o he world of high-end mobile audio; we hope
his user’s manual is no only informa ive, bu mo iva ing. Keep i handy hroughou your
ins alla ion process, and any ime you go o improve your audio sys em wi h o her Hybrid
Audio Technologies produc s. We are confiden ha if he principles explained in his manual
are exercised in your own ins alla ion, you will be ecs a ic wi h he sound quali y ou come!
We realize ha you have a choice in loudspeakers, and are hrilled ha you have chosen he
Imagine-series. For more informa ion abou Hybrid Audio Technologies, our philosophies
regarding high-end mobile audio, and for informa ion abou our o her produc s, please visi us
online a www.hybrid-audio.com.
Thank you, and happy lis ening!
Sco E. Buwalda
Founder – Hybrid Audio Technologies

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 4 of 22
Imagine Individual Component Parameters
Your Imagine sys em con ains speaker drivers and a wee er passive crossover ne work ha
were developed and assembled wi h a significan effor in research and developmen ,
ma erials science engineering, an exhaus ive level of sampling and pro o yping, real-world
es ing, and obsessive a en ion o de ail. The specifica ions and parame ers of your Imagine
componen sys em is de ailed as follows:
Midbass Speakers (Imagine I69
Frame:
Cas
ABS
plas ic.
The baske is a high
-
q
uali y cas
ABS
design, which plays a cri ical role in
aligning he voice coil in he magne ic circui . Addi ionally, he cas ABS
frame allows for be er clamping s reng h verses ypical s amped s eel
frames, and ensures ha he voice coil remains cen ered in he former.
Cone:
Pressed paper
wi h wa er proof
rea men
Hybrid Audio Technologies believes ha he pr
essed paper cone
is
he bes
marriage of ligh ness, s iffness, and abili y of he cone o damp unwan ed
cone and edge modes and resonances (read: dis or ion). All of our designs
use pressed paper cones. The paper cone, known for i s excellen sonic
a ribu es, is wa er proof, hanks o a polymer developed exclusive and is
proprie ary o Hybrid Audio Technologies. The rea men does no change
he look and parame ers of he driver like old-fashioned “glossy” polymers
which added an appreciable amoun of moving mass and significan ly
colored he sound. No, he Imagine cones look like any “normal” paper
cone, bu in reali y are likely he only high-performance wa er proof paper
cone car audio speaker sys ems on he marke . The rea men pro ec s he
cone from periodic drips (such as inside a door panel), as well as acciden al
splashes o he fron of he cone.
Phase Plug
:
Cas
ABS plas ic.
When u
sing he midbass in componen se mode, he wee er pole piece is
replaced wi h an ABS ex ended phase plug pole piece. The ex ended phase
plug pole piece is cri ical for focusing high-frequency informa ion a he
cen er of he cone. This design ensures he speaker’s response remains
linear in o he lower- o mid- reble frequencies.
Surround:
Inver ed
high-loss rubber
surround.
The inver ed high
-
loss rubber surround (in concer wi h he spider, de ailed
below), helps o provide he compliance and “res ora ive force” needed for
he Imagine drivers o play effec ively in o he lower midbass, and even
upper subbass frequencies (depending on in-car cabin gain and o her
fac ors). You'll also know a Hybrid Audio midrange and midbass design by
i s inver ed surround; his design fea ure allows for he use of a smaller
heigh grille, be er clearance wi h OEM panels, and more flexibili y in
moun ing op ions.
Spider:
Phenolicized
fabric and inned
insel leads.
The spider is he brownish/yellow corruga ed (rippled)
fabric ha a aches
he cone and voice coil. The spider for he Imagine designs was he subjec
of a considerable amoun of our research and developmen . The spider is a
phenolic symme rically-rolled fabric which provides excellen res ora ive force
during excursion. The spider is ven ed cour eous of he speaker frame; a
design elemen no ypically found in his price range of speaker sys em.
The spider ven ing increases he hermal power handling of he I6 driver.
The insel leads are connec ed o real epoxy PCB, no flimsy cardboard.

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 5 of 22
Voice Coil
and
Motor System:
25mm
Complimen ary
design.
The voice coil
used in he I
6 midbass
is a
2
-
layer aluminized copper wire
coils on a round former. An “overhung” voice coil was selec ed o improve
sensi ivi y while s ill keeping dis or ion o a minimum.
Tweeter Speakers (Imagine I1
Dome:
Small
diame er
impregna ed silk
ex ile dome wi h
high-loss rubber
suspension.
The I
1 has an impregna ed fine clo h silk dome diaphragm for a linear,
smoo h sound, wi h a high-loss rubber suspension o damp edge modes and
resonances. The dome is of ex remely low mass and is much less
suscep ible o mechanical deforma ion han o her designs, and ye yields a
smoo h response over he ex en of i s range. A Hybrid Audio Technologies,
we feel larger diaphragm wee ers sound heavy and unremarkable, lack
de ail in he upper reble frequencies, have undesirable polar response, and
are difficul o ins all. Addi ionally, we find me al dome wee ers o be harsh,
bri le, and sound unrealis ic. As a small diame er, sof -dome wee er, he I1
is he an i hesis of large diaphragm and me al-dome wee ers, for he
effec ive and convincing reproduc ion of reble frequencies.
Voice Coil and
Motor System:
25mm
Complimen ary
design.
The
mo or assembly is “conven ional dynamic”, wi h a compac neodymium
magne s ruc ure o ensure a small foo prin size and shallow dep h. A
perfora ed grille pro ec s he dome. The voice coil is ferrofluid cooled and
damped, and he wee er housing consis s of ex ruded plas ic wi h hree
differen moun ing op ions in componen se mode, giving he end-user
flexibili y in no only placemen of he I1 bu also in physical ins alla ion.
Tweeter Passive
Crossover: Low-
Tolerance Mylar
Capaci or
The wee er’s pro
ec ion circui and crossover fil er is a very high
-
quali y,
low-
olerance Mylar capaci or ha has been affixed o he midbass frame.
The se ships as a coaxial se , and is ready o ins all. Should he end-user
wan o connec he wee er in componen se mode, simply unscrew he
wee er, remo ely moun he wee er, and ex end wiring back o he midbass
erminals for re-connec ion o he wee er ou pu pos s. Refer o Page 10
for more de ails on how o conver from coaxial o componen se .

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 6 of 22
Imagine System Specifications
Frequency
Response
45
Hz
–
22
,000 Hz
, ± 3 dB
Typically, in-car response including vehicular “cabin gain”, or he gain
expec ed wi h midbass ins alled in he vehicle, will resul in an ex ended
midbass and upper subbass response. This is a resul of hese frequencies
being below he lowes resonance in he vehicle ( ypically around 50-125 Hz
in mos vehicles, described in more de ail on page 17). In more prac ical
erms, ins all he Imagine midbass in o your vehicle and you will see a
drama ic improvemen in midbass and upper subbass ou pu , much more so
han jus simply lis ening o he Imagine in a large room, or worse ye , “free
air” (we don’ recommend even rying he Imagine speakers in “free air”
wi hou some form of enclosure or infini e baffle for he midbass).
Efficiency at
2.83
volts / 1 meter
94.5
dB
Continuous Power
Handling (RMS
100 wa s (musical inpu )
Peak Power
Handling
2
30 wa s (musical inpu )
Recommended
Power Range
20
–
1
50 wa s (musical inpu )
Nominal
Impedance
4 ohms
Thiele/Small
Parameter
Discussion for
Imagine Midbass
Speakers
The mechanical and elec rical parame ers of he
Imagine
I6
9
midbass are
amenable o a varie y of differen ins alla ions and speaker loca ions. The
high Qms (Q fac or of mechanical sys em) and Q s (Q fac or of o al sys em),
coupled wi h he driver’s Fs (resonance frequency) allow i o be used in an
“infini e baffle” configura ion. In more prac ical erms, ins all he Imagine
midbass such ha he fron and back waves don’ “mee ” (as de ailed in
Sec ion I – Ge ing S ar ed - Basic Sys em Ins alla ion), including in a door,
rear deck, or kick panel (using only he airspace behind he speaker as a
pseudo enclosure), wi h no need for a real enclosure or “box.” The design
goes hand in hand wi h fool-proof, high-end sound quali y wi h minimal
work.
For more advanced users, please reference he Thiele/Small Parame ers,
lis ed on he following page. No e also he moun ing diame er and dep h for
he I69 midbass.

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 7 of 22
Midbass Thiele/Small Parameters (incl. mounting dimensions
**please note, the following parameters are for the midbass drivers only**
Parame er
6 X 9
-
inch
Oval
Midbass
Overall Diame er
6
X 9
-
inch
Indus ry Typical
Moun ing Dep h
3
.31
-
inch
(
84
mm)
Moun ing Hole
6 X 9” Indus ry Spec
ifica ion Moun ing Hole
Recommended Minimum Crossover Frequency
50
Hz
P
nom
Ra ed Power Inpu (No Crossover)
60
wa s (AES S andard)
P
max
Ra ed Power Inpu (No Crossover)
12
0 wa s (AES S andard)
P
max
(Wi h Recommended Minimum Crossover)
200
wa s
Freq
uency Range
4
5
–
6,800
Hz +/
-
4.5 dB
Sensi ivi y
92.
3
dB a 2.83 V/1me er
Mms
25.136
g
Cms
499.96
µM/N
BL
7.413
T*m
Voice Coil Diame er
40
mm (
1.6
-
inch)
Impedance
4

DC Resis ance
3.
9
Ω
Fs
45
Hz
Qms
2.448
Qes
0
.464
Q s
0.
390
Xmax
16
mm ( wo way)
Vas
28.370
L
Sd
19.99
mM
2
Unpacking/Inventory
Carefully unpack he Imagine car on, and verify ha he following par s are included in he
box (CAUTION: use care o remove he midbass speakers wi h wo hands, and avoid pressing
your humb or fingers agains he cone of he midbass
1
):
•Two Imagine I69 (6 X 9”) midbass speakers wi h in egra ed wee er crossover;
•Two Imagine I1 (1” / 25mm) wee er speakers pre-ins alled in coaxial mode;
•Two midbass grilles wi h anodized aluminum Hybrid Audio Technologies namepla es and
ABS grille moun ing flanges;
•Nine small packages loca ed undernea h he midbass drivers, which con ain par s for use
as a componen sys em:
•Two wee er surface-moun cups;
•Two wee er flush-moun cups;
•Two wee er angle-moun cups;
•Twee er and midbass moun ing hardware including wo silver plain s eel wee er
re ainer clips (a aches o he back side of he flush-moun wee er cup o keep he
1
In addi ion o being careful unpacking he midbass speakers, NEVER es he speaker’s excursion manually wi h your fingers by pressing he
cone down. This can cause a cri ical misalignmen of he voice coil wi hin he former, and may permanen ly damage your speakers.

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 8 of 22
cup solidly ins alled), machine screws and se screws for he re ainer clips, and
hardware needed o ins all he midbass speakers, including high-quali y black oxide
Philips head screws black anodized screws o moun he midbass speakers; and
•A pair of replacemen magne decals.
Should you be missing par s, please con ac your au horized Hybrid Audio Technologies dealer
for replacemen par s, or con ac us direc ly a [e-mail].
How to Use This Manual
As men ioned in he Welcome and In roduc ion, his is no your ypical car s ereo speaker
owner’s manual. I is a mobile audio reference manual for no only your impending Imagine
ins alla ion, bu also o ac as a guide o ge he mos ou of your audio sys em.
Generally speaking, his manual is divided in o wo par s. The firs par focuses on a ypical,
basic ins alla ion of he Imagine produc , and follows in general wha you’d expec from a
mobile audio componen sys em owner’s manual. The second par delves in o more advanced
opics on op imized speaker placemen , “lessons learned” (a opical discussion of real-world
applica ions), use of sound damping produc s and acous ic absorp ion ma erials, and fine
uning. Mos users will s op a he conclusion of he firs sec ion once he basic ins alla ion is
comple e, and his is perfec ly accep able. Bu for hose wi h an in rinsic desire o learn more
abou how o make heir mobile audio sys ems be er, we invi e you o con inue reading
hrough he la er half of he manual as well. Our goal is o no only build he bes -performing
mobile audio sys ems in he world, bu o also educa e consumers and professional ins allers
alike on how o achieve reference-grade audio sys em playback in he mobile audio
environmen .

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 9 of 22
Section I - Getting Started – Basic System Installation
Now ha you have unpacked he Imagine box and have verified ha all of he par s are
included, i is ime o evalua e he vehicle for he impending ins alla ion. If you feel he leas
bi uncomfor able abou he ins alla ion, have he Imagine speakers ins alled by an au horized
Hybrid Audio Technologies dealer. The Imagine speakers are an incredible high-end speaker
sys em, bu will only be as good as he ins alla ion; a poor ins alla ion can nega ively affec he
performance of he Imagine speakers.
Should you decide ha you can handle he ins alla ion yourself and feel confiden ha he end
resul will be adequa e o reap he performance benefi s of he Imagine componen sys em,
you will need o have cer ain hand ools available o you for he ins alla ion. These include,
bu may no be limi ed o:
•Cordless drill/driver wi h a 1/8” drill bi and a Phillips head and a few assor ed Torx
screw driver bi s wi h an a achmen (a hand-opera ed screw driver and/or orx driver
will also likely work);
•Cer ain vehicles may require an assor men of Allen wrenches o remove he old
speakers and/or panel screws;
•A panel-popping ool (re aining clip removal ool) o remove panels in he vehicle (such
as door panels). In a pinch, a large fla -head screwdriver does work, bu damage o
panels or re aining clips can resul ;
•A wire cu er and wire s ripper;
•Elec rical ape; and
•If you plan o use he vehicle’s exis ing speaker wire, you will need o know which wire
is posi ive and which is nega ive a each proposed speaker loca ion. If you’re unsure,
we highly recommend he use of Installation Excellence, an on-line resource for
wire colors, wire loca ions, fi guides, and echnical suppor . To access he Ins alla ion
Excellence si e, click your mouse on he blue-highligh ed ex above.
In a basic sys em, he Imagine midbass speakers were designed o be ins alled in he original
fac ory speaker loca ions, mos of en in he vehicle’s doors or rear deck loca ions (more
advanced loca ions ha provide an addi ional level of performance are discussed in Sec ion II
of his manual, if you’re in eres ed in learning more). The Imagine midbass drivers are infini e
baffle-capable speakers, and mus be moun ed in a “large enclosure”, or as close o i as
possible, wi h unres ric ed access o airspace o ensure he speaker’s abili y o effec ively
reproduce i s wide frequency bandwid h. The reason why he speaker was designed in his
way is highly empirical. When a speaker is moun ed in a small closed box, i radia es as much
energy forward of he cone as i does rearward of he cone. All speaker cones (diaphragms)
are a weak sound barrier a bes , and he resul of he high amoun of energy being “pushed”
in o a small enclosure is he energy ransmi ing hrough o he ou side of he cone (an
addi ive phenomenon o he inciden al wave). Consequen ly, Hybrid Audio has designed he
Imagine midbass o work well wi hou an enclosure, and as such, should no be significan ly
prone o enclosure back-pressure and sound colora ion when placed infini ely baffled. The
“infini ely large” enclosure, such as one migh find in a door panel or in a rear deck (rear

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 10 of 22
parcel ray), improves spec ral response and power response varia ion be ween high and low
frequencies.
In a basic sys em, like he Imagine midbass, he Imagine wee ers were designed o be
ins alled coaxially wi h he midbass, or as a componen sys em in he original fac ory wee er
loca ions, such as hose ypically found in many newer-genera ion vehicles, mos of en a he
op of he door, or in he “a-pillar.” The obvious “pa h of leas resis ance” is o leave he
Imagine speakers in heir coaxial mode. If you do decide o use he Imagine se as a
componen sys em, and if your vehicle is older, or did no come wi h fac ory wee er loca ions,
you may need o ins all he wee ers in a bi of a cus om fashion. No o fear hough – we
have included several differen op ions for easily moun ing he wee ers, so you can decide
which will work he bes for your applica ion. Since he wee ers are a sealed-back design,
hey can be placed anywhere wi hou having o provide airspace or any ype of enclosure.
Hybrid Audio Technologies highly recommends ha he wee er placemen be he subjec of
your own experimen a ion. This can be accomplished by leaving some excess wire leng h for
he wee er, and experimen ing wi h differen po en ial moun ing loca ions by emporarily
a aching he wee er using double s ick ape, Velcro
®
, e c.
An impor an learning no e! Hybrid Audio Technologies designed he Imagine-series o be
used predominan ly as a coaxial, as we can effec ively mi iga e an icipa ed environmen al
condi ions and reduce he number of variables in his ype of ins alla ion. When used as a
coaxial, he rela ive ampli udes (volumes) of he midbass and wee er are equalized o each
o her and he speaker will perform as in ended. There is much less ampli ude con rol of he
wee er ampli ude wi h respec o he midbass ampli ude when he se is conver ed in o
componen se mode. This is due o simple physics. If he midbass drivers are placed low in
he door, for example, and he wee er is placed high in he dashboard, sail panels, or a-
pillars, here WILL be a no able ampli ude difference be ween he wo speakers. This is
because he midbass are ins alled fur her from you, and are likely aimed in o your leg,
carpe ing, and o her sof furnishings in he vehicle, while he wee er is loca ed likely closer o
you, likely aimed more “ox-axis”, and is near hard, reflec ive surfaces, such as window glass,
hard plas ic in erior panels, and e c. In many cases, conver ing o componen se will cause
he wee er o be no ably louder han he midbass. This is no a speaker malfunc ion; i is a
simple acous ical phenomenon playing ou in your vehicle. Hybrid Audio Technologies usually
recommends ha he Imagine se s be lef as a coaxial, bu encourage he end-user o es he
Imagine sys ems in bo h forma s o evalua e wha sui s he end-user’s lis ening habi s bes .
Finally, jus because here is a fac ory wee er pod loca ion in he dashboard, a-pillars, or sail
panels in your vehicle doesn’ mean you have o use i ! Because our ears are on he lef and
righ sides of he human head, human hearing is much less suscep ible o hearing heigh cues
as i is hearing wid h and dep h cues (please reference Lesson 3 and Lesson 4 la er in his
manual). Please don’ be fooled in o hinking ha he wee ers MUST be placed high in order
o es ablish a good s age heigh ! Alas, as he end-user, i is up o you o ake he ime and
es he se o see wha orien a ion is o your liking, and cer ainly, as s uden s of acous ics, we
a Hybrid Audio Technologies encourage ha learning exercise.

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 11 of 22
Coaxial / Component Set Conversion
A his junc ure, you mus decide if you wan o ins all he Imagine se as a coaxial, or as a
componen sys em. If you op o con inue on as a coaxial, you can disregard his sec ion. If
ins alling as a componen sys em, read on.
Here are a few very simple s eps o conver your coaxial in o a componen se :
1. Remove bo h midbass’ from he Imagine car on and flip hem upside down on a clean,
non-abrasive surface such as a ki chen able.
2. Peel he Imagine decals off of bo h of he midbass magne s. You will now see a small
screw in he dead cen er of he magne . This screw is holding he wee er and he wee er
pole piece ( he “pla form” he wee er is a ached o) in place.
3. Disconnec he wee er’s wires from he midbass’ erminals. No e ha red is posi ive and
black is nega ive.
4. Pu he midbass in your hand and sof ly cup he wee er in he palm of your hand. Use a
3mm hex wrench (alan-head wrench) o remove he screw and allow he wee er pole
piece o drop ou from he fron of he midbass in o your hand. Pull he speaker wire
hrough he midbass’ magne . DO NOT DISCARD THE SCREW OR THE BLACK PLASTIC
RETAINER!
5. Loca e he ex ended phase plug pole piece in he ki (looks like a bulle ), and inser he
bulle in o he magne ic gap he same way he wee er pole piece used o be inser ed.
Secure he ex ended phase plug pole piece bulle wi h he screw you jus removed.
Tigh en securely, bu don’ over- igh en. No e, he screw is he perfec leng h o snug he
pole piece o he former. DO NOT shor en he screw or use a differen screw! The las
several urns of he hex key ac ually “cu ” hreads in o he phase plug, ensuring ha i
does no come loose over ime. Keep urning he screw un il he phase plug is secure.
Please read here for more de ails: h p://hybrid-audio.com/Technical%20Bulle in%20-
%20Imagine%20Phase%20Plug%20Screw.pdf.
6. Loca e he magne decal in he Imagine car on and replace he decal o he magne of he
midbass. The decal doesn’ need o be ins alled if you wan o skip his s ep.
7. Ex end some speaker wire leng h (no included) be ween your wee er loca ion back o he
midbass, and re-connec (red o posi ive and black o nega ive).
Installation
Once you have de ermined he moun ing loca ions for he Imagine separa es, and have
evalua ed he circums ances by which he Imagine speakers will need o be ins alled, i is ime
o disman le he vehicle o access he old speakers. Mos dashboard-moun ed speakers are
easily accessed by removing heir grilles, which are usually a ached o he dashboard wi h
screws or re aining clips. A-pillars are usually accessed by pulling firmly a a righ angle o he
panel. Door speakers are usually easy o access as well, ei her from he fron by prying off
he OEM grille, or by physically removing he en ire door panel. Rear deck speakers are of en
accessed from he underside of he runk parcel ray, or perhaps from he op of he cosme ic

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 12 of 22
rear deck panel inside he vehicle, behind he rear sea s. In all cases, i may be pruden o
reference your vehicle’s fac ory service manual. If you don’ have a fac ory service manual,
you can go o he Installation Excellence websi e for downloadable resources wi h respec
o no only wiring bu disassembly of your vehicle, and he procedures o access your OEM
speakers.
Wi h he OEM speakers removed, we HIGHLY recommend he use of a self-adhesive damping
produc , such as brand names Dynama
®
, B-Quie
®
, and o hers. The reason for he use of
damping ma erial is o quie buzzes and ra les ha will be exposed by he high-performance
Imagine midbass speakers, bu more impor an ly o seal up door accesses and cavi ies,
hereby crea ing a pseudo “enclosure” for he Imagine midbass. If he midbass are ins alled
immedia ely adjacen o a large access hole or opening in he door panel, here will be an
acous ic “shor circui ” (as described la er in “Frequency Response”) where he fron and back
waves of he speaker mee , and cancella ion will occur, seriously effec ing midbass ou pu .
The use of a good damping produc is he single-bigges ins alla ion-rela ed improvemen you
can do o enhance he performance of your Imagine audio sys em. And since he Imagine
midbass require an “infini e baffle”, i is in ui ive o seal up he moun ing area as bes as
possible, such as in he door, allowing he speaker o “see” a large enclosure in he door
cavi y, kick panel, dashboard, or wherever you decide o moun he Imagine midbass.
If you plan o use he OEM speaker wiring, you will likely need o cu off he OEM speaker
plug, and s rip back approxima ely 3/8” (10mm) of insula ion o expose he bare wire. I is
recommended ha you hen ins all slide-s yle erminals on he wire, for easy connec ion o he
Imagine midbass.
In a basic ins alla ion, he Imagine midbass were designed o ins all direc ly in o he fac ory-
supplied speaker baffles or speaker openings. The speaker should fi snug o he baffle
wi hou air gaps; do no force he speaker in o a baffle ha is oo small, as his will damage
he speakers. If he fac ory-supplied moun ing baffle is oo small, refer o Sec ion II for
advice on how o build cus om baffles. When igh ening your speakers o he baffle, al erna e
he igh ening of he screws, jus as if you were changing a ire on your vehicle, by al erna ing
in a pa ern around he speaker un il all screws are hand- igh . DO NOT INSTALL THE
SPEAKERS WITH A DRILL OR DRILL-DRIVER, as he drill-drive will pu considerably more
orque on he speaker baske han wha is required, and can easily damage he frame of he
speaker.
In he even a componen se moun ing opology is chosen, he same procedure can be
followed for he wee er ins alla ion observing he precau ions men ioned in he midbass
ins alla ion, above. Once a sui able loca ion is found for he wee ers, moun ing op ions can
be evalua ed. The Imagine ki comes s andard wi h hree wee er moun ing op ions, including
a swivel flush-moun cup, a surface-moun cup, and an angle-moun cup. The wee er fi s
firs in o he surface-moun cup, and hen can be ins alled as one uni in o he flush-moun
cup. Conversely, he surface-moun cup can be a ached o he angle cup as well. In all
cases, he wee er is fi ed in o he surface-moun cup firs , and in hen ei her ins alled as-is,
or is fur her encased in he flush-moun cup, or is a ached o he angle-moun cup. Decide

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
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which moun ing s ra egy works he bes for your ins alla ion, and permanen ly moun he
wee ers. Rou e he wiring from he underside of he wee er o an accessible loca ion and
connec o he wee er connec ions (small diame er slide erminals) on he midbass frame.
Once all four speakers are ins alled, you will need o do a brief lis ening es wi h CD-quali y
music ha you are in ima ely familiar wi h o de ermine if he wee er seems o be linear in
ampli ude wi h he midbass, or seems o be oo mu ed. If he wee er seems oo mu ed, or if
you prefer a louder wee er sound, simply reverse he black and red wires on he wee er
erminals loca ed on he frame of he midbass. You will be changing he polari y of he
wee er, and will be increasing he loudness of frequencies be ween approxima ely 6,000 –
10,000 Hz by doing his.
Once all four speakers have been ins alled and he level se as per he above, he sound
damping cropped so as o allow for he re-ins alla ion of door panels, rear deck, and/or in erior
panels, and all wiring nea ly wire- ied away from hea and noise sources, or from abrasion and
areas where he wires may be acciden ally sliced or cu , he vehicle can be re-assembled. Si
back and enjoy he music.
This is he end of Sec ion I: Basic Ins alla ion. If you’re happy wi h he end produc , s op
reading here. If you wan o learn more abou advanced echniques for achieving grea
mobile audio sound quali y, flip he page!

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
Page 14 of 22
Section II - Moving Forward – Advanced System Installation
The previous sec ion de ailed a ypical, basic ins alla ion of he Imagine produc . In his
sec ion, Hybrid Audio Technologies has prepared a more advanced opical discussion of
Imagine I69-2 ins alla ion echniques, concep s, and principals, where a li le bi of addi ional
ins alla ion work can ne immense gains in overall sound quali y.
There are cer ainly many hings you can do o improve your mobile audio sys em, such as
addi ion of amplifica ion, a dedica ed subwoofer sys em, higher-gauge speaker wire, and
higher-end passive crossovers, and ac ive crossovers. All of hese hings require an addi ional
amoun of mone ary inves men in o your audio sys em, and may no ne he immedia e gains
ha o her, more elemen ary ins alla ion i ems can ne .
The following discussion is per inen o easy and cos -effec ive enhancemen s you can do for
your audio sys em, par icularly as i rela es o he ins alla ion of Imagine componen speakers.
In any mobile audio sys em, he weakes link will always be he speaker sys ems, followed
closely by ins alla ion echniques (some imes i s vice-versa). Since he Imagine componen
sys em you have purchased has solved he firs issue, where speakers are he weakes link in
your audio sys em, he second issue, ha being ins alla ion echniques, can see a significan
improvemen as well by unders anding and incorpora ing some or all of he echniques in he
following sec ions.
Lessons Learned
We like o call his our “Lessons Learned” sec ion, where we expose some cri ical lessons ha
we have learned hrough housand upon housands of hours of rial and error:
Lesson One: Off-Axis Response
When a speaker sys em like he Imagine I69-2 is placed in an au omo ive environmen , we
hear he direc (shor es pa h) and reflec ed (longer pa h) sounds, such as resonances and
reverbera ions. The wo sounds are processed by he brain as one sound, and his influences
our percep ion of heigh , wid h, and dep h of sounds age, as well as rearward ambience. For
his reason, he off-axis radia ion pa ern of any speaker in a vehicular environmen has a
significan influence on how na ural he music sounds.
The lesson o learn here is ha mos mobile audio sound sys ems benefi grea ly from having
he fron s age speakers a leas par ially “off-axis.” Off-axis means ha he speakers are no
poin ing a you, bu ra her a some angle less han 90 degrees away from you.
Lesson Two: Equalization of Pathlength Differences
Qui e possibly he mos impor an func ional considera ion ha a do-i -yourself en husias or
professional ins aller should give o he Imagine speaker placemen is o op imize, as bes as
possible, pa hleng h differences (PLD’s) in he vehicle. PLD’s are defined ma hema ically as

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follows ( his example assumes a righ -hand driven vehicle---PLD’s are always a posi ive
number):
X – Y = Z
Where:
X = dis ance of he cen er of he lef speaker from your lef ear.
Y = dis ance of he cen er of he righ speaker from your righ ear.
Z = pa hleng h difference.
Applying his formula, assume ha he dis ance of he lef speaker from your lef ear is
140cm, and he dis ance of he righ speaker from your righ ear is 100cm, he pa hleng h
difference is 40cm.
Good s ereo imaging is comple ely dependen on arrival imes of he fundamen al vocal
frequencies. Differences as li le as 10 microseconds can be de ec ed by he brain. A PLD of
30 cen ime ers equa es o he sound from he neares channel arriving abou 0.9 milliseconds
earlier han he fur hes channel. I is Hybrid Audio’s opinion ha he end-user should ry o
keep PLD’s o less han 30 cen ime ers in a vehicle which is in ended o have good imaging
and s aging charac er from both seated positions.
The bes way o go abou evalua ing cer ain loca ions in your vehicle is, in general, o look for
he po en ial loca ions as far forward and away from you as possible, bu s ill wi h a general
“line of sigh ” o he speakers (par icularly he speaker on he far side of he vehicle). An easy
way o es various po en ial loca ions is o hold a ape measure or o her measuremen device
from he po en ial speaker moun ing loca ions, and measure hose loca ions wi h respec o
your ears.
Reference Figure 2, below. In his scenario, hree po en ial loca ions for he moun ing of he
I69 midbass driver are shown:
Figure 1: Potential Locations for Mounting the Imagine Midbass Speakers

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In scenario “a”, we show he ins alla ion of he I69 in he dashboard or high in a door panel.
As you can see from he diagram, he PLD’s be ween he lef and righ speakers are large, due
o he proximi y of he lis ener o he near-side speaker. While he moun ing of primary
drivers in he dashboard or a-pillars has become increasingly popular, his configura ion will
undoub edly require bo h ime and in ensi y domain equaliza ion in mos vehicles o ensure a
good, focused cen er image, properly loca ed in he cen er of he vehicle for one seated
position. There are, however, some rare excep ions, and you may ac ually find ha he
dashboard loca ions provide he bes equalized PLD of he available moun ing loca ions; his is
very rare hough – in our experience, less han one percen of vehicles on he marke oday
have op imized dashboard speaker loca ions for he midbass drivers.
In scenario “b”, a ypical door ins alla ion loca ion is shown, and in many vehicles represen s a
good improvemen in PLD’s from he dashboard, high in he door panel, and a-pillar loca ion
iden ified in scenario “a.” The door speaker ins alla ion scenario is he one de ailed in he
basic ins alla ion sec ion a he beginning of his manual, and in mos vehicles represen s a
sa isfac ory loca ion o moun speakers. The door speaker ins alla ion scenario will likely also
require some amoun of ime and in ensi y equaliza ion o ensure a cen ered image in mos
vehicles; his can be as simple as adjus ing he balance con rol on your source uni , o more
advanced ways of digi al ime and in ensi y manipula ion.
The hird and final po en ial moun ing loca ion as shown in his diagram (scenario “c”)
represen s a kick panel ins alla ion, where he midbass are placed far forward in he A-frame
cavi y of he kick panels, presen in mos vehicles. The kick panels are he small panel nex o
he hro le and brake pedals, down by your fee . While i is no immedia ely obvious looking
a a wo-dimensional drawing, in many cases he kick panel loca ion affords he bes
equaliza ion of pa hleng h differences for mos vehicles. And he reason why his is a good
choice for mos vehicles is defined in he second full paragraph of Lesson Three, below. The
I69 midbass migh be oo large o moun in a kick panel configura ion, and in his case, he
door is likely he second mos -ideal loca ion.
The lesson o be learned here is ha by aking a few momen s o evalua e he po en ial
moun ing loca ions in your vehicle, in a very shor period of ime, you will be able o find he
bes loca ion for your I69 midbass by de ermining he loca ion wi h he smalles PLD.
Lesson Three: The Effect of HRTF, ITD, and IID
Head-rela ed ransfer func ion (HRTF), in eraural in ensi y differences (IID), and in eraural
ime delay (ITD) all play a key role in he op imum placemen loca ion for he Imagine
componen speakers. A sound wave approaching he eardrum from your chosen speaker
loca ion is shaped by in erac ions wi h he size and shape of your head, orso, and ou er ear,
resul ing in he HRTF. More specifically, he HRTF is he ra io be ween he sound pressures of
he wave a he eardrum, as compared o he sound pressure ha would exis a he cen er of
he head if he head were removed. In general, he sound arriving a he ear fur her from he
source is a enua ed and delayed rela ive o he sound arriving a he ear closer o he source.
This genera es an in eraural in ensi y difference (IID) and an in eraural ime delay (ITD). As a
sound approaches he head, he ra io of dis ances from he speaker loca ion o he near and

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far ears increases, and he effec s of head-shadowing are amplified, causing he IID o
increase. The spec ral shaping caused by he head and he shape of he ou er ear may also
change. The ITD, which resul s from he absolu e difference in pa h leng h from he source o
he ears, remains approxima ely cons an as dis ance decreases. From his we learn:
•ITD is he dominan fac or for frequencies below abou 500 Hz;
•A combina ion of ITD and IID are dominan for frequencies be ween approxima ely 500 Hz
and 2,000 Hz; and
•IID, in concer wi h HRTF, are dominan above abou 2,000 Hz.
These are generaliza ions, and are subjec o he size and shape of one’s head and orso, and
size and shape of he ou er ear ( he folds and ridges of he ear), bu in general, he above is a
good guideline for es ablishing ITD, IID and HRTF hresholds for he human audi ory sys em.
Because he I69 midbass’ abili y o play in o he sub-200 Hz range, an effec clearly domina ed
by ITD, up o and including frequencies exceeding 6,000 Hz, an effec clearly domina ed by
IID and HRTF, placemen of his driver is ex remely impor an . The driver should be placed as
far forward as possible in he vehicle o op imize ITD. La eral (forward o back) placemen is
much more impor an han horizon al placemen (up and down). This is because of he brain’s
abili y o process sounds such as spec ral envelope cues, and use a phenomenon known as
he “precedence effec ”; he brain can be easily “fooled” in o hinking a sound s age is high
wi h kick panel or floor-moun ed speakers (a word o he wise: he bes place o pu a se of
speakers is no always “up high”, as mos vehicles do no offer an amicable loca ion in he
dashboard or a-pillars for good image placemen for bo h sea ed passengers, especially in he
cri ical frequencies sub-500 Hz). In addi ion o he ime equalized placemen of he drivers,
he end-user mus also consider ha above approxima ely 2,000 Hz, in ensi y plays a key role
in good sound s aging and imaging. Therefore, he Imagine midbass’ should be placed in an
area where in ensi y differences can be equalized, ei her mechanically or elec ronically, o
ensure good imaging and sound s aging.
The lesson o be learned is ha , like Lesson Two, he Imagine midbass should be placed as far
forward from your lis ening posi ion as possible (unless of course hey are purposely being
used as a “rear fill” speaker in he back of he car), and every effor should be made o
op imize ime and in ensi y domain charac eris ics of he ins alla ion.
Lesson Four: Point-Sourcing
The erm “poin -sourcing” is of en used o describe he echnique of having a single pair of
speakers in an ins alla ion cover he majori y of he cri ical middle band frequencies. In many
ins alla ion scenarios, he Imagine midbass could be considered a poin -source speaker driver,
because i has he abili y o reproduce six oc aves of ones. Poin -sourcing, if done correc ly,
can lend i self o a varie y of valuable a ribu es, including precise image defini ion and s able
sound s aging charac er. By applying Lessons 1-3 above, he Imagine I69 can be used as a
poin -source midbass driver o achieve excellen s aging and imaging resul s.

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The lesson o be learned here is ha he I69, given i s wide-bandwid h design, can fai hfully
reproduce as much as six oc aves of ones, and would make a valuable addi ion o any sound
sys em as a poin -source driver for he spec rum comprising vocal imaging cues.
Lesson Five: Reference
One of he mos impor an hings o do before comple ing your Imagine ins alla ion is o ge a
reference for your fu ure lis ening es s. To really know wha a snare drum sounds like, you
mus go and lis en o one, in person, live and un-amplified. There is no subs i u e for he
visceral impac and emo ion of live music. No hing else in life can ouch your soul he way
music does. Whe her i ’s a 200-member orches ra, or a four-piece fusion band, no hing
compares o he phenomenon of live music.
Take his as Hybrid Audio’s official reques : become a s uden of music and your mobile audio
sound sys em will be be er for i . We wan no hing more han o know here are grea
sounding audio sys ems around he world using our produc s, and you’d make us all very
proud if you became a s uden of music and learned i s beau y and passion.
Advanced Installation of the Imagine Component Systems
Mounting Baffle Considerations
Now ha we have revealed five of our mos impor an “Lessons Learned”, we can now apply
hese lessons o he Imagine ins alla ion. The firs impor an ma er is he physical ins alla ion
of your Imagine midbass, and more specifically wi h respec o improving he Imagine
midbass’ moun ing baffles. Mos vehicles’ fac ory moun ing loca ions for speakers are less
han ideal. In mos cases, he OEM speaker moun ing flanges are likely no hing more han
flimsy ex ruded plas ic, and provide no sonic benefi o your Imagine ins alla ion. The Imagine
drivers are long- hrow midbass, and he plas ic moun ing baffles ha come from he fac ory in
vir ually every vehicle will lead o buzzes, ra les, vibra ions, and resonances, all of which
nega ively effec he Imagine ins alla ion. In o her vehicles, you may have a ached he
Imagine midbass’ direc ly o he door me al (hopefully wi h a layer or wo of self-adhesive
sound damping in be ween), bu his is s ill no en irely ideal. In wha ever scenario you have
ins alled your Imagine midbass, here are cer ain “ ricks” and echniques ha may be applied
o ge he mos ou of your Imagine componen se , specifically he midbass ins alla ion, as
follows:
•Mounting the baffle, sound damping, and “decoupling”: he moun ing baffle or
moun ing loca ion should ei her be secured ex remely well o he vehicle’s body, or
comple ely isola ed from he vehicle’s chassis. The reasoning is ha he speaker baffle
panel will vibra e and will radia e sound. Even small vibra ions can resul in he baffle
i self radia ing more sound han he ac ual speaker a cer ain frequencies. The
moun ing baffle or moun ing loca ion should be damped wi h a layer of ypical sound
damping o reduce he Q of he baffle and lower i s vibra ion resonance frequency
below he range of he driver’s frequency response. In many cases, using hicker baffle
panel in concer wi h self-adhesive sound damping can also be advan ageous, provided

© Hybrid Audio Technologies, 2010
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he rearward wave of he speaker has no obs ruc ions crea ed by he baffle i self.
Finally, if possible, he speaker should be mechanically decoupled from he baffle. This
can be some hing as simple as a layer of self-adhesive foam ape, o more exo ic
examples of decoupling, including rubberized rings or mul iple-layer sep um shielding.
•Building solid mounting baffles: in many cases, i is advisable o moun your
Imagine midbass’ in high-s iffness wood or high-densi y fiberglass (or wood rea ed
wi h fiberglass resin). Hybrid Audio Technologies recommends he use of a solid
hardwood, such as birch or oak, namely because hese woods are s iff and help o
dissipa e resonance, and screws can be inser ed and removed mul iple imes wi hou
s ripping. Avoid Medium Densi y Fiberboard (MDF), par icularly in we environmen s
like he door, as he MDF will ac like a sponge wi h humidi y and mois ure, and no
only ha , he MDF is a dense, bu no s iff ype of wood, and he resul s may no be
par icularly no iceable if you use MDF. Once your baffle is buil , i mus be covered in
one or wo layers of a good-quali y, brand name self-adhesive damping produc ; a solid
wood moun ing baffle wi h sound damping rea men will augmen he Imagine
ins alla ion by elimina ing resonances.
•Mounting baffle dimensions: While building baffles is impor an , i is no able ha
moun ing baffle size is equally impor an . All moun ing baffles should be kep as small
as possible wi h respec o he size of he speaker. The purpose of using a small baffle
is o avoid he po en ial for low ampli ude diffrac ed sound waves becoming summed
wi h he inciden al waves. A narrower baffle also becomes increasingly impor an as
frequencies range in o he Imagine midbass’ upper bandwid h, where he power
response is more uniform and inciden and reflec ed waves are indis inguishable. In
prac ical erms, keep baffle dimensions small wi h respec o he size of he Imagine
midbass, chamfer or round sharp edges (including, in par icular, he moun ing hole’s
rear inner edge), flush-moun he speaker whenever possible, and use shallow, surface-
moun ed hardware. Also, remove all unnecessary pro rusions from he baffle surface.
Acoustic Treatment
A considerable benefi can be made o any mobile audio sys em wi h he selec placemen of
acous ic rea men s. The purpose of using acous ic rea men s is o reduce he amoun of
reflec ed energy in he hos ile au omo ive environmen , and hear more of he direc sound
being emana ed from he speaker. I is akin o he signal o noise (S/N) ra io in a piece of
elec ronics, where he signal could be considered he direc energy coming from he speaker,
and he noise could be considered he reflec ed waves off of nearby surfaces, such as
windows, hard cen er consoles and door panels, windscreens, and e c. A word of warning
hough: here is a fine line be ween oo li le and oo much acous ic rea men ; jus as some
vehicles can benefi from some selec ively applied rea men s, here is a poin where he
vehicle can begin o approach “semi-anechoic” condi ions, and lose i s liveliness, which is no
ideal. Reflec ions are all around us, and are a par of our day- o-day lives. I is our opinion
ha some la eral reflec ion is a good hing; i helps o es ablish s age boundaries, and gives
he recoded playback and more visceral and “believable” sound.

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The firs principle o unders and is ha below 200 Hz, acous ic rea men s are rendered
vir ually useless. I is Hybrid Audio’s asser ion ha only hose frequencies above 200 Hz
benefi from he use of rea men s, given ha a 200 Hz waveform is abou 1.7 m long; 1.7
me ers is less han or equal o mos vehicle wid hs. This is also he frequency where we
believe pure ones in he vehicle are going o be difficul , if no impossible o localize. Finally,
mos vehicles exhibi a Schroeder Frequency (Fs) be ween 50 a 125 Hz; he Fs (or cabin-gain
frequency) is vehicle dependen , and is he frequency a which resonances become so igh ly
packed in frequency and space ha he acous ical proper ies of he vehicle behave qui e
uniformly.
2
Acous ic rea men can be very effec ive above 200 Hz, depending mos ly on he polar
radia ion pa ern of he speaker. In he case of he Imagine midbass, he polar radia ion
pa ern is qui e large a lower frequencies, wi h a narrowing of he radia ion pa ern
(“beaming”) a frequencies in o he reble bandwid h.
Should he Imagine midbass be placed in he kick panel loca ions, one may find ha a no able
improvemen can be made by adding acous ical rea men s, such as open-cell foam, in o he
underside of he dashboard. Likewise, should he midbass, or in fac he I1 wee er be placed
up high on a-pillars, or in he dashboard, where comb fil ering (reflec ive summa ion and
cancella ion off of a hard surface, such as a windscreen) may become an issue, a dashboard
“ma ” or o her sof furnishing may be a no iceable improvemen . I will require rial and error
o ge i righ , bu he learning is in he experimen a ion!
Advanced Installation Conclusions
Sadly, here are no rules in mobile audio, only several hypo hesis and heorems ha seem o
work for mos vehicles. Your vehicle may be differen , and defy every hing we know, and
every hing wri en in his manual. You may find ha ge ing ha rich, de ailed sound ha you
crave may require some experimen a ion and a lo of work o make i righ . Or you migh be
for una e o have a vehicle ha sounds excellen wi h minimal work. Have pa ience and work
hrough he issues; he resul will be a rewarding musical experience in your vehicle! Jus
remember, i is cri ical o ge a reference, as de ailed in Lesson 5. Go ou and become a
s uden of music and audio, learn, and improve your audio sys em one s ep a a ime. The
journey is exci ing and rewarding!
Wha we have included above is only a very brief primer o he world of high-end mobile audio
sys ems. We invi e you o read more by going o our Downloads web page.
2
As an aside, one significan benefi of car audio sound sys ems is ha frequencies below he lowes room resonance increase a a heore ical
12 dB/oc ave…i ’s no wonder car audio sys ems have such grea bass!