18 replies to this topic

[sarni]

Hi i kno this has been covered many times but i cant get speaker pods at the front because the air con is in the way, thinking about putting speakers in the doors but where can i get the pockets wiv the speaker holes. Also Tweeters would you be able to cut into the piece above the dashboard?

Does anyone have one of those powered sub boxes like the alpine swe-1000? if so are they any good?

many thanks

[mrslaphead]

I put some 8.5cm speakers in the air vent holes, because with air con I can do without them.

[nickrose]

Hi Sarni,

I have just installed these in my 98 Cooper with Air Con:



The pockets are from Bolt on Bits - £85 in Cleckheaton , nr Bradford or on E-bay Here

Can get cheaper ones from Bolt on Bits (around £50) but do not have pocket lights or puddle lights.

My speakers are Alpine SPR-13S 13cm Component speakers.

I know £200 for speakers and pockets are expensive but they do look and sounds fantastic.

I did have an Alipne SWE-1000 in an old car, it was O.K but a bit under powered, the bass seemed to get lost.

Hope this helps. Nick

Edited by nickrose, 29 May 2009 - 12:39 PM.

[M44K TS]

So do these door pods actually form a good enclosure?

[Danny_California]

In short, I dont think so / They are a very good compromise though, I have them myself, but they dont half vibrate! When I get time in the summer I plan on firbeglassing the whole lot together, as they come as two separate pieces. I've made some fibreboard backs for them to try and make them more like proper enclosures, but they didnt help too much.
They look nice and standard though, and I'm happy with them

[sarni]

Thanks for the advice so would i be better off trying to make something myself to get a good inclosure

[Watso]

In short, I dont think so / They are a very good compromise though, I have them myself, but they dont half vibrate! When I get time in the summer I plan on firbeglassing the whole lot together, as they come as two separate pieces. I've made some fibreboard backs for them to try and make them more like proper enclosures, but they didnt help too much.
They look nice and standard though, and I'm happy with them

I have the same ones but had sealed and deadened the whole enclosure part of it. Sounds Top now, although the membrane between the door card and the physical door vibrated like a *woman of ill repute* until i cut a bigger hole in it to let the air move more.

[M44K TS]

So the general concensus is that if you beef them up a bit with some sound deadening they are ok?

May have to invest in some as i'm not entirely happy with my speaker pods.

[Danny_California]

Yeah but to be honest if i was messing around with fibreglass the i'd be tempted to just make my own out of the standard door pockets. That way you could make the enclosure bigger if you wanted some bigger speakers in there, and I would set them at an angle aswell, so that they point more upwards into the cabin. But if you cant be bothered, then yeah buying these and 'beefing them up' would be just fine!

[nickrose]

I don't think they are just O.K or fine to make do with, they look fantastic, just about the best asthetically I have seen and like yourselves I have had a good scout around and checked out the others.

Yes you have to deaden them properly, it's well worth an hours extra work to do it properly.

If you get component speakers you would not need to angle them upwards because they are designed to have the bass and midrange lower down and the higher frequency up high from the tweeters. And lets not forget that we are talking about Mini's here, your ears are never that far away from ANY speaker!

Buy them, do the extra work and you will not be disappointed.

[M44K TS]

Shame they only do them for 13cm speakers, i don't really want to ditch the brand new Hertz 17cm ones i have in my front pods, oh well, i'll have a play about with my settings to see if i can get them to sound any better.

Also, i don't suppose you could cut them out to fit bigger speakers either as the window winder would foul them?

[Watso]

Shame they only do them for 13cm speakers, i don't really want to ditch the brand new Hertz 17cm ones i have in my front pods, oh well, i'll have a play about with my settings to see if i can get them to sound any better.

Also, i don't suppose you could cut them out to fit bigger speakers either as the window winder would foul them?

Alas, this would be the case. Skinned my knuckles when I first put them in, had forgotten about the extra space the "pod" takes up.

[Danny_California]

I don't think they are just O.K or fine to make do with, they look fantastic, just about the best asthetically I have seen and like yourselves I have had a good scout around and checked out the others.

Yes you have to deaden them properly, it's well worth an hours extra work to do it properly.

If you get component speakers you would not need to angle them upwards because they are designed to have the bass and midrange lower down and the higher frequency up high from the tweeters. And lets not forget that we are talking about Mini's here, your ears are never that far away from ANY speaker!

Buy them, do the extra work and you will not be disappointed.

Aesthetically pleasing yes I agree wholeheartedly, but as an enclosure they are compromised hence how they can look so nice. Once fibreglassed together and sound deadened they are probably going to be brilliant, but after the £50 odd asking price, they should already sound the bees knees.

I have components and yes position and angle of the mid range drivers do matter along with the tweeters since the middle of the road frequencies are still semi directional and therefore angling them upwards will make a noticable difference. The bass and midrange do not have to be lower down than the tweeters atall, they are only normally like that in a mini because thats whats easiest. The speakers must be within just over a foot of eachother for any sound stage, but they can be on the same level with the tweeters by all means.

[nickrose]

Show me ANY car where you can get a perfect reproduction of music, let alone a Mini. It's not possible in such a small space.

I have an Alpine iDA-X305 head unit connected up to an Alpine PXA-H100 Imprint Audio Processor which uses the latest tech to get the best possible sound out of the speakers and car, sounds better than without the Imprint processor, but still not perfect. In any car theres too many variables. Any audiophile knows that you need at least 8 feet between speakers to get a decent stereo seperation.

So I guess what I am saying is it's all about compromise and any way if it looks good you're usually half way there.

Edited by nickrose, 10 June 2009 - 12:03 PM.

[norwegianminiman]

It's not necessarily the small space that is the problem, it's more the fact it is a car, cars are atrocious listening spaces anyway. One just has to make the best out of what is available.