Speaker selection Help

[mclarengts 0]

Hello, so I have a dodge charger Srt with the Boston setup. I took the kicker sub outta the trunk and put in my Fi BL. When I get home from this deployment I'm looking at changing all of my inside speakers. I'm look for sound quality. The bass is there, but I want the inside to be very clean! Help me choose my setup. I'll go with 6.5s in the front door and 6x9s in the back dash. What brand and models and amp do you recommend. I'd like to get it done under $1k but that's flexible. Do you think I should add more tweeters, there is only one set in the factory setup. I'm keeping my factory NAV. And I'm looking at a JL clean sweep or Rockford Fosgate 360.. All options are welcome.

[helotaxi 46]

Is the grand for just the speakers and amp or does that include the integration processor as well?

What exactly are your goals? Really good sound at normal, sane listening levels? Much louder without breaking up?

Are you planning on a custom install or are you going to use the stock speaker locations?

Some general thoughts: Don't spend a dime on rear speakers. Use all of your budget on the fronts and an amp to power them. If you simply must have rear speakers, keep the stock ones running off the stock head unit. Fade all the way forward and the overwhelming majority of people find that is the front stage is solid, they don't notice the lack of rear speakers and relize that they don't need them. A single set of tweeters is plenty. Adding more will muck up the frequency response and make the top end harsh. Deaden the doors.

[mclarengts 0]

wow, thats some good info. I dont listen to my music insanly loud, but i do listen to it loud. so i would like for it to be clear at a loud volume. I never thought about just doing the front, but it makes since. I would like to get the processer in that 1k, but if i cant oh well. It will be professionally installed, i dont know about custom though, probably stock locations.

What are some good brand/models that i sould look at for speakers, amps, and processors? im open to all brands, i just want quality. i want to do this car right!

[Shogen 325]

wow, thats some good info. I dont listen to my music insanly loud, but i do listen to it loud. so i would like for it to be clear at a loud volume. I never thought about just doing the front, but it makes since. I would like to get the processer in that 1k, but if i cant oh well. It will be professionally installed, i dont know about custom though, probably stock locations.

What are some good brand/models that i sould look at for speakers, amps, and processors? im open to all brands, i just want quality. i want to do this car right!

Very subjective... But the ones that seem common for HU w/ processing is Pioneer and they just released a new unit 80PRS ... getting amazing reviews... As far as amps for.... You just need something to deliver the power with the amount of channels you need.. So if you go 2-way active.. then you need a 4 channel amp.... If you go with a component set then you can do a nice 2 channel amp or a 4channel and bridge it... Speakers have waaaaay too many choices... goals and install are very important for anyone to provide you with a REAL suggestion...

[mclarengts 0]

My goal is to have a very clear and accurate sound system in my car. I want to hear all of the music. I want it to be bright and accurate..

[Shogen 325]

Without going crazy you can get a very nice component set..... Look into Alpine Type-X IMO, Rainbow, Hertz, IA comp set on SSA store is good from what I've read.... And get a nice 4 channel and bridge it... Reason I say that is if in the future you wanna go active then you have the power to do so!

[helotaxi 46]

I would recommend the Rockford 3.sixty over the Cleansweep for the simple reason that it is much more capable. The Cleansweep will give you a nice clean slate, frequency response wise, to add other processors and amplification to a stock system. The 3.sixty on the other hand will do that AND give you a full suite of processing functions from EQ to crossover to time alignment. I think the 3.sixty is cheaper as well.

I would not recommend a 4 channel amp. Here's why. If you start off running a set of component speakers using their included passive crossovers on a bridged 4-channel, you'll come to expect the headroom and the effortless output that 4x the power can provide. Going from that to an active setup on the same 4-channel will end up disappointing simply because it will lose a lot of the dynamic capability. It might technically sound better, but it will seem like a downgrade nonetheless because you're losing 6dB of headroom. I'd look for a nice big 2-channel. If you decide to go active later, you can add another 2-channel and it will be a right and proper upgrade.

That said, I'm not one to recommend brands, especially with speakers. It's just too much a personal preference.

If you're planning to get everything including the processor and have a shop install it, budget probably $1500

[mclarengts 0]

What is rainbows entry line and hi end line, they have lots of different stuff

Also What is going active

Edited August 5, 2012 by mclarengts

[helotaxi 46]

"Going active" is using an electronic crossover (before the amplifier) to divide the frequencies between the individual drivers in a system so the bass goes to the sub (this is the normal way to do this one), the mid-range goes to the midrange speaker and the highs go to the tweeter. Normally the division between the mid a tweeter in a component set is done by a passive crossover (capacitors, inductors and resistors) after the amp.

There are benefits to both kinds of setups. Good component sets have well matched drivers and the included passive crossover is designed to blend the drivers together well and account for the impedance curve of the drivers to make sure that the frequency division point doesn't wander with changing impedance. They are also simple to install and wire up and the hard part of the tuning is done for you. The disadvantages are primarliy the lack of flexibility and the fact that some power (though not that much) is lost in the crossover.

Active setups allow you to select each driver yourself and match the response of the drivers to the needs of your selected install location. It also gives you discrete control over each driver limited only by the capability of the processor(s) that you're using. This allows you to EQ each driver individually, tailor filtering points and slopes and provide phase adjustment and time alignment. The disadvantages here are cost and complexity. You need a processor capable of dividing the frequencies at the very least and ideally able to provide complete signal control over each channel. You also need a channel of amplification for every speaker in the system. Those requirements can add considerably to the cost and unless you know what you're doing when it comes time to select the drivers and tune the system, all that extra cost won't yield you any benefit and it can easily end up sounding much worse than a decent set of components with a passive crossover.

Bottom line, unless you know that you're willing to spend the time and effort to tune the system (and have the know-how or willingness to learn and a friend with the know-how), I wouldn't base any decisions on the future (and honestly unlikely) possiblity of moving to an active setup. If you just want a system to install and enjoy, active isn't the way to go and really isn't even worth considering. If you like to tinker and tune and mess around with stuff until you get it "just so" then an active setup might be for you.

[mclarengts 0]

Wow!! Hey thanks a lot for that. Now I know that's not the way for me, but it was very informative. In my Maxima I had my subs in the trunk, in the front doors I had a JL component set, not amped.. It sounded good, but I really want to do my charger right. So I want to amp the mids and highs and dyno mat the doors. Im a big musical person so I really want to enjoy clean highs. I listen to everything, rap, pop, dub step, country, top 100... Just music..