TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:23 pm

where have you fitted the speakers, i was thinking behind the door pannels, and under the rear seat? i don't want them to be visable, ANY ideas people :D :?:

Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:29 pm

under the seat is a good idea. umm. ive seen in different cars a custom install by putting the speaker behind the door panel but the bug i havent seen. i ran the black kickpanels with 2 5.5" speakers and looks clean as hell

Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:11 pm

i have two 3.5in speakers in the original speaker location, two 4ins in the rear kick panels, an 8in sub under the rear seat and two 6.5ins in a speakershelf under the snakebite vinyl... it's been a while since i wired it, but i think the front and mids are wired in series and these are wired parallel with the rears on the front channel and the rear channel is bridged for the sub. the amp can handle the asymmetric load and it's under the speakershelf. an ipod feeds the amp. it sounds pretty good and you can't see a thing (after i remove the iPod)...

Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:12 am

How good is the sound from the speakers in the kick panels under the rear seat?

Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:31 am

short answer: they help to "fill out" the sound, but i don't think they'd be good primary speakers in that location.

...the fronts are more for the highs (and too close to be true stereo), the rears for the low/mids and the sub for the lows... if i were to start from scratch, i might eliminate them. however, they are currently also helping to balance the ohm load on the front channel (the full-range speakers are wired on the front channel and the sub on the rear channel -- each channel controlled by an internal crossover + gain on the amp). if i were to add one more set (4 pairs of full range... each pair wired in series, then each series wired parallel), i'd have a better balanced (4ohm, methinks) front channel. i have an 8ohm sub bridged which creates a 4ohm load (i hope). a simpler set-up might be simply be 2 pairs (dash/rears) wired in parallel on the front channel creating a 2 ohm load and a 4ohm sub bridged on the rear creating a 2ohm load... and an amp able to handle the 2phm load which most new/quality ones can. i also need to study-up more on the effects of additional speakers and ohm-loads as i'm not an expert here...

Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:46 am

thanks :)

Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:15 pm

On my hardtop (yes that's an AC underdash unit from a '70):

But I did this a long time ago, don't know what type of external speakers are available these days.

Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:59 pm

In my Baja but I like to be able to hear my stereo when I listen to it. After working on VWs for several years in the 90s I saw a lot of different sound systems in bugs, but most of them, to me, sounded poor if you put them in the doors or on the kick panels under the back seat. That one pictured above with the headliner material covering the speakers, that looks nice and probably sounds pretty good, using the shape of the body and rear window to reflect the sound. I remember one or two customers where they had those little tweeters hung up in front by the visors, that can help a lot too.

I like stereo, so using the dash speaker was not really an option for me, as it throws off the "center" too much for me. (back when I had a CB-radio in there I'd use the factory dash speaker for it) Since my baja is a "beater", I just tried to make my speakers look clunkier/junkier than they really were to deter "interest" in them. Thus the faded 70s orange office carpeting on my homemade rear shelf and front speakers are just hung there without kick panels or enclosures under the dash on the sides. My fronts for years were some very old Sony speakers that looked worse than they sounded. But after 15 years they started falling apart so I got some new ones, which look a lot better. I should do something about that... hah.
-Andy

Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:24 pm

Here is where my front speakers are mounted. My rear speakers are two 8 inch bass behind the seat area. Check with your local custom auto sound shop and pick their brains for ideas. They always like to "brag" about how to do stuff.

Good luck post pics when you get it done.

Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:26 pm

hlwimmer wrote: i have two 3.5in speakers in the original speaker location, two 4ins in the rear kick panels, an 8in sub under the rear seat and two 6.5ins in a speakershelf under the snakebite vinyl... it's been a while since i wired it, but i think the front and mids are wired in series and these are wired parallel with the rears on the front channel and the rear channel is bridged for the sub. the amp can handle the asymmetric load and it's under the speakershelf. an ipod feeds the amp. it sounds pretty good and you can't see a thing (after i remove the iPod)...

That is super clean!!! Like the basket!!

Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:21 pm

i am going to use my 8" box behind the seat (removed for weekend fun)(with my amp)

I want to find some 1" deep speakers for the rear pannels

i want tweeter seperates in the door pannels (like recent hot vws)
and 6.5 in front kick pannels

Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:07 pm

I purchased a pair of speakers that are the same size as the origional behind the dash. At first I was going to use only one but this would create a odd sound with the ones in the back so I'm planing on making a sort of V bracket so I will have the two speakers angled inwards in a V shape and mount it using the origional speaker screw holes. Another alternative is buying a new glove box and mounting a speaker in there but you would have to flip the door down to hear them properly

Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:46 am

One thing you can do is put some speakers behind the rear seat, and cover them with one of these speaker trays so no one can see them.

there was a thread posted like last week that had some good pics of different installations people have done.

Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:06 am

I need to consider a sound system but mine is still 6 volt. Is anyone else dealing with this problem?

Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:49 pm

das64bug wrote: I need to consider a sound system but mine is still 6 volt. Is anyone else dealing with this problem?

Pssssssssst.. run a spare deep cycle 12v battery under the seat opposite the 6v. Charge it once a week and enjoy!

Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:48 pm

Insaniac wrote: One thing you can do is put some speakers behind the rear seat, and cover them with one of these speaker trays so no one can see them.

there was a thread posted like last week that had some good pics of different installations people have done.

yep, heres my set up

polk components in the kick panels

alpine deck

polk 2 ways mounted in rear kick panel (best option if you are adamant on retaining the stock appearance)

sub mounted behind rear seat

sub is out of sight out of mind with the seat up

Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:43 pm

83_WabbitGTI wrote: das64bug wrote: I need to consider a sound system but mine is still 6 volt. Is anyone else dealing with this problem?

Pssssssssst.. run a spare deep cycle 12v battery under the seat opposite the 6v. Charge it once a week and enjoy!

I've heard this solution before. If i dont have a stereo would it be possible to run an Ipod through an amp strait to the speakers? and charge the ipod and run the amp off the battery?

Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:32 pm

das64bug wrote: 83_WabbitGTI wrote: das64bug wrote: I need to consider a sound system but mine is still 6 volt. Is anyone else dealing with this problem?

Pssssssssst.. run a spare deep cycle 12v battery under the seat opposite the 6v. Charge it once a week and enjoy!

I've heard this solution before. If i dont have a stereo would it be possible to run an Ipod through an amp strait to the speakers? and charge the ipod and run the amp off the battery?

bingo, thats your best (and really only) option

Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:30 am

You could even get fancy and get one of those solar 12V chargers to keep the battery up when not in use. Some of them have enough amperage to run an IPod too. ;)

Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:23 pm

In my opinion on of the best radios you can put in your bug is the Retrosound Modle one It's even got a package specially for bugs with a reporduction sapphire face plate and everything. Line in on the front, usb in the back no Cd but you dont really need one of those anymore. http://www.retrosoundusa.com/products/category/id/1