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Please educate me on car speakers
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Mr Kino
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Apr 19, 2005, 01:36 PM
 
I went to several stores this weekend looking for a Box, two 12''s and an amp. But i was overwhelmed. i mean what makes a speaker i buy from best buy any better than a speaker i buy from lets say, wal-mart?

i am just so frustrated by what my friends tell me, some say that a speaker is a speaker others start to talk about brand names and how much better alpines are to sonys.

Any suggested reading would be greatly apreciated.

Thank you

p.s. its for this car

     
JustAnOl'Broad
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Apr 19, 2005, 01:48 PM
 
I'm interested in this topic too; just haven't had the time to do
alot of research. I need the full set-up tho; wanna replace the
stereo with an Alpine or similar the I can wire in an iPod adapter.
But the speakers need work the most; 2 in the front doors of a
'92 Subaru wagon are not gonna cut it.
Note; it has some neat storage panels in the rear compartment
that I may be able to mount new speakers into.

Good luck with your project Kino.
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Zimmerman
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Apr 19, 2005, 02:22 PM
 
http://forum.sounddomain.com/

A galaxy of information is there. Use the search feature to find threads that might answer your questions.

But to summarize, there are big brands, cheap brands, good brands, and expensive brands. Everybody has their favorites depending on what sound characteristics they are looking for. I find Sony subwoofers (generally 8" diameter speaker and larger) can deliver really high sound pressure level (SPL) but don't offer the same quality sound quality (SQ) as other brands such as Alpine, Kicker, JL Audio etc etc. Read up, it'll take a while but you can familiarize yourself if you are willing.

Nice Superleggeras, btw.

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Mr Kino  (op)
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Apr 19, 2005, 02:34 PM
 
"Nice Superleggeras???? Damn i must be getting old, what do you mean by that??
     
Goldfinger
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Apr 19, 2005, 02:47 PM
 
I think he means the wheels.

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Zimmerman
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Apr 19, 2005, 07:07 PM
 
I assumed they were OZ Superleggeras model wheel but perhaps I am incorrect? They might be Kazera KZ-S's?

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sideus
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Apr 19, 2005, 07:34 PM
 
     
GSixZero
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Apr 19, 2005, 08:05 PM
 
I dunno what they are, but they're not Superleggeras. Superleggeras have 12 spokes.

     
Zimmerman
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Apr 19, 2005, 10:21 PM
 
Yup. 10 vs 12 spokes. My bad. Not Superleggeras. Still verah verah naace rimz.

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phantomdragonz
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Apr 19, 2005, 10:58 PM
 
so back on topic here...

before some asshat broke into my car and stole my stereo I had a single 10" JL audio (10w0) in a bandpass (the front of the speaker was in an enclosed space while the rear was vented) box.

I loved it, I did not want to type of bass you can hear all the way down the street, I just wanted a fuller sound... and WOW it totally did the job for me. The best part about the JL audios is that they are supposed to take less power to deliver the same amount of sound, so I could skimp on the amp, although I wont next time...

When I build another setup in my car I will go with a single JL audio (12w0) and a decent amp. It will be more then plenty for my liking.. I just need to replace the blown speaker first =)


** REAL ADVICE HERE**

I went to cartoys and listened to all the subs, they have a little box where you type in numbers and it switches speakers and such... I found a deck similar to mine and went from there, I knew NOTHING when I did this, but I walked out with something i was happy with, it sounded nice. The only thing I wish I did was buy a bigger amp, I only had a 150W amp and I wish I went with a 200W one at least.

SO, go to cartoys or a similar place and just listen to some setups, ask them about the multitude of different enclosures and learn, and believe me, not all speakers are speakers... the dude showed me one what seriously just rattled, and made VERY little sound... and it was not broken...


Zach
     
AssassyN
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Apr 19, 2005, 11:57 PM
 
I'm gonna vouch for JL here. I love my single 12" JLW6 subwoofer.

Esentially anything in those dept. stores (BB, CC, etc.) are garbage or overpriced. Don't buy from there. Order a JL or high-end Rockford Fosgate online somewhere. As far as amps, JL & Rockford get my picks there too.

Unless you want to win contests, a single 12" in a sealed or ported box w/ 200-500 watts will MORE than provide the thump in the trunk. And please, invest in Dynamat. Yes, it's expensive, but it keeps your trunk from rattling and turning your car into a ghetto-machine, and it improves the in-car sound tenfold.
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iDu
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Apr 20, 2005, 03:24 PM
 
Actually JL does not authorize the selling of their equipment online. If you do buy JL stuff online, it doesn't come with a warranty. Just a little side note.

Also, I've have great experiences with JL, Rockford, Alpine, and Kicker, and they were all great. If I were to pick one brand I most partial to it would be JL Audio.
     
LegendaryPinkOx
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Apr 20, 2005, 06:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by iDu
Also, I've have great experiences with JL, Rockford, Alpine, and Kicker, and they were all great. If I were to pick one brand I most partial to it would be JL Audio.
I havn't had much experience with JL and Kicker, but in the past I've had both Rockford Fosgate and Alpine subs, and both are excellent performers. I recently overhauled my baby Z with an all Alpine setup and couldn't be happier. (well, almost all Alpine; I still use my old rockford punch amp to drive the 6"x9"s in the doors.)

Oh yeah, the first amp I ever bought was a 250 watt road gear from wall-mart . Believe me there is no comparison. Even the Rockford 125 which put out half the wattage pushed the sub louder and with better detail than the road gear. Neither compare to my new alpine 600 coupled with a 12" type R though
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memento
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Apr 21, 2005, 12:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mr Kino
I went to several stores this weekend looking for a Box, two 12''s and an amp. But i was overwhelmed. i mean what makes a speaker i buy from best buy any better than a speaker i buy from lets say, wal-mart?

i am just so frustrated by what my friends tell me, some say that a speaker is a speaker others start to talk about brand names and how much better alpines are to sonys.

Any suggested reading would be greatly apreciated.

Thank you

p.s. its for this car

It depends a lot on the person and their ears. In general I would say to start at a car audio store to learn reputable brands. MB Quart, Polk, Sony, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, JL, etc. Then listen to them individually comparing the same piece of music to hear the differences. Take a nice selection of music and make your decision. Also note that the speaker will sound different when it's in your car. If possible, test it in a car. People can argue brand vs. brand all day, but in the end it's your ears. For example I personally have never heard a Boston Acoustics speaker that I liked. Others love them. My car has 2 rockford fosgate component speakers and 2 15" Sony subs. Nice balance.
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