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View Full Version : What are the standard speakers in my BA 'stina?


KittyKatSmack
04-09-2003, 07:14 PM
Does anyone know what the standard speakers are?

I do not particularly want to pull the door trims off to check them out.

I am spending all my biccies on the head unit for the moment so can't replace the speakers yet........

It is a pain but can't be helped....

That said, it gives me the option in a month or two to look at replacing the speakers pair by pair.... and ask what you think will go with the head unit I posted in the other thread...... I have a tendancy to avoid three way or four way in the front because they sound tinny.....

Please help me with my speaker dilemma... again budget restrictions (in a month or so at least! ) will be around $200 - maybe I can squeeze $300 for a pair but I would want pretty darned nice stuff!!!!!

Any ideas?

Cheers again!

Toyboy
04-09-2003, 07:29 PM
The front speakers are 5x7inch standard,think they are a 2 way speaker not sure :P
If you want some good stuff maybe you should invest in some splits for the front,with mine i have just replaced the stock items with 5x7inch boston audio 3 ways,dont sound to bad :wink:
You'll find with most setups the ideal thing is to have splits in the front for all the vocal high pass sounds and all the bassier type speakers in the rear :D
Ats all a personal preference thing :wink:

mrpayner
04-09-2003, 08:55 PM
I do believe the Alpine 5x7 TypeR 2ways can be had for around $250..

AP

KittyKatSmack
04-09-2003, 09:41 PM
Some very nice options........

very nice....

I see this isn't going to be easy.....

:wink:

but don't stop now...

wouldn't want it to be this easy for me now would ya's?

:wink: :wink: :twisted:

JynX
04-09-2003, 09:59 PM
You can get a 6" driver into the hole with an mdf template so its not really and issue. Better off getting a set of 6" splits for around the same price. Depends as some people dont like mounting things on the dash. I found the 5x7s to be a little tinny when I was looking at speakers 2 years ago.

Dogo
05-09-2003, 08:56 AM
mmmm speaker discussions *drool*

in the BA hatch, the fronts are 5x7s.
The rears are 6/6.5" but they've got an uncommon mount pattern which makes it slightly harder to find a perfect match without a baffle or some stabilizing screws.

Many of us have modified the rear shelf to house speakers, as well as or instead of the back doors. It seems to be a good solution and is fairly simple to do with an extra bit of wood for reinforcement.

If you dont want to mess around too much i reccomend staying with 5x7s in the front. That said there is a smaller market for 5x7s and therefore less available on-shelf. The other option as said already is to squeeze some 6" or some 6.5" speakers in there. These tend to need a baffle to raise the rim of the speaker. Watch out tho coz depending on how much u have to raise the speaker, u might get the door trim pressing against the cone.

Without listening to what ppl say abt "6" are better than 5x7 / Round is better than oval" etc, there are some really beautiful sounding 5x7 speakers on the market. But you wont find the nice ones at the large commercial stores like Strathfield or JB Hifi ( or whatever u have in ur neck of the woods ). And u definitely wont find them at Super Cheap Auto :P

If ur looking for a cheap main-stream brand, then to my ears I like the pioneer 5x7s the best. If you want something better, Boston ( not Boston Audio ), Eclipse, Focal, Alpine etc etc are brands to look at. Im not a Focal fan. I dont like their tweeters. Hertz have 5x7 splits, which i havnt heard yet but am keen to do so. It'd be a perfect solution to those who want to have the ease of 5x7 speaker installation but still want a split system.

Another risingly popular option is an Integrated 5x7 speaker, which is basically a 5x7 size plate with a split sytem mounted on that. They do sound fairly nice and take away the problems faced when making a baffle.http://www.bostonacoustics.com/ca_product.asp?ProductID=264&CategoryID=14 is an example. You can find these in many main-stream brands too. Coustic has some that should be easy enough to find in most main-stream car audio stores.

I can go thru in more detail in IRC if u want ...
as long as im not distracted by the bouncing !! :oops:

Dave

Rupewrecht
05-09-2003, 09:49 AM
but you'll also find that the stock speakers will sound a *little* better for having a good quality HU.

as apparently the stockies were designed by Bose

Toyboy
05-09-2003, 10:05 AM
I blew my stockys up on the same day i amped them :oops: gave me an excuse for new 1's :P

Dogo
05-09-2003, 10:32 AM
hey thats a good point. are u going to put an amp in too Kitty ?

that changes everything if ur not. its hardly worth spending big $$ on speakers if they're running off HU power

Cosmo Dude
05-09-2003, 06:09 PM
I'm going the other way, rears then fronts then head-unit.

Stockie frounts in the BA are 5X7, this size isn't the most comon.
Stockie rears in the BA hatch are also 5X7. I'd rewire into the parcel shelf. Hardtop has 6X9 rears (they are as common as mud).

Soon I'll be putting the Boston Acustics in the front at about $200 supplied, I will be doing the fitting. Then onto the Alpine HU.

Rod

Dogo
06-09-2003, 07:17 AM
Stockie rears in the BA hatch are also 5X7.

nope they're definietly circular. just not sure if they're 6" or 6.5"

and from memory they had a white plastic water guard over the back of them. such a great idea ! :)

Toyboy
06-09-2003, 09:20 AM
Yeah my front and rears had these plastic guards,i ended up modifying them a little to fit them to my aftermarket speakers aswell :wink:

KittyKatSmack
06-09-2003, 05:24 PM
Well to catch up a bit....

I am not amping yet, only head unit. Going to put in the JVC mp3 player... ooooooh yeah baby!!! am so keen, want to get it done next week!!! fingers crossed.

Like the sound of keeping the standard speakers for a while, and if they are designed by Bose, then there is a good chance they are tuned properly... which is why they sound so nice with my sony head unit......

Dogo... will be keen to talk more with you about speakers..... despite the bouncing :wink:

I don't really want to put speakers on my parcel shelf.....
I would rather stick to my stock postitions in the doors.....
I can amp later with no probs, even add a doof doof with no major hassles before worrying about cutting my parcel shelf. Nice little sub behind the rear seats with a quick connect/disconnect please :D

As for parcel shelf, similar connect/disconnet, but I would like to have it all done on a secondary parcel shelf, and keep my original one intact. I can swap between the two if I am travelling or need boot space etc.....
So that would mean I would want a system that could loop in 6 speakers and sub.....

Don't want much do I???

:wink:

Certainly great info, really appreciate it, and keep it comin' .....
Am always learning more!!!!

Cheers!

joely
08-09-2003, 09:38 AM
I've got schneider 6.5" component speakers in both front and rear doors they went straight into the doors without major hassles. Personally I think they are a good brand as good as pioneer not as good as Alpine. They are 200W max, 70W RMS. My mate gets them for me 2 sets were around $350. He can get JVC products as well as schneider.

MrShadow
09-09-2003, 10:28 AM
Hey, KKS. No doubt you're aware that I've replaced my HU and speakers recently. I can honestly say that the JBL 5x7's in the front door kick arse! Cost me about $200 plus fitting. One thing I would recommend is getting some sound deadening material in the front doors, makes them sound a little better.

Oh, and if you can do it, I'd agree with the other guys re: putting your rear speakers in the parcel shelf. In the hardtop, the sound reflects off the rear window into the front of the cabin. Sounds awsome.

Back to work..just had to put my .0002 cents worth in!

PS come the new year, JBL amp and free-air sub going in!

JynX
09-09-2003, 05:18 PM
The only reason I would go 6x9s on the tray is if you are not going to add sub(s). Otherwise invest in some good quality splits and an amp using the stock rears for fill. If they blow, just add some cheap speakers for fill.

If no sub then 6x9s would be better for the extra bass they provide.

Dogo
09-09-2003, 08:35 PM
The only reason I would go 6x9s on the tray is if you are not going to add sub

*enter Mr Disagreement*

Every1 seems to say this but personally I dont agree. If you're running speakers such as 6" splits in the front, boring whatevers in the rear for fill, and a sub, then you are going to have a great hi-frequency range and great low-frequency range, but bugger all in the middle. This might be kinda ok if you mostly listen to something like techno/dance with their chattering trebles and booming bass, but for most other styles of music I personally find that they sound kinda hollow without sturdy mid-bass presentation.

If you stick a 6" split, a 6x9/7x10 ( or preferably an 8" mid-bass driver ) and a sub next to each other, you can clearly hear the difference in the ranges that these speakers can AUDIBLY cover. The splits cant cover the mid-bass that the 6x9s do, and the 6x9s are no replacement for the bass that a sub provides. When you stick them all together with an even covering of frequencies, it just sounds awesome no matter what u play through it

While it may be possible to cover the mid-bass range with a sub, I personally find it sounds a lot better to set the crossover on ur amp so that the sub only concentrates on what it does best. low bass.



PS. please dont take this as a personal attack. But i do hear "You dont need 6x9s if u have a sub" a lot. Since I do disagree and am very keen on experimenting with car audio, i just feel this is a good chance to have my 2c :D

as always, just do whatever sounds best for you :wink:

JynX
09-09-2003, 10:23 PM
Isnt the whole idea of a split speaker to seperate your hi and mid range signals. As far as I understand it, a good split system will handle both your hi and mid range signals and bass is handled by your subwoofer. So if your crossover (both amp and splits) is setup correctly then your tweeters will boom your hi-range signals and the woofers will beat out the mid-range signals which is what each speaker is designed for?? I dont mind being corrected hear, this is my assumptions based on info I have gotten from various sources.

Also shouldnt the Hi/Mid range signals be produces from the front. I found 6x9s to be too powerfull for rear speakers and when coupled with splits, tend to overpower them. Unless your setting up a surround sound environment then its a total different setup. I generally have less then 2 passengers in my car, so I tend to ignore the rear 2 seats as its really a waste of money for the odd ride where i may have more then 2 passengers. Even then the car cabin isnt really the biggest place to make sound good.

Dont worry wont take any of this personally, constuctive criticism is a good thing and might help me expand my sound knoweldge as well :)

Dogo
11-09-2003, 02:38 PM
yup. thats what most ppl seem to say. but I like to experiment, and I find 2 main things :

even a good set of splits dont cover the lower range of mid-bass that a good driver such as an 8" or 6x9/7x10 can cover. Theres still a gap between what the splits can do and what the sub can do. ( actually, some subs can cover low mid-range, but it doesnt sound very good to have a sub cover that and low-bass. yuk )

and carrying on from that last point, I find that SQ is degraded when u try to get a speaker to cover a wide range of sound frequencies. Turning up the EQ on the splits to push them to have more bass to my ears actually made it sound worse overall when compared to assisting them with a dedicated mid-bass driver.


Another thing that I have found is that I could enhance the low-bass from my splits on my back shelf by having their magnets rest on the sub box. The extra resonance from the box covered low frequencies that were above the sub, but lower than mid-bass drivers. Im not sure yet what the effect is when the sub is actually running as I can distinguish just that range by ear. But I can still hear the difference, if that makes sense.

a big problem, as I was telling ppl in irc today, is that I listen to such as a wide range of music that I find it difficult to setup my system so that it sounds best for everything. I spend aaages fiddling with the settings in my DSP trying to get it right, only to find it doesnt sound as good when i listen to a different genre. sigh !

dfvadr
11-09-2003, 04:47 PM
i have the 8" pioneer 3 ways in my back doors i agree with dogo because i listen to the radio a bit an if i just have my front splits an the sub on he is rite you tin tin tin boom boom boom lol getting carried away here but with fronts rears an sub the sound is much better
ps every ones ears hear differently