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96C220 · #6 07-01-2005, 02:39 AM

4" speakers are never going to compare to larger drivers. Simple physics there, of you have a specific cone surface area and a specific excursion (maximum movement of the cone). That is its ability to move air, in this case for the purpose of reproducing sound. A larger driver can move more air, but requires more energy to move the larger cone (in this case in the form of ac current from the amp). With a 4" you usually dont run out of power, especially with the more modern higher power headunits, you run into the physical limits of the speakers.

To really get the image into the front, you need to add larger drivers in the front. The later 126's had 6.5's in the doors to augment the 4" in the dash. I dont know if the door panels are a straight swap or not, but that may be an idea...

If you are worried about output level, you need to find the most efficient speaker you can find. They are rated in terms of db / 1w / 1 meter (ive seem some car audio manufacturers pull the 1/2 meter trick though). Basically what this is, is a measure of how much sound pressure level the speaker can create when 1 watt of power (usually at a test frequency of 1000 or 1500 hz), measured from a distance of 1 meter. The more efficient the speaker, the more output it is going to have. But you have two choices here, either make the drivers in the front of the car the same or larger than the rear, or, if you want a foward image, and are willing to sacrifice overall volume, fade it forward.

You may also want to consider a 4" component set in the front, With separate tweeter (although mounting depth may prove to be a challenge in the w126 dash), this will give you a strong high end. Then lowpass the rear deck speakers at 2500 hz or so. The lower the frequency, the less directional it is to the human ear. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Take care,

George