Bose-type vs traditional-type speaker arrangement?

[notalk]

I'm just wondering if there's a sound difference between the two. This concerns a Miata, so, because the car is so small and is a convertible, it may not make any difference. Or, maybe it does.

The OEM Bose system uses an 8" mid-woofer in the bottom of each door, a 3" mid-tweeter in the top of each door, and two 3" mid-tweeters in the back center panel. The Bose amp feeds each door speaker separately (i.e., no single feed into a crossover).

When people rip out all the Bose stuff, they go to a traditional two speaker component set-up in the doors and two replacement speakers in the rear, for fill.

I'm wondering if there will be a sound difference between the traditional set-up or going with 8" mid-woofers in the doors (most likely fed off a woofer output) and 3.5" speakers in the doors (as the front channel) and rear panel (as the rear channel). Also, I wonder if either might be a better approach in a top-down convertible (and might be "louder" than the other)?

Thanks. (Yes, I know, I probably have too much time on my hands, but I'm wondering if the Bose people know something we should be paying attention to).

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[Side Show 10+ year member]

any standard system will sound better once upgraded. is that what your asking?

 

[notalk]

Not really. What I'm asking is what will the sound difference be between a "traditional" two speaker component set in doors as the front channel versus a mid-woofer in each door running off the woofer outputs (through their own amp or amp channel) and a small full-range as the front channel.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Those small full range speakers are very subjective. Some people like them, others prefer them with a tweeter. I'm one of those who uses them with a tweeter. Since you'd have to mix&match brands to get an 8", or even a 6.5"-7" woofer, and a 3.5" coaxial I would do it a different way.

 

[notalk]

Thank you. And, would that different way be the "traditional" way of a two way component speaker set in the door (with a crossover)?

That certainly seems easier, and no one really complains about the output. Just had a thought that what if Bose was on to something with a separate mid-woofer and mid-tweeter in each door running off separate channels. I'm pretty sure coming up with a shallow 8" mid-woofer would be pretty hard, and I'd be looking at a 6.5" or 7". And, I'd probably end up with differing brands. While, i had never really given any thought to this, after I thought about what would be removed, I wondered if Bose was on to something and I might have been missing something. Thanks again.

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

look into some 3way sets of splits for the front.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Thank you. And, would that different way be the "traditional" way of a two way component speaker set in the door (with a crossover)?
That certainly seems easier, and no one really complains about the output. Just had a thought that what if Bose was on to something with a separate mid-woofer and mid-tweeter in each door running off separate channels. I'm pretty sure coming up with a shallow 8" mid-woofer would be pretty hard, and I'd be looking at a 6.5" or 7". And, I'd probably end up with differing brands. While, i had never really given any thought to this, after I thought about what would be removed, I wondered if Bose was on to something and I might have been missing something. Thanks again.

When it comes to speakers, Bose is all about "different". Is it great, or even just good? Well, you're here asking about improving it.

As people on this forum are learning more all the time, I'm a big fan of 3-way front speaker systems. I'm not sure I'd be able to source a shallow 8" woofer for your doors, but I can definitely do a 6.5" or 6.7" woofer for midbass. Then I would have you fit a 3" midrange in the other door location, and add a small tweeter either high on the door panel or in the sail panels, or place imaging tweeters at the upper corners of the windshield firing down to the center of the dash. You would get much more realistic midrange and treble, and that really helps to make the music come alive.

Depending on the output from your factory amplifier, you likely would also need a processor to Un-EQ the audio signal and then "massage" it to sound better. Put a good 2-way amplifier on top of that and you're on your way to a killer upgrade package.