Speakers (FAQ)

From Nissan 350Z & 370Z Wiki

Contents 1 ALSO SEE 2 GENERAL 2.1 Can I just upgrade the speakers and keep the OEM Head Unit? 2.2 Do I need to change the rear speakers? 2.3 Are there any speaker reviews specific for the Z? 3 FITMENT AND INSTALLATION 3.1 What speakers fit in the 350Z? 3.2 Do I need spacers for the speakers? 3.3 Are there any installations guides? 3.4 Do I need to run new speaker wire? 3.5 How do I pull wire to the new speakers? 3.6 How do i know which wire is positive and which is negative 3.7 How much does it cost to install speakers? 4 SPEAKER BASICS 4.1 What should I look for when purchasing a speaker? 4.2 Sensitivity 4.3 Frequency Response 4.4 RMS Power Handling 4.5 Tweeter Design 4.6 What does 2-way or 3-way mean? 4.7 coax 4.8 2 way 5 RECOMMENDATIONS

ALSO SEE

• Amplifiers (FAQ)
• Audio and Electircal (FAQ)
• DVD Navigation System (FAQ)
• Head Unit (FAQ)
• Subwoofer Wiring Guide
• Subwoofers (FAQ)

GENERAL

Can I just upgrade the speakers and keep the OEM Head Unit?

Depending on model it is possible to upgrade only the speakers. The problem with this approach is the anemic output of the factory head unit means that the vast majority of aftermarket speakers will not produce the volume and clarity most people are looking for. Leaving the factory head unit and installing a aftermarket amplifier is one way to overcome this problem. With the wide variety of aftermarket amplifiers and line converters available it possible to get good quality sound using the factory head unit.

Do I need to change the rear speakers?

It's all about imaging. You can't hear speakers behind your head clearly. The best sound staging is accomplished when the rear speakers are turned off altogether. Speakers in the back can sometime present interfering sound signals. Most professional sound comp. cars only do front stage systems (meaning they don't use back speakers). Some people feel the need to have them, so the choice is yours. I recommend spending the extra money on a set of good front components speakers and disconnecting the rears completely.

Think of it this way, speakers are supposed to mimic a live recording. Would you want to go to a concert and have your back turned to the speakers?

Are there any speaker reviews specific for the Z?

Generally, people like to comment on their speakers after installation. So check out of Audio and Electronics forum for member reviews. Also, you can browse the member garage and find out what other people are putting in their Z's. PM them and ask how they feel about their speaker choice.

FITMENT AND INSTALLATION

What speakers fit in the 350Z?

The factory speakers are 6.5" both front and rear. The door speakers also have a 1" tweeter near the A-Pillar/Window. In the front, you must be careful not to get speakers that are too deep, or they may scrape the window when it is rolled down.

Do I need spacers for the speakers?

For the front speakers you will need some type of spacer. The factory door cutouts are very large due to the factory mounting method used. You can create spacers from any number of methods, but the general consensus is that using the factory speaker housing is the easiest and cheapest method. You will have to destroy your factory speakers for this. To see a great tutorial on how to install front speakers and make speaker brackets/spacers, see this tutorial: Tutorial:Front_Speaker_Installation

Are there any installations guides?

We are dedicated to bringing you the most information possible. So of course we have a speaker installation tutorial: Tutorial:Front_Speaker_Installation

Do I need to run new speaker wire?

It is not necessary, but in a few words, it doesn't hurt. Specifically, when you add an aftermarket amplifier you should look into upgrading the wiring. While factory wiring is adequate, aftermarket wiring will allow you to hear the full capability of the audio components you have just paid for. It is a good idea to upgrade the wiring when you upgrade your speakers. This will save labor cost and hassles down the road.

The primary consideration is gauge and pure as possible OFC (oxygen free copper) wiring. Most modern wiring manufacturers use OFC copper as the extraneous elements such as oxygen in wiring will add distortions and coloring to your audio source. In general 12 gauge wiring should be more than adequate for speaker wiring in your Z. For a source on most anything you want to know about wiring see here. http://www.epanorama.net/documents/wiring/wire_resistance.html

How do I pull wire to the new speakers?

We have a tutorial showing you how to get better speaker wire into the front doors using the factory wiring harness: Front_Speaker_Wire_Routing

For the rear speakers, you can run wires down the center console, or under the carpet. You will have to disassemble much of the rear plastics from the car to reach the back speakers.

How do i know which wire is positive and which is negative

You can test the factory wiring. Take a 9v batter and touch it to the OEM speaker. + to + will push the speaker cone out, + to - will pull the speaker cone inward. This will guarantee that you have all of the speakers wired the same.

How much does it cost to install speakers?

Typically speaker installs are in the $45 to $55 range for a pair. This price normally does not include running new wiring from your power source or any custom spacers that may be required. The rear speakers are difficult to access, so costs might be slightly higher for those, depending on your installer.

SPEAKER BASICS

What should I look for when purchasing a speaker?

As many times as it has been said it is still valuable to repeat YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. There are hundreds of speaker manufactures currently making speakers that fit the Z ranging from flea market specials to speakers manufactured by the same companies that build the speakers for $250,000 home audio systems. When you get past the marketing and voodoo of the car audio world basic solid speaker design principals have not changed much since Ernest Siemens patented the first in 1874. In general a well designed speaker will have the following characteristics.

Speaker design is part art and part science that has been honed over the years to produce the state of the art designs that any good manufacture employs today. The single most important aspect in looking for speakers is find a quality manufacture. Some but not all of the names in speaker manufacturing that produce quality components are as follows.

Alpine, Boston Acoustics, CDT, Diamond Audio, Focal, Infinity, JBL, JL Audio, Kenwood, MB Quart, MTX, Phoenix Gold, Pioneer, Polk Audio, Rockford Fosgate and Seas. These manufactures range in price from $50 to $1500 and most make a full line of speaker that will fit in the Z.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity is the measurement of efficiency for a speaker usually measured in decibels, such as 92db. This rating is determined by measuring 1 watt of sound played at 1 meter from the source. The higher the rating the better, in general a speaker with a sensitivity rating of 89db or high is considered to be efficient. The is the measurement of the speakers sound output level as function of it power input. The sensitivity is usually expressed in the speaker specs as decibel (db) of sound pressure level (spl) per watt measured at a distance of 1 meter. This is a critical component of your system design as it will play a significant factor in choosing amplifiers. The higher the sensitivity the less power it will take for speaker to function at any given level. As a good example of this a speaker with a sensitivity of 89 will take half as much power to play at a given volume than speaker with a sensitivity of 86. At minimum I would recommend a sensitivity rating of 86.

Frequency Response

For a full range component system the Frequency response should be listed between 50 hz and 22,000 hz. Frequency responses that either do not play below 50 or above 22,000 make system tuning and integration with a subwoofer more difficult. In addition the narrower the frequency band the less music you will hear from your system. Is the audible range and which a speaker can reproduce sound. Your front speakers should at least be capable of playing to 50hz ,preferably lower as volume of the frequencies reduces as you approach the borders of a speakers frequency response. By ensuring this you can than crossover you subwoofer at a lower setting (somewhere in the 40 to 50 hz range) improving it's sound quality and the overall soundstage in the Z.

RMS Power Handling

This the range of power a speaker can continuously handle while operating properly. Power handling is expressed in watts and will determine the amount of amplification you need. This is the value you should use when comparing speakers, not Max Power Handling. The is continuous maximum power rating that your speaker can handle. This rating is primarily used to compare the robustness of speaker design. While there are many exceptions to this rule, in the car audio world it remains A fairly good way of determining build quality.

Tweeter Design

There are 2 basic designs of tweeter diaphragm. For Simplicities sake these can be broken into metal or fabric. Traditionally metal tweeter allow for faster transient response and better power handling but trade this for a brighter and more forward sound. Fabric tweeters tend to be more laid back and some would say too dull sounding.

The best measurement to determine what sounds best to you is your own ears. Everyone has different levels of hearing, different tastes in music, and audio goals. Bring a piece of music your are familiar with to your audio retailer and give various units a try.

What does 2-way or 3-way mean?

• coaxial speaker has tweeter mounted on bass driver... (2 speakers total)
• 2 way has separate tweeter and driver (4 speakers total)
• 3 way has 1 tweeter and 1 midrange and 1 mid bass (6 speakers total)

the only reason why anyone would tell you coax is better is possibly the ease of install. if you just look at price 2 way is more expensive than coax and 3 way is more than 2 way.

coax

• pros
  1. easier install
  2. tweeter is on same plane as driver.... improves soundstage and imaging
  3. price

• cons
  1. crossover tends to be less quality
  2. individual components within coax tend to be less quality
  3. smaller drivers

2 way

• pros
  1. better tweeter
  2. better crossover
  3. larger drivers more sound control
  4. better quality drivers

• cons
  1. price
  2. install costs more plus you have to mount crossover
  3. tweeter placement can be crucial, but you can mount in factory stock location.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommending a speaker is much akin to recommending a car, everyone has different priorities. The only way to truly compare is to set your budget and listen. But the following manufactures have given numerous Z owners hours of enjoyment. One important thing to remember is mounting depth. The Maximum reasonable mounting depth for the front speakers in the z is 2 7/8" with a spacer.