Why 6x9’s?, discusion on distortion

Why must car manufacturers use 6x9'?! I mean seriously, they are one of the worst sounding type of speaker i have ever heard. If you watch a 6x9 while you put a little bass into it, the 6" sides hardly move, and the 9" sides try to flex out to make it round. This causes soo much distortion, that I'd personally use adaptors to use 6 1/2" speakers to get a *much* better sound overall out of the system.

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Best Buy Store#577 Oxford Valley, PA

If anybody is really worried about it they will just build a baffle for a 6 or 5 1/4, and a tweet. In the rear you can usually do something to accomidate an 8.

Manufacturer's use the 6x9 for the added low end.

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Certified Security Specialist
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Yeah, thats true, but why do manufaturers go through all the trouble to cut a 6x9 hole...i mean geeze...look at a bose system, some actualy use 3" speakers...

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Best Buy Store#577 Oxford Valley, PA

Wait, 6x9 for low end?! Hahahaha....i've heard 6 1/2" speakers that hit bass harder that 6x9, thats why bose really doesnt use 6x9....too much distortion from cone flexing.

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Best Buy Store#577 Oxford Valley, PA

Well bose also uses large tuned ported boxes for there 4 inch speakers. They also have amplifiers that are crossed over for specific frequencies. And let it be known, I have never heard a blown bose speaker in a car, everytime I have replaced a bose component was because the amplifier failed. Using bose in this discussion really isn't fair.

As far as why the manufacturer's cut the holes to begin with is because they start with a clean slate and can cut whatever they want. They have all control over clearances and can adjust to what ever they want, while we have to build baffles and cut to make what fits. The manufacturer's don't use sound engineers to design there cars and sound system comes after performance, comfort, and driveability.

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Certified Security Specialist
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But seriously...it should be a rule of thumb to use a 5 1/4" or 6 1/2" instead of a 6x9...i actually have customers go out and get the 6x9 to 6 1/2" adaptor so their system dont sound like sh*t when the put alot of power or bass into it.

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Best Buy Store#577 Oxford Valley, PA

Ha, thats what gets me mad. I always have to fix something or improve something the maufacturer does half-assed.

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Best Buy Store#577 Oxford Valley, PA

Bestbuy577 wrote:

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Ha, thats what gets me mad. I always have to fix something or improve something the maufacturer does half-assed.

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Don't forget, if it wasn't for that fact most of us wouldn't have a job.

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Certified Security Specialist
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you all are scareing me cause i just bought some 6x9 with 50oz magnets cause i dont like the 5 1/2's that i have in the back of my honda.  I am planning on cutting holes in the rear deck to occomidate my 6x9"s.  But this forum scares me.  I am not after bass from them really.  I have 2 twelves in the trunk for that.  I wanted to be able to hear the words of my music.  What should i do?

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feel me rollin down the street
if its tourist season why can't we shoot them

I say go for 6 1/2" so you get little to no ditortion...go for the pioneer 4-ways or the kenwood oversized 3-way

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Best Buy Store#577 Oxford Valley, PA

Go for a 6.5" coaxial set, put them in a box to separate the bottom air space from the trunk where the 12's are and you will be much more impressed.  You don't want to hear your rears really, , there just for rear fill for your passengers.  A good soundstage has the music up front like your standing at the stage.  Im shure you don't pay for a concert ticket for your favorate group and turn your back to them.

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2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

haven't any of u anti-6x9 people ever heard of bass blockers? And if one more person say's "and seriously" I'm gona flip. Look, 6x9's are not ment for <120hz bass. They are mid-bass speakers. People that flex their 6x9's are pushing like 80hz or event 40hz to them and wonder why they blow up. I have 6x9's in the back of my stratus, but my sound is incredibly clear, OMG?!?! Its because I know wtf a crossover is and how to tune it. I have all my high crossed over at >120hz, so no low bass ever gets to the woofers of the 6x9's so they just add to the highs. Anyway, I'm not try'n to piss people off, I just hate people that whine about a problem thats only a problem if u make it one.

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"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"

02 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Monster System on its way.

and seriously.

Please post the video of you flipping, thank you.

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Certified Security Specialist
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Most of you already know I feel rear fill adds little to the system.

However, even if you are a fan of that, I feel there is no point to going all-out on 6x9s. In my opinion a cheap or factory 6x9 can add an adequate amount of rear fill. They should be attenuated so as to provide music to those sitting in the rear and/or a sense of space-filling to support the front. -10db (twice as quiet) is what I'd shoot for.

That said, if you're a out for SPL and banging down the street, do whatever. Your equation is simple: More driver area. More power. No attenuation.

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New Project: 2003 Pathfinder

My take on it is this. In most cases a factory paper cone 6x9 is a louder speaker, in reference to bass, then a 6 1/2 inch speaker. Thats why they use them in the back of the car, the driver doesnt hear the minor distortion that starts at moderate volumes. The only dumb ass manufactur that tries to use them in the front, that I know of, is Dodge with the trucks. I have to disagree with a point above made by xtremecc. You said 6x9's are not ment to play below 120 hz. If that was truly the case why would the speakers be rated to play from, lets say, 50-20000 hz. Now I totally agree that a 6x9 should not be used to play 50 hz unless its at low volumes, but if powered properly I have no problem with setting them to play 80 hz and up. I feel the main problem in this scenario was inadequit power, which in most cases was causing clipping which we all know is gonna cause distortion. Now back to the original point, lets look at a dodge neon as an example car. In the mid to late 90's neons you had a set of 6x9's in the rear, a set of over sized 6 1/2s in the doors and like a 2 or 2 1/2 in the dash on each side. Obviously the are trying to get the highs playing mostly from the 2's in the front which did have a passive crossover built in to them in line with the 6 1/2s in the doors. The 6 1/2s obviously covered the midbass duities up front. However the overall effect in this car is far less impressive if you turn off the 6x9's in the back, which in this cars case are used to add in the low end kick in this vehicle. Dont get me wrong, the 6x9's are not crossed over in any way, they are full range, but you can tell they are there to handle the low end duities. They dont sound good but these cars are totally on par with all the other vehicles in their price range on the market. I guess all I am trying to get across is that when dealing with cheap paper cone speakers, you will get more bass outta a 6x9 then outta a 6 1/2 in the same series. I feel that 6x9's belong in the eighties and should have never been drug into the year 2005 but they have been a factory staple for so long that I dont see them going away anytime soon, so expect to be building those plates for a while still.

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

Im happy with my 5 1/4's in the rear over the 6x9's that where there.    I know its rear fill but I can get the vocals alot better and if anyone is riding in back I can boost them a little to give some sound back there

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2009 0-1000 Trunk WR 154.0DB 2009 1001+ Trunk WR
2007 USACI World Champion
2007 World Record
2006 USACI Finals 2nd Place

I want to agree with Revandarat that the distortion must be coming from somewhere else.  The 6X9 design is just fine and if designed properly could work awesome as a midbass.  It is a great way for vehicle manufacturers to add a little more low end to a factory system by using the extra room in the rear.  And since the consumer is already brainwashed into thinking that the rear speakers adds to the fidelity of the music ("surround" in from their stereo),  so the manufacturer makes them full range.  Some people don't want to add subs and don't want to lose the extra lows by going with a smaller speaker when upgrading their stock system, so manufacturers build 6X9 replacements.

Oh and if they are the only speakers in the vehicle, I would much rather have a good 6X9 two-way over any 6.5" 4-way.  The more speakers used is not better.  In audio KISS much more applies for obtaining the best sound.  All those added speakers with first order slopes and crappy crossover parts to supply those slopes will provide a horrible response compared to a simple mid/tweeter design.

Steven Kephart

Adire Audio

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Raven, good point on the 6x9's ratings, I know they can play it, but I should have been a little more specific. I was simply trying to say that they shouldn't be played that low. Steve's right on with his post too....

oh and auex...... AHHGHEHAHGHEHHGHEHIHGIHE!!!!!

sorry no video lol

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"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"

02 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Monster System on its way.