Looking to upgrade the door speakers on the NC.
Recommendations please which ones are best suited. Seen the job on you tube seems easy enough. Any hints and tips to look out for that some people may of run into?
Im after plug and play I don’t have to tools to strip wires and splice etc.
Probably simplest to use the JVC 2 way speakers supplied by MX5 parts with Ford Focus adapters for the wires.
Disconnect the original tweeters.
Ok mate thank you.
I fitted the Pioneer TSA6880F 6x8 4 ways with no problems.they sound much better than the originals but at 70ml/hr on the motorway you really can’t hear much anyway. You should also buy at least a dozen of the Door Trim Pad clips as well because you will break some as you try to remove the panel. Be careful with the adaptor leads. I purchased what were described as Ford Focus plugs / leads but they were incorrect and needed to be replaced with different ones once I sent them pictures of the fttings on the car. Also be aware that they are a very tight fit and need a bit of assistance to connect the plug to the exising socket. And disconnect the existing “tweeters” all they do is make it sound worse!
Awsome thats what i need to hear. I don’t suppose you have a link or part numbers to the correct adaptors?
I got my car from a club member a couple of weeks ago, it had the JVC ones that MX-5 Parts sell already fitted, not a fan of them myself, so i’ve just fitted a pair of Focal ISU200s
A fair bit more work as you need to cut the speakers holes larger but already the sound improvement is noticeable.
I’m sure the MX5 parts ones are OK, but it depends what you are used to.
I’ve been idly considering a pair of the Focal 690AC mainly because their Fs is down at 55Hz (from Focal website tech spec) so they have a decent low(ish) bass when compared with most other offerings I’ve seen so far on the market with Fs more like 75Hz to 90Hz and requiring a sub as well.
BUT… they are 6" x 9" and until I take things apart I don’t know if they can be shoehorned in.
I’m sure there must be lots of suitable speakers but not many publish a tech spec with the Fs and overall frequency response, and within my limited searches these Focals seem a reasonable compromise, but only if they fit!
Note 1. Fs is free air cone resonance, and determines the lowest frequency the speaker is efficient at; here 55Hz Fs means it dies below about 40Hz audio output in a decent ported cabinet. However, while it can be helped by a proper cabinet design there’s no real hope for much below 55Hz when in a car door (unless I can design an enclosure for it - a bit of maths required, but theoretically possible if there’s room in the door).
Note 2. For reference, open-fret bottom E on a bass guitar is 41.4Hz, lowest note on a standard 4 string.
After being in there yesterday, a 6x9 would need some sort of custom bracket
I reckon it would fit, but not to the stock mount.
8" has more cone area - also less distortion than an oval. Also I would rather go with a component so you can mount the tweeter higher.
Fs on its own does not tell you how low a speaker will go, whilst it is an indicator, it is not the only indicator.
Whether the Focals I have are the right choice, only time will tell, they were reasonable money though without going daft especially in an open top car I will need to get an amp in there next as the head unit will be nowhere near enough power.
Good luck with whatever you decide - it would be interesting to see a 6x9 in the door.
For some unfathomable reason a figure in my head for the NC door speakers was 6x8 and I was wondering if 6x9 would fit. I’m very happy to be corrected, and that picture is well worth a thousand words, many thanks.
Unfortunately the Focal 5x7 sizes all seem to be near 80Hz Fs, like so many.
Agreed 100%.
However if one wants to avoid a big honk at the Fs it is useful to place it near the bottom end of the audio spectrum and exploit the feature for a bit of efficiency where the speaker is beginning to drop off.
I have sufficient design tools for making an enclosure for a speaker, provided I know a few useful details such as the Fs, cone mass etc, and the Focal data is comprehensive making that bit of life very easy. Hence why I was looking there.
Having scanned though tech specs for most of their offerings that might fit without surgery, it seems I’ll be disappointed.
Should be : Pair of Speaker Connector Adaptor Lead Cable Plug for Ford Mondeo | eBay. This is the socket on the car it needs to fit into so if it doesn’t look as though it fits it’s the wrong one like I received the first time
Here are the two different types of plug which may be supplied. The one you need for the NC is the RH one with the vertical ears. If you receive the other one it won’t fit!
4-1 headers are the best audio upgrade for the NC!
Make sure you unplug the tweeters in the door as they will start distorting at a low volume and make it all sound rubbish.
I have made a custom bracket and fitted Audison AP8’s. I also fitted some dampening mats on a few strategic places. 2 matts on the inside obviously but on the outside door panels and somewhere between 1 and 2 on the inner part of the door not only to dampen it but to cover holes. The end results makes me not agree with your note 1, the speakers easily dive under 55hz. Not 30hz mind, but 45 is easily audible. I combined them with a small class D amp and it really sounds ace.
The brackets are easily made, even if it takes a little time. I combined 2 18mm layers if my memory is still working correctly. The first layer I made to fit the original speaker hole including screw holes, the second layer was made to fit the speaker including screw holes. Couldn’t be happier with them.
I have a small 4x45w class D brick - that is more than enough to create a little party in the car, also with the hood down 
If you like ear damage, it might not be enough 
Yes, this is quite possible if the Vas (speaker compliance equivalent volume) and the cabinet (door cavity) have a decent match ratio along with the other parameters.
I’ve been plugging in numbers to a little spreadsheet and the best match (although not the loudest) for a decent flattish frequency response is the Focal RCX570 if I can believe their VAS and Compliance. Fs of 80Hz but useable output at 50Hz and only a smallish (2dB) hump between 80Hz and 150Hz. This assumes an NC door has a volume of about
40 litres.
The 690s all go a lot lower as one might expect, but not as flat with quite a big wide hump (4dB) between 60 and 130, mainly because the door does not have enough volume to cope with the Vas of the bigger speaker. A 90 litre door takes the RCX690 response flat down to 32 and only a 2dB hump peaking at 80.
I think I might try some of the RCX570s and measure the response in the door to work out what volume is in the door, after all the usual sealing in relevant places etc.
That does thank you.
Perfect bud cheers
Roger that captain 
Which amp have you got and where did you put it?
I keep thinking of amp in the boot, under the seat, or near the head unit.
All present challenges with installation 
