# Noob question on component speakers midbass vs midrange



## movingzachb (Dec 13, 2013)

Are the speakers that come with a component set a mid range or a mid bass speaker? Are they one in the same or can they vary depending on the component set?

I have a front stage now of components. If I wanted to add some bass for the rear speakers (two 6.5" or up to maybe 8") but not a actual high impact sub woofer - could one add a set of 'mid bass' speakers and get a tighter more responsive bass output as apposed to a full on sub woofer?

Thanks for any input.


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

In a 2-way component set, the woofer handles midbass and midrange frequencies.

Most of the time the woofer is mounted in the front door which I assume is the way your set-up is. How well the front door is sealed and acoustically treated can have a major impact on how well the woofer will reproduce midbass frequencies.


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## movingzachb (Dec 13, 2013)

Truthunter said:


> In a 2-way component set, the woofer handles midbass and midrange frequencies.
> 
> Most of the time the woofer is mounted in the front door which I assume is the way your set-up is. How well the front door is sealed and acoustically treated can have a major impact on how well the woofer will reproduce midbass frequencies.



I am wondering if people instead of installing 2 way full range components or coax in the rear deck of their cars would just use two mid bass speakers instead of sub woofers to get a tighter bass response. Is it possible to do this or would you just need to go to a sub woofer? I am trying to avoid using subs as I enjoy bass but not deep pounding bass.


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

I've seen cars with either 6.5s or 8s dedicated to bass, and crossed over like a subwoofer would be, mounted in the rear deck. Usually they are speakers specifically designed to reproduce mid/sub bass frequencies and infinite baffle use with output usually limited to 30-35hz and above.


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## drop1 (Jul 26, 2015)

Short answer to your first question is the mid speaker is both mid and midbass.

You shouldn't need rears to add midbass.
A properly tuned system with good sub integration will have all the bass/midbass you will ever need. Timing and crossover points are key. From there smooth freq response through the entire spectrum.
If you can't get the midbass response you want from your fronts/sub it's likely you may do more damage than good adding rears.
That being said when I've run rears in the past I usually just use whatever I have laying around. I've used coaxials and cut the leads to the tweeters more than once.
Trying to get rears to play in nice with the fronts is not an easy task.
Those rears will be playing well into the range where we can localize sound.

Now if you're not crazy about having a great stage you can use rears and have a great sound with a headphone effect.
Sounds like you are in the music instead of the music being in front of you but you'll lose all sense of depth. Sounds like headphones.
A few people have pulled off what you want in a spectacular way but they aren't sharing how it was done. 
If you go this route, time alignment and volume of the rears will be the key I believe.


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## movingzachb (Dec 13, 2013)

drop1 said:


> Short answer to your first question is the mid speaker is both mid and midbass.
> 
> You shouldn't need rears to add midbass.
> A properly tuned system with good sub integration will have all the bass/midbass you will ever need. Timing and crossover points are key. From there smooth freq response through the entire spectrum.
> ...


Yes good info. I've thought about cutting the tweeter leads on my Boston Acoustics coax rally's to do that. I thought it was interesting to know someone else has done this before.


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## movingzachb (Dec 13, 2013)

Truthunter said:


> I've seen cars with either 6.5s or 8s dedicated to bass, and crossed over like a subwoofer would be, mounted in the rear deck. Usually they are speakers specifically designed to reproduce mid/sub bass frequencies and infinite baffle use with output usually limited to 30-35hz and above.


Yes crossing it over around that area sounds about right. I think the QSD's I have are 30-38hz or something. They are my front stage though. Be interesting to try and run mid bass like subs I guess. 

Rightnow I have my 80 PRS in network mode and the mids have no guts or bass I just mostly hear the mid range and only a tick of the bass response frequencies. I know the next step would be to ad a subwoofer but I don't want to buy a subwoofer and install it. I was hoping to just drop in some mid bass speakers to get that remaining bass response without the deep bass of a sub. Unless its possible to crossover/tune a sub perhaps one that is 6.5' to 8" to deliver that. However being in network mode for second set of mid bass speakers in the rear deck I'd need to be able to have a second set of the mid output. Unless I could still get the frequency from the low set of preouts on the 80prs for a mid bass speaker.


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## drop1 (Jul 26, 2015)

movingzachb said:


> drop1 said:
> 
> 
> > Short answer to your first question is the mid speaker is both mid and midbass.
> ...


If you cut the leads to the tweets use a dmm to check the resistance (ohms) of the mid.
Make sure the outcome is compatible with your amp.


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

Maybe something like a set of SI TM65II or JL ZR800 or and old set of JL 8IB4 in the rear deck playing 35-150hz could give you what your looking for.


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## drop1 (Jul 26, 2015)

I'd be looking at kick panels with vents going into the body of the car.
By far the best option as far as staging/imaging go.
The rear deck will help with bass but ...
As long as you get them in phase with the fronts it won't be too bad.


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## JH1973 (Apr 21, 2017)

drop1 said:


> I'd be looking at kick panels with vents going into the body of the car.
> By far the best option as far as staging/imaging go.
> The rear deck will help with bass but ...
> As long as you get them in phase with the fronts it won't be too bad.


Why are the kick panels a better location than lower front doors?


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## SPLEclipse (Aug 17, 2012)

You can do what you propose, but as someone mentioned earlier you won't get a lot of bass/midbass without making sure there's no front/rear wave leakage or vibration of the mounting location. That's far more important than whatever speakers you choose. If it's really difficult to seal the rear deck or whatever, you might building some enclosures for the speakers.

I personally run my dedicated midbass speakers up to ~150hz behind be and have zero issues with the stage pulling to the rear. You don't seem concerned with staging/imaging so I wouldn't worry about it at all.


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## drop1 (Jul 26, 2015)

JH1973 said:


> drop1 said:
> 
> 
> > I'd be looking at kick panels with vents going into the body of the car.
> ...


Nothing wrong with doors.
I believe he has front speakers already in the doors. Adding a dedicated midbass without chopping up the doors I'd personally be looking at adding kicks over mounting them in the rears.


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## JH1973 (Apr 21, 2017)

drop1 said:


> JH1973 said:
> 
> 
> > drop1 said:
> ...


My mid is in the lower door(2-way).Tweets are in door sail panel.If I wanted to go 3-way would a good location for mid-range be upper door,Basically between the 6.5 and tweet?


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