XTC Baffles Good or Bad ??

34694 Views 18 Replies 14 Participants Last post by trabadoor22, Jul 13, 2009

vrdublu

Discussion Starter · Apr 20, 2009

Before I begin I would just like to say hello to everyone as I been lurking around for a little while. I recently got the mobile audio bug again and I'm going to do a custom job on the 2001 VR6 jetta. I will be going with MB Quaty components front and back, single RF 12" and the reference 4 channel from MB quart RA4200 for the mids and highs and a RF 700s for the sub. My question is mainly about the door baffles and how to protect the speakers from the environment?? I bought some XTC foam baffles to protect the speakers in the doors from water and crud, mainly slush in the winter months that may get into the doors. How will these things affect the SQ of the speakers?? Is there something else I should use?? Any and all comments are welcome.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

Lanson

· #2 · Apr 20, 2009

Good because they are indeed water-tight. Bad because most speakers need the airspace inside the door to play correctly. Bad because they are called baffles and a lot of people confuse those with actual baffles.

GlasSman

· #3 · Apr 20, 2009 (Edited)

If I were to use them and wanted to be positive they weren't causing the speaker to be robbed of airspace I would cut a hole in the back so it could breathe and cover it with a few layers of screen material with some pink or yellow insulation sandwiched in between.

Some sort of drip panel would have to installed on top of the opening for water protection.

Possibly multiple layers of cardboard coated with wood glue for waterproofing.

Just be sure you remove the thing after a heavy rainstorm to see how wet it gets.

vrdublu

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 21, 2009

I have read somewhere that these XTC foam Baffles are supposed to be tranparent to sound waves, any truth to this?? They claim it will actually improve your speakers sound, I don't really care or belive much in this claim I am more interested in protecting the speakers, as long as it doesn't mess up the mids.

W8 a minute

· #5 · Apr 21, 2009

NO NO NO

These things suck...Period. They are not strong enough to withstand the pressure from sound waves behind your speakers and end up making noise themselves.

vrdublu

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 21, 2009

OK OK OK :laugh:

What do you all recommend if these things are not suitable for my application. My main goal is to protect the speakers without changing sound characteristics of the speakers in the process. Would cutting out a hole in the bottom of the baffles do the trick, or perhaps scrapping the baffles all together and making something ghetto

. I could really use some ideas.

releasedtruth

· #7 · Apr 22, 2009

I have a pair in my doors and they seem to be fine. I have the whole back and part of sides cut out and used them because my doors leak quite a bit. So far, no problems and I have beefy ID OEMs in there

Jroo

· #8 · May 21, 2009

Ive seen them used in a door where the XTC was cut open. Basically they cut the back and the very bottom of the baffles so the speaker could breath. I guess the theory was the it offered more protection from water if some water got in. They left the top and the sides so if water got in, it would be coming from the top down on to the speaker and hit the the baffle first.

Silver2003srt4

· #9 · May 23, 2009

anyone can recommend a good set of "baffles" to use in his situation?

thanks
jeremy

Lanson

· #10 · May 23, 2009

A gladware container cut in half and glued to the backside or screwed, or something simple like that.

IBcivic

· #11 · May 23, 2009

fourthmeal said:
A gladware container cut in half and glued to the backside or screwed, or something simple like that.

i prefer tupperware

imho, lining the container with butyl mat will make sure it doesn't resonate

jets88

· #12 · May 24, 2009

I'm using them but I cut the back and bottom off. Just use it as a kind of umbrella and I think you should be fine.

Silver2003srt4

· #13 · May 29, 2009

hmmm

johns

· #14 · May 31, 2009

Have you taken out the stock speakers yet? What did they look like ie: covered with mud, water damaged, etc. if not don't worry too much just cut your XTC in half and cover top of speaker

Eiswritsat

· #15 · Jun 15, 2009

ive use them on my car and customers and they work find and ive noticed improvement and they dont give that hollow sound that most plastic baffles give.

Catman

· #16 · Jun 24, 2009

If someone is wanting true "baffles" / enclosures ...I have gone to a sheet metal shop with the dimensions and they have made me 'cans' ...it is basically a can with a 3/4" lip. Rivet the lip to the door and screw in the speaker. I paint the outside with undercoating and a layer or two of damping material on the inside and you are good to go. These are waterproof and it is OK to use polyfill.

>^..^<

K2e2vin

· #17 · Jun 24, 2009

I'd go with fiberglass or wood/fiberboard over metal. Metal is more likely to resonate so you'd have to run damping material.

Something like this should work well:

It's on some Japanese CRX and called "Bass tubes"

See less See more

Catman

· #18 · Jun 26, 2009

As small as they are and as thick as the metal there are no issues with resonances. They are round so there are not many 'flat' panels. FWIW ...I'd use damping material with wood or fiberglass as well ....especially fiberglass. It seems that too many people think 2-3 layers is enough for an enclosure. 8-10 is closer to being sufficient.

>^..^<

trabadoor22

· #19 · Jul 13, 2009

I have the xtc baffles and like others I just cut a hole in the center about 2" in diameter. Works fine and keeps the speakers dry. Before I started to use these I went through two mid woofers due to water damage. I would definitely recommend using these if you have taken out the rain guard in your door.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

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