Saturn Relay-3 Speaker Size

Front Door Panel Speaker

Rear Speaker

Saturn Relay-3 Speaker FAQ

What speakers should I replace first in my Saturn Relay-3 for better sound quality?

Replace the front door panel speakers first. The 6.5 inch front speakers handle most vocals and midrange frequencies that you notice immediately. Your Saturn Relay-3 has both coaxial and component options for the front doors - components will give you better imaging since the tweeter separates from the woofer. The rear 6 x 9 speakers mainly fill in background sound. You'll probably notice maybe 70% of your sound improvement comes from upgrading those front door speakers. The rear can wait unless you're really focused on that full surround experience.

Can I install component speakers in both front and rear locations of my Saturn Relay-3?

Front doors definitely support component speakers with the 6.5 inch size. The rear 6 x 9 location also lists component compatibility, though this is less common. Component systems need separate tweeter mounting points - check if your Saturn Relay-3 has factory tweeter locations in the rear area. Most people stick with coaxials in the rear since components there don't add much staging benefit. The front components will handle most of your soundstage improvement anyway. Rear components might be overkill unless you're building something really specific.

What's the difference between coaxial and full-range speakers for the Saturn Relay-3 rear position?

Full-range speakers typically focus on midrange frequencies around 200Hz to 8kHz without a separate tweeter. Coaxials mount a tweeter directly on the woofer cone for extended high frequency response up to maybe 20kHz. In your Saturn Relay-3 rear 6 x 9 position, coaxials probably make more sense since they'll reproduce more complete frequency range. Full-range might sound slightly more natural in the mids but you'll lose some sparkle up top. The 6 x 9 size gives you good bass extension either way - maybe down to 50-60Hz depending on the specific speaker.

Will 6 x 9 speakers give me better bass than 6.5 inch speakers in my Saturn Relay-3?

The 6 x 9 rear speakers should produce more bass output than your 6.5 inch front doors. Larger cone area moves more air - roughly 40% more surface area with the oval shape. You might see low frequency response extending down to 45-55Hz versus maybe 65-75Hz from the front 6.5s. But placement matters too. Rear speakers in your Saturn Relay-3 benefit from the rear deck loading which can boost bass response. The front doors might have less bass but better clarity since they're closer to your ears. Most people end up wanting both positions upgraded for balanced sound.