Has anyone been happy with an upgrade for the front door?

What speakers and size did you replace them with?

What would you have done differently?


Thank you

Nick Mendoza

If sound quality is important, the only solution I've found that works well is a custom panel that places a 6.5" coax in the bottom front corner of the door.

I have custom panels with a 3-way system in my sedan, but the aformentioned solution in my wagon sounds just about as good, looks more factory and retains some storage space in the door pockets.

Just replacing the speakers in the stock door location is an improvement, but if you plan on upgrading the entire system with head unit, amps, subwoofer etc, the door and dash speakers will quickly become the weak link.

Keep us informed of your solution.

Regards,
Gebhard

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'88 300E 265K
'91 300TE 155K

Yes, I am going to do the entire system. I will put MB Quartz up front.

I do think that the front door will become the weak link.

Your placement of the speaker in the front panel is a good one. I will run the wire when I do the system. I will add the spakers after I do the system.

What have you found is the best wrap around that you have heard.

Thank you

Nick Mendoza

What year W124's came with front door speakers? I had an '89 and currently have a '90 and neither had front door speakers, just the dash units.

I'm just starting to look at upgrading the system in the car (still has the factory casset unit - the some of the speakers sound blown).

I need to do something super-stealth.

BTW, does anyone have pics of the various front-door speaker installs?

I used to make a pretty decent living in the 90's as a mobile audio installer (that's how I got hooked on MBZ'). What I'd dig on is system similar to the one in my ML320. For a stock system that Bose really cranks (yeah yeah.. not like an MBQaurt system with proper subs but for stock.. it rocks)

I will post my install soon. I am going to do it within two weeks. I am doing the entire system.

I am going to make my own box. I will also post photos on this.

I have a speaker in each door. They have a subwoofer in there. Bass comes out from the doors.

Problem is the location of the speaker. The speaker is at the lower corner. When the door is closed. The speaker is muffled by the seat.

Nick Mendoza

i used half a component set, the 6 inch woofers, in the door. standard 5.25 two ways in the dash and hatshelf. the door speakers are the easiest to replace without cutting/ modifying.

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bmw 2002.
long live the legend

No factory door speakers on my '90.... where are the factory door speaker locations and what years had them? And finally, if I get door panels from said year how much metal would I need to cut to fit speakers in mine?

I am going to install a pair of 6 inch speakers in the doors. I am going to take everything apart only once. I do not have the door speakers yet. I will run all the wire for the door speakers.

What brand has made someone happy?

I know that they will be blocked by the seats. I only hope for fill.

Thank you

Nick Mendoza

Nick, I highly recommend CDT Audio speakers. You can spend a little or a whole lot. Even their lowest end series are amazing. I have their 5 1/4" basic coax in my dash and a 10" sub and it sounds great. I'm kinda picky about this stuff, but I doubt I'll upgrade (or at least don't feel the need to). I have been in a car with the eurosports and the owner had to pry me out of the car, simply awesome.

CDT Audio Website

These speakers are quite a bit out of my price range. They look great! I have never heard of these.

$350 for a pair of 6 inch speakers? Thay maybe worth it. They do not include the crossovers or shipping w/price.

I just spent about $1000.00 on my system sub., amps, speakers front, speakers back and new head unit. Not including the connections, wires, and maybe capacitor.

Has anyone been happy with somthing in the range of about $100.00 for two 6 inch speakers?

Thank you

Nick Mendoza

Nick, they run the gamut of prices. thezeb.com is having a 1/2 off sale on the cdt cl-6x (I have the cl-5x - 5.25" v. 6.5" for the 6x)
$45/pair - at that price if you don't like 'em (which you will) just sell 'em on ebay and get most of the $ back)

They also have some cl-61 6.5" components w/crossovers that were from a bad paint batch for $149

Note: I have no interest in cdt, only that they are great values on their low end and amazing at their high ends.

edit: I think the nearest brick and mortar dealer near burbank is in Orange. They're listed at the cdt website.

nick, do what i did. i went to one of these shops that advertise in the pennysaver. got an amp and the door speakers (half a component set) for 375 including the labor to install. i did the fronts myself and still have to do tthe rears. total outlay

140 (two sets of 5.25 speakers at best buy)
375 (amp and door speakers and labor to install.)
615 total.

after a long time getting the front speakers done i didnt want to go through the same hassles installing the rears especially with cutting. i tried to find 5.25 spacers but most of the audio shops i went to didnt have em. so im going to use some speaker surround (the plastic part that goes around the grill) as spacers, most shops will give em to you. i went to home depot and got about 3 ft of insulation, the type you use around windows and so on. gonna use that above and below the "spacer" to not only filli n the irregular shapes but to insulate as well. dont want any rattles and squeeks.
i just havent had time to do the rears yet.

__________________
'O=00=O'
bmw 2002.
long live the legend

hole shot.
i think the six speaker stereo was an option that was added a few years after the intro of the 124. i have seen some early ones (here defined as a single black strip for side moulding) with them and late ones (a panel for side moulding!) without them.

it sounds a little better than the 4 speaker ones, but since its firing at the seat cushion its not much better. i remember reading about the placement in mercedes materials in the early 90s and they were saying that since the speaker is really meant to simulate a woofer, firing it at the seat cushion is a fine way to absorb the high frequency sounds.

__________________
'O=00=O'
bmw 2002.
long live the legend

Interesting. I would have thought they were at the hinge end of the doors using some map-pocket replacing enclosure. Hm, if they were used for mid/bass fill then I could see putting them there.. still strange possitioning.

Having just recently had the door panel off I think they might have done it because the window drive motor is mounted forward in the door.

Has anyone done a mount in the forward part of the door without major fabrication or multi-hundred dollar custom enclosers (and if you did how well did they work, were the door panels nearly impossible to replace) ?

Thanks for the good info guys, keep it rollin...

- David
(pro mobile audio tech in a previous career - late 80's to be exact)

I went to the section that gives the specs on the CDT's They look like they will fit.

What will fit without major mods. The 6 1/2 or the 5 1/2.

Thank you

Nick Mendoza