bliss1

So, I posted this question in the other 'Ask me.....' thread and it got lost in the battle.
I am planning to install a set of Hertz MLK3 components (the one with the ribbon midrange) I havent had a 3 way setup before so need help in identifying the best placement for the mids. The woofers will be in the stock door position and the tweeters in the sail panels. I had read some place that Hertz recommended the mids to be installed face up on the dash facing the windshield. However, my shop insists that they should be installed facing the driver.
Anybody with experience with this set?

JohnVroom

sorry about that "lost in the battle" thing, but sometimes life is very entertaining.

The answer lacks absolutes, by that I mean, it depends on the car/ speaker frequency band and how much you want to spend!

The proper location is the one that gives you the best tonality and the best staging. What this means is the car has an asymmetric shape and this alters the sound of your expensive speakers. The location that does the least harm to the acoustical response of the speakers will lead to the most accurate sound that the speakers can produce.

Ideally you want the sound from the mids, tweets and woofers to hit your ears at the same time. This dictates careful placement with relation to each other (with the woofer about 1-2 inches closer than the mid, which in turn is an inch closer than the tweeter. Now if you have an active system this is easy with time alignment if not it requires proper location.

So ... if you want to rebuild your dash $$$$$ that is the most promising solution. If you have a normal wallet then you have to do what works IN YOUR SPECIFIC car/ speaker combination. generally I will recommend the least expensive option that provides satisfactory results. To do that... mock up the build and try different locations (putting speakers where they don't conveniently fit will cost you but IMO that is a risk worth taking)

bliss1

Thanks for the insight.
My existing setup is a passive 2 way with the woofers in the doors (factory position) and the tweeters relocated to the sail panels. The new 3 way setup is also passive, and I was hoping to install the mids in either the old factory tweeter cavity near the wind shield, or place them in the existing heater openings and have them facing me. Either way, minimal $$$$ in modifications.
Facing the mid onto the windshield seems kind of strange but thats what the manufacturer recommends. Do you forsee any obvious distortions with that setup ?
Also, either way, they won't conform to the ideal placements in relation to each other as you described.
I guess, hook them up and do a ton of testing armed with some 2 way sticky tape.
Thanks again

Dukk

I agree that you are going to be stuck with having to test them out. Being a ribbon midrange, my first inclination would be a direct path and on axis but you never know - the splash off the windshield might sound good in your application.

leon.meguira

I had the ML500R once and installed them in the pillars
they sound good at pillars and on dashboard


you must pay attention to have enought space in the back of the ribbons.
if you don't have enought space they will sound not good.

also, don't use low crossover point , you may damage them
i recommend (if you are running active) to you minimum of 1.5Khz/12db of 1K/24db