Oldsmobile Cutlass Speaker Size

Front Door Panel Speaker

Rear Deck Lid Speaker

Oldsmobile Cutlass Speaker FAQ

What speakers should I replace first in my Oldsmobile Cutlass for better sound quality?

Replace the front door panel speakers first. The 4 x 6 inch front speakers handle most of your music's detail and vocal clarity. Since you're sitting closer to them, any improvement hits immediately. The rear deck speakers can wait - they mostly fill in background sound. Focus your budget on quality 4 x 6 coaxials with around 50-60 watts RMS handling. The front placement in the Oldsmobile Cutlass gives you better stereo imaging than the rear deck ever will.

Can I install component speakers in the front doors of my Oldsmobile Cutlass?

Yes, but you'll need to mount the tweeters separately since the factory 4 x 6 opening won't accommodate them. Most people drill new holes in the door panel or use surface-mount tweeter pods. The wiring might need modification too - factory harnesses typically combine tweeter and woofer signals. Component systems usually improve clarity over coaxials, especially in the Oldsmobile Cutlass where door acoustics aren't terrible. Just verify your amplifier can handle the impedance load, usually 4 ohms per component set.

What's the difference between coaxial and triaxial speakers for the rear deck?

Triaxial speakers add a third driver - usually a small midrange between the woofer and tweeter. Sounds good in theory but often creates muddy frequencies around 2-4 kHz where they overlap. Coaxials keep it simple with just woofer and tweeter. For the Oldsmobile Cutlass rear deck location, coaxials probably sound cleaner since you're not sitting directly in front of them anyway. The 6 x 9 size gives you decent bass response either way. Triaxials might work if you never use fade control and want more midrange presence.

How much power do I need for 6 x 9 speakers in the rear deck?

Around 30-40 watts RMS should be plenty for rear fill duty. The 6 x 9 speakers in your Oldsmobile Cutlass rear deck aren't doing heavy lifting - they're supporting the front stage. Most decent aftermarket 6 x 9s handle 50-75 watts RMS anyway, so you've got headroom. Factory amplification is usually 10-15 watts, which explains why everything sounds weak. Don't go crazy with power back there. Save the serious watts for front speakers or a subwoofer where it actually matters.

Why do my factory Oldsmobile Cutlass speakers sound distorted at higher volumes?

Factory speakers typically use paper cones and cheap magnets that can't handle much power without flexing. The 4 x 6 front speakers are especially prone to this since they're trying to reproduce full-range audio in a small package. Distortion usually starts around 70% volume when the voice coil gets hot or the cone reaches its excursion limit. Aftermarket speakers with polypropylene or treated paper cones stay clean longer. The rear 6 x 9s might last longer before distorting since they're larger, but they'll still break up eventually.