want proper front speaker install

**brendan** · 07-11-2007, 11:40 PM

ok, so i bought a set of 6.5" alpine component Type R speakers off ebay. more specifically the SPR 17L6.

so anyway, i didn't expect them to be soo big and rather impressive looking as they are not mention deep and heavy. they mount 3" deep and that probably is to deep to mound in my door in the factory location. (1992 ford Taurus SHO)

So my question is should i even use these things in free air (they look like mini subwoofers) or should i build little fiberglass kick panel boxes which i've seen people build and could never figure out why before.

**durwood** · 07-12-2007, 07:49 AM

Do you have room to build an MDF baffle board to mount them to in the door?

Second, kick panels are nice for many reasons, mainly for minimizing path length difference (PLD). It will help with your staging, however there are downsides to kick panels too. Space, airspace, etc. Your midbass response will suffer in a kick panel unless you can give it enough airspace, or vent the kick panel to the outside world. Car speakers are specifically designed to work in a door, so when you go the kick panel route, you kind of have to mimic the airspace available in a door and build a strong non-flexing enclosure. I strongly recommend you do some research on that before you decide anything.

I can give you a nice link about the science behind kick panels, but it's very technical. If you are really serious about kick panels or a "proper front stage" I will provide the link.

**mezz64** · 07-12-2007, 08:34 AM

I'm not sure about the OP but I'd love to take a look at the kick panel link.

Post her up!

**durwood** · 07-12-2007, 09:18 AM

I haven't dug through it but plenty of good info in this thread regarding setting up a good front stage. Plenty of physics involved. Grab some

and get ready to absorb.

The site onwer is on vac right now and the following linked forum is acting up so be patient with it.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...ead.php?t=5664

I'm not sure if they ever talk about venting the kicks to the outside of the car using an aperiodic membrane or not. I'm not a kick panel person so I don't make a good teacher for explaining the ins and outs of doing it, but can answer plenty of question regarding setting up a good stage. It's all in that thread though, better hope you have the proper processing and speaker setup/placement to initiate some of the theories involved. It does work.