I currently own a 1999 Outback, with 90,000 miles, in really great shape. The issue is that the 6.5 inch speakers on the driver's side of the car have blown, both in the front door and in the back door. I was contemplating having new speakers installed. The speakers on the passenger side of the car still work fine, so was thinking about having the new 6.5 inch speakers installed in the rear doors and moving the original passenger side speakers to the front doors. The logic is that the older speakers will act as more of a set of "tweeters" with less bass running to them (less chance of blowing) while the new set in the rear doors will handle the majority of the bass (as they are newer and less likely to blow). Think of it as having the audio slightly moved toward the rear. Or should I just get 4 new speakers for both the front and back set?

i just bought a 99 outback, i couldn't believe how great the stereo sounds. i noticed it has the tweeters mounted on the doors, inside opposite the mirrors, i've seen them for sale pretty resonable. then when digging through the paperwork i found out it has the optional subwoofer, PN H6300AS030, installed under the driver seat. i think it sounds fantastic for a stock system. of course bear in mind, i'm old and my hearing is pretty much toast

[ The issue is that the 6.5 inch speakers on the driver's side of the car have blown, both in the front door and in the back door.

 

I just bought a 2000 Outback with 84K; previous owner had the premium speakers, tweeters, and subwoofer installed. Like you, both speakers on the driver's side distort when the bass is turned up. Let me know if you confirm that the speakers need replacement or whether there is some other explanation which might also explain my situation

Even if you are using the factory deck, replacing the speakers will make a HUGE difference. I've got a 97 Legacy GT Wagon with an Alpine deck that I put in. I changed the factory speakers a few months before the deck, and almost changed my mind about buying the new radio! In the end, I did end up replacing it, just for the option to play mp3 discs and plug in satellite radio or an ipod.

 

Just curious about your "The logic is that the older speakers will act as more of a set of "tweeters" with less bass running to them (less chance of blowing) while the new set in the rear doors will handle the majority of the bass (as they are newer and less likely to blow)", How would you do that without using inline capacitors(bass blockers)? The tone controls don't "fade" front to rear, so the same audio would be going to the old and new speakers.