Will a 6.5" speaker fit into a 5.25" location?

timisu87 · Post by **timisu87** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:14 am

I am contemplating to get 6.5 speakers to try to fit it into the 5.25 location in my 96 BMW Z3. I am not sure if it will fit but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. I am planning on putting 6.5 Phoenix Gold RSD's in the stock location rather than the 5.25. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Post by **VW337** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:27 am

A 6.0 will in most cases because they have two mounting lips generally; however a 6.5 will not. Even with a 6.0 you may have to mod a few things a little, but with a 6.5 cutting will be inevitable.

timisu87 · Post by **timisu87** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:35 am

In terms of modding, do you mean taking off the grill and extra parts of the speaker or would that involve cutting into the housing of the speaker?

Should I just play it safe and go for the 5.25? How much of a difference does it really make?

Post by **VW337** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:50 am

In regard to the 6.0 it should readily drop into a 5.25 opening however it may not sit 100% flush so the front depth may be an issue and if you are putting it into a factory location there may be some interference with the factory paneling which may need to be trimmed in certain areas, as the housing of a 6.0 and a 5.25 are far different.

What type of vehicle I may be able to tell you what will be needed or if it will work at all.

Post by **Bfowler** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:52 am

VW337 wrote:What type of vehicle I may be able to tell you what will be needed or if it will work at all.

reading comprehension > Errin

see first post

Post by **VW337** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:59 pm

Bfowler wrote:
VW337 wrote:What type of vehicle I may be able to tell you what will be needed or if it will work at all.
reading comprehension > Errin

see first post

Sorry I swear I re-read to verify there was no mention of vehicle..............

In the case it is a Z3 IIRC the speakers are in the kick panel and not the door. You should be able to even fit a 6.5 with limited cutting, however the factory kick does fit pretty snug so what I advise is to use screws longer than needed, place some form of stand off on them so that the panel does not rest directly on the speaker itself but instead they rest on the screws at all 4 corners. This should allow a no modification fit of a 6.0 but you can trim the metal to allow for the larger basket of a 6.5 it you want.

timisu87 · Post by **timisu87** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:24 pm

Do you think the additional .5 inch will make a huge difference in the sound? If I did not have to cut into the car that would be great. This is my first time installing a pair of speakers, what tools would I really need? Sorry for being a noob.

Post by **VW337** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:54 pm

timisu87 wrote:Do you think the additional .5 inch will make a huge difference in the sound? If I did not have to cut into the car that would be great. This is my first time installing a pair of speakers, what tools would I really need? Sorry for being a noob.

If you wanted to stuff the 6.5 in there you would gain better up front midbass by 10-30hz depending on overall installation (deadening, seal, power).

As for tools needed a simple air saw is best however a jig saw fitted with the right blade will work but is very cumbersome. You could also do it with a manual nibbler tool which you will pay far less for but your hands and patience may suffer.

Mat Dope · Post by **Mat Dope** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:04 pm

you could do what i have done on some cars. cut a baffle out of 1/2" MDF just cut out the hole for the 6.5speaker then place the MDF over the existing speaker location and because the MDF adds a little more mounting depth the 6.5 will fit easily in most cases.

Post by **VW337** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:08 pm

Mat Dope wrote:you could do what i have done on some cars. cut a baffle out of 1/2" MDF just cut out the hole for the 6.5speaker then place the MDF over the existing speaker location and because the MDF adds a little more mounting depth the 6.5 will fit easily in most cases.

That would work well except the kick panel where the speaker is located does not allow for the extra front side clearence and depth is not an issue but the mounting diameter of the larger basket is.

timisu87 · Post by **timisu87** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:46 pm

From what I've read and seen from pictures behind the door after removing the speakers from the kicker panel, there is a hole that is meant to house a 5.25 speaker. But what I am getting from this is that the 6.5 will not fit due to that the speaker hole is not wide enough.

Also, the depth of the speaker will not be an issue correct? So basically what I have gotten is that I should cut around the hole by how much exactly?

I think I can get an air saw but i'm still thinking is it really worth cutting the car for these speakers. Maybe 6" will be enough. Have to think

I will have a Tantrum 300.2 running to these speakers.

Post by **Bfowler** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:30 am

in this case it proibly isnt worth the effort. just go with what you know will work

Post by **stipud** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:36 am

Bfowler wrote:in this case it proibly isnt worth the effort. just go with what you know will work

Agreed... just install the 5.25 properly. Deaden the crap out of it, and you'll be good to go. Yes there are some gains by going to the bigger speaker, but if you don't think it's worth cutting up the car, then don't bother. A properly installed and deadened 5.25 will still sound better and play lower than an improperly installed 6.5.

Post by **VW337** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:01 am

Save the headache and replace the existing speaker with one of the same size. This way you won't have to worry about how to go about said mods.

Post by **AVICJR** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:45 am

stipud wrote: Agreed... just install the 5.25 properly. Deaden the crap out of it, and you'll be good to go. Yes there are some gains by going to the bigger speaker, but if you don't think it's worth cutting up the car, then don't bother. A properly installed and deadened 5.25 will still sound better and play lower than an improperly installed 6.5.

Very good advice, I recently deadened my doors more and added some foam absorption pads behind the mids and I am very pleased at what a couple of hours of work ( I did the entire doors) did. My mids sound amazing now, and they didn't sound bad before.

timisu87 · Post by **timisu87** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:18 am

Now in terms of deadening, did you guys use deadmat?

Seems like everyone agrees that the 5.25's are the way to go. Even the 6 inch speaker would need the car to be modded in some way correct? Last time I am confirming before I order. Thanks for the help guys

Post by **VW337** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:56 pm

The 6.0 would not require specific vehicle mods but more of an installation approach other than a simple replacement.

deadmat? I am not familiar with nor have I ever heard of it.

I have used dynamat which is good and readily available at most install shops. I personally use Cascade Audio as it is easier to work with and I have had far better results across the board, and as an added bonus it is a local company.

timisu87 · Post by **timisu87** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:43 pm

For deadening since the speakers are in the interior kick panels of the car would I apply the product around the speakers area. Would that be all the deadening I have to do? The rest for example the door is really optional right.

Post by **AVICJR** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:49 pm

timisu87 wrote:For deadening since the speakers are in the interior kick panels of the car would I apply the product around the speakers area. Would that be all the deadening I have to do? The rest for example the door is really optional right.

You are correct, just deaden the area where the speaker is. If it's not completely sealed I would recommend putting some kind of acoustical foam behind the mids also to kill back waves.

The only reason I deadened the doors is bc that's where my mids are located.
http://phoenixphorum.com/exile-xtec-6-5 ... t1911.html