Do door Speakers sound better in boxes? Whats the Difference?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Bradgman

GAlVeStoN, Tx Usa

Post Number: 68
Registered: Jan-06
Do door Speakers sound better in boxes? Whats the Difference in sound? Do you get more bass in the box and w/o the box do you get more tweet out of a speaker box. What sounds better in general or most of the time?
Thanks
Brad
 

Silver Member
Username: Mixneffect

Orangevale, Ca. USA

Post Number: 830
Registered: Apr-05
A speaker in a good designed box will reproduce better (louder) bass. When you have a speaker in a box, you will not lose the midrange. You will just gain more bass, and therefore it may drown out some midrange, but it is stll there none-the-less.

A speaker will generally sound better in a box than in free air or an infinite baffle.
 

Gold Member
Username: Theelfkeeper

Stockbridge, GA USA

Post Number: 1054
Registered: Feb-05
actually most car speakers are designed for use in larger air space, such as the door cavity. don't think a box will have an affect on a tweeter though.

for most applications, door mount will be fine.

 

Bronze Member
Username: Bradgman

GAlVeStoN, Tx Usa

Post Number: 70
Registered: Jan-06
Can you help me on this system? I have a mp5028 kenwood mp3 and it can't pick-up any AM stations.I want the stock head unit because I know it picks up AM stations but also want MP3. Will a aftermarket head unit really get AM stations? I have had 3 and all have not been able too in all areas of Houston in 3 different cars. What head unit would you guys buy for the MP3 and AM? Hopefully a better head unit can reach the stations. What else could I do to insure the pick-up of the AM stations? I do not want to run 2 seperate HU's for the AM and MP3. Another question will tweeters blow if they have a built in crossover if hooked up to a 2 ch. amp with 2 kappas 6x9 3 way? I only have the 2 6x9 kappa speakers and need more tweets. What should I do to insure that the tweeters will not blow? What tweeters would you buy? What would the ohm load be with 2 2ohm kappas and 2 4ohm dome tweeters? I am guessing a 1 ohm stable amp can handle that right? To make it simpler what HU would you buy, and how would you wire the 2 kappas and the 2 tweeters to a 2ch 1ohm stable amp? Can I get away with a 2 ch (if best amp)2ohm stable amp or can I use a 1ohm 1,2,4 ch. amp? Sorry for all the questions, if you can help that will be great! Also if I take the wire converter off the kappas and just have the +- hooked up to both +- +- will that add more bass? It would be eliminating the crossover or is that stupid and I should just buy the other tweeters with crossovers and hook them up to the amp too?
Thanks
 

Gold Member
Username: Theelfkeeper

Stockbridge, GA USA

Post Number: 1062
Registered: Feb-05
don't know about AM, but i know with FM, switching from an Alpine HU to a Panasonic, the reception is SO much better!

the Tweeters shouldn't blow if they have their own crossovers unless you either over power them or clip them to death with bad signals.
if you wire the kappas and tweeters in parallel, that'll be a 1.33 ohm load.
not exactly sure what you are talking about taking the "wire converter off the kappas."

also, why do you think you need more tweeters??
rather then getting a good set of components??
 

Gold Member
Username: Jonathan_f

GA USA

Post Number: 5615
Registered: May-04
For overall music reproduction, the best box is none at all, which would be an infinite baffle, or enclosures that have the benefit of killing resonances such as AP membranes and TL enclosures. A car door doesn't perform like a true infinite baffle application, more like a leaky sealed box. The most important part is the effort you put into making your install as good as it can possibly be. This comes from attention to sound deadening, sealing off the doors, positioning of the speakers, mounting them to a solid baffle, among other things. A box could potentially avoid a lot of the problems that doors can cause, but theycan also add more problems. You kill some of the low end response that a typical car audio speaker has by running it in a sealed box.
 

Silver Member
Username: Mixneffect

Orangevale, Ca. USA

Post Number: 833
Registered: Apr-05
Brad,

Stock HU are excellent when it comes to radio reception. They beat the aftermarket HUs hands down when it comes to radio reception, but they come up short in just about everything else.

Now,

Your problem may be caused by a couple of different things.

Check to see if other cars have good reception in the area you are in.

I would also recommend a signal booster or upgraded antannae. This may help your aftermarket HU get better reception.

When it comnes to resistence load, tweeters have very little effect on the amp. Tweeters only draw up to 25-30% current from your system. The main load is drawn by the woofer/sub. This is because it takes a lot more energy to push a bigger magnet/mooving mass of a woofer/sub than it does a tweeter.

Now,

When you have a 2 ohm 6X9 and you add a 4 ohm tweeter, you still have 2 ohm.

Why?

Because the tweeter is only playing the highs, not the whole spectrum. The 6X9 is playing the rest of the frequencies, and those that require more energy to push anyways. The total load of a two ohm 6X9 and a four ohm tweter is still two ohms.

Many high end speakers have eight ohm woofers and six ohm tweeters some even have four ohm tweeters. Their total resistence load is still considered eight ohm due to the fact that the woofers draw more than the tweeter.

"how would you wire the 2 kappas and the 2 tweeters to a 2ch 1ohm stable amp?"

Just wire the tweeters in parallel with the 6X9 (one tweeter for each 6X9) and use a passive crossover. This will keep the resistence the way I explained it.

If you get a four channel amp and run the 6X9s each to channel 1 & 2 and run the tweeters to channels 3 & 4, then your resistence load would change from what I explained above. Channels 1 & 2 would have a two ohm load and channels 3 & 4 would have a four ohm load each.

Why

Because now the tweeters are on a separate circuit. They now draw the entire load by themselves.

See,
If you wire the tweeters in conjunction with the 6X9's and use a passive crossover for the tweeter and a passive crossover for the 6X9's then it would be totally safe.

Just dont use the amplifiers built in crossover and then try to use a passive crossover as well. That would create a mess.

Use the amp without the buit-in crossover and you should be totally fine.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Bradgman

GAlVeStoN, Tx Usa

Post Number: 72
Registered: Jan-06
Thanks a lot, that really helps. Would you recommend a 2ch or 4ch for this set-up? Thanks for all of the help!
Brad
 

Bronze Member
Username: Bradgman

GAlVeStoN, Tx Usa

Post Number: 73
Registered: Jan-06
One more question. Would you try to find a stock HU with MP3 from another vehicle and put in my vehicle if its even possible or would you buy an aftermarket HU and try a booster and a better antenna? Also, what is a passive crossover? Is that different then the built in crossover? Is that crossover box on components speakers the same as a passive crossover? I guess what I am asking is what would you do for a MP3 with AM reception, and what ch. amp is the best, and what do I need for the tweeters or what kind of tweeters should I buy? The Kappas have a crossover box right before the voice coils like the components that bridge off to 2 sets of +-'s and the kappas have Dual voice coils but one set goes to the tweeters. Would it be better or just stupid to wire the tweeters to the tweeter voice coil on the Kappas? Sorry all of the questions.
 

Silver Member
Username: Mixneffect

Orangevale, Ca. USA

Post Number: 834
Registered: Apr-05
Use a two channel amp. Wire each of the 6X9's with a tweeter to each channel. Use a passive crossover. Yes a passive crossover is one of those you see that come with the component sets.

The difference between a passive and a built in crossover is that a built in crossover can only cross one point at a time. So if you have a mid/6X9 and a tweeter you can only cross the mid/6X9.

A passive crossover is hand built and custom, so you cross it at the points that you need. You may want to invest in a loudspeaker cookbook such as one by David B. Weems and use the crossover tables inside to configure what value capacitors, resistors, and coils you will need to build your custom crossover.

This will cost you a lot more than if you just went out and purchased a complete component set from Ebay. It will however educate you for life, and you will save thousands of dollars from here on out by understanding this hobby, and not getting ripped off by salesmen that sell you stuff they make more money on. The book is about $15 plus S/H. The crossover parts you will find at a DIY electronic store in your neighborhood or online.

Here are a few places to check out;

www.partsexpress.com
www.madisound.com
www.zalytron.com
www.solen.ca

http://ecoustics.pricegrabber.com/search_books2.php/book_id=11212622

I would keep the aftermarket HU and get a signal booster and/or a better antannae. Stock stereos are only good for the radio reception and stock look.

I would not tap into the Kappa crossover, even though it may have a tweeter in it. If you tap into the tweeter crossover circuit of the 6X9, it will change the resistence load of the tweeter and you will change the crossover knee. Keep the 6X9 separate, but wire the tweeter parallel to it. You will still be fine.

If I would recommend a tweeter it would be a soft dome. I would recommend the following brands.

Seas (budget/higher end)
Vifa (budget/higher end)
Peerless (budget/higher end)
Morrel (higher end)
Dayton (budget brand)
MB Quart (higher end)
Dynaudio (higher end)

There are other tweeters out there that are easier to find, and probably easier to install, but they would not sound anywhere as good as the ones I mentioned above. Besides, these companies are also build houses. They make speakers for name brand stuff you see in the store. They just put their logo on them, but they get them from the big boys build houses.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Bradgman

GAlVeStoN, Tx Usa

Post Number: 74
Registered: Jan-06
Thanks a lot! I will do what you say.
Thanks
Brad
 

Bronze Member
Username: Bradgman

GAlVeStoN, Tx Usa

Post Number: 75
Registered: Jan-06
Sorry, a few more questions. What HU would you suggest in the $200 range? Would you go with Panasonic, kenwood, pioneer? Is one brand better than the other reception wise? I bought the MTX TXP1

I have a good 2ch amp but it is only 2ohm stable. I can just wire the kappa and a MTX tweeter with the x-over to 1 ch, and the other kappa and tweet to the other chan? Do I have to change the Frequency on the amp or any other settings?
Thanks a lot
brad
« Previous Thread Next Thread »



Main Forums

Today's Posts

Forum Help

Follow Us