Speaker pods/General stereo questions

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
Hey all!

I'd like to upgrade the sound system and will probably try a 7.1 setup with (2) 3.5 and center 4x10 (or adapter to 2x3.5" + tweeter?) in the dash, (2) kick panel speakers, (2) 4x10 in stock rear location (or I think I saw some 6x9 adapters?) and a subwoofer...or should I just omit the kick panel speakers and run a 5.1 setup?

Has anyone used these speaker pods by any chance?


THANKS!
 

SquareRoot

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
Posts
4,192
Reaction score
8,030
Location
Arizona
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
85
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350
I mean, you get what you pay for.
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
I mean, you get what you pay for.

I hear ya...do you think the kick panel speakers are good bang for the buck or I would be good with the 2 3.5" and the center channel in the dash? On the rear 4x10's is it that much of an upgrade to drop 6x9's in?
 

PrairieDrifter

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Posts
3,853
Reaction score
5,646
Location
North Dakota
First Name
Mason
Truck Year
84,79,77,76,70,48
Truck Model
Suburban k10, bonanza k10, k30, k20, c10, gmc 1/2ton
Engine Size
350, 350, 350, 350, 350, 350
I tried several different kick panel speakers and hated every one of them. Sound quality is poor, it reduces leg room and they direct the sound at your feet.
Mounting depth is usually super shallow as well.
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
I tried several different kick panel speakers and hated every one of them. Sound quality is poor, it reduces leg room and they direct the sound at your feet.

That was my initial thought, thanks for confirming!

I have the headliner off right now and it looks like there is enough room to mount ceiling speakers? However I'm not sure I want to make that commitment...I want something that sounds good and loud enough to drown out gangster rap at a stoplight if need be. Would the stock locations and a subwoofer do if I use some quality speakers?

All of the interior trim is off right now so I have a chance to do it right. I have a stack of Kilmat I'm going to use on all the doors/body panels and hopefully be one and done with the sound system.
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
I tried several different kick panel speakers and hated every one of them. Sound quality is poor, it reduces leg room and they direct the sound at your feet.

Btw...your signature is classic

Horsepower is how hard you hit the protesters. Torque is how far you drag the bodies.
USMC. Putting Warheads on Foreheads since 1775.

Semper Fi
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
Does anyone know off hand if these will fit in the stock dash locations?


Thanks again!
 

MPWILSON33

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2021
Posts
8
Reaction score
15
Location
Whitesburg
First Name
Michael
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
2500
Engine Size
350
I used 3.5 inch in the dash. I agree with kick panel speakers not being all that. I did not use a center channel, but loaded up every where else. I put 6.5 inch components in the front doors on spacers. If you have manual windows you can cut them in down at the bottom. I have power windows, so that option is out. Same for rear door panels. I used the ashtray space and depth so used minimal spacer and put 5.25 inch. You can cut in 6x9 in the rear location with some cutting, there is plenty of depth. I have another 6.5 inch set put on a board with matching upholstery over the rear holes. Then subs for the cargo area, rear firing. I amped all of it and used a high pass crossover to not launch the 3.5's. They only get above 800hz. High pass filters on the doors and cargo at around 150-200hz.
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
I used 3.5 inch in the dash. I agree with kick panel speakers not being all that. I did not use a center channel, but loaded up every where else. I put 6.5 inch components in the front doors on spacers. If you have manual windows you can cut them in down at the bottom. I have power windows, so that option is out. Same for rear door panels. I used the ashtray space and depth so used minimal spacer and put 5.25 inch. You can cut in 6x9 in the rear location with some cutting, there is plenty of depth. I have another 6.5 inch set put on a board with matching upholstery over the rear holes. Then subs for the cargo area, rear firing. I amped all of it and used a high pass crossover to not launch the 3.5's. They only get above 800hz. High pass filters on the doors and cargo at around 150-200hz.
Wow, sounds like that thing can throw some sound!?
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
I needed to grab some back to school stuff from Best Buy the other day and took a look at their displays and they had a Pioneer floating screen with a single din that looked like it might fit WITHOUT cutting the stock location. The protruding mount for the floating screen is significantly smaller than the din chassis...if you were able to rig up a mount for it to recess a little bit...has anyone tried this?
 

Scott91370

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Posts
997
Reaction score
1,019
Location
Burleson, Tx
First Name
Scott
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
Sierra1500
Engine Size
350
Reread and see what you mean now.

Not sure how you would mount it but if you can rig somehting up behind the dash and the neck was long enough to bring the screen through I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Any pics or model of the unit you saw?
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
So here is the one I saw...as you mentioned the key would be making the mounts work and the dimensions of the protrusion for the screen..
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20230829-204831.png
    Screenshot_20230829-204831.png
    313.7 KB · Views: 72
  • Screenshot_20230829-204814.png
    Screenshot_20230829-204814.png
    360.4 KB · Views: 81
  • Screenshot_20230829-204640.png
    Screenshot_20230829-204640.png
    355.2 KB · Views: 67

Rusty Nail

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Posts
10,041
Reaction score
10,133
Location
the other side of the internet
First Name
Rusty
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
350sbc
Dude there is an adapter made to fit a pair of three inchers into the 4x10 spot in the squarebody. There are 4x 3 inch speakers In my Blazer's dash.

Check it out??
 

scenic760

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Posts
318
Reaction score
206
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
Dude there is an adapter made to fit a pair of three inchers into the 4x10 spot in the squarebody. There are 4x 3 inch speakers In my Blazer's dash.

Check it out??
I did see those...it's been a minute since I put together a car stereo system so I'm essentially starting as a complete noob!

Back in the day a friend of mine was an electronics guru (his dad was an electronics guy in the Navy and did some high level stuff) and he helped me do a system in my 5.0 convertible. He taught me the basics of directional frequency, bass etc. and then proceeded to tune all the speakers with capacitors and machines I had no idea what they did... and to this day, it was the best sounding car stereo I have ever heard even with the top down driving down the road...

One of the lessons I remember was that to reproduce the true sound of musical instruments, you need to move as much air as they can- which is a lot. So, as a general rule, your better off with bigger speakers wherever you can put them and tweak as necessary. Obviously don't use junk speakers too...that being said wouldn't 1 4x10 move more air than 2 3 inchers?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
44,162
Posts
950,645
Members
36,276
Latest member
2manysquares2care
Top