Defender hardtop new speakers

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

Hi all

I am looking to install speakers into my 2003 90 Hardtop. It didn't come with any in the dash, so don't want to cut holes. Not keen on the doors. I am about to ply line and carpet the rear, so am going to install them at the same time. I am looking to install a pair of 4" speakers high up on the side panel, just behind the top seatbelt mounts, and a pair of 5.25" speakers at the very back under the rear windows. See photo for locations (this is not my Landy!).

FYI I am probably going to run the wires along the floor to the back of the cubby box, then behind the fuse box to the stereo.

My question is, should I mount the 4" speakers in deep angled rings so they sit ON the ply panel and will require no cutting and will be pointed slightly towards the occupants?
Or should I cut holes and mount them flush in the panel?

Thanks very much

Owen

zeaphod · Mar 10, 2016

Point them toward the occupants, otherwise you won't hear much. You could try this kind of thing: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIONEER-8...N-CARAVAN-BOAT-POD-SPEAKERS-NEW-/351063099801

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

These are the deep rings I was thinking about http://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/audio-accessories/speaker-rings-100mm-deep.html
They are angled, so would be slightly towards the occupants. I just wasn't sure if they would look too 'stuck on'!

TheQ · Mar 10, 2016

Do you carry rear passengers? If not I'd have the second set up front on the dash somewhere!.
Anyway for what you've shown, Personally I'd make MDF boxes similar to Zeaphods idea but made to measure and fitted above the roof join, covered with what ever your landy is lined with.
Buying the mudstuff boxes will require you to buy the possibly expensive landy speakers so the screwholes match.
The rear ones, there not a lot of room behind those plates with all the wire for the lights in there and they would be vulnerable to damage. Again I'd put them up in the top corners above the roof join.

For myself I've put a permanent partition behind the driver ( removable behind the passenger / cubby box) with a permanent shelf across the roof join. My rear speakers will be mounted on that shelf. The fronts on the dash.

Tim4x4 · Mar 10, 2016

The speakers next to your ear would not be good for a stereo sound as you will have to adjust the balance so much to be able to hear the left hand speaker that the passenger would not hear the right hand speaker.
The position in the back is the position chosen by LR,

shown is std LR mounts:-http://www.landroverworkshop.com/diagrams/body-electrics/in-car-entertainment/radio-cassette-from-%28v%29-2a622424_52861

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

TheQ said:
Do you carry rear passengers? If not I'd have the second set up front on the dash somewhere!.
Anyway for what you've shown, Personally I'd make MDF boxes similar to Zeaphods idea but made to measure and fitted above the roof join, covered with what ever your landy is lined with..

No rear passengers.
I don't want to start cutting my dash about. I'm not great at DIY and would definitely f*ck something up!

Tim4x4 said:
The speakers next to your ear would not be good for a stereo sound as you will have to adjust the balance so much to be able to hear the left hand speaker that the passenger would not hear the right hand speaker.
The position in the back is the position chosen by LR,

I thought the speakers near the ears would be easiest way to mount them.
And those speaker panels do look good which is why I was considering the MUD ones.

zeaphod · Mar 10, 2016

I wouldn't worry about the sound balance, there is so much engine, transmission and wind noise it hardly matters.

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

Anything is going to be better than what I have now.
I'm looking for the easiest way to get a decent amount of music in the vehicle without taking it to a Car Audio shop and paying them a fortune.

Saying that, if getting someone else to cut and install some good dash speakers for me is by far the best way to go, then so be it. I can easily get the rears in with the MUD panel.

farmershort · Mar 10, 2016

As a "something different", have a Google for "pioneer pod speakers".

I installed these behind the seats on the bulkhead in my first 200tdi 110 year ago. Perhaps not the most audiophile option, but there was no denying that they were plenty loud and clear enough, and better quality than my saab 9000 sound system.

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

farmershort said:
As a "something different", have a Google for "pioneer pod speakers".

Do you mean the ones that Zeaphod recommended?
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...N-CARAVAN-BOAT-POD-SPEAKERS-NEW-/351063099801

I did wonder about these, maybe in the same location I mentioned?

farmershort · Mar 10, 2016

Sorry, I missed his link, but no... Like these:

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...d=0ahUKEwib0e-i_rbLAhWCHJoKHWPkDcIQMwhOKCkwKQ

I hope that link works.... If not:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Nld4ftuLL._SL1280_.jpg

Surface mount tx-150 is the model I think..

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

Ah got you! Thanks.

FlyingPete · Mar 10, 2016

There's a space in between the door frame and the middle bulkhead that could be boxed in for speakers. I was considering installing some there in my 90 but in the end went for the 'standard' rear corner location, using the LR speaker panels. But then I've got rear seats. If there's no seats back there, in front of the bulkhead may be a good location.

OwenB · Mar 10, 2016

There is currently some things that have sound coming out of them jammed in there. I was hoping for a bit more of an 'install'.

wattfield · Mar 10, 2016

I only have the one pair. They're attached near the back of the front headlining above the doors. A bit close to the ears, but passable sound quality is good enough in a noisy motor.

FlyingPete · Mar 10, 2016

OwenB said:
There is currently some things that have sound coming out of them jammed in there. I was hoping for a bit more of an 'install'.

I'd probably just make some MDF panels to fit in the space and hold the speakers. They could be secured properly using some form of angle bracket.

OwenB · Mar 11, 2016

Another thought I had, on top of the "front" speakers, was to put a pair of 6x9's into boxes in place of the 5.25's in the rear quarter panels. Maybe this would give a bit more depth?

farmershort · Mar 11, 2016

if you're going for the full audio geek thing, isn't it usually: tweets on the dash or a-pillar, 4" - 5.25" in the door or under the dash, and then 6x9 on the parcel shelf (which we dont have of course). but that would all be amp driven from a stereo with pre-outputs.

if you're not going down the whole amp route, then I'm not sure you need to get too wrapped up in the sound quality questions. Something that's decent enough, and loud enough, should do the trick.

farmershort · Mar 11, 2016

I had time to sit at a computer finally, and found these more helpful links:

Amazon product

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...f-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=E4ziVvmhE4mya6OqoRA

When I fitted them they went pretty centrally behind each seat (on the bulkhead), and were low enough that they didn't effect the tilt/slide of the seat at all.

If you decide to go for the individual speaker set up instead, then I recommend infinity reference speakers if your budget allows.... they're very clear.

OwenB · Mar 11, 2016

Thanks very much.
Think I'm getting a bit caught up in 'quality'.
I would have preferred to have speakers in the dash that I could upgrade, but as I said not keen on cutting it about myself, so will have a look at those.

Defender hardtop new speakers

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