I thought there should be a thread that we use to track the different types of speakers that fit in the Element door openings.

Please add your speakers to the list if they're not already here and be sure to include any info you might be willing to share with others like: install time
install notes
before/after photos
sound quality comments
price/shipping/storeThanks!

I have recently installed Infinity 505 cs components in the front doors, I had to cut the plastic cups in the doors to accomidate for the magnet and then installed them with XTC baffles. There are some strict measurement concerns for the front speakers because of the shallow speaker grill and the window glass to worry about as well. As for the back i went with Polk GXR5's and all and all they sound great at least tonight they did because I just replaced the head unit and I am pretty excited by the big difference over the stock one. From what I have been seeing as well on this board are people installing 6 1/2 Infinity 652i's as well and with no problems. I would have put 6 1/2's in but I relied on Cruchfeilds advice on this and I was not to familiar with this board at the time.

Infinity 505 cs components $115.00 from Cruchfield, closeout speacial

Polk GXR5 also Cruchfield $49.00 closeout speacial.


Dont let the price fool you, much better than Pioneer, Sparkamatic or Kraco and the price was very right at the time especially if you are looking to upgrade the the speakers "only" on the EX system and these are 91-92 db which is reqired for the low power that this system puts out.

IF U HEAR THAT 5.25" SPEAKERS WORK FOR FRONT DOORS DONT DO IT. 6.5'S ALL THE WAY AROUND 8)

IF U HEAR THAT 5.25" SPEAKERS WORK FOR FRONT DOORS DONT DO IT. 6.5'S ALL THE WAY AROUND 8)

So let me revise this a little bit - you don't have to use 5.25" speakers because most (not all) 6.5" speakers will fit - so there's not many good reasons to use the smaller speakers.

Also, let's stay on topic here - this thread is for tracking the specific types of speakers that do fit/work in the E. As such, it is important not to generalize. I envision this thread as being a reference speaker model archive of sorts, a place where a person can come and check to see if the speakers they would like to buy have been successfully installed by someone already.

Branaman, since it sounds like you have installed 6.5 speakers in your E please share the specifcs with us. :D

I have the basic Infinity's 652i in the rear....very simple job as I was done in about 20 minutes for both. Looking at Focal Slim Line componets for the front because of the depth problems the fron have......also looking at Polk 3565 componets for the front too, though I will keep my options open and still maybe even go with Infin 652i in front also but replace the tweeters with a JBL of Infinity models.....there has been much talk that the tweeters need replacing bad and this mod is one of the best for the buck. Other thoughts?

EE

Looking at Focal Slim Line componets for the front because of the depth problems the front have

You don't need the Focal slim lines - the regular 165K's fit nicely.

I have the Focal 165K's in my E. They fit and sound great.

I removed the plastic speaker backing cup in the door however and used a new foam baffle to seal off the speaker from the door cavity.

Check it out here:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1488

[quote:a69a667f4d="eMass"][quote:a69a667f4d="Eazy E"]Looking at Focal Slim Line componets for the front because of the depth problems the front have[/quote:a69a667f4d]

You don't need the Focal slim lines - the regular 165K's fit nicely.

I have the Focal 165K's in my E. They fit and sound great.

I removed the plastic speaker backing cup in the door however and used a new foam baffle to seal off the speaker from the door cavity.

Check it out here:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1488[/quote:a69a667f4d]

Emass, what would one pay for either your set up and or the slim line set up......talking just the mid range, tweeters, and crossovers that is. Thanks EE

Focal 165 V Slims are about $240 street

http://www.cbrstereo.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/165VSLIM_S.jpg

Focal 165 K (what I have) are about $260 street

http://www.cbrstereo.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/165kS.jpg

Focal 165 K2 (note slightly different dustcap & bigger magnet) are about $330 street

http://www.cbrstereo.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/165k2S.jpg

Please note that the 165 K2's have a bigger magnet and therefore may pose slight depth problems. Please compare size specs to 165 K's before using.

E Mass, find me some Slims for $240 and I will buy ASAP....Thanks EE

[quote:d0def0ef30="Eazy E"]E Mass, find me some Slims for $240 and I will buy ASAP....Thanks EE[/quote:d0def0ef30]

Seek and ye shall find, my friend... :D

http://www.cbrstereo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=FOCALCOMPONENTS

There's a set of 165 V Slims on that page for $239.00 although I'd really recommend the 165 K's for $259.00 if you can swing it.

You can also find a ton of Focal stuff on eBay - in fact the slims are selling for $229.00 there...

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2 F&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&query=focal&categoryid=&ht=1&st=2&category2=14936&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&BasicSearch=&from=R2&catref=C3

Rock on!

Perfect thanks......I had the ebay page, but only in the 6 1.2 section...much more here I see. I will see who I can get to install.....and go from there...Thanks E Mass

EE

OH I fogot.....does the OEM head drive both of those by Focal, or does one need another amp like you have? Thanks again...EE

OH I fogot.....does the OEM head drive both of those by Focal, or does one need another amp like you have? Thanks again...EE

No, these want like 80 watts RMS and about 160 peak - you'll ruin them if you run them off any head unit power. Get an amp.

I installed Polk Audio GXR6A 6-1/2" speakers with minimal hassle.

I was able to remove all the cover plates with just my fingers. I had to cut off the three plastic posts that align the factory speakers on the front doors -- there were no posts on the rear doors. The new speakers lined up with some smaller, extra holes already in place and I used the black screws provided by Polk (one hole was absent on the driver's side front).

I picked these because they were on sale from Crutchfield at $49/pr (which fit my budget). I couldn't get the website to add the free wiring harnesses until I changed my vehicle type to the S2000 and then it went no problem.

The sound is pretty decent although I am not very happy with the factory sub. It's about as musical as a lightswitch. I'm not sure my audio tastes need a dedicated sub so when I get around to replacing the head unit I may just skip it.

Regards,
Jim

I'm adding some info from nickoel that was originally added as a separate post.

I installed 4 Alpine 6 1/2 speakers last week. They are the SPS-170A model and they sound great.

Only one thing and this goes for many aftermarket speakers. Mine kept cutting in and out and when I took the back ones out I noticed the the + and - plugs were hitting the exposed metal in the back speaker cutouts. I fixed this by using liquid electrical tape to cover them up and the last three days have been pure bliss.

Just letting you all know the Alpines fit and about the shorting out issue.

see ya.

Just ditched the reference 5 1/4 505cs components for the higher line Kappa 6 1/2" 60.5 cs components and they fit just fine. I just had to cut the rest of the rain gaurd out where it meets the door inorder to get them to fit properly. So far they don't sound any better than the reference set only because I really need an amp and the 13 watts rms that my Eclipse 8443 just does not cut it so I am playing them at a low volume so I wont kill them (remembering a post from EMass on this topic). So now I'm in the market for an amp that will fit under the seat and I need to do it quick. Here is a link of pics and the one with the kappa woofer is there as well as other interesting pics.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/shnsx/lst?.dir=/My+Photos/Shane%27s+Element+EX&.view=t

Has anyone put tweeters in the front window posts? If so what is the wiring there and what type of speakers?

Check here: http://www.ecnet.net/users/gallery/element-j/ Look under tweeters.

Here are some pics of the speakers I've installed in the past month. In the front I put in a set of Infinity 60.5cs Kappa components for the back I installed Focal 165CA coaxials. Both sets are 6 1/2 and I had to trom the speaker mounting area with a roto saw to get them to fit and used Cruchfeild baffles behind them.

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shnsx/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos/Shane%27s+Element+EX&.dnm=Infinity+Kappa+60.5+Woofer.jpg&.view=t

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shnsx/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos/Shane%27s+Element+EX&.dnm=Focal+165CA+in+rear.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shnsx/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bPhotos/Shane%2527s%2bElement%2bEX%26.src=ph%26.view=t

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shnsx/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos/Shane%27s+Element+EX&.dnm=Focal+165CA+away.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shnsx/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bPhotos/Shane%2527s%2bElement%2bEX%26.src=ph%26.view=t

Thise Focals look scha-weet! :D

Just got through Installing Infinity Kappa 60.5CS in the front and Kappa 63.5i in the rear. What a difference over the stock, although now my lack of real amplification is noticable as I turn it up, it starts distorting about a bit over 3/4 way full. But still way better sounding than the stockers.

Hey Emass, how important are the Baffles, and should I mount the crossover inside the cab rather than the doors?

I would definatly get baffles for the front doors because it actually gets wet in there and because of this I would mount the xovers under the dash or something. Now there is a jumper inside those Infinity xovers, did you change it for "custom contour" or did you leave them "flat"? I have the 6.05's myself and for the most part i love them, I thought about the 63.5's for th back as well, but i was concerned about the tweeter pod, if the height would be a problem, did you have any problems? I went with Focal 165 CA's instead for the back, they don't have "screaming" tweeters like the Infinitie's but for the back I don't need that anyway since I fade +3 to the front anyway




[quote:6e614b7be2="elementale"]Just got through Installing Infinity Kappa 60.5CS in the front and Kappa 63.5i in the rear. What a difference over the stock, although now my lack of real amplification is noticable as I turn it up, it starts distorting about a bit over 3/4 way full. But still way better sounding than the stockers.

Hey Emass, how important are the Baffles, and should I mount the crossover inside the cab rather than the doors?[/quote:6e614b7be2]

I left the front crossover settings at flat for now, but I do wish that the middle range on the 60.5 was a little better, it seems to be pretty flat, but I should be able to fix that once I replace the head unit with one that has a better equalizer settings. I had no problems mounting the 63.5's in the back,after removing the plastic speaker backing cup, it fit perfectly.
Now I just have to figure outwhat I want for a head unit. I have a Clarion Auto PC, which is abut 4 years old, which is cool for the nav features, but I want to keep the aux jack, and the Auto Pc dosent have an imput in. I guess I could just tie in the aux jack into the RCA imputs in the electronic crossover that I have, as it has two rca imputs. Heh, I could actually listen to MP3's from the iPod while the Nav is working. Guess I'm talking myself into remounting it :) Does anyone know if any of the dash mounting kits come without the pocket, and just aq flat cover? The autopc has a seperate unit that plugs into the deck and would fit well in the space below the deck.

Rear: Polk 602a 6.5" Coaxials ($-from old car; 15 mins. to install)
This was the easiest part of the whole speaker upgrade. I cut off the plastic nubs sticking out and in it went. I decide to use #8 - .75" screws instead as this prevents the screws from hitting the 2 cross beams in the door. (Bloody factory screws are ridculously long). They do a decent job as rear fill.

Front: CDT Audio Classic CL-61 2002 ($130; 2 hours)
I got these 2002 models from www.mainstreet-audio.com for $130 only and free shipping. (Thanks eMass). I think they are the speakers to beat for the price. It cleared up the whole midrange and female vocals have presence they lacked with the OEMs. The midbass thumps well too :).

The installation is a bitch since I think I have found the upper end of what one can fit in the Element. The mounting specs are 5 11/16" diameter and 2 7/8" depth! I had to totally cut out the rear plastic cup but it still does NOT sit flush as the basket is larger then the 5 1/4" opening. It sits about 1/4" above the door panel and the speaker terminals bump the lower metal cross beam. I mounted it with the terminals on top and the speaker grill panel will fit back on barely. I had to remove the foam on the speaker grill panel and the lower front corner does not sit flush (about a 1/8" off but totally unnoticeable). I think I will borrow my buddy's Dremel and enlarge the speaker opening so it sits flush over the weekend.

Addendum: I finally got around to cutting out and enlarging the speaker opening. I took a rotary tool and cut 1/8" around the entire perimeter of the opening and the basket can then be removed. I reinstall the speaker with XTC foam baffle inserts. The speaker grill now sits flush and the speakers now sounds tighter than before.

I also ran two 16 gauge wires to the speaker opening so I would not have to cut the factory wiring. If you want to do this I would recommend using 18 gauge wires instead since 16 was very tight. The crossovers were secured underneath the dash on either side with 2 wire-ties.

The tweeters were a breeze once I figured out which mounting bracket to use. CDT ships 1" tweeters with flush and angled suface mount. I used the angled surface mount and 2 layers of double stick tape. I stuck this on a sheet metal bracket I made much like what Element-J did. This made a wonderful fit and the tweeters are aimed higher then before.

Once I installed my 85 watt x 4 amp the 60.5's mids really came to life, I too prefer the "flat" setting because the other way makes the tweets way too LOUD



, but I do wish that the middle range on the 60.5 was a little better, it seems to be pretty flat, but I should be able to fix that once I replace the head unit with one that has a better equalizer settings.

With the focal and JL's does your E have a good bass thumb w/out the SUB? I wanna put new speakers all around but I cant put any subs in because we use the back to much and the PS2 is going where the factory sub is now. :?

To be honest w/you I wouldn't know since all my speakers go through crossovers to cut bass to the mids and everything except highs to the tweeters.

You should look for full range speakers from polk, infinity, pioneer and the like - they are better suited for full range sound vs. component sets like Focal and JL.

What would happen if I put mid bass in the back and some two ways up front with new tweets

This is all so confusing. OK, using the stock EX head unit, what are the best speakers for the front and rear doors? We're talking direct replacements here, none of that fancy stuff, just a straight speaker swap. Any suggestions?

This is all so confusing. OK, using the stock EX head unit, what are the best speakers for the front and rear doors? We're talking direct replacements here, none of that fancy stuff, just a straight speaker swap. Any suggestions?

Sorry this is confusing for you. However there is no single "best" speaker for the E - the "best" speaker for you might be one that fits without any modifications and sounds better than stock. In addition, some speakers sound very different than others and so you should listen to a number of them to decide which sound best to you.

My suggestion would be to visit a local auto stereo shop and have them tell you which speakers will fit. You can then listen to them in an audio board to get a feel for what they might sound like vs. other speakers that will fit and make your decision accordingly. These guys will install the speakers professionally and for a minimal cost in most cases and thier advice is indispensable.

Alternatively, if you don't feel you need to hear them, go to Crutchfield and check out a list of speakers that fit in the Element and install yourself.

Hey has anybody changed out the factory sub? If so what did you use?

NBPEX4WD5SP

Charlie Mo

I don't care about price. I want to know which speakers will have the best clarity and range. Anyone have thoughts? I want the best sound quality possible. Not so much boom ability but rich, clear sound. Thanks.

Would be grateful for advice as to the best, not necessarily best bargain, but the very best speakers available on the market that would fit the Element without having to alter existing car parts. Thanks for your help

Look at the Infinity Perfects 6.5 component system I think they are about the best sounding speakers I have heard http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-j0py9yLv28R/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=10&g=76400&I=108perf61&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N

Would be grateful for advice as to the best, not necessarily best bargain, but the very best speakers available on the market that would fit the Element without having to alter existing car parts. Thanks for your help

Focal 165 K, 165 KP

I had thought the Foacls were not as efficient? but the spec says 93 db.
I had thought Emass recomended against the Focals if you were keeping the Stock Head unit and Amp?

ISDKELLY recommends the Infinity 6.5. I was wondering...the Crutchfield site actually recommends 5.25 for the Element. Is it certain the 6.5's will fit? Thanks much.

I just recieved my Focal 165kp's tonight and I could not wait to get them in, so I installed them and they fit perfectly inplace of the Infinity Kappa's that were in the doors. Now my system consists of all Focal speakers and it sounds amazing compared to before. I am amazed of how much more detailed the highs are without being too harsh like the infinitie's were. These new speakers even have much better midbass with a little punch as well. Overall the quality of these speakers is great, the baskets are made of this Zamak metal and they are pretty heavy. Now I'm a firm believer that heavy is good". I was a little nervous when I pulled one of the old Kappa's out and noticed that the depth was about an inch deeper. once I installed, I carefully rolled the window down and nothing blocked it "sigh of relief". The crosovers are realy nice as well with a 0 to -7db tweeter level adjustment, for now I have it set at -2 and I still have to play. Anyway these are great speakers and well worth the $329.00 off EBay. From what I understand these retail for like $450

DEI Viper 5.25 Neod tweeter components.
Front and Rear.

Had to cut the plactic baffle and made a custom baffle but that is fine and man... they sound good imo and run about 129.00/pair plus shipping at sounddomain.com

Runnin off a memphis belle 4x75 @4ohms 4x 135@2ohms 1100 x 1 @1 ohm

thanks. email me with any questions

I've had a pair of Infiniti Kappa 60.5cs and a pair of Infiniti Kappa 652.5i sitting in their original boxes for two years now. They were gonna go in my VW, but since I now drive the E full time I thought about putting them in there.

Using the Stock HU, do I have to get an amp to power these speakers? Where does one suggest putting the amp? Is there a 'safe' place in the E to put an amp?

Will the sub still work?

Where do I put the thing that comes with the component system?

Sorry for my lack of knowlege. I'm good with computers but not car audio. I also don't know where to take it to get it done. What if they hack up my E. I'll be seriously upset!

Thanks to this forum I have upgraded my speakers.

Infinity 1001t dome tweeters.
Infinity kappa 62.5i two way front and rear.
from www.ikesound.com also recommended in this forum

Total price shipped $225

Crutchfield would have been $380 plus shipping.

I did have a problem with the shipment from IKESOUND, they only sent one set of the 62.5i. Thay handled the issue very professionaly and I had my complete order in a few days.

Thanks to element J I had a good idea of what to expect when I pulled the old system apart. I did have to cut the pockets out of the door to make room for the new speakers. Simple, just used a large pocket knife in the corner of the pocket and it all cameout very easy.

I could not use the rings to mount the speakers, the covers would not go on. I just used the sheet metal screws and screwed into the plastic door panel. Seems very secure.

The I think I could have used the rings on the rear speakers, but I just used the same mounting as I did in the front doors.

I could not get the tweeters to mount using the included brackets or get the old speakers apart as suggested to mount the new ones to the old brackets. So I used a small amout of epoxy to fasten the mess grill to the inside of the pillar cover. Then mounted the speakers to the grills. Yes I know it will be very hard to remove them, but I keep cars a very long time. Should not be an issue.

Wow what a difference in the sound. Thanks folks. I would have been at the mercy of some salesman without you. Even helped me get a great price.

dan

Glad to hear it all worked out!

As all the DC folks know...I still haven't installed my speakers from ikesound yet... They also now know my voice activated speakerphone is a bit oversensitive to extra background noise! :)

I was just telling Brian today that I was concerned about cutting the pockets/shrouds to mount them. Sounds like it was easy, so thanks!

-brendan

Dan:

All you did was install speakers? You aer still using the factory head unit and amp as well as the factory speaker wires?

Didn't the Infinty speakers require a x-over and special connectors?

Did the connectors come in the speaker box?

Where did you put the x-overs?

Is the amp strong enough to really make the speakers sound good?

Yes the speakers came with crossovers, all the cables, plenty of different mounting brackets, and grill covers.

For the doors, I wrapped the crossovers in foam and just dropped them in the door. For the tweeter I epoxied them to the inside of panel near the speakers.. Plenty of room.

I did not purchase the adapters for the Honda speaker connections. I stipped the wire insulation back aout an inch above the connector and soldered the wires from the infinity crossover harness. Use shrink tubing to insulate the wire. If I want to put the Honda speakers back in the original connectors are still attached, i would only need to cut the crossover wires off.

I am sure there are those that will say i need more power, but i don't see why. Under normal use I will have the volume at maybe 20% of possible volume. When i am feeling good with some songs I do push the volume to the top. maybe a good thing, I can't go any higher. i have already lost some hearing across all frequencies (have the tests to prove it).

Heading to Tyler Texas from Houston on Tuesday. I will have 20gig of music in my Archos MP3 player.. Smiling all the way. Well, at least once I get out of Houston traffic.

Focal 165CA's fit in the front doors with some heavy duty cutting of the plastic to remove obstructions to the Focal basket.

The improvement in sound quality was noticeable across the entire bandwidth (low's, mids, & highs)

Can someone recommend a cheap and reliable internet site for focals?
thanks,
mitch

I just installed Pioneer TS-A1370R 5.25 two-ways in the rear doors. They went in in about ten minutes with no modifications to the E other than snipping off the "locator" posts. I used the Crotchfield-supplied adapter ring and, if you leave the screws that secure the speaker to the ring slightly loose, you can weasel the thing into place without too much hassle (tighten them up afterwards).


(...and yes, the typo was intentional).

[quote:48ae67f860=" "]...Infinity kappa 62.5i two way front and rear...

Thanks to element J I had a good idea of what to expect when I pulled the old system apart. I did have to cut the pockets out of the door to make room for the new speakers. Simple, just used a large pocket knife in the corner of the pocket and it all cameout very easy.

...[/quote:48ae67f860]

Thanks dan.

I finally attempted to do my speaker upgrades this past weekend. I think the Infinity 62.5i's cases must have changed since Element-J's install to be wider than they used to be early last year.

Here is what I noticed:

It isn't the depth of the pocket that is the problem, but the slightly inset 1/4" ring of plastic inside the opening with the pocket sloping off of it toward the back. I'm pretty sure the outer rim of the back of the speaker assembly is what is pressing up against this ring in the door, not the back of the speaker.

This also makes sense since the earlier 62.5i model had a connector only on one side, but the newish ones have them on the top and bottom.

I got the rears installed without removing any of the door plastic using some creative rotating, but the top/forward cover clip still won't close all the way...but that's not entirely noticable and they don't seem to rattle.

For the fronts, I gave up. Not ready to cut out not just the pocket, but portions of the entire inner ring of the door hole. I tried dremeling for a bit, but didn't want to completely disable the shroud's functionality of keeping water off.

I also noted that for each pocket, there was a structural member of the door slightly intruding into the "airspace" at the bottom of the speaker pocket, which made positioning slightly more difficult.

Well, for now, I guess my occassional rear passengers will get good sound... :(

-brendan

PS - I was thinking of just cutting the shroud vertically up the middle, and then duct taping it slightly split to give more rear clearance and keep it waterproof...but the issue with the 1/4" ring inside the opening leads me to believe that wouldn't help. :(

Never having had better than what came with a vehicle before, this time I bought my Element with no stereo installed. I didn't want to spend tons of money, so I wound up with a fairly low end JVC head unit that plays mp3s as well as CDA, CD-R/RW and 4 Sony Xplod 6-1/2" speakers (back: 220w XS V-1630A - front: 250w XS V-1640H). Got both sets for the cost of the lesser, since they didn't have a 2nd set of the lesser speakers in stock. :)

I crossed my fingers and had the technicians at Best Buy install everything and it sounds great to me. Nice rich, full sound...I've even heard sounds I never knew were on my CDs! I got the speakers for $64 per pair (the 250w pair were marked $95) and the head unit was $140. With the other bits and pieces needed for installation, taxes, etc., I believe the total was just over $400.

Hi
I replaced the speakers in my 96 civic hatch with infinity reference series 652is and 6953is and the difference was very very profound even with the stock head unit. I plan on doing a similar install in my element.
Do the 652s fit up front or should I consider the 552s?

Just purchased Polk Audio DB6500 for the fronts in my EX. They fit perfectly with no modifications (They are 6.5). I am powering Eclipse Point Source 6.5s in the rear. Crutchfield, etc suggest 5.25 all the way around, but the 6.5 speakers above fit fine.

To my pleasent surprise, I got the Polks for $85 off of the Circuit City Wall.

You can purchase them here for $125 + S/H:

http://store.thestereohouse.com/db6500-.html

Yeah but i can get infinitys off ebay for less than 50 a pair and I love the way they sound...

To each his own. Thanks for the update on the fit though.

Mjbarnet, i've been thinking about Focal's too, based on the knowledge of Emass. This site has some of the cheapest prices i've seen, but I have not used them.

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/Manufacturer.aspx?ManufacturerID=638

ANyone have Image Dynamics Chameleons in the front? I don't have an E yet but do have a set of ID Chameleons (6 1/2) for the front and ID CTX (6 1/2) for the rears. I'm not too worried about the CTX cuz they're slim but the Chameleons are very beefy...

I will make 'em fit!

Hey everyone,

Just wondering if anyone knows if the Rockford Fosgate FRC4306 6.5" speakers fit in the element? Also has anyone heard anything bad about them. I am also think of getting the Pioneer DEH-P4600MP Stereo installed. Any opinions on these???

Thanks for the help

My Element is leased, so I can't do any modification of the door panels. I think a speaker upgrade would be worthwhile, though. Has anyone found a speaker that is a direct replacement for the front? Emass suggests checking Crutchfield, but they have nothing that fits without modification. In fact, they list only one speaker that can me made to fit.

Dave

Infinity now makes a "shallow mount" speaker with a mounting depth of 1-7/8". Would this possibly be a better choice for the front doors? I understand some have had problems with the stock 6000i. Any comments or suggestions? I was planning on replacing all four door speakers with the Infinities. Thanks!

I have a DX that the dealer put in the Honda speakers and radio. I cant beleive anyone actually thought the 6.5" mid-woofs alone with no tweeters were acceptable as "full-range" speakers.

I just got done installing a pair of Crystal CXE-610 6.5" coaxes in the front doors. Based on the published cutout diameter of 5.25" and a 2.125" depth these should have been drop-in, but it turns out someone at Crystal cant measure. The real cutout diameter is more like 5.4", so I had to cut out the cup and enlarge the hole a little bit to get them in. I will be putting in a pair in the back also, but started running out of daylight because the fronts took a lot longer than expected.

Using the fader to shift between the factories in the back and the Crystals in the front reveals an enormous difference. When using the Crystals I actually have a balanced presentation across the whole frequency range. The factories are just really chesty midrange. I cant wait to get the other pair in tomorrow...

Tim

I love Crystal's speaker offerings - great sound and quality materials at a very reasonable price. Congrats! :D

So this is nothing fancy compared to what others are puttng in, but I just wanted to get rid of the harshness of the stock speakers.

Bought some 6.5" Pioneer TS-G1640R speakers in the front ($45 pluys free shipping from CC). They fit perfectly fine, already had three holes lined up for the screws. Didn't even have to cut off the plastic guides from the stock speakers...the pioneers had a little lip on them that went directly over the plastic guides.

Sound is an improvement with the pioneers being a lot more crisp all around and they don't sound under nor overpowered. With fader and balance equal between front and back and L/R, I can hear the harshness coming from the back. :? So I'm going to either get another set of Pioneers from CC or maybe some Kenwood's from Crutchfield. Basically the same speaker as the pioneer but 35 RMS instead of 30 RMS for the pioneers. Both are MAX 150 watts. (Maybe someone can advise me if that 5 RMS difference matters)

I was afraid the tweeters on the Pioneer's would hit the stock grill cover but it does not.

I am using these with the stock HU...nothing else upgraded for those wondering about an inexpensive, simple upgrade. I did buy the Honda wiring kit for $6 from CC also.

Install took 10 minutes.

Circuit City says that the Polk DB-950 fits front and rear. Crutchfield says they don't fit. I guess I'm going to have to buy them and find out for myself. Crutchfield has them for $99.95 and you get the second pair for half price. Circuit City sells them for $69.00. Crutchfield throws in the wiring adapters and illustrated instructions. Circuit city charges $6.95 for the speaker wiring adapters. You can walk in and purchase the speakers at Circuit City. You have to wait and pay shipping if you order them from Crutchfield. Circuit City looks like the better deal until you factor in state sales tax.

Changing the factory speakers won't give you an audiophile-quality system, but I've found that you can make a huge difference for little money by replacing the factory speakers with something better. The sensitivity rating of the Polks is 92 dB, so they should work well with the factory system. Polk makes decent speakers, IMO. I think it's all they do.

Dave

Just installed some new speakers in the rear doors to complete my speaker upgrade.

Sony 3-Way 6 1/2" Speakers
Brand/Model: SON XSV1630A
50 RMS
92 sensitivity
$64 at CC

These are to compliment the Pioneers that I put in the front a few days ago (see a few posts prior to this). I learned it is a very bad idea soundwise to only upgrade one set of speakers because the stock speakers muffled/muddy sound really stood out after the front speaker upgrade.

The Sony's went in without any trouble, but only two of the screw holes lined up so that is what I went with. I don't forsee it as a problem. They actually sound a little better then the Pioneers. I am not sure, however, if they would fit int he front doors due to less clearance for the speaker grill. The Sony's are 3-way and the mid/tweeter stick out a little. Plenty of clearance on the back grills.

As another data point for anyone trying to put coaxials in the front (as I understand it, the DX doesn't have wiring to the tweeter sites on the A-frame, making it harder to put in components):

I tried putting Infinity 6002i's into the front, but as per other people's experience, the protruding directional tweeter juts into the factory grille and prevents it from mounting properly. The Infinitys come with an adapter ring which adds height and makes the problem worse. I couldn't see any way to mount to the E's door without the ring, other than drilling new holes into the plastic, which I was unwilling to try. My local store didn't have the 6002si, which are shallow-mount, but another poster mentioned that they had worked for him.

I sidegraded (downgraded?) to Polk db650s, which are also coaxial but a little shallower, and they mounted fine. They are a noticable improvement from the DX's stock speakers, which have a single, paper driver; the high end has much better definition now.

Hope this helps somebody!

I have the basic Infinity's 652i in the rear....very simple job as I was done in about 20 minutes for both. Looking at Focal Slim Line componets for the front because of the depth problems the fron have......also looking at Polk 3565 componets for the front too, though I will keep my options open and still maybe even go with Infin 652i in front also but replace the tweeters with a JBL of Infinity models.....there has been much talk that the tweeters need replacing bad and this mod is one of the best for the buck. Other thoughts?

I like the 625is just the way they are, and have 4 of them in my Element. I noticed that the stock speakers' screws can "Clamp" down on the outside of the 625i speaker frame, making a very snug fit. I added a washer to improve this clamping action.

I used to have some very expensive component speakers ( the R series Alpines), and having the tweeter in a seperate place than the woofer caused the soundstage to get fragmented, causing a nasty audio effect I dont care for at all. The Infinitys sounded much more coherent.

So if you do go component, try to keep the sound all coming from the same location, in my opinion.

Pioneer TS-A1670R fit and sound great.
Recommendation for installation: I wired into the exiting honda plug by removing the STACON (Stay Connector) from the plastic plug. To do this pop the cover on the back of the connector. Mark the connector with a sharpee to designate which wire goes were for polarity. Pry open the locking mechinism on the plastic connector. Take a small flat screwdriver and release the tension/latch which secures the stacon in the plastic connector then the wiring should come free.

Take the pioneer wiring and tin the ends. Pry open the Stacon metal prongs at the insulation end of the honda wiring. Place the tined pioneer wiring along the metal shaft of the stacon on the inside, opposite of the notched area which holds the stacon inplace in the connector. Close the prongs around new wire making a bundle of the existing and new wire. Insure the tined wire is laying flat against the stacon. Solder the new wire in place then trim any excess that may prevent re-insertion into the connector. insuring the proper polarity, replace the wiring back into the plastic connector and close all covers. The Pioneer wires should now trace out of the connector just like the Honda wires. Place the Pioneer wiring on the new speakers as Pioneer recommends.

To mount the speaker, I used the original three screws but did NOT used the original holes. There were three alternate holes about 10 degrees offset for the original holes; mounting was solid and easy.

Honda Plastic grill snap back in place.

i just picked up a set of 4 Boston Acoustics FX-6 h's
special shallow mounts for honda's

popped RIGHT in the element
i used my own self tapping screws and had to turn them a tad to get them in
front covers went right back on

rears did to BUT to get them OEM perfect on the inside lip i had to trim off a tad

WHOLE install w/ trimming from start to finish was MAYBE 30 min

super easy

i picked up the set of 4 for 180 cash no tax locally
and sound MINT
me = super pleased

ENjoy!
- Mike

I also went with the Pioneer Pioneer TS-A1670R's. I couldn't find a wire adapter so I just sodered everything up. Be aware the all doors have two wires except the drivers door which has 4 wires.
They sound great. I was noticing with the old speakers that once you got about 3 lines from the top they would peter out. These new ones allow you to go all the way and still sound good. I got them for $92 (4 speakers) from Ultimate Electronics.

Bought some 6.5" Pioneer TS-G1640R speakers in the front ($45 pluys free shipping from CC). They fit perfectly fine, already had three holes lined up for the screws. Didn't even have to cut off the plastic guides from the stock speakers...the pioneers had a little lip on them that went directly over the plastic guides.



I just bought 4 Pioneer TS-G1670R's ($100 for all 4, including S&H off Ebay), a Clarion Head Unit (DB345MP) mp3/cd player (from Crutchfield), and a Rockford Fosgate amp wiring kit (I already own a Bazooka 8" powered tube). I'm hoping I can get everything working good. I really didn't want to replace the whole system, but while the stock setup was ok (plus I loved the fact that the factory sub is in the bottom of the console), I wanted more, my stereo in my RAM spoiled me and I can never go back.

Wish me luck on my install, I'm hoping everything is in by the weekend.


-C

I just put in two pairs of Infinity 6002SI. They are only 1 7/8 inches deep and do not require removing any original plastic. I used the mounting rings in the back. I had to dril some small pilot holes in the plastic because to mount the ring. In the front I cut off the mounting tabs and just mounted the speakers by drilling some new holes in the plastic. The screws that came with the speakers are too long and hit some of the door structure. You can buy shorter ones, or just cut them shorter. I purchased my 4 for $89 a pair at circuit city.

It sounds drastic, but a 1/16 of an inch drill bit and a screwdriver are all that is required. I am using the stock head unit and amp

Sorry, I posted this in the Audio section as a separate topic, sorry.

I installed the Infinity 6002si speakers in the four door locations. No cutting or special modifications. I did not use the rigns provided with the speaker, bolted them directly, had to drill a couple small holes for the screws to set in as the pattern on the original speakers uses three screws, the 6002si's use 4.

Factory covers fit with no problem.

These units are currently on sale at Circuit City (12/27/04). They also have the 6002i units, but I'm not sure of the difference in depth.

The sound improvement is outstanding. (Kind of a crime to see the cheap paper speakers that come standard.) Mid range, voices, and instrumentation all is much cleaner, as well as improved bass response.

so if i bought 4 6.5 speakers... they would fit right!

Yes, theelements, conceivably they will fit, unless they're too deep. See other posts on what models fit best and you can glean the max depth that'll fit.

Ok, has anyone gotten Image Dynamics Chameleons (6.5") in the front doors of an E? I'm funny this way, I have these speakers and won't buy a car they don't fit in... they are pretty deep...

Some deep speakers will still fit - if you cut out plastic cone in the door panel. I think Infinity speaks often require this.
paulj

So, from what I can tell, I haven't read any posts concerning massive, powered, serious audio systems. I have the plan under works for purchasing my E, and am starting to put together a system that will be installed for me by a good friend who is a professional installer.

-Alpine CDA-9855 Head Unit & 6-Disc CD Changer
-Alpine iPod Adapter thing - allows the HU to control the iPod
-Infinity Perfect 6.1 6.5" Component Kit Front
-Infinity Kappa 63.5i 6.5" Coaxials Rear
-Infinity Perfect 12.1d DVC 12" Subwoofer
-Infinity Reference 7541a 111w x 4 Amp
-Infinity Reference 610a 456w x 1 Sub Amp
-All Monster Z2 Reference Speaker Cables
-Tsunami Power Capacitor of some sort
-Q-Logic Sealed Sub Box
-Enough Dynamat to cover a small planet

This stuff (minus the Dynamat and Cable) will be sitting on my garage floor in about two weeks, and literally the DAY I pick up my '05 E (NBP) it is going to his shop for paint, light upgrades, possibly a coil-over suspension, Baer/Alcon Brakes, and 20"x8.5" wheels - black with polished lips (Hopefully, HRE 546r's) with whatever camber correction is needed.

I can't bloody wait for all this to happen, it'll be rad.

:evil:

Tons of good info in this thread.
I am interested in swapping out the 4 speakers only to use with the stock EX HU (with cd), stock sub-woofer and tweeters.

Will that cause a problem down the line? I mostly listen to my ipod through the system.

Any advice on which speakers to get? If I decide to go 6-1/2:
I am thinking of either the Polk db650s or the TS-G1640Rs and getting a set of the speaker adapters.
However, if I stick with the 5-1/2 Polk db525 seem to be on the higher end for more power (4-45rms).

Also notice no-one mentions using dynamat to try and keep in the music and the noise out. Any reason why?

Lastly no-one mentions how to get to the speakers in the doors, I haven't looked yet, but I am curious how hard it is to pop the panels off.

I remember the pain the in ass plastic clips on my old trucks door panels.

I bought the Pioneer TS-G1340R (5 1/4") for both front and rear. Got them from crutchfield, scratch and dent (which turned out to be just an open box taped back up). Came with adapter plates and honda wiring harnesses free. $40/pr. Regular of $50 per pair. Marked improvement over the factory speakers. Took 3 days (including over a weekend) to get. Had them installed in about 30 minutes.

MTP, the speaker covers popped off without using any tool. just grab an edge and pop them out by hand, they snap back in no problem either.

I popped the speaker grills off with a plastic ice scraper, no damage.

I think that you will have more room to install larger speakers in the rear doors as opposed to the front doors since there is no window drop clearance issue. I've installed Infinity reference 6002i's in the front doors with very minimal plastic cutting. It seems to me that the tweeters in these speakers out shine the stock speakers in the A pillars. The speakers where $78 shipped from Crutchfield. I'm looking for rear speakers with more bass and better tweeters for the pillars. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I am in the process of transferring my system into the Element. So far, I have installed MMATS PRO 6.5's in the front doors, and 5.5's in the rear doors.
I had to cut out the plastic "bowls" in the front doors to accomodate the big magnets, and BEWARE... Do not let your crossovers "lay" in the hollow of the front doors because water definitely gets in there, mount them up and away from that area. I lost one X-over so far.
That being said, I still need to install the head unit, XM antennae, XM receiver, Sub amp, and my 2x10" bass box. (I have no idea where I am going to put that).
Any suggestions?? I have someone telling me to build a custom mount where the spare tire is. Hmmm.. :?
And BTW, thanks all for your help, fog lights look awesome, put 'em in today!

After reading this thread I went to Circuit City (hate that place) and bought (4) Polk db650s to replace the door speakers. The screw holes lined up perfectly. I did use the foam sticky surround that came with the speakers to reduce vibration etc. Use the screws that come with the speakers, the Honda screws head is a little too wide and intrude on the rubber surrounds of the speaker. When applying the foam sticky surround take your time to assure the holes are visible through the foam. The ONLY thing that I'm not happy about physically is that the hard wire mesh of the tweets in the front doors rest against the plastic Honda grill that goes over the speaker. No rattle or anything but the forward most edge of the Honda plastic grill is just a hair raised from the door because of this. There is no rattle though, and you can't tell unless you really get down there and look. Passengers won't notice at all. The back doors are fine, you could fit a Mack truck in there. I bought the Honda adapters to make the wiring a snap, worth the money. Overall, I'm very happy with how easy the install was, anyone can do it. Just be careful. PS I used my hands only to take the grills off.

Sound quality: Here's where I'm most happy. I installed the right side front and read Polk speakers first to do some audio checks. I turned the sub all the way down and faded it far left. Variety of music from jazz to rock, you can especially tell at higher volume it's mostly mudd but gets really loud. Faded far right and it's very clear, but did notice you need to turn the volume higher to achieve the same volume as the stock speakers. This is not problem though because I couldn't turn the volume all the way up on the Polks without being uncomfortable, and I like pretty loud music. So, no comparison there the quality is much better, of course a little brighter because of the tweets, but don't have as high a sensitivity as stock. No matter, I installed the 2nd pair in the left doors and he** yeah it sounds MUCH better than before. I keep mine faded +1 to the rear spakers, sub is +2, bass is +2, treble is level, balance is level. Sound quality is consistant all the way through the volume knob.

Overall: The speakers stick out just a hair too much but not worth worrying about. If you didnt' use the sticky foam surround (not recommended) it might not touch. I sanded down the honeycomb supports on the back of the Honda grill to try and create more room but scratched the front in the process, so if you try this be more careful than I was. Put a towel down or something. This didn't really work because there's not that much honeycomb support to begin with, so I aborted this effort on the other grill. Sound quality is definately worth doing this upgrade.

Let me know if you have install questions I'll try to help.

4rachnid's last post convinced me to go with the Polk db650s. It was either that or spend hundreds more on component pieces, an amp, and installation charges. I liked the idea of being able to do it myself and almost wish it was a little more challenging. Anyone that owns a screwdriver can do this install. Personally, I could not notice the speakers sticking out too far at all. I too just ran up to Circuit City to pick them up. Not only were they on sale for $95, but they had buy one get one half off on Polk speakers. Grabbed the speaker adapters as suggested also. Did the same thing of installing one side and then comparing the two. The difference was like hearing a 96kbps MP3 compared to listening to the song on a retail CD. Polks are a much cleaner sound as expected. I misread his post a little though and used the Honda screws. They do touch the rubber a bit- not sure if that has any impact. For under $200 and less than 30 minutes to install, this is an upgrade I suggest for anyone still listening to stock speakers.

Has any one else installed the Polk db650? I'm looking to upgrade my stock speakers and would like to know if this is the best fit. Would like to take advantage of the buy one pair get the second half off while its still available. Rec9, and 4rac, did you use a bass blocker with your speakers?

Maybe I am naive, but what is the difference between a regaular speaker and a component speaker?? Was looking at Crutchfield and they have them seperated by category when looking at what fits the E.

And yes I wont get the 5 1/4" ones like they recommend, but none the less, the categories got me confused. :roll:

lwclancers,

Component speakers means: a group or series of speakers that work together as one. Like the system in our Elements EX's. They're all regular speakers. You're right, you are naive!

lwclancers,

Component speakers means: a group or series of speakers that work together as one. Like the system in our Elements EX's. They're all regular speakers. You're right, you are naive!

OK I have re-read your statement twice....are the stock speakers component or regular?? Your statement says they are both :confused:

And yes, I know...dont rub it in.

They are component speakers because, you have seperate tweets, mid, and sub woof. A total of 7 speakers. Sorry for the confusion

Bass blockers? If I used those I wouldn't have any bass left, right? I don't see why I would do that with no sub except stock.

Rec916,

I'm going to do the bass blockers. It helps the midrange out a lot. Less distortion, better sound.

OK, I decided to go with the Polk db650. Seems a lot of folks are doing this install with little trouble. I'll let you know how it sounds.

I put in a set of Infinity 652i in the front doors of my 2005 E. Pritty sure those have been listed. I will note that they fit best with the terminals at the bottom, The problem I discovered was the terminals touch a small strip of metal at the bottom of the speaker opining which causes a short that cut off my stereo, this may fry some HUs. So just to be sure I suggest doing as I did, and cover that metal strip and speaker terminals with electrical tape.

in the coming weeks I'll be attempting to install some older (circa 1997) JL audio 6.5" midbass speakers in the rear doors... I'll let ya'll know how that goes once I've tried it. But I just got my foglights today, so those are going in first ;)

I noticed that the back of the Polk db650s have a capacitor wired in, I'm assuming this is blocking the low frequencies (bass blocker). Can't tell ya for sure though. After however long it's been since I've had them installed, a week?, I'm still really happy with them.

Do you think I should skip the bass blockers? I could save myself 20 bucks if I don't order them with my speakers. Did you have any problems installing them? I read a post saying they thought it stuck out a little. touching the cover?

Installed 4 Polk db650. Sound great, and what an easy upgrade! Replaced all 4 factory speakers with new speakers in about 30 min. Didn't use the Bass Blockers. These speakers come with a crossover already.

Installed 4 Polk db650. Sound great, and what an easy upgrade! Replaced all 4 factory speakers with new speakers in about 30 min. Didn't use the Bass Blockers. These speakers come with a crossover already.
still got stock everything else (HU, amps, sub)?

any cutting involved to make them fit?

Yes, HU, Amp, Sub still stock. Looking into upgrading the sub next. Nothing to cut, clipped the little plastic nubs that hold the factory speakers in place.

I installed db650's as well, and am pretty happy. Do you feel like you need to mess with the tweeters? The polks seem to 'cover' well, but I wonder if it would help clean-up the sound.

No, not really. I think it sounds much, much better than stock. Just play around with the EQ a little to suit your taste. I listen to a wide range of music and everything sounds full and crisp.

I too installed the Polk db650 speakers (4 of them).

I kept the stock Head Unit.

1...popped off the grills using my fingers (rear) and a screwdriver with cloth over the blade (front).

2...removed the speaker connections carefully, removed the OEM speakers.

3...attached the included honda speaker harnesses.

4...installed the Polks using the screws that came with the speakers, into the pre-existing holes that were approx. 10 degrees away from the holes the OEM speakers used. Don't use the original (gold) screws because they will compress the rubber speaker surround. Even using the screws that came with the speakers, be careful not to over-tighten. I also used the circular foam behind the speakers that came with the Polks.

5...popped grills back on. Lots of room in the rear, front was tight, but worked for me.

As some previous posts have stated, the depth/clearance in the front is very tight, but will work. The tweeters of the Polks in the front are very close to the grills (if not touching), but this does not seem to impact performance. No buzzing, rattling or distortion from this.

All in all a very easy replacement of the speakers that affords (IMHO) a substantial increase in sound quality over the stock OEM speakers. Even though they sound much better, they are not louder. That is OK by me, I would much rather clean up the muddy midrange of the OEM speakers than have more volume. I played around with the EQ to get the desired effect. I like to hear the mids and the highs from the Polks, with the sub handling the lows.

My settings
SUB +3
Bass C or +2
Treble MAX
Fade +1 Front
Balance Center

I got the 4 Polks from Crutchfield for $150 (First pair $99, second pair $50). Came with the honda wiring harnesses for free. (Love the Crutchfield).

I'm wondering,
Is a speaker that is 3 5/16" deep too deep to be mounted? If so, i will have the installer fabricate something to hold them...
Going to all McIntosh. CD, changer, amps, speakers, and a home theater sub...should be pretty rad.

Their MS650 component pair is listed as having that 3 5/16" depth...wonder if thats going to fly.

Help!

jb

Another satisfied Polk db650 convert here! :)

I just finished the super easy install -- thank you Crutchfield! Not to repeat DaveZ's post, but I ran into zero problems with my '04 EX. I used the included foam rings on the rears, but I omitted the foam on the fronts to give max clearance for the grilles. I easily removed all the grilles without tools. Trim off the little locating "pips" with a single edge razor blade or sharp utility knife. Use the black screws supplied by Polk and don't overtighten or you'll strip out the plastic panel. All four grilles snapped back in place with no gaps or other problems. Crutchfield also included metal adapter ring kits that I didn't even open (I think they are used for 5 1/4" installations). The only thing I can't figure out is why Crutchfield does not consider this speaker to be an "easy fit" for the Element... it doesn't get much easier than this!

The improvement in sound quality with the stock head unit, sub and tweeters is dramatic... WELL worth the $160 IMO. If you are unsatisfied with the upper bass and midrange definition of the stock system, and don't want anything more than drop in replacements for the stock door speakers, I heartily recommend the db650s. I listen to acoustic, jazz, classical & classic rock and the sound is great :grin:

i have replaced the factory front door and tweeters with a jl audio vr650-csi componat system (http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_components.php?comp_id=127) . i had to cut out the plastic behind the factory speakers to allow these to mount flush but once that was done they fit like a glove. i also installed the tweeters in the door instead of the a piliar.

http://element.33-rpm.net/images/tn_vr600-front.jpghttp://element.33-rpm.net/images/tn_tweet-001.jpg

for the rear doors i installed jl audio vr600-cxi. (http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_components.php?comp_id=123)
once again the install was smooth, just having to cut the plastic out of the door panel. see before and after image.

http://element.33-rpm.net/images/tn_rear-001.jpg


larger images of this project can be found at my web site.

jay

My Element is leased, so I can't do any modification of the door panels. I think a speaker upgrade would be worthwhile, though. Has anyone found a speaker that is a direct replacement for the front? Emass suggests checking Crutchfield, but they have nothing that fits without modification. In fact, they list only one speaker that can me made to fit.

Dave

JL Audio makes a couple 6" direct replacement models. For powering them off the OEM deck get the TR600cxi.

Just installed 4 Polk db650 speakers in my 2005 EX and couldn't be happier. (Well, if I had gotten them at the price they were a few months ago that would have been a little better, Buy 1 pair & get 1 half off). All four went in in under 30 minutes! I ordered them from Crutchfield, the site recommends the 525s but from reading posts here on the topic and wanting the fuller sound of the 6-1/2" speakers I got them. They really fit perfectly - no interference in any way and holes line up just right. When ordering them on-line Crutchfield has you select a vehicle, if you select the Element it says they won't fit, so I picked a Pilot and got the Honda wire harnesses included for free. I also got free shipping and used a coupon code: PA166 to get $20 off the order. And yes they DO sound noticably better than stock speakers, they seem to be much brighter, you can hear it in the sizzle of a snare or cymbal and the volume can go higher with no distortion.

So for those of you who replaced the front speakers, what happens to the stock tweeters up above? Do you still use them with the newer speakers? Thanks!

So for those of you who replaced the front speakers, what happens to the stock tweeters up above? Do you still use them with the newer speakers? Thanks!

The factory tweeters would have to be disconnected otherwise they would all be running a double tweeter setup. the db650 is a coaxial speaker, this means the tweeter is literally connected to the woofer/mid range speaker. You can see the tweeter in the middle. If you want a seperate tweeter then you have to go with a component setup such as the Polk db6500, which then also has a cross-over that gets wired in.

http://www.polkaudio.com/images/car/large/silver/db650.jpg

I'm not sure I agree with you here, sprcr5.

My experience is that the factory grills don't allow any highs to pass through off axis. In other words, you don't hear the highs coming from tweeters mounted coaxially over the woofers unless you move your ears to your ankles. This is pretty easy to prove to yourself. If you have a pair of aftermarket coaxs in your Element, put your head right in front of them. Then move up the door. You'll hear the highs drop off dramatically. I think adding the factory A pillar tweeters can only help the sound.

Yes, you are running double tweeters but that may be necessary to hear the highs. There won't be any impedance problems because the load a tweeter puts on an amplifier is negligible.

I'd at least try it with both tweeters hooked up. If it sounds too bright, then disconnect the A pillar tweeters, or at least put a resistive network on them to knock down their output. If somebody is interested in what that attenuator would look like, just ask here and I go into it further.

EDIT: Polk doesn't spec the crossover frequency for the db650 but their separate db tweeter, the db1000, crosses over at 4K. That sounds in line with other car tweeters. Assuming the coaxs are crossed over about the same, that means they are responsible for only about two of the ten octaves of music. If we eliminate the bottom two octaves the db650's woofer is incapible of producing, that leaves the 6 1/2" driver responsible for 6 octaves. That also sounds right. It does everything from the midbass up through the lower treble. Its quality is responsible for most of the improved sound of the db650 over the stock speakers, not the tweeter.

OP, I understand what you are saying about the OEM grille blocking the highs. Do you mean 100% or just directionally? My guess would be the tweeters would be just heading towards your legs and you can't direct their sound up towards your ears... would that be correct?

All I was trying to point out is the db650's are not a component setup and they are a coax speaker. What that means is everyone that has bought them either is running the factory tweeters which to me counters trying to improve the sound by going aftermarket or they are running a double tweeter without even realizing it.

I think they are all better off getting the db6500 for only $100 more. I have seen those at $199 plus the second set for 50% off. Where the db650 is $99 and the second for 50% off.

So do the db 6500's install as easily as the db 650's? Is there some additional installation or jimmy rigging involved with the 6500 tweeters?

I was looking into replacing my four mids. I was considering the Polk db650s. Any issues with not enough output for this speakers using the stock head unit?

OK...I also picked up the Polk DB 650 for all 4 door speakers. I didn't bother with the speaker harness, I just did my own sodering and splicing, which made the task harder, but really no big deal. I had to put the speakers in upside down as the metal connector posts were touching the metal in the door and thus not working. But once I flipped it 180 it is fine. They are a big improvement over the stock speakers, I would highly recommend for anyone still listening to the junky stock speakers. I really don't see myself doing anything else to upgrade it. I like the stock radio/cd and the included stock 270-watt amp is all I need (at least for now). At the highest volume it is very clear, full, and powerful.

Nice job, Todd. Congratulations.

See, folks. Car stereo install, especially in an Element, is not hard. You, too, can do it.

There is an old folk song, mighty similar to I've Been Working On The Railroad:

I've been working on my El-ment
All the livelong day
I've been working on my El-ment
Just to pass the time away

Can't you hear the horn a-blowing
Callin' up members of the club
Can't you hear the neighbors shouting
Dinah, blow your sub

Dinah, won't you blow
Dinah, won't you blow
Dinah, won't you blow your sub
Dinah, won't you blow
Dinah, won't you blow
Dinah, won't you blow your sub

Someone's in the back seat with Dinah
Someone's in the back seat I know
Someone's in the back seat with Dinah
Playin' his old piccolo, and singing

Fie, fi, fiddly i o
Fie, fi, fiddly i o
Fie, fi, fiddly i o
Playin' his old piccolo

It's dirtier than the more common version and therefore not as well know. :D

i've just replaced the four factory door speakers with Polk DB650's and i must say i'm somewhat disapointed. they sound-"o.k." but just.
if it weren't for the factory tweets up front to compensate it would be even more of a disapointment.
the polks do offfer better power handling at the top of the volume range-
30 and up on the stock headunit.

maybe i was expecting too much from a simple speaker upgrade?

I finally got around to changing my rear door speakers yesterday. I put some Pioneer GS-T1640R's, just like I put in the front doors. I can't really say the rears made much of a sound difference, but almost anything is better than stock. They were on clearance at CircuitCity last week for $25, so I couldn't pass them up.:D

On a side note, I'm using a Bazooka Triangle Sub, running off one side of the stock subwoofer output, with the stock sub disconnected. It actually sounds really good, considering the low output of the stock amp. It'll do just fine until I get my amps and new cd/dvd/mp3 deck. I always thought it sounded and felt weird to have the bass coming from the front console/dash area. It's much more natural have the bass in the rear. I know low frequencies are non-directional, but when the dash would vibrate from the bass, it just felt weird!

Meanwhile, i splurged on some home theatre speakers over the weekend to upgrade my home theatre system. I'd been using the low-end Kenwood speakers that came with the surround sound system I bought several years ago. It was a Pro-logic amp with 5.1 speaker setup. It had a strange hookup...the wires ran into the sub, then out to the rest of the speakers. The sub wasn't powered, just passive from the amp. It didn't have much bass, despite the fact that it was a 8" speaker. I later bought a better amplifier and an amplified 8" RCA sub that kicks pretty good, but I didn't upgrade the rest until now. Wow! what a difference a speaker upgrade can make in a surround system!

Here's what I got:
For the rear surrounds and center channel: Sony SS-CR350H 3piece system.
And for the two front speakers: Infinity Primus150's.

Now I gotta find somebody to buy my old Kenwoods. Maybe I'll wait a couple months an yard-sale them in the spring.:D

I've been reading what everyone has posted about their speakers, and I think i'll go with the POLK's too. The DB650's seem to be the speaker of choice and nobody seems to have had any problems with them. I"m a bit confused as to how i'm going to connect the current Honda wiring to the after market speaker, but i'm sure my local audio shop can help with that. I've found the speakers on Ebay for $50 a pair, so i'll be getting them there, as opposed to Crutchfield that wanted $100 a pair. Even with shipping I'll still be saving almost $50.

I read on an earlier post, someone asking about Rockford Fosgate (sorry I didn't recall your handle).....They wont fit. The T162C (the one my local audio shop recommended) is a shallow speaker, but the tweeter sticks too far out. The face plate wouldn't go back on like normal. So as soon as I can get the DB650's i'll be upgrading my audio also. Wish the Sub had more options. :?

...I'm a bit confused as to how i'm going to connect the current Honda wiring to the after market speaker...

Use these little gems (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Metra-Honda-Speaker-Harness-72-7802-/sem/rpsm/oid/81034/catOid/-13109/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do).:grin:

Use these little gems (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Metra-Honda-Speaker-Harness-72-7802-/sem/rpsm/oid/81034/catOid/-13109/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do).:grin:
Genom,

You are so smart. .:D
Thank you Very much.

The stock speaker in my new E are very good. I have no need of changing them.

1. how do i get to element j's site
2. what is the deepest speaker i can mount, will 2.6" fit fine?

1. how do i get to element j's site
http://www.re-vision.com/element-j/

2. what is the deepest speaker i can mount, will 2.6" fit fine?You're right on the border of what fits without adapting the panel if I remember right. You'll may have to do some trimming of the door panel. You might also need a spacer ring. Not a major job.

Can someone recommend a cheap and reliable internet site for focals?
thanks,
mitch

www.madisound.com

Hi everyone,

I have $260 worth of Crutchfield vouchers from various sources which I want to use to upgrade the stock speakers on my 05 EX. I will happily add some cash to the total to get a good result.

From the recommendations I have seen, I am considering the Polk DB6500 components for the front including replacing the factory tweeters and the DB650 for the rear.

My main concern is where the crossovers for the component speakers should be situated. Any recommendations?
Thanks,

I just wanted to make sure of something here. I have an 06...went to Crutchfield just now to lookup the DB650's (looks like most are happy with their performance) and Crutchfield says they won't fit. Is something different for the 06 Element's? It says the Polk db525's will fit though...?? Anyone have an 06 with the db650's? Thanks!

I am very interested in upgrading the stock sub. can anyone tell me what the dimensions are? is it an 8 incher?!

So without having to read through all this. I want to replace my stock speakers. I want good sound med range in price. What is the speakers that will fit my "E" ?

:shock:

There is no Clift Notes version of life. :roll:

A lot of people like Polk or Infinity speakers. 6½" is the size. Shallow is good. Of course, if you buy them given this paucity of information, you'll have to take what you get. You might get shafted. That's also life.

I am very interested in upgrading the stock sub. can anyone tell me what the dimensions are? is it an 8 incher?!
The stock Sub is 6.5"'s and nobody will make one that will fit in there. Your best bet is to go to a 10". I've put mine in a box in the back. NOt fixed down though. This way I can slide the box around, or totally unhook it if I need to.

I only want to replace the door speakers. Lists ?

I only want to replace the door speakers. Lists ?
I realize there are lots of pages to this post, but people do post which speakers have worked in the doors. I used Memphis, and it works great. FOr most people in here, the speaker of choice has been the Polk DB6500

I too have decided to replace the stock door speakers in my 04 EX.
I'm a Do-It-Yourselfer (DIY) so I thought I'd learn from the successes and failures of others:

I just patiently waded through evey post in this thread and here for te lazy(s) is what I've learned here:

Speakers: in no particular order is the list of most common used speakers by our DIY bretheren.

Infinity 652i
Infinity 6002si
Pioneer TS-A1670r
Pioneer TS-G1640r
Polk db650

Most used the connector cables to make install easy.
Most bought from Circuit City or Crutchfield.
Most paid, on sale, $150 on average for 4 speakers DIY installed.

You owe me a beer!

Thanks LEmental

You're welcome DirtGhost et-al,
When it comes to modifying your car, I feel why re-invent the wheel? ;)
Those who fail to learn from (other's) mistakes are doomed to repeat them.
Take advantage of other's research, times and money spent.

I've been looking for the same "what works?" but realized that I had to make it. Lot easier then spending money on junk, or grinding door panels.

I plan on replacing my speakers as soon as the weather warms up a bit here but for now we can watch for good speaker sales.

Thanks to all my E-brethren who boldly went where some fear to tread then posted their successes AND failures!

BTW Outpost4 on a totally freaky coincidental note, when I saw the pics of your shop in this thread I realized that I drove back & forth passed your place several times in Nov. & Jan. when I was in LaCrosse. My lady friend grew up in Chaseburg & LaCrosse and has family that owned that building your shop is in. Don't know how much you know about the building's history but got stories for you if you're interested. Next time I'm up there I'll stop by and say Hi.

E-on dudes!

Newbie here...surfdog
Started doing my "reading" on upgrading my EX sound system and have been thinking about JL Audio gear (components/amp(s)/sub). Like the thought of replacing the stk sub with the Stealthbox and keeping a realitively stk. look.
Anyone do similar? :confused:

Hey, surfdog, welcome to the board. How is salt water on your E? Are you going to take any extra special protection?

I love your hobby. You're perfect for the car. :)

My name is Gregg and I'm the electronics mod. I'm sure we'll meet further along the way, especially somebody who initially wants to upgrade the stereo. You're my kind of Element owner. :cool:

As for your Stealthbox question, when I put "stealthbox" into the search engine, I got back 93 threads in reply. I think that means the answer is, yes, it is a popular option. You might want to surf around the board as well as the waves. A lot of people, including me, have upgraded their Element's car stereo significantly.

Just in case some of you didn't see my post earlier. Memphis makes a speaker that will fit. I dont remember the model number, but they do fit. I know because their in my E and working great. :D

Just wanted to put in that I tried to install some old JL audio (from 1998) 6.5" seperates that I have laying around. They do *not* fit, they're too deep.

If you cut out the plastic cup, they will. Most anything will fit then. You might still need to use a spacer ring to get everything to mount well, and the correct depth of the spacer ring can be a little tricky to achieve, but with a little modifying, the doors of the car will take virtually any 6 1/2" speaker.

If you cut out the plastic cup, they will. Most anything will fit then. You might still need to use a spacer ring to get everything to mount well, and the correct depth of the spacer ring can be a little tricky to achieve, but with a little modifying, the doors of the car will take virtually any 6 1/2" speaker.


Obviously, I posted because there are people out there are looking for direct fit, no mods needed, speaker upgrades. With modification I could install some 12" speakers if I felt so inclined.

here, let me rephrase:
My old (1998) JL audio 6.5" speakers will not fit with out making modifications to the door panel.

Without modifications, very few speakers will fit. Larry once measured this for me. You have 1 3/4" in the front doors for depth without modifications. The Eclipse SE8365 might fit with a spacer ring. Eclipse gives their mounting depth at 1 7/8".

If anybody has found speakers that are a drop in for the front speakers, I would appreciate a post here. :)

I've got infinitys in my front doors, they fit quite nicely. But those are already mentioned in the thread. The only thing you need to watch is the spade connectors are too close to the bottom edge of the door and may short out, so I put some electrical tape over the exposed metal, as well as wraped the spade connectors in tape.

Just to add to the Infinity comments. I know emass is saying why is everyone throwing in Infinitys? For me, I spend my money on my home theater. M&K and sunfire do the job nicely. For the car I just want some clarity and depth over stock. Don't need extra amps and $300 speakers so I picked up the 6002i's for the rear and the si's for the front. Fit perfectly. I used the foam gasket to cover the bare metal at the bottom to prevent contact, and in a matter of an hour I've upgraded my sound to respectable levels. My Sirius sounds a ton better as do my various mp3 players. And it cost me $100 via ebay for the i's and some random website for the si's.

Elemental Designs Eu-700 6.5" subwoofer. Fits perfectly in factory enclosure. I mounted at an angle and used 2 of the holes that were already there. You'll need a drill to add 2 more for a good installation. So far i just have 2 and i sealed up the box and sub with silicone. No air leaks. Sounds great. 30 mins total installing the sub, wiring, drilling, screwing, sealing, EVERYTHING. Its pretty much plug and play. I got it shipped for $62.50 from Elementaldesigns.com Great customer service, will answer any questions you have. I've got 200rms going to it even though its rated at 150. Just make sure you send it a clean signal, or like always, you'll blow it. If you have any questions feel free to pm me.



-jp

SO, after reading the "years" of posts here.....My questions are....

Has anyone put the Polk 6500 separates in the front doors and Polk 650's in the rear doors?? Some seem to debate the factory tweeters mixed w/ the coax's

If so, does this configuration work better than 2 sets of 650's?

************ Also ........

I just bought two sets of Infinity 6012's at Best Buy----trying to see which will make the best impact - Polk or Infinity? I hav'ent installed the Infinity's yet.....and will likely purchase some Polks from Circuit City and return the ones that don't work out.......30 day return policy...maybe they will price match the Crutchfield sale?

*************

My wife an I bought an 06 EX-P a week ago and I hate the sound of the stereo--- I hate worse the option of removing it....so I'm hoping the change in speakers will satisfy me........

You should go there and listen to each. Infinity's tend to lack bass. Other forums I have been on said Polks are horrible, I'm surprised to see them get such great reviews here. I wasn't that impressed with them when I heard them.

I know Infinity makes the Reference, Kappa and Pro series. The Reference is best if you are not upgrading the head unit or adding an amp. The others are better if you will be doing that.

I've only had my Element for 5 days and I just replaced the front speakers. (after reading here for HOURS!!)

Anyway, I opted for an inexpensive option and added Memphis 15-PRC620's. A very nice improvement for a small price (was $120 installed for me)

Welcome to the club, trombe.

This is the most popular thread in this forum's history and one of the most widely posted and viewed on the entire board. It is long :rolleyes: but as you've found out, very informative. :)

I'm glad you like your new speakers. Thanks for letting us know about them. Did you have to cut out the plastic water shields or were they shallow enough to keep them in the doors?

Welcome to the club, trombe.

This is the most popular thread in this forum's history and one of the most widely posted and viewed on the entire board. It is long :rolleyes: but as you've found out, very informative. :)

That's the truth!!!! Isn't much in the way of questions I haven't found addressed here in the forum somewhere!! And that can cost money (like the Suncoast carpet mats I'm now intending to get...)

I'm glad you like your new speakers. Thanks for letting us know about them. Did you have to cut out the plastic water shields or were they shallow enough to keep them in the doors?

In retrospect I could have done this myself, but I watched the installer. He didn't have to alter the water sheilds at all. This was my first look inside the door, and the bottom third of the water shields were already cut out (I guess this is normal) but the new ones dropped right in. He cut the plugs off and spliced in (with crimping) the new spade connectors. Took about 10 minutes.

I'd never heard of Memphis speakers before, but the sound improvement was excellent for the price!! So after having them in for 15 minutes I started thinking how I should move these to the back door and get the component ones for the front door.....

I just went the Polk 650 route and wanted to add my successful installation experience to the thread. Ordered two sets from Crutchfield and received them two days later. You still get the 2nd set half-off, along with free shipping and the electrical connectors that make them so easy to install. I'm a lowest level DIYer and I managed to get them in in about 45 minutes. Believe them when they say anyone can do this. Although I hardly qualify as a stereophile, I find the sound noticeably clearer and more distinct. I'm happy I can play everything a louder without distortion. My next plan is to add an Ipod. Hopefully, reading these posts will help me find something that works and is not too much $. Thanks for all the helpful posts.

I just went the Polk 650 route and wanted to add my successful installation experience to the thread.

So you are using the stock tweeters?

Yes. I didn't mess with them at all. I thought I read here that the Polk tweeter would override them. Am I dreaming?

Beats me. I know it is more work and a lot more money to do it with the component speakers. If I could do it for $150 with the ones you have I'd be happy. Most of the components are $199 so the total would be at least $100 over what you did and I don't want to spend that much. You would also have to figure out where to put the crossovers.

Try hooking up the tweeters. There is a basic crossover on them from the factory. Run them in parallel with your door speakers (if you used the factory door speaker wires and didn't disconnect anything else, you may already have your A pillar tweeters hooked up). What have you got to lose? It's a toy, after all. Play with it.

You would have to be deef to like the Polk db650's.

I went to CC as they had the buy one get second half off deal. I installed them in half of the vehicle. They sounded crisp in the high range, but the vocal range was completely washed out! I felt like I was listening to someone gargle under a sandpile! I kept going back and forth with the balance and the difference was huge. OEM took the cake over this P.O.lk.S.

I also had the chance to listen to the component version of the polks and folks, they just aren't worth it. At best they do what the oem does naturally.

So that's my two cents on this thread. Be careful for "group think". You'll end up buying something just because other people thought it was an easy install.

First off - thanks to everyone for the great info on this thread. I recently decided to upgrade the door speakers in my Element and found this very helpfull. This is my first post.

I sort of agree with SamIam. I installed the Pold db650's and was not happy. They are great speakers and intalled without problem, but there was no midrange - just crisp highs and OK bass. I think these would be OK if the stock head had a better EQ which let us bump up the midrange. May also be ok with an aftermarket head.

I tried a set of infinity 6012si's in the front after and was happier with the mids, but the highs were too much for my ears - some may like them.

I just installed the MTX TDX6502 speakers in the front (put the stock rear speakers back in) and am very happy. It was an easy install. Bass response is incredible (for 6.5"), mids are good (better than both the Infnities and Polks) and highs are clear. I would highly recommend these to anyone who is looking to just swap out their speakers for a quick upgrade. That said, the stock speakers are very midrange heavy and the stock head seams to be lacking in that range. I think these are the best match for the stock head, but I may upgrade to a Kenwood DPX-701 head - anyone do this upgrade?

I just put a pair of Infinity 6012I in the rear doors and a set of 6010CS in the front. Still using the stock HU and amp and I'm really happy with the results. :D

I installed the 6012I myself. Had the 6010CS installed for me. I guess I'm just lazy that way. The installer said he had no problems getting them installed. He put the tweaters behind the factory grills (instead of cutting them and flush mounting). I was a little worried about that but I seem to be getting plenty of high end. The low end also seems to blend really well with the factory sub. He mounted the crossovers where the factory wires split so one went in the door and the other went in the dash.

I liked the MTX TDX6502 speakers, but they were still missing midrange. I basically came to the conclusion that I would need to get an amp in order to drive any quality speakers. This was my best decision in this whole process.

I bought an MTX 2 channel amp (TC2002) that fits nice under the front passenger seat and had it installed, powering the 4 door speakers in parallel. I loose front/rear fade, but it provides plenty of power to the speakers and i can fit the amp completely out of the way. The power on paper is 50 watts RMS per speaker, but MTX ships their amps with test results and mine showed more like 65 watts RMS per speaker.

I put the Polk db650 speakers back in and WOW! What a difference :) I really liked the sound of these speakers before, but the midrange was almost nonexistent. Now, the full range is clear and powerfull. I still have the stock sub hooked up to the stock amp. I would recommend this combo to anyone looking for clearer (and slightly louder) sound. I may upgrade the tweeters to Polk db1000 later, but as of now, I think it is unnecessary. It is an excellent upgrade that is not too expensive and not at all intrusive.

Advice needed:

What would be a good solution for the following?

Replacing all my speakers and subwoofer under the these conditions:

1. The easiest installation.
2. The best price for the quality of sound

Thanks!

elemental Designs 6500s component set fit with some modification. You have to take off the door panel, add a 3/4" spacer and cut out a hole in the door for the speaker. They sound great.

OK - at the advice of many here, I upgraded my stock front speakers this weekend, however, I took no pics. Just wanted to throw out that it was very easy, and even the cheap speakers (http://walmart.scosche-cars.com/products2/?sfID1=105&productID=1592&walmartProductID=4541646) I bought made such a tremendous difference, and fit with no mods necessary.

As far as how the speaker sound, I really had to back off the treble in my stock stereo, which is a good thing. Treble @ 3 and bass @ 5 give a much improved sound. For 58 bucks, (got the harnesses at Best buy for somewhere around $8 ) and 20 minutes, this was definitely worth it.

Reference CD's were Yo La Tengo "I am not afraid of you...." and The Flaming Lips "The Soft Bulletin" You can really hear the difference in that with the stock, no matter where the EQ was, there was really only midrange. These new Sony's give a decent high end and low end, mid is a little absent, but the overall improvement is very good. The really bassy parts of both records finally stood out and were cleaner than before, and the high end was finally present.

7.5 out of 10 for me.

Next up (After X-mas) Pioneer 6800 head unit, Ipod adapter, and I'll probably buy better speakers than these, mount those up front, and move the Sony's to the back.

Cheers!

Anybody else having trouble keeping the plastic covers on their speaker that are in the rear doors? All I have to do is close the door a little hard and the cover panel flys off. Same with the rear upper hatch cover. I am deeply disappointed in the quality of the interior hardware like this stuff. I shouldnt have to keep a tube of liquid nails in my tool box to repair the E everytime some peice pops off.

Has anyone tried installing the new Boston Acoustics' S65rc units yet?
http://bostonacoustics.com/car/car_product.aspx?category_id=14&family_id=23&product_id=234

They're a shallow mount specifically pegged for Hondas. They're coax though so if they were installed in an EX 'E' would I need to simply disconnect the feeds to the factory tweeters?

The Crutchfield website shows that they fit, but your question was probably aimed at their quality right? Not much help here but I'll watch the results with interest. Won't be THAT long before my tax return will be here. ;-)

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-We5g3uZdy6b/cgi-bin/ProdGroup.asp?g=400

Yeah, RocketDog, my question is geared more towards the sound quality (should've been more specific in my original post). I've been a fan of Boston Acoustics for some time and I've always found them to be among the most accurate, well-rounded speakers out there.

The Crutchfield reviews seem to indicate that they need a sub to fill out the bottom (why anyone would expect speakers that size to not need some low end support is beyond me) & that they need a good deal of power. With the 270 watt HU in the Element I would think that there's ample juice to power these babies.

I just got back from the local car stereo shop here in town.

Last week I gave the ok for them to install an amp and speakers, plus a sub.
I got the JL A6450 six channel amp and two different sets of JL 6.5" speakers for the doors. All purchased from them. I bought a Kenwood Excelon X990 head unit to be used as a dead-unit.

Took the E in this morning for the install to begin and within a half-hour I get a call from them, "Umm, these 6.5" will not fit in the doors, so we're gonna go with 5.25"s, and you will save some money". Ok, that works, thanks.

Within another half hour I get yet another call "Umm, where did you want this amp?" "Well, the salesman told me that it would fit in the spare tire well with the spare tire."

"Nope, not gonna fit there".

I told them that all I was worried about was keeping it out of the way so as not to compromise the load-floor. But there ain't no way that huge amp is gonna fit anywhere but on the floor or on the sub-box, making it impossible to take out quickly.

So I waltz myself down there and get shown the situation. Nope, it ain't gonna fit, and neither were the 6.5"s without serious mods.

Now what?

"Well we could put 2 smaller amps up on the side walls above the storage pockets in back.

How much? Adds about 300 bucks.

Not gonna happen, where the hell is my salesman? "He's off today, Sir"

"I am not happy with this little so and so, he told me you all had done several installs in Elements and that you guys would make this work. WTF?"

Let us run some numbers, we are going to cut his commision out of this transaction, cause he messed it up so bad.

They knocked 250 of of the 2 amps.


So we'll see what happens.


Everyone says that the element will handle 6.5"door speakers, yet it looked quite impossible to me, without serious cutting. What gives with this one?

support is beyond me) With the 270 watt HU in the Element I would think that there's ample juice to power these babies.


I am seriously doubting the 270 watt rating on this unit.

I dunno if this list includes subwoofers, but the Bazooka TVB-141 fits like a glove in the cargo area of the Element.

http://www.sasbazooka.com/productImages/184_m.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e62/gruntysmasher/100_0445.jpg

I dunno if this list includes subwoofers, but the Bazooka TVB-141 fits like a glove in the cargo area of the Element.
Yessir, it fits nicely. I've had mine for a couple years now and it puts out plenty of bass for it's size.

Mine's for sale if you wanna double your bass! :D

I put lowprofile 6.5 Kenwods in all of the doors and they had no issues with them. (ok ShaneS did it i told him which wire was +) no cutting needed.

Well, I didn't get an answer with my building a system post, so thought I'd try again here. Should've put it here to begin with, but didn't realize it's an ongoing thread.
So this shop I went to, where I'm going to get my new system put in (probably should wait til the XM runs out), had only a few lines in shop. He suggested for speakers, Socal, or Arc (I think it was?). Any opinions on these brands? The entry level Socals were $250 for the separates (top of the line was $1200, ouch!). He also had the Pioneer Premiere series head units, and showed me a minimalist one that was pricey, but really amazing quality. $450. That's pretty high, and I was thinking of an Alpine, but I know this line is great, too. I did find the Pioneer at a good price here...http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...roductID=16945
Then I think I'll get a tube sub, so it won't take up much space, and a 4 channel amp.I see the Bazooka fits nicely, but I'm hoping to find the smallest tube that will still sound ok. I don't want to take up much cargo room.
Looks like I should go do some looking on Crutchfields. Just wanted to get some opinions

The lack of responses may mean that folks really aren't familiar with the separates you're considering. Of the two you've mentioned, I've heard of ARC Audio. Bottom line, let your ears be the judge.

You also may want to bear in mind that your separates will need to be fairly shallow, otherwise some cutting or installation of speaker rings may be in order, along with mods to the speaker grilles.

Poke around a bit and you'll find excellent posts discussing this and some very creative solutions. Good luck building your system! :D

Hi, I am new to this forum, and since the better half is getting her E in the next few days, she was doing a little bit of looking around on here.

I though I would give my two cents on your inquiry Heartdog.......

Both Arc and I believe it's probably "Focal" that you were recommanded to, are great companies, I personally prefer the Focal speakers because they match my personal musical preferences. Both companies do make serveral lines of speakers, and have a strong fan base. Arc started back in 1998, where Focal(JM Labs) have been around since the 80's I believe. Focal(JM Labs) started out as a pure speakers manufacturer, and they just recently released their own amplifier line, and Arc if I remember correctly started out as an amplifier manufacturer and then stepped in the speaker game not too long ago.

I personally prefer the Focal speakers, because I found them to match my musical preferences. Listening to many different genres, I really like how smooth and balance their tweeters and woofers are. They are also one of the few companies that still makes their own speakers, except their entry level line. I believe the entry level components that you were looking at are the Access1 or A1 series components. They are a great pair of speakers and since you are looking at a 4 ch amp as well, I think they will be a great choice. However, the depth might be an issue in this situation, a little bit of massaging might be in order. I don't know for sure because I haven't have a chance to rip into one yet.

In terms of a head unit, I am also guessing that the minimalist head unit that you were shown is a DEHP880PRS, because it's the simplest deck that premiere carries. It's a great player because I just happen to have one of those in my civic. However, depends on what kind of feature you were looking for, and the functions it performs, there might be other deck that is worth considering. Alpine is a great compnay that has great product as well, and again, you will have to decide what is important and what is not. (sat radio, ipod integration, time alignment, eq....etc.)

The girlfriend's E is an EX, so it comes with the factory sub. However, I was looking into replacing it with something different, the factory sub, which from my research is a 6.5 woofer, and I was looking at a JL 6w04 to replace it and keep the factory location. I don't know what your budget is going to be for the whole system, but if you are interested in a nice subwoofer, and don't want to lose any space, and don't mind losing the storage bin under the center console, the JL stealth box is a great option. With a 10 inch subwoofer, it will add lots of bass, and it would bring the imaging closer to where the driver seat is.

Anyway, these are my own opinion, and like I said I won't be able to dig into our E for a few more days, so.... until then.:)

Both Arc and I believe it's probably "Focal" that you were recommanded to, are great companies, I personally prefer the Focal speakers because they match my personal musical preferences.

I personally prefer the Focal speakers, because I found them to match my musical preferences. Listening to many different genres, I really like how smooth and balance their tweeters and woofers are.

In terms of a head unit, I am also guessing that the minimalist head unit that you were shown is a DEHP880PRS, because it's the simplest deck that premiere carries. It's a great player because I just happen to have one of those in my civic. However, depends on what kind of feature you were looking for, and the functions it performs, there might be other deck that is worth considering. Alpine is a great compnay that has great product as well, and again, you will have to decide what is important and what is not. (sat radio, ipod integration, time alignment, eq....etc.)

The girlfriend's E is an EX, so it comes with the factory sub. However, I was looking into replacing it with something different, the factory sub, which from my research is a 6.5 woofer, and I was looking at a JL 6w04 to replace it and keep the factory location. I don't know what your budget is going to be for the whole system, but if you are interested in a nice subwoofer, and don't want to lose any space, and don't mind losing the storage bin under the center console, the JL stealth box is a great option. With a 10 inch subwoofer, it will add lots of bass, and it would bring the imaging closer to where the driver seat is.


Ah, probably is Focal. My bad :) I think it's cuz he was pronouncing it "CAL" as in So Cal <g>. Anyway. They all sounded good. I think the Focals were more clear/crisp. Which would be good for what I like to listen to.

I know,some HU's have a TON of bells and whistles... there was one with bluetooth capability, so you can answer your cell from it. Seems cool, but I wonder if all that gadget stuff would be distracting and confusing. The simple one was basically very good sound, which is the most important. Still expensive, but if it's that much bang for the buck, maybe it's the way to go. A *lot* of people are buying this one Alpine model, though. So must be something to it.


I can't find that JL sub anywhere online! I'd love to put a sub in the factory spot, because my dog rides with me all the time. I don't want his seat to be vibrating horribly, or have him blasted with bass. So if anyone has a link to one, I'd be grateful! My budget is flexible. I don't want to go all out and spend a fortune, cuz I have other things I'd like to spend it on, too :D I need a new wheelchair, and would love to get an lcd tv. (Everything I want is so expensive!lol) I usually figure I'll spend at least a grand, and this looks like it might go a bit upwards of that.

My last car, a mini-van, has a Kenwood HU, Infiniti speakers, an Alpine 2 channel amp, and my old old JBL sub, big round thing. I spent quite a bit on that, then my tranny went out heh. But it was never that great to me. Too much bass, muddied, and just so-so for what I spent. So I'm selling it with the van (or maybe I should remove it, and sell separately...). I think that might've been a case of not spending quite enough to be happy. ($800)

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_stealthbox_detail.php?fit_id=1404

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_stealthbox_detail.php?fit_id=1404

I couldn't find a way to order one through the site. Called some dealers that the site said were authorised, and it's an expensive little sucker. Lowest quote I got was $480! Ouch.

Yeah, it's not cheap, but it's a good sub with a excellent fit and finish enclosure. A couple of guys on here are using this setup, maybe you can ask them what they think of it.:)

Or if you know someone that is good with fibre glassing, you can always get one customer made with a subwoofer of your choice, the 10w3v3 is not cheap to begin with. So....I am not sure what kind of amp you are thinking about running either, so it might not work anyway, but thought I recommand you to it.

Yeah, it's not cheap, but it's a good sub with a excellent fit and finish enclosure. A couple of guys on here are using this setup, maybe you can ask them what they think of it.:)

Or if you know someone that is good with fibre glassing, you can always get one customer made with a subwoofer of your choice, the 10w3v3 is not cheap to begin with. So....I am not sure what kind of amp you are thinking about running either, so it might not work anyway, but thought I recommand you to it.

Well, I think I'm going to get it, maybe I can find it online for a tad less than a retail place. I saw one on ebay, but the pic didn't look like it was the right one, for the stock location. What amp do most prefer here? Are there any that are more than 4 channel? One shop said I would need more, powering a sub, and the speakers. I did have two amps in my CR-V way back. Maybe I should keep my 2 channel Alpine one from my old car....nah, that wouldn't be nice :-| Also, where the heck is a good place for amps?? Can they be put in the wheel well in the cargo area?

Whew, gonna be broke..just decided on an lcd tv tonight, too! Course, now I'll want to upgrade my surround system :-P

Hi again heartdog. I got my Pioneer DEHP880PRS and I love it. It is loaded with features that, unless you do an elaborate, tri-amp system you may not use. This is not to say that you should not buy it but you sound like you are on a tight budget and your money may be better placed elsewhere.

But I absolutely love this radio. It has all of the features I was looking for and more that were not listed anywhere. It comes with a mocrophone and does its own equalization and time alignment!!!!!

But buy a good head unit. Good sound starts with a good head unit, otherwise you are just amplifying sh*#. I will not do your shopping for you but look for good name brands, multiple channels of pre outs and high voltage pre-outs 4Volts or higher. Also, like the pioneer has look for a sub pre-out and look for both a high pass and low pass filter in the radio. If you are going to use the radio to power the main speakers this is very important.

The plus and minus of the JL sub and box you are looking for.

+ whatever price you pay you will be very happy with it and not regret it JL is a very good company and does not make anything that sucks. (that I have ever heard anyway)

- It will only fit your element. If you buy new cars every three years you may look for something that will easily transfer to your next ride.

neutral-- The sub will have good bass. You will not be heard from five blocks away. If that is your goal you need to move on up in size and power.

Hello All. I just bought my 07 SC Manual E, and I love it, but the stereo, although overall a quality system, sounds on the tinty side to me. Anybody have and idea on why this is? It is of course the 270W premium system 7 speakers (all SCs have this). i'm thinking it is the small speaker in between the doors and the windshield. What do you think I can do about this?

Options I know of or are possible are the following

-replace the speakers
-put material over the speakers to filter out some of the highs (this worked fairly well in my old BMW)

:confused:
anything else you stereo guys can think of? thanks - jim

Turn the treble down on the head unit? I dont' remember how exactly the factory system sounded. I've never heard them before, but most folks around here say that the polk db series are pretty bassy. You could replace the fronts with the db components, or coaxials.

has anyone tried to install MB Quarts componets. This is my first E but really want my old sound system put in. I have not pulled the panels just yet but was looking forward to doing so this weekend. Also is there room for two subs without giving up what room i have in the back.

are they 6.5 components? My guess is that if you pull off the door and put in some spacers that they will fit. Sure, you could build all sorts of different shaped boxes to maximize the amount of space you have in the back. Obviously the smaller the requirements of the sub, the smaller the box can be. Do you already have the subs?

my Mbs are 5.25's but they fit into my truck and it was a 6.50 hole. As for the subs i have two JLW3's but was thinking that might be over kill for the E i have looked for pics everywhere i could think of but so far i have not found anything to point me in the direction i want to go in.

with spacers i can't see how those wouldn't fit in the doors. You might even be able to get by without spacers. Subs wise, if they're in the back you'd be suprised how much air there really is to have to move in the E. Do you like loud bass, or more rolling smooth bass taht just rounds off the bottom end? What size are your subs, and are they v2 or v3?

Has anyone tried installing the new Boston Acoustics' S65rc units yet?
http://bostonacoustics.com/car/car_product.aspx?category_id=14&family_id=23&product_id=234

They're a shallow mount specifically pegged for Hondas. They're coax though so if they were installed in an EX 'E' would I need to simply disconnect the feeds to the factory tweeters?

Just giving an update on anyone interested in the BA S65rc's. I installed them yesterday & am quite pleased w/ their performance so far. Gone is the overly bright, tinny sound from the stock speakers. The BAs have a very balanced, neutral tone & a surprisingly respectable amount of mid-low punch.

I wish the installation had been a bit easier. It required drilling a few new holes & a lot of cutting away at the back of the speaker grilles to be able to get the covers back on. And BA didn't do any favors by including 3" screws for a shallow mount speaker. Crazy.

EMass, saw you put some Alpines in and you liked it. Im planning on getting SPR-17S component speakers, and was wondering if you went with component speakers all the way around, or just component in the front and reg speakers in the back, or speakers all around. As you can see, im pretty inexperienced with car audio, so please correct me if this sounds completely retarded.I just know that component is more expensive, so i figure that they come with tweeters and some box amp-looking thing.:confused: Im not even sure if you can put those in the back doors at all. Thanks for any help/input on this topic :oops: :rolleyes:

The music you listen to on the radio or on cds or whatever is usually (99% of the time) recorded in stereo. A left and a right channel. So it is by design best played back in stereo, a left and a right channel. The cleanest sound will come from having just speakers in the front. Rear speakers are best to add fill in sound so you don't need to buy another set of components unless you have a need to spend a lot of extra money. Get the components for the front and then try to find a coax that's from the same manufacturer's series for the rear. I'm pretty certain Alpine makes a coax that matches the components you like. That little black box is the crossover. It separates the frequencies and send them to the appropriate driver it being the tweeter of the woofer. The crossover is as important to your speaker system as the driver's themselves so it's important to use them as described by the manufacturer.

The music you listen to on the radio or on cds or whatever is usually (99% of the time) recorded in stereo. A left and a right channel. So it is by design best played back in stereo, a left and a right channel. The cleanest sound will come from having just speakers in the front. Rear speakers are best to add fill in sound so you don't need to buy another set of components unless you have a need to spend a lot of extra money. Get the components for the front and then try to find a coax that's from the same manufacturer's series for the rear. I'm pretty certain Alpine makes a coax that matches the components you like. That little black box is the crossover. It separates the frequencies and send them to the appropriate driver it being the tweeter of the woofer. The crossover is as important to your speaker system as the driver's themselves so it's important to use them as described by the manufacturer.
thanks. So as a coax would u recommend a lower grade item by Alpine or simply none at all it im looking to conserve some money but want it to sound good...

If you're getting the Alpine R series components, and if you want rear speakers, go with the R series Coax for the rear. If you're on a budget, try out my theory and do without for a while. If you feel you're missing something, then go get your speakers.

I was converted over 15 years ago. I was sitting in a Polk demo vehicle, it was either a Thunderbird or a Cutlass, and they were showing off their first car component systems. I forget the head unit they used, probably Sony, and it had some surround effects built in. So you could listen to your music in various acoustic environments like stadium, concert hall, etc. They had the Polk 6.5" Components front and rear and 4 10" subs in a 4th order bandpass enclosure. The rep. demo'ed all the environments for me with a couple different cd's and the set up that really blew me away was with the rear speakers OFF and no processing. Since then, I've never bothered with rear speakers.

very nice, ill take your advice. greatly appreciate the help. Saves me a bill there, thanks. :)

So taking into account everything ive geard, i think i might go with these for the front... http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8553_Alpine+SPR-17S.html

That said, do you really need a small (power) amp for a couple speakers or will a new head unit take care of that? Like i said earlier though, i have a lot of time to look around for now so any recommendations on any other preferences varying around that price would be awesome.

You definitely need an amplifier for those speakers. Something in a 4 channel to start. Make sure you can bridge 2 channels so that in essence it's a 3 channel amp using the bridged channels for your sub woofer.

should the ohms of the speakers match that of the subs?
Im having trouble trying to find one amp that can power around 1200 W RMS thats bridgeable and 4-channel, you think i should simply get two seperate amps or keep looking to find something that matches up?

haha sorry about all the questions but ill pick it up... oh and which is more preferable, 2 or 4 ohms? I have the option of choosing between (2) 2-ohm 12" Alpine Rs or 4ohm to go with this whole setup... :confused: :rolleyes: thanksss ugh

should the ohms of the speakers match that of the subs?
Im having trouble trying to find one amp that can power around 1200 W RMS thats bridgeable and 4-channel, you think i should simply get two seperate amps or keep looking to find something that matches up?

haha sorry about all the questions but ill pick it up... oh and which is more preferable, 2 or 4 ohms? :confused: :rolleyes: thanksss ugh

It's preferable to run your amplifiers at 4 ohms. Most Amplifiers today can operate safely at 2 ohms, and sometimes 1 ohm but you reduce operating headroom of the amp and it's ability to reproduce musical tansients and dynamics. But if your music is full tilt all the way hen what's it matter? You can run different channels of an amp at different ohms. The lower the ohm number the more wattage an amp wil produce. An amp rated to deliver 50 watts @ 4 ohms may deliver 75 watts @ 2 ohms. Conversely it may only deliver 35 watts @ 8 ohms. JL Audio had a demo car last year (Subaru Legact GT wagon) where they used their 6 channel amp bridged to 3 channels delivering 90 watts @ 4 ohms to the front channels and 45 watts mono @ 8 ohms to the BOTH rear speakers running in series. They used a separate amp on the stealthbox.

should the ohms of the speakers match that of the subs?
Im having trouble trying to find one amp that can power around 1200 W RMS thats bridgeable and 4-channel, you think i should simply get two seperate amps or keep looking to find something that matches up?

haha sorry about all the questions but ill pick it up... oh and which is more preferable, 2 or 4 ohms? I have the option of choosing between (2) 2-ohm 12" Alpine Rs or 4ohm to go with this whole setup... :confused: :rolleyes: thanksss ugh
Win A Burger, check out the A/V Learning Center at Crutchfield's site:
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-u21ZktIZXtE/learningcenter/car/

This may help to answer a lot of your questions.

I just installed an Infinity 5010cs Reference package in my 2006 E/LX. Front speakers only. There was a huge difference between the factory speakers and these.:D Especially with the tweeters. From working in a stamping plant in my youth my hearing in the upper mid range and high (17 to 20khz) is pretty weak. The difference was dramatic even with the Honda HU.

The install was fairly easy. I put the tweeters high up on the door speaker grill. Avoided the factory A pillar positon as the consensus in these forums seemed to be they sound better in the door. The only modifications I had to make were cutting out the plastic on the door panel behind the speaker, cutting a round hole for the tweeter in the speaker grill and cutting into the door panel to make room for the tweeter.

I did swap out the head unit. In the future I would like to replace the rear door speakers and maybe add an amp.

I just installed a set of Kicker door speakers...not sure of the model numbers; they're on the paper in my car. I had to do some modification to the door panel to get them to fit, but they do fit. Sounds good, too. :D

Just got a pair of DB650 for the front, not sure the rears will make enough diff to matter. Was wondering if when installing it would help to put some kind of damping material behind or around them while you are there???

Just got a pair of DB650 for the front, not sure the rears will make enough diff to matter. Was wondering if when installing it would help to put some kind of damping material behind or around them while you are there???

When I did a search on auto sound installations there was quite a bit of discussion and thought on the idea that rear door speakers are a waste. Because it is so difficult to image (phase) the speakers to the driver (listener) it is better to sink the money you would spend on the rear speakers into the best speakers you can afford for the front only. Completely disconnect the rear speakers.

On my front speakers I found no need to dampen as the door seems pretty solid. I only have a foam gasket between the speaker mount and the door. I don't hear any harshness or vibration. I had bought my rear speakers before reading about the idea of fronts only. I do need to dampen the speakers in the suicide doors as there is a vibration at about 10khz.

I am not an expert or very knowing in these things. It was my first aftermarket audio so maybe someone else can weigh in with more expertise.

I ordered and installed 2 pair of Polk DB651s Shallow Mount speakers from Crutchfield and they bolted right up... no need to cut the back of the plastic baffle. Took 20 mins all told... they came with the adapters to connect them to the OEM plastic clip. $99 a pair. They sound great with my newly installed JL 10" sub

I looked around and didnt see this discussed.

1) is there an aftermarket sub that will fit in the factory location without any modifications ?

2) Did it improve overall bass quality ?

I ordered and installed 2 pair of Polk DB651s Shallow Mount speakers from Crutchfield and they bolted right up... no need to cut the back of the plastic baffle. Took 20 mins all told... they came with the adapters to connect them to the OEM plastic clip. $99 a pair. They sound great with my newly installed JL 10" sub


Are you running the stock Honda HU?
how did you deal with the tweeters in the A pillars?

Is that the JL 'stealthbox' you're using?

i read all the post on how to remove the a pillars, when i follow the instructions,{pull from the top toward the radio, it feels like im gonna break something, my element is an 07 with factory tweets and airbags....what am i doing wrong....any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks
dave

Have 2 pairs of Kole KE-60C speakers installed which required no modifications for the midrange. The tweeters were installed in the A pillars and above the handle/below the window on the rear doors. Initially the tweeters were too much in their current location but a simple adjustment on the crossover from 6dB to 4dB fixed the overwhelming treble. I have never heard of Kole Audio (http://www.koleaudio.com/products_components.html) before nor do I have any idea where to find them aside from my audio installer, but they sound great to me. *shrug*


I looked around and didnt see this discussed.

1) is there an aftermarket sub that will fit in the factory location without any modifications ?

2) Did it improve overall bass quality ?

Technically the JL Stealthbox is ideally what you are looking for. Its going to stick out a bit farther than the factory box, but its definitely a great improvement on bass quality. The actual sub is a JL 10" (10W3v3-4) which is firing downward and will require an aftermarket amp. Ideally a 300 RMS 4 ohm monosub amplifier is the best way to go according to their specs. The instructions (http://mobile.jlaudio.com/pdfs/1930.pdf) provided by JL. It is a bit outdated as well - the instructions list the 10W3v2-D2 as the sub being placed inside.


i read all the post on how to remove the a pillars, when i follow the instructions,{pull from the top toward the radio, it feels like im gonna break something, my element is an 07 with factory tweets and airbags....what am i doing wrong....any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks
dave

The plastic housing is tough but easily damaged. If you start pulling and slowly add more force, you should be able to pull it out. It is being held in by some tough plastic clips. When it 'breaks' free, you'll have to lift it up so the base lifts out of the slot. Keep in mind that the tweeters are still plugged in and that there isn't too much slack to work with. Once the pillar housing becomes loose, you should see the wiring and the plug which can be disconnected.

Are you running the stock Honda HU?
how did you deal with the tweeters in the A pillars?

Is that the JL 'stealthbox' you're using?


I am not running the stock HU... Alpine CDA9807...
I did not replace the tweets in the A Pillars... not yet anyway...

And its not a stealthbox... dont like the sub in the front... I have
a custom sub box in the back that can be removed quickly and
easily if I need more space.

"rear door speakers are a waste. Because it is so difficult to image (phase) the speakers to the driver (listener) it is better to sink the money you would spend on the rear speakers into the best speakers you can afford for the front only. Completely disconnect the rear speakers"

I've had many vehicles with different configurations and it's my opinion that, yes, it does sound better with a good pair in the front only. But only for the people in the front. Now, it can inprove the sound even more if you add another pair in the rear but use only a midrange or midbass driver. This adds what's called rear fill. The lack of tweeters is to fool your brain into thinking that the sound is comming from the front but also to be envoloped in sound. The idea being that we are trying to recreate a live performance and as such should try to have all of the sound coming from the front, as in a live performance. the idea of adding rear fill is to solve problems that cars have resulting from being a closed space. Sound bounces around and has no room to develope so it feels very closed in and small. putting speakers in the rear helps to make the car feel bigger. All of this is done to create what's called a realistic "soundstage". The aim is to have the sound appear to be comming from the front , or "stage" and this stage should feel like it extends well beyond the dash and from the outside of the vehicle. Imaging is the concept of being able to close your eyes and localize where the different instruments are located. It's possible with proper speaker placement and aiming. The best sounding SQ competition cars often have only the two front speakers playing the full range sound and are then augmented by rear fill and subwoofers. The full range speakers are often placed in the kick panels in an effort to get them as far away from the ears as possible. Also while one can mount the tweeters anywhere it's best to have them as close to the woofer as possible so your ears think all of the sounds are comming from a single "point source". Having them seperate allows you to properly aim the tweeter. Mounting them in the A pillars is done to prevent them from being blocked by knees. Highs are very directional and can be blocked easily. When mounting a tweeter in the door, as others have found sounds very good in the Element, aim it towards the ear of the passenger in the opposite seat. this way the axis meets roughly in the center of the car forming a sound stage that centers in the middle of the dash. With some tweaking they will sound great. The average speakers aimed perfectly will sound more realistic than the best ones mounted incorrectly. It amazes me when people say "it sounds good" and they the tweeters mounted on the head rests and woofers in the kicks. Loud? Becasue they are right in your face. but when a scale is done on a guitar and the instrument appears to physically move from your feet to the sky that is not "good sound".

Play around with placment and see how much it changes the sound. you'll be surprised how much you can improve it with out buying new equipment.

C.

Hi All,
Crutchfield has placed the outgoing Infinity lineup on clearance, and I missed the sale on the 6012i, so I had to settle for the 5.25" version. They are very similar to the new 5022i except no "+3db" button on the tweeter. Crutchfield makes it really easy by including the factory speaker harness and adapter plates to allow the 5.25" to fit in the hole designed for 6.5" speakers, at no extra cost. As a bonus, 1/2 off makes them $50 a pair. I replaced all four speakers in about an hour, with half of that going to the first one. Tweeters are still stock, based on reading the forums, I was not ready to attempt that project at this time. Despite Crutchfield's information, I didn't have to drill any new holes. I'm sure a lot of people will want to reply negatively to this, but I'm happy with the sound of the 5.25" speakers and the stock '07 EX sound system. Wish the radio was a bit more sensitive, but that's one of the next projects. DVD head unit, amps and "Better" speakers will come around when the warranty is not an issue, but I sure do miss the sound from a completely after market system. Overall, I'm quite happy with the increase in clarity from the high end, and much clearer vocals. Great upgrade for only $100 and one hour of time.

Also just ordered the db651 slims. Crutchfield has the buy 1 pair, get half off 2nd pair deal right now. $150 and free shipping for set of 4! woot!

Just installed my Polk db651's. Not the db651s, but the regular db651. They are a little snug in the front door location, the dome tweeter on the db651 hits the plastic trim cover that go's over the speaker, but just a little. You really can't tell. I'm not sure how this effects the sound. I havent noticed anything. The back door location has plenty of room for the installation. As for the difference in sound quality from stock, all I can say is that I should have done this long time ago. I listen mostly to the radio, rock, jazz, even a little bluegrass. The sound quality is excellent. I'm not a stereo guru and Im sure there are better speakers out there but for the money (160.00 for 4) I sure like them...........:D

Okay, I am not speaker savvy but I want more sound, so what are some of the basic measurements I need to look for when shopping for aftermarket speakers in the front & rear?

crutchfield.com will take your specific vehicle info and give you details on the sizes that will work (front and rear). They, of course, also offer package deals complete with installation instructions if you want to purchase...... :rolleyes:

Good luck!! ;-):smile:

just checked ebay and i saw a couple of listings for the Polk db651s. Around $50 plus $20 for shipping.

These fit perfect. Just used the screws from the original speakers and about 20 minutes of labor. No tweeter protrusion, no cutting the back, and have room for the tweeter to swivel. They dropped right in, minus cutting the little tabs. The other good thing is that they have this ring around them so the screws don't actually go into the rubber from the woofer. I bought these for $79 locally.



http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2361/memphisrh0.jpg

On a side note, I've decided to leave the factory tweeters. The reason? Because the removal of the A-Pillar trim was not coming off so easy and I noticed the proximity of the airbag. The Memphis speakers more than make up for those, and have a much nicer sound than the factory ones with overpowering mids.

I agree that the stock stereo is decent but does lack midrange. What speakers fit in the door without having to modify it? A set of Polk Audio db651s speakers? I see memphis too! Not bad. Does it look factory? I would prefer to use the factory covers and not modify it, this way no one knows and no one would steal them.

Yes, the memphis look stock, as the factory grills go right over them.

Good news!

Crutchfield has the Infinity 6022si for $99.99 including shipping AND the correct
Honda wiring harness adapter every day- however if you order them through April you get a second pair for only $49.99- including the wiring harness!!

That's right- 4 Infinity speakers, wiring harnesses and shipping $150:D

Just ordered today, and will upgrade the front speakers in both the steamloco E's (Wish I could justify buying four pairs...)

As someone who is always looking to upgrade sound performance without spending a ridiculous amount of money, I have two questions;

1. Why does Crutchfield say they don't fit the E w/7 speaker configuration?


2. What influenced you to choose the Infinity's over the Blaupunkt GTx652 @ 39.99 a pair which are specifically recommended for the E by Crutchfield and also include the free Honda connectors?

Thanks. Mitch

As someone who is always looking to upgrade sound performance without spending a ridiculous amount of money, I have two questions;

1. Why does Crutchfield say they don't fit the E w/7 speaker configuration?


2. What influenced you to choose the Infinity's over the Blaupunkt GTx652 @ 39.99 a pair which are specifically recommended for the E by Crutchfield and also include the free Honda connectors?

Thanks. Mitch

A fair question.

First-I've used Infinity speakers before and found them to be durable, and good sounding in the midrange and mid bass.

Second- Crutchfield usually recommends the speakers that require the least effort to install in a given location. I'm not worried about the install after reading this thread last year:

www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35233&highlight=list+speakers See the first post-with pictures

Third- Not a fan of Blaupunkt speakers in a stereo without a multi band equalizer to even out their reproduction. I'd have gone for something from Polk Audio (which I have in my F-150) if I were looking for a lower priced option. Good midrange and tight bass from a smaller speaker.

okay i put the E back in the shop for some more moding, i am going with the
pioneer AVIC-Z2, ND-BT1, CD-IB100II, GEX-P920XM, ND-BC20PA, if you dont know what these is, it is a doudle din touch screen with navagation and 30g harddrive, plus voice activatide, bluetooth, camera, and a new xm system to go along with it. i mean hey if you are going to do something do it right the first time. well my question is has any change the sub on the sc with the 7 speaker. i know the stock one is alpine along with the amp but any one has thoughts on this.??

Good news!

Crutchfield has the Infinity 6022si for $99.99 including shipping AND the correct
Honda wiring harness adapter every day- however if you order them through April you get a second pair for only $49.99- including the wiring harness!!

That's right- 4 Infinity speakers, wiring harnesses and shipping $150:D

Just ordered today, and will upgrade the front speakers in both the steamloco E's (Wish I could justify buying four pairs...)

I did this based on your advice and Joe Boxer's install illustration. I received the speakers in two days with free shipping. :D

bought from crutchfield for $99/pair. they are 5.5" size. Install was SUPER easy, no cutting required (contrary to Crutchfield's directions). Of course they are a big improvement over the paper cone stock speakers. I am sticking with the stock HU for now. Crutchfield includes little adaperts for the honda speaker wire harness, so no splicing/soldering required. I had them installed in like 10-15 miutes. they are "value" priced, probably not as good as the speakers that go for 200-300 a pair, but these suit my needs just fine, nice and bright with nice bass as well.

I recently replaced my stock LX speakers with Crutchfield's Boston Acoustic s65rc's. Althogh there was a definite improvement in sound quality, I was rather resentful during the entire installation because I didn't enjoy having to drill holes in a brand new vehicle. Right after the installation, I came across a previous post about Memphis speakers fitting in the stock holes. Being I'm trading in my LX for an 09, I wanted to experiment so I could make a simple swap in the new vehicle. I was willing to sacrifice slightly on sound for ease of installation. For the same amount of money (about 100 bucks a pair), I ordered two pairs of Memphis 15-MC.

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=5258

Although the crossovers were separate, I was able to easily Velcro them to the inside of the doors. Using the Crutchfield adapters, the installation was incredibly easy, and most importantly I was able to use the existing holes. What I wasn't expecting was the sound quality - it blew the Boston's away! I've attached pictures - hope this helps!

I wanted to post my experience replacing the stock door speakers with 4polk audio db651 speakers. This was my first DIY car stereo project, and I relied heavily on this thread for advice. All of the audio in my 2005 EX is currently stock.

I ordered the speakers from crutchfd. It cost $150 for 4 including the wiring harnesses. No issues there.

Started with the rear doors b/c they should be easier. The grille popped right off no tool necessary. Unscrewed the stock speakers and disconnected the existing adapter to take them out. Cake.

Started to put in the db651, but realized that they have 4 mounting holes while the stock speakers had 3. The holes in the door do not match up. I was mildly aggravated at this because I knew from this thread that the old model db650 had 3 mount holes. There are extra holes in the door enclosures but they do not match up either. My bad for not checking ahead of time before ordering the 651.

Since the rear doors do not have a sliding window or moisture guard at speaker level, I went ahead and screwed 3 mounts directly into the plastic without worrying too much. The plastic is soft enough to do this by hand without stripping the screws. I used the rubber gasket provided with the speakers as kind of a cushion between the speakers and the plastic. The 4th mount I got to match an existing hole. The grill went back on flush.

With this approach both of the rear speakers went in quickly, probably about 30 minutes from start to finish. Now the front speakers, which I knew would be trickier due to the moisture guard.

The grill popped off again with no tool, and the stock speakers came off easily. For the front doors, I really wanted to a find a way to use the existing holes. I messed around with crutchfd's mounting bracket and concluded that it is useless since I didnt want to cut into the enclosure. The thickness of the bracket is too much to allow the grill to go back on after the speaker is installed. Then I started looking at the stock speaker screws in comparison to the aftermarket screws. The stocks have big wide mushroom heads. Using the rubbet gasket as a cushion, I mounted the stock screws in the existing holes with the mushroom caps protruding over the metal frame of the speaker. The screws have to be angled in from the outside of the frame to do this, but they tighten fine and seem to hold the speaker in pretty snug. The grill did not go on flush at first, but I went back in and tightened the screws a few more turns (further compressing the gasket) and the grill went on almost flush.

The front 2 speakers probably took an hour+ due ti the time I spent just figuring out a mounting solution. The improvement in sound quality is appreciable and somewhat affordable at $150. (I went to two local shops before ordering the speakers, they wanted to charge me $150-$200 for a four door install.) I agree with the previous post that the midrange is weak. Whether this is the speakers or processing within the factory hu I do not know. I twiddled with the factory EQ to boost the midrange:

T +1
B +3
S C

F-R F+7
L-R C

I messed with the S setting for awhile before settling in at C. The low bass is cleaner without the sub, but at volume > +20, the sub is really needed to fill out the bass.

Since I'm pretty happy with the install I cant help but think about the next upgrade. Where is the best bang for my buck - replacing the head unit, Mike's Mod, replacing the factory sub or tweets? Since I dont totally blast the thing (hardly ever above +30), I probably dont need amplication. Maybe the sub or the tweets.

No one on this forum seems to be using MB Quart Speakers - have they fallen out of vogue or something? I've always found they sound great, and I made sure to buy ones still made in Germany ( apparently they farmed the factory out to China now...sigh).

I have a set of PCE 216s that I plan to install in the front. The tweeters look like they will fit fine in the stock slots. The Woofers fit in the stock location, but stick out about 1/8 inch. This weekend, I'm going to see if its the baffle back causing it, or if the basket itself is the problem. It sounds like it would be best to put the crossovers in the dash, since they feed the components separately, and I want to avoid running too much extra wire.

I also plan to remove a pair of PKC 216s from my recent old car, and see about putting them in the rear. These are co-axial speakers, so I'll likely just put the crossovers in the rear doors.

i use Sony Xplod XS-GTX1640 6.5" all around..direct bolt on. no need to cut or drill...they sound amazing.

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2007/158/h158GTX1640-f.jpeg

i use Sony Xplod XS-GTX1640 6.5" all around..direct bolt on. no need to cut or drill...they sound amazing.

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2007/158/h158GTX1640-f.jpeg

Did you have to leave the factory grilles off? You can get a pair of these at JR Music World for only $60 + S&H.

I read this speaker post start to finish twice. I have an 03 EX model with the factory radio. I went with the Polk DB650 speakers. Seemed that everyone liked them (except cuzdan). After installation, I came to the same conclusion that cuzdan reached - no midrange. They sounded really muffled.
OK, that was unacceptable. So I followed his advice and ordered the MTX TDX 6502 speakers. Better, but still not accceptable.

OK, I got it! I needed an aftermarket amp or an aftermarket headunit with more RMS power. But I did not want to go thru the wiring directly to the battery, hiding the amp under the seat, keeping it cool etc. What I really wanted was a speaker "fix".

Well, since I'm a newbie to car electronics, I did some research and came up with the solution. What the factory EX unit needs is more power OR more efficient speakers. So, I started shopping for a 2 ohm speaker with very high sensitivity.

The Infinity Kappa 62.9is operates with 2 ohms and 95 dB sensitivity. I ordered the "s" (shallow) version for the fronts since I wanted to make sure there was correct depth for mounting. The Kappas come with a mounting ring which allows tweeter positioning. It was an easy install.

The sound is awesome. A great improvement over the Polk or MTX speakers which were 4 ohms and 92 dB sensitivity.

So if you want the best speaker for a stock system, then go with the Infinity Kappas. If you just want to replace the fronts, it can be done for less than $75-85. Money well spent for sound improvement. And, I suspect that a higher power aftermarket headunit would be icing on the cake.

will Alpine SPE-17SF fit good? (front door)
can i use deeper models? or maybe 3-way component speakers?
midbass will work instead of woofer (Element- LX)
i`m going to make full Alpine system- HU- Alpine IDA-X200, Amp 4-way Alpine R-series

I was sure I read somewhere that the factory wiring is out of phase. Well, sure enough, if you follow the wiring diagrams, your rear speakers will be out of phase. I unplugged the rear speakers, plugged in the Metra adapters, connected the wires to the speakers using the same pattern on both sides, and their out of phase. So that means the factory rear speakers are out of phase with each other. I often thought those rear speakers sounded different from the fronts. Now I know why.

I have only swapped out the rear speakers with the Infinity Kappas. Even out of phase, and on the stock amp, they sound better than the OEM junk speakers. In time, the amps, and subs, and more Kappas:D

*UPDATE*

The front speaker factory wiring is out of phase also. I wonder, could someone with a stock EX setup change polarity on one rear speaker and one front speaker, and tell me I'm not nuts. Maybe this is the key to unlock a free mod and better sounding radios for all of the EX's. I had an early Miata that had the same issue except in the headrest speakers. Wired out of phase from the factory. I don't know, maybe the Japanese don't understand speaker phasing, and that's why Japanese speakers have alwaysed sucked.

i will chekc the phasing as soon as i get home, i knew i had heard simular annouances before, if its a phasing issue it makes loads of sence, easy fix too

ok so i did a quick search in this thread and i see nothing about polk momos, has no one tried the following sets

Polk Audio MM6501
Polk Audio MM5251

Trying to get insight before i buy, ive owned a set of polks from the momo line and they take a little while to break in but once broken in they sound great

i will chekc the phasing as soon as i get home, i knew i had heard simular annouances before, if its a phasing issue it makes loads of sence, easy fix too

ok so i did a quick search in this thread and i see nothing about polk momos, has no one tried the following sets

Polk Audio MM6501
Polk Audio MM5251

Trying to get insight before i buy, ive owned a set of polks from the momo line and they take a little while to break in but once broken in they sound great

If anyone has experience with Polk's it's BigAl205. here (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41837) You might PM him, he's alright,(said with caution):D

I just bought 2 pair of the MB Quart DKH 116. I should have them installed next week. I'll post pics then. The depth is 2 9/16". The tweeter protrudes about a half inch, which may turn out to be more of an issue than behind the speaker. I chose the MB Quarts because I had them in a system 20 years ago and they were the best sounding speakers (to my ears) at that time. Quarts are known for excellent off axis response which is important considering the stock locations in the doors. They frequency response also go down to 40Hz so I might be happy without installing a subwoofer and amp.

i did a search for DEPTH and could not find my answer so i am now asking it

does anyone know the exact depth of the rear speakers, if you cut out the "cup" i know you can get more depth just wondering if anyone knew how deep that was, any and all help would be great before i go cut it out myself :)

hello, my name is Ricardo and i live in Puerto Rico i am new in this club and i want the best speaker for a stock system i have a Element 04 EX . would like to hear your views You can contact me at email amaro_07@hotmail.com Gracias

Has anyone here installed those speaker baffles behind their speakers in any of these installations? Just wondering if they're worth it, and if they will fit. I am going to use Infinity 6022si's in front and rear. Thanks in advance.

Hey has anybody changed out the factory sub? If so what did you use?

NBPEX4WD5SP

Charlie Mo

Hey, dunno if anyone ever answered your question about the sub, but i installed a Kicker CVT65 sub. Very nice!

as i am writing this i should have taken measurements of the speaker hole with the cups in before i cut them out. I took measurements and as you can see in the pics the door is very deep almost 6 inches after the cups are cut out. You can see about a half inch of the window which is rolled all the way down. I don't think they will be a concern. I took a measurement of the window clearance and it is close to a full 3 inches in.

I cut out the cups cause i am about to install a set of Alpine spx-17ref which have a mounting depth of just over 2 1/2 inches. Anyone here tried these speakers?

I cut out the cups cause i am about to install a set of Alpine spx-17ref which have a mounting depth of just over 2 1/2 inches. Anyone here tried these speakers?

Please install either a baffle or build a "roof" to prevent water from getting in your voice coil or on your connectors. I will be installing speakers and plan to cut the cup also, but I'm going to leave the top portion intact, just enough to protect the speaker.

Has anyone installed these? Available on Ebay pretty reasonably priced. The depth looked okay, but the face might obstruct the grills

Please install either a baffle or build a "roof" to prevent water from getting in your voice coil or on your connectors. I will be installing speakers and plan to cut the cup also, but I'm going to leave the top portion intact, just enough to protect the speaker.

I plan on using a baffle to protect my investment, thanks for the tip.

Hey, dunno if anyone ever answered your question about the sub, but i installed a Kicker CVT65 sub. Very nice!

I'd like to confirm whether or not it was the 4 ohm one and not the 2 ohms?

Was it the below?

KICKER 08CVT654 (CVT65) 6.5" Single 4-Ohm 300W CompVT Series SUBWOOFER

OK, so anything has to be better than the stock door speakers. I found these to be a VERY nice and cost effective sollution. Go to ebay and type in "PRESTIGE MARINE OR CAR SPEAKER 6.5" 2-WAY 100 WATT". they are $18 for a pair with free shipping. i just hooked these up in my element and WOW am i impressed. They sound so crisp.
see, i wanted to find something that would deliver a great sound with out having to so any other mods (like powering them with an amp). With just the stock deck, i simply replaced the OEM speakers and i'm pretty damn happy.

Today I installed 4 Pioneer TS-G1642R’s. They are 6.5-Inch 2-Way 180-Watt Speakers that are direct drop-in’s so there was no cutting or drilling needed. I got them for $30/pair on Amazon with free shipping. Installation was a breeze but it would have been nice to have the speaker wiring harness though. I called around and nobody had them in stock so I went ahead without them. No big deal anyway, if I was going to do it right it would probably be best to rewire everything with a thicker, better wire.

I was shocked at how cheesy the stock speakers were. It would be the sort of thing you would expect to see coming out of a 1982 ford truck. Even so I was not expecting much from a $15 speaker but the difference was night and day. To compare the before and after, it’s like since I bought my Element I have been listening to the speakers with a pillow in front of them, and today I removed the pillow. Now, I am itching for a new sub as it is the weak link. I’m definitely surprised by the quality of sound I am getting for the money I spent. If you are on a tight budget like me, this is the way to go.

Can anyone tell me why the driver's side door has four wires instead of two??

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t72/lorenmeans/Misc/speaker2.jpg
Crappy stock speaker


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t72/lorenmeans/Misc/speaker3.jpg
Pioneer installed


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t72/lorenmeans/Misc/speaker1.jpg
Tons of clearance in the rear door

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t72/lorenmeans/Misc/speaker4.jpg
Old and new


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t72/lorenmeans/Misc/speaker5.jpg
Depth comparison

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t72/lorenmeans/Misc/speaker6.jpg
A little hint to make things easier

I've had the Pioneer GS-T1640R's in the front and rear doors for a couple years. I recently bought a pair of Pioneer Premier TS-A633P's for the front doors. It definitely made a nice upgrade in sound quality. Anything is better than stock!

I've had the Pioneer GS-T1640R's in the front and rear doors for a couple years. I recently bought a pair of Pioneer Premier TS-A633P's for the front doors. It definitely made a nice upgrade in sound quality. Anything is better than stock!

Hi,

I'm about to order 4 of these 633p's, and will assume that they are also drop in replacements like the 1640r's? Confirm/Deny?

Thanks!

NOTE/EDIT: Confirmed from a PM that the TS-A633P's drop right in. I just ordered 2 pair from 6thAve via Amazon, $54 a pair shipped, no tax for me. Once again this forum is THE place for info if you are doing anything with your Element. Thank you all!

Theses are the Pioneer TS-A633P's that I installed. Notice the STUPID Honda speaker connector. (remove/cut/splice to your hearts content) (pics with SE w580i cell phone). The pioneers have two sized connectors, which they include the wired connectors for.
To install the speakers, rotate to 1 o'clock position and use the alternate screw holes already in the door. They fit perfectly, just don't let them drop out while screwing them in, and be careful when scewing them in.
The low/midrange is great. Don't let the sound of each speaker scare you when you test it. They will sound fine once all are installed. I have the four set up like this: Sub +1, Fade R1, treble 0. Sounds OK. For $107 shipped, I'm happy.
Next install will be an amp for the sub. Just don't have any installers locally.

Theses are the Pioneer TS-A633P's that I installed. Notice the STUPID Honda speaker connector. (remove/cut/splice to your hearts content) (pics with SE w580i cell phone). The pioneers have two sized connectors, which they include the wired connectors for.
To install the speakers, rotate to 1 o'clock position and use the alternate screw holes already in the door. They fit perfectly, just don't let them drop out while screwing them in, and be careful when scewing them in.
The low/midrange is great. Don't let the sound of each speaker scare you when you test it. They will sound fine once all are installed. I have the four set up like this: Sub +1, Fade R1, treble 0. Sounds OK. For $107 shipped, I'm happy.
Next install will be an amp for the sub. Just don't have any installers locally.

I might be interested in this. Where did you get them?

I might be interested in this. Where did you get them?

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Premier-TS-A633P-speakers-openings/dp/B001QKEIZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1243471867&sr=8-1
You have to add them to the cart to see the price:
Pioneer Premier TS-A633P 6-1/2" 3-way car speakers -- also fit 6-3/4" openings
$54.72 - Quantity: 2 - In Stock
Condition: New
Sold by: Electronic Express

Shop around, I got them for $107.94/shipped/no tax, from 6th Ave Electronics through Amazon, but Electronic Expess is the seller now

in your guy's opinions do tweeters really make that much of a difference? i see every1 saying that upgrading the speakers really help the sound of the car but will changing from the stock tweeters really make much more of a difference?

I am taking the advice and upgrading to the PIONEER TS-A633P in the front side doors because i've blown my stock ones on the passenger side.

tweeters make a huge diff.

and, for the record, MBQuart QSD 216s will fit in the E. but the crossovers are hysterically large and require custom mounting wherever you can fit them - my solution is a custom mount in the door panels.

I just picked up two pairs of Polk Audio db651s 6 1/2 two-way speakers for my 2008 Honda Element EX. These speakers not only sound amazing, but they were a direct drop-in fit! No drilling necessary, no depth issues with the plastic cup behind the speakers. Combined with the Metra 72-7800 Honda Speaker Harness, the installation was a breeze!

I got the Polk's from SonicElectronix's eBay store for $72.95/pair, free shipping. The Metra 72-7800 Honda Speaker Harnesses were also from eBay for $7.12/pair.

Pop off the speaker grille and you have full access to the factory speakers
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3005.JPG

The factory speakers in the Element EX are quite impressive in size for a factory speaker. Blows away the pathetic speakers in my 2003 Accord. However, as a full range speaker, the sound just doesn't cut it.
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3008.JPG

For comparison, this is the door speaker from the 2003 Accord
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/door2.jpg

Factory speaker removed, and Metra speaker harness attached. Use a swiss army knife or razor blade to slice off the three plastic nubs that are used to position the factory speakers. Don't use the original factory screw holes, which are the three larger holes. Use the pre-drilled smaller holes closer to the perimeter of the opening. These are a direct match with the Polks.
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3009.JPG

Use the screws that come with the Polks to secure the speakers to the door panel. Don't over-tighten the screws. You will have a perfect fit. You don't need to cut out the plastic cup, either.
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3010.JPG

Here is the rear speaker, factory speaker installed
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3013.JPG

Here is the rear speaker opening. I have not cut off the plastic nubs yet. There are two of them on the rear doors. They are near the lower factory speaker holes, in the shape of a + sign. Use the pre-drilled smaller holes closer to the perimeter of the opening to secure the Polks.
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3014.JPG

Rear speaker installed. Another perfect fit in the rear door.
http://web.me.com/peter.hillman/Site/photos/element/100_3015.JPG

An 8 picture limit??? How lame is that? No such restriction on driveaccord.net! Get with the program Element Owners Club!