Sound deadening and noise reduction project

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by inseek, Apr 1, 2012.

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  1. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    This is part of my audio system upgrade and sound quality improvement project that includes:

    Kenwood DNX-9980HD
    Amplifier
    Factory speakers upgrade
    Subwoofer
    Noise reduction (sound deadening)



    Material used for this project:

    • Dynamat Xtreme
    • RaamAudio RAAMmat BXT II
    • RaamAudio Ensolite IUO Peel and Stick
    • Dynamat Dynaxorb

    Quantity used:

    • Dynamat Xtreme - Bulk Pack, 36 sq ft.
    • RaamAudio RAAMmat BXT II - ordered 1 box (37.5 sq ft), used about half of it
    • RaamAudio Ensolite IUO Peel and Stick - 1 roll
    • Dynamat Dynaxorb - 4 6x6" tiles behind each door speaker
    I've decided to use Dynamat for doors (there is no huge difference between Dynamat and RAAMmat BTX II, but I had box of Dynamat left from my previous car) and cover the rest with BTX II which is less expensive.
     
    #1 inseek, Apr 1, 2012
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  2. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    #2 inseek, Apr 1, 2012
  3. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    #3 inseek, Apr 1, 2012
  4. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    #4 inseek, Apr 1, 2012
  5. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    #5 inseek, Apr 1, 2012
  6. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    That's a lot of work! I bet your fingers are raw! :)

    I did a similar job on my GenII and it definitely helps although it is expensive and heavy. Thank you for taking the time to post pictures of all the spots you hit with product. When you are finished and have some drive time could you please let us know what areas were most affected and which areas showed minimal improvement? For me the door panels made the biggest improvement.
     
    #6 F8L, Apr 1, 2012
  7. Felt

    Felt Senior Member

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    Most impressive. I genuinely hope the final results are worth the effort. It appears that you did a professional, and very thorough job.

    As for me, I have no inclination to take on such an exhaustive project. Plus, I have no need to go to such an extensive effort. I found that changing the tires to Michelin Energy Saver A/S resolved all my road noise concern. I have absolutely no complaint about noise .... in fact, the Prius is one of the quieter vehicles I have owned in recent years. My Acura RSX was significantly noisier as is my Honda CRV.
     
    #7 Felt, Apr 1, 2012
  8. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    That's why I decided to do sound deadening during the time I did speakers upgrade - door panels were off, I had to run cables to the back of the car etc. Unfortunately, I had no time to finish the floor and roof, and I am not sure I will do it anytime soon - it is really alot of work. My intention was not only to reduce the road noise, but mainly to improve sound quality. Although there is still alot of road noise coming compared with before (roads in NYC are not the best inn the nation), the material applied to the doors and trunk helped improve sound quality significantly. Speakers in the doors does not sound like they're mounted in big metal cans anymore, you can clearly hear lows and mids. The trunk area is not resonating responding to subwoofer as it use to be before applying BTX II and layers of Ensolite.

    To me, the whole project well worth time and money invested. But I will definitely look for a professional who will do the floor and the rest of sound deadening for me :)
     
    #8 inseek, Apr 1, 2012
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  9. priusFTW

    priusFTW Gen III JBL non Nav

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    Great job Inseek, and thank you so much for posting. I removed my front passenger side door panel to see what kind of work would be required. There are ALOT of wires that are very nicely routed and attached to the door itself.

    Question: Should I remove the wires that are attached to the door or should I just dynamat right over them.

    Did you put the plastic moisture barrier back or did you just dynamat over the opening.

    Again, thanks so much for taking the time to take pictures and post these for us! This information is very very helpful to me!
     
    #9 priusFTW, Apr 2, 2012
  10. Genoz World

    Genoz World ZEN-style living

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    Wow, you're gonna hear a pin drop inside your car!

    good work!
     
    #10 Genoz World, Apr 2, 2012
  11. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    The other thing you might consider is quieter tires.
    I am using Goodyear Assurance ComforTread which are supposed to be quieter.

    As far as sound-proofing, I am interested to see the materials you used.
    In theory you need mass to stop sound. In the home, this could be a thick brick wall or Pb(lead)-backed wall board, so weight is issue as F8L mentioned. My interest is more sound proofing in the home but may be some learnings here.
     
    #11 wjtracy, Apr 2, 2012
  12. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    You are absolutely right. To block the noise in the car, you need mass-loaded vinyl in addition tho Dynamat or RAAMmat. The problem is that it is too thick and too heavy. That's why I decided to substitute mass-loaded vinyl with much lighter Ensolite. I just don't want to add too much weight to the car.
     
    #12 inseek, Apr 2, 2012
  13. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    What's wrong with Bridgestone Ecopia EP20? I thought they're pretty decent tires..
     
    #13 inseek, Apr 2, 2012
  14. priusFTW

    priusFTW Gen III JBL non Nav

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    Question: I removed door panel and noticed alot of nicely routed wires, all seem nicely attached to the door. Should I remove the wires from the door so they are not attached to it and dynamat under the wires, or just dynamat right over the wires that are attached to the doors, or dynamat around them? Thanks!
     
    #14 priusFTW, Apr 3, 2012
  15. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...my tires pretty old now, so I am sure some new choices are out there, just saying tires play a role in noise
     
    #15 wjtracy, Apr 3, 2012
  16. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    I didn't put any Dynamat on the inner (the one closer to the seat) part of the door, just on the back of outer, don't recall seeing any wires. My intention was not to create sealed box for the speaker but to reduce resonance (and "metal can" effect) and partially minimize road noise. We can't have everything done in this car, some compromise required ::) This is just a car, it's main purpose is to move you from point A to point B. We're just trying to make the ride less expensive, less polluting, quieter and more pleasant and entertaining without spending too much $$ and adding 200 kg sound deadening material :D
    .
     
    #16 inseek, Apr 4, 2012
  17. davep3913

    davep3913 Junior Member

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    You did a really nice job with the door and trunk...Many years ago I was in the auto upholstery business...we specialized in hot rods , antique cars and high end interior modifications (including sound proofing)..we used 7/16 dense felt carpet padding...it worked great then...and will now...I just bought 54 sq feet for $34.00...total...you apply it with spray adheasive in the same manner as dyna mat....I will do the project in the next few weeks (I have a 2012 II)...but will include the front cabin..You can buy the material from any auto upholstery supply...I bought mine from perfect fit here in portland , OR...most will ship ups anywhere...
     
    #17 davep3913, Apr 4, 2012
  18. ewilke

    ewilke Junior Member

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    looks great I did the same thing exactly. Did you put any ensolite under the rear seat and over the top of the rear wheel houses I found that to help with road noise. also the front wheel house under the carpet needs extra insulation.
     
    #18 ewilke, Apr 5, 2012
  19. inseek

    inseek Enthusiast

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    You still need tiles of RAAMmat BTX II or Dynamat to apply to bare metal. It is really easy to work with because it is only about 2mm thick and soft. Ensolite is even easier to work with.
     
    #19 inseek, Apr 5, 2012
  20. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    This is absolutely beautiful work and I hope you let us know how well it works out. I am definitely jealous. I want to point out that you need to pay a little attention to spare tire storage: In the stock Prius, the spare sits on a piece of white styrofoam, and it is a major source of squeaks and rattles. I wrapped the styrofoam in a cheap piece of felt, which made a big difference. The tool tray which sits on top of the spare also needs a little rattle reduction attention, and there is a good thread here about simple, cheap felt treatments for the rear hatch area and license plate to prevent rattles.
     
    #20 Rebound, Apr 12, 2012
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