Best location for 4 speakers

[lsversaw]

I've read most of the posts here about speaker locations...kick panels, doors, original center-dash (mono or stereo), rear cab corners, front "fill", underseat. I haven't seen an answer to this specific question, though...

If you have four speaker outputs -- and only four -- from your head unit or amp, where's the best location, size, and shape for the four speakers?

My assumptions -- reasonable minds may differ -- are:
- Semi-original looks are preferred; any modifications should be low key, maybe not even noticable.
- I'm not interested in the SPL wars (if you are, fine, but please be respectful of others).
- I'm not interested in boosting bass. I don't select music based on bass content.
- I'd like reasonable sound quality, and a sense of being surrounded by sound. But I don't believe in trying to reproduce the original sound stage or imaging within the confines of our truck cabs. I'm looking more for a surround-sound experience than a concert-hall experience.
- I've got a '72 C20. Love it. A real truck.
- I'll eventually install some vibration damping and sound reduction stuff.
- Cost is always a factor, so I'll say a limit of about $1000 for the speakers themselves AND kick panels, if purchased. Not counting sound reduction material. Also not counting installation labor; I'll do that myself. But I'm not willing to pay more than $500 unless the additional cost results in "better" sound. To me, better means wider frequency response, flatter frequency response, and a sense of sound coming from everywhere, not just the speaker locations.
- I'll move my gas tank, so rear corner speakers are an option.
- I consider a set of 2- or 3-way component speakers with a passive crossover as one speaker.

If there are other assumptions required to give an answer, let me know.

Let's have fun with this!

[ranger danger]

My opinion would be 2 6X9's in the doors and 2 3 1/2's in the center dash with baffles in both locations. Use the best speaker you can afford in both locations. Use a premium amp and turn the gain down a little on the dash speakers. You will get good highs from the dash speakers reflected off the windshield and good base out of the 6X9's in the doors. This is what I have in my Suburban with the addition of 2 more 6X9's in the far rear compartment that give me good "rear fill".

[lsversaw]

Ranger, would you take 6x9's in the door over 6-1/2" in the kick panels? I don't mind cutting the door, but I also don't mind buying speaker-enabled kick panels if it would give better sound.

[ranger danger]

Originally Posted by lsversaw

Ranger, would you take 6x9's in the door over 6-1/2" in the kick panels? I don't mind cutting the door, but I also don't mind buying speaker-enabled kick panels if it would give better sound.

I don't care for kick panels. They limit the air movement of the speaker and they are always in the way of my feet, ebrake, dimmer switch etc. I am also a fan of real estate when it comes to speakers in my car. Bigger is generally better. If you seal up the doors well, you will get excellent sound from that location and keep your interior uncluttered.

[Andy4639]

Cab corner mounts with 6x9. Two 3.5 in the center of dash home made mount easy to make out of a piece of sheet metal.
Check this thread out.


http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=445557&page=3

[lsversaw]

Thanks, Ranger and Andy. I'm currently chasing a wild hair (hare?): a setup that would drive left and right (doors or kickpanels), center (existing dash location), and two surround speakers (in the rear corners) -- five locations, with 4 different combination of left and right -- all from 4 channels of speaker outputs. I'll post my findings here.

[ranger danger]

Originally Posted by lsversaw

Thanks, Ranger and Andy. I'm currently chasing a wild hair (hare?): a setup that would drive left and right (doors or kickpanels), center (existing dash location), and two surround speakers (in the rear corners) -- five locations, with 4 different combination of left and right -- all from 4 channels of speaker outputs. I'll post my findings here.

Look at the Zapco 6 channel amp. Then you would be driving all 6 speakers with individual gain control.

Z-150.6 Sound Q Street Series


Features and Functions

6-Channel, Class-AB Sound Quality Amplifier
Stable into 4 ohms bridged or 2 ohms stereo load
PWM MOSFET power supply
High end Op-amps and Capacitors
Variable FULL / LP / HP Electronic Crossover
0dB, 6dB, 12dB selectable bass boost
4-way protection circuitry
Wired remote control (optional)
Panel mount RCA connectors


Specifications

Power @ 4Ω: 6 x 150 watts
Power @ 2Ω: 6 x 300 watts
Power @ 4Ω Bridged: 3 x 500 watts
THD @ Rated Power < 0.05%
Signal to Noise Ratio > 90dB
Channel separation > 60dB
Frequency Response 10Hz to 30,000Hz ±1dB
Input Sensitivity .25v to 8v
Dimensions in mm: 190(W) x 62(H) x 573(L) Overall: 190(W) x 62(H) x 614(L)

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by lsversaw

Thanks, Ranger and Andy. I'm currently chasing a wild hair (hare?): a setup that would drive left and right (doors or kickpanels), center (existing dash location), and two surround speakers (in the rear corners) -- five locations, with 4 different combination of left and right -- all from 4 channels of speaker outputs. I'll post my findings here.

I have 3.5" Infinity speakers in the dash, 6x9 in the rear corners, and I am going to put 6.5" components in the kick panels when I stop being lazy and make the enclosures. I have an 8" sub as well. Here's what I did:

- The sub is running on a mono channel amp and is in the center console I built.

- The dash speakers are powered by the head unit. No sense hooking them up to an amp IMO since they are 25w RMS and my head unit puts out 22w. In the grand scheme of things those speakers are supplementary anyway.

- Rear 6x9 are currently hooked up to the 4 channel amp, and the 6.5s will be as well when they get installed.