stock speaker enclosure question

[rjac]

i was replacing my stock speakers in 92 XLT with some polk speakers and upon removing the stock speakers noticed numerous factory stamped holes and slots in the door skin inside the speaker enclosure should these holes and slots be closed up to provide as close to airtight inside the speaker enclosure? I am not very knowledable about the basic principles of car audio but was thinking that stereo systems have sealed speaker enclosures so why wouldnt your car. if anyone could gently enlighten a newbie i would appreciate it. thanks

 

[leenjen]

the full range speakers in the door dont need a sealed enclosure. if you were putting a subwoofer for the deep bass, it would need a sealed enclosure (or a correctly tuned ported enclosure).

 

[rjac]

thanks for your answer and now i can reinstall the door panels. i was waiting to hear a response before i closed it back up. thanks again

 

[migga]

so the speakers wouldn't play better in a sealed enclosure??? What is the point of selling boxes for 6x9s then?

help my confuesion.

migga

 

[leenjen]

that's for people who want to put 6X9's in their car but they dont have the cutouts for them. when i was in highschool, i bought 6X9 boxes to put in my toyota. i didnt like the way they sounded in them, so i cut up thre rear dash panel and mounted my 6X9's there. it sounded much better out out of the box.

it's kinda like putting a free air subwoofer in a small sealed enclosure. it wont sound right (and in the sub's case it could do damage to the woofer).

 

[JTang]

It depends on the speaker. Look at the back of the box for a recommended volume. 6x9s are usually sold in boxes so people don't have to cut their dash, but the benefit of a sealed enclosure is that it offers more control. Many novices like to blast their 6x9s till they distort and are ruined, often mistaking deep bass for the knocking of the cone when it's reached its limit. Most speakers still need a vacuum to help keep the cone from overexerting itself. But if you overpower it, you overpower it. Having a vacuum of a sealed box on the back of the speaker helps it to spring back into position faster.

Sealing the holes in the doorskin will be nearly impossible to do perfectly. In which case, they make deflex pads and such, which help reduce standing waves inside your car doors which can affect output. Since a door is not very deep, and it's usually really dirty from the elements even on the inside, stuffing the door is not a great option. Trying to seal if all by yourself is a lot of work. Most highend places use the deflex pads which break up back waves. You can see them below:

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