Will Dynamat Increase Bass Response? - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

The Fixer · 01-26-2007, 07:58 PM

Hey all,
I just installed a pair of 6.5" speakers up in the roof of my Jeep. Check the pic in the attachment below to see what it looks like (not my roof, but same setup). The problem I have is that the bass is just not really coming out of them. Would putting some Dynamat or other padding/sound proofing on the roof skin help my sound quality?

SteveR · 03-30-2007, 01:17 AM

Well, 6.5s aren't really bass speakers. You can get them down to about 150Hz with less than 3db loss. Check the specs on the speaker and see what it can do (low frequency, and SPL). If you have a crossover, try adjusting it so you are sending the lows to them. If at high volumes the speakers and/or rear of the Jeep is rattling, you're pushing some decent low frequency response. If not, the speakers aren't even being driven hard enough. Whatever you do, don't push the speakers past their specs or you'll tear the rubber mounting off. If you are getting some rattling, try a few things; try using plastic washers where the speakers mount to the Jeep, you'll get some vibration isolation that way. If you think you're getting signal loss and the bass is exiting through the roof/window, pad the back of the roof or whatever is behind the speaker with something that has a very non porous surface. Something that has a harder or reflective surface. The point being that if you use like insulation, it will absorb the low frequency waves and you'll get even less bass. A reflective surface will reverberate the lows back into the passenger compartment.

The Fixer · 03-30-2007, 08:40 AM

Thanks for the response! I did some reading online, and a few sites recommended using PolyFil to increase bass response in sub enclosures. So, I went over to Rag Shop, and bought a huge bag of it for a few bucks. I dropped the headliner down in the back, and packed about a pound up inside there. That worked pretty well for me. You're right though, they don't really make much bass to begin with. I should buy a small 10" sub and mount it back there, but I don't wanna lose space for hauling groceries and my daughter's stroller.

Tru2Chevy · 03-30-2007, 08:41 AM

Lots of guys on jeepforum.com say that filling the empty space in the soundbar with some sort of polyfill really helps the sound. I'm gonna give it a shot in mine one of these days....

- Justin

::edit:: - I guess you found the same info I did. You could always stuff a 10" sub in the recessed area in the rear passenger side.

The Fixer · 03-30-2007, 11:23 AM

Justin, the bag I bought was a few bucks less than PartsExpress, and twice the size. Take a look there if you wanna put some in your Jeep. PS - definitely upgrade to the 6.5"s, they fit perfectly fine.

Tru2Chevy · 03-30-2007, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TPI Monte SS

Justin, the bag I bought was a few bucks less than PartsExpress, and twice the size. Take a look there if you wanna put some in your Jeep. PS - definitely upgrade to the 6.5"s, they fit perfectly fine.

Yea, I just did a quick Google for polyfill, because I figured that if I didn't someone would end up asking what it was.

The previous owner installed some junky JVC speakers in the door and some 6.5" Blaupunkt's in the sound bar. I wanna replace them eventually and get some polyfill in there to help. I have a box with 2 10s sitting behind the rear seat, but I haven't got it all wired up yet. Should be nice once it's finished up.

- Justin