I replaced my front speakers a few weeks ago with 5.25 pioneers. I thought they sounded good so I got some pioneer 6.5's for the rear. Basically same speaker, bigger size. The only difference is the depth. The 6.5's are not as deep as the 5.25. They don't sound as good as the 5.25's. There is no bass and the mids and highs are not as loud and clear as the fronts. I am pretty disappointed.

I was thinking about putting the 5.25's in the back to see how they sound.

would the sound differ that much with the same speaker just because the location of the installation--door vs roof/sound bar headliner? I know with subwoofers the cabinets they are in make a big difference. I was wondering if I am losing the bass in the rear because it's so open behind them. sound getting lost-no reflection.

 

Try Kickers.

 

Check the RMS power of speakers, could be too high for output of stereo, resulting in poor performance.

 

Another possibility is the wire. Factory wiring is pretty thin stuff, new wire ran all the way may help. Or maybe a small amp? http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130GMA3....html?tp=35757

 

thanks Steve--the rms power is the same for both front and back. In fact, they are the same speaker series. The only difference is the 5.25 speakers are deeper than the 6.5's--i am going to do a little more research. I think the depth of the cone is going to impact performance and sound. I am thinking a deeper cone will sound better, but not certain.

 

Herts are really good. 6x9s in the back door have bin good to me.
for the roof speakers try running a Heavier gauge speaker cable, from head unit to speakers. it helps for the quality of sound and less resistance.

 

A deeper cone may possibly make a slight change in deep notes, but you say the highs aren't as clear either. If these are 2-way (or 3) speakers then the cone won't make a difference there. Factory stereo or aftermarket? Factory may be as little as 8w RMS (don't know exact numbers but factory are pretty weak), aftermarket is only going to be ~20w RMS, not ear shattering performance by any means.

 

First thing that came to my mind was the possibility of having the polarity hooked up wrong.

 

Didn't even think of that, good call.

 

Yes first double check the polarity.

But I do believe that the XJ front doors act a better enclosure compared to the rear ceiling.

 

I will double check the polarity. I got the info off this site.

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...tail/1214.html

I can pull the radio out and double check.

 

The airspace for the rears in the soundbar is the problem. The rear is only a fill to balance your imaging in a vehicle. Your better off putting the 6 1/2 in front and the 5.25 in the rear if they'll fit.

 

I put a 6.5 in the front to compare it to the 5.25, and it sounded better in the door, but still not as good as the 5.25. I am going to keep the 5.25's in the door and look for something else for the back. thanks for all the feedback and help. I guess it is a combination of the speaker and the location (air space).

 

I did some research--if anyone is interested--about air space and speakers. I read about filling the air space behind the speakers with poly fill, and using baffles. I think I am going to get some JBL GTO-628 speakers and experiment with filling in behind them and using baffles. I will report back in a few weeks with results.

 

Thats a lot of work for a discount system. You cannot compare speakers this way.

There is nothing wrong with factory speaker wire, its in fact, nicer than most home theatre wire. (its 16 gauge solid core copper, TRY to find that for a home).

If you are not spending hundreds on speakers, you will not make a kia a ferrari by building baffles. You get what you pay for. In the thousands of installs I have done, car audio goes 2 ways - Cheap or Correct.

Everyone wants the most for the least, and that is what you get, the least. Your speakers are cheap, thats why they only sound Okay. vs a factory speaker, its night and day, since factory equipment is garbage.

You are litterally sitting here having arguments about how Burger King is the greatest hamburger ever, and yall are chiming in that Wendys or McDonalds does. You are arguing about the quality of sub standard stuff.

You dont need amps, you dont need fill, you dont need baffles. Its a 50 dollar a pair speaker, the CHEAPEST on the market. you want it to sound good? BUY GOOD SPEAKERS.