Hi,
I'm planning on installing rear speakers in the panels behind the seats, however, I'd have to cut metal to install the speakers in the location that everyone else has theirs in (towards the outside of the car). I can fit the speakers into the interior side (where the "vent" is located) and not have to cut metal. Question, does the vent serve any real purpose? Doesn't look like it from behind (it's all just an open cavity). If anyone has installed speakers on this side of the panel, please chime in on results. Thanks!

 

These rear panels have been used to put speakers in since the S2000 first came out. Lucid Automotives even sells these panels pre-cut and with whatever speakers that will fit. Don't be cutting any metal to do this. Find speakers that will fit without cutting. The grills in those panels just allows airflow between the passenger area and trunk.
Many people do this at home.
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=26699

 

Lucid's panels are orginal Honda parts and come in factory colors. In addition to the panels with speakers, they sell just the panels with the precut speaker holes so you can use your own speakers (and have your original uncut panels to put back in the car should you ever want to do that)

 

Yeah, here are Mulder's panels

 

Thanks for the responses, however, I think you misunderstood what I was asking. I know that the rear panels have been used extensively for the rear speaker location, however, I've never seen them located on the panel where the vent is....they're always located on the opposite side of the panel as the vent (just like the Lucid design. My issue is that the side of the panel that the Lucid speakers would go is actually narrower b/c there is a metal flange that is restricts the space. This metal flange is not located behind the vent, therefore, my speaker will fit on that side of the panel. Question is, does the sound quality suffer by placing the speaker on this side of the panel? I've just never seen it done and figured there must be a reason. Thanks again-

 

You are over thinking this thing. The speakers placed behind the seat down low like this is for fill and added volume. If you are doing this for "sound quality", you are going about it the wrong way.
The reason why most people put them where they put them is for ease of installation (more room on that side and fewer obstructions like you've just discovered). This car is as rigid as it is because of all the re-inforcement structures in it. It is not advised to start cutting any of it away just so your speakers will fit.

 

I didn't install mine over the vent because my speakers(Alpine SPX-137a's) wouldn't fit there either way without cutting. I trimmed a little extra metal out of the way. I've had zero problems.

I'll find the pictures for you of what I cut out.

 

I run a polk momo 4x6 plate speaker. it sits right behind the vents with out cutting anything and u cant even tell theres a speaker back there. Like said above its only there to fill in, the sound qt is not that great but i also have a set of momo tweets that sit in the mess part in the top of the seat. I didnt really like the looks of the S pods so i was playing around and mounted my tweets in the seats. It helped out alot.

 

I'll have to buy a set of 4x6 plates and check that out, very interesting.

Oh and here's a few pictures(taken with a crappy digi-cam before I got a better one) of the little bit I trimmed out:
Before:


After: