[SteveS]

Hi,

Has anyone else noticed that the sound from the rear speakers in the standard stereo is pretty ordinary.

Something doesn't seem quite right - the sound from the fronts is ok, but it seems like you are getting no rear presence at all no matter how much you fade to the rear. If you fade completely to the rear the volume is not even close to that coming from the front speakers.

I asked the dealer about it who wasn't particularly that helpful - he said he tested three others that were the same & maybe the power to the rear speakers is less than the front?

Did someone confirm the speaker sizes in the front & rear of the car? Considering replacing the rear speakers & maybe adding an inline amp.

 

[hieppo]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Welcome Steve to our humble club.

Be prepare to get mix up with our loveable moderator king.

Anyway, best is to check if the other vehicles on the lot are the same. If they are not then something is defective in the unit you tested.

If they are the same then what can I say, they stink and upgrade.

 

[Steve 6er]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Welcome!

Yeah, Hieppo is probably right. We may be confused for eachother. So my humble suggestion is that you have your name changed to say "Errol". OK?

Nah, just kidding. Fun to have you here, Steve!

What car do you have, I haven't experienced this in my hatch. But I'll check later.

 

[LBJay]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

I noticed the same thing, but haven't had time to check it out. Thought it might have been the low placement in the doors. I will have to sit in the rear seat and see how it sounds from there.

 

[stretchsje]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

The front speakers have a tweeter facing you. This is an ideal position for a speaker, and it will almost always sound better. The front speakers are component speakers rather than integrated two-ways, another plus.

 

[SteveS]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Thanks for welcoming me.

I have the classic sedan - which translates into the middle model in Australia

Ie: you don't get the Bose stereo, but you do get the cd stacker & controls on the steering wheel.

I tried some volume tests sitting in the front at a certain volume level, then the back - if you sit in the back it sounds like most of the volume is coming from the front.

If you fade completely to the rears you would need to turn the volume up twice as loud to get a similiar volume - but the quality from the rears is no comparison to the front speakers.

In terms of improving the sound from the rear anyone have any speaker recommendations to replace the factory ones? how hard is it to remove the door panels - just having a quick look it isn't obvious how to remove them - but presume then are just clipped in.

 

[Steve 6er]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

The door sides are mounted with clips. But be VERY careful when unclipping them, because clips may break and so may other things if not handled with care.

 

[applejax]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Has anyone with this problem tried sitting in the back while driving to see if the sound quality improves?

 

[Steve 6er]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

No, but that is simply because it is very difficult to sit in the back while driving...

 

[Blackbird]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

*ROTFLOL*

Ask that idiot that started the "autopilot" how the sound is in the rear. He should know Of cours someone must lend him a 6 so he can try it.

Steve?

 

[Steve 6er]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Nope. No auto-piloting in MY 6!!!

 

[applejax]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

 

[MelbMaz6]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

I agree with you Applejax.
I find the sound from the rear speakers far less loud than those on the front.
I took a BA Fairmont for a drive and the sound from its rear speakers absolutely craps over the 6s :-( Even the rear speakers from my EF2 Fairmont sounded louder.
Just another thing to add to the "dont like on the 6" list (not that there are many other things on that list mind you, hehe)

 

[applejax]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

I just though of an easy solution for anyone interested. Pop in a pair of speakers with a really high efficiency rating. You might actually wind up with the rears being too loud! But then, that's what faders are for.

Does anyone know the efficiency ratings on the factory speakers?

 

[Victor]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Seems like the low volume coming from the rear is designed that way, but I do notice that the bass is pretty strong from the back, perhaps Mazda channels all the bass to there.

 

[XTerm]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Hi all...to add in my 2 Singapore cents worth here...

Based on what the In Car Entertainment forums has to offer in Singapore, Front speakers are usually set at a higher volume for Sound Quality. The reason being that Front speakers are the ones that give you the sound stage (staging).

Rear speakers for most part are called "rear fills" which mean that they are just loud enough (usually softer than the front) to prevent a feeling of the lack of speakers at the rear completely.

If the front and rear speakers are of the same volume, your brain will tend to confuse the sound stage and therefore, the voice will seem like it's coming from all over the place and not like a "live" stage where the singer is in front of you.

I know that most guys just want music in their cars and "don't give a hoot" about sound quality (particularly staging) as long as the lows are low and the highs are high and the midrage is there. But since the 6/Atenza is such a quiet car, you can actually improve SQ (Sound Quality) if it's setup so that the fronts are louder and the rear speakers just "fill" up the void behind your head.

 

[Victor]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

G'day XTerm,

You seem knowlegable enough with sound. I guess you would have modded your factory ICE. Perhaps you can let me know where is the best point to ground the amp. Since the factory HU does not have preouts, hi/lo converters are used. I find grounding is mandatory for the converters, too, to minimise the whining noise. Again, where is the best grounding point? I place my amp under the front passenger seat. It's a class-T.

 

[Altersys]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Sorry to interject, but regarding decks with no preouts... it's so much easier and sounds SO much better to just get an amp that can do speaker-level inputs (brax, a/d/s/, etc)... problem is that comes with a price. But many it makes every install easier and better-sounding.

-Alt

 

[Victor]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

Thanks, Altersys, for your advice. The amp I've got is actually Blaupunkt PA 4100. I chose it for its class-T low heat dissipation and its ability to fit nicely under the front passenger seat without covering up the foot-level air-vent adjacent to it. I do wish it had come with speaker level inputs.

I also currently facing a problem with the installation. Since the factory HU does not have an amp power-on trigger, the Blaupunkt is triggered on by the car ignition switch ACC. After the car has been parked for more than 5 hours or so, when I switch to ACC, the amp will then power on and immediately giving out continuous high pitch "clicking" noise for about 5 seconds, then it stops, never to return until the next long park, even if I stop the engine and restart again within the first couple of hours.

The clicking noise sounds a lot like electric sparking. When this "clicking" noise stops, it does not stop abruptly, but rather with its beats slowing down rapidly. The noise seem to be loudest from rear channels, perhaps a little biased to the rear-left, even with my gain settings identical for both front and rear channels. Its loudness seem to vary with my amp input gain setting. While the noise is beating away, the amp still plays the music.

The installer have changed my amp once, but the problem is still there. I'm open to all suggestions you may have to help me solve the problem.

 

[applejax]

Replying to Topic 'Low volume from rear speakers?'

The amp power-on doesn't require much juice. I would try to find another switched lead, perhaps there's even one on the radio. If that's not available, tap into something that won't carry a lot of interference (eg, no mechanics such as wipers, fans, etc.) You can always wire in a relay if power becomes a concern.

As far as grounding, you want a bare piece of metal, and as short of a ground wire as possible. If you only have the one amp to ground under the seat, look perhaps for a seat bolt that goes thru the cars chassis. Pull the bolt off, and shine the metal up (on the chassis) real nice. Use a ring connector on the ground wire and place it right on that shiny part of chassis you just made. Put the seat back on, and rethread the bolt nice and tight.