tuning 6X9 speakers

OK let me clarify a few things. I am not saying that component set ups are not good hell yeah they rock and FYI i'd never run 6X9s for my personal set up. I'm just saying that component set up and 6X9s set up at same volume the 6X9s should sound better but having dedicated speakers is the way to go i agree hope this settles everything.

Now that you mentioned staging and imaging i am awaiting a set of 6.5"components. I was thinking of fiberglassing pods on the lower corner of the door next to the kick panels having each component facing directly up into the headrest ie the face of the person in the front seat 1 for each side. Will that be satisfactory for my front stage set up?

Also i am currently running the factory speakers in their original locations (front dash and rear deck) powered by the HU. Should i keep them when i install the components or should i disconnect them?

How important is rear fill? I have 2 5.5" sealed cone speakers i plan on placing in the rear deck for rear fill and run them off the same amplifier as the components. Will this interfere with the front stage imaging?

Any suggestions?

All of these are good questions...however theory and opinions aside this is the best suggestion you are going to get.....

just try it different ways and see what sounds best to you. the automobile environment is extremely unpredictable as far as audio..as well as individual preferences.

Now if you want my personal opinion...when it comes to speakers in a vehicle sound system..I am from the "less is more" school. All a really good sounding system needs is properly placed front speakers, either coaxial or components mounted on the same plane and aimed towards the listener (this may take a little trial and error for perfection but..it works),  for rear fill just a small full range is fine..I do not like alot of rear fill , i hear too many systems in which it pulls the stage back too much...and a small sub..for my personal systems I have never required more then a single quality 10'' in a ported encloure.

Now what would be cool IMO is if you could build custom pods for the kick panels that had sufficient airspace to house those 6 x 9's.  It probably wouldn't fit most vehicles but if it could that and maybe a 4'' or 5 1/4 for rear fill..and a small sub if needed... would be different and would sound great. I did that once on a demo vehicle but is was an old chevy panal truck so it had alot of room.... the front stage was great...the imaging was excellent..and it was loud as BALLS !

Oh as far as the rear fill being a problem..as long as the rear speakers are on a dedicated amp..or the rear channels of a 4ch...you can adjust it to taste..not an issue.

When I have built some competition vehicles where I would use one amp to run everything...(fronts, rear fill, subs, center channels) I had to relay on placement as well as building passive cross over networks..and using resistors and series/parallel wiring to optimize.

You have it much easier if you just use a 4 channel or 2-2channel amps that have adjustable crossovers and gain control..real easy to dial in the best sound.

Now you mentioned 'air space' are there specs fpr components or 6X9 pods or is it just an enclosure In other words will any size enclosure work for these speakers?

it depends on the manufacturer..most do not give specs because the speakers are mostly used in a free air or "infinite baffle" mount and does not require those specs to be given...so the following choices...

Try to find speakers that the manufacturer gives the specs...

Experiment with enclosure size...rule of thumb..the smaller the enclosure..the tighter the bass..the larger the enclosure..the deeper the bass..you want to find a compromise working with the physical space you have.

figure out the parameters yourself..this can be done but is quite involved...I don't reccomend it unless you have alot of time and patience..the proper equipment (meter, o scope, test bench, signal generator, special resistors etc) and you need to find a source to teach how to do it..I have the procedure on an old VHS and haven't done this in years.

It will probably be difficult enough just to construct a pod with sufficient airspace as it is..so I would not worry about venting..plus it would be a bit technical to determine the exact airspace..fit the vent and in some cases you might not even be able to get the parameters for a 6 x 9.. But this is not to say it can't be done..just more time, effort and trial and error.

The 6 x 9 pods I built for the truck were sealed..but I had room to give decent airspace..I don't think you need to worry about being utlra percise with the amount of airspace since as I stated a 6 x 9 is designed for infinite baffle. Just make them as large as possible if you want deeper bass.

In a similar discussion I have read some posts where deeper bass was achieved in the kick pods by opening up the back. I would imagine if the pod is mounted in such a way where as much of the sound wave of the front is seperated from the back..you might be close to an infinite baffle which should sound great for a 6 x 9 ,so once again you might want to experiment.

What I would do is build the pods with a removable back. Place them in thier mounting locations and listen to them open back...sealed and maybe open with some insulation,polyfill etc..just mess around until you like the way it sounds. It will take a little time but this way you don't have to worry about rocket science and percise measurments etc...just trust your ear.

If this was for an all out SQ competition vehicle it would be more of a concern,but there is no reason you can't achieve an excellent front stage, with good imaging and plenty loud this way for your personal enjoyment.