Please help nebie with speaker placement!!!!

[snowmanx]

Bought some speakers because they sounded awesome to me but now I can't decide where to put them...one of those issues that one guy says this way is better and another guy says that way is better. Looking for more opinions.

Head unit is a Pioneer AVIC n3, with JL audio XR 653 3-way component, 6.5", 4" and tweet. Will be powered by JL slash 300/2 amp.

Obviously I've spent a little bit of dough and would like it to sound great...so where is the best place going to be for these speakers???

Response from another audio forum, that didn't seem to helpful.

"why would you put all speakers in the door? Also, how are they going to separate the back wave of the 4" from the backwave of the 6 1/2"?--every system I have heard them in were active setups. Not passive. These are not hack install/tunes either. "

Well...where should they all go then??? I was going to put the 6.5 in the stock door position, and the 4-tweet up in the dash, but like I said, two different installers said for sound staging they should all go in the same plane???? One installer said that it would sound stupid any other way and looked at me like I was retarded for even thinking of putting them on different planes, or even in the dash.

Other ways are like I already stated, or get some kick panels ang put the 4"-tweet in that, with the 6.5 in the stock door position.

I honestly don't know what is best and am trying to trust the "professionals"

Any more input would be great!

Thanks
__________________

[Purple RS]

I'm no pro, but I'll try to help some. I'm sure the others here will too. General consensus from most installers that I've come across is the best placement for staging is and imaging is the kick panels. From other sources, the dash is difficult to image because of the distance of the speakers from your ear - the driver's side is very close and the passenger side is more than double that, the kicks are easier to image because their distance from your ear is relatively equal.

I have component speakers in the kick panels and also coaxials in the dash (against the advice of some installers), but to me, it hasn't hurt the imaging much if at all.

[cargodz]

^ X2 on the kicks... If you've got room to do both the 6.5" and 4" then it would be the best recommended place overall... If you don't have the room, then possibly putting the 6.5" woofer in the door and 4" mid in kicks... The tweeters you're gonna have to play with for a while to get them where they sound best to you... try some double sided tape or that gum stick stuff to try different placements for the tweets... probably start around where the A-pillar and dash meet and move them around from there.

[JeremyC]

Dude you have so many options here its crazy. The bigest problem your going to run into is time delay. Since your current set up won't let you run active, your going to need to equalize the path lenghts as much as you can.

Persoanlly I like having my tweets about eye lvl, it raises the sound stage. So I would try to put them in the pillars. The 6.5 and the 4 inch you can play with, kicks would be cool, and the tweets up high would keep the stage from sounding rainbowed (high in the center, low in the sides) Or even in the doors with a little creative aiming.

I would start out with a peice of string or tape measure, and figure out were you can put the speakers to keep the path lenghts close to even. Then do a temp hook up and play with your angles. (set a rag or towel behind the speaker to cancle out the back wave)

Do each set of speakers seprate and then hook them all up to see how it sounds.

When it comes to proper imaging there isn't a right or wrong answer. Each car is diffrent, so the installs will differ too.

[Ryan from Ohio]

Heres my advice...

What vehicle is it?

I would try squeezing them into the door panel if possible. I would put a baffle behind the 4" solving any wave issues. I would put a Second Skin deflect pad behind the 6.5"

I would put the tweets in the sail panels or on the A pillars just high enough to clear the clusters hump. Im guessing your crossover has a part for the tweeter adjustment, most do.

If you are worried about time alignment seek out an item that allows you to adjust the phase from 0 to 180 degree's. This will allow you in essence to time align the two channels.

But time alignment is only good for the driver... When you get a passenger they will be like WTF?

[audiocr381ve]

How do you put in a baffle ryan?

[Ryan from Ohio]

They sell foam baffles.

[snowmanx]

OOOPs, I didn't even realize that I didn't put the type of vehicle they were going into....sorry about that!

Thanks for the replies and now that you know what they are going into maybe you can give better suggestions. Thanks to those who replied and please add now that you know the type of vehicle.

Allen

[solacedagony]

If you are worried about time alignment seek out an item that allows you to adjust the phase from 0 to 180 degree's. This will allow you in essence to time align the two channels.
But time alignment is only good for the driver... When you get a passenger they will be like WTF?

Yep there are variable phase processing units, but that's different from T/A. The variable phase units will make sure that the two waves are in phase, but won't change their actual time arrival, which is what you need to shift the image to driver's center. That's not to say T/A doesn't change phase, because it absolutely does. Your brains figures out imaging through time arrival differences (ITD).

Who cares about the passenger, they're not paying for the system

Have you heard or measured a difference when using those pads behind the driver? I'm guessing you feel they work if you're recommending them. I was wondering if they were worth the money to get.

[GlassWolf]

I'd start with kick pods for placement of the front stage, and see how that works in a temporary template. move the speakers around, find out where you get the most equal signal path lengths, and the best positions for imaging and soundstage. Every car is different, so it's mostly a matter of trial and error till it works for you.
that's my best suggestion.