Ripped off?

Hello Folks,

I've been fairly active on this forum and it is marvellous how everyone shares their problems and experiences here with the Prius - you guys are great! Today I would like to share my experience while on my upgrade path to give my car a better audio system; more specifically, a sour experience with an internet seller marketing speaker adapters. I would just like to warn people so that they don't make the same mistake as me.

Here's the story - I have been purchasing goodies here and there aiming to have my aftermarket audio/nav system installed before June of 2014. I am fully aware that adaptors are needed for the front speakers if one decides to install 6.5 inch round drivers to replace the 6x9 factory ones.

Crutchfield, Amazon, Ebay are some of the sites I regularly visit, and for a pair of adaptors, they are all quite cheap - about $15 for a set. I read that another manufacturer makes some decent quality adaptors. Here is their site: PVC Speaker Adapters - CNC Machined - In Stock or Custom Made

So after reading about how bullet proof and superb their adaptors were, I bit the bullet and bought two front door adaptors (at $26 for the pair) and two tweeter plate adaptors for the dash (see pictures).

I received the adaptors by mail and I have to give credit to this business. The PVC plastic is thick + sturdy and the 6 x 9 adaptor does not laterally flex when you try and twist it. However, that is where the good news ends.

Problems:

First of all, Mike who I presume is the owner of this business sent me the wrong 6 x 9 adaptor. I double checked my receipt to make sure it wasn't a problem on my end as I could have ordered the wrong set. The part number is confirmed and I did indeed order the 6x9 to 6.5 inch conversion adaptor. However, the business sent me the 6x9 --> 6x9 adaptor which is useless to me since I have a set of JL Audio C3-650's for the front.

Second thing, and this might be a major problem is that I noticed that the adaptor design itself may be flawed! The spacer on it has gaps everywhere letting air to escape if one mounts a speaker to it (see my picture with the red highlighted circles on it.). I can't claim I am an experienced installer or car audio guru but to the best of my knowledge, a midrange driver or woofer needs some sort of airtight enclosure to work. Although a car door is probably far from being airtight, these gaps on this speaker adaptor won't create a decent enough air seal for the midrange to work effectively. I'm guessing the bass would be really shoddy since there is no back pressure generated since the gaps on the adaptor don't allow for an airtight seal. Might as well have the speaker work in "open air."

One last gripe I had was that the adaptors arrived in a cushioned package but were taped to each other with transparent tape. After taking this tape off, there was very sticky residue left behind on the adaptors by the tape's adhesive. The glue took a while to come off and I had to use solvent for the removal. Small problem but still something that a customer shouldn't have to deal with.

The business claims that thousands have been sold and they have been in operation for 7 years. Maybe I'm wrong about everything above, since thousands of people have bought this item and I seem to be the first one who doesn't seem to be happy about the purchase. Whatever the case, I would rather get adaptors that are sold by Crutchfield that don't have these gaps and are $10 cheaper.

I emailed Mike and no response for a few days now. I don't really care if I don't get my $26 bucks back for the adaptors. My advice to all of you is to stay clear of this business.

Attached are pictures. The picture with the blue door is what an oem adaptor should be - no holes or gaps in the unit allowing for a decent airtight seal. The rest are pictures of the adaptors that I purchased which I suspect are bogus. The tweeter plates appear to be fine.

 

Regarding the adaptors you bought from crutchfield, are they scosche brand?

I have to admit, the ones I received look and feel quite bulletproof. Too bad the company that makes them doesn't seem to have much knowledge about how a speaker and enclosure should work. The holes are 1/2 inch by 1/2 squares so I can't fill them in with silicone.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that there is dog hair on the adaptors from this company so I guess the CEO has a dog too! Not very professional to pack your product with strands of dog hair on it.

Good luck with your retrofit job. I'm sure you'll get a bit more base when you seal any cracks or gaps better.

 

Update - Mike who is the CEO of this company finally responded to my email and offered a 100% refund to me.

Because there is nothing high quality available, I will have to go with custom made mdf speaker adaptors from the car shop. Will ask them to weatherproof them first since the door pockets probably get quite wet during the rainy seasons. Anyone else have suggestions for a high quality speaker adaptor that fits well please let me know!

 

Hi Frodoz737, do you anticipate any moisture issues in the prius's door that may rot out that mdf?