Hi, me again. I just realized my Dodge Ram Quad cab has 6x9 inch speakers in the front and I want to put in some 6.5 inch Kappas. Are there any adapters for this sort of thing or do I have to jimmy-rig it myself? Any suggestions? OJ:huh:
Instlling a 6 incher into a 6x0 location is easy really.....LOTS of ducktape!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!! Actually, the easiest way is to take the factory speaker, trace it out onto a peice of 1/4 inch masonite board. trace it out real good, including the screw holes. then put the template for the 6 onto it and trace it out....cut accordingly.......... If you want the tweets in the same location, it can be done, just fit everything into place, trace it out, and cut with a jigsaw. when your adaptor is cut out, paint it flat black, put some cheap weather striping on the back to seal it to the door, and install........
It is like the material that is used for peg boards in shops/garages etc. I think that there are companies that sell the pre-made adapters (Crutchfield, eBay). I would do as the Viking says though and put some adhesive backed weatherstripping around the edge to ensure a good seal and make sure it won't rattle. Why not just drop a good 6 x 9 in there it will give you more power handling and more mid-bass response. I think the ole' 6 x 9 gets a bad rap and it has been around forever.
Why? The 6 x 9's have a greater surface area, therefore are capable of producing better bass and mid bass then a 6-1/2-inch speaker. In fact a 6 x 9 has nearly 40% more surface area. I would stay with 6 x 9's
This is true. But I personally would have to say that a quality set of componenets would provide much better midrange and upper register response than any 6x9....
And I am going to disagree with The Viking. And I will use the same arguement. (Azn, did I spell arquement right?) Any good quality 6 x 9 will provide excellent midrange and highs when compared with a 6-1/2 component set. Plus you will get better mid-bass and bass responce from the larger speaker. The main reason I would recommend staying with the 6 x 9 is the better low end response, makes the sub sound like its in the front of the car with the 6 x 9. You did not say what year your truck is. Newer Dodges will need a spacer ring to mount 6 x 9 Kappas. I make my own by cutting them out of 3/4-inch MDF. 6-1/2 will be less of an issue, but I would still make the mounting ring out of 3/4-inch MDF, masonite is a little to flimsy. The nore solid the speaker is mounted the better it will perform.
Ah heck, now i gotta disagree with Ranger!!!!! LOL!! A 6x9 can create some really great midbass, very true. BUT, the usual method of bridging the tweeter across the cone of the woofer causes a few issues with sound. And generally speaking, the tweeters in a coax set are lacking in any quality compared to a quality set of components. that on top of the fact that todays midbass drivers have quite a bit of excursion that would rival that of many 6x9's...... then there is the fact that they generally use higher quality x-over componts. I have heard some KILLER 6x9's over the years! Pyle actually made one of the best sounding years ago IMO..... Hey, gotta have someone in here to argue with about this stuff!!! love ya man!!! But, bottom line, as always, let your own ears decide what sounds the best......we can argue, and critisze all day and it wont make a rats butt difference in how you hear!!!!
The way that I've always known it to be is. (comp) 6x9's produce louder bass, but round speakers are clearer and produce more accurate bass since it's loud. I have (coaxial) 6x8's the front of my car, and (coaxial) 6x9's in the back, I've heard many (coaxial & comp) 6.5s in many cars, and really, I don't hear much a difference. Then again, I've never heard a 6x9 component set, probably cuz they dont' exist = I only know of MB Quart and Infinity to make them. JL Makes 6x8 components. But really there's no point. Might as well just get 6.5s and be happy. Oh and those plastic plates or masonite are CRAP. I used to have them in the back and they RATTLED like HELLL - granted I have crazy bass, but still. rattle drives me crazy. So moral of the story - MDF!! that's what my shop uses!
You guys must not remember the Cerwin Vega CS-18a & CS-15 which were the king of 6x9's in there day. Cast aluminum frames, resetable horn tweeter that was integrated into the metal grill so it would not interfere with the woofer's performance. I still have a pair, they have woven material surrounds so they won't rot. I have some pictures and they don't make them like this anymore. The JBL t545 and t595 are pretty hefty as are the Polk Momo 690's there are some good 6x9's out there but you have to wade through all the garbage ones to find them. My Magnum Professional's are 23 years old, it is basically a three-way component set with a 6x9 woofer. The woofer is massive and has a cast frame with about a 6lb magnet structure and a 1 1/2" voice coil. I bought them as new old stock but had to have the deteriorated foam surrounds replaced. I found the super rare matching HF modules on eBay not to long ago and rebuilt them with better drivers. This was a very expensive set back in the early 80's and still kicks ass today. The midbass snap from these things is amazing. I tried Morel MW-166's on a plate and the Magnum's ate them alive from a performance standpoint.
