tweeter mounting: dash

MrSo0h0o · Post by **MrSo0h0o** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:59 pm

how hard is it to get a good soundstage by mounting the tweeters on the dash, reflecting off of the windshield? does it have any advantages/disadvantages?

audiobass10 · Post by **audiobass10** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:17 pm

Unless your Mid is going in the dash, it's not ideal to place your tweets up there for best imaging.

JeremyC · Post by **JeremyC** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:33 pm

Yeah I hate dash locations for tweets. It puts them way closer to your ear than the mid, and throughs the mid high blending all out of whack. Especially if your talking asbout a tweet that is all ready bright. You put one of them in a dash location and it will send you running for cover.

I like to keep my tweets about 5 inches from the mid. That way the mid and tweet are closer to the same distance from your ears, and it helps them blend together better.

I would take some double sided tape, and play with the location till you find something you really like and then mount them.

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:49 pm

If you want best results with tweeters up high, you need to make sure you accomodate a couple of things. You'll want them crossed over at or above 6khz. A couple of things happen past 6khz, the first is that our ears are no longer dependant upon pathlengths for imaging, they are only dependant on intensity (volume). The second is that at 6khz you are approaching harmonics more so than fundamental cues in the music, so you're more in presence range. Basically it means that the midrange driver can handle the vocals, while the tweeter is left simply for added detail and shimmer. The other thing you'll want to do is make sure that have the equipment to both equalize and set the level of the tweeters (or have some really good 1/3 octave equalizers on tap, one per channel).

Past the tweeters, you'll also want to make sure that you have a midrange that can match them. Typically this will call for a 4" midrange or a dome midrange, but there are a few (VERY few) 5.25" or 6.5" drivers that can play up to 6khz or so cleanly. With cone midranges, you're going to run into beaming issues, so it's best to have a custom kick panel or angled door installation to make sure they're pointed on axis relative to your ears. Of course a dedicated midrange driver is also going to perform best when combined with a dedicated midbass driver. So that's another thing to consider. Another option is to use a 6.5" 2 way set in kick panels, with additional tweeters up top to handle the upper frequencies.

Either way you choose, you're going to want steep slopes on the dash tweeters and likely steep slopes on what you're mating them with. What I've listed above isn't the only way to do it, but it's pretty much the only tried and true way that almost guarantees great results.

MrSo0h0o · Post by **MrSo0h0o** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:20 pm

awesome info guys.. i already have had a component set setup for a while now, i was just entertaining the idea of different positions. since i dont have much crossover flexibility. i guess ill keep the tweeters in the door panel by the handle

OnYrMrk · Post by **OnYrMrk** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:59 pm

I have my tweeters in the a-pillars and imaging sucks without the time alignment feature of my Eclipse HU. We are putting the 6.5" mids in the dash angled up slightly for better imaging and placing the midbass drivers in the door. I am anxious on the outcome, will keep you advised.

MrSo0h0o · Post by **MrSo0h0o** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:43 am

to revive my old thread so i dont make a new one... so i was playing around with my tweeter placement and i liked it in the A pillars.. im not a pro and judging good sound quality but i sure as hell know it was better than where it was.. on the A pillars it broadened the stage and gave it more depth.. anyone know if A pillar placement usually does this?