A Good way to make Door Speaker Adapters...

[WCCBaLLeR]

Its pretty sad the way that some people around here make door speaker mounting plates for their cars. I recently swapped the speakers in my M35 and figured i would shoot a few pics of the process to show you all another way that is easier and faster and produces better results. I also see that a lot of you guys have chosen plexi, lexan, lucite, etc. as your choice of materials for making your plates. Plastics provide a lot or harmonic distortion when used in these applications...MDF works better to provide a solid, "dead", mounting surface. The bass response will be much improved.

Use a table router with a flush trim bit installed. Screw your factory doorspeaker and mounting bracket to the wood. Run the bearing of the flush trim bit around the edge of the mounting plate...you will now have a perfect outside template. Do this for as many doors as you are changing speakers in. I use a circle router to cut my inner circle for mounting the driver...it should look like this...

I chose to also add a pice of 3/4" MDF on top of my 1/2" mounting template. This way the door speaker will be spaced out far enough for the magnet to clear the window and window track. Next drill mounting holes for the plate and for the driver you are installing. I choose to use T-Nuts and Hex head fasteners for a tighter fit and for better servicability down the read. I also use a drop of superglue on the back of the T-nuts to make sure they hold their positions.







I hope this helps some of you...If you do not have the know how or the setup to make the templates with a router, your local audio shop can probably make them for you pretty cheap.

If you have any questions, i will be glad to answer them.

Chad

[Simmsled]

I dont like your arrogance there mr. car audio champ. I am re-naming your thread.

[WCCBaLLeR]

There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Take it as you will but the 'Right" way was the correct title. The wrong way is what i have seen posted here. If the shoe fits...

Chad

[Simmsled]

You will not gain credibility by being arrogant. Especially since you are a noob. Let your work speak for itself, not your words.

You could go a step further and realize that door mounted speakers are the wrong way. Kickpanels are truely the best place for sound quality and imaging. So you see there champ, the right way & wrong way is completely relative. For what many people do, simple adaptor plates are all they need. I do like what you have done. It is an improvement on simple adaptor plates. But like I said, it is an improvement. To me, the "right way" does not fit. Thats why I changed it. But... I still like your work, and thats why this thread is still here.

[amolao]

The basic idea works fine, but these are too thick for an S13 240sx, you will never be able to fit the door trim panel. Only giving people heads up before they attempt the same measurements on their 240's...

[WCCBaLLeR]

You could go a step further and realize that door mounted speakers are the wrong way. Kickpanels are truely the best place for sound quality and imaging. So you see there champ, the right way & wrong way is completely relative. For what many people do, simple adaptor plates are all they need. I do like what you have done. It is an improvement on simple adaptor plates. But like I said, it is an improvement. To me, the "right way" does not fit. .

I didnt title the thread how to properly set up your front stage. ..I titled it The right way to make door speaker adapters. Kick panels would obviously sound better than door mounted speakers but so does a full fiberglass dash set up just for sound. So unless you know of a better way to build adapters like this thread is about, it is the "Right" way to do it. End of story.

Amolao, i agree. These plates were built to this thickness to insure that the specs were the same as factory and there would be no clearance issues. Plates can be built the same way in any thickness.

Chad

[Simmsled]

For most people here, the "cheap and easy" is the best way. For others that are more inclined to spend time critically evaluating their soundstage, yours is the best. So which one is the best if there are 2 bests? My conviction is that there is not a best way due to the intention of the end user. Thats all I am saying.

Honestly its not a big deal, however... it is not fair to the people that come here for support to infer that making a simple adaptor for their "better sound investment" is wrong.

[PoorManQ45]

I'll take this one on Simm.

WCC: Your statement about the plexi, lexan, lucite adding harmonic distortion is incorrect.

First. The door speakers should be crossed over no lower the 80hz. This is well above the range in which the door driver will be utilizing a large amount of excursion.

Lexan and plexi are both perfectly fine even for a sub as long as it is of sufficient thickness. You are assuming that someone is going to use 1/4 plexi. This is incorrect. For a door speaker 1/2 to 3/4 inch can be used with absolutely no ill effects. For a sub this would have to be thicker with cross bracing(that'd look cool), but again, it'd add no distortion as long as it is of sufficient thickness.

Third. Don't bring your arrogance on here. Both Simmsled and myself can single handedly kick your arse when it comes to electronics.

So don't come on here all high and mighty trying to blow your own horn.

Saying you're great means nothing, being told you're great means alot, but being talked about as being great means everything!

So it is not you who gets to choose wheather you are worthy. It is us.

Right now you are an unworthy individual that knows how to follow directions that are posted on http://www.the12volt.com

[WCCBaLLeR]

PoormanQ45 and Simmsled are both dumb a$$es in my book...Do you even know who you are talking to? I mean seriously. Do you have any idea how many magazine articles i have done, how many times i have taken trophies at Daytona Spring Break Nationals or even how many places in the world i have been flown to teach what i can do. The 2 of you combined are still half a nobody. I am currently training in Russia and Saudi Arabia for others to pick up on some of my techniques.

The only thing that was even half way correct out of PoormanQ45s post was the thickness of the lexan...yes 1/2 or 3/4 would be sufficient but the pics posted here were of 1/4 and not gonna cut it. Not the everyday DIY can afford 3/4 inch plexi.

Simmsled...do you really like PPI? I hope so cause i build all the demo vehicles for them and Orion and Directed each year for SEMA and CES...If you were smart at all you would pay attention and learn something.

PoormanQ45...i saw your powered sub box project, what a fukkin joke! You guys keep puttin out your top quality work there!

[email protected]

[PoorManQ45]

PoormanQ45...i saw your powered sub box project, what a fukkin joke! You guys keep puttin out your top quality work there!

LOL. Guess how much that project cost?

$450. Guess what! It will kick manufactured subs arses up to about $1k.

Minimum distortion, excellent low end extension, low group delay, easy load for an amp, blah blah blah...

I don't have to explain myself to you.

Wow, you've written articles... That means jack to me. Would you care to give us your name. I'll google it and see what others have to say about you. If it's good, then I may give you a little credit, but until you learn to play nice with others you are an arrogant idiot.

Care to share something technical with us just to show that you actually know something out of the norm?

[amolao]

[hannibal]

I dont like your arrogance there mr. car audio champ. I am re-naming your thread.

Saying you're great means nothing, being told you're great means alot, but being talked about as being great means everything!

So it is not you who gets to choose wheather you are worthy. It is us.

Weiro, we're good guys on NICO. But being handy with a router and MDF does not make you God. Hop off your hi horse and relax a bit...

[amolao]

I think we should settle this with a good ole' Southern style boom box contest ya'll..... Post pics of your work, speaker boxes, custom installations.... NO PHOTOSHOPPED PIC OR GOOGLED PICS!!!!

Let's get it on!!!!!

[WCCBaLLeR]

If you want to post pics of work, lets do it. I am only here on Nico forums because a sponsor of mine is also a sponsor of the site. I hate to come off the way i have but some people amaze me. This is not my first time around the block..

I will dig through some pics on my laptops hard drive and upload them to photobucket and post the links...

Here are a few about a year old...posted once in the extreme audio thread.



Built that in less than a month for the CES show in Directed's booth...16 subs, 12 amps, motorized rack in the middle of enclosure, custom door panels, etc...



A 2 door Charger we built for SEMA last year...trunk was done in 8 days start to finish...How many 2 door chargers have you guys worked on?



This hummer was built for the princess of Dubai...we did the entire vehicle in 2 weeks. Custom everything...doors, dash, paint , 28" wheels, brakes, 17 monitors, everything....We will do the same for you for a cool 280k including the H2.



This is a 2 door 300c vert that we built for SEMA as well. Drivesoft cpu with 10" touch screen in the dash and instead of mirrors we use the 3 monitors with 3 cameras in the back and sides that are hidden...they work really well actually.

Those are a few pics...I have tons more. Besides how many of you can say that you have worked on Enzo's and Lambo's and Bentley GT's etc and drive them all as well?

You wanna bring it, you better come hard.

Chad

[AZhitman]

OK, ok, ok....

Everyone CHILL.

Let's take a deep breath, quit measuring penises, and get back to helping each other with car audio knowledge.

No one cares who knows what, who knows who, and who works for who...

Let's do this: We'll make sure we show everyone an EXPENSIVE way and a CHEAP way of doing things...

As long as we're not spreading blatant misinformation, there's room for everyone here.

Be nice, dammit.

[nismofly]

the right way to do speakers is to yank them out, along with the rest of the interior, install a cage and race bucket

its easier that way too

lol

[SeVa-S13]

the right way to do speakers is to yank them out, along with the rest of the interior, install a cage and race bucket

its easier that way too

lol

What, no aquarium?

[AZhitman]

"When we firs' got yo' car, you had some nappy-a$$ tweed seats, y0. So we installed some La-Z-Boy recliners, in crushed velvet, so you can be...."

Ooops.

Wait, wrong TV show.

[Simmsled]

Wcc, as a professional car audio individual I would hope that you would treat everyone with respect and represent your company with humility and integrity. Please do not put NICO members, or their work down.

[AZhitman]

Agreed.

Don't make me call up X to tha....

Wait.

Wrong show. Again. Sorry.

You guys wanna tackle a custom interior and fiberglass tonneau for Project Vert? zer...age=1

[WCCBaLLeR]

Sick ride AZhitman....that $hit is dope.

[audtatious]

Nice work Chad.

The problem we have with audio sections of car forums is that most members don't even have routers nor know how to use them. If I had the time and initiative, a FG enclosure would be my first step (or use a better material to cover a box in instead of the heavy-backed carpet crap I had to get from a local audio store due to time constraints). Building and implementing is far easier when you have the proper tools, which most don't.

For the most part, installs here are relatively "head and 4" style or the basic amp + sub style setup.

Greg, bring your POS vert over here. I'll pick up the rest of my compressor tools and get it together for ya

[PoorManQ45]

Nice glass work. Have you done any SQ projects though?

If you read my posts you'll realize that SQ always comes before SPL for me. I'd rather hit 85~90dB and be perfectly accurate then hit 150dB and be sloppy...

[Simmsled]

Those are some of my projects.

Oh, and if you guys havent seen the one on the top before, its because the public has not even heard of it yet. I cant say what it is, however.

[PoorManQ45]

Say what! Where do you work!

Oh yeah, just to be arrogant...

WCC: You do realize that Fiberglass causes absolutely horrible harmonic distortion when used in sub enclosures, right?

Hehe.

[Simmsled]

PMQ, fiberglass... when thick enough, is pretty dead. Only the thinnest fiberglass really would resonate.

I work for a subsidiary of Siemens across the following companies:

ValeoOsramIchicohSylvania

[PoorManQ45]

PMQ, fiberglass... when thick enough, is pretty dead. Only the thinnest fiberglass really would resonate.

It is solid when thick enough, but it inherrently resonates. There simply is not enough mass. This is one of the main reasons that MDF is used in all but Portable(PA) speakers. You need mass to prevent "parasitic losses" through the enclosure.

[Simmsled]

I am all for closing this thread, it is just wack.

[AZhitman]

Brien, shhhh.

When you're REALLY good at this stuff, someone will give you a paycheck that reflects that.

Until then, less typing, more learning.

[audtatious]

I do believe he is getting a paycheck for doing it now...