lasher_350

Okay, I know that in the PERFORMANCE SOUND setups, the rear sail panel speakers were a 5" woofer and a 4x6" speaker with the 5" having a plastic ported enclosure. My question is this: Coul a person design and build a wood enclosure for say, a 6x9' so that it works in it's own sealed enclosure rather than use the fiberglass baffle that deteriorates over time, and use the tin quarter panel as the best encloser for it? Would this be feasable? I realize that the wood would have to be very thin, and this creates all kinds of associated problems, but surely it would be better as a solid sealed enclosure for the speakers? Even say, a 6.5" component or something in there for a good mid-bass sound, since of course the lows will be coming from the subs in the back...has anyone ever considered something like this?

Thanks for letting me share! lol

911rsq

Lasher....
I am working on the same kind of thing right now. I am going to be mounting a set of 6 1/2" components in the rears. The wood does have to be thin, but 1/2" should work as you aren't moving that much air vs. a sub. I am pretty much just modeling mine off of the baffle that was there and then using a piece of sheet metal to mount it all down. I am gonna DynaMat the surfaces to help eliminate any resonace that would come from the enclosure.

lasher_350

I have a set of RF 6.5 components that I'd like to mount back there. If you have access to a digi cam, could you take some pics of the work? Also, I bet if they work and sound well, you could make some bank on selling the plans and/or the whole shooting match. I don't see why it won't work and work well. Glad someone else is thinking like me out there!

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

since when does fiberglass deteriorate?

lasher_350

You tell me since when fiberglass deteriorates. I pull out the baffles and they fall apart in a mixture of dirt and fibers. Is that normal for fiberglass?

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

well i built an entire box out fiberglass... still holding strong..... i know that bodykits dont deteriorate soo... how thick was the baffles u made and was the resin mixed right?? how long did it take to detereorate

lasher_350

It's not a hardened fiberglass, it is simply the factory original baffles to keep dirt and debris off of the speakers, I'm guessing. Imagine the fiberglass insulation used in insulating walls in houses with a woven cloth adhered to it just to maintain form. I agree, a hardened fiberglass enclosure for the speakers would be the best of all worlds, but these factory originals are flimsy, non hardened pieces.

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

oooo i thought you meant hardened... but you are talking about the stock ones... yea they suck i did a headlinder delete today... lol yea i tore it out cuz it kept falling so i know what kinda mess that crap can be..... id use hardened faiberglass its not that hard to do

lasher_350

You are right, it would be better to go with a fiberglass enclosure for the uprights! I didn't even think of that until just now...I've never worked with the stuff before, but it sounds relatively easy, just a bit time consuming. And yes, I am having headliner problems too....damn fabric fell off, then the padding is balling up and making a mess of everything, and the board itself is wasting away...i'm thinking of getting one of those ABS ones I see on ebay, looks like it would hold up longer than the fiberglass.

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

meh, i just tore mine out... made a mess of mah car... i need to vacuum my car out now....

fiberglass is easy but time consuming make sure you know what you are doin and research it b4 you try it.... not that hard but patience is key

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

You can build a sealed enclosure for 6x9s, but keep in mind that most 6x9s are high Q designs that are intended for infinite baffle installations (like rear package trays where the entire trunk is the enclosure). To get any sort of decent bass out of them, you're going to need an extremely large enclosure (usually 3x the Vas of the speaker or more). To get a smooth output down to 80hz you can get away with a smaller enclosure, but to determine the right size might take some trial and error.

Overall, I think your benefits compared to running them free-air will be minimal.

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

what if say... i only wanted my 6x9s or my sailpanel speaks at all.... to play only midbass down to around i guess 50-80hz lowest.... i could build a sealed enclosure in there for them and that should in theory boost midbass response or will i have some speaks that sound like fat ppl in a fart contest

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

if the box is too small, the boost is going to occur at a frequency much higher than you're likely to want, and the dropoff in response below that frequency will be very sharp.

For example, you might find that you get a couple of dB boost at 150hz, but then below that you're going to get a sharp rolloff at say 9-12dB/octave. The result will be a thick sound with no clarity and definition, and no impact that you're probably looking for in the first place.

Personally if I was looking for midbass from that location, I'd stick a decent 6.5" or 8" free-air driver with a good reputation for midbass use (Adire Koda comes to mind as one of many possibilities) and build a block-off panel just to prevent the rear wave of the driver from venting into the spare tire area.

Saigon_Bob

iTrader: (2)

ooo ok i see, i see... thats why i love this site...the info is awsome.. looks like i wont be getting 6x9s and ill be getting sum midbass drivers instead

ScrapMaker

I'm curious, why does it matter if the rear wave of the speaker goes into the spare tire area?

I could understand if it was venting right into the passenger compartment near the sail panel... but not when the sound is muffled, as well as traveling in a different direction.