Help me pick! Which speaker position?

PardonTheWait · 16 Jan 2018 at 21:45

So! I'm putting in speakers on my rear parcel shelf. I've gone for 10cm speakers because of this:

Original hole for centre speaker is 6" I think, but there are conveniently enough four 10cm holes. I can just drill holes for screws and not have to monkey around too much with the structural parcel shelf. If I was making the holes myself, I'd go right between the two sets. But I'm not doing that. So do I put them here:

Or here:

I'm torn. I kind of feel like the outside set is better but maybe it looks a bit awkward. They'll be much more out of the way in the boot as well if I put them there, but I will have to trim a bit of the 'wall' of the boot so it doesn't touch it.

I've got new vinyl to retrim the parcel shelf and I will probably stick down some sound deadening while I'm about it. May get some MDF as well and replace the board although it's pretty sound to be fair.

What do we think?

On the upside, I get to get rid of this hateful thing:

Diddums · 16 Jan 2018 at 21:59

This, all day long.

paintguy · 17 Jan 2018 at 13:44

Sound wise it won't make a lot of difference but they look better to me in the outer position.

DereksDontRun · 17 Jan 2018 at 14:03

another vote for outside

(lol, was going to say to split the difference and slap in the middle, but then read about the existing holes meaning you only have the 2 positions you can choose from).

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 17 Jan 2018 at 15:28

Outside looks more normal

Old mate who used to be a car hifi installer always said rear should be mono, you want the stereo imaging from the front not getting mixed up with the rear.
He always used to prefer stereo front and actually only bass from the rear but wasn't my cuppa, but you could tell it was more correct in the sound.
(lousy for rear passengers though)

stopper · 17 Jan 2018 at 15:40

paintguy said:
Sound wise it won't make a lot of difference but they look better to me in the outer position.

Close together will make it sound mono.
If you listen to music made after the 70s, further apart is better.

paintguy · 17 Jan 2018 at 15:54

stopper said:
Close together will make it sound mono.
If you listen to music made after the 70s, further apart is better.

Stereo imaging won't really come into play with all the sound coming from behind anyway.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Old mate who used to be a car hifi installer always said rear should be mono, you want the stereo imaging from the front not getting mixed up with the rear.
He always used to prefer stereo front and actually only bass from the rear but wasn't my cuppa, but you could tell it was more correct in the sound.
(lousy for rear passengers though)

I have to agree with him. I've custom fitted 9 speakers in my car and 8 of them are forward of the listening position. Only the sub hangs out in back because there simply isn't room up front

"HiFi" in a car isn't for everyone (nor is it easy) but it floats my boat.

PardonTheWait · 17 Jan 2018 at 22:41

There's two speakers up front as well but they're also 10cm and they're in enclosures under the seats! I'm definitely not shooting for hifi, it's a matter of getting some music into the car and keeping it fairly low profile.

I've gone for the outside, got the new vinyl on there now. Just need to work out how to drill these holes now! Terrible access. Might have to look into a 90 degree drill attachment or something.

bremen1874 · 17 Jan 2018 at 22:52

If that was mine I'd seriously consider using all four holes and installing four speakers (especially if you can only fit 4").

Create a parcel shelf that has an acoustic cloth top layer so none of them are visible.

Lopéz · 18 Jan 2018 at 05:56

Can you drill from underneath? If not, those 90 degree chucks do work.

PardonTheWait · 18 Jan 2018 at 21:58

Lopéz said:
Can you drill from underneath? If not, those 90 degree chucks do work.

I can't, there's even less room underneath! The magnet clears though. I picked up one of the chucks today because they have them in at ALDI for £6.

bremen1874 said:
If that was mine I'd seriously consider using all four holes and installing four speakers (especially if you can only fit 4").

Create a parcel shelf that has an acoustic cloth top layer so none of them are visible.

The thought has crossed my mind - I'm pretty set on getting a bit of thicker MDF to make the whole thing a bit more solid to mount speakers on. I like the idea of the clean look without speaker grilles or holes also. Bit worried the cloth will look out of place though with all the vinyl. Hmm.

If I went that way what would be the best way to power all six speakers - a two channel amp for the fronts and run the rears off the HU?

I'd like to relocate my front speakers but that's a way down the line, will be a pain in the bum to make up something for them to go on, and half the dash will probably have to come out, but it's in the plan.

a1ex2001 · 19 Jan 2018 at 15:13

Stick the speakers in with a few blobs of silicone job done.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 19 Jan 2018 at 15:38

Looking again I think if this was me I would probably cover the rear shelf in vinyl, and accent the speaker grills by matching to the paint colour of the body, ie spray them the same red. If they have a visible surround which is pretty normal do that in the white.

For the fronts, do you have enough space that you could do some door builds. Again vinyl covered, match the speaker grills to the car colours. Assuming you have visible paint inside the car as most older cars do?
If not door builds, what about kickwell builds, facing upwards and inwards as much as possible. It depends how stealth you want to be.

PardonTheWait · 19 Jan 2018 at 19:30

Kick panel install would be ideal but there's not enough room. Doors again, would be a good shout, and it's a possibility, however my door cards are in really nice shape and I'm very reluctant indeed to cut them up. With older cars also there's the issue of wiring - there's no way to run wires to them already. There's a couple of methods people use though but it does involve monkeying around with the car a bit and I'd prefer not.

My options for the front as I see it are carry on with the way they are - surface mount speakers mounted on MDF board under the seats, or do a front parcel shelf build. I will quite likely end up putting something together for the front parcel shelf. Not much room on driver's side though due to steering column.

Oh a third option actually is use the surface mount enclosures I have, and put components in and have the tweeters up top.

For now though I just want to have music, and while the front speakers do OK I just want some rears to help fill the car a bit more.

ruthers · 4 Feb 2018 at 23:59

Outside looks better