headliner question

[1983stepside]

hi im rebuildin a 1983 chevy c10 stepside 2wd and it had no headliner from the factory and i like that, but i also like when there is one, and i just found a headliner thats called "highliner" and it has 4 4inch speakers 2 faceing the pass and 2 the driver which is the pic and i like all those ideas just wanted to see what you guys would do

[fitz]

One thing to consider with the Highliner is that it mounts the radio overhead so you have to find something to fill the stock radio location in the dash (maybe switches or an equalizer).

[1983stepside]

thanks actually if i went that route i was either gonna put switches where the radio went in the highliner, or put a neon light or something in it just for something different because i want the radio to stay where its at, in the dash, realy the only reason i was considering the high liner is because of the extra speakers i could have in my truck, so my plan was if i got it was to cover it in a fabric to match the seat and door panels not use the dome light and do something with where the radio is designd to go

[Captkaos]

There is a member that has one of those in his truck.  I can get them also, just don't sell alot of them. 
I prefer a stock headliner though.

[werewolfx13]

I've got one in my truck, no speakers in it though. Speakers up there and behind you destroy the sound stage, so I never recommend putting speakers up there. I've got a CB where the radio would mount, and I'll eventually hook up an external speaker to the CB and put that in one of the speaker holes, and cover the rest up. They have a neat little flat spot facing the driver right over the visor, great for mounting switches.

[1983stepside]

I've got one in my truck, no speakers in it though. Speakers up there and behind you destroy the sound stage, so I never recommend putting speakers up there. I've got a CB where the radio would mount, and I'll eventually hook up an external speaker to the CB and put that in one of the speaker holes, and cover the rest up. They have a neat little flat spot facing the driver right over the visor, great for mounting switches.

so your saying that the speakers in the headliner, they dont sound good? what if i would replace them with better ones from alpine or something?

[levisjohnson]

There is a way to do it.  I am werewolf though.  The speakers were placed where they are for a reason.  If you wire it this way it would sound better.  If you do it a different way, you cross the sound cones (technical term) and you get noise cancellation (ears don't hear it correctly.

[werewolfx13]

It doesn't matter what the speakers are or how you wire them, putting them behind you or even with your head will trash the soundstage. Speakers should ONLY be located behind the driver when being used for rear fill, and they should be limited to a lower midrange/midbass set if possible.

[levisjohnson]

It doesn't matter what the speakers are or how you wire them, putting them behind you or even with your head will trash the soundstage. Speakers should ONLY be located behind the driver when being used for rear fill, and they should be limited to a lower midrange/midbass set if possible.

I completely agree with you.  but if you are, this is the best way to wire them.  No high range speakers should be used.

[werewolfx13]

If someone must use speakers in the highliner, then yeah, you should wire them that way. I would limit the range to 80hz-600hz, and make a set of fiberglass diffusers to un-direct the sound.

[baddogg79]

I would go with a stock looking headliner. It will look better

[GoatBeard]

You could do a custom headliner with something funky on it, but with the stock fit.

[eventhorizon66]

I've got one in my truck, no speakers in it though. Speakers up there and behind you destroy the sound stage, so I never recommend putting speakers up there.

Agreed.  When I was in high school, I put a set of tweets at the top of my A-pillars (pointing slightly down and inward).  I thought it would lift my soundstage.  Man did I have alot to learn.  It sounded terribly off balance, and way too bright (too much high freq, too close to my ear) no matter how I adjusted them, so I just disconnected them.  I can only guess that it would be even worse directly above your head.

I should have mounted the tweets low and away, pointing them upwards, to raise the soundstage.  A pair of Chris' kick panels with a set of Polk db650 coax's will be my next attempt.

Take werewolf's advice.  Don't use this head liner for mounting speakers.

[1983stepside]

wow ok thanks for all of the input and advice, i made up my mind and im not gonna use the hghliner, plus that will aloow me to use that 300 bucks to buy other things for my stepside , but now i dont know what to do, i bought the 6x9 speaker brackets for the cab corners from a fellow mwmber, so my plan was to put them in and get 1 12inch sub from best buy that comes in a truck box, its a rock fordfosegate, and then put the kick panels in from chris, and maybe put speakers in where the stock ones would go from the factory under the dash pad, i love music and i love it loud, so any advice on that would be great, also what would you do then would you keep no head liner like the factory (for my truck anyways) or would you put oe in? remember i dont have a dome light, and dont plan on putting one in except uder the dash like the factory any advice for this all would be great thanks

[levisjohnson]

I would not recommend getting a pre-made box for the sub.  It may not fit and sometimes the airspace is not correct depending on the sub.  I would look into making my own box.