Fabricated sound bar
- Thread starter Rob2336
- Start date
rubn1out
New member
Did you tackle this project...i just read this post lol!
rubn1out
New member
ok cool...when you're ready...and maybe wanna try something off the beaten path...try this:
1997 jeep tj, fiberglass - Page 1
As an audiophile, I must say, 2 6x9's and 2 5 1/4 is a lot of over kill of sound from just above and behind your head; plus the 6x9's will drown out the smaller speakers. If it were me, a set to 5 1/4 components (or quality 2 way speakers) would be more than enough. I would move the 6x9 some where a little farther away or not at all, I personally do not like the sound of 6x9's I simply do not find them as dynamic as a round cone speaker.
If it were me, I would upgrade the dash from 4x6 to 5 1/4 2 way speakers, I would put a set of 6 1/2 2 ways into the sound bar. I would use a 8" small enclosure sub and put it in the rear compartment to offer a little kick.
if you wanted more noise than that, these enclosures would be out of the way and offer a full range of sound depending on the speakers you install
TJ Speaker & Storage Lockbox Set for Jeep Wrangler TJ
Or these if thats your style
Rugged Ridge Sound Wedge Pair w/o Speakers (Spice) 53517
If it were me, I would upgrade the dash from 4x6 to 5 1/4 2 way speakers, I would put a set of 6 1/2 2 ways into the sound bar. I would use a 8" small enclosure sub and put it in the rear compartment to offer a little kick.
if you wanted more noise than that, these enclosures would be out of the way and offer a full range of sound depending on the speakers you install
TJ Speaker & Storage Lockbox Set for Jeep Wrangler TJ
Or these if thats your style
Rugged Ridge Sound Wedge Pair w/o Speakers (Spice) 53517
rubn1out
New member
seriously? It's a tinny drafty every road noise, tire noise open aired vehicle...unless you dynamat the entire tub and slap hard doors and a hardtop with rubber seals from hell on it...it won't matter WHAT you put in that thing...i Just did a YJ with 1 5channel amp...front kicker seperates...rear kicker 6x9s and 1 12 inch sub...and i run it off an Ipod..it f'n jams...you just need a good amp that has a good rms rating close to that of the speakers chosen...don't want to over drive them...but has to be loud enough to overcome the Jeep noise environment. forget sound stage and dynamics cuz you won't get it once the top and doors are off....you just need freq seperation highs mids and lows and enough power to push it all...I know this cuz i'm still in the audio business and did about a thousand jeeps since 1990.
Didn't know you were such an expert, congrats want a cookie.
Not that it matters but I worked as a R&D installer for Boston Acustics for years, 3 years with aftermaket division and 4 in OEM design, but my resume can't possibly compare.
I was offering what in my experience is a better sound setup. Simply putting 4 speakers next to your head will not allow for proper dynamic staging of the sound, if your content with giving yourself/your customers something that is simply loud and/or boomy, good for you, I was simply offering a suggestion that would possibly appeal to his ears.
Not that it matters but I worked as a R&D installer for Boston Acustics for years, 3 years with aftermaket division and 4 in OEM design, but my resume can't possibly compare.
I was offering what in my experience is a better sound setup. Simply putting 4 speakers next to your head will not allow for proper dynamic staging of the sound, if your content with giving yourself/your customers something that is simply loud and/or boomy, good for you, I was simply offering a suggestion that would possibly appeal to his ears.
rubn1out
New member
Thanx for the brief job history.....two scoops?...and my apologies for apearing crass....My annunciations were directed at my frustrations of the less than optimal acoustic environment that is a wrangler through and through..and how much of a pain they can be to overcome this to even get close to dynamics...and that's leaving the top on!...My good sir..you of all people should agree to that since you were in the business..it's no Mercedes or BMW, Lexus, or the like... where those vehicles were designed with ambient road noise in mind.....9 out of 10 jeep owners over the years have asked me the same question...(besides what kinda cookies do I like?) Why can't I hear my sound system without all the distortion with the top off??
Our good friend here would benifit from this next ranting tid bit of info...first we start with what we call...the noise floor...this is ambient noise in any given environment.... normal ambient noise outdoors can range from 40 to 65 db....depending on geographical location...city/country/ etc etc...now step inside your jeep with top and doors removed...and travel up to 60mph...ambient noise has just reached up to 90 db...102+ if travelling through tunnels...which means...in order to even hear your speakers...you have to turn them up to match ambient noise...you have a 90 db noise floor ...what happens when you crank up your speakers that loud with just a head unit? Yes distortion...head units only produce so many watts rms (route mean squared) the more you crank it up the more distortion you are adding to the speakers....for this scenario...you have all the ambient noise of tires,wind,motor,other vehicles,reverberated sounds etc etc....are you really concerned with soundstage and dynamics? Past experience would dictate otherwise in this case...You just want to be able to hear it and to hear it clear..... of all Jeeps... YJ's offer the crappiest OEM speaker placements...with the crappiest of baffles (flat steel panels which can be improved with foam covered baffles) But how to overcome this high ambient road noise? 2 ways...reduce the noise floor (put the top and doors back on) or add power i.e. an amplifier...doesn't take the best amp out there...just something that will increase volume to 90db without adding the distortion....you'll notice you only have to adjust your volume knob to let's say a 1/4 turn vs the 7/8 turn before the amp was added....to overcome the ambient noises inherent in the Jeep family....this brings the head unit induced distortion levels down.... YJ's offer 4x6's in the front...and nothing in the back....you have to add either the sound bar like the one you have...Or 6x9 pods (online for 30 bux) mounts between rear wheel tubs and roll bar...either way...you'll need an amp to avoid prematurely destroying them....now can I get some Oreos over here???
JeepNaked
New member
Keep in mind I know diddly squat... and I only interject my .02 cents because I think you arre hearing jps differently than I am?
I agree that to cut out distortion you will need an amp. Just makes sense.
But as for the argument of sound stage dynamics, I wouldn't say I worry about them, but my preference would be to have it like it would be in any bmw or similar vehicles. JPS' point (at least what I'm getting out of it) was if you have all that speaker in basically the same place, even with a nice amp, nice speakers ect. ect.... its just gonna be like rape in your ear, vs a "more" (speaking relative to having 4 speakers raping your ear) dynamic set-up which would at least lessen the rape level.
My absolutely 100% ignorant of all-things-sound-related opinion would be to upgrade according to JPS' suggestion (5 1/4 dash, 6 1/2 sound bar, with a small sub of some type in the rear) WITH an appropriate multi channel amp.
I agree that to cut out distortion you will need an amp. Just makes sense.
But as for the argument of sound stage dynamics, I wouldn't say I worry about them, but my preference would be to have it like it would be in any bmw or similar vehicles. JPS' point (at least what I'm getting out of it) was if you have all that speaker in basically the same place, even with a nice amp, nice speakers ect. ect.... its just gonna be like rape in your ear, vs a "more" (speaking relative to having 4 speakers raping your ear) dynamic set-up which would at least lessen the rape level.
My absolutely 100% ignorant of all-things-sound-related opinion would be to upgrade according to JPS' suggestion (5 1/4 dash, 6 1/2 sound bar, with a small sub of some type in the rear) WITH an appropriate multi channel amp.
rubn1out
New member
cool...I do agree....placement is just as important as power
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