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Old 25-03-2007, 03:52 PM   #1
Fhrx
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sydney
Car: 200SX
Posts: 8
HOW TO: correctly install Mazda 323 / Astina door speakers.

Since doing the Mazda 3 article I’ve received quite a few emails from Mazda owners asking if I can put together a tutorial for installing speakers into the older 323. Therefore without further ado; this is how we install drivers into the 323 / Astina.

Step one: Take one original door complete from factory. Give them a nice clean and remove any debris and dust.



Step two: Apply sound deadening to the entire outer skin.



Step three: Add diffuser panels behind the speaker to combat wave reflections.



Step four: Run aftermarket cables through the loom tubes. Because factory cables are not able to handle too much current before they run the risk of heating up, it’s important to run aftermarket ones in their place.



Step five: Make the baffles in a similar shape to the factory drivers. These must screw through the factory holes to avoid damaging the door. Then when you sell the car the factory speakers can go right back in. Our baffles are usually constructed from marine ply but we've made them from perspex or even 6061 alloy depending on application. If they are marine ply then they should be painted with polyester resin and black paint to avoid absorbing water and being seen through the factory grille.



Step six: Sound deaden inner skin and remove all air bubbles. Make sure you leave enough clearance for door handle and lock control rods to move freely. Also leave a little deadening around the top of the speaker hole to act as a 'roof' against water when it rains.



Step seven: Screw the baffle onto the door and seal the baffle onto the deadening with gap filler. Make sure you also install a gasket between the speaker and the spacers because air leaks out here too (ever tried to run your car without a head gasket)?





Step eight: Solder the trimmed speaker wires onto speaker. Don't use crimp terminals because their two best traits are falling off and creating resistance.



Step nine: Heat shrink around the terminals to protect them. Unlike electrical tape, heat shrink will not begin moving after a couple of months.



Step ten: When it comes to mounting tweeters, you’ll soon discover that only a select few aftermarket units will under the factory grilles. Therefor more often than not, we remove the factory tweeter and grille arrangement and just leave the aftermarket ones on display.



Step eleven: Sit back and enjoy your new found midbass. This is what the door looks like when complete:



So there you have it; one 323 with speakers installed. Using this method you have about 69mm of mounting depth. Any deeper than that and your speaker might foul on the window and associated mechanisms.

If you want to further enhance your listening experience (staging and imaging wise), or if you have enormous tweeters or a three-way component set, then you'll probably want to make a set of a-pillars to mount your tweeters and midranges on like this:









If you wish to read more about what sound deadening, diffuser panels and sealing does click here and click here.

If you wish to find out more about staging, imaging and how our ears relate to them both click here and click here.

I hope that helps you guys out.
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Last edited by Fhrx; 18-11-2012 at 08:04 PM.
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