Is that real car speaker tweeters? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: sdancer75
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 06:46:31 pm
content: I removed these tweeters from a Volvo s40 II 2012 model. First I noticed that they are too light weight. Surprisedly, I checked the connector and I saw no contacts!!! Connecting the device i hear no sound from this. So what is going on here ?

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 06:52:44 pm
content: A passive radiator?

author: sdancer75
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 07:05:01 pm
content: Quote from: Grandchuck on September 25, 2025, 06:52:44 pmI don't know, it's the 1st time I see something like that. I thought it's maybe just a decorative part for economical sound system. With a premium one, they should be replaced with real tweeters. Just a thought...

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 08:07:30 pm
content: How is this an electronic project? Just curious.

author: NE666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 09:07:19 pm
content: Quote from: sdancer75 on September 25, 2025, 07:05:01 pmIt's that. For reasons of economics, all vehicle variants (or at least a subset of them) will have the same wiring loom installed, regardless of whether the 'premium' sound option has been fitted to that particular vehicle or not. The 'blank' is there to hold the connectors in place, so they don't flap around and make noise (and in some cases, to fill perforations which would otherwise have been plugged with the optional component).It's a well known practice. Some recent Ford vehicles where found to have 'dummy' subwoofers installed.

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 09:28:28 pm
content: a rollback of some audiophiley that was the previous design. an audio engineer add tweeters to the doora revision of the design some time later by another engineer. revealed no perceivable difference in sound quality however possibility of cost savingsby omitting some transducers from the doors. only the plastic cases remain.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 09:42:32 pm
content: Quote from: jonovid on September 25, 2025, 09:28:28 pmNote the speaker has a whizzer cone. Perhaps the original speaker didn't have one and relied on a separate tweeter for treble. Later it was decided to add the whizzer cone, to eliminate the need for a separate tweeter.

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 09:55:51 pm
content: Volvo had a reputation for safety. Was not your hearing preserved?

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 12:21:35 am
content: Quote from: sdancer75 on September 25, 2025, 07:05:01 pmYes thats what I'm thinking, you can find them here called "loudspeaker cover":https://dalys.lt/en/car-parts/product/3052856There might be a different number for the actual functioning version. Something like this one:https://partversal.lv/en/car-parts/product/8094650

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 01:13:23 am
content: My vote: it's simply a placeholder for a missing option, as @NE666 posted. Something to fill the hole in the sheet metal and keep the wires in place.The whizzer cone pretty much confirms that. You wouldn't see that on a 2-way system with a proper tweeter, as that's a cheap-ass substitute for the real thing.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 05:21:07 am
content: Maybe the car safety rating must be specified with all parts in place. Just speculating.

author: Sorama
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 05:34:03 am
content: Quote from: Grandchuck on September 25, 2025, 06:52:44 pm？？

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 06:44:39 am
content: Quote from: Sorama on September 26, 2025, 05:34:03 amWhat could be more passive than a radiator not radiating?

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 07:07:29 am
content: Quote from: kite31 on September 26, 2025, 06:44:39 amhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_radiator_(speaker)its a real thing in acoustics.But the correct answer as above is dummy/blanking part. Odd as it seems to put extra copper in a car (significant expense) when there is no offer of a dealer upgrade later, perhaps one of the automotive adjacent members here can explain the economics.

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 07:26:25 am
content: a car door is a poor enclosure for a speaker cabinet with lots of air gaps in the window sliding mechanism& a passive radiator be otherwise useless.

author: NE666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 07:39:45 am
content: Quote from: Someone on September 26, 2025, 07:07:29 amIt's an expense but a lesser one than the costs of managing a wider parts inventory and then sychronising that with JIT manufacturing on the assembly line. I've owned many Volvos of that period and all of them have had 'extra' connectors and segments of loom wiring behind the dashboard, under seats and in the engine bay. Same thing - cheaper overall to have supplied, then stock and handle, just one or two loom variants than tens of combinations.It's no different really to what is seen with some test equipment manufacturers and models - features are software unlocked, even if there is no 'official' upgrade path, whilst the supporting hardware is the same for all because it reduced the overall cost of assembly and stock holding.

author: Sorama
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 11:13:45 am
content: Quote from: Someone on September 26, 2025, 07:07:29 amOnly for very low frequenties, such as a subwoofer.Tweeter can never be a passive one.

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 03:01:22 pm
content: Possibly a real tweeter is installed if a higher end sound system is ordered as an option when the car is new, and they use the dummy tweeter to stop the connector rattling around.

author: darkspr1te
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 05:53:33 pm
content: It's just a cable holder to stop it rattling around and also a guide for the dealer mechanic who would be responsible for in shop radio upgrade- handy when shop manual came on microfiche or paper or postal cdrom . I used to do such installs for Toyota, Ford, Mazda etc and toyota would have a whole fake speaker you would have to swap out but ford would have a fake connector to plug into(cheaper) and only bolt holding it and the upgrade kit sold by them would have full speaker mounts with needed install parts.In general the last point connector if it's it in the interior needs to be fixed solid for noise issues and not rely on a glue(age/heat issues) . I learned this one on circa 2000 JDM built and shipped to africa by Toyota which had tweeter wiring run to the dash by the windscreen, furthest point requiring full steering/dash/ac removal to stop the rattle from the connector because the tape went soft in Africa heat rattle on the crash bar, these are known as grey cars (not grey import) because they include a sort of universal wire loom to allow more dealer side upgrades,darkspr1te