So I've looked through the various threads on the front speakers in the 5th gen lude, from coaxials to components and how they fit and the different sizes and whatnot.
Now, my front speakers are crap. The cone is basically ripped off the rim of the speaker - Don't ask me how, I used to beat the crap out of them.
I have a subwoofer and my rear speakers are fine. I don't need more bass. I'm looking to get my front speakers replaced because the sound quality is horrible and it buzzes a lot because the cone vibrates on the plastic and other parts of the speaker.
Is it worth it for me to upgrade to 6.5" coaxials and do the basic amount of fabrication required to make it fit? I'm mostly looking just for replacement, not upgraded sound quality. Heck, I'm mostly concerned with being able to hear the high's from the front without the low's buzzing the crap out of the speaker.
Would I be alright going with the 5.25" stock size? Again, I'm not looking for upgraded quality in bass, just want to be able to listen normally again. I don't have a specific need for the bass and I just want my high's to be normal again. I have my bass turned down and sound is faded to the rear to get rid of the buzzing/knocking. Kinda sounds like if you stick your finger nail or something somewhat sturdy in front of your subwoofer cone and let it vibrate on it. That's what it sounds like.
__________________
Nick from Santee Mods
Apex'i World Sport 2 Universal Muffler | Cold Air Intake (K&N Filter) | H&R Sport Springs drop (1.4")
stock size sounds like your best bet... you didnt mention any current aftermarket speakers you have installed... so I assume a stock system? This was the first upgrade I began with with my lude... replaceing the front stocks.... and it made a huge difference... basically anything is better than the front stock speaker... IMHO. I didnt switch out the stock seperate tweeters... and using the stock wiring I was able to keep sound going to this location when I replaced my lower speakers up front. I suggest Coaxial or Triaxles if they fit... I have Coaxial speakers with the tweeter aimed at my thighs. Good Luck... when / if you replace the rears... start reading... lots of typical stuff has already been answered regarding the stock system.
__________________ WWDFD?...
Quote:
Originally Posted by thegamettt
I fap to most of his threads.
"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.'" - DF
I think I paid for a $40 set of front coaxials... and they made a huge difference over the paper cone stocks. Plus no cutting or fit issues.... just be careful of the depth if you got something with huge magnets.
__________________ WWDFD?...
Quote:
Originally Posted by thegamettt
I fap to most of his threads.
"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.'" - DF
The stock size is actually 158mm, which is about 6.25". A 6.5 won't fit in the stock location, but there are speaker companies that make a speaker that will fit right in. Some examples: Boston Pro 60, Diamind Hex 600s and the Focal PolyGlass 160v2. These are not cheap however. Regardless, I'm sure you can find a speaker in your price range (whatever it is) that will fit in nicely.
A 5.25 might be too small and will lack mid-bass. Don't rely on your sub for mid-bass, it's best to get that from your fronts.
I had a heap of trouble getting my Focal Polykevlar 165kf's to fit. They required a LOT of cutting of the door card, a 36mm MDF spacer, and the covers don't fit back on.
To me it was worth the trouble for the sound quality upgrade. It depends on your attitude to SQ i suppose. Having 6.5" speakers in the front balanced out the frequency response much better and thereby improved the focus of the soundstage.
Good post...this is true. I actually had POLKs that fit in nicely (6.5") after i cut the basket out. good luck!
2 numbers to look:
1. The mounting diameter or cutout diameter. Most, if not all, speakers will have this specification if you download the spec sheet from the maker.
2. The entire speaker diameter. Most 6.5" speakers generally will run up to about 7" total, with mounting at >6".
Mounting depth isn't as important since the baffle or basket will most likely be getting cut - unless you're talking about a 4" deep monster of a midbass driver. However, the magnet diameter will determine if metal door panel cutting is required.
Like Jeff has said, his Polks fit but my Polks needed much cutting of the door panel (not metal door) to even fit the basket in there.
Kelvin, think you could provide us with some pics of your setup? Curious to see how you did it.
- Mike
Sure, here it is... (not very HQ- just took it with my phone!)
The standard space I measured up was 160mm and my 165kf's are 165mm in diameter. Mounting depth was a bit of a problem too so I needed quite a deep 36mm MDF spacer to fit the speaker in. Basically the spacer was cut to an external diameter of 165mm then sanded down to about 163mm to squeeze in a little easier. Because the spacer and speaker will fit on an angle to the edge of the door card cutout, it will fit despite the larger diameter. The entire plastic basket was cut out and the spacer is screwed to the metal door panel. The speaker actually sits quite nicely and not pointing in a funny direction. I figure that the mdf spacer on metal will be a lot more solid than mounting on the plastic door card too.
The problem is I can't get my speaker cover over it because the bottom of the spacer sticks out about 20mm in the bottom left corner. Still trying to figure out what to do with it. I can't get the Focal cover over it either because the diameter is even greater and as you can see it's already a tight squeeze.
I installed some infinity 6012i speakers up front a few weeks back and I had to do a lot of cutting and trimming to get them to fit properly. If you are looking for a quick fix, just get some stock speakers from somebody. But almost any aftermarket speaker will sound better. If you can make mdf rings with ease or get your hands on some adapter plates, get some 5.25s. I also put in 6012i 6.5s in the back and used an adapter plate to convert the 6x9 hole to 6.5.
For me, years ago in my new '97, I couldn't get Boston Pro 6.4 (6.5") bass drivers to fit. They interfered with everything, and as near as I could tell, would interfere with the window channel if I got everything else to work.
I can also tell you that the 5.4 and 5.5 (5.25") driver WAY lacked low-end. REALLY left me unhappy.
Kelvin, thanks for the photo and explanation. So, the MDF ring is bolted to the metal and the speaker is bolted to the mdf? Or is there one long bolt that goes through the speaker & mdf into the metal? Did you tap the metal? Just wondering how you tackled that.
Also, to take the door panel off, do you need to remove the woofer? And is that easy?
I've read on car audio forums where guys will use clay between the driver and the mdf, have you done this too? Just curious.
As for the speaker grill, one idea I had was to put a spacer between the metal door frame and the plastic door panel. This would make the entire panel stick out a bit, and may give you a bit of space to fit the grill over the speaker as it would seem more recessed. Make sense?
Kelvin, thanks for the photo and explanation. So, the MDF ring is bolted to the metal and the speaker is bolted to the mdf? Or is there one long bolt that goes through the speaker & mdf into the metal? Did you tap the metal? Just wondering how you tackled that.
Also, to take the door panel off, do you need to remove the woofer? And is that easy?
I've read on car audio forums where guys will use clay between the driver and the mdf, have you done this too? Just curious.
As for the speaker grill, one idea I had was to put a spacer between the metal door frame and the plastic door panel. This would make the entire panel stick out a bit, and may give you a bit of space to fit the grill over the speaker as it would seem more recessed. Make sense?
- Mike
Thanks for the suggestion Mike. I've had a think about doing that for the speaker grille too but ajust a bit lazy to sort it out I suppose!
The MDF spacer is indeed bolted straight onto the metal. The longest screws I could find were 50mm in length so instead of bolting the driver and spacer together, I drilled countersinks in the spacer and screwed it on first. The driver was then screwed onto the spacer itself. I used self tapping sheet metal screws to screw the spacer onto the door.
I haven't done the clay thing- my thought is that you will have leaks through the gap in your window, the access holes in your door, etc. that sealing up (and making a mess of) your speaker will make negligible difference. Just screw it on tight.
I am getting some Dynamat Xtreme door kit next week to cover the inner and outer door panels, and also to cover up all the access holes. The idea is to make a sort of enclosure for the speaker to operate in- apparently the gains in mid-bass response and accuracy are huge.
To remove the door card- just to be safe I would remove the driver but I guess it's not really necessary. I haven't actually tried it yet.
The stock size is actually 158mm, which is about 6.25". A 6.5 won't fit in the stock location, but there are speaker companies that make a speaker that will fit right in. Some examples: Boston Pro 60, Diamind Hex 600s and the Focal PolyGlass 160v2.
The Boston site "quick specs" say that the speaker cutout is 5"... but the detailed manual for the 60's say that the cutout is 5 and 13/16 (big difference!). Can you or anyone else confirm that the Boston Pro60's do fit without any major cutting (aside from the basket)?
"I am getting some Dynamat Xtreme door kit next week to cover the inner and outer door panels, and also to cover up all the access holes. The idea is to make a sort of enclosure for the speaker to operate in- apparently the gains in mid-bass response and accuracy are huge. "
so true. I ordered some FATMAT on ebay.. virtually the same as dynamat but way cheaper. I covered the entire interior of the door under the panel and made basically an enclosure. this dramatically enhanced the soundstage as well as reinforced the low end. also made the doors FEEL more solid. a major upgrade that I have yet to do to the rest of the car. I bought their $100 kit which is enough to do almost the entire car,lol.
__________________
2000 Honda Prelude SH Traded in 6/08
Type S Swap, Mugen exhaust, Mugen Suspension, Front+rear Strut bars, lower tie bar, techone HID pnp kit 5000k, JDM fogs with HID 8000k and a few dozen other changes.
2004 S2000 dropped on Konis upper perch with espilir springs, ... now ... with upgraded sound...how badly it was needed. you can't hear the stock stereo with the top down at all.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
WWDFD?...
MOO!
Linear Mode
