Recommend a good 5.25" door speaker.

[bkreigsr]

My 76 only has the two door speakers. I will not add more speakers.

I got my spare Bamberg re-conditioned, so now I need speakers that have the equalivant performance ?

Four years ago, when I got the original Frankfort repaired and reinstalled - I added a pair of Pioneers rated at 250W, 97dB, 13cm.
The original paper speakers were toast, as was the reflector cone.

I guess what I'm really asking is, if I throw more money into speakers, will I be able to hear the difference between a $45 pair and a $100 pair, given the performance limitations of radio technoligy from the 70's ?

Thanks in advance.
Bill K

[stevej37]

Decent sounding speakers are cheap at todays prices. I would think somewhere between those two prices would get you all you would need.
I put a pair of $75 Alpines in my Honda last summer and they sound great.
I called Crutchfield and the guy talked me out of some more expensive ones. He really made sense.

[Eric Coffey]

Lots of options out there, but I'd probably narrow it down to a decent 2-way co-ax with poly cone and rubber surround. That will definitely sound better than the typical OE paper-cone "full range" with a whizzer cone.
Also, poly/rubber speaks will last a bit longer than the cheaper paper/foam jobs. If they are going in the doors, it's probably a good idea to install them with moisture/rain baffles as well.

[RWebb]

Focal

or MB Quart

I guess the best ones are the Focals that sold in .... a freakin' Al suitcase


No - don't ask the price

[RWebb]

To answer the hearability question - I'd say yes, you likely will.

More important is to [1] locate the tweeters properly...



That guy has a Vanagon so didn't waste any effort to get something 3D printed - it is the correct position tho.


[2] use a high quality cross-over

[3] use an amp that can drive the speakers - a powerful amp

[4] avoid mp3 & Bluetooth

and most importantly [5] use a large amount of dampening material and isolation in the cabin

[onewhippedpuppy]

I put Infiniti Kappas into my truck and am happy. Make sure you get a speaker with high sensitivity if you don’t want to add a separate amp, the Kappas are designed to work well with the reasonably weak amp in a factory or aftermarket head unit.

[ramonesfreak]

in my 83 i installed Infinity Reference REF-6532ex last summer. i love them. however, they are 6 1/2” and fit fine

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by RWebb

More important is to
[1] locate the tweeters properly...
[2] use a high quality cross-over
[3] use an amp that can drive the speakers - a powerful amp
[4] avoid mp3 & Bluetooth
and most importantly
[5] use a large amount of dampening material and isolation in the cabin

[1] He stated he's not interested in additional speaker locations/separates (though some co-axials have "aim-able" tweets).
[2] See #1. No separates. On-board 1st/2nd order filter in a decent co-ax will be fine. Co-axials with outboard filter networks are out there, but $$$ and likely overkill for this application.
[3] He is using existing Blau head-unit.
[4] See #3.
[5] It's a `76, and I am guessing he's not looking for it to be a competition/sound-off car.
Adding hundreds of pounds of dampening material is probably not in the cards.
More prudent to chase any vibrations as necessary.

[look 171]

I finally had all my stereo replaced in my 4 runner and diesel truck. Money well spent. I can't change stations on my toyota's stock radio for the past 3-4 years. Oh my, so nice to be able to do that again even though I don't hear what's on after 30 seconds. All speakers were Focal. They fit nicely in their factory holes. The installer convinced me to install one of those ultra thin self power sub woofer under the seat of my truck. I am glad I did because it made all the difference in the sound quality. It took up only 3 " of room under the seat.

[Rusty Heap]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

in my 83 i installed Infinity Reference REF-6532ex last summer. i love them. however, they are 6 1/2” and fit fine

DITTO THIS MODEL.


3 ohm, and they're like 94 dB efficient.

[ramonesfreak]

and they look nice too

[astrochex]

Do you have a car audio shop near you? If so, the best thing to do is go there and listen to speakers powered by a headunit only.

What people here recommend may not suit your preferences. As already mentioned, Crutchfield is a great place to explore options and get advice.

[bkreigsr]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I put Infiniti Kappas into my truck and am happy. Make sure you get a speaker with high sensitivity if you don’t want to add a separate amp, the Kappas are designed to work well with the reasonably weak amp in a factory or aftermarket head unit.

Matt - is there a rating or value that will tell me sensitivity?
Any of these numbers? ...Pioneers rated at 250W, 97dB, 13cm.
Bill K

[bkreigsr]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

[1] He stated he's not interested in additional speaker locations/separates (though some co-axials have "aim-able" tweets).
[2] See #1. No separates. On-board 1st/2nd order filter in a decent co-ax will be fine. Co-axials with outboard filter networks are out there, but $$$ and likely overkill for this application.
[3] He is using existing Blau head-unit.
[4] See #3.
[5] It's a `76, and I am guessing he's not looking for it to be a competition/sound-off car.
Adding hundreds of pounds of dampening material is probably not in the cards.
More prudent to chase any vibrations as necessary.

Thanks Eric.
.......and yes, no add-ons - as in tweeters.

I cruzed Chrutchfield before posting this thread. Lots of good stuff there, plenty of choices. I figured the $80-$120 range is probably where I'm going to end up.

What's the recommendation as far as using the manufacturer's supplied grill, the OEM grill or just going without ? How important is replacing the baffle?

Thanks everyone, Bill K

[fanaudical]

In addition to speaker selection (I put some Boston Acoustics in my '75 - reasonable price, sound OK) also look at mounting. There was a thread here related to making some plates to attach to the door frame for mounting the speakers to improve sound quality and reduce install headaches.

Some relevant older threads:

Door speaker spacers

It's time to get some proper tunes in this car

Door Speakers 1974 911

Front Door Speakers Recomended ?

Door speakers? What fits?

[RSBob]

I put Focals in the 911 and they sound great.

Put Rockford Fosgates in the other car and they sound even better.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

Matt - is there a rating or value that will tell me sensitivity?
Any of these numbers? '...Pioneers rated at 250W, 97dB, 13cm.'

Yep, the dB rating = sensitivity (typically expressed as dB level of a 1 kHz test-tone using 1 watt, at 1 meter away). Anything over 95 dB is highly efficient/sensitive. The thing to consider is that high sensitivity is typically achieved from using very lightweight cone/surround/spider materials. As a result, a lot of "high sensitivity" speakers are good at playing loud, but often at the expense of frequency response/bandwidth (specifically no lower end), and noise distortion. If you have any system-induced noise (internal amp issues in the head-unit, electrical/alternator noise, etc.), then a highly efficient speaker will amplify that noise that much more.

So, everything is a trade-off. Though, I would agree with Matt, that if you are sticking with a 70's Blau head-unit (likely 10wpc or less), then I'd probably lean towards speaks with a higher sensitivity rating.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

What's the recommendation as far as using the manufacturer's supplied grill, the OEM grill or just going without ? How important is replacing the baffle?

Technically, you will get better sound quality without grilles but in the far-from-ideal listening environment of a `70's vehicle, it's sort of irrelevant. Plus, the protection factor that grilles provide is usually the more important consideration in a car. The grilles that come with any speaks you buy should be fine function-wise, but many are aesthetically hideous. Personally, I would prefer to find something that fits under the factory grilles...especially if you are keen on keeping the factory look (which I imagine you are, given the vintage Blau head-unit).

As for "baffles": For door speaks, the front baffle is the door card you are mounting the speakers to. If that is a bit worn out/flimsy, you can reinforce it a bit from the rear with similar material (laminate, thin ABS, etc.). The rear baffle I mentioned above is simply an insert that you can use that covers the rear of the speakers from the elements/rain intrusion. Some are hard plastic, some are coated foam rubber-ish material. If you are shopping on Crutchfields, they should have them available.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

Yep, the dB rating = sensitivity (typically expressed as dB level of a 1 kHz test-tone using 1 watt, at 1 meter away). Anything over 95 dB is highly efficient/sensitive. The thing to consider is that high sensitivity is typically achieved from using very lightweight cone/surround/spider materials. As a result, a lot of "high sensitivity" speakers are good at playing loud, but often at the expense of frequency response/bandwidth (specifically no lower end), and noise distortion. If you have any system-induced noise (internal amp issues in the head-unit, electrical/alternator noise, etc.), then a highly efficient speaker will amplify that noise that much more.

So, everything is a trade-off. Though, I would agree with Matt, that if you are sticking with a 70's Blau head-unit (likely 10wpc or less), then I'd probably lean towards speaks with a higher sensitivity rating.

Ditto to what Eric said. Both the Infiniti Reference and Kappa speakers are 3 ohm, and both have very high sensitivity values, with the Kappa being slightly better. I would have probably bought the Reference at about $20 less, but they were out of stock and the Kappas were available. The Kappas have a tweeter that rotates so you can better "aim" the higher frequency sound, which I also found useful in my door mounted location.

[bkreigsr]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

....The Kappas have a tweeter that rotates so you can better "aim" the higher frequency sound, which I also found useful in my door mounted location.....

Thanks Matt. - So where would one 'aim' the tweeter in a 911/912, given it's captured in the door speaker?
Towards the headrest, floor, shifter, front, or back ?
Bill K