Traveller Speaker Position

[egsj]

I've got my Traveller wired for sound (wonderful Vibe Slick amp in the glovebox, iPod dock on the dash), but am experimenting with speaker positions before I fix them. It's motorway driving I'm thinking about. Once I'm driving at 60mph or over, the engine's so loud that acoustic/quieter tracks are hard to hear, even at full volume. Does anyone have views about the best place for speakers in a Traveller? At first I tried them in the rear passenger foot-well; they sound great there, but then I can't carry my full steering wheel Disklok in the only safe place I've found for it when driving (i.e. partly wedged under the back of one of the front seats). Plus fixing the speakers there would cramp foot-space for rear passengers. So I've tried in the boot area (first, with the speakers facing outwards from the back seat to the back doors and then side-on from the top of the wheel arches). Not bad, but the sound's further away so some music's harder to catch. But it's a slightly more convenient place to have the speakers.

There are two things I haven't tried yet: a second set of tiny speakers for the parcel shelf - but I'm wondering if the inevitably poorer quality of these in the foreground will detract from the quality of my amazing JBL Control 1 speakers in the background. Any views?

The other thing I've not yet tried is having one speaker beneath the front parcel shelf on the nearside (it won't fit on the shelf) and the other in the offside rear passenger foot-well (so I can still store my Disklok in the nearside rear foot-well). Has anyone tried that set-up? It seems like a crime against audio conventions, but it might be a good use of space and good for overall volume.

I've started changing the volume setting, track by track, to the highest notch on iTunes for my quieter tracks, which is tedious, but Leonard Cohen (for example) is still a whisper on the motorway, even at top volume. [Insert Leonard Cohen joke here. ] It's annoying on random shuffle to go from blasting loud to inaudible and back again.

Any thoughts?
Jamesy

[bmcecosse]

Under the front seats is the safest/best place - your choice if facing forward or back. But seriously - earphones would be best if you really can't just be satisfied with the 'music' of the A series in full flight........

[margriff]

Wouldn't putting the speakers in the scuttle panels be best?

Isn't it illegal to drive with headphones while driving?

[bmcecosse]

Where is there any suggestion of earphones being illegal? Plenty of deaf people with driving licence - can't see it's any different....

[egsj]

Well, they're rectangular box speakers rather than the kind where the front circular grille sits on the surface of the scuttle panel and the rest of the speaker lurks behind (if that's what you had in mind, Margriff). And, though quite compact, they're too big to fit under the front seats.

I *do* like the music of the engine by itself. But I like my tunes too!

Jamesy

[Edward.21]

Wouldn't putting the speakers in the scuttle panels be best?

Isn't it illegal to drive with headphones while driving?

it's not illegal as such but if you get a dodgy copper they could do you with driving without due care. (i know from experiance )

[GreenGiant57]

I have put the circular speakers in my Traveller towards the bottom and the front of each of the side doors, but I had to be spot on with the positioning, and it involved removing a small amount of metal from behind the door cards.

[qwertyhenry]

HI THERE WHY DONT U TRY FIXING THEM UNDER THE LOAD area where the fuel tank is and drill a lot of 2mm holes to let the sound out and I think u can get quite a big woofer and no space lost as that s what I plan to do to mine

[simona1]

I had mine put by the scuttle panels near the front foot well and regret it because I can't hear radio at speed and at the time the audio guy suggested in the doors and I said no but I think it would have been better, good luck.

[lambrettalad]

I haven't got a woody(two door saloon) but I can hear the radio/cd/ipod at 60 MPH with the window down

modern radio and very good quality boxed speakers ,two on the back shelve and two on the parcel shelve ,

plus a switch in the ignition controlled feed to turn the radio off if it's too loud whilst speaking on my hands free.

[margriff]

Where is there any suggestion of earphones being illegal? Plenty of deaf people with driving licence - can't see it's any different....

Fair point well made.

[MarkyB]

Deaf people won't be wearing headphones and so won't get pulled!