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Richard
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
01:24:34
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 Subject: Component Speakers?
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Does anyone have any good suggestions on which component speakers to buy. I need some that will be very clean and very loud. Power is not the question but money is. I would like to keep it under $600.00 if at all possibly. Right now I have some Eclispe 6 1/2's and they are not loud enough. They are only 40w RMS so they can not be very loud and they are two-way's not components.
Richard
98' CC 3.9
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Dave_K
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
06:56:17
|  RE: Component Speakers?
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I heard a pair of "Focal's" -> pronounces Folk-al's. They were sweat... in a bransmart setup, not in a truck though. i cant imagine them sounding worse though...
Check em out-> http://www.focal.tm.fr/gb/car/index.htm
Let me know whatyou think.
-Dave
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Richard
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
14:55:22
| RE: Component Speakers?
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they really don't catch my eye too much although I do like the idea of an adjustable volume for the tweeter
Richard
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xplikt
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
15:58:40
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Are you using an amp right now for those Eclispes? You might not need an upgrade of comps if you do not even have an amp. If you DO have an amp then I would suggest you get a new amp or get a new amp AND speakers. For the most part, higher end/aftermarket speakers should not be run solely off the deck.
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Richard
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
16:23:32
| RE: Component Speakers?
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xplikt,
YES, I DO have an amp and it is a Rockford Fosgate 400.4 amp which produces enough watts to run these speakers easily. But I forgot to mention that I also have two Rockford Fosgate HX2 's in the back in a sealed box that hits harded than I ever imagined considering I have a little MTX amp that will only push 400 watts max bridged into one channel. These subs are rated at 400 watts RMS a piece and 800 watts peak. So I believe that I right now the subs will over power the 6 1/2's at least that what it sounds like it is doing so I have to turn the amp down some. Don't get me wrong it is really loud, but I want it to be louder and cleaner sounding. Also component system will sound better anyways because they have a crossover that is designed for the speaker and the tweeter. I was really looking at some Rockford Fosgate FNQ2614's which have an RMS power of 100 watts. I don't know why I like Rockford Fosgate so much. I guess I am being a little bias in my decision, but I have checked out some of the other brands like pioneer, Boston Acostics, Polk, Infinity, Sony, and MB Quartz.
Richard 98' 3.9 CC
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xplikt
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
16:34:56
| RE: Component Speakers?
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AHH! Ok.
I wouldn't go with Pioneer or Sony on that list personally. Boston Acoustics, Polk, and MB Quartz are all good brands. I like Infinitys too, I reccomend them or JLs to most people who want a cheap aftermarket upgrade. You may also want to look into a/d/s, they are comparable to MB Quartz. It's hard to tell a person which one out of a couple brands without them hearing it with THEIR music, but I think any of these brands will do very well.
Also, if you are looking for loud and clear, I would check out Image Dynamic's or Illusion Audio Horn, expensive though, but maybe something you'll be interested in.
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xplikt
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
16:40:11
| RE: Component Speakers?
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BTW, I actually am saving (gunna be awhile, I need tint and bedliner first) for those Utopias.
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xplikt
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
16:42:04
| RE: Component Speakers?
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http://www.arcaudio.com/reference_line.htm
Take a guess at the price, come on..
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R/Truck
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
16:48:13
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Everyone's taste is different.
Done rely upon what people tell you is good. It is all a matter of what you think sounds good.
I have the JL Audio 3-way component system and it is not a cheap upgrade, in fact it took me almost three weeks to build the custome kick panels enclosures for them. Everyone that has ridden with me think they sound excellent.
Infinity are Japanese garbage to my ears. But take a listen and see for yourself. Just spend the extra money and only buy what sounds good to you.
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xplikt
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
16:58:09
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Those JLs of yours are made in Germany if I remember right ;)
R/Truck is right though, you're going to have to just go out and listen to them at shops or do A LOT of researching online to find out what you think will fit your needs best. I wouldn't reccomend buying from them however..
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Richard
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
17:17:49
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Ok you got me on the price but they don't look expensive. J/K!!! No they are probalbly around 800.00-1200.00. Thats just a guess. What does everyone think about the Rockford Fosgates. Does anyone like them or not. I think I might be able to get some for about 40 - 50 % off the regular price. Not sure yet.
Richard
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R/Truck
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
18:11:00
| RE: Component Speakers?
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I suscribe to three different car audio magazines and the popular brands that are in the cars that win are:
MB Quart at least 75% of the time
Focal (which do have some lower priced components)
Diamond Audio
Kicker
JL (mids)
Image Dynamics (mids)
Horns are a pain in the butt.
Rockford Fosgate is more of a subwoofer/amp company, they do make some high end stuff but I have never really seen any reviews for their component speakers. Best Buy has the low end set, you can go there and give them a listen.
BTW the JLs are made in Germany. The XR series (their top of the line components) are now affordable and they do sound great to me.
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xplikt
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
22:04:39
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Bestbuy = bastards, I think their quality has gone down since they've teamed up with the devil, but I don't buy their stuff now anyways..
AH! ok, I thought it was JL, their woofer cones and suspensions are made by Dr. Kurt Muller and Company -- the people who design the MB Quarts! It is not designed by them though, JL designs them all in house.
Also, those rainbows are 5000 retail, and can be found for around 3000 in the states. They've been out in Europe for a good time now and are cheaper there..wish I could get a pair shipped to me!
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steveo
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
23:25:39
| RE: Component Speakers?
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xplikt i agree w/ you on the best buy scenario, although when you know someone who works there, its straight. my cousin works there, and gets a big discount, he gets it at cost, then another like 20% off, he just did his system about, $1500 worth of equiptment, for like $550, hes hooking me up w/ some components. so find someone who works there and get hooked up, its the only way to go;)
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Dakman
Dodge Dakota
10/24/2001
23:52:46
|  RE: Component Speakers?
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Here's my take....I have a 2001 CC with Boston Pro Series 6.5 components in the front and Focal Polykevlar 165K components in the rear powered by a 50X4 Soundstream amp.
First the new Bostons Pro 6.5 series don't have the same warm sound as the older models did.
On the other hand Focal makes some of the best sounding speakers in the world, I have the PK 165K which have awesome midbass and are extremly detailed. Now if you want even more power handling go with the 165K2 which have a beefer voice coil. If that is'nt enough you can go for their Utopia line.
The Focal 165K go for $330 at thezeb.com or you can go to sounddomain.com and they will price match. Those speakers retail for almost $600
But the best thing to do is go to a local shop and listen for yourself
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Richard
Dodge Dakota
10/25/2001
15:08:53
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Thanks for all the help. I will have to wait and do a little shoping before I go out and spend money on something that I am really not prepared to lose on. I will check out some of the brands that have been suggested, the only problem is finding a place that will carry speakers like this. A lot of place carry the lower end of the top brands like Best Buy. Best Buy is not too bad but if you are serious about your system then it is not a good place to go. They sell a lot of things that high school students can get so that they can say that they have a nice system or for the people who are not interested in have the best and really just want some better sound than those paper speakers that they find in their car.
I will look but I would really like to hear the differences b/c I can search the internet all I want and all I will get is someone else's opinion. Mainly I just want to know which brands are not really worth the time.
Thanks
Richard
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R/Truck
Dodge Dakota
10/25/2001
16:25:08
| RE: Component Speakers?
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There are sites that have buyer reviews and comparison testing. Check out the car audio magazine websites.
Car Audio & Electronics
Auto Sound & Security
Mobile Entertainment
And do some more searching on the web
You will at least be able to see which product is well know for being crap.
Key things to look at when buying components:
Low crossover frequency (less then 4,000hz) lower is better.
Is there a low pass for the mid and a high pass for the tweeter? Both are better, but not critical.
6,12,24/dB per octave? Higher is better but not critical.
Go with a tweeter that is 1", small tweeters tend to be very bright.
Silk or metal dome, do you like it soft or sharp sounding?
Mount the mid and tweet close together for the best sound.
Have you considered a high end coaxial with an external crossover. They are sometimes very good sounding.
Good Luck
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R/Truck
Dodge Dakota
10/25/2001
16:26:51
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Check out Circuitcity.com they have buyer feedback in there as well.
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PatH
Dodge Dakota
12/01/2001
02:49:57
| RE: Component Speakers?
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From what I read here,
High end components speaker driven off Head-unit is a no go?
I was thinking MB Quartz to a Kenwood Z828 (47x4 Max, 22x4 RMS).
No external amp, what would be a nice upgrade with this "low power" scheme ?
I'm gearing up to do a 2 stage upgrade,
1- Head-unit (Kenwood)
front coaxial components,
back coaxial mid driver.
2- Build Replacement front row console
- CerwinVega Vega 8D4 sub
- Kenwood 819,
... preserve the cup holders...
I guess I'll have to rethink the layout if it ain't worth it to upgrade speakers without adding an external amp...
Thanks
PatH
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Lattimer
Dodge Dakota
12/01/2001
10:36:10
| RE: Component Speakers?
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PatH,
It is always worth it to upgrade speakers. The problem is, if you buy very nice high end expensive speakers, you won't see everything the speaker can do without an appropriate amp. Its not that the speaker won't sound good, it just won't sound as good as it can. If you are looking to upgrade a piece at a time, just install an amp later on if you aren't happy. My rule of thumb is to always get something a little better than what I actually think I need. That way when I decide to go farther, the stuff I already have is compatible.
I put new speakers in my truck first, then I upgraded with a 4 channel amp, a 2 channel amp, a thunderform, and then some separate tweets. I did it kinda one piece at a time, and now that its done, I couldn't be happier.
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MJH
Dodge Dakota
12/01/2001
18:17:59
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Get JL Audio components. I have the tweeters and 5 1/4 in my truck and they are clear as a bell. They are in the stock location but you will have to custom fit the mids because they are a bit smaller than the stock mids. While your at it get a JL Audio Sub too, they only need a little power to make your system hit hard!!!!
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Joe
Dodge Dakota
12/01/2001
19:59:53
| RE: Component Speakers?
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My god out of all these components nobody has mentioned CDT < has anyone ever heard these , I have a dakota r/t with 2 kicker 12,s and A set of cdt.s in the doors an it is amazing !! The CDt components are higer end , They are awesome ! $359 at www.ampmanaudio.com But i would suggest the tweeter upgrade to the 1 inch , I had MOMOs they are load as hell and clear as a bell , If you want sweet quality sound that doesnt rip your head off get the cdt,s if you want load rip your head off ear piercing load get the MOMOs ! I have the momos for sale if you want them !! e-mail me !Oh by the way I ran both sets off a 400.4 briged and it sounds wonderfull ! spddracer@aol.com
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PatH
Dodge Dakota
12/02/2001
17:38:51
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Lattimer,
MJH,
Joe,
Thank you guys,
Looks like I still have research to do :)
PatH
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Kyle
Dodge Dakota
12/16/2001
23:19:16
| RE: Component Speakers?
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I have a 99 Club cab and just had a Pioneer DEH-P6300 head unit installed and a set of Rockford Fosgate Fanatic Q components 5.25 in the door they sound great. I know the 6.5 will not fit. I would go with those or a set of MB Quart. Amp they will sound amazing.
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Scott Wilson
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/19/2002
20:47:05
| RE: Component Speakers?
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If you still have not bought your components yet than I have a cheap inexspensive try for you. Not sure if you know but you don't have to change your amp or speakers. Even though your Eclipse speakers are only 40 watts you can make them sound like their 140 watt. Capacitors. You can get them for 6x9's, tweets, etc. You would probrobly want to try anywhere from 50-100 microferite. What these do is cut low to sublow frequencies which your mids are not meant to reproduce anyway and give out only the mid to high frequencies. this gets rid of all distortion that you would normally hear and high volume and when bass hits due to the roll-off being cut. Watch a speaker ply with a capp and the same speaker without one. You will see how much the speaker movement is cut down which in turn creates more power handling and a much cleaner soundstage. They go from $2- 5.00 at any pro shop and hook up to the positive speaker lead of each mid. That easy. Once this is done make sure your amp is set on hi-pass for the mid channels and you'll find you can turn the gain up alot more. If you want even more clarity and volume add a line driver for between $ 50-100. These increase the rca line outs from 4 volt up to 12 volt. This will give a hell of a lot of volume and you can turn your amp gains down alot which reduces your signal to noise ratio. This means less distortion. Last suggestion would be an e.q. or cross-over. you can cut more bass from your mids and add deeper sub-low notes to the subs. Cost between $50 and 150 for something good. Add these 3 things and you'll notice one hell of a difference. I sure did. You'll have more and cleaner volume, more power with alot less distortion and your amp/s will run coller and last longer. If you don't have a 1.0 farad stiffening capp for your amp power lead you should get one. Between $50-100. It will bring your power from 12
to 14.4 volts which means???? This can also save your alternator and cut down on light dimming.
So for a max of $360.00 You can get quite a big bang. Hope I could help. Happy booming, Scott
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DodgedogJB
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/22/2002
04:39:12
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Everyone has different opinions about what sounds good to them. There are lots of good speakers out there, but there are the usual supspects you should definitely check out(MB Quarts, Boston, Focals....). Price doesn't determine the best speaker either. Like everyone said, go to a good shop and listen to several systems with a CD that you know. Pick the ones that YOU like the best....simple as that. Well not quite: like someone above said...a good amp is an important feature. Also, size is important; 5.25 or 6.5's? Each has its merits, just depends on what you like. Another point to consider is if you are gonna replace the rear speakers then consider a manufacturer that makes speakers that you can put in the rear as well so the speakers are voice matched. This way you won't get weird sound feilds which is hard to fix without a good EQ.
DAKMAN....Did the Bostons lose their warmth? Damn it, I was just getting ready to put the 6.5^3 threeway system in front and 6.5's in the rear of my truck and move my 5.4s that are there now into my chicks car. I'm gonna be pissed if they lost their warmth...they were/are such an awesome speaker. Quarts are to bright for me...
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rmausbach
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/24/2002
23:56:26
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Thanks for all of the info. I bought some MB
Quarts from BuyLoud.com and they were pretty reasonably priced. I got the PSC 216 pair that has the 1" tweeter and 6.5" woofer. They sound pretty clean and they match my subs that are in the back a lot better than those Eclipse's. I am going to test out those capactors on them and see how they sound.(re: scott wilson) I currently have a RF 400.4 amp running my front MB's and my two rear Eclipse's the only bad thing that I hate is the design of where the power line is inputed. It is located in the center of all of the speaker wires so I get that damn static sound when they are turned down real low, so I will have to find a way insulate it better. Also has anyone ever noticed if their door on the outside vibrates enough to where you can see it move. I am talking about right behind where the speaker is located. I have dynomat located on the inside of the door-skin but they just hit too hard I guess. I was wondering if those speaker enclosures that are made out of foam or some sort of insulation work very good. The ones that I am talking about are the ones that are formed to fit snuggly around the speaker and fit into the hole in the door. Any commments would greatly be appreciated. By the way, I went to car toys and checked out some speakers there and that was when I decided to go with the quarts. I was still thinking of getting rid of the Eclipe's completly and maybe going with some Infinity's. They look good and I have heard a lot of praise for them. I will check them out. I think that they would match up nicely with the quarts.
Any comments welcome;
Richard, 98 CC
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LT 9106
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/25/2002
04:55:43
| RE: Component Speakers?
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I have a 2001 quad with infinity 6 1/2 components in a four doors with a kenwood 47X4 deck. G to circuit city about $600 before tax installed by self.
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Scott Wilson
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/25/2002
08:34:09
| RE: Component Speakers?
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for rmausbach. That noise you described sounds like it would be a ground issue. Try installing a ground loop isolator. About $20 and it will take out alot of unwanted R.F. ( radio frequency ). If the noise wines up and down when you hit the gas than this is definatly a toy to invest in. Perhaps a better pair of rca's as well. Something thick with alot of shielding.
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Dakman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/25/2002
22:29:52
| RE: Component Speakers?
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DodgedogJB, the new Bostons just don't sound as good as the old ones did. When I bought my Boston Pro series I was going on what they sounded like five years ago, which was a mistake because they are completely different speakers today. If it was my money I would go with the Focal Polykevlar 165K3 which will blow the Bostons away.
Let your ears decide:)
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Richard
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/25/2002
23:45:10
| RE: Component Speakers?
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Hey Scott Wilson;
what exactly is a ground loop insulator. The sound is also present when I have a CD playing. I think that I have it narrowed down a little better. I have my rca cable's too close to the power cable and the ground. I do not think that the ground cable being too close to the rca's would do this so I will concentrate on the power cable. Does anyone know how or if you can tell where the source of distortion is coming from. What I mean is. Does it start near the rca's or does it start near the speaker wires? Where can you see how many spl's you are running because I would like to see where my truck would stand compared to competition level trucks. Also does anyone know about the different classes that there are in the competitions. Is there a entry level comp. or is it limited to who can participate.
Richard 98 CC
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