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Alright boys and girls, I have been off of Maserati life for a few months now because I have been living in Japan, and the only Maserati I have seen was a yellow coupe for sale used at a strange used car retail location here in Yokohama near Mitsuzawa Kamicho.
This was all posted on a previous thread, however Photobucket decided to change their linking system, the pictures for that installation were lost. Also, the thread itself started out originally on the topic of shopping for speakers, and went off on strange tangents, so I thought I would make a new, more refined thread, that focuses simply on the selection and installation of speakers, so it is easier for everyone to find and use.
I have re-written everything for concision... it was too wordy before. I apologize for this being separated into multiple posts, but I am only allowed to post four images per post.
Anyone who has listened to the stock Maserati Spyder stereo system, knows that it is woefully inadequate, and in fact absolutely atrocious. In fact, I would say that it is the single worst properly working stereo I have ever heard in an automobile, ever. I am not an audiophile, I do have experience and knowledge about automotive acoustics, though I really do not care all that much about it in my cars so long as it is “good enough.” I, for the most part, listen to AM talk radio, so it really doesnt matter all that much. The stock system in my father's Spyder howver, was SO bad, that it drove both me, and him insane.
I took a look at the speakers in the Spyder to make sure that they were all working properly, and to examine their construction. I found that one of the tweeters was malfunctioning, but more importantly, that the stock speakers were an absolute joke.
Take a look for yourself.
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Compare the construction of the stock speakers, to these aftermarket Alpine speakers. Look at the size of the magnet in the driver section. If somebody has told you that size doesn't matter, she lied. Next look at the material that the stock speakers' cones are made out of... paper.
Something needed to be done.
The front speakers in a Maserati Spyder are 6.5 inch component speakers. This means that the mid bass driver, in the lower door panel, is 6.5 inches in diameter, and there is a tweeter higher up in the door panel. You do not have a ton of depth in this vehicle, so be open to returning speakers you purchase if they don't fit even with spacers. I suggest shopping for open box speakers at a store with a good return policy.
Your rear speakers are 5.25 inch coaxial speakers. This means that the tweeters are part of the mid bass driver.
Coaxial speakers are easier to install, and take up less space.
Component speakers require mounting of two different drivers, mounting and configuration of crossovers, and cost a bit more. Component speakers sound far better than equivalently priced Coaxial speakers.
There are many options out there for speakers, from many different brands, and at many different price levels. I suggest Infinity brand speakers around for around $200 - $400. They are not too low sounding, not too high sounding, are easy to find, have good support, and for some reason sound as good as speakers twice the price.
Also realize, that when you listen to speakers in a store, they will sound nothing like when they are installed in a vehicle. The variables such as the size of the listening area, the position of the speakers, the direction they are pointed, the airspace behind them that they are working with, the acoustics of your car, etc all come into play and to an extreme. You are listening to speakers in the store relative to each other, not getting an idea of what they sound like in your car.
Technically, rear speakers are supposed to be used for fill only, and for pure sound quality you should run a good set of front components, with no rears. I however, prefer and enjoy being engulfed by sond, rather than having it blasted at me. My installation was based on listener enjoyment, and not sound quality competition. If you do not have a sub woofer, rears will help you to fill out the lower spectrum of your listening experience. Also, in a Maserati Spyder, the rear speakers are very close to your head, and factor a great deal into your listening experience.
Finally, be honest with yourself. There are extremely expensive speakers out there. However, if you are an average Maserati owner, meaning a middle age or older male, be honest with yourself and realize that you will not be able to hear much of a difference between 300 dollar speakers and 1000 dollar speakers. Your money is better spent on sound deadening and/or a sub woofer solution, than on the speakers. I am not your average Maserati owner, in fact I am simply working on my father's Maserati, but I do have relatively good ear health. I do not go to loud concerts and use hearing protection when working on loud race cars, and can clearly hear the difference between the 300 dollar range speakers and 1000 dollar range speakers. However, they only sound different, not better. After about four hundred dollars, your wasting your money.
This was all posted on a previous thread, however Photobucket decided to change their linking system, the pictures for that installation were lost. Also, the thread itself started out originally on the topic of shopping for speakers, and went off on strange tangents, so I thought I would make a new, more refined thread, that focuses simply on the selection and installation of speakers, so it is easier for everyone to find and use.
I have re-written everything for concision... it was too wordy before. I apologize for this being separated into multiple posts, but I am only allowed to post four images per post.
------------- Maserati Speakers for Dummies -------------
Anyone who has listened to the stock Maserati Spyder stereo system, knows that it is woefully inadequate, and in fact absolutely atrocious. In fact, I would say that it is the single worst properly working stereo I have ever heard in an automobile, ever. I am not an audiophile, I do have experience and knowledge about automotive acoustics, though I really do not care all that much about it in my cars so long as it is “good enough.” I, for the most part, listen to AM talk radio, so it really doesnt matter all that much. The stock system in my father's Spyder howver, was SO bad, that it drove both me, and him insane.
I took a look at the speakers in the Spyder to make sure that they were all working properly, and to examine their construction. I found that one of the tweeters was malfunctioning, but more importantly, that the stock speakers were an absolute joke.
Take a look for yourself.
Compare the construction of the stock speakers, to these aftermarket Alpine speakers. Look at the size of the magnet in the driver section. If somebody has told you that size doesn't matter, she lied. Next look at the material that the stock speakers' cones are made out of... paper.
Something needed to be done.
------------- Speaker Selection For Dummies-------------
The front speakers in a Maserati Spyder are 6.5 inch component speakers. This means that the mid bass driver, in the lower door panel, is 6.5 inches in diameter, and there is a tweeter higher up in the door panel. You do not have a ton of depth in this vehicle, so be open to returning speakers you purchase if they don't fit even with spacers. I suggest shopping for open box speakers at a store with a good return policy.
Your rear speakers are 5.25 inch coaxial speakers. This means that the tweeters are part of the mid bass driver.
Coaxial speakers are easier to install, and take up less space.
Component speakers require mounting of two different drivers, mounting and configuration of crossovers, and cost a bit more. Component speakers sound far better than equivalently priced Coaxial speakers.
There are many options out there for speakers, from many different brands, and at many different price levels. I suggest Infinity brand speakers around for around $200 - $400. They are not too low sounding, not too high sounding, are easy to find, have good support, and for some reason sound as good as speakers twice the price.
Also realize, that when you listen to speakers in a store, they will sound nothing like when they are installed in a vehicle. The variables such as the size of the listening area, the position of the speakers, the direction they are pointed, the airspace behind them that they are working with, the acoustics of your car, etc all come into play and to an extreme. You are listening to speakers in the store relative to each other, not getting an idea of what they sound like in your car.
Technically, rear speakers are supposed to be used for fill only, and for pure sound quality you should run a good set of front components, with no rears. I however, prefer and enjoy being engulfed by sond, rather than having it blasted at me. My installation was based on listener enjoyment, and not sound quality competition. If you do not have a sub woofer, rears will help you to fill out the lower spectrum of your listening experience. Also, in a Maserati Spyder, the rear speakers are very close to your head, and factor a great deal into your listening experience.
Finally, be honest with yourself. There are extremely expensive speakers out there. However, if you are an average Maserati owner, meaning a middle age or older male, be honest with yourself and realize that you will not be able to hear much of a difference between 300 dollar speakers and 1000 dollar speakers. Your money is better spent on sound deadening and/or a sub woofer solution, than on the speakers. I am not your average Maserati owner, in fact I am simply working on my father's Maserati, but I do have relatively good ear health. I do not go to loud concerts and use hearing protection when working on loud race cars, and can clearly hear the difference between the 300 dollar range speakers and 1000 dollar range speakers. However, they only sound different, not better. After about four hundred dollars, your wasting your money.
Untill then, if you live in Kanagawa prefecture or Tokyo Japan, I would be glad to help you out too. 
