Proper 6x9 speaker box installation

avelanchefan

Ok the 4" speakers in the back of my car HAVE to go. I am just sick and tired of the fatiguing sound, and lack of any type of bass. Only way for me to go is to purchase speakers and put them in an enclosure.

So right now I am leaning toward the Alpine SPS690A or the Pioneer TSA6970R speakers, and the enclosures.

What I am curious about is when I do get the speakers and boxes do I need to seal the box? Or will **** them in be enough? And if I do need to seal it, what is the best route to go in doing so.

Thanks for the help guys.

Avsfan

TrappedUnder Ice

If your gonna use boxes....then yes seal them. Use silicon caulk to seal between the deck and the box after screwed-in/installed.

ever thought about ditching the back speakers and getting an amp/sub combo?:eek:

avelanchefan

Yes the Amp sub combo is in the works, but my front speakers can only be 5 1/4. So they are basically weak. I mean they are better than the stock speakers, but I need some "big/strong" sound in the back.

So when sealing ( so I understand correctly) after installing the speakers in the box I will silicone the area around the speakers and the deck. Correct?

MacLeod

5 1/4 speakers arent weak. They may lack in bass output but they will have better tonal accuracy than a 6x9 due to the fact that oval speakers are not as rigid as round speakers and therefore tend to distort, or color the sound more than a round. Many, many competition systems use 5 1/4 speakers and Ive even seen a couple using 4" as well.

Also, its a matter of personal preference but you want your sound to be coming from the front and not the back. When was the last time you went to see a band play and the sound came from behind you. Idealy you want the image to be about halfway down your windshiled, centered in front of you. A buddy of mine in Texas used a Focal 3 way system in a VW and, I swear, the soundstage seemed like it was halfway down the hood!

Sealing your box cant hurt but I personally dont think you have to do it. You should seal all the edges where the box is joined (if youre buying a premade box then it should already be sealed) but you dont have to seal where the speaker mounts. It makes it a real pain if you ever have to take the speaker back out. Besides, the eensy weensy tiny bit of air that would leak thru the mounting plate will be insignifigant at best.

Before you buy the Pioneer or Alpine, I highly, HIGHLY recommend listening to the Polk/Momo 6x9. I bought a set for my truck to hold me over til I could upgrade to a competition level speaker but I love these things so much Im having a hard time talking myself into getting rid of them! Trust me! As far as 6x9's go, you wont find a better sounding one than the Momo.

Jstas

HOLD THE PHONE HERE!


Before you do anything, listen up.

Silicone caulking WILL DESTROY THE RUBBER SURROUNDS AND GLUES HOLDING THE SPEAKERS TOGETHER.

With that said, here is what you should do.

If you are getting 6x9 boxes for 6x9's, then you will most likely not have to seal them yourself. However, it does not hurt at all to run a bead on the INSIDE corners of the box. Just like if you were caulking a bathtiub. You will want to cover every joint on the inside where the panels of the box sides meet. Make sure you push the silicone down into the joint with your finger as best as you can so it seals properly. DO NOT silicone anything on the speaker mounting surface.

After you are done caulking the boxes, put them in an open area with the speaker holes facing up, into the air. They have to vent. As the silicone dries, it releases gases and fumes that will dissolve the soft butyl rubber and most glues in the speakers. It can even strip off laminating on treated paper pulp cones. Let them sit for 3-7 days. Most fast dry silicones require a 24 hour curing period or less. Other can require a couple days to a week. What ever one you use, add 2-5 days to the curing process to ensure that all the fumes have escaped the enclosure.

When you are ready to mount the speakers, go to a car parts store o a home improvement store and get yourself either a few sheets of rubber gasket material or double-sided foam tape. Even thin weather stripping will work. Use the speaker mounting template to make an outline on the gasket material to cut it out or, use the foam tape and stick it around the mounting plate of the speaker on the side that will be up against the box. Then run your wires inside the box, you may even want to cram a few ounces of batting inside the box too. Place the box in the speaker hold and screw it down.

You're done, mount them in the car and start enjoying! Those speakers will be sealed in the box properly and solidly. You should have many years of listening enjoyment out of them.

Some advice though. If you are woodworking inclined, I suggest constructing your own boxes. Much better materials and quality control and you can finish them off to match your interior exactly rather that pretty closely. Also, if bass response is still lacking, installing ports in the boxes may help. If you do install ports, remove the speaker from the box and drill your hole to fit the port. Glue teh port in with an RTV or silicone gasket making material and let it sit again. Doesn't have to be real long because th box is now vented. Shove the batting back in and mount the speaker.

Also, terminal cups are usually backed with a soft rubber pad that seals the hole but it never hurts to run a bead of silicone around that too. If the box is cheap and has spring terminals, you may want to take that cup out and get your self some banana clip terminals or binding post terminlas to fit those holes. One of the biggest ways that people introduce noise into car stereos is by having crappy connections.

All this advice goes for sub enclosures too. I'd do the same stuf for a home enclosure too. However, for subs, considering the level of power they use, I wouldn't using anything less than binding posts because I have seen spring terminals actually melt from the heat of 300-500 watts being pumped through them.

Jstas

Originally posted by MacLeod
Sealing your box cant hurt but I personally dont think you have to do it. You should seal all the edges where the box is joined (if youre buying a premade box then it should already be sealed) but you dont have to seal where the speaker mounts. It makes it a real pain if you ever have to take the speaker back out. Besides, the eensy weensy tiny bit of air that would leak thru the mounting plate will be insignifigant at best.

Any leakage of air of any kind other that a port, where it is supposed to leak, means that the box's inside cannot be pressurized properly when the speaker is operating. If the enclosure can't be pressurized by teh speaker, it will cause not only a large decrease in enclosure efficiency but due to the uneven pressure distribution behind teh cone, inside teh box, it can actually promote and increase distortion levels which color music and sound like utter crap.

As far as the Focals go dude, they are nice but imaging has everything to do with placement, not necessarily the speaker. I can set up a pair of Sparkomatic 6.5" 3 ways mounting in boxes in my dad's garage to have the most incredible imaging you have ever heard for such a speaker. But they are still one of the crappiest set of speakers I have ever hear when mounted in a car.

MTXMAN

I agree with what traped said. if you have a trunk you should just leave out the 4" speakers and save yourself some money by foregoing the 6x9's and just getting a good sub/amp combo. by leaving out the 4"s it'll enable the sound to enter the car more freely, should take care of your problem nicely.

MacLeod

Originally posted by Jstas
Any leakage of air of any kind other that a port, where it is supposed to leak, means that the box's inside cannot be pressurized properly when the speaker is operating. If the enclosure can't be pressurized by teh speaker, it will cause not only a large decrease in enclosure efficiency but due to the uneven pressure distribution behind teh cone, inside teh box, it can actually promote and increase distortion levels which color music and sound like utter crap.

As far as the Focals go dude, they are nice but imaging has everything to do with placement, not necessarily the speaker. I can set up a pair of Sparkomatic 6.5" 3 ways mounting in boxes in my dad's garage to have the most incredible imaging you have ever heard for such a speaker. But they are still one of the crappiest set of speakers I have ever hear when mounted in a car.

As far as the enclosure goes, I agree witcha that an air tight box is important in subwoofer or high power applications but I was thinking of 6x9s getting about 50 watts each. In that sitation, I dont think the box integrity would be as crucial. Hell mine are mounted in my door which has all kind of leaks in it but they still sound sweet. However I have them crossed at 80 hz so bass response isnt an issue. If youre wanting good bass out of some 6x9s then youre right, the better the box the better the bass.

I didnt mean to imply that the Focals were the reason for the excellent image, I was just noting the brand of speakers he was using. He had the 4" mids in kick panels, the 6" midbass in the lower door panels and the tweets in the mirror sail. Thats kind of stange to have 3 seperate speakers that far away from each other but it shore did work!

avelanchefan

Well I am in a open area SUV. (Rodeo to be exact) And I understand what Macleod has said, but I really do enjoy my music from the rear than the front. I like my front speakers to compliment the rears. And sorry Macleod I will never be able to afford the competition type rig were they custom make their speaker enclosures. I have to work with what I have and right now the 4" speakers in the back are not cutting it. And I am not using it to get more bass out of the speakers, I know most 6x9's are not made for bass type response. My main future goal is to get a sub setup, but I am taking baby steps with it....WAF...if you know what I mean.

Thanks everyone for the great advise.

paul mx3

are your front amped at the moment.......if not if you get a decent set of components and amp them you will notice a great difference.

you might think you want sound from the rear but with a decent front setup you wont nead the rears and they will only mess up your soundstage.....

then go for a sub/amp......

its much better to spend your time getting the bits together as you can afford them than wasting money as you go along trying to get things you think will do for now.

good 6x9's would be ok run properly if you dont intend to run a sub but if you eventually do these would only mess up the sound.

be patient......get bits at a time it will be worth it...

MacLeod

Well bro this is all a matter of personal taste so dont let anybody tell you youre wrong.....even though you are! (JK )

A Rodeo could be made into a great sounding system and you dont have to spend an **** load either. Polk has all the speakers youd ever need at great prices and Sound Domain has all the Rockford Fosgate Power series amps you could want at hellacious prices.

Heres a suggestion to ponder to show you how little you could get away with:

RF Power 551X (70x4).....$270
RF Power 451S (450x1).....$180
Polk DB 6 1/2 coax......$100
Polk DB 5 1/4 coax......$90
Polk/Momo 10" enclosed sub.....$140

Now this may not be an exact fit or a competition system but it would sound damn good pack plenty of punch all for $740 (plus wires and cable) and shows ya what you can do on a budget.

avelanchefan

Thanks Mac. There is just so much great choices it is hard to no what to do. My Sub system is already ordered, its just getting the speakers to my liking, that is why I was asking about the 6x9 boxes.

TrappedUnder Ice

Amazing..ive been building boxes for 20yrs using silicon caulk! never lost a sub/ speaker yet due to eating of the rubber surround /glue etc....LMFAO

Liquid nails can explode if not let cured....I have heard of non 100% caulk messing with non rubber surrounds!... but if you let your box cure... you wont have any issues!


Man...what wives tales we hear:eek:

Jstas

Originally posted by TrappedUnder Ice
Amazing..ive been building boxes for 20yrs using silicon caulk! never lost a sub/ speaker yet due to eating of the rubber surround /glue etc....LMFAO

Liquid nails can explode if not let cured....I have heard of non 100% caulk messing with non rubber surrounds!... but if you let your box cure... you wont have any issues!


Man...what wives tales we hear:eek:

Wow, you really pulled a boner this time.

Go back and read my post again ****. You'll see that I already said the exact same thing. Silicone caulking has to dry before you mount a speaker. The fumes and gases given off in the drying process will destroy the rubber surrounds and eat the glue that holds the speaker cones to the surround and the spider and even the voicecoil.

MacLeod

LOLOL!!!

I love it when you two fight! It seems every other thread has you two hookin' and jabbin'! I love it!

TrappedUnder Ice

hehe..All I seen was the Bold letters stating that the caulk willl fk with the speakers...and figured it was a nother "boner" answer from Jstas!!! Oh well...

sntnsupermen131

shame on you for not reading the whole post!:D
-Cody

Jstas

Originally posted by sntnsupermen131
shame on you for not reading the whole post!:D
-Cody

Ed Zachary!

TrappedUnder Ice

cody...dont have that much time to waste on usless info dude

You know me..keep it simple... :rolleyes:

Jstas

Originally posted by TrappedUnder Ice
cody...dont have that much time to waste on usless info dude

You know me..keep it simple... :rolleyes:

You really are an arrogant ****, aren't you?



















Oh yeah, AMD sucks.

MTXMAN

RAOTFLMAO

damn you two are amusing ;D

And traped, some of us actually enjoy learning why things happen ;D

TrappedUnder Ice

HeY...I'm all for teaching /learning thing...as long as its real and to the point.

Jstas

Geez, what a tool.

Why don't you just say what you mean instead of dancing around it?

MTXMAN

hey trapt, what he said WAS real and WAS to the point, he just gave a detailed explanation rather that just saying "this is how it is, take my word for it" i'd rather know why i shouldn't do something rather than just be told "don't do it" it's called using rational thought..

MacLeod

LOLOLOLOL!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!

Oh man, this is getting good! Now we got us a triple threat match (a little WWF lingo there)!



Ill put $5 on Trapped. Anyone that names himself after an old Metallica song rather than one of the new sell out songs has got to have some grit to them!

MTXMAN

everything past the black album was just downhill... sad realy... i guess the bell tolled for metallica then... they still rock shows though...

MacLeod

Actually it was more like the cash register bell rang for them. They listened to that piece of **** Bob Rock and sold their souls. They were the #1 selling metal band of all time without a radio single or even a video. All by word of mouth from their die hard loyal fans like me. Then they decided to go for the mainstream and traded in their leagues of followers that ate, slept and breathed the heavy metal lifestyle for a bunch of frat boy, trust fund babies who thought they were "bad boys" because they listened to Metallica now.

Its kind of backfired though. Their latest load of **** bombed pretty bad. I hope they are over now. They let a lot of Metallikatz down so to hell with them! :mad:

As you can tell, I take this selling out thing pretty seriously. Dont even get me started on Queensryche!

sntnsupermen131

the best concert ive ever seen, by far, was green day
they will forever be my favorite band
-Cody

MacLeod

Dream Theater rules! 13 years and each album is better than the last one.

You can tell they havent sold out...nobody knows who they are! LOL

MTXMAN

i've got a friend who idolizes DT's drummer, he's the one who introduced me to them

TrappedUnder Ice

MTX man... I agree too a point .... However..... to make a long story short