QuestionQUESTION: I have a 1966 Olds Delta 88 with foot emergency brake in front of the drivers side kick panel. Since I'm limited there with flat installing a speaker (2.25" clearance), would I still benefit in music quality if I installed a component speaker system so I can aim the tweeter about 45 degrees to between the driver and passenger? I'd like to get bass sound, I have room behind the kick panels to have 7"x10" speakers. If the speakers have 30 Hz and up, would the oversized speakers (I assume there's no 7x10 component speakers) be "better" bass than a subwoofer behind the back seat in the trunk? Thanks.
ANSWER: Hi Carl,
Since you're not going to be able to "aim" the speakers, then yes, I'd definitely choose a component speaker system. Allowing for more flexibility with tweeter placement and direction can only help you. Tweeters tend to have a narrower dispersion pattern than midrange and bass drivers, and their output is more easily blocked by obstacles, so it makes sense to give yourself more options for placing and aiming them. Don't assume that aiming them between the driver and passenger will necessarily give you the best imaging, though; once you have the mid-range components in place, you'll want to experiment with the orientation of the tweeters until you find the positioning that gives you the most natural imaging for the driver and the passenger.
As for the bass response, the best thing you can do here is make sure that the mid/bass drivers are installed into a well-damped, sealed location that doesn't have any openings between the front and the rear of the speaker, and is rigid enough that it won't vibrate when the speakers is playing. However, don't be fooled by the published frequency response specs of the component system. If you're seeing a frequency range that starts around 30Hz for a 6.5" component system, then it's probably the point of -12dB roll-off. Even a very good 6.5" system will usually start to roll off the low frequencies around 80-100Hz, and will reach a -3dB point around 50-70Hz. That means that a well-installed component speaker system will give you good low-end output for a wide range of music, but won't be comparable to a subwoofer system. If you want powerful bass in the 30-80Hz range, chances are you're going to need a sub.
Hope this helps!
Brian
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the component speaker info. If I added a sub, with the two component speakers having a RMS of 50, what should the sub specs be in RMS? I'll see if I can find a place up under the dash for a 10" sub. Can a four channel amp be used, and then combine two of the channels for the sub?
AnswerCarl,
The power rating of the sub, relative to the speakers, isn't all that critical. You can find quite a few good subs in the 150-200 watt range. I think your idea of using a four-channel amp, and bridging two channels for the sub, is a good one. Many 50x4 amplifiers will produce a bridged RMS power rating of 150-200 watts. Examples are Rockford Fosgate's P400-4 or Alpine's MRP-F300, but there are many more. Note that you'll need to choose a 4-ohm sub; either a 4-ohm single voice coil, or a 2-ohm dual voice coil.
If you're thinking about setting up an under-dash subwoofer system, you might look at Pioneer's new shallow-mount subwoofers. They're designed for very small sealed enclosures, and if you're thinking of building a box to fit cleanly under the dash, a sub with a very shallow mounting depth gives you a lot more options.
Brian
