Foam Enclosure Surrounds

[Scorpion8]

I just got done upgrading my front door speakers (1998 Ford Contour) with a set of Pioneer TS-A6872R 6" x 8" 3-way speakers, and am quite happy. They have poly-woofer cones and butyl rubber surrounds so dampness should not bother them. I waited almost 3 weeks for my local car audio gypsy to get in a set of the foam enclosures that go behind the speakers, but he never did. Are those really needed? What value or quality do they add to the sound? Should I bother getting some online from Crutchfield et al or just call it good, since the original speakers (nice whizzer cone there!) didn't have them.

Any thoughts?

[braxus]

They might tighten up the low end a bit I suspect. Sort of like what a box does, since most doors aren't really sealed anyway.

Speaking of 5x7/6x8 speakers- I placed an order for some NOS Alpine 5x7 component Type R speakers. They were discontinued in 2006, so its getting hard to find them now. Got a good deal too- 1/3 the price. Ordered 2 sets and will put them in my replacement Mazda the day I finally get one.

[Scorpion8]

Cool. My Contour has an Alpine head unit that's quite nice. Alpine makes good stuff. What's so special about these Type R speakers?

[braxus]

Alpine list a bunch of series to their speakers. Type S is like the normal grade stuff. Type R is the step up. Im not sure where type X fits in. There may be something below S too, but cannot say for sure. I think type R is as good as some speakers get with Alpine.

[retrokeeper]

Back when I installed,I only used the foam surrounds if the customer wanted them,I didn't like them,and didn't push them on an install of speakers.A moisture shield was usually supplied by some speaker makers to keep water from getting onto the speaker from above and usually did the job of protection from water damage,say from a bad/old/missing weatherstipping at the bottom of the window.The Pioneers are nice speakers,I even have 2 sets of 5 1/4" mounted in my 2002 Goldwing,need to add another set to the wife's Wing next. Rob

[Scorpion8]

Thanks Rob. These Pioneers have poly cones and butyl rubber surrounds, so they should be able to handle moisture better than the original paper coned OEM speakers. And they sound much better being a 3-way rather than a woofer + whizzer cone.

[lordxale]

Aye, I'm kind of an alpine-head :D Types, in order of audio-geekery from highest to lowest

Type X
Type R
Type S
Type E

I don't think they make any others...yet