Need some help deciding on speakers

[dewoof01]

Just throwing another name out there, but as for subs I'll never buy anything other than Rockford Fosgate. They sound incredible.

As for JL, I really don't like them. They sound kinda shallow compared to RF. I do, however, really like Pioneer. The upper level woofer/speakers that Pioneer make are awesome, as are their tweeters.
Currently, I have 2 Pioneer tweeters in the doors, 2 Pioneer woofers in the rear panels, and a 12" RF subwoofer powered by 300W P300-12 RF amp, and a JVC head unit. It kicks ass.

Thats really funny. I literally hate all the equipment you like! And like all the equipment you hate! I'm not being an a hole i'm serious. Just goes to show how asking "what are the best speakers" or "what is the best sub" is a terrible question as everyones ears are different. I have never liked pioneers speakers, I hate and I mean hate RF subs (although I haven't listened to any in a couple years) and I have been a die hard JL audio sub guy for years (however that is changing on my new build). I will say though Rockford fosgate makes a good amp for he money in my opinion. I am on my 5th & 6th RF punch amps (not because they broke but because i changed equipment) and they are excellent. If you are looking for a good sq sub look into Image Dynamics, their ID & IDQ series are very nice.

 

[greydelta38]

Thats really funny. I literally hate all the equipment you like! And like all the equipment you hate! I'm not being an a hole i'm serious. Just goes to show how asking "what are the best speakers" or "what is the best sub" is a terrible question as everyones ears are different. I have never liked pioneers speakers, I hate and I mean hate RF subs (although I haven't listened to any in a couple years) and I have been a die hard JL audio sub guy for years (however that is changing on my new build). I will say though Rockford fosgate makes a good amp for he money in my opinion. I am on my 5th & 6th RF punch amps (not because they broke but because i changed equipment) and they are excellent. If you are looking for a good sq sub look into Image Dynamics, their ID & IDQ series are very nice.

You make an interesting point. I guess the definition of a 'good speaker' is all in the eye of the beholder.

Or rather, the ear.

Anyway, I love RF so much because they make subs that don't have a lingering bass. As in, they kick when they mean to, and shut up when they don't. JL, I've found, likes to kinda slur the faster parts on heavy metal double-bass hits (even the expensive JLs). It could be that RF uses thicker cones that don't reverb as much. Then again, JL was made to have a little linger for playing hip hop, and rap, which I don't listen to. Rockford Fosgate's Punch line was made to kick and kick hard in very short bursts, which is very good for hard metal that I listen to. As for the Pioneers, they can sound kind of tinny at times but I like that effect when paired with the awesome bass the RF produces in a small car. Their 10's aren't amazing, but then again I have a 12 in my Eclipse, so it could be that the 12 Punch just suits this car environment well.

It's all opinionated as to what sounds good, is what I'm trying to say.

 

[LTUDSM]

for a cheap price i would go with these

 

[dewoof01]

You make an interesting point. I guess the definition of a 'good speaker' is all in the eye of the beholder.

Or rather, the ear.

Anyway, I love RF so much because they make subs that don't have a lingering bass. As in, they kick when they mean to, and shut up when they don't. JL, I've found, likes to kinda slur the faster parts on heavy metal double-bass hits (even the expensive JLs). It could be that RF uses thicker cones that don't reverb as much. Then again, JL was made to have a little linger for playing hip hop, and rap, which I don't listen to. Rockford Fosgate's Punch line was made to kick and kick hard in very short bursts, which is very good for hard metal that I listen to. As for the Pioneers, they can sound kind of tinny at times but I like that effect when paired with the awesome bass the RF produces in a small car. Their 10's aren't amazing, but then again I have a 12 in my Eclipse, so it could be that the 12 Punch just suits this car environment well.

It's all opinionated as to what sounds good, is what I'm trying to say.

I agree, I just thought it was funny when I read your post. Alot of people always ask questions on what the best speaker is and what the best setup is. Truth is its what sounds best to you, not everyone is going to like every set up and speaker and amp the same, so it really just is up to what sounds best to YOU. Because you like RF subs and I don't, doesn't mean they are crappy, it just means I don't like the sound of them. Heck some people have cheap sony speakers and think they sound awesome. Now there obviously is a difference in quality among products but some people just don't have the ear to tell the difference or they don't care enough to tell the difference. My biggest gripe is when people take good products and install they messy and like crap and wonder why they don't sound as good as people say they should.

 

[2slow4now]

@ gsmokez if your going to amp your speakers just make sure you get an amp that you can turn the gain down on and still drive your speakers without the amp going into clipping. It will start to distort and sound like crap in clipping. For an example if you choose speakers that have a RMS rating of 45 watts then you need an amp rated for 80 watts RMS. The idea is you will turn down the amp gain to approx halfway down and keep clean sound going to the speakers. Don't pay much attention to max wattage on either.
Does that make sense?

Amp gain turned up all the way will give lots of power but bad quality sound and will kill speakers and overheat the amp.

 

[greengoblin2011]

I've always used pioneer for my head unit as well as my interior speakers. I've tried many other and blew them all. As for amp and subs I've always used mtx. That's just my personal preference. Everyone has their own opinions as far as sound is concerned but just buy a name brand that you think suits you and you'll be happy

 

[crackajak18]

I didn't read through every reply here, but I'm going to post a general response here for the many others that have questions about speakers. I see most people throwing one brand name out after another and while that's great that you want everyone to know about your good time with the speakers, it may not necessarily be what someone else is looking for. So here is some basic guidelines for speaker purchases:

1. What do you want your stereo to do? Do you want it to be loud or are you going for quality? For example, Alpine speakers are often designed to be loud versus say Boston Acoustics which are designed for more balance and quality. Just about any name brand, aftermarket speakers are going to sound better than stock, simply for the fact that they are made from better materials than paper.

2. Always start with the front of the car, since these are closest to you, the driver. You will hear the biggest difference with changing out just the front vs. just the rear. So if you're on a budget, start with the front then replace the rear. For those on a budget, some kenwood or sony 2 or 3 way speakers up front will do you a lot of good. For those looking higher, some infinity or boston components might be what you're looking for in order give you some good mids and highs.

3. Your stereo head unit will only put out about 20 to 25 watts RMS, so keep this in mind when you purchase speakers that can handle up to 100 w RMS. Side note: Don't worry yourself with peak power, it's a useless bit of information as the RMS power is the amount of power being constantly supplied as peak power is only a very brief moment. Don't let marketers fool you with those big numbers, when it comes to speakers (to include subwoofers), it's about matching power to handling, not just going for huge watts.

4. Avoid grey market speakers, these are found from unauthorized vendors providing name brand products. The warranty is often voided from these type of vendors. I've used Crutchfield for a lot of my speaker purchases and have had good success in the past. If you catch their sales, it's a good deal most times.

5. In order to get the most out of your aftermarket speakers, you're going to want an external amplifier which provides more power and a cleaner signal than the head unit could ever hope to.

Crutchfield.com has a lot of articles relating to car audio that can help you a lot when it comes to deciding what you want out of your speaker system. There are also wiring diagrams and 'how to' articles to help out as well.

Remember, when it comes to speakers (and a lot of other products), people have their own preferences and ultimately, it will come down to what do you want out of your system and how much are you willing to budget towards it? At the end of the day, it's you driving your car, so get what you want.

 

[izzieDSMER]

Anyone got a good small 16g I'll trade you for two 10 in JL audio subs with boxes.

They're in my car as we speak and they sound amazing. Also got a 4 way alpine amp and 2 way Jensen.

I hate to do this but I blew my t25 and need a turbo asap

 

[gsxbro13]

Worst and Best Car Audio Brands?

This site is great! Pretty much sums up what brands to look for. However Apline and Kenwood make really good speakers IMO and for a decent price. I have been around car audio for my whole life. My dad had the first aftermarket speakers and been into it ever since. Bose, some Pioneer, and polk make decent stuff. Just remeber what you pay for is what you get. DO NOT buy walmart, best buy, or any non car audio dealers. They have terrible quality and wont last long such as Sony, rockford, or any other knock off brands. Just refer back to the list and you should be just fine.

Cruthfield and sonicelectronix are good online places to buy from. Aswell as your local dealers. It never hurts to ask your local dealer for advice aswell!

 

[TalonSway]

get a name brand i have some mtx's and there to loud.!

 

[greydelta38]

get a name brand i have some mtx's and there to loud.!

I like the way the MTX Terminators look, but I've heard they get fried pretty easily. I don't like the way MTX sound anyway, but it's just IMO.

 

[mitecl96]

I would say go Memphis Power Reference . You get more than what you pay for. They have amazing sound and great quality. No matter what you listen to. I listen to everything from blue grass to heavy metal to rock to rap.
They also don't cost that much.
Here is a review on just the amp.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooWzJH3WXLo]Memphis 16 PR1x1000 Amplifier Review - YouTube[/ame]

 

[REVELATION_34]

i am rockford fosgate all the way to!!! every vehicle ive had has had them....kicker imo is second best ..the only reason i have a different brand in my talon is because i was sponsered and got wiring, door speakers,subs, and amp for free! they are crossfire audio and do the job very well but like i said nothing beats rockford fosgate not for price and quality

and as for gsxbro13 wherever you get your info from is messed up i dont think rockford fosgate is a "knock off brand" the top four for subs and amps would be rockfor fosgate, kicker, mtx, and memphis this aint a home theater system hahahaha "bose" and "pioneer" bose being way overpriced and pioneer right down there with sony from walmart ooookkkk

 

[HooKnBooK]

I'm about to order infinity reference for the front doors and back panels. Every time I go to the audio store they usually sound the best to me. They also have good specs for range and RMS. If you buy a cheap eBay product you're going to get what you pay for.

 

[dsmfergie]

To the OP, i'm no audiophile.... But the biggest thing is first a decent amp!! I could not believe the difference that an amp made in my old car. You can spend $1000 on some speakers and it will sound only ok, now you put an amp behind even some cheap speakers it will help tremendously! Now, I'm sure you have been on sonicelectronix.com. I have heard these in a show car, 2 pairs Pioneer TS-D1720C, I don't know the amp was used, but for a little over $100 per pair they sure did sound great with a pioneer sub to compliment the low ends. Heck, on sonicelectronix alone you could order a whole pioneer setup for prbly under $500 for 4 speakers, sub or two and amps....assuming you already have a deck.

 

[reallyslowfwd]

The stock infinity speakers that come with the GSX's are nice. Im sure you could pick up a complete set with the stock amplifier for about $20. It would be the cheapest route while still getting a great sound.

stay away from the junk infinity speakers that mitsu/dodge used in these or any car. my wifes 01 stratus rt has blown every single one of them with the stock 4 disk indash. she also had a 99 jeep gcl with the infinity set up and all of those were also blown with the stock headunit. just because the dealer sticker says premium sound package they still use bottom of the barrel parts

 

[warpath227]

IMO the most important part of the audio system is the head unit. That's the Brains that controls everything. If that's junk then the rest isn't going to sound good. Start with a high quality unit, Pioneer, Alpine, or Kenwood.

Speaker wise cant go wrong with a good set of components up front and some good 6x9's in the back. My personal choice is Pioneer! They always have great sound quality, as long as you didn't get them from Walmart (JK). Also Alpine, Kenwood, Clarion, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, or Cerwin Vega.

If you plan on going with subs, It really depends on what you want out of them. Do you want clean crisp bass, or do u want it to be loud and long. IMO the subs with the bigger, thicker, stiffer surrounds deliver a cleaner bass note, and the ones with the thinner ones let the bass hang out for awhile.

Amps are totally up to you. Name brands are good but some are too commercial IMO. I've ran allot of name brand and some off brand too. Just stay away form the super cheap, to good to be true stuff and it will be fine. Currently I run 2 Power Acoustik Gothic Series amps. On my speakers i run a 900w 4 Channel, and on my sub (1 Orion competition 12" subwoofer) i run a 3500w class D mono block. But that's in my non DSM beater!

 

[ricktb]

gsmokez ok you dont know about speakers thats ok heres a few things I learned...

for high quality sound you want one type of speaker for each range of sound for example 10-12" for bass 6*9 for mid bass, 5" for mid range, 2-3 " for mid high and 1" titanium for tweets. Most factory speakers only have one 5" or 6" to try and cover all the ranges, and some install a horn on the dome to enhance the high end but it really sucks. This is why you upgrade.

If you have a smaller budget you'll want a 2 way component speakers like the ones you are looking at, usually wired in right off the deck. I recomenndd to upgrade the deck at the same time as the speakers this will give you the best sound. If you have a bit more money go for a 3-way component speaker it covers more a of the frequency spectrum.

If you want the cream of the crop you can buy one speaker separate for each frequency range, like bass, mid bass, mid range, mid high and tweet, and sometimes super tweets. And you can buy a separate amplifier for each speaker with crossovers to limit only the frequency range you desire for each speaker so you dont overload them.

Realistically I'd go for some 3 way 6*9's you'll get the best bang for your buck. Anything smaller than 6" you will get way to much high end and not enough low end that 6" speaker is so important. 1" Titanium dome tweets are the good, horns are good too.

some brand names i like... jbl, jl audio, alpine, MB quart (nice) PS don't get BOSS get BOSE, the real brand name

I didn't read through every reply here, but I'm going to post a general response here for the many others that have questions about speakers. I see most people throwing one brand name out after another and while that's great that you want everyone to know about your good time with the speakers, it may not necessarily be what someone else is looking for. So here is some basic guidelines for speaker purchases:

1. What do you want your stereo to do? Do you want it to be loud or are you going for quality? For example, Alpine speakers are often designed to be loud versus say Boston Acoustics which are designed for more balance and quality. Just about any name brand, aftermarket speakers are going to sound better than stock, simply for the fact that they are made from better materials than paper.

2. Always start with the front of the car, since these are closest to you, the driver. You will hear the biggest difference with changing out just the front vs. just the rear. So if you're on a budget, start with the front then replace the rear. For those on a budget, some kenwood or sony 2 or 3 way speakers up front will do you a lot of good. For those looking higher, some infinity or boston components might be what you're looking for in order give you some good mids and highs.

3. Your stereo head unit will only put out about 20 to 25 watts RMS, so keep this in mind when you purchase speakers that can handle up to 100 w RMS. Side note: Don't worry yourself with peak power, it's a useless bit of information as the RMS power is the amount of power being constantly supplied as peak power is only a very brief moment. Don't let marketers fool you with those big numbers, when it comes to speakers (to include subwoofers), it's about matching power to handling, not just going for huge watts.

4. Avoid grey market speakers, these are found from unauthorized vendors providing name brand products. The warranty is often voided from these type of vendors. I've used Crutchfield for a lot of my speaker purchases and have had good success in the past. If you catch their sales, it's a good deal most times.

5. In order to get the most out of your aftermarket speakers, you're going to want an external amplifier which provides more power and a cleaner signal than the head unit could ever hope to.

Crutchfield.com has a lot of articles relating to car audio that can help you a lot when it comes to deciding what you want out of your speaker system. There are also wiring diagrams and 'how to' articles to help out as well.

Remember, when it comes to speakers (and a lot of other products), people have their own preferences and ultimately, it will come down to what do you want out of your system and how much are you willing to budget towards it? At the end of the day, it's you driving your car, so get what you want.

theres two type of audiophiles, the LOUD BASS GUY and the CLEAN SOUND GUY, clearly hes not the loud bass guy he wants quality on a budget since the speakers hes lookin at cost $25 bux

 

[DSM_prospecT]

This is what I put in my saturn DD last year, there pretty good and the price is nice. they are loud and have decent bass. If you're looking for something cheap, this is a great option. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004K4VSCG/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i01]Amazon.com: Kicker DS65 6.5" Coax Speakers (Pair): Car Electronics[/ame]

IMO the most important part of the audio system is the head unit. That's the Brains that controls everything. If that's junk then the rest isn't going to sound good. Start with a high quality unit, Pioneer, Alpine, or Kenwood.

Speaker wise cant go wrong with a good set of components up front and some good 6x9's in the back. My personal choice is Pioneer! They always have great sound quality, as long as you didn't get them from Walmart (JK). Also Alpine, Kenwood, Clarion, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, or Cerwin Vega.

If you plan on going with subs, It really depends on what you want out of them. Do you want clean crisp bass, or do u want it to be loud and long. IMO the subs with the bigger, thicker, stiffer surrounds deliver a cleaner bass note, and the ones with the thinner ones let the bass hang out for awhile.

Amps are totally up to you. Name brands are good but some are too commercial IMO. I've ran allot of name brand and some off brand too. Just stay away form the super cheap, to good to be true stuff and it will be fine. Currently I run 2 Power Acoustik Gothic Series amps. On my speakers i run a 900w 4 Channel, and on my sub (1 Orion competition 12" subwoofer) i run a 3500w class D mono block. But that's in my non DSM beater!

If you talk about subs, then you have to talk about enclosures as they make all the difference in the world. but that's a whole other debate.

 

[TheWanderer]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/JVC-KD-PKR3102-Receiver-CS-XM620-Auxiliary/dp/B009NKME20]My setup[/ame]

And before anyone laughs and writes me off, consider that these are made by J. Victrola Company (JVC), who has been around in the audio market for well over 100 years (having started out with concert hall audio)

Since you are on a budget and aren't looking for anything terribly fancy (function over form), I recommend this. I've had JVC in the last 5 cars I've owned (first setup being a KDR-416 with 2 of these speakers and 2 pioneer 6.25's from wal mart), and I swear by these CS-XM620 speakers and these decks. If you look around on Ebay, you can usually find this exact kit for half of what Amazon is asking. The last kit I bought was brand new and ran me $125 shipped. Its definitely an entry level system, but I would place it as a top tier entry level system and good quality for an off the shelf item.

Don't expect competition quality or Bose/Harmon Kardonn/etc quality from them but you can expect something much better than the factory system. And for $50-$60 more you can add Bluetooth (hands free calling and Pandora etc radio through smartphone) to the mix. This is the setup that is going in my RS very shortly. I rattled windows in my Legacy Outback with this setup without an amp at 1/2 of max volume (using loud and setting equalizer properly). Its nopt terribly powerful but its not a bad setup either (figure 160 watts RMS with all 4 speakers installed, which as ~4x the stock system)

 

[warpath227]

If you talk about subs, then you have to talk about enclosures as they make all the difference in the world. but that's a whole other debate.

+1 Thanks i forgot about that. Enclosures are very important, and also where they sit and what direction they face.

 

[2gnt99]

+1 Thanks i forgot about that. Enclosures are very important, and also where they sit and what direction they face.

I've got my ported box facing the rear, you can't really hear much with the hatch open, but sitting in the front you can feel it real well.

Also, it vibrates the hatch and rearview mirror, not really a "wake the neighbors" system.

 

[TheWanderer]

Something I would like to add, after installing my front speakers today in the 99 RS: Your factory speakers are 15w RMS each for the door speakers, and I assume for the rear speakers as well (as far as the non Infinity setup goes). Almost anything you put in will be better than that. The setup I installed today is 40w RMS per speaker, which when doing the math adds 100w to the entire system. For a daily driver, this is plenty IMHO.

Just something to consider

 

[Zufelt]

@ gsmokez if your going to amp your speakers just make sure you get an amp that you can turn the gain down on and still drive your speakers without the amp going into clipping. It will start to distort and sound like crap in clipping. For an example if you choose speakers that have a RMS rating of 45 watts then you need an amp rated for 80 watts RMS. The idea is you will turn down the amp gain to approx halfway down and keep clean sound going to the speakers. Don't pay much attention to max wattage on either.
Does that make sense?

Amp gain turned up all the way will give lots of power but bad quality sound and will kill speakers and overheat the amp.

This is somewhat true.. but only to be true from a amp that does not do rated. If you have an amplifier that will push 50rms, and is CEA compliant then more than likely at the 50rms, you will have a clean signal. Find someone with a DD-1 in your area to set your gains to eliminate distortion. I would personally get Hertz, or Focal if your going to spend the money to get JL.

 

[bryanwheat]

Go to parts-express.com and look at dayton audio. They are a newer company and they make very good quality products. They have tons of other brands that are better than most of your off the shelf speakers at your local walmart or best buy. They also have little amps you can build and tuck behind the door panel or interior panels if you want to go that route.