Ok... I've accepted, based on the dozens of opinions here, that getting rear speakers makes a big difference in sound (with or without a separate amp), but since the rears fire straight into the seatbacks (and there's only an inch or so between my seatback and the rear panels), could someone justify what benefit you get from $300 high-end rear speaker kits from Lucid vs. their lower cost kits? I would think with the speakers firing right into the seatbacks, the mids (and highes esp.) would sound muffeled compared to the fronts. And as for bass, is there really any significant open space behind the panels back to allow bass to develop? (By the way, what's immediately behind the rear panels?)

Thanks in advance for your insights!

 

For starters, behind the rear panels are two holes approx 3" h x3.5"w x 3.5d all the metal is dual skinned and therefore structual.
There is a wiring lomb that runs all the way along the front , but it can be moved around.

As for the speakers i would get some rears put in as they do make a difference.
After some disscussion with Tif and Lucid ( thanks guys ) i have gone for some fosgate 4" components to get a specific bass driver and tweeter for the top end.

A roadster and infact any car is not a perfect sound stage, but the rears do add an extra dimension.
If you are confident all the work can be done by yourself, if you are in a rush like i was to get rears in. Time and care using templates make it easier.

Hope that helps

 

You mean you don't need to run any wires from the rear location to the front Head Unit?

 

No, that's not what he means. You do have to run wires from your rear speakers to the HU or amp.

gil

 

Why get high-end speakers for the rear when the reason that you are installing them is to raise the volume of music above the noise of the wind? Why spend the $$$ to hear MP3's better? To quote Bernadette Peters commenting on a flasher in the movie Pink Cadillac, "Looks like a p%nis, only smaller." I think the rear speakers are truly only for improving audibility, without significantly improving musicality.

 

I don't have rear speakers in my car, but I can't imagine how rear speakers would improve imaging or staging. Even in coupes and sedans, strong rear fill disturbs proper imaging unless carefully designed (major custom work).

Of course, some people don't care much for that stuff, they just want loud and clear, and since an S2k with the top down is sort of noisy, rear speakers might be an asset in that case, and high quality speakers should handle more power and play louder than cheapo speakers.

 

Living in the past man! Coupes and sedans suvs - the quality you can do is amazing. With receivers putting out 5.1 DVD-A (probably SACD) you're beyond the 2 channels into the rolling media centers.

 

Why does everyone always question the need for rear speakers and start talking about imaging and staging when they are sitting on ONE side of a loud convertible car????

The basic purpose of the rear speakers in this car is for VOLUME imo!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lucid
[B]

Living in the past man!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by matrix
[B]