Comp locations- doors vs doorpods.

[bchandler 10+ year member]

I have two possible setups for my car that I am considering. I will be running SLC 265 Kicks or Focal Polyglass components most likely. One possibility is to mount the mids into the factory door location, and mount the tweets in the A pillar. My other consideration is to make a fiberglass door pod that would angle the mid upwards, with the tweet mounted right next to the mid. The mid would be sealed into the door with this setup as well. It'd be a bit like kicks mounted higher. I have time alignment on my head unit.

Which setup would sound better? Obviously, the A pillar option would be easier, but someone told me I would not be able to use TA with the mid and tweet separated, as I will be running passive. I COULD go active (I have an 880prs) if it would really be worth it, I've just never done it before.

I've never heard a car with kicks before. Is the difference really that much more audible having the tweet right next to the mid and having them angled upwards? I know high frequencies are "locatable," would I not be able to tell all my sound is coming from down below?

Thanks for any light someone can shed on this.

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[jellyfish420 10+ year member]

not "locatable"..."directional" so if you was to aim them "up" (in a properly set up car) the soundstage will sound like its directly in front of you. your best bet (soundwise) would be to keep the mid and the tweet together. i would do the door pod. i'm not to fond of kicks anymore. you can get a better angle, and mount them closer to the same distance from you, but they have a tendency to get stepped on //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[bchandler 10+ year member]

I know it is hard to visualize what I'm talking about here, here's a pic of what my door looks like. You can see the stock speaker grill in the door:

And here's a quick pic of what I'm trying to do. Now that I look at it, the MDF column would not have to be changing in size since a new speaker would not be attached to it.

The pod would be sealed into the door.

Any comments?

 

[bchandler 10+ year member]

anyone?

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

Putting the tweeters in the door pods next to the mids would be the better way to go... the person who told you time alignment won't help pillar mounted tweeters is correct... what he failed to mention is that time alignment won't do anything to compensate for poor speaker placement. If you take measurements, one tweeter in the pillar will be closer to you as a percentage of the same channels' mid, while the other is farther away; if you try to time align one side, you screw it up for the other listener. If you wanted to time align both tweeters, you could get the same affect from an attenuator/volume control on the tweeters or mids... but the ratio of the speakers to themselves and the listeners will still be off. Time alignment can help with apparent volume (same effect as an attenuator), but will not change speaker/listener ratio to each other. All time alignment will do is effectively move the speaker forward or backward, but it can't make the speaker change apparent location. There is no replacement for good speaker placement, no mater how you slice it.

Another possibility, in some cars, is to mount the tweeter in the kick pannels... sometimes it's easier to get them positioned above people's ankles in that way, instead of behind their knees, low in a door... it's a better place anyway.

Installation quality, system design, speaker quality, and speaker placement are the most important things in quality car sound.

 

[bchandler 10+ year member]

Thank you! Do you think the MDF column or the glass pod will affect the speaker's characteristics at all? Should I line this area with ensolite or polyfill, perhaps?

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

I would line the inside of the enclosures with 1" thick foam rubber (like the stuff in your couch)... some fabric shops sell it by the foot... comes on a roll. I bought from the Rag Shop in my area before, but heard they are closing. Apply it with 3M Foam fast 74 - comes in a spray can. If you have an electric knife, that's the easiest way to cut it... and it can be trimmed perfectly after install. Otherwise, you can use scissors.

As long as the enclosure is rigid, should be no problem.

If you are going to do all that work, check first to see if you could build your speakers into the kick panels... it would be even better placement than the doors (more equal path lengths).