Help me settle a question please regarding the theory of speaker quality in the "rear fill" world. I think I have a good grasp of what rear-fill accomplishes (after reading for about an hour the different comments about it), but I don't know squat about many of the brands of speakers mentioned in all the conversations, so I couldn't address the question that came up specific to type of speaker approach to use.

For the rear deck, are you better off spending extra bucks for component speakers or simply buying basic coaxials?? He doesn't have a lot of room for 6x9-inch size upgrades, from what I understand, but would have room for a small midrange and tweeter. I have no idea of the brands my friend is seeking, but I would guess that we are not talking a great deal of money in the big picture - so please give consideration to your "common" speaker types.

Would going component be the preferred way to go for the rear deck if it could be afforded, or is it pure overkill considering what you are hoping to accomplish back there and inexpensive coaxials are sufficient??

Thanks

 

Rear fill is not all that important from up front. Don't spend big bucks unless you want your passangers to enjoy the music as much as you do at front seats. Also forget 6x9's. Those are a thing of the past and they are not coming back.

 

Rear fill is used to create ambiance by imitating the reflections in and around a sound space. Without it, front program material can sound dry, due to the geometry of the car's interior, seats, and absorptive materials.
My take on it is to get as good quality rear-fill speakers as you can afford, but they don't really have to handle too much power (and that makes the job easy). If you skimp on rear fill quality, it will impart yet another coloration to the sound, since the speakers are not faithful reproducers. If you overdo it with component tweeters, etc, you can use an eq to tailor the sound to what you like and what sounds real to you. If you underdo it, you can't. Good rear fill speakers also can add to the overall perceived power of your system, if you crank them up. Useful for dance/hip-hop, where it isn't as important to create a defined sound stage.