Component Dilemma

Ideeho · June 14, 2004

I have a Pioneer hi-power deck, like a DEH5500 or something like that, a 500 watt amp driving my sub, however am not sure where to start when I look to upgrade the fronts. The 6.5 components from MB quart look sweet, I have had a home setup of theirs and they rock, however not sure what the difference in the PCE and RCE, other than frequency, etc. I don't understand that stuff. What will work well in a good front door component system that won't break the bank? Where online has the killer deals?

Thanks fellas.

Wingnut · June 14, 2004

Well...If you aren't looking to break the bank...Stay away from MB Quart.

Mine were pretty pricey, but worth every penny.

maroonsilverado · June 14, 2004

how much you looking to spend? crossfire makes some components that sound pretty good for the money. i believe the 6.5s are right at $200. i've only heard them with an amp pushing them, not sure how they'd sound if you just use your deck. other than that alpine, infinity, kenwood just to name a few. i've got some alpine type r 5 1/4s and they sound pretty good, and i paid $200 for the set. and again, those have an amp on them. if you're wanting to get better sound you're gonna need to get an amp. no headunit is going to sound as good as a quality amp...they just dont have the power.

99GoldSilverado · June 14, 2004

Polk Audio makes some great components in the $200 - $300 range. I have a set in my truck along with Polk 4x6 in the rear. Sounds excellent.

DSZ71 · June 14, 2004

CDT cl61s....www.thezebc.om

Image Dymanics csx 62/64 ( 2 ohm or 4 ohm)...www.sounddomain.com

If you are not on a budget....DynAudio 240gts

Ideeho · June 15, 2004

I figured I'd spend a couple hundred or thereabouts for a set, not too much more. The deck is a 50W X 4 so it should be fine for pushing most speakers. Nothing for show, just want better clarity and sound for everyday drives to work.

DSZ71 · June 15, 2004

there is an online store, www.thezeb.com, has the CDT cl61s on sale for $149 shipped, cant be that price for what you'll get.

DrFock352 · June 20, 2004

JL Audio components are the way to go. I got mine for about $300.

DSZ71 · June 24, 2004

JL Audio components are the way to go. I got mine for about $300.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you can get higher quality components for the same price as the JL Audio set.

Image Dynamics CXS64.....$310

CDT CL61.......$149.00 (on sale)

Rainbow CS 265 Contour Line.....$309

Diamond Audio MM61.....$229 (on sale)

gbishop · July 10, 2004

The deck is a 50W X 4 so it should be fine for pushing most speakers

This is not exactly true. 50wx4 is a maximum power rating. You will only get 50 watts for brief moments at a time. If you are looking to run components, I HIGHLY suggest running an external amplifier. Even a 50Wx4 amplifier will sound cleaner and run more efficiently than a head unit. Believe it or not, it is easier to burn up a set of voice coils by underpowering them rather than overpowering them. The 50x4 head unit is going to be good enough for average co-ax speakers though, just not really strong enough to push a decent to good set of components very well.

As for what brands to go with, I have used Polk Audio, Kicker, and most recently, JL Audio. The Polk's tweeters left a lot to be desired to me, then again, I haven't used them in a few years. Kicker components, however, are pretty much bullet-proof. I am now running the XR 6 3/4" 3-way components up front and a set of XR 2-way components in the rear on a JBL 75x4 amp and love it. Check out my install pics from the link in my signature...

IROCMAN · July 20, 2004

Ideeho, if you're trying to get "better" sound a component set will help (midbass & separate tweeter). Some good suggestions have been made in the other posts. You would be doing your system an injustice to have just the head unit powering a set of $200 speakers. Worst thing is underpowering speakers. My old truck had a sony deck pushing front and rear component speakers. After wiring up an external amp, a small kicker impulse, there was a night and day difference in clarity at all volume levels. A good rule of thumb is to find your speakers that you want and then power them with the correct level of constant power or RMS. Head units usually only put out about around 15 watts RMS. Not enough for quality speakers. My advice is save for the amp and get it at the same time. Also, if you decide on a coaxial speaker (one without a crossover) make sure the tweeter has a bass-blocker to keep the low frequencies where they should be. Good luck!

gbishop · July 29, 2004

I totally agree. Save your money for exactly what you want, versus what you "need." Your needs will change with the size of your stack of cash. No need buying something once, then realizing you wasted your money, try to sell what you just bought for pennnies on the dollar, then have to save your money all over again.