Speaker choices (9 speaker system) to not suck

[Skelshy]

I am reading the pinned thread and I have a question first - for the 9 speaker setup, it looks like it's effectively bi-amped, with the mid and tweeter wired together. Did I get that right? Is there a crossover for the mid and tweeter? What is the crossover frequency between the 6.5in and the rest?

What's a better strategy, go for a higher quality 2-way system and ignore the 3.5 in speaker, or put in a 3-way?

Sponsored

 

[Bassackwards]

Trash the amp and all the speakers. It’s not that hard to upgrade

 

[Evolvd]

The tweeter has a bass blocker built into it, so it’s a passive crossover. If you replace the tweeter you’d have to install your own passive crossover or it’ll receive full signal from the OEM amplifier. They are also wired in parallel so replacing with aftermarket 4ohm speakers end up throwing off the resistance the amp sees and will negatively affect volume.

 

[Stang4me]

The tweeter has a bass blocker built into it, so it’s a passive crossover. If you replace the tweeter you’d have to install your own passive crossover or it’ll receive full signal from the OEM amplifier. They are also wired in parallel so replacing with aftermarket 4ohm speakers end up throwing off the resistance the amp sees and will negatively affect volume.

 

[Stang4me]

I read these articles all the time and my first question is “what is your source material?” If you are using MP3 or your phone play list, you are using an inferior music source. They are buffered to the extreme. Most cars of moderate to expensive have good systems. If you stream your music, you will notice your stares brighten up. I have been doing car stereo and home stereo installs for over 40 years and have freinds that own stereo stores. They LOVE the guys coming in for complete systems because they make big bucks for installs. They spend CB 5000$ for a new sound system then plug in their phone. You can adjust the interior sound greatly by speaker selection but that doesn’t mean it’s better. Engineers use sophisticated equipment to smoothen out response and exterior noises to get the best sound for reasonable price. If you are willing to go big their is always a better stereo to be installed but there is a price/ gain ratio that becomes an ego choice not audio choice. I have been building my own speakers and systems since I was 12 and learnt that good better best isn’t always about sound quality but about your ability to pay for which end of the 3 systems you can afford. My good freind that owned Beanriders Stereo in BC was very honest and taught me much about the difference between what you pay for and what you THINK you want.

 

[GTP]

... and taught me much about the difference between what you pay for and what you THINK you want.

And lower your expectations for good sound in a car on the road. Cabin acoustics are bad, there is a single bad bass mode resonance, and the noise floor is sh!t.

I have an expensive 2-channel audio system at home, but I just run the factory B&O system in my Mustang. I have not spent a penny on anything because the rewards are too small and too expensive.

That said, my advice is to disconnect the center speaker (or switch it to Surround mode), disconnect the rear speakers (or fade them mostly to the front), and experiment with the tone controls. This is because those 3 speakers are distortion generators, not sound reproducers.

The best part of your car speakers are the ones in the doors. Do NOT follow advice to replace those first!

Finally, the biggest deficiency of the 9-speaker system is the lack of any decent bass. You cannot get this back with the tone controls. You would need to install a single subwoofer in the back (8" or 10" max), and then you have the challenge of how to get a low frequency signal back there. I would suggest to use the rear shelf speaker wires feeding into the high-level-input, sub-to-mono amplifier, but I'm not sure that the rear speakers are fed with the full low bass signal from the OEM amp.

 

[Evolvd]

And lower your expectations for good sound in a car on the road. Cabin acoustics are bad, there is a single bad bass mode resonance, and the noise floor is sh!t.

I have an expensive 2-channel audio system at home, but I just run the factory B&O system in my Mustang. I have not spent a penny on anything because the rewards are too small and too expensive.

That said, my advice is to disconnect the center speaker (or switch it to Surround mode), disconnect the rear speakers (or fade them mostly to the front), and experiment with the tone controls. This is because those 3 speakers are distortion generators, not sound reproducers.

The best part of your car speakers are the ones in the doors. Do NOT follow advice to replace those first!

Finally, the biggest deficiency of the 9-speaker system is the lack of any decent bass. You cannot get this back with the tone controls. You would need to install a single subwoofer in the back (8" or 10" max), and then you have the challenge of how to get a low frequency signal back there. I would suggest to use the rear shelf speaker wires feeding into the high-level-input, sub-to-mono amplifier, but I'm not sure that the rear speakers are fed with the full low bass signal from the OEM amp.

The stock system has a bass roll off in the rear to protect the cheap speakers. It’s best to defeat this in the APIM by using FORscan to turn it off. Tapping into the rear speaker signal will cause the same effect in an added sub if you don’t defeat the programming.

 

[GTP]

^ This is the info I was looking for, and OP needs.

 

[Stang4me]

And lower your expectations for good sound in a car on the road. Cabin acoustics are bad, there is a single bad bass mode resonance, and the noise floor is sh!t.

I have an expensive 2-channel audio system at home, but I just run the factory B&O system in my Mustang. I have not spent a penny on anything because the rewards are too small and too expensive.

That said, my advice is to disconnect the center speaker (or switch it to Surround mode), disconnect the rear speakers (or fade them mostly to the front), and experiment with the tone controls. This is because those 3 speakers are distortion generators, not sound reproducers.

The best part of your car speakers are the ones in the doors. Do NOT follow advice to replace those first!

Finally, the biggest deficiency of the 9-speaker system is the lack of any decent bass. You cannot get this back with the tone controls. You would need to install a single subwoofer in the back (8" or 10" max), and then you have the challenge of how to get a low frequency signal back there. I would suggest to use the rear shelf speaker wires feeding into the high-level-input, sub-to-mono amplifier, but I'm not sure that the rear speakers are fed with the full low bass signal from the OEM amp.

Yes I agree with you. I have a convertible calli and bass is lacking. With a good streaming source, the stereo setting is much tighter than the surround settings. It isn’t that there are not better speakers. It’s the money to improved accuracy that must be considered. A sound analyzer is a must if you think you must change speakers. To achieve that HI-FI LIVE MUSIC EFFECT will take much money and effort. To increase a frequency or area of frequencies is simply to change a speaker.
In 1977 I heard a 5000$ home stereo that was 25 watts using Kef Ohm speakers and Bryson amp at Big Bird sound in north Vancouver. Carver was just starting out. That demo illustrated what the difference between sound and HI-FI is really all about.

 

[Bassackwards]

And lower your expectations for good sound in a car on the road. Cabin acoustics are bad, there is a single bad bass mode resonance, and the noise floor is sh!t.

I have an expensive 2-channel audio system at home, but I just run the factory B&O system in my Mustang. I have not spent a penny on anything because the rewards are too small and too expensive.

That said, my advice is to disconnect the center speaker (or switch it to Surround mode), disconnect the rear speakers (or fade them mostly to the front), and experiment with the tone controls. This is because those 3 speakers are distortion generators, not sound reproducers.

The best part of your car speakers are the ones in the doors. Do NOT follow advice to replace those first!

Finally, the biggest deficiency of the 9-speaker system is the lack of any decent bass. You cannot get this back with the tone controls. You would need to install a single subwoofer in the back (8" or 10" max), and then you have the challenge of how to get a low frequency signal back there. I would suggest to use the rear shelf speaker wires feeding into the high-level-input, sub-to-mono amplifier, but I'm not sure that the rear speakers are fed with the full low bass signal from the OEM amp.

Everything here is wrong and should be ignored.

I have a 12” in the trunk and it rocks

 

[S550HPP]

9 speaker is easy upgrade. I have $1500 into my system (see sig) plus I did install and it sounds amazing.

Dry a cheap sub swap first otherwise don't spend any time or money on this stock system.

 

[Skelshy]

Ordered Focal Flax coaxials for the rears for now since that's a swap I can do on my own. Plan to disconnect the center speaker, and disable EQ and bass roll off with forscan. Then re-evaluate.

 

[TonyT930]

Everything here is wrong and should be ignored.

I have a 12” in the trunk and it rocks

I agree. I have a 17' GT vert and the new system rocks. Well worth the time and effort

 

[PoCoBob]

Ordered Focal Flax coaxials for the rears for now since that's a swap I can do on my own. Plan to disconnect the center speaker, and disable EQ and bass roll off with forscan. Then re-evaluate.

I have the 9 speaker system in my 2019 Premium and I tried that Forscan disable and it did nothing, no change at all. I posted that info here and a couple folks who seem to know their stuff said it only works on the base 6 speaker system. I have no idea if that is true or not.

So now I've changed all the speakers except the A pillar tweeters, I'm not getting involved with airbags so they are staying as is. I used Kenwood KFC-X3C for the 3.5" speakers and I used the suppled crossover (filter?) as suggested by Crutchfield. The rear deck I used Rockford Fosgate P1650 2-way speakers and in the lower doors I used Audison Prima AP65 midbass woofers and went with 2 ohm as suggested by a local audio shop. Prior to that all the speakers were 4 ohm. It sounds way better than stock and there is bass coming out of the rear deck speakers.

If you want ear splitting volume and home theatre sound quality you would not be happy with what I have. But if you just want to make a major improvement over what you have now it doesn't sound bad at all.

 

[Skelshy]

If you want ear splitting volume and home theatre sound quality you would not be happy with what I have. But if you just want to make a major improvement over what you have now it doesn't sound bad at all.

Thanks. I am an audiophile but this is a noisy car environment and critical listening is not the goal. I just need it to not suck, for the thin sound brittle treble to go away.

Sponsored