How to make a podium for speakers in a car with your own hands

Many motorists, when buying a car, first of all strive to improve and improve the sound of the audio system. A number of different solutions are used for this.

One of them is to install a podium under the speakers. This is done in order to improve the sound and increase the quality of the acoustics.

Moreover, it is not at all necessary to contact a tuning studio. Many car enthusiasts manage to achieve the desired result by simply spending a few hours in their own garage.

What you need to know about podiums

So:

• Acoustic podiums have many advantages. If you simply install a speaker, for example, in a car door, then without a podium the sound will not be clear enough.
• The podium is very easy to attach, since it is not necessary to cut through the iron in the door. But thanks to the podium, various overtones will disappear, low frequencies will be added, and sound transparency will improve, so beloved by connoisseurs and professionals.

Acoustic podiums on daewoo nexia

• Wanting to install better acoustics, a car owner often encounters a problem. The fact is that good acoustic speakers can be large and many cars simply do not have space for them. For this reason, many make podiums with their own hands and install them correctly.

Note. One of the secrets of installing podiums in a car is the rigid mounting of the speaker. The more firmly it sits in the podium, the better the sound will be and, moreover, the higher the timbre coloring will be. To ensure rigidity, the podiums are placed on acoustic shelves, but are rarely used independently.

Speakers installed in ready-made podiums give a completely different sound than if they were played without them:

• It is best to make a podium from wood, since this material is acoustically combined with the metal of the car frame.
• The podium allows you to solve technical issues related to installing speakers. But this is not its only advantage. Thanks to the podiums, surround sound is created in the car.

Classic acoustic podium

• In addition to traditional acoustic problems, podiums can also solve aesthetic ones. In particular, the use of a podium is very beautiful, since it always fits into the design of the car interior, if, of course, the color tones and upholstery material are taken into account.
• Podiums will allow you to highlight non-standard and original speakers or, on the contrary, hide acoustics that are not very attractive in appearance from prying eyes.
• Podiums can be made not only from wood, but also from fiberglass or carbon fiber.
• Podiums can be trimmed with various materials: carpet, artificial leather, Alcantara, etc.

This is interesting: Installing and connecting a Pioneer car radio with your own hands

↑ Polyurethane foam + frame = beautiful podium

To give the shape, I used polyurethane foam, since it is possible to cut smooth, rounded shapes without sharp corners, and is easy to process. In order not to waste excess foam in the center of the ring, I inserted a suitable pipe and put a bag on it. Buckets of mayonnaise, cabbage, etc. work well. Try to apply the foam in even layers, starting at the ring in a circle and then moving to the edges. Afterwards, walk around the decorative ring again so that the foam is not lower than it. It’s better to cut off the excess later than to reapply the foam after the whole mass has dried, which I didn’t do and later regretted.

Applying foam to the frame

Modern fashion for car audio

Today, most modern vehicles come with standard speakers. However, lovers of loud music in cars are often not satisfied with their sound, so they buy larger speakers. In this case, a different kind of problem arises - how to install large-sized equipment in the cabin so that, on the one hand, it does not disturb passengers, and on the other hand, to create truly clear sound?

One of the common ways to solve the problem is to make podiums for speakers. They can not only improve sound quality, but also take the performance of the speaker system to a whole new level.

A DIY acoustic shelf allows you to mount speakers of different sizes and shapes

Making a platform for a column

• Measure the size of the speaker for the radio. And also take measurements of the protective mesh.
• Draw a ring on the cardboard, taking into account the fact that the internal diameter corresponds to the diameter of the place where the column will be planted. And the outer diameter of the ring is equal to the diameter of the protective mesh. To get it right, you need to add 6 mm to the annular diameter. For a decorative ring.
• Transfer the cardboard model onto a sheet of plywood and trace it. It is better to take plywood of at least 8 mm.
• Cut out all the details - shapes. It is better to glue the decorative ring to the base and attach it with small nails.

What should you pay attention to?

How to make podiums for speakers with your own hands? In practice, this is not difficult, but some features of such additional equipment should be taken into account. First of all, you should choose the optimal shape for the podium. In particular, make sure that this element will not interfere with the door handles or window regulators. Also, you should not cling to the podium during operation.

Decoration is no less important. But here we are mainly talking about the finishing features. It is recommended to select a material similar to the main interior trim.

Design development

. Here, first of all, you should choose the optimal shape of the podium. It is desirable that it be compatible with the style of the interior. The selected option is first drawn on cardboard. After which they are transferred to suitable plywood, it is better to choose it with a thickness of 6-8 mm. Next you should use a jigsaw. With its help, the workpiece is cut out. It is better to immediately make 2 patterns, for the right and left doors. At this stage, problems usually do not arise. You just need to carefully measure the size, otherwise you will only ruin the material.

Travel trailer for travel: choosing the right one

• VAZ 2110;
• Ford Focus;
• Chevrolet Niva;
• Chevrolet Lacetti;
• Daewoo Lanos;
• Lada Priora;
• Nissan Qashqai;
• VAZ 21099;
• Lada Kalina;
• Mitsubishi Lancer, etc.

Cars usually already have standard, factory-installed speakers or at least mounting holes for them. The dimensions and shapes themselves depend directly on the specific brand of vehicle. Domestic cars usually have speakers with a standard diameter of 13 cm, while foreign cars have speakers with 10 cm, 16 cm, 16.5, 20 and even 25 cm. 6x9 podiums are also extremely popular.

For doors, speakers are used that have oval or no less common round shapes. Depending on what kind of car you have, you need to consider the shape when choosing a speaker. Although in reality any form can be used. After all, the main task of the podium is to ensure reliable and strong fixation. This is what gives the sound volume and improves clarity.

And if you are still thinking about whether to make it yourself or buy it, I advise you to study the range of finished products, look for podiums for the rear or front doors for your car, compare prices and decide.

Homemade designs will be cheaper. But here you will have to work hard, take the production into your own hands and try to achieve the maximum result. Otherwise you will be disappointed.

This is interesting: How to choose an inexpensive and good radio for your car

We do it ourselves

If you try, the homemade podium will not be much different from the factory one. But the price will be much less. Plus an additional reason for pride.

To complete the work you will need a set consisting of:

• plywood (take a thickness of about 6-8 mm);
• PVA;
• epoxy;
• cardboard;
• degreaser;
• nylon tights;
• polyurethane foam;
• paints;
• putties;
• leather or fabric (will be tight);
• scissors;
• pencil;
• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• sandpaper;
• spatula;
• stationery knife.

I will say right away that in this case we are considering the option of making a homemade speaker podium, which will later be installed with your own hands in the front or rear doors of the car. Often a speaker with a diameter of 13 cm is used here. But no one bothers to make a design for the rear shelf.

But size is not key. The entire preparation procedure looks like this:

• think over the shape of the podium;
• take measurements of the speaker and its special protective mesh;
• the diameter of the ring here will be exactly equal to the diameter of the corresponding landing socket or place on the future podium;
• the external diameter of the existing ring we need, in turn, corresponds to the diameter of the tread (protective) mesh;
• a sketch is drawn on cardboard;
• the template is cut out;
• applied to plywood;
• outlined and cut out;
• a perfectly even hole is cut for the podium.

Do everything as accurately as possible so that no problems arise later.

If you are done with this, proceed to the next step.

Manufacturing process

You have already made the preparation. But it’s too early to relax. There is still a lot of work ahead.

• A layer of polyurethane foam is applied to the surface of the workpiece;
• The foam hardens, and the required shape is given with a blade or sharp knife;
• Next, apply 1-2 layers of putty;
• When it dries, make the product smooth using sandpaper;
• The product is painted in a suitable color;
• It is better to apply the paint in 3 layers;
• An alternative to painting is upholstery with fabric or leather;
• The banner is secured with glue.

The installation process finishes it all off. The most optimal method of fastening is installation using self-tapping screws on the inside of the existing door trim. This will preserve the sound quality, ensure reliable fixation, and at the same time definitely will not spoil the appearance of the interior and the podium structure in particular.

Do not forget to additionally use soundproofing materials. They are used to make noise on doors. This is not necessary, but it is useful and effective.

I think you have figured out how to make podiums in the doors. They can also be installed in rear shelves and racks.

Giving the basic shape

There is a known method in which blanks cut from MDF are placed on construction foam. We find this option extremely inconvenient. As the foam hardens, it tends to expand, so there is a risk of changing the position of the workpieces. But the main drawback is the labor-intensive process of cutting the foam to give the podiums an aesthetic shape.

For example, let's look at how to make podiums for speakers from MDF board, fabric, fiberglass and polyester resin. The podiums and door card will be a monolithic structure. To create a basic design you will need:

• make the necessary measurements. You need to cut a ring from an MDF board, the inner diameter of which will correspond to the outer diameter of the speaker housing. This way we will get a seat for the speakers. If you plan to place a pair of speakers next to each other, you can join them together at the stage of cutting out the slab. Please note that the structure must be strong enough, so the width and thickness of the cut out shape must be at least 10 mm;
• get rid of the protrusions on the door card that will interfere with the installation of the speakers.
• cut small pieces from MDF plates that will be used as stops for the rings. Please note that for best sound, the speakers should be positioned at an acute angle to the driver. Self-tapping screws can be used for fastening. If possible, use mounting angles;
• secure the rings. Carefully adjust the stops to maintain symmetry of the shape on opposite door panels.

To improve adhesion during further processing, sand the areas of the podiums in contact with the door card with P80 sandpaper. Perform a similar procedure with the surface of the MDF board if it is varnished.

Where to put the acoustic podium

There are 2 ways to install an acoustic podium: monolithic and framed. Let's consider their features.

A monolithic podium is made using the “wet” method: a cement or concrete screed is constructed over the entire surface of the podium. The frame podium is a frame covered with two layers of plywood.

The advantages of the monolithic method are obvious: the result is a reliable, moisture-resistant podium. This podium is very easy to make and decorate. The disadvantage of a monolithic podium is that it creates too much load and it is impossible to hide communications in it.

The frame podium, on the contrary, is very light and multifunctional. You can even install drawers in it. Since the frame podium is empty inside, there is a need to isolate sound. Therefore, mineral wool or polyethylene must be placed under all supports and between the sheathing. There should be a small gap between the frame podium and the wall to allow the material to expand. And between the wall and the monolithic podium there should be a thick tape to prevent the possibility of concrete cracking.

Preparing to install an acoustic podium

To make an acoustic podium yourself, you don’t need any special skills - you just need to have the desire and be careful. The materials needed to create a podium can be purchased at any hardware store for a very affordable price. An important point is to accurately take measurements and determine the location of the future podium:

• For greater convenience, you need to remove the door panel. If it has a speaker, that should also be removed. The size of the future podium depends on the number of speakers and their sizes, as well as on the area of ​​free space on the door panel.
• Make a template for the podium base from cardboard directly on the door panel, which will later be transferred to the plywood
• Cut a ring (from the same cardboard) to fit the size of the speaker
• To accurately determine the final height of the podium, you need to take into account that it does not protrude too much, otherwise it will interfere with the legs of the passengers sitting in front. A large podium makes it possible to install large speakers. The main thing is that it is comfortable and does not spoil the main interior of the car.
• If you want to slightly “recess” the speaker into the podium, make a frame from plywood and glue it along the contour to the main platform
• The correctly chosen design of the future acoustic podium is very important: it improves and makes the overall interior stylish.

Kinds

Podium beds can be divided according to several criteria. First, let's divide them according to shape: round and rectangular designs are considered the most common. However, here everything depends on your imagination.

You can make the podium triangular, polygonal or even intricate in shape. But for this it is necessary to make an appropriate frame, which adds complexity to the matter.

We can talk about such a criterion as the use of a podium. This refers to the location of the sleeping place. It can be located on top of the podium, and additional useful space is represented by a podium, which can be used as storage boxes. The second option is a pull-out bed.

It is also worth mentioning the type of podium: monolithic and frame. The first is made of gypsum block, sand-cement mixture or foam concrete. More often this type is used for kitchens and bathrooms in private homes, since the design is quite heavy and adds additional weight to the floor. Frame podiums are most often used for beds.

The idea is to construct a metal or wooden profile, which is then covered with plywood.

Stages of manufacturing and installation of the podium

1. Mold making

First of all, before starting to install the structure, you need to decide on a suitable location for it. When conceiving a form, you are limited only by your own creative imagination, but we must not forget not only about the aesthetic and design side, but also about the practical one.

IMPORTANT! When developing and installing the structure on their own, very often beginners do not take into account that the podium can interfere with the view of the rear view (podium towards the rear speakers) or make it impossible to open the doors or operate the power window. Please pay attention to this when making the model.

• Take a sheet of cardboard;
• draw a picture of the invented shape;
• cut out the template;
• attach the template to the plywood and trace it with a marker;

We drill holes in the plywood for the jigsaw blade and cut out the base blank for the future product.

Advice. For an audio system, experts advise using birch plywood, as this wood provides richer and higher quality sound.

2.Preparing the base for the speakers

IMPORTANT! The chipboard or plywood used must be at least 6-8 mm thick.

3. Assembly and filling of the podium

Advice. The stiffer the future podium frame is, the better. Most often, polyurethane foam is used for filling; some professionals also use epoxy resin, but working with resin requires skills, while anyone can handle foam; with its help, the podium can be given any shape.

• After the foam has dried (the period is indicated on the can), remove excess with a knife, giving the workpiece the desired shape;
• Next, take sandpaper and sand the product to a smooth surface;
• level the surface with a thin layer of putty (putty can be mixed in advance with PVA glue to prevent shedding);
• We repeat the process of polishing the product.

To make the podium structure more rigid and protect it from mechanical damage, the workpiece can be treated with epoxy resin or covered with fiberglass.

• Apply a thin layer of resin to the surface of the workpiece;
• We put fiberglass on top, carefully smoothing it out, leaving no folds;
• treat with another layer of resin and let dry;
• cut off the excess and sand it.

4. Painting or tightening the workpiece

• Painting

The finished structure can be primed and painted with aerosol paint, applying it in several stages, the main thing in this matter is to avoid smudges. After the paint has dried, the surface must be coated with aerosol varnish.

• Faux leather covering

Artificial leather is best suited as an upholstery material, because in appearance and physical properties it is most similar to upholstery. Most often, tension runs from the ring to the ends of the product, where each side must be tightened more than once. To perform this task, use a hair dryer. At the end of the work, the leather must be secured with a stapler, and the excess pieces must be cut off.

5. Installation of the podium

The most common mounting method is to screw it in with self-tapping screws from the back of the car trim. Before doing this, do not forget to install the speakers in the workpiece seats and securely fix them.

IMPORTANT! You can mount various speakers into a homemade structure, however, as professionals advise, you need to make sure of good sound and powerful bass before final mounting.

Ideally, to ensure ideal sound in a car, you should also take care of sound insulation. If the podium is installed, for example, in car doors, it is necessary to insulate them with special sound-absorbing materials. Also, in the podium design itself, it is necessary to provide and build an acoustic stage, selecting the position of high and low frequencies; you can also consult installation studios regarding the correct placement of speakers in the car.

You may not achieve ideal studio sound, but installing a podium yourself will cost you several times less, and by trial and error you can choose the best place in the car that will provide you with high quality sound.

For a more dynamic and visual overview of the procedure for creating and installing a podium, you can watch the attached video:

I want to change the old ones for new ones. But the new pancakes are very small, and there is absolutely no room for them in the car. No problem, now we will learn how to make a podium with our own hands.

The working process

1. First, you need to dismantle what the podiums will be mounted into, some make the podiums in plastic covers for the body pillars, others prefer to install the podiums in plastic plugs for the rear-view mirrors. In the second case, problems often arise with blowing glass in winter; due to the protruding podium, the area is poorly blown and the glass often remains frozen, which impedes visibility. I chose the first option, because IMHO it looks better and more aesthetically pleasing.

2. So, let’s dismantle the linings, here again this process will happen differently for everyone, so I can’t give any practical advice. If you doubt the correctness of your actions, try to find instructions on the Internet for dismantling these parts or seek help from those who know how to do this.

3. Next we carry out the markings. First of all, you need to find out for yourself how you see your future catwalks. There are many options for placement; you can make them “look” at you, you can simply embed them, so to speak, into the plastic and not unfold them. In this matter, everything is individual, and what also plays a big role is what configuration of the stands you have, how developed your imagination and ability to hold a spatula are. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to do something simpler.

4. When the markings are applied, it is necessary to secure the plastic tubes at the installation site; this can be done using metal fasteners, or using regular glue. In the process, nylon and epoxy will tie everything together and the issue of fastening reliability will be resolved by itself.

5. Now that the seat for the podium is secured, you can cover it with nylon; it will allow you to make a smooth transition from the podium to the plane of the plastic lining. We stretch the nylon and fasten it with metal clothespins or simply sew it tightly. Make sure that the tension is even and the shape is the same on the two podiums.

6. The frame is prepared, now you can give it the necessary elasticity and strength; to do this, coat the nylon with EPD glue or epoxy resin using a brush. We go over everything in one layer, after everything has dried we coat everything again to be sure.

7. When everything is dry, take coarse sandpaper and sand the surface, removing excess. After the large one, we take smaller ones and bring the surface to an ideal state. Next we proceed to puttying. We apply a layer of putty on the frame of the podium as carefully and evenly as possible to give it greater strength. We wait until it dries and sand everything, if necessary, correct it again and clean it again. We clean with coarse sandpaper and constantly switch to a finer sandpaper.

8. When the surface is brought to a “smooth” state, you can begin priming. We apply the primer in several layers with an interval of several minutes or hours, depending on how quickly the primer dries. You can sand between layers.

9. After priming, you can start painting; how and with what to paint is up to you; for clarity, I will give several articles that describe the painting process in detail:

10. If you don’t want to paint or the interior of your car is leather, you can choose leather to match the interior color and use it to cover your newly made podiums for the tweeters. Instead of leather, some car enthusiasts use carpet or other material that they like. You can cover it with flock or, for example, a film of the desired color, it will turn out no worse, provided that the work is done professionally.

11. After the podiums have been brought to the condition you require, you need to install previously prepared tweeters in them. The installation process is different for everyone, everything, as I said above, depends on the complexity of the design of the podiums themselves and the specific model of tweeters. In general, we fasten it, install it in place and connect everything to an “amplifier” or a crossover, depending on your choice. Actually, that's all.

Source

DIY speaker podiums

Speakers of this size are usually located in the front of the cabin. The basis of the structure is 10 mm plywood. It’s good if there is impregnated material. Such plywood will not delaminate, and the podium will last a long time. First, installation rings of the appropriate diameter and a base are cut out of multi-layer plywood using a jigsaw. Two rings form a hollow cylinder, which will be the seat for the loudspeaker. The rings and the base are not connected coaxially, but so that the speaker system diffuser is directed in the required direction. This is achieved by shifting the vertical guides to the desired angle.

The guides are cut out of the same plywood and fixed with self-tapping screws. To make the connection more durable, a little epoxy resin is added to the connection point. Then the hollow structure must be filled with polyurethane foam. Thick paper rolled into a tube is placed at the speaker installation location. After the polyurethane foam has completely dried, the paper is removed, and the structure is processed with a sharp knife and sandpaper to give it the desired shape. Leatherette is used as a decorative covering. Its color is chosen taking into account the design of the car's interior. The artificial leather covering is glued with glue 88. This work should be done very carefully, since secondary gluing leads to a deterioration in the appearance of the structure. A loudspeaker of this diameter has low power, so no special fastening is required to secure the podium to the installation site.

How to assemble

Fix the ring to the base using spacers. They can be made from any suitable materials. For example, from beams or tin. Many people make spacers from slats that fit the size. To increase the strength of the spacers, you must first glue them, then secure them with self-tapping screws.

After all the manipulations, the platform for the car acoustics needs to be filled with something. The frame must be very rigid. Polyurethane foam is usually used. It is convenient to work with, although it is not very durable. Epoxy resin is more suitable for this purpose. Professionals recommend working with her.

Filling the site

Insert a paper bag into the ring. The foam or resin is applied in a very even layer. You should start from the base. When the foam is completely dry, cut out the excess.

Then sand the part with sandpaper. It is important to achieve perfect smoothness of the surface of the ring. Putty is applied to the surface, pre-mixed with PVC glue. To prevent shedding. The putty is applied in thin layers. Each layer should dry well. Sand again.

How to cover a part

It is better to cover the finished part with artificial leather. Many people select the material based on color and external similarity to the door trim. For example, in such expensive car brands as the Chevrolet Lacetti Hatchback or Audio A6 C4, a podium made of a different material will not look nice.

Speaker for car

The skin is tensioned from the ring to the ends of the part. All sides must be pulled several times. At the end of the constriction, the skin is secured with a stapler and its excess parts are carefully cut off.

Installing a platform in the door

The finished part is attached to self-tapping screws. It’s better to buy “under the tree.” Self-tapping screws must be screwed in from the inside of the casing. It looks more aesthetically pleasing. After completing the installation, you need to screw all the door parts into place: handles and decor.

Installing a speaker in the door

Making podiums for car acoustics is not such a difficult task if you take into account all the recommendations. The process of making a podium for acoustics can be seen more clearly and clearly in a video from professionals.

DIY podiums for speakers

16 cm loudspeakers can be included in an acoustic system design consisting of two active elements. Podiums for such acoustics are usually installed on the doors of the car. To make podiums for 16 cm speakers with your own hands, you will need multilayer plywood, fiberglass, polyurethane foam and epoxy resin. The technology itself is quite simple, but it will require time to dry the layers of fabric after impregnation with epoxy resin. First, all the elements of the future acoustic system are cut out of multilayer plywood. These are the base, rings for installing speakers and vertical connections. The structure is then assembled into a single whole. Wooden blocks or metal fastening profiles can be used as vertical elements.

Next, the entire structure is filled with polyurethane foam, with the exception of places for installing loudspeakers. Then everything unnecessary is removed from the podium, and its surface is treated with fine sandpaper. For strength, a thin layer of epoxy resin with a hardener is applied to the surface and rubbed into the pores of the mounting foam. This procedure can be repeated several times. The finished podium is finally sanded over a layer of resin. The finished product is finished using artificial leather.

You can make podiums for speakers in doors yourself using another technology. After the frame for installing the speakers is made, the entire structure is covered with thin fabric, which is impregnated with polyester varnish or resin. After complete drying, a thin layer of epoxy resin and fiberglass is applied to the workpiece.

There should be at least three layers of fiberglass with epoxy resin. After the future podium has completely dried, a layer of fiberglass putty is applied to the structure. All excess is cut off, and the surface is brought to condition using coarse and fine sandpaper. To finish the finished product, you can use leatherette or several layers of enamel, which is matched to the tone of the interior trim. Using this technology, you can make podiums for speakers with your own hands for one, two or three speakers.

Skeleton decoration

• The fixed rings must be covered with thick fabric. Secure the fabric around the perimeter with a stapler. You can put a small object inside the cut out ring. It is important to stretch the fabric well, which will give the entire structure greater strength later. You can treat the places where the fabric and rings come into contact with Super Glue, which will also have a positive effect on strength;

• saturate the fabric with polyester resin. Please note that the resin only reacts with the hardener after a few minutes. Be sure to follow the proportions. Leave the cards for several hours for the resin to dry;
• After drying, mix a new portion of resin. After pre-wetting the surface of the podium, apply glass mat around the perimeter. The places where the podiums meet the door frame must be sanded. Fiberglass mat, like fiberglass, must be smoothed with a brush. Make sure that there are no air bubbles left on the surface;
• For strength, place one layer of dense glass mat on each side. Wait for each layer to dry completely;
• clean off the lumps of dried resin with sandpaper;
• lay another layer of fiberglass with a density of 150 grams/sq. m. And then another layer with a density of 600 grams/sq. m.

After drying, trim off excess pieces of fiberglass. The final shape of the product is given by putty. It is advisable to use a special putty for plastic. Further processing is no different from the usual preparation of a part for painting. You can find all the necessary theoretical material in the “Painting” section.

DIY podiums for speakers under 20

The speakers with a diameter of 20 cm are large in size and have decent power. Such speaker systems are usually installed on the trunk shelf. In order to make podiums for 20 speakers with your own hands, you need to use thick plywood. First, a base is cut out of it according to the size of the seat. The thickness of the material should be as thick as possible, since high-power speakers and the mounting board can resonate at high power. Rings for acoustics and vertical posts are cut out of the same plywood to provide the necessary tilt.

The loudspeaker mounting areas are covered with thin nylon fabric and impregnated with varnish. The top part is cut out and removed. A layer of epoxy resin and fiberglass is applied to the hardened surface. After applying 3-4 layers and completely drying, the surface is cleaned and sanded. You can cover the finished shelf with any decorative material, upholstery fabric or artificial leather. Some car owners install speaker systems on the ceiling of the car interior. It is not difficult to make podiums for ceiling installation according to the described schemes.

Construction principle

Making places for speakers or tweeters begins with taking measurements. You need to define:

• column diameter to accurately measure the seat;
• the thickness of the case, which should not interfere with the operation of the window lift mechanism;
• the amount of departure into the cabin. The podiums should not rest against the seat or plastic door sill when the door is completely closed.

Tools and materials

From the mandatory set of tools and materials you will need:

• material for making the housing to which the speaker will be attached. For example, you can use MDF panels. To support, adjust the reach and angle of inclination, supports are used, which can also be cut from MDF boards. It will be great if you find a piece of pipe. For example, a cylinder made of compressed paper, which is often found in many industries. A slight difference in size can always be corrected using available means. In this case, making podiums is largely a creative process.
• polyester resin and hardener for it;
• fiberglass, glass mat;
• thick fabric, construction stapler;
• screws or other fasteners, if you have chosen your own manufacturing option.
• brush;
• ruler, pencil, compass, marker;
• manual or jigsaw. A rounded rasp may be required for adjustment;
• putty. To adjust the shape of the podiums, you can use technical plasticine;
• sandpaper. The choice of gradations of abrasiveness will depend on the amount of work you will do yourself. For example, P80 and P120 will be sufficient for processing fiberglass before puttying; preparation for primer requires P240, P320. Before painting, the primer must be rubbed with P500 and then P800.

What should a podium look like?

As follows from the above, the podium for the midrange or midbass is not a simple decorative element, but a necessary component of the audio system that affects the sound quality. To effectively perform its task—damping unnecessary vibrations—the podium must be heavy. The heavier the better.

In order for a part to be heavy, it must be made of the appropriate material. But in practice, plywood is most often used, since it is easy to process at home.

Did you know that archaeologists discovered the first archaeological artifact made from a material reminiscent of modern plywood in the territory of Ancient Egypt. The plywood casket dates back to the 15th-16th centuries BC. e.

Plywood is a relatively light material. To increase weight, podiums are made as large as possible. Of course, taking into account the features of the car interior.

When determining dimensions, they focus not only on sound quality, but also make sure that the additional element does not interfere with the operation of the main devices. For example, a speaker installed in a door should not interfere with the use of handles.

The speaker podium should not be attached to the casing, only to rigid metal elements. Firstly, a weak base does not help dampen vibrations. Secondly, it will not withstand a heavy podium with a speaker.

Internal podium

There are internal and external podiums. The first ones are installed when they want to maintain the factory appearance without changes. For example, when they change a standard speaker to a diffuser that is similar in diameter.

The internal podium is entirely hidden in the internal cavity of the door or ceiling under the trim, which must fit tightly to the speaker. Otherwise, distortion is possible, as the speaker will “play under the casing.”

The outer casing should fit snugly around the speaker mounted on the inner podium

Table: advantages and disadvantages of internal podiums

External podium

An external or external podium allows you to install any speaker larger or smaller than stock. In addition, the head can be placed either parallel to the plane of the door or at an angle, directed towards the listener. An additional advantage of the external podium is that it presses the skin tightly, reducing vibration.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of external podiums

The external podium is not just a stand, but a single structure. Its components must be adjusted and fastened tightly, without gaps or cracks. This ensures maximum structural rigidity and prevents sound from escaping under the skin.

The podium components must fit together without gaps or gaps.

Acoustic design elements, including the podium, should not impede the free movement of air through the windows of the speaker basket. Interference may degrade bass performance.

The podium components must not obstruct air flow through the speaker basket windows

When the speaker is deeply recessed into the podium, the diffuser operates through a tunnel, which significantly affects the sound quality with a depth of only 1 cm.

The podium parts should not form a tunnel in front of the diffuser

The sound quality is also worsened by the tunnel being too long on the magnet side of the speaker. It is better to avoid such a design, but if it is necessary, make the opening as wide as possible.

The tunnel on the rear side of the speaker degrades the sound quality

A special feature of external podiums is the need for decorative finishing. If the internal one is hidden under the casing, then the external one is always visible. It should not spoil the appearance.

This problem is usually solved by covering and covering the finished podium with natural or artificial leather. In some cases, when the podium is quite high, before covering it is necessary to sew the cover to the shape of the base, since the material allows tension only within certain limits.

Another method of decorative finishing is painting in a suitable color after puttying and thoroughly cleaning the surface.

Tweeters do not develop much power and are less susceptible to vibration. Therefore, podiums for them are more decorative stands than elements of acoustic design. They are made in the form of overlays on the side pillars or built into the pillar trim panels, oriented, according to the subjective sensations of the listeners, approximately to the center of the cabin.

Adapter podiums from round seats to oval speakers are not fundamentally different from conventional external speakers. The only difficulty is to develop a drawing and install the head in compliance with the requirements stated above.