Placement of tweeters...

[Frenchmanremy]

Hey,

I was wondering, I got these kenwood 6.5" speakers for my NA for dirt cheap, and they came with 1" tweeters.

Where should I place them for best sound/not in the way?

I was thinking up top towards the exterior in relation to the the striker plates?
They wouldn't be in the way of the clips at all...

However, has anyone done simpler/better?

Thanks in advance!

[chris87]

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4647/img00511201103191628.jpg

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/1633/img00510201103191628.jpg

[concealer404]

Either in your A-pillar or near top of your door panel would probably be ideal.

If they came with surface mount pods, could maybe get away with on top of your dash as close to the corner windows as possible.

[jux]

If you're looking for the best sound, many folks who install for SQ will place their tweeters near the mids. You know, so all of the sound comes from the same place and arrives at your ears at the same time. I'm personally a fan of companies, like CDT for example, that design "convertible" components with the option to mount the tweets over the mids. Kinda like a coax but with the standalone crossovers and whatnot.
For simplicity, you might just want to copy the semi-flush-mount location used for OE tweets. These locations are simple, clean-looking (primarily in a black interior), and definitely don't get in the way.

[Frenchmanremy]

there's an OE tweeter location?!?

[concealer404]

There is on NBs... don't know about NAs.

I don't really like the placement on the NBs, myself... but it could be worse.

[jux]

There is indeed.
2070

'93 LE as an example, but tan and black interior cars also had them with optional upgraded stereos.

[Titus]

If you're looking for the best sound, many folks who install for SQ will place their tweeters near the mids. You know, so all of the sound comes from the same place and arrives at your ears at the same time. I'm personally a fan of companies, like CDT for example, that design "convertible" components with the option to mount the tweets over the mids. Kinda like a coax but with the standalone crossovers and whatnot.
THIS.

For the best sound, you want them as close together as possible.

[chris87]

If you're looking for the best sound, many folks who install for SQ will place their tweeters near the mids. You know, so all of the sound comes from the same place and arrives at your ears at the same time. I'm personally a fan of companies, like CDT for example, that design "convertible" components with the option to mount the tweets over the mids. Kinda like a coax but with the standalone crossovers and whatnot.
For simplicity, you might just want to copy the semi-flush-mount location used for OE tweets. These locations are simple, clean-looking (primarily in a black interior), and definitely don't get in the way.

Can't really agree with that. I've been into SQ for quite a long time, and I've never seen anyone mounting their tweeters by their feet,
just to get closer to the doorspeakers.
There is stuff like time alignment, parametric EQs and active crossovers to compensate the different distances and angles of the speaker chassis to the listener.
Some extremists mount the mid speakers on the dashboard to improve staging,
but never the other way round.

[Titus]

http://www.cdtaudio.com/speaker_placement.htm
"Always make sure the main component system Tweeter is mounted “close to the mid woofer” if possible angled toward the dome light/sunroof area. “Never” mount the main component Tweeter away from the mid woofer and or high up on the door sail panel or rear mirror location, never."

http://www.caraudiohelp.com/newsletter/car_audio_myths.htm
"Tweeters should be placed as near to the midrange/woofer as possible. The tweeter and the midrange/woofer are a matched pair and shouldn't be separated. Imagine an electric guitar which has a wide acoustical range. If the guitar is playing a riff in the frequency range of the woofer and then switches to a riff in the frequency range of the tweeter you'll likely notice the position of the guitar jump. Now if the tweeter is placed near the woofer the guitar position will remain in place."

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-y8w0XhlFSRB/learn/learningcenter/car/component_speakers_installation_guide.html?page=4
"Whichever method you choose, most manufacturers recommend that you mount your tweeters within 12" of the woofers. Otherwise, the high and low frequencies may reach your ears at different times, resulting in a sonic wave cancellation or "phase interference.""

[chris87]

Sounds reasonable in theory, and i would agree for the most part if they were talking about home-hifi.
However, if it was like that in a car, many competition winners and even companies' demo-cars would be doing it wrong.
Try this: On a home hifi speaker, put your hand in front of a mid speaker. You'll notice a difference, but it won't be that dramatic.
Now put your hand in front of a tweeter - most of the detail will be gone and i will be a lot less loud.
The same happens if you put a tweeter next to a doorspeaker like here
http://www.cdtaudio.com/images/crossovers/optimum_-spkr_-placement_%5B4.gif
if someone sits in there, it'll be "blocked". Of course they could claim that their tweeters are built for situations like that,
but having someone in the passenger seat or not would be two completely different situations and will have dramatic effects on the sound of the whole system.

Wave cancellation/phase interference is an important point, but as mentioned above, it's 2012 and modern head units and processors
have ways to cope with that.

Another point: The main goal when building a hifi system is usually to make it sound as close to live as possible.
When i attend a concert, the band is usually in front of me, not down below.
Same when i watch TV, the action is in front of me, not at my feet.
A good car hifi system builds a virtual stage on your dashboard, right in front of you and you can tell which instrument is where.
It's incredible what you can achieve with a proper setup and tune.
Putting tweeters down to your feet would lead to an impression like "Oh, wow, Mark Knopfler's sitting on my clutch pedal!".
I wouldn't want that.

[Frenchmanremy]

I'll rephrase my question, although I've learnt a bunch reading your varied responses and opinions.

Where is the simplest location to install a tweeter in the NA miata.
I do not have the actual formed plastic piece to mount it facing a direction, I have the long bolt that sticks out of the tweeter, and a nut and washer for the other side...

[jux]

You can always just look for an available hole in the sheetmetal of the door and bolt up your tweets. I've seen some folks put them in the holes where the eyeball vents live.

[Lesac]

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5098/5542972731_3901ff9088.jpg
mounted up high, but amplified seperately from mids.

Totally agree with everything else thats been said. I love how mine look factory, but if you can mount them next to the mids, they will probably sound better, and less harsh with the top down.

[Silver92B]

I purchased a set of CDT CL-6.5 Pro speakers years ago, but the woofers would not fit in the door openings. I ended up with some Boston Acoustic coaxial speakers in the doors. A few days ago I finally decided to install them on/in the rear shelf (they barely fit there too). Anyway, not being in the mood to drill through any more carpet, padding and metal, I just placed the tweeters adjacent to the woofers with bit of velcro loop on the bottom to hold them to the carpet. They actually sound really nice. With judicious use of the fade function, they work in concert (pun intended) with the Boston coax units in the doors. Next part is the addition of a subwoofer. I'm thinking of custom building an isobaric enclosure with 2 face to face 8" woofers...

http://www.fotomecanico.com/miata/speakers.jpg

[jux]

Interesting install. Never thought about surface mounting tweets in the parcel shelf.
How's it sound?

[Silver92B]

Interesting install. Never thought about surface mounting tweets in the parcel shelf.
How's it sound?
They actually sound really nice! Of course, the CDTs are very good speakers and they are supplementing the door placed Boston Acoustics. What I really need now is a good subwoofer and and another amp. If I can get a good setup, I think the system will sound very good (for a simple, rather cheap setup)

I do have separate amps for front and rear speakers.. I used the high level inputs of the Ample Audio with the headrest speaker wires for the drivers side in order to get the fade functionality. I'll post pictures after I clean up the messy installation :)

http://www.fotomecanico.com/miata/amps.jpg

[brownie]

Got mine place in the top corner of the quarter window,Mounted on the triangle plates opposite the door mirror off a Mazda Familia (BJ model),98-02 model,I think you guys call them Protege's ,Sorry no photo's as yet,Not allowed to post yet.
Took stuff all to modify and mount,Nice and easy to do and didn't have to cut anything on the car

[brownie]

287328742875

photo's attached