powerbaitjw

First off let me tell you guys that a week ago i was completly clueless about all this car audio stuff, after reading these posts im now just semi-clueless.

Now the question. I have the 2002.5 pr5 with the 6 speakers. I was planning on replacing the front speakers with 6x8's either polk, pioneer, or infinity. Will the factory tweeter work with the new 6x8's? or would i have to get component speakers in order to have a working tweeter.

Dave Cameron

I would suppose the answer is yes, and yes.
The new tweeters use a simple resistor block, it is a piece that is the same shape as a baby tootsie roll in the wire between the tweeter and the current paper cone speaker in the door. Keep it in the loop, and you could add a newer 6x8 and it will work. The question is how will it sound, and I can't really say. The best thing about the new tweeter is the ready to use location, but I cannot say a great deal of measurment was done to match up the speaker and the tweeter on Mazdas part. They simply installed the mirror sail panel with a tweeter. This is better than the poor paper cone by itself, but only marginally. In blunt terms, this build is still the lowest level of components out there lacking serious tonal matching, design layout,or adaquate crossover.
Try it and see if you like it. If you do, then you are ahead in the game. The drag will be if you are not impressed, you have a set of new 6x8 you may have to find a home for.
Maybe if you find a good store, and explain, they might allow you to do the install of the 6x8 with the stock tweeter and try it out, and then trade up if you do not like it. A store that does that for you is being really good, and it would be worth then paying more for the speakers for the service.
Your other option is to audition seperates now, find some you like and use the location Mazda has provided you for the new tweeters. This will cost you a bit more then a coax 6x8 but will give you speakers that were matched up to the tweeters involved, and hopefully an adaquate crossover.
In short, you won't have to get seperates, but they very well may end up sounding better in the long run...

powerbaitjw

Since the factory tweeter will work i'll probably leave it in. My next question is would i be better off with a 2-way polk or 3-way pioneer, with this stock tweeter? Or does 2/3 way not really matter with the cheap setup im gonna have.

thanks

Dave Cameron

for the size of the main driver, 6x8- focus on two way speakers.
The golden rule would be go to the local stores, and listen. Find some you like the sound of that fit your budget.
As a thought try reverse wiring the sail tweeters, it would leave them in a more secondary, ambience role to the tweeter that will be in the new door positions...
It ain't cheap if it sounds good to you- cause then it is worth a fortune!

douggie

I would also investigate the option of just replacing the whole front with a full component speakers. There are relatively cheap and good component speakers like the audiobahn. I believe they're like $55+ from www.cardiscountstereos.com

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...bahn+component

Besides, i'm assuming that u'll be running these speakers off the HU, so i would not suggest getting any expensive component speakers in the 1st place. Typically more expensive speakers can handle more power (maybe a must) to sound good.

As Dave mentioned, the sail plane is ready to be replaced with another tweeter, so i would say half of the work has been done. So i don't believe it'll be that hard to install.

So do explore your options.

Dave Cameron

Very good point Douggie- for the price of a good pair of coax a set of seperates can be had.

douggie

And I guess i forgot to mention that when you buy a component set, the crossover is "designed" to match the freq response of both the mid-bass and the tweeter. The correct frequencies are cut off at the right freq so that overlapping is minimized and that makes the sound much better.

If you just replace the door speaker (the 6x8), the coaxial speaker will also have a tweeter, which might make things too bright, which may or may not sound good (or you could reverse wiring the sail tweeters like Dave mentioned)

powerbaitjw

Today I was running around town checking out 6x8s and amps, tommorow components. I started off just wanting to replace the speakers and now im thinking about all the good stuff. guess im falling into the trap that have all you guys.

Well about the components are they hard to install for a first timer like me? I see 5 1/4"s and 6 1/2" which should i go for in front.

I was also contemplating if i should replace the back speakers but then i remembered that it was my car which means im driving, screw the people in back. Do the back speakers really affect the entire system.

damn this car audio, damn it to heck

onehawaiian

i dunno about changing the tweeters, in the new p5's they look pretty sweet! hehe, but i don't know the power rating, or effeciency or even how it sounds. but it looks really nice...

Dave Cameron

Audio can be worse than narcotics!
You should be able to find 6x8 components that will drop right in the exsisting holes- the midrange in the currently used driver location, and the tweeter in the sail panel. Then wire the tweeter and the mid to the crossover and attach the current wiring from the headunit to the crossover, and you are done!
Not too bad eh?
You can use a 5&1/4 or 6&1/2 also, both will require an adaptor plate for the speaker, you install the plate in the current 6x8 hole, and then install the new speaker in the plate, other just the same as above. Still not too bad hopefully!
If you can live with it, and in turn are comfortable with it, take one of the front doors apart now, and remove both the tweeter and the 6x8. look at the hole for the speaker, and the amount of space in the mirror sail panel to know what you can fit in each. Then go audition, listen, and shop.
If you follow the instructions that will come with a new speaker set, you will be able to install no sweat. Also remember that you can always come to the board here, and find pretty good virtual support and help in the install.
In most really nice installs the focus is on the front soundstage, not the rear. The idea is you can sit in the front, and listen to a soundstage in front of you like you were in a club or concert- distinct left right and middle. The only things you would hear in a real concert from behind would be echos, and bass. Bass is omni directional, meaning our human ears are not good enough to place the location of a low bass note to left right center or front rear. So- use the fader to move the sound image up from the middle of the car to a front stage, and use the rears more for the echo or ambient effect, just a little treble, and bass.
Do you have a P5 or a Sedan? The P5 uses 61/2 in the rear of the car, but the sedan uses 6x9, which can actually produce fair bass for you.
You by all means do not have to replace both the front and rears now, you can listen for a while, and decide if you like it or not with new fronts. both 61/2 and 6x9 are very common, the most common speakers in the US, so you have lots to choose from. Once again, you won't have to spend a fortune to replace them if you elect to do so. Nothing fancy needed, coax will do fine in the location, once again the front is where you want to hear the highs from, so seperates are not needed for the rear. Many times you will hear the term "rear fill" which means just that, the rear speakers are just filling in a little sound, a touch of treble and the bass. The rear deck in the sedan is easy to take off, and the rear doors are like the fronts, once you do it once, you will be able to do it fast any time you want to in the future no sweat.
Once agian, figure out what will fit the sail planes, and find some speakers you like the sound of and fit your budget. Listen to as many different brands as you can find, you will find some that do both!
Let us all know what we can do to help you out anytime! Most everyone here is happy to help!

Dave Cameron

I guess that is douggie and my point Hawaiian one- The mounting location is a done deal in the 2002.5 car, it makes for a sweet and easy install. To really do it right though, you need the tonal matching of a set designed to be used together, not just cobble things together...