Why does it look like the tweeters on the 2002 model are pointing at the dash? Isn't the goal to be pointing towards the driver/passenger? Has anybody turned these around?

 

I have seen a few high-end stereo installs where the tweeters are on the door panel facing the windshield, so that the sound bounces off the windshield to the driver and passenger. The reasoning behind this is that the tweeters aimed towards you would put the driverside tweeter much closer to your left ear than the passenger side would be to your right ear, screwing up your imaging. However, I know there are some issues with reflections off the glass, slowing down the high frequencies verses the other frequencies, etc etc....the system I am thinking of where the tweeters were aimed at the windshield was in an old issue of Car Audio and Electronics, and it was a ~$16,000 system in a Porsche 993...I believe the owner used a PPI EQ/Processer to correct for the reflections off of the glass. Honda could also have placed the tweeters that way since they are so far from the woofers, and not aiming them directly at the passengers takes some of the emphasis off of the highs and keep them from being overpowering. However, knowing Honda and how much time and effort they put into their stereo systems (Bose almost excepted), they probably decided the tweeters looks better that way, or just didnt even think about it at all

Sorry, this is probably much more answer than you wanted, the short version is that the tweeters can be corrected to give exceptional sound in that position, but it probably takes much more time, money, and effort than you want to put in. Unless you are going to do an extremely sophisticated install, I wouldn't even worry about it if I was you.

 

Actually, the 2002 tweaters suck so bad it doesn't really matter which way they face.

I replaced them with Audiobahn 25mm tweaters (got them for $20 bucks off UBID.COM, MSRP is like $299)... and the difference was totally amazing. There is an ITTY-BITTY amount of grinding the new tweaters plastic housing with a dremel to make them fit-- bit its almost a perfect fit. I absolutly, totally recommend them.

-- Aaron