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Join me in fixing the center speaker issue

DougS550

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I just clipped the green wire to my center speaker on my second s550 Mustang. What a relief that is - the sound is ruined by this cheap speaker.

As an ex professional loudspeaker design engineer, I have some ideas on how to improve the sound from the center channel.
  1. Turn it off altogether. Either snip the green wire on the amp's center plug (fairly quick and easy), or pull the grill and unplug the speaker (risk of damaging the grille).
  2. Add a resistive padding network.
  3. Add a series inductor to gradually fade out the higher frequencies.
  4. Replace the speaker with a better one. I suggest an 8ohm speaker so that it is naturally quieter, and certainly one that does not have a 1950's "whizzer cone".
If there is group interest, I will take it upon myself to develop either solution #2 or #3 above, neither of which requires accessing the speaker inside the dash. But because I don't want to risk damage to a $95 metal grille on my 2019 B&O car, I am asking for anyone who has replaced their OEM center speaker to ship it to me for testing. With that speaker, I will measure its impedance (for the inductor solution), and DCR (for the resistor solution).

What do you guys think? Will you help me help you?
I plan on replacing my center speaker soon with an upgrade but I like the idea of doubling the ohms to make the center speaker quieter. I have a 19GT Premium 9 speaker. I also just had a dual 10" speaker box made for trunk (non ported) and will use two 4 ohm JLs and a 2 ohm amp to drive it.
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NGOT8R

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I plan on replacing my center speaker soon with an upgrade but I like the idea of doubling the ohms to make the center speaker quieter. I have a 19GT Premium 9 speaker. I also just had a dual 10" speaker box made for trunk (non ported) and will use two 4 ohm JLs and a 2 ohm amp to drive it.
Try it out and see how you like it before you replace the grill. If it sounds good to your ear, then call it a win, reinstall the grill and crank it up.
 

DougS550

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Try it out and see how you like it before you replace the grill. If it sounds good to your ear, then call it a win, reinstall the grill and crank it up.
Why are people replacing the grill?
I am also wanting to replace the Amp to a high RMS Amp. Do you know much about the OEM 9 speaker Amp like how many channels it is and maybe who makes a replacement amp. Thanks
 

shogun32

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As a lazy man's alternative, I used a piece of black flexible rubber and attached 2 thin rods so that they fit in the slots. It blocks much of the sound without cutting anything.
yup me too. Used a drum mat (the rubber pad you put on drum face to deaden the stick so you don't wake the whole damn house+neighborhood)
 

NGOT8R

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Why are people replacing the grill?
I am also wanting to replace the Amp to a high RMS Amp. Do you know much about the OEM 9 speaker Amp like how many channels it is and maybe who makes a replacement amp. Thanks
unfortunately, I have no experience with the OEM 9 speaker setup, only the B&O
 

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JnBama

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Thanks to the Op and others for the information , I have vibration or rattle in top speaker area , Have a set of plastic trim tools bought few months ago and pack of sound deadener ordered
 

cerbomark

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Do you have a picture of what you actually did? It seems there was a risk of damaging it in another thread. Thanks!
I didn t take pictures because there are lots of vids/pic right on our forum. no big risk if you are careful and get an idea of what you are doing IMO. Plastic trim tool needed.
Now i here better separation between the door speakers. Someone else said the cheap center speaker bouncing up at the glass has poor sound qualities and i agree.
 

cinerama

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I cut the green wire and it sounds so much better! I couldn't believe the difference!
 

DougS550

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I cut the green wire and it sounds so much better! I couldn't believe the difference!
Hi. Did you first try to replace the speaker with a higher quality speaker to see how the sound is then? Thanks
 

cinerama

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Hi. Did you first try to replace the speaker with a higher quality speaker to see how the sound is then? Thanks
No I didn't. Too much work, and I didn't want to possible mess up the dash. Besides, music is stereo two channel sound. Why mess it up with a center channel. Unless your watching a movie which would need a center channel.
 

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cerbomark

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Do you have a picture of what you actually did? It seems there was a risk of damaging it in another thread. Thanks!
Pull front with fingers and you ll hear it start to come apart at the top.
IMG_0905.jpg

Just enough to let top clear, then using tool, I prefer the bend at end to lift up and not push sideways. There are two front posts that clip straight down.
IMG_0906.jpg

IMG_0907.jpg

The rest will be self evident.
 

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Joined the "clipped green wire club" a few days ago. I can tell the sound is better. Not so "tinny". Fuller and even across the sound spectrum. Wish I'd known about it when I bought the car and clipped then!
 

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With plenty of forum discussion around disconecting or removing the centre speaker, is there any value in replacing the speaker with something better.
I guess not.
With plenty of forum discussion around disconnecting or removing the centre speaker, is there any value in replacing the speaker with something better.
I guess not pal.
 

DougS550

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With plenty of forum discussion around disconnecting or removing the centre speaker, is there any value in replacing the speaker with something better.
Hey, what did you decide to do? Is disconnecting the center speaker really enhance the stereo sound by not having sound coming from the center speaker?
 

NGOT8R

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