hey, I'm restoring an 87 supra and I'm gonna need awesome sound (without a sub). The rear speakers is what seems like could be a problem. They are really weird, meaning they are different than your ordinary speaker. They have a box thing with a tiny speaker at the top. Any suggestions?
rear speakers
- Thread starter salomon68
- Start date
Correct.
It's a little difficult for people to get their head around that two could be better than four, but think about this for a second:
Everything you are listening to in your car has been formatted for a two channel (stereo) sound system. There is no additional audio information being presented in the rear speakers. The rears just duplicate what the fronts are playing.
What this means, is you have the same sound coming from two different locations within your vehicle. This confuses your brain, as it doesn't know where the sound is coming from. People like to think that it allows the sound to "surround" them.
With a good set of front speakers, properly set up, you will create a much cleaner soundstage, and make it a lot easier for your brain to locate objects in space. A properly set of fronts WILL surround you with sound, and will sound better than any standard 4 channel setup.
My advise, make a set of brackets to fit a 6.5" woofer up front (it's easy, just search on here), and get a good set of components. Run them off their own amp so that they have lots of clean power available, and it'll sound damn good.
As for head unit, the more tuning options the better you can make a sub-par installation (or equipment choice) sound. I would suggest a Pioneer DEH-P880PRS. They can be had refurbished on ebay for a few hundred.
It's a little difficult for people to get their head around that two could be better than four, but think about this for a second:
Everything you are listening to in your car has been formatted for a two channel (stereo) sound system. There is no additional audio information being presented in the rear speakers. The rears just duplicate what the fronts are playing.
What this means, is you have the same sound coming from two different locations within your vehicle. This confuses your brain, as it doesn't know where the sound is coming from. People like to think that it allows the sound to "surround" them.
With a good set of front speakers, properly set up, you will create a much cleaner soundstage, and make it a lot easier for your brain to locate objects in space. A properly set of fronts WILL surround you with sound, and will sound better than any standard 4 channel setup.
My advise, make a set of brackets to fit a 6.5" woofer up front (it's easy, just search on here), and get a good set of components. Run them off their own amp so that they have lots of clean power available, and it'll sound damn good.
As for head unit, the more tuning options the better you can make a sub-par installation (or equipment choice) sound. I would suggest a Pioneer DEH-P880PRS. They can be had refurbished on ebay for a few hundred.
I had 5 1/4" MB Quart QSD's w/ their tweeters installed in the rear stock boxes w/ 6 1/2"
QSD's in the front doors and the sound was great. Bi-amped the speakers w/
Alpine amps and ran a separate amp for the rear mounted 10" sub. Real nice balance with out a lot of "thump".
QSD's in the front doors and the sound was great. Bi-amped the speakers w/
Alpine amps and ran a separate amp for the rear mounted 10" sub. Real nice balance with out a lot of "thump".
Its true rear speakers are just a unsuccessful transition of a 4door system into a coupe body style. But there is also such detail as frequency distribution on some head units. Although many basic head units don't cross over and split the frequency between the front and rear channels more advanced will send only 800hz and above into front channel, thus, requiring rear channel to fill in the gap between the sub-frequencies that start at 80hz in most builds. With 4" in the front alone you are risking to loose about 100hz off low midrange. But with supra and its loud interior it gonna get lost or smudged anyhow. If you do choose to keep the rears just disconnect the tweeter and leave the midrange only, or better yet buy just a midrange driver. Stock Lexus football shaped mid-ranges produce ridiculous amount of bass by the way in stock rear boxes, i was genuinely surprised by the match up. if you are able to send only 1000-80hz at intermediate slope (8dB) to them you might get away without a sub if you are not a bass-head.
I have a pretty good understanding of how sound works and I know that sound is stereo and the back is exactly the same as the front, but the frequency mid stuff is getting a little too technical for me. I also am not gonna spend $500 on any part of the sound system. That's more like all I want to spend total.
I already have an Alpine head unit with dedicated sub out with level control. I forgot what model it is. I have a targa top and I use those brackets to float the targa top in the back. I don't think I will be able to fit a sub back there, that's why I wanted install rear speakers. What sub options do I have?
I already have an Alpine head unit with dedicated sub out with level control. I forgot what model it is. I have a targa top and I use those brackets to float the targa top in the back. I don't think I will be able to fit a sub back there, that's why I wanted install rear speakers. What sub options do I have?
Are you running an amp? Even a small 5 channel would help. Kicker makes a
tube sub that fits nicely behind the rear seats. It's small: 6 1/2", the tube is 7"
x 7" x 18" long. It does add a decent base especially if the only juice is coming from the head unit. You can also add a small Sony amp that actually attaches
behind the head unit. I had both in my car in the early 90's and as I recall they were a decent upgrade to the stock system. I still have them sitting on a shelf
in the shop.
tube sub that fits nicely behind the rear seats. It's small: 6 1/2", the tube is 7"
x 7" x 18" long. It does add a decent base especially if the only juice is coming from the head unit. You can also add a small Sony amp that actually attaches
behind the head unit. I had both in my car in the early 90's and as I recall they were a decent upgrade to the stock system. I still have them sitting on a shelf
in the shop.
I can understand what you guys say about the front/rear separation. Even with DTS or a Pro Logic set up it's "still the same" but different. With Dobly they use sound cancelation to replicate separation makeing the rears an important part. But that's some money and advanced setup. The big thing about a 4 speaker setup is a smoother overall sound, not really for separation. It also takes out some harshness out of certain frequencies.
I had a 6 speaker total setup in my wifes car awhile back (2 tweet, 2 6.5 mid, 2 eclipse 12's 650w total) and it was amazing. 148dB sq setup, so yea if you use quality parts you can get by with less so to speak.
I had a 6 speaker total setup in my wifes car awhile back (2 tweet, 2 6.5 mid, 2 eclipse 12's 650w total) and it was amazing. 148dB sq setup, so yea if you use quality parts you can get by with less so to speak.
It's always funny to me when Lexus or some other car maker advertises sound systems as 13 speaker system, or 240 watt system, or some other crap that doesn't matter. They sure can make it sound like a mediocre stock system is an exiting feature.:3d_frown:
There are some pretty cool really compact subs out now that take up no space and require only a small box. Theres even powered ones that are tiny, Blaupunkt makes one that apparently sounds pretty good.
Im tempted to pick up one of these and hide it in the car somewhere.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-08-KENWOOD-K...Subwoofers_Enclosures?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
Im tempted to pick up one of these and hide it in the car somewhere.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-08-KENWOOD-K...Subwoofers_Enclosures?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116