Old School tweeter add-on to OEM. Location advice?

[Wavey1]

First let me say I have only basic electronic knowledge, and basic needs from my stereo system. I don't use it much but when I do I want it to perform acceptably. OEM appearance is important too. And sorry for the long post!


I just had Daryl Willman do the Clarion retrofit to my OEM head unit. It looks fantastic and includes a cable that runs back to the center console to plug in my iPhone. It's a great solution if you want to keep the OEM look with modern head unit electronics, if you don't mind the cost.


On reinstallation I discovered that my left speaker was totally out, and the right one was on it's way out. The sub amp seemed OK, but I pulled all 3 amps and sent them to Brian K for rebuild. They're on their way back at the moment.


While the doors are opened up and the speakers are out and opened up, I want to add a pair of tweeters. I did my homework here and it looks like that was a popular add-on a few years back, and even currently. I have a pair of basic Rockford Fosgate tweeters on the way from Crutchfield. I'll splice those to the harness between the speaker amps and the speakers, and the tweeters include crossovers in their housings.


My question is about tweeter location. General consensus is that they're too "bright" at the A-pillars or the front window sail panel. Several owners have installed them in the flip-up AC vents in the doors and I'm considering that, but is seems a little contained and maybe not all that aim-able? Another possible location could be right next to the doors speakers; there's a little open space in front of the woofers, behind the fabric panels in the doors and they may fit there.


I keep hearing that the best location for tweeters is as close to the woofers as possible, and angled up toward the dome light. I think these tweeters could actually be mounted right in the center of the plastic grid on the OEM speaker housings, in front of the OEM woofers, and they include an angled surface mount. I figure I'd have the equivalent of a coaxial speaker with an "aimed" tweeter if I can make this work.


Anything wrong with this idea?

 

[PSHUMARD1]

I personally don't see any issue. I actually did almost the same thing but I installed them off center from the door speaker but very similar to your set up. I say go for it. small pic but you should be able to make it out.

 

[Speedmaster]

I have seen the tweeters higher up in the door car along the main piece of horizontal leather (just 4-6" below the window line on the plane that faces the inside).

Wherever you put them, let us know what your experience is. It would be nice to compare notes.

- - - Updated - - -

I love your SoS handles, by the way.

 

[Wavey1]

That looks really good, PSHUMARD1, almost stealth. I'm trying to keep this as OEM-looking as possible so I might try right behind the grill in that spot. Parts should be here tomorrow.

Speedmaster, that's a great location too but I definitely don't want to cut the door panels.

I guess my concern is that if I place them right over the woofer, I may block some of that sound. Haven't seen anyone do that yet. But it works for coaxials, so ???

 

[Wavey1]

The tweeters and rebuilt amps arrived today. The tweeters include alternate angled-base housings that will bolt up to the Bose plastic housing, on the grid right in front of the speaker itself. The wiring will pull into the Bose housing through one tiny hole, and the tweeters will be a little above-center and pointing up at an angle. Looks like it will all fit perfectly behind the cloth grille on the door panel. I think this is all going to work and will look totally OEM. I'll take photos while I'm doing it all tomorrow.

 

[Speedmaster]

Wavey1 -

You inspired me to go out into my unheated garage and replace all my speakers with new, OEM Bose speakers.

Car sounds much better and I have the added bonus that my center bulkhead speaker now works.

NPR never sounded so good.

Thanks.

 

[Wavey1]

Where did you source the Bose speakers, Speedmaster? The entire boxes with amps, or just the speakers themselves?

 

[Speedmaster]

Where did you source the Bose speakers, Speedmaster? The entire boxes with amps, or just the speakers themselves?

Directly from Bose. I bought the entire enclosure (including speaker, amp, etc. all as a unit.) This made more sense to me. I was tired of buying used speakers from people.

 

[Wavey1]

Excellent! Daryl Willman sells those too - brand new Bose everything.

Today I got my speaker boxes reassembled with the rebuilt amps and the tweeters added. I plugged them and the new head unit in, to test the system before I buttoned everything up. I have no sound in the left channel, grrrrrr.

I went through all the fader and balance adjustments in the head unit, no change. The sub and the right channel sound great, but I'm just getting a VERY faint signal to the left door. I swapped the speaker boxes left-right and there's no change, so it's not the speaker itself.

I doubt it's the head unit, but I've asked Daryl if he'll test it.

Next step is to check the wiring harness for continuity between the head unit and the left door. Since I have a faint signal, I wonder if I've lost the 12-volt power from the amp relay to the amp? Or maybe a bad ground on that side? Doubt if it's the relay itself since the sub and right door work. I'd appreciate any advice from anyone...

Oh yeah, also no sound from the rear center speaker. The car had the OEM phone system removed when I got it, but I have all the parts and it looks like the harness was cut somewhere. I'm thinking I can just run new wiring from the sub to that speaker. I had the bulkhead panels off recently and that speaker looked fine.

 

[PSHUMARD1]

Sorry just replying. Thanks on the compliments. My tweeters aren't adjustable but I'd probably like it better if I could angle them up a bit but definitely added some highs to my sound. That some tough luck that your having with your on side.

 

[Wavey1]

I discovered these Rockford Fosgate tweeters also swivel in their main housing, which is independent of whether they're surface-mounted or angle-mounted Nice extra feature. I used the angle mounts right over the woofer, and I have a little aim-ability beyond that, so I can adjust them before the door panels go back on.

I'm thinking it should be pretty easy to figure out the wiring. I have a weak signal at the speaker, so I think the head unit and that wiring to the speaker amp is OK. The power for the speaker amp is a separate circuit with it's own relay; the other two amps are getting power, so I'm thinking it's not the relay. I must have a break in that wiring into the door, or a bad ground. I'll check everything for continuity next.

 

[Speedmaster]

Excellent! Daryl Willman sells those too - brand new Bose everything.

Today I got my speaker boxes reassembled with the rebuilt amps and the tweeters added. I plugged them and the new head unit in, to test the system before I buttoned everything up. I have no sound in the left channel, grrrrrr.

I went through all the fader and balance adjustments in the head unit, no change. The sub and the right channel sound great, but I'm just getting a VERY faint signal to the left door. I swapped the speaker boxes left-right and there's no change, so it's not the speaker itself.

I doubt it's the head unit, but I've asked Daryl if he'll test it.

Next step is to check the wiring harness for continuity between the head unit and the left door. Since I have a faint signal, I wonder if I've lost the 12-volt power from the amp relay to the amp? Or maybe a bad ground on that side? Doubt if it's the relay itself since the sub and right door work. I'd appreciate any advice from anyone...

Oh yeah, also no sound from the rear center speaker. The car had the OEM phone system removed when I got it, but I have all the parts and it looks like the harness was cut somewhere. I'm thinking I can just run new wiring from the sub to that speaker. I had the bulkhead panels off recently and that speaker looked fine.

Have you tested the center, footwell speaker? That runs the center, bulkhead speaker. As to the left one, no idea there. Can you swap left/right speakers to the good side to ensure it is not the amp in the speaker but in the wiring or head unit? (I.e. if the right works fine, flip it over to the left side. If it works fine, it is the speaker that is bad. If the working right speaker does not work on the left side, it cannot be the amp and it may not be the left speaker; rather it could be the head unit.)

 

[Wavey1]

Yeah, I mentioned all that above. The sub sounds great. Also swapped speaker boxes left-right and no change; left speaker sounds great on the right channel. I'm pretty sure the left door amp is not getting it's 12-volt power, or it has a bad ground.

 

[Wavey1]

Primers, please see the new thread:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/193821-Troubleshooting-door-speaker-wiring-Help-please

I'll finish this thread with photos after I get the door wiring figured out.

 

[Wavey1]

OK, here's my tweeter installation. I tried the angle mounts but they were touching the inside of the speaker grille in the door panel. I switched back to the standard base, but the tweeter itself has a good range of swivel adjustment so I could still point them upwards.

The best route for the wiring was right through one of the grid holes, but I didn't want to pinch the wires between the Bose speaker and the housing. So I ran that wire behind the grid and back out, then through a small hole drilled in the Bose housing. That was sealed with black 3M weatherstrip adhesive.

The signal is picked up at the exit of the speaker amp. I didn't want to cut/splice the OEM wiring so I tinned the ends and ran them into the connector.

They sound great; they add a brighter sound so I bumped the treble down a notch. They don't seem to be interfering with the main speaker in this location, pretty much like a standard coaxial speaker. I like that they're totally stealth, no holes in the door panels or sail panels. These Rockford Fosgate tweeters are on sale at Crutchfield for $30, so it was a cheap upgrade too. I imagine better quality tweeters night sound even better.