I have a new stereo: Alpine 50x4 head unit and Polk EX 6x9 rear speakers and Blaupunkt 4x6 front speakers (they were the only decent speakers shallow enough to fit without modification).

My problem is the rears have poor, muffled sound. Is it because the sail panels have so little room behind them, or are my speakers a poor choice?

They were professionally installed and then rechecked for proper phasing. The original wiring was reused.

I can return them if they were a poor choice, but they sounded awesome in the display (same head unit), and I bought the display speakers. They don't sound blown or anything, but when you adjust the fader to just the rear speakers, it's really crappy.

Thoughts? TIA

Frank Brooks

 

Do you still have the foam installed behind the speakers?

 

I'm not sure... they were installed at Fry's and I didn't watch.

 

BTW the car had the original speakers before, so whatever was stock was still there.

 

When I got my Infinity speakers I had to take out the foam to make the speakers fit. Your install guys might have done that??? with out the foam to seat the speaker (like a foam box) the sound goes throught the inside between the outside metal and inside wall. Sound not to good, And I'm fixing the prob when the car comes out of storeage. I would un screw a speaker and see if the foam is still behind it.

 

This is what I'm going to try. I should keep the sound confined, and not alow it to excape metween the panels.

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...2&I=237XT92+++

 

I use those in my 86 TA and I like them. I don't think they improved the sound that dramatically. I wonder if your sail panels are interfering with the front of the speaker and preventing them from extending?

 

You used the baffles?

I plan on using them because my infinity speakers move to much air in the "cavity" and I'm hoping this will control it better. It moves so much air, my vents in the door jam (these vents have small paper flapps in the inside) make a horrible sound when the air blasts through the vents.

Maybe my speakes are TOO good???

 

Yes I use them. I like them. I also used some of that triple expanding foam that hardens. I filled the whole cavity up to the speaker location. I did that on all the voids in the car. Two layers of dynamat on the floor also. Infinity's are my favorite speakers, from highs to subs. If they are sounding that bad, I'm not sure the baffle is the fix. Although I would still get them. I have a 2000 Impala also that I have Infintiy 6x9's in the rear deck. They sound great and they have nothing but the open trunk behind them. So I don't think that it's that you have to big of an open space behind them.

 

One thing that surprises me is that no one in here addressed the fact that the stock wire was used. Sometimes the stock wire will be fine, but in an older car the wire has been exposed more to the elements and can deteriorate and sound awful. If you like the speakers, I would try re-installing them with some new wire before getting rid of 'em.


Tim:rockon:

 

My stock wires should be fine, The car is a '91 and hasnt been drivin in the winter, so thats only 5 to 6 years of driving, I dont think my wires are going to be crap. I have some of those small 6x9 speaker boxes you get at wal-mart. I should try putting the speakers in that for a second to see if the solid encloser helpd the sound.

 

I know this is an old thread, but I happened to read it, and really think the foam baffles should be avoided.
They usually choke the woofer for rear air space, and don't allow for full midbass extension. The bass drum kicks are no longer a quality thump, but sound more like a weak fart with them installed (doesn't matter where) UNLESS you cut out one side. While they will stop the door vents from flapping, it also stops your midbass. I suggest removing the flaps - this will stop that noise more effectively (and you won't spend a ridiculous amount for a couple pieces of foam).

 

Those don't do a damned thing. They're nice for door speakers because it helps keep them dry, but that's really the extent of their usefullness.

I would try removing your sail panels to see if the sound improves. If it does, it's possible that the orientiation of the tweeters on the 6x9s are such that they are firing right into the wooden part of the sail panels. In my old firebird, I had to cut out some of the bracing that covered the 6x9 opening because the tweeters fired right into it.

 

There is one company that makes a plastic version, similar to the XTC foam baffle. There are "harder" and "softer" versions:
http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/SP...ER_p_1584.html
http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/SP...ER_p_1582.html

The one claims to be a "bass boomer."

Anybody know about these? Seems to me that they would be similar to the foam in choking the woofer and reducing bass.

 

im sure the wiring is fine...

the only thing you may notice on these 6x9's is that the tweeters are harsh... that's because our cars have zero bass response from the sail panels...

you need a good eq to correct it.

 

A harder one isn't going to help much either. All those will do is result in a high q speaker being stuffed into a small sealed enclosure. You'll lose what little low bass you already have, and instead you'll get an irritatingly large amount of thick, tubby midbass. Midrange and highs will be unaffected.

 

That's what I was thinking... hehe tubby midbass