Headrest Speakers: Yay or Nay?
 

Stock NA headrest speakers...are they worth it? Thanks.

I got the ones from Crutchfield. I like them when the top is down. Guess it would depend what you listen to though. NPR sounds fine for sure

I have the MSSS system in my car, and with an upgraded head unit the stock speakers sound awesome. So I fully support the NA headrest speakers.

They're nice when the top is down, only been in one car with them though and he had clearwater replacements.

i dont think they are...i blew mine the second day not worth it for me. If you play your music low ya but if you turn it loud they will blow, or distorted

Have them wired up properly (wired wrong from factory... search m.net), use good aftermarket speakers they are the best thing sense turbos (I mean sliced bread)

I have Rockford Fosgate 3.5"s in mine. They are great!

Have you personally re-wired them or are you quoting what you read?

if music is your thing sure, it cant hurt, get them
but its not my thing

They're Grrrrreat! Particularly when the top is down. Put a couple of blocking caps in series with them to form a crude high-pass filter (can't remember the exact crossover frequency I calculated- 200 Hz maybe?) which cleans them up a bit- less distortion and they haven't blown yet.

The ones I have aren't even Clearwaters. They're just whatever Parts Express had lying around at the time that more or less fit into the holes in the headrest. $50 for all four, or something like that. Been a few years since they went in.

I was using MB Quartz before I installed my center channel. I was using them more to balance the sound than really rear fill. The center speaker does a much better job of that so I no longer needed them. I'm running 125W RMS to my ED components and I can always hear them no matter how fast I drive. If you can't hear your front speakers with the top down you aren't powering them enough!

I liked mine, but with the racing seats now I don't really miss them. My car is hardtopped year-round, though.

A friend rewired them for me.

I do not even know hpw to turn on JVC radio in my SunRunner without looking at the manual.

I used to love the headrest speakers top down on the highway until I put a better set of door speakers in, powered by a good HU. A set of well powered door speakers can provide just as much volume and sounds much better than headrest speakers. It's to the point where I've removed the headrest speakers in both my miatas.

FWIW, I had both stock and aftermarket headrest speakers and still prefer just well amped door speakers. Granted the stock HU and stock door speakers just can't put out the volume so if you're stuck with that then, yes you need the headrest speakers for top down driving at speed. YMMV.

I love when people think it is a custom install and not a factory thing.

When I had the top down I couldn't hear any of my speakers. I now have a better HU and a hardtop, I still only hear the doors. Unless the are broken I wouldn't go threw the trouble of taking them out.

+1

The head unit I have installed allows me to block everything below 150 Hz (vice a crossover's slope). This prevents the smaller speakers from having to work harder to reproduce the low bass freqs.

Having matched this with a good set of components in the doors, I get clean, crisp sound whether in a parking lot or at 80+ with the top down.

- L

same.

Infinity 3.5's in mine. Had to do a little cutting of the foam to get them to fit. Sound good though.

Got some nice cheap balupunket ones off crutchfeild, and high pass filters. Very nice when the top is down.

of course i have my momo seat in, so only the passenger gets it.

OMG MIATA DOT NET jeez guys.

while we are on the subject.... what's your favorite wine and cheese drive?

NO head rest speakers. get a decent system.

Just so you know, thats all a hoax.

I do have a deicent system too, polk component speakers and a panasonic h/u with 40 watts per channel

my "system" happens to include headrest speakers. Pioneer deck, Pioneer 6.5s in the doors, and Rockford 3.5s in the driver's headrest only. The passenger side went into the SRT4's dash.

:magna:

decent system implies at least an amplifier. you just can't get good sound without distortion by stressing a head unit's "40 watts" <-- in quotes because it's probably more like 10W.

case in point: going to panasonic's website and looking at the 50W/ch panasonics, it says 18W RMS at <1% THD. not a heck of a lot.

I have a 'high power' deck in my gf's car and with a high pass filter at 50 Hz to save me some power, it doesn't even get loud enough. It has about the same power.

I have 3.5" Rockfords in the headrest and 6.5" Kenwoods in the doors, all powered by a 300W Alpine amp which fits in the wheel of the spare tire. Mids and highs are nice, but there is virtually no bass.

i'm probably the only one to do this... but i cut up the foam in my headrest and put 5x6's in the headrest =/

The vineyards of Temecula CA, by way of Cuyamaca Rancho, Hellhole Canyon, and Palomar Mountain. A Truly Epic drive- bring your RA-1s.

the northern california wine country has race tracks in it.

but i like me some central coast. specifically hwy 58 between 5 and 101 MAN that's a fun drive.

Hmm. From the google map that looks like a very pretty drive. One of my favorites in terms of pure scenery is Del Dios highway. It's cut into the side of a mountain, and there's this one stretch where as you're going North / East you come around a bend and see Lake Hodges out in the distance with the sun shimmering off it. It's not a very exciting road (pretty straight & flat, actually) but it's just friggin gorgeous:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=33.06004,-117.126446&spn=0.046973,0.096474&t=p&z=14&om=0


A lot of the roads that we run with SDMC are a lot smaller- what the sportbike guys would call "Technical" (ie: not horribly fast, but knee-draggingly tight.) The big annual run, for instance, is called The Puke for good reason. You don't really get to enjoy the sceneray very much as it's just about the closest thing you can find to a 100 mile long autocross course without actually setting out cones.

Abe, you gonna be ready? It's April 20 this year, and this time I'm coming prepared with decent rubber! I can't wait to see the route.



edit: better picture of the stretch of Del Dios I was talking about:
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/153/deldioskv3.png

Stock speakers are extremely hard to hear with the top down. Then again, with the top up they are pretty good.

I've got a decent Pioneer deck, Lighting Audio (cheap Walmart but highly recommended at m.net for cheap and decent) 6.5" doors, and the Clearwater's.

I don't know what you fuckers could want out of a convertible audio system. Seriously, if it was a Rolls... yah, some Macintosh would be par... but I've never thought twice about it in this car. Turn the bass down and the Clearwaters don't distort. My fade is set to +2Front and the balance is perfect.

FTR, I've got some serious home audio and my past 2 applicable rides have had multi-amp/sub Memphis Audio systems. I consider myself a bit of a sound snob and the "system" in my Miata matches the car perfectly.

If audio is your thing, you gotta know a Miata is a losing propostion. You can blow serious money and it will never sound as good as you spent. Spend the money on more boost. A decent deck, some sensitive doors, and pick-your-favorite 3.5's and call it good. IMHO.

cmon sam, you know i've been building my own speakers and audio stuff for 10 yrs right? ;)

i shoulda let you hear my car at the dyno day from inside. blow your mind. and it wasn't super expensive. I need different door speakers though. I'm not yet satisfied.

Because I was there when it was done. Listened to the before/after. With the old speakers then the new ones.

screw the headrest speakers and get some of these pioneers for the doors (leave the bling bling grill off and utilize the stock black ones)
Attachment 214716
they are without a doubt the best speakers i have ever owned. Outlasting and outplaying my boston's and polks. All i have is a shitty lil pioneer head and i get plenty of bass from just the 2 speakers

JL Audio components > crappy pioneers

...no offense =/