For normal installation of speakers in the standard places of the Skoda Octavia A5, it is necessary to make wooden spacer rings under the speakers. To get to the speakers, you need to remove the door trim.
Basically, plywood of different thicknesses is used to make spacers, for example: 16mm, 18mm, 21mm, etc. Wood dampens vibration a little and makes the acoustics sound softer.
HF rings for Octavia A5
There are two options for installing non-standard speakers in the standard places of the front door, these are 6.5″ and 8″.
For an 8″ (20 cm) speaker, you can make a podium with a thickness of approximately 50 mm, an outer diameter of 210 mm and an internal diameter of 180 mm, for example, you can cut three rings from plywood with a thickness of 16 mm or 18 mm (the total thickness will be 48 mm and 54 mm), as in the photo:
For 6.5″ (16.5 cm) a slightly different design is required. One ring with an outer diameter of 210 - an inner one of 160 mm, and two rings: an outer one of 180 and an inner one of 150 mm (mounting diameter of the speaker is 16.5 cm), three rings of 16 mm each - the total thickness of the rings is 48 mm:
The rings are coated with glue and connected with self-tapping screws!
Spacer rings for midrange in the rear door of Skoda Octavia a5
The best option to improve the sound is to soundproof the doors and embed a 16-inch midrange speaker into the rear doors; for this we make a podium approximately 50 mm high. You can also take a sheet of plywood 16 mm or 18 mm thick and cut three identical rings with a jigsaw, with dimensions: outer diameter = 180 mm, inner = 150 mm (under).
Article rating:
Professional acousticians consider the main tasks of manufacturing spacer rings for non-standard speakers to be as close as possible to the diffuser to the protective mesh (grill) and to securely attach the tweeter or midbass to the internal frame of the door cavity or side pillar. In this case, the additional device should not degrade the acoustic characteristics of the speaker. A simple design of spacer rings is available for DIY, but professionals consider the rings to be only one stage in a complex speaker sound installation. When moving the speaker from its original location, a number of additional works are required, one of which will be the manufacture and installation of a spacer ring. The use of gaskets from standard speakers is excluded, since for budget models they are made of cardboard or low-quality plastic and do not differ in durability and acoustic qualities.
Modern fashion for car audio
Today, most modern vehicles come with standard speakers. However, lovers of loud music in cars are often not satisfied with their sound, so they buy larger speakers. In this case, a different kind of problem arises - how to install large-sized equipment in the cabin so that, on the one hand, it does not disturb passengers, and on the other hand, to create truly clear sound?
One of the common ways to solve the problem is to make podiums for speakers. They can not only improve sound quality, but also take the performance of the speaker system to a whole new level.
A DIY acoustic shelf allows you to mount speakers of different sizes and shapes
What is the best way to strengthen the walls of plastic spacers?
- Log in to reply to this topic
#1 OFFLINE ltd500
- From: Moscow
I understand that it sounds crazy, but there are reasons for this and this is a temporary solution, and I ask you not to throw poop. And I know it's better to replace it with something else
There are plastic spacers for the speakers in the front doors and they are of complex shape. For making them from wood or aluminum, they want some inhumane money, which I would rather spend on the speakers themselves
In principle, they are quite rigid, two-layer. But I understand that it is not enough and most likely they will rattle, so it occurred to me to strengthen their structure with a bay between the layers, something.
What are podiums
The acoustic podium is the base for the speaker, thanks to which it is fixed in the desired position. The podium serves as a speaker mount, for example, in a car door or pillar.
Those speakers that are built into the podiums give a completely different sound: richer and deeper, with clearly distinguishable high and low frequencies.
What are speaker shelves used for?
We can say that the podium performs several functions in the car interior:
- the variety of appearance of the podiums helps to hide an unattractive sound system or emphasize the strengths of the interior design;
- expands the acoustic capabilities of the speakers in the cabin;
- podiums can be made from various materials and decorated with leather, wood, velor and other types of finishing fabrics to create a unique interior;
- in complex-shaped podiums it is easy to place non-standard and large-sized speakers, for example, a horn.
What types of podiums are there?
Podiums are divided into only two types: external and internal.
External ones can be considered podiums that are mounted directly in the car interior - for example, on the rear parcel shelf. However, most often, car enthusiasts use internal podiums in car doors to better fix the speaker and improve the character of the sound.
Traditionally, most cars already have standard speakers or holes for them. Usually their sizes depend on the make of the car. Domestic cars typically have speakers with a diameter of 130 mm. Foreign cars can have built-in podiums of larger sizes - 160, 200 and even 250 mm.
Car door speakers are usually round or oval in shape. Depending on the car model, podiums must take this feature into account. In general, the shape of the podium can be absolutely any, since the main purpose of this element is to securely fix the speaker in order to give volume and clarity to the sound.
Round speakers of different sizes can be installed in the doors of any car
What should a podium look like?
As follows from the above, the podium for the midrange or midbass is not a simple decorative element, but a necessary component of the audio system that affects the sound quality. To effectively perform its task—damping unnecessary vibrations—the podium must be heavy. The heavier the better.
In order for a part to be heavy, it must be made of the appropriate material. But in practice, plywood is most often used, since it is easy to process at home.
Did you know that archaeologists discovered the first archaeological artifact made from a material reminiscent of modern plywood in the territory of Ancient Egypt. The plywood casket dates back to the 15th-16th centuries BC. e.
Plywood is a relatively light material. To increase weight, podiums are made as large as possible. Of course, taking into account the features of the car interior.
When determining dimensions, they focus not only on sound quality, but also make sure that the additional element does not interfere with the operation of the main devices. For example, a speaker installed in a door should not interfere with the use of handles.
The speaker podium should not be attached to the casing, only to rigid metal elements. Firstly, a weak base does not help dampen vibrations. Secondly, it will not withstand a heavy podium with a speaker.
Internal podium
There are internal and external podiums. The first ones are installed when they want to maintain the factory appearance without changes. For example, when they change a standard speaker to a diffuser that is similar in diameter.
The internal podium is entirely hidden in the internal cavity of the door or ceiling under the trim, which must fit tightly to the speaker. Otherwise, distortion is possible, as the speaker will “play under the casing.”
The outer casing should fit snugly around the speaker mounted on the inner podium
Table: advantages and disadvantages of internal podiums
| Advantages | Flaws |
|
|
External podium
An external or external podium allows you to install any speaker larger or smaller than stock. In addition, the head can be placed either parallel to the plane of the door or at an angle, directed towards the listener. An additional advantage of the external podium is that it presses the skin tightly, reducing vibration.
Table: advantages and disadvantages of external podiums
| Advantages | Flaws |
|
|
The external podium is not just a stand, but a single structure. Its components must be adjusted and fastened tightly, without gaps or cracks. This ensures maximum structural rigidity and prevents sound from escaping under the skin.
The podium components must fit together without gaps or gaps.
Acoustic design elements, including the podium, should not impede the free movement of air through the windows of the speaker basket. Interference may degrade bass performance.
The podium components must not obstruct air flow through the speaker basket windows
When the speaker is deeply recessed into the podium, the diffuser operates through a tunnel, which significantly affects the sound quality with a depth of only 1 cm.
The podium parts should not form a tunnel in front of the diffuser
The sound quality is also worsened by the tunnel being too long on the magnet side of the speaker. It is better to avoid such a design, but if it is necessary, make the opening as wide as possible.
The tunnel on the rear side of the speaker degrades the sound quality
A special feature of external podiums is the need for decorative finishing. If the internal one is hidden under the casing, then the external one is always visible. It should not spoil the appearance.
This problem is usually solved by covering and covering the finished podium with natural or artificial leather. In some cases, when the podium is quite high, before covering it is necessary to sew the cover to the shape of the base, since the material allows tension only within certain limits.
Another method of decorative finishing is painting in a suitable color after puttying and thoroughly cleaning the surface.
Tweeters do not develop much power and are less susceptible to vibration. Therefore, podiums for them are more decorative stands than elements of acoustic design. They are made in the form of overlays on the side pillars or built into the pillar trim panels, oriented, according to the subjective sensations of the listeners, approximately to the center of the cabin.
Adapter podiums from round seats to oval speakers are not fundamentally different from conventional external speakers. The only difficulty is to develop a drawing and install the head in compliance with the requirements stated above.
How to make universal podiums for speakers
In most cases, you can do without investing in the purchase of factory podiums and make the element yourself. It's not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
To successfully make a podium you will need the following materials:
- plywood 6–8 mm thick;
- degreaser;
- cardboard;
- polyurethane foam;
- putty;
- glue;
- epoxy adhesive;
- nylon tights;
- dye;
- fabric or leather for covering.
In order to put your idea into practice without any difficulties, it is best to prepare the necessary tools in advance:
- scissors;
- hacksaw/jigsaw;
- pencil;
- stationery knife/blade;
- sandpaper;
- putty knife.
Almost all the tools and materials for making podiums are available on the farm of an experienced craftsman
Dimensions and shape of the acoustic podium
The technology described below involves the manufacture of podiums for speakers located in the front or rear doors of the car. Most often, there is one speaker with a diameter of 13 centimeters in the door. However, regardless of its size, the podium manufacturing technology will be the same:
- First you need to figure out what kind of podium shape is suitable for the interior of your car.
- It is necessary to measure both the dimensions of the existing speaker and the dimensions of its protective mesh.
- The diameter of the speaker ring will correspond to the diameter of the seat for it in the podium. And the outer diameter of the ring will be equal to the diameter of the protective mesh.
- Once you have approved the form, you need to draw it on a piece of cardboard.
- The resulting template must be carefully cut with scissors.
- Next, we apply the template to a piece of plywood and trace it with a pencil.
- For two doors we will need two plywood blanks that can be cut with a hacksaw or jigsaw.
- It is necessary to cut out the hole in the podium as accurately as possible, since if the proportions are violated, the speaker in the pocket will not be securely fixed.
Algorithm of actions
- First you need to remove the door trim (details in this article).
- We take measurements and estimate certain dimensions. The most convenient way is to pre-make a layout from cardboard.
- Based on the layout, we figure it out on the spot and see if the column fits into the door niche. We are trying to understand whether the glove compartment can open with this column, since the column may interfere with it.
- We cut out spacers, if necessary; below we will consider options for columns for which it is not necessary to make spacers.
- We cut out a decorative plug for the column on the door trim.
Installation and fastening of the podium in the car
The traditional method to securely secure a homemade podium is to screw it with self-tapping screws from the inside of the casing. This, on the one hand, will ensure the quality of fastening, and on the other hand, will not spoil the appearance of the entire structure.
To carry out this procedure, you will need only two tools: a screwdriver and soundproofing materials.
Main stages of the procedure
The process of installing and fixing any podium in any part of the car is as follows:
- Take a ready-made podium with a speaker built into it.
- The podium is screwed on the inside of the casing with self-tapping screws.
- However, to achieve truly clear sound, you will need to experiment with the installation - some screws will be tightened all the way, and some will not. That is, you need to give the podium such a position so that the speaker can reveal its sound to the maximum.
- It is recommended to soundproof the doors and ceiling (in this case you can achieve even clearer sound).
- After completing all the work, reassemble the ceiling, racks or doors (depending on where exactly the podium was mounted).
Spacer rings and tips for Shumka
There was a debate about what the purpose of spacer rings was and what would be best for the sound.
Between the door iron and the door trim
25mm. Is it worth making spacer rings so that in the end everything (hardware, column, casing) is connected together? That is, will the sound be richer/deeper, etc.
I personally thought that the rings are so that the speaker touches the iron over its entire surface, and all sorts of “What are you talking about, the sound will be reflected from the casing” can be treated with the help of bitoplast gaskets around the perimeter of the speaker, like a bitoplast tunnel from columns to trim.
Why did the dispute arise at all? I’m infuriated by the appearance when the column is outside the casing (well, to each his own), and I want to leave it a little inside and there’s a beautiful mesh outside and that’s it.
And also a question - what do you think about whether a vibroplast is needed under the spacer ring (well, the bottom one needs a pad), and a vibroplast between the column and the ring (like for full contact, because there are only 4 holes around the circumference of the column).
A little about the components. Pionner DEH-6400BT Pioneer TS-E1702is (the pioneer decided everything, I don’t know why, it’s jammed, overpaying for a component pioneer another 50% of the cost - it won’t give 50% of the sound quality) Pioneer GM-3500T (slack, the mono will move the front seat back to show off in front of incompetents ) Hoses for the Mystery speakers 2x2.5 (no need to scold, the same copper, and not copper-plated luminium + the insulator is sooooo strong + hoses are 1.8 meters in total) Hose for the wushu Daxx r55-15 (not bad) Strength for the wushu both plus and minus 16mm2 (enough for 25 amps, and there are hoses under the seat
Cost of services for manufacturing & installation of rings
Making simple rings 1 hour 600–1600 rub. Production of complex rings 2-3 hours 1600–2600 rub. Making rings for tweeters 1 hour 800–1200 rub. Manufacturing of supporting elements for midrange and tweeter speakers 2–4 h 1000–1500 rub. Making rings for a subwoofer (wood) 1 hour 400–800 rub. Making rings for a subwoofer (metal) 1 hour 800–1200 rub.
Installation of rings on self-tapping screws / bolts 0 / 50–100 rub.
Installation of rings on speakers is free if you order installation of acoustics from us.
Manufacturing of other elements
Podiums under 16 cm on VAZ 2114
Armed with all the necessary materials and tools, you can make podiums up to 16 cm. The speakers are not large and require care.
- Mark circles on plywood.
- Cut out the rings using a jigsaw.
- Cut holes in the finished podiums.
- Screw the rings to the parts through the blocks.
- To make the structure more durable, you can cover it with mesh.
- Foam, dry, cut off excess.
- Coat the part with putty. Sand it out.
- Cover with nylon. Many people use regular tights.
- Correct all irregularities with putty and cover with leather.
Speaker on the door of a VAZ 2114 car.
In the same way, podiums of 20 cm are made. Speakers not only on Lada Priora, but also on other brands of cars look better if they are inside the trim. Using a similar method, you can make built-in podiums with 2 speakers in the back and front. With the external installation method, 2 speakers are installed on the rear parcel shelf behind the seats.
Useful information about speaker spacers
Functions, designs, installation locations of spacer rings
When installing new speakers in the original places of factory equipment, lovers of good acoustics usually choose larger speakers. Budget models cannot accommodate speakers with a diameter of 16 or 20 centimeters. The increased diffuser size requires a larger magnetic head. The distance between the metal frame and the outer door panel (the inner trim of the door card) does not correspond to the installation depth of the new speaker, which rests on the lowered door glass.
Tags: spacer rings, router
Comments 98
Please tell me which in your opinion is better, kicx or ural? In terms of speakers. Thank you very much)
I understand which is better.))) But comparing my two options, which is better?
Well, as if Kicks and Urals are different... At least you wrote the models))) But I’ll tell you - listen and find out what’s best for you!
Kicx pd-5.2 and Ural ak47s comp.
You have to listen and then choose!))
Well, as if Kicks and Urals are different... At least you wrote the models))) But I’ll tell you - listen and find out what’s best for you!
There is an option to take either one or the other, I can’t choose (I already had Kicks like that. Not bad. They say that crossovers are an extra overpayment of money. You can get by with Conders, right?
I'm not your advisor here. I had neither one nor the other.
I tried everything and settled on the same device!
I tried to do it using something like a real radius bar (I drilled holes). I didn't really like it. It's more convenient with this thing.
Yes, any radius can be adjusted. I also made a sleeve and a pin on which I put this device. Otherwise the self-tapping screw will quickly gouge everything! I cut about 50 rings - the flight was normal. Instead of laminate, I used 1 plywood and fixed the knitting needles into the original plank of the router.
Installation of 16 cm speakers using spacers
A spacer is, in this case, a wooden product that follows the shape of the column. It is made in the form of a ring; the material used is usually fiberboard, MDF board or plywood. But even in this case, you may need to cut the metal of the door, which in my opinion is a little blasphemous in relation to the car.
Spacer made of two rings, MDF material
- The inner diameter of the ring is measured so that the speaker is freely attached to it, and for the best sound, they try to ensure that the speaker fits as tightly as possible to the ring.
- The outer diameter should be such that the column is attached tightly to the ring, and, if possible, fits behind the upholstery so that the metal of the door does not have to be cut.
The video below shows the installation of a 16 cm speaker system in the front doors of a Lada Priora. The principle is the same.
Video
Features of choosing and installing speakers in Priora
The quality of music in a car is ensured by proper installation and connection of several speakers. The sound volume depends on the size of the tweeters. Many Prior car owners try to install podiums in the front, in the doors. The placement of the speakers is possible both at the top and bottom of the doors.
Leather interior of Priora
There are several important features when choosing tweeters for a Priora:
- First of all, you should decide on their optimal size. It is not recommended to install elements that are too bulky. Since they take up a lot of space in the cabin and interfere with the driver and passengers. And it’s easy to damage strongly protruding parts.
- The system should be conveniently mounted on the side pads. New elements must be placed on the surface of the door with the greatest precision. They must not block the pocket. Special podiums on the Priora, which are mounted on top of the sidewall next to the pillar, add new loud notes to the music. And also, surround sound transmission is added.
- External design is also important. For example, in a black or gray interior it is better to purchase podiums of the same color. If there are two shades in the interior, one is selected: black or gray. Silver details are perfect for such palettes. They will add modernity and uniqueness to the decoration. A car finished in brown or beige colors is well complemented by a coffee shade.
- Any additional installations in the cabin should not only look attractive, but also be of high quality. In addition, do not forget about convenience. No parts should interfere with driving.
- Installation work in the machine must be carried out strictly according to the instructions.
And of course, all elements must be firmly attached so that the system does not fail soon.
Installing car audio requires a creative approach. Sound quality largely depends on where and how the speakers are placed. For them, podiums are elements of acoustic design. The elements are useful and in some cases necessary. What’s important is that you can make such podiums with your own hands.
Fastening spacer rings
People, tell me, how do they usually attach spacer rings to doors? Self-tapping screws or bolts and nuts? How is the speaker itself attached to the spacer ring?
- [Hyundai] Hyundai Accent. First installation.
- Spacer rings for KICX STC 6.2
- [Mercedes-Benz] W202 AMG
- Spacer rings for VAZ 2112!
If this is your first time on our Forum:
Best wishes, Administration of the Car Audio Forum Radio
I will fasten it with screws flush to the metal of the door through some kind of seal (but not vibration, since it changes its properties depending on the temperature). For example, this could be thin felt or some kind of dense fabric, etc. And the dins for the spacers are also on screws, there are such furniture brackets with threads, they will be on the back side of the spacers.
