Monsoon system help
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Teching In
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Monsoon system help I have a 2001 Pontiac firebird with a monsoon system in it the speaker that is on the left hand side behind my head has gone out besides taking the chance in finding one that is in a car that is being parted out I was wondering if there were any others that would work with the system
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Please read the Monsoon FAQ sticky thread linked at the top of this section. The speakers used in Monsoon 4th generation f-bodies are unique and specific to both the model and their location in the vehicle.
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Is GM still selling these (meaning any/all of the Monsoon speakers) new? Just curious, as the wording of the OP's post suggests that new originals might no longer be available as an option.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
There are still a few places online with NOS but GM has discontinued the original speakers. After all these years, NOS is probably not a good idea since the fairly cheap paper cones and glue have almost certainly deteriorated to the point of quick failure when installed.
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Just as a point of reference for the folks who might choose to go the NOS route...
I don't think NOS would be a problem unless the speakers have been stored in the worst possible conditions. All the factory original Monsoon speakers in my '98 (except for one sail panel speaker that I replaced back in 2005) are still original and doing just fine. That car is very low mileage and always stored indoors, but not a climate controlled environment. About ~15 years ago I bought a complete set of factory replacement speakers, just to have them "in stock" for the future (especially because I had multiple Monsoon equipped Camaros at that point), and I've kept them stored in proper climate controlled conditions all this time. If the ~25 year old units currently in service parked in my non-climate controlled garage are still OK, then I have to imagine that the brand new ones, stored in ideal conditions all these years, would still have quite a bit of life left in them.
I don't think NOS would be a problem unless the speakers have been stored in the worst possible conditions. All the factory original Monsoon speakers in my '98 (except for one sail panel speaker that I replaced back in 2005) are still original and doing just fine. That car is very low mileage and always stored indoors, but not a climate controlled environment. About ~15 years ago I bought a complete set of factory replacement speakers, just to have them "in stock" for the future (especially because I had multiple Monsoon equipped Camaros at that point), and I've kept them stored in proper climate controlled conditions all this time. If the ~25 year old units currently in service parked in my non-climate controlled garage are still OK, then I have to imagine that the brand new ones, stored in ideal conditions all these years, would still have quite a bit of life left in them.
Teching In
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The sail panel speakers are 2ohm woofers.
You might find an aftermarket set from CDT or Kee Audio, they aren't cheap and no, most companies make 2 ohm woofers that size so you probably won't find a set from the big brand names.
If you happen to replace them with 4 ohm woofers of the same size (6.5S), the higher resistance speaker will sound considerably lower in volume than the stock ones.
I suggest you double check the wiring to the speaker and inspect the speaker itself to see if the pigtails are frayed. You can repair it if thats the case.
You might find an aftermarket set from CDT or Kee Audio, they aren't cheap and no, most companies make 2 ohm woofers that size so you probably won't find a set from the big brand names.
If you happen to replace them with 4 ohm woofers of the same size (6.5S), the higher resistance speaker will sound considerably lower in volume than the stock ones.
I suggest you double check the wiring to the speaker and inspect the speaker itself to see if the pigtails are frayed. You can repair it if thats the case.
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Don't forget that you can also use a more common 4-ohm DVC sub wired in parallel to create a 2-ohm net impedance. That's where the popular Bazooka subs come into play at about $100 for a pair.
Also, doubling impedance does not cause "considerably lower" volume. Given speakers of the same efficiency, doubling impedance results in just a 3dB change in power output, equivalent to about one click of a typical volume ****. Certainly noticeable, especially for subs, but not that big. Volume output is a logarithmic scale so it takes a ten times change in power to double or halve the volume.
Also, doubling impedance does not cause "considerably lower" volume. Given speakers of the same efficiency, doubling impedance results in just a 3dB change in power output, equivalent to about one click of a typical volume ****. Certainly noticeable, especially for subs, but not that big. Volume output is a logarithmic scale so it takes a ten times change in power to double or halve the volume.
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