Anything wrong with mounting 6.5's above the trans?

Discussion in 'Subwoofer Box and Custom Fabrication' started by Fbmowner, May 17, 2011.

  1. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    So i was scouting out a place to mount two more 6.5's and just for a test i hooked up 2 more to my amp and just laid them rite in the center above my transmission (ford explorer), and faced them up toward the dash..and holy shi*. I was impressed! Ive never really seen this tho, is there any reason why? Compared to what my highs\mids sound like now it sounded almost like a perfect soundstage.
     
  2. TheViking

    TheViking Well-Known Member

    group delay...phasing....time alignement....etc..... be surprised what cna happen!
     
  3. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    Interesting, it sounded great to me but thats probably because my ears have gotten use to really crappy time alignment and not enough air moving up front
    =(. Im not sure ill have enough room on the kick panels, and if i do my legs will literally be blocking the entire speaker. This was just an idea, but maybe ill test it out a little more with them laying there and see how it sounds, maybe i got lucky since the center of this truck is really low?
     
  4. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    The center speaker really does work and it works well. Look at the picture of my truck. You can make out the Center Channel Speaker just below the ash tray. Its in a sealed enclosure, facing up into the dash. This set up really works. It has its own dedicated amp, bridged mono.

    [​IMG]

    SUPER Good Idea, I know, I've done it
     
  5. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

  6. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    SVO thats very impressive, maybe ill consider just putting a 6.5 in there just like that. i was messing with positoning of the kick panels for a 6.5 in each but the one on the drivers side is just wasted. Would a 2way 6.5 be ideal for mounting under the ask tray just like you have? Just trying to get a plan together.
     
  7. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    I don't see why not. Tweeters are very directional, but if its not pointed at you it should work well. The amp powering the center is an older Kenwood, its a 75watt x 75watt. Its bridged mono at 180watts RMS. The speaker is an older Polk mid bass driver (just the woofer from a component set) rated at 60 watts RMS. I drive the center full range, NO LowPass. Low Pass filters take away too much from the front.

    The enclosure is sealed and made of both MDF and Fiberglass. I wanted as much air space as possible. So the floor of the truck was covered with duct tape (not the best idea) and fiberglass was laid out. The fiberglass is the bottom of the box and allowes me to have a really decent size box because the base of the box follows the floor shape.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2011
  8. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    Thats really cool, my explorer is automatic so i have alot more room on the floor where your shifter is, if i decided to throw 2 there i can extended the enclosure all the way to the bottom of the center console to get some good sound. Thanks alot for posting this SVO its giving me alot to think about =D. Its possible i might bridge just 1 speaker on ch 3 and 4 of my amp for full sound, or ill just use 2 6.5's like i said before and throw them on mono.
     
  9. TheViking

    TheViking Well-Known Member

    another option...a bit radical......

    if you have the room underneath....put drivers in the floor. just in front of the seat. with glass enclosures behind them. done this in a few vehicles as an experiment...made for stellar midbass up front...can provide details if interested......
     
  10. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    That sounds badass Viking but im not looking to get that much into it.. my only question for the center speakers are, should i leave the higher quality speakers in the doors?
     
  11. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    swap them around to find out. only way to know.
     
  12. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    Here is what I might wanna try in your situation. I would stay with one 6-1/2 inch speaker. Because you have more room, you can build a bigger center enclosure than what I could. I would see if its possible to build a 0.25 cu ft enclosure. A 2-inch port 6.5-inches long should work or a 1-1/2-inch port around 4-inches long. Either size will work

    The port and the speaker MUST face away from you.

    In my truck, I can turn off the door speakers. The truck sounds great with just the center and the tweeters running. But I do lose volume, I've always wondered what would happen if I put different speakers there. So try a cheaper speaker in your doors after the center is set up and working right. Please let me know how it works, I really wanna know

    This summer I'll be helping a friend with a system, it will consist of a 6 x 9 center channel and two 4-inch satelite speakers. I know this set up will work
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2011
  13. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    I hate to say after all the info you guys have been tossing into this thread, but i finally decided to just go with kick panel pods for 1 huge reason. I dont feel i have enough experience with enclosure design and fiberglassing at this point so im going to warm up with kick panels even tho its not the best positioning at all, but so far its going well. Ive got the mold done, mdf ring mounted and my fleece stretched. Ill try to start glassing during the week if i can. Either way SVO, if i feel a bit more comfortable with everything once i have these pods done, its on to that center speaker! These kicks are not meant for SQ, its basically just to get a good feeling of molding with fiberglass and lack of tools! Heres a shot of the one ive started.http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/820/sspx1894.jpg/
     
  14. Fbmowner

    Fbmowner Full Member

    Did this out of a mold of the floor\kick so i didnt ruin my kick panel if i screwed up, but i think i did pretty good, so i think ill actually do this again and make it part of the kick =D. Of course with alot more sanding and some filler =D [​IMG]

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