Front speakers clear, rear speakers muddy — need help diagnosing
https://youtu.be/eujiz1s9nn8?si=0Hgac_9-nKt0x6mk
Car: Peugeot 207 (2009)
Head unit: Android PX5 multimedia unit (no external amplifier)
Front speakers:
Alpine S-S65
16.5 cm
80W RMS
4 ohm
Rear speakers:
JBL Stage3 527F
13 cm
40W RMS
3 ohm
Problem:
Rear speakers sound muddy / muffled and weak compared to the front speakers.
Things I noticed:
- OEM ASK rear speakers also sounded muddy.
- Front Alpine speakers sound very bright and clear.
- Rear speakers have bass but lack clarity.
- Fader set 2 clicks to the rear sounds more balanced.
- No external amplifier installed yet.
I recorded each speaker channel separately for testing:
- Front left
- Front right
- Rear left
- Rear right
Could this be:
- phase/polarity issue?
- weak head unit amplifier?
- EQ / DSP problem?
- rear door acoustics?
- mismatch between front and rear speakers?
Any advice is appreciated.
Sorry if the demo is a bit messy 😅
It was difficult to record the video with one hand while changing the audio settings at the same time.
My door panels are currently removed because they’re being reupholstered, so the speakers are temporarily exposed/open-mounted. Not sure how much this affects the sound, but I thought it was worth mentioning.