- My model of MX-5 is: NC1 2008 2.0 Sport
- I’m based near: Staffordshire, West Midlands
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Replacement door speaker. The left main speaker has blown and needs replacing. I’ve had no luck at all finding a replacement so was thinking about an upgrade? I’ve already swapped the head until for a Kenwood Android Auto unit. But I know absolutely nothing about car audio. Can someone explain what speakers I need and where will do the install for me? Preferably explain it to me like I’m stupid. Thanks all!!
If you can’t do it yourself then go to an Audio shop near you somewhere. eBay has used OEM speakers for the NC. Did you install the Android unit yourself?
The default answer is to buy the “upgrade” off mx5parts, which is a 6x8 and it fits in the door card. But they have the tweeters (small high frequency speakers) attached in the middle meaning you need to disconnect the OEM ones near the handle.
Personally… I don’t like those. I have them on my car from back when I also knew very little about audio stuff.
If you want quick an easy get something like this
With a harness adapter
*Not sure if these are the exact ones.
But if you want clean and crisp sound then you need something like this.
Separate big speakers (called mids) and separate tweeters (small ones). But you need someone who knows what they’re doing as there’s extra wiring, adapters etc. involved. Good luck
The main speakers in the door of a Bose system are 8" ( 200mm )
There are also separate tweeters further up the door.
Be careful - the Bose speaker and amp only run on 1ohm compared to the 4ohm that most amps and speakers work on.
If you use 4ohm speakers - you will have much reduced volume from the system because the amp is having to work harder to drive them.
Just a thought - you say “I’ve already swapped the head until for a Kenwood Android Auto unit”
When you did that - how did you drive the BOSE amp ?
OR
Have you removed the BOSE amp and are now driving the speakers directly from the head unit ?
I’m not actually sure to be honest. It was installed by Halfords so I’m assuming they probably did whatever was quickest and easiest.
So, in theory, will any 8 inch speakers be okay? They’ll just be quieter with reduced levels?
Focal ISU200 speakers are one of the lowest impedance speakers and should fit without issues.
But they are not cheap.
You can go too deep with the speakers of they may interfere with the window mech.
That’s amazing, thank you! A friend of mine has made a suggestion. Can you take the speaker mountings and speakers from a non-Bose NC and mount them into the door card of a Bose NC? Or is it a completely different door card and internals?
You could - but why would you ?
The non-BOSE speakers are 4 ohm like most aftermarket speakers.
You would now have inferior 6x4 speakers instead of round 8" ones.
Just as an fyi Jordan, I gave you the wrong info in my post because I missed the Bose element in the title. See if you can find a used Bose speaker on eBay from another NC if you want to keep the same setup.
NOT Mine but there is an NC BOSE set up here
Amazing, thank you for this