Speaker Recommendation

[djsubtronic]

Hi guys

I am planning to undertake a soundproofing and speaker upgrade project in the coming weeks, and I've got most of my kit sorted (Silent Coat, closed cell foam, etc). I've also picked up these bad boys for the front:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G5JODOO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

However I am in a bit of a pickle deciding what Speakers to go for in the rear.

I don't really want to spend more than 50, and I am not too bothered about whether I have much high frequency in the back, my main aim is to get as much bass as possible. The Speakers will be driven by a Pioneer HU (50W x 4 max) so I understand that I can't expect a huge amount of bass, but I find the stock Speakers are pretty bassy to begin with. So with that in mind can anyone recommend a good pair of rear speakers that will maximise bass?

[Lenny]

Hi guys

I am planning to undertake a soundproofing and speaker upgrade project in the coming weeks, and I've got most of my kit sorted (Silent Coat, closed cell foam, etc). I've also picked up these bad boys for the front:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G5JODOO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

However I am in a bit of a pickle deciding what speakers to go for in the rear.

I don't really want to spend more than 50, and I am not too bothered about whether I have much high frequency in the back, my main aim is to get as much bass as possible. The speakers will be driven by a Pioneer HU (50W x 4 max) so I understand that I can't expect a huge amount of bass, but I find the stock speakers are pretty bassy to begin with. So with that in mind can anyone recommend a good pair of rear speakers that will maximise bass?

You could fit the same set of Speakers in the rear as in the front,

The rear door cards have a scribed marking on the inside which is marked out for the fitting of tweeters,

See image:

The 5 door Saloon model had tweeters fitted to rear doors,

All door cards are the same with markings on the inside,

For best response i recommend fitting a 4 channel or even 5 channel amplifier at some point in the future to get the most from your system.

You may like to view my build thread from around page 34 onwards

Link: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/41443-taking-oval-to-blue-horizon-lennys-build-thread-2010-2015/page-50

Aswell as Hassan's build thread Link:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/52338-hassens-ford-focus-16-tdci-build-thread/

For some advise and ideas,

Also here are some relevant Guides may be of interest further down the line:

Custom 10" sub install Guide:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/63695-guide-fitting-custom-amp-sub-enclosure-mk2-mk25-focus-2005-2011/

Aftermarket Headunit install Guide:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/63689-guide-fitting-aftermarket-headunit-mk25-focus-2008-2011/

Reverse Camera Fitting Guide:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/65470-guide-fitting-reverse-camera-mk25-focus-2008-2011/

10" HD Flip Down Roof Monitor Guide:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/67763-guide-fitting-flip-down-roof-monitor-dvd-to-focus-mk2-mk25/

[djsubtronic]

Thanks Lenny, I'll check out the threads you linked.

I want to keep the car as stock as possible, and often need the boot space hence why not looking to get a sub or start making holes in the car!

These seem to be decent with a fair amount of bass:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006NU56F0?colid=1KHUQKYJ62D1V&coliid=IVXI1BOYD39FD&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

I guess anything would be better than the pre-fitted drivers!

[Lenny]

Thanks Lenny, I'll check out the threads you linked.

I want to keep the car as stock as possible, and often need the boot space hence why not looking to get a sub or start making holes in the car!

These seem to be decent with a fair amount of bass:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006NU56F0?colid=1KHUQKYJ62D1V&coliid=IVXI1BOYD39FD&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

I guess anything would be better than the pre-fitted drivers!

Those Speakers look good mate not a bad price neither,

The stock Speakers are paper marche 25w front and rear

Although i must say; i was surprised to see them like this as they sound a lot better than they look.

Now im not by any means having a rant here with the following information,

The forum is viewable by non members on google aswell so I'm not directly speaking to yourself more of an alert to all potential readers:

Id like to make it known to all readers and I'm proud to say that; my 4 channel amplifier and sub install didn't involve drilling a single hole in the car it fits in to whats already there by design,

I too occasionally need to fold down the rear seat as result;

The 4 channel amplifier mounted on the panel can be unplugged and removed I've bi-wired the front Speakers making it possible to unplug from the amp panel and plug in to the head units internal 50w x 4 supply when the panel has been removed.

Heres the panel with amplifier permanently fitted,

Cables are terminated with sockets in cavity at rear of panel,

Simply unplug and lift out when you need to fold down seats

Choice is yours mate its your car but id like to make it known that it is possible and looks completely factory without affecting the stock appearance or drilling holes.

I carry a buggy in the boot on a daily basis aswell as doing a weekly shop it fits in with life no problem atall.

Of course i don't have the bass high when kids are in the car i keep it for my own entertainment on the motorway.

I've created many modification guides all with a stock factory fit result, my full list of guides can be viewed on my profile page:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/user/14733-lenny/

Or

If your using the forum App follow this link:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/68214-full-list-lennys-guides/

[djsubtronic]

Oh wow, that's really cool. I was expecting a big woofer enclosure taking up all the boot space lol, but that's a really tidy job you've done there. Maybe when I get bored of my upcoming upgrade, I'll consider adding an amp and sub in the side of the boot like you've done. Thanks!

[Lenny]

Oh wow, that's really cool. I was expecting a big woofer enclosure taking up all the boot space lol, but that's a really tidy job you've done there. Maybe when I get bored of my upcoming upgrade, I'll consider adding an amp and sub in the side of the boot like you've done. Thanks!

No prob mate thanks for comments,

If you need assistance with anything feel free to contact. :)

[djsubtronic]

Well, this sucks.

I thought I'd get my hands a little dirty today and at least replace the drivers side speaker with the Kenwood one linked in the OP. First off getting those rivets out from the original speaker mount was a mission in itself. I managed to get somewhere with a drill, but other than shearing off the heads and leaving the stubs in the hole, I couldn't get much done.

I decided to wrap it up for the day by just hooking the new speaker ring onto the remaining rivet stubs and then holding it in place with foam tape for now, which will do the job until I can get to mounting it correctly, but as you can expect it's not a nice airtight seal. However, when I tested the speaker out I was horrified. The bass was significantly reduced (also distorted at volumes where the stock speaker had no problem, but I guess the insecure mount is partly to blame for that), but even the tweeter sounds way less crisp than the stock tweeter.

This is not really what I expected from a Kenwood speaker. Anyone have any ideas why it sounds so bad, have I done something fundamentally wrong?

[Lenny]

Well, this sucks.

I thought I'd get my hands a little dirty today and at least replace the drivers side speaker with the Kenwood one linked in the OP. First off getting those rivets out from the original speaker mount was a mission in itself. I managed to get somewhere with a drill, but other than shearing off the heads and leaving the stubs in the hole, I couldn't get much done.

I decided to wrap it up for the day by just hooking the new speaker ring onto the remaining rivet stubs and then holding it in place with foam tape for now, which will do the job until I can get to mounting it correctly, but as you can expect it's not a nice airtight seal. However, when I tested the speaker out I was horrified. The bass was significantly reduced (also distorted at volumes where the stock speaker had no problem, but I guess the insecure mount is partly to blame for that), but even the tweeter sounds way less crisp than the stock tweeter.

This is not really what I expected from a Kenwood speaker. Anyone have any ideas why it sounds so bad, have I done something fundamentally wrong?

I too found the rivets to be very difficult to drill out,

I used a 5.5mm drill bit and both hands to try keep the drill from slipping,

I fixed the aftermarket rings in place using some stainless steel bolts, washers and lock nuts as saw in my build thread

Now regarding the speaker output,

1. Ensure you have the polarity of the cables feeding the speaker in the correct formation,

2. In order to put the volume high without distortion you need to drop the bass enhancer on the headunit,

Set fader to R2

Bass +2

Treble +3

This should give better response,

Kenwood are generally a good brand the stock Speakers would be most responsive being 25w

Should you fit a 200w x 4 amplifier at a later date then they will be more responsive as the voltage to them will be higher.

With that said though; they should give a reasonable response without any distortion at present since there capable of power exceeding the output of your head units internal amp.

[djsubtronic]

I too found the rivets to be very difficult to drill out,

I used a 5.5mm drill bit and both hands to try keep the drill from slipping,

I fixed the aftermarket rings in place using some stainless steel bolts, washers and lock nuts as saw in my build thread

Now regarding the speaker output,

1. Ensure you have the polarity of the cables feeding the speaker in the correct formation,

2. In order to put the volume high without distortion you need to drop the bass enhancer on the headunit,

Set fader to R2

Bass +2

Treble +3

This should give better response,

Kenwood are generally a good brand the stock speakers would be most responsive being 25w

Should you fit a 200w x 4 amplifier at a later date then they will be more responsive as the voltage to them will be higher.

With that said though; they should give a reasonable response without any distortion at present since there capable of powee exceeding the output of your headunits internal amp.

Thanks a lot for that.

The Kenwoods are rated at 30W continous so I thought they'd be pretty similar to the stock ones in terms of responsiveness. I will have to re-EQ the head unit completely once I got both Speakers fitted in the front. I might just leave the rear ones as they are then, effectively making this thread useless lol.

One question though, those locking nuts are exactly what I wanted to ask about but wasn't sure what the correct term is. Do you have a link to any hardware store with the exact type of nuts and bolts I need? I'd imagine the bolt would have to lock onto the back side of the door panel in order for you to tighten them, or do you have to take the inner panel off to get the brackets bolted in?

[Lenny]

Thanks a lot for that.

The Kenwoods are rated at 30W continous so I thought they'd be pretty similar to the stock ones in terms of responsiveness. I will have to re-EQ the head unit completely once I got both speakers fitted in the front. I might just leave the rear ones as they are then, effectively making this thread useless lol.

One question though, those locking nuts are exactly what I wanted to ask about but wasn't sure what the correct term is. Do you have a link to any hardware store with the exact type of nuts and bolts I need? I'd imagine the bolt would have to lock onto the back side of the door panel in order for you to tighten them, or do you have to take the inner panel off to get the brackets bolted in?

I can link you to suppliers on eBay and i will add links below this post if online is the way you would prefer to purchase them,

However i went to my local DiY store where they can be purchased like penny sweets,

Ask them for

Six stainless steel M6x20 hex head bolts

Six stainless steel M6 nylon insert lock nuts

Six M6 washers to fit aswell.

Then when fitting,

Drill the holes with a 6mm drill bit,

Thread the bolt through,

Reach inside the area where the speaker fits,

Put the washer on the end of the bolt followed by the nut,

Use a socket wrench and a spanner to grip the nut inside,

And turn the bolt head until hand tight.

Then fit the speaker to this bracket using the screws provided.

Lining them up with the pilot holes.

Can i suggest now since your not upgrading the rear Speakers would you consider either returning those or selling the onwards and purchasing a set for the front adding th3 funds you had set aside for the rears to purchase a set which has atleast 50w continuous power,

Because if you hook an aftermarket headunit up to those someday its gonna blow em out of the doors mate,

There maximum 30w @ 4 Ohms

Perhaps 280w @ 2 Ohms but all head units operate at 4 Ohms preset and cant be changed,

An amplifier output can be altered but not a headunit.

Just my honest opinion mate best to discuss everything before purchase.

[djsubtronic]

I can link you to suppliers on ebay and i will add links below this post if online is the way you would prefer to purchase them,

However i went to my local DiY store where they can be purchased like penny sweets,

Ask them for

Six stainless steel M6x20 hex head bolts

Six stainless steel M6 nylon insert lock nuts

Six M6 washers to fit aswell.

Then when fitting,

Drill the holes with a 6mm drill bit,

Thread the bolt through,

Reach inside the area where the speaker fits,

Put the washer on the end of the bolt followed by the nut,

Use a socket wrench and a spanner to grip the nut inside,

And turn the bolt head until hand tight.

Then fit the speaker to this bracket using the screws provided.

Lining them up with the pilot holes.

Can i suggest now since your not upgrading the rear speakers would you consider either returning those or selling the onwards and purchasing a set for the front adding th3 funds you had set aside for the rears to purchase a set which has atleast 50w continuous power,

Because if you hook an aftermarket headunit up to those someday its gonna blow em out of the doors mate,

There maximum 30w @ 4 Ohms

Perhaps 280w @ 2 Ohms but all head units operate at 4 Ohms preset and cant be changed,

An amplifier output can be altered but not a headunit.

Just my honest opinion mate best to discuss everything before purchase.

Thanks for the reply, that was very helpful especially the breakdown of how to bolt the mounts into place. (I'm a bit clueless as this is the first time I've attemped such a task - my DIY work is limited to wood :D). I'll probably pop into screwfix tomorrow and get the nuts and bolts you mentioned.

Regarding the 30W maximum, I purposely picked a low RMS rated speaker because as I understand headunits simply cannot power more than around 15W RMS (the 50W stated on the front is the absolute peak), so I figured 30W would be ideal to run straight off a headunit without an amp.

[djsubtronic]

Btw I've only just finally finished going through your build thread... holy fk... that's insane. I wish I had the patience and skill (and more importantly funds :D) to pull of all those mods. Great job and definitely an inspiration!

[Lenny]

Thanks for the reply, that was very helpful especially the breakdown of how to bolt the mounts into place. (I'm a bit clueless as this is the first time I've attempted such a task - my DIY work is limited to wood :D). I'll probably pop into screwfix tomorrow and get the nuts and bolts you mentioned.

Regarding the 30W maximum, I purposely picked a low RMS rated speaker because as I understand headunits simply cannot power more than around 15W RMS (the 50W stated on the front is the absolute peak), so I figured 30W would be ideal to run straight off a headunit without an amp.

No problem im always happy to assist,

I remember back when i was in your shoes fitting my first set of Speakers aswell i had 4" Fusion Encounter back in the early 2000's

My first car was an EP91 Toyota Starlet 1.3

It would be cheaper to drop in to a shop and purchase rather than online mate,

I've not heard of that before regarding headunits so i honestly cant comment, my main reason for suggesting a larger set was that you were experiencing distortion at levels which were fine on the stock Speakers.

Btw I've only just finally finished going through your build thread... holy fk... that's insane. I wish I had the patience and skill (and more importantly funds :D) to pull of all those mods. Great job and definitely an inspiration!

I sincerely thank you for the feedback mate,

I enjoy sharing a passion for tastefully modified motors,

I got made redundant in 2010 and bought the focus,

I got working again two weeks later and instead of spending five years on car finance i spent five years modifying it

I'm now finished the build with just a few tweaks remaining (ST bumpers)

Currently on hold though as I'm laid up with a hip fracture since May hence my ability to respond to posts so much on here.

I miss the process and planning aswell it was so enjoyable but now its all just great memories,

I need a new hobbie when im back on my feet.

Anyways thanks very much for taking the time to go through my build.

[djsubtronic]

I'm sure you will find a new hobby in no time, you seem very enterprising.

Wish you a speedy recovery, and thanks again for your help so far in this thread. I'll drop back when I have anything worthwhile to update with! Hopefully wont be a failure like today.

[Lenny]

I'm sure you will find a new hobby in no time, you seem very enterprising.

Wish you a speedy recovery, and thanks again for your help so far in this thread. I'll drop back when I have anything worthwhile to update with! Hopefully wont be a failure like today.

I like to alter things and improve where possible it keeps my mind busy.

No prob mate,

All modifications are a gamble but this also makes them worth while when it comes together in the end,

Maybe start a build thread of your own to document progress,

Any questions feel free to post on open forum and ill respond aswell as others,

I don't like the personal message method as it only helps on person,

Where the open forum helps many when the google the subject.

[djsubtronic]

Today I finally managed to get those damn rivets out and (with a lot more difficulty than I had imagined) I bolted on the new speaker ring with the 6mm bolts, nylon nuts, and washers as recommended by Lenny. Ensured a good seal, stuck the Kenwood driver into the ring, and even went the extra mile to create a foam surround on top of the speaker to seal it better against the door card, as below:

However, I am deeply underwhelmed by the result. My conclusion is that the Kenwood speaker is just !Removed!, and considering that the general rule is "aftermarket Speakers will be a noticeable improvement over stock speakers", I would have to guess that the Ford stock Speakers are pretty damn good. I concluded this only after tweaking the EQ over and over again (with the balance fully on the Kenwood side) until the Kenwood sounded great. Then I turned the balance all the way back to the stock side, and it still sounded better!

Bad speaker choice on my part :(

Since I can't mount the stock Speakers back, I'm gonna install the other Kenwood on the passenger side, and let them break in for a couple days and see how they sound as a pair. But my gut tells me I'm going back to shopping for something better. I'm thinking Infinity References.

[Lenny]

Today I finally managed to get those damn rivets out and (with a lot more difficulty than I had imagined) I bolted on the new speaker ring with the 6mm bolts, nylon nuts, and washers as recommended by Lenny. Ensured a good seal, stuck the Kenwood driver into the ring, and even went the extra mile to create a foam surround on top of the speaker to seal it better against the door card, as below:

However, I am deeply underwhelmed by the result. My conclusion is that the Kenwood speaker is just !Removed!, and considering that the general rule is "aftermarket speakers will be a noticeable improvement over stock speakers", I would have to guess that the Ford stock speakers are pretty damn good. I concluded this only after tweaking the EQ over and over again (with the balance fully on the Kenwood side) until the Kenwood sounded great. Then I turned the balance all the way back to the stock side, and it still sounded better!

Bad speaker choice on my part :(

Since I can't mount the stock speakers back, I'm gonna install the other Kenwood on the passenger side, and let them break in for a couple days and see how they sound as a pair. But my gut tells me I'm going back to shopping for something better. I'm thinking Infinity References.

Glad you got the brackets sorted mate,

Just looking at the factory loom plug there; what way have you wired up the crossover box for spliting frequenceys between tweeter and sub?

[djsubtronic]

Glad you got the brackets sorted mate,

Just looking at the factory loom plug there; what way have you wired up the crossover box for spliting frequenceys between tweeter and sub?

These Speakers came with an inline crossover. I used the wire provided with them to connect the woofer and tweeter. Since this is just a temporary setup, I simply wired the woofer wifre ends into the factory loom, and connected the high pass end of it to the tweeter.

[Lenny]

Tidy job.

Just thought id ask there as i couldnt see the crossover anywhere.

[djsubtronic]

Here's a horrendous sketch I just quickly did on mspaint to show the wiring I used. The inline "crossover" was, as far as I could tell, just a capacitor, so basically just a high pass filter.

So the woofer was directly wired into the loom, and the tweeter was wired using the factory tweeter outputs but with the "crossover" in between. I was about to wire the tweeter directly into the factory wires thinking it would already have been high-passed until I noticed the capacitor stuck on the back of the stock tweeter :D

Red = Kenwood wiring

Black = factory wiring

[djsubtronic]

So, today I got these to replace those damn Kenwoods..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hertz-DSK165-16-5cm-components-160W/dp/B0044AFR14

Replaced my driver side speaker and tweeter... and holy crap... what a difference! They are louder than the Ford Speakers, and surprisingly, even more bassy, without an amp. The clarity is as expected on a whole different level than the stock ones. So that's me a happy bunny! Can't wait to swap out the passenger side.

I've ordered all my soundproofing kit so hopefully I can get to work on that during this week, unusually wet weather permitting.

I have one question regarding that. How much actual noticeable difference will it make whether I fully coat the outer door skin with silent skin (i.e. after removing the door card and inner panel/window)? I was thinking of making the job slightly easier and applying silent skin just behind the speaker, and around wherever I can reach via the speaker hole. Would it really make much of a difference if I did the entire outer skin?

[Lenny]

So, today I got these to replace those damn Kenwoods..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hertz-DSK165-16-5cm-components-160W/dp/B0044AFR14

Replaced my driver side speaker and tweeter... and holy crap... what a difference! They are louder than the Ford speakers, and surprisingly, even more bassy, without an amp. The clarity is as expected on a whole different level than the stock ones. So that's me a happy bunny! Can't wait to swap out the passenger side.

I've ordered all my soundproofing kit so hopefully I can get to work on that during this week, unusually wet weather permitting.

I have one question regarding that. How much actual noticeable difference will it make whether I fully coat the outer door skin with silent skin (i.e. after removing the door card and inner panel/window)? I was thinking of making the job slightly easier and applying silent skin just behind the speaker, and around wherever I can reach via the speaker hole. Would it really make much of a difference if I did the entire outer skin?

If i was spending money on sound deadening materials id like to get the most value for money,

As result i personally would take the time to remove the inner door panel and apply the sound deadening material to the rear of the outer door panels for optimum results,

Fitting to the inner door panel will of course reduce road noise aswell but not as much because there's still a lot of noise going on within the door cavity.

I've created a guide on fitting Ford logo puddle lights which shows how to remove the inner door cards on front doors,

Rear doors will be much the same too,

Link: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/46244-guide-fitting-ford-projector-puddle-lights-mk2-mk25-focus-05-12-front-doors/

Here are links to two people whom have done there doors differently,

Mr.Spock has done the outer panels: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/44150-guide-to-complete-stereo-installation-focus-mk2/

Hassan has done the inner panels:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/52338-hassens-ford-focus-16-tdci-build-thread/

Both cars have reduced noise from the road,

But you would require a journey in both cars to experience and compare the difference.

In scientific terms though;

Insulating the outer panels is best to keep the noise as far out as possible.

I had initially planned to sound proof my own car but the stuff is quite heavy and overall would contribute quite a significant amount of weight to the vehicle, i like performance aswell as sound so my amps are good enough exterior sound suppression for me.

[djsubtronic]

If i was spending money on sound deadening materials id like to get the most value for money,

As result i personally would take the time to remove the inner door panel and apply the sound deadening material to the rear of the outer door panels for optimum results,

Fitting to the inner door panel will of course reduce road noise aswell but not as much because there's still a lot of noise going on within the door cavity.

I've created a guide on fitting Ford logo puddle lights which shows how to remove the inner door cards on front doors,

Rear doors will be much the same too,

Link: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/46244-guide-fitting-ford-projector-puddle-lights-mk2-mk25-focus-05-12-front-doors/

Here are links to two people whom have done there doors differently,

Mr.Spock has done the outer panels: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/44150-guide-to-complete-stereo-installation-focus-mk2/

Hassan has done the inner panels:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/52338-hassens-ford-focus-16-tdci-build-thread/

Both cars have reduced noise from the road,

But you would require a journey in both cars to experience and compare the difference.

In scientific terms though;

Insulating the outer panels is best to keep the noise as far out as possible.

I had initially planned to sound proof my own car but the stuff is quite heavy and overall would contribute quite a significant amount of weight to the vehicle, i like performance aswell as sound so my amps are good enough exterior sound suppression for me.

Thanks again Lenny. I guess, I'll start with the inner panel only and see how it goes. If not satisfied I'll go ahead and do the outer skin as well.

[tazzman600]

Hi djsub. Hassan did quite a bit of research about sound deadening. He later found out you only need to apply sound deadening stuff at a rate of 15 or 20% by area. Hassan went rather overboard lol.

The reason why those kenwoods sounded s h I t e is because that's exactly what they are. From my 15ish years experience of incar installs back in the day the rule of thumb was keep away from cheap Speakers. The Hertz ones you got are a good speaker. Do get an external amp as soon as you can. 50w per channel is more than adequate for a very reasonable system. For example, back in the early 90's I ran (and still got it) bass mid and treble in each front door and a custom sub (6th order bandpass) from one 2x 75w amp. I upset many a neighbour with that system lol. Hope this helps.

[djsubtronic]

Hi djsub. Hassan did quite a bit of research about sound deadening. He later found out you only need to apply sound deadening stuff at a rate of 15 or 20% by area. Hassan went rather overboard lol.

The reason why those kenwoods sounded s h I t e is because that's exactly what they are. From my 15ish years experience of incar installs back in the day the rule of thumb was keep away from cheap speakers. The Hertz ones you got are a good speaker. Do get an external amp as soon as you can. 50w per channel is more than adequate for a very reasonable system. For example, back in the early 90's I ran (and still got it) bass mid and treble in each front door and a custom sub (6th order bandpass) from one 2x 75w amp. I upset many a neighbour with that system lol. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah I learned about the cheap Speakers the hard way... but at RRP of 52 pounds, I didn't think they would be THAT bad.

Once both Speakers are set up and the soundproofing is done, I'll see how it goes in terms of sound quality. If later in the future I really feel like I need the extra power, I've seen a Pioneer inline amp which I believe is just over 50W per channel (RMS) and doesn't require any additional wiring (unless I fit a sub) so I may consider that!