Hey all,

We just got a non-Tech TSX for my wife. It comes with the standard 7-speaker 360 watt stereo. For the life of me, i can't understand why Acura did not use the speaker holes in the rear doors...instead, they put it in the rear deck with the subwoofer. I hate this because i sit in the rear often with my kid and all the sound is coming from the back of my head. (This has forced me to fade the sound +2 to the front. This is a partial solution only because the instrumental music still comes from the back of my head.)

Since we have the door speaker holes, can we not just move the speakers on the rear deck into these door holes?? That way, you get better stereo staging and imaging for the rear passengers. I believe that the rear deck speakers are round and of same size as the ELS speakers in the rear doors. It should be a simple swap, right?

 

Although the rear deck speakers are the same diameter as rear door speakers, they are not of same design. I am not sure about the thickness (clearance) or if there is any pre-wire available. Otherwise you will have to run your own set of wire to the door.

 

I was just looking at the parts catalog picture between the Base and ELS systems, and it seems like the speakers physically are all the same. They even list "Qty. 6" for the ELS speakers, which means that the door and deck speakers are all interchangeable. It might just be possible, but you would have to re-run your own wiring. I would like to know what the sound difference is though for the front passengers - having the sound be closer to you, yet somewhat more blocked, vs. the sound being farther away yet bouncing off the rear glass.

I say do it!

 

I look forward to hearing what happens if you do this. I have a non-tech also

 

Well, my wife won't let me do it...but i am just bouncing around the idea...ya know, get it into her brain slowly and eventually, she will give!

In most car audio systems, the rear door speakers do not play real loud...it is there mainly for ambience and staging...to keep the sound from being too far in front.

The same criticism i have of the non-tech TSX also applies to the ELS system. The ELS does not sound any better with regular CDs than the non-tech system. In fact, for my ears, the ELS system's rear deck speakers are way too high...so, the sound for the rear passengers suck! The rear door speakers in the ELS is barely audible! And i tried to fade to the front...it just sounds worst! This is partly why we went with the non-ELS because there was no difference in sound (maybe worst?) with CDs. (We do not have DVD-Audio, nor care to buy it nor know where to buy it! Biggest marketing joke ever by Acura!)

 

I think even if the doors are prewired, you'll need to swap the lines from the back of the unit since they won't be connected there as well.

 

Would it be impossible for the audio shop/dealer to run the wires from the rear deck speakers to the rear doors?? Essentially, we would be just re-locating the speakers...can you just lengthen the OEM speaker wires from the rear deck, under the carpeting, and then to the rear doors??

 

You can always install speakers wherever you want. It just takes moving the wires. I'm not sure it would be simple however. Moving them to the doors requires getting behind the trim pieces and fishing wire through that rubber boot. Thats assuming the speakers fit. If the speakers don't fit you can always buy new ones...but overall I'm not sure its worth it. The ELS system is not even close to audiophile quality.

An audio shop should have no problem doing that for you.

 

Look at me, resurrecting a three and a half year old thread...

Well this is clearing some things up. I just got a 2012 TSX SE (non-tech, only way it comes) a few weeks ago and had thought I had a problem because the "speakers" in my rear doors weren't producing any sound. I called the dealer and they scheduled me an appointment to fix it. I'd had some confusion about the 7 speaker audio system because it seemed like I had way more than 7 speakers, but this clears it up.

I have to say, I'm surprised they didn't put a different panel in the back doors instead of the "speaker" panel. The way it is makes it look like something doesn't work. They don't put non-functional switches in the blank slots on the dash next to the VSA button; why would they put "speaker"-looking panels in the doors that have no speakers? Strange...

 

TIL my rear doors dont have any speakers in them.

 

and here i am bringing it back after two years of dormancy.....i have a 10' base and i was thinking, does the head unit have the option to run more speakers off of it? i mean, my friend has a 2011 tech and his cd player looks the same as mine...except for the screen....so...

 

^ some people have tapped into the rear deck and put speakers into the rear doors.

 

Would it be better to put the rear speakers in the rear doors if I add a 10'' sub in the trunk? I'm changing the headunit and all the speakers to some high end JL ZR speakers and was wondering if it would be beneficial to put the rear speakers in the rear doors rather than the deck?

 

Are you changing the amp as well?

 

JL ZR are not exactly high end, more mid level, but not bad sounding.

The best would be not to put any speakers in the rear deck. Rear speakers only mess up the sound stage. Spend your money on nicer front speakers or a processor, assuming you are already purchasing an aftermarket amp.