Thanks for the quick reply MTT - I am thinking I must be screwing something up here too, cause right now I would hands down choose the stock OEM stereo to this.

I guess I am assuming that since the 12vkings have just under 10,000 deals and 100% positive feedback on ebay that they are not in the business of selling fakes. They certainly look authentic and have little hologram stickers on them, came in proper packageing with all sorts of glossy documentation etc.

I guess maybe I should contact Dyn and see how to *really* verify.

With gains at bottom setting (5v) effect is the same. I am running at about 3.5V, or a quarter up (or is it down? i always get that mixed up). Gain is only 1/5 of what it could be anyway.

Door is not deadened, yet. I have been working under the assumption that it should sound at least as good as the old setup that was in this car or the upgraded setup I had in the old car of the same model. My assumptions have been wrong before though ...

I am not too sure what you mean by baffle?