Speaker Education Wanted
- Thread starter All2kool
- Start date
hite337
Hite Performance
5x7 or 6x8 factory hole. I have kicker DS 5x7's in all 4 doors and the factory rear deck sub box.
I put Polk components in the front doors (the tweeter is surface-mounted on the panel opposite the outside mirrors) and Infinity Reference speakers in the rear doors. I also added an RF amp..... It was quite a bit of work and wiring, but I am still, 14 years later, satisfied with the results.
I guess I should have been a little more clear - I am wondering what years of Speakers from another LS or FoMoCo car is Plug-N-Play.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
All years (2000-2006) will be plug-n-play, but you'll want to match to the sound system you have. Example, if you have the basic system without subs, then you don't want speakers from an LS with the premium or the THX system because those speakers don't produce the lows.
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
Something we have in common. I too prefer Polk speakers. When I do a system, it's an Alpine stereo, Polk speakers. Went with a Kenwood amp/subwoofer in my pickup, due to the location the amp needed to go it was the only thing that would fit. Works well enough though, for someone who doesn't go thumpty thump down the road annoying everyone else.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Could you post a picture? I've been shopping for components to replace my stock Audiophile door speakers and knee tweeters, especially since I opted to not reconnect the tweeters to the new head unit. I've seen component tweeters mounted to the dash and think they look awful. My only problem with the mirror area is I don't want them to look tacky and out of place either
Sure.... Give me a bit...
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
No problem, I'm in no rush whatsoever. Did they happen to be these (or the older version)? 5-1/4" component
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107DB5251/Polk-Audio-db5251.html?tp=106
They look pretty nice and comparing to some others in that price range ($130 now, 190 normal), they seem to be one of the best speakers with 100w RMS power handling and 93db sensitivity
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107DB5251/Polk-Audio-db5251.html?tp=106
They look pretty nice and comparing to some others in that price range ($130 now, 190 normal), they seem to be one of the best speakers with 100w RMS power handling and 93db sensitivity
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
I wouldn't do 5.25s... you lose out on too much mid bass, if your not going to use 6x8 speakers, use 6.5" speakers with 6x8 adapters.
also, right now, some of the best speakers I have ever heard (well for less than a few hundred bucks a pair) are pioneer D series (TS-Dxxxxx) just make sure to get the 2013-2014 series, this year they changed the tweeter and they dont quite sound as good... but sonicelectronix had them on a damn good sale for under $80 a pair...
a couple of months ago, I put a couple of pairs of them in my brother inlaws new F150, sounds amazing, honestly almost sounds as good as my $600 a pair Kicker QS speakers. they are built very similar too, woven Kevlar like cones are very light and responsive, but very strong to keep the distortion down.
direct bolt ins
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_11270_Pioneer-TS-D6802R.html
at $79, its a steal, back when we sold them in store, they almost cost $200 a pair and were a bargain at that price!
they are a tad on the inefficient side, so they really shine with a little more power(but then again, a separate amp always makes the music sound so much better), but not absolutely needed.
also, right now, some of the best speakers I have ever heard (well for less than a few hundred bucks a pair) are pioneer D series (TS-Dxxxxx) just make sure to get the 2013-2014 series, this year they changed the tweeter and they dont quite sound as good... but sonicelectronix had them on a damn good sale for under $80 a pair...
a couple of months ago, I put a couple of pairs of them in my brother inlaws new F150, sounds amazing, honestly almost sounds as good as my $600 a pair Kicker QS speakers. they are built very similar too, woven Kevlar like cones are very light and responsive, but very strong to keep the distortion down.
direct bolt ins
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_11270_Pioneer-TS-D6802R.html
at $79, its a steal, back when we sold them in store, they almost cost $200 a pair and were a bargain at that price!
they are a tad on the inefficient side, so they really shine with a little more power(but then again, a separate amp always makes the music sound so much better), but not absolutely needed.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
also if you dont have the factory subs, adding a small amp like this one, and leaving the cross overs off actually will give very strong bass output, almost as good as the factory subs do...
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_60631_Alpine-KTP-445U.html
can install under the dash (well over top of the glove box...) and doesn't need any expensive wiring kits. seriously a lot of power for taking up very little space. works great with aftermarket amps and even works great with factory stereos.
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_60631_Alpine-KTP-445U.html
can install under the dash (well over top of the glove box...) and doesn't need any expensive wiring kits. seriously a lot of power for taking up very little space. works great with aftermarket amps and even works great with factory stereos.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
I have the Audiophile package with what I'm pretty sure are 5.25"s and 1.5"s placed side by side in a 6x8 basket, so I figured nice 5.25 components could only be better. This may not be the exact part, but it's looks very similar. I didn't investigate it much when I had the door panel off
At this point, I think I'm pretty set on a component setup, especially if I could match up my spare Mach tweeter grilles from my Taurus to the LS
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
yes better 5.25 components will sound better than poor OEM 5.25 components, but they wouldn't sound as good as the 6.5" version of the same speaker... I just figure if you're going to spend the money and do the work, why not get the one that would sound better and usually only cost a few more bucks.
also the OP said that he had the standard/base package, so for him not having subs, he definitely would not want to go with 5.25 as having that midbass (or in that case the only bass) would be even more critical it would be for him.
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
You can get remote tweeters to color match perfectly with SEM upholstery dye. The stuff matches perfectly and is almost impossible to get off once on. The trick is very light coats, with plenty of drying time. Last one I did was on a 96 Tahoe, spent 2 weeks spraying the pieces down, one very light coat per night. The speakers came with a set of flat mounts and a set of angled mounts. The spares went in my nut and bolt box about 10-12 years ago. If I give them a wipe, they show no scratches to the color. And, they were dark gray to black, sprayed them light tan.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Thanks. I'm on the fence about the look. My current doors+shelf subs setup seems to have enough high end for me, so I'm not sure if the cutting, wiring, and appearance is worth the effort for me
Ah, I didn't realize that's what you meant.
I noticed many of the 5.25 and 6.5 components' reviews complain about lacking bass. Do you have any input on that? Is there a significant difference between 6.5s and 6.75s? Depth? There are many more 6.75s than 6.5s available. Is a component system even worth the effort? I haven't given any thought to the speakers in a long time
Good to know. That could come in handy with some other projects. Thanks
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1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
most people replace speakers expecting better sound, but better sound to a lot of people is "more bass" honestly if you replace a normal factory speaker with an aftermarket speaker, there will not be much if any more bass, honestly, most of the time there will be a little less bass. this is due to most factory speakers being one way, and most aftermarket speakers being two way (or more) those extra drivers require some power to drive which leaves less power (again, not much) for the bass woofer. also good components tend to be a little more heavy duty than an OEM speaker, and thus are not quite as efficient and therefor sometimes need a little more power to be just as loud. then there is the part where most of the time, the aftermarket speaker have a much better tweeter, and therefore have much louder and clearer highs, but the woofer is still the same size so there is not an increase in bass, and with louder highs but not louder bass, they feel like the bass is actually less.
no, not really, some times the 6.75 can handle a little more power, but a lot of the time the motors structure is the same, its just 6.5s are more popular in american and Japanese cars and 6.75 are more common in German and euro cars. also you having the OEM subs mean that your really not going to be worried about actual bass, the subs handle that, your door speakers will mostly be handling mid bass mids and highs
the biggest advantage to components is that the higher mounted tweeter gives a wider sound stage and being higher makes it less likely for some of the sound to get muffled by a passengers legs. if this is not a problem for you, then you would probably be fine with a drop in coaxial speaker, not to mention its a lot easier to put in since there is not a tweeter to mount somewhere and a crossover to wire in.
The base speakers in the LS are paper whizzer cones. Pretty pathetic, actually. The Alpine and THX plate speakers are much, much better.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
I remember seeing that now from last time I replaced factory speakers. It doesn't take much power to push paper.
Especially since they look like this now
View attachment 828470277
Though I still haven't replaced the factory amp... My only concern was if the fronts were too bassless, the bass would just sound like it was coming from the back, rather than sounding like it's part of the music. I guess some DSP tuning in my aftermarket head would fix that.Idunno, I'm still undecided. Those TS-D's you linked to are good for the price, ease, and "just get it done" factor, but components have strong "because I can" and "because why not" connotations
I don't even know why I suddenly care. A week ago, I had absolutely no plans to do anything with the doors, now I feel like I need to decide in the next few days
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
First, a bit of background about me. I wish I could hear, because to be perfectly honest a Kraco system with a pair of 20 dollar, 4 inch 3-way surface mounted box speakers sounds about as good as the highest end system in existence. Instead of good hearing, I am instead blessed with an incredibly sensitive nose. Such a joy to have, especially when the guy you work next to for 12 hours thinks the soap and the tooth brush are weekly events. What really pisses me off is I can't diagnose sound issues. My sense of smell is so good that if the driver of the car in front of me on the interstate lights a cigarette, I can identify the brand they're smoking. On the other hand, sound is two-dimensional to me, not 3-dimensional. I can tell a general direction if it's loud enough to get by the tinnitus, but that's as far as I can go. Luckily my wife has excellent hearing (and can't smell month old rotten milk, figure the odds eh?) so when I hear something off she pinpoints it for me once I describe it enough for her to identify the sound.
Anyhoo, since the thread is Speaker Edumuhcation, the lower the frequency, the less you have to worry about directionality. This is why you can put a subwoofer anywhere it will fit, but tweeters need to be positioned so they face the listener and aim at their ears. Midrange should point towards the ears but in the door is fine. Oddly enough, the larger midrange speakers work best in front with smaller in the rear even though you get a better fit for larger speakers in the rear. When I put a good system in my car, I put it in for my passengers, not for me. What I put in for me is air freshener. Woof!
Why Hannah... you smell... aroused. Are you thinking about my... nose?
Anyhoo, since the thread is Speaker Edumuhcation, the lower the frequency, the less you have to worry about directionality. This is why you can put a subwoofer anywhere it will fit, but tweeters need to be positioned so they face the listener and aim at their ears. Midrange should point towards the ears but in the door is fine. Oddly enough, the larger midrange speakers work best in front with smaller in the rear even though you get a better fit for larger speakers in the rear. When I put a good system in my car, I put it in for my passengers, not for me. What I put in for me is air freshener. Woof!
Why Hannah... you smell... aroused. Are you thinking about my... nose?
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Bass may be universal, but if the time delay/DSP is off, you'll likely still be able to locate the source. Well, I can. I think the sub DSP is separate from the main 4 channels, so I haven't touched it yet.
Anyway, Telco, have you seen and tried this? I hear it's only temporary, but I can;t tell you how long it helps
Anyway, Telco, have you seen and tried this? I hear it's only temporary, but I can;t tell you how long it helps
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
that shouldn't really be a problem. our ears localize high frequency's much more than lower frequency's, lower bass notes we hear but have a much harder time being able to tell exactly where its coming from, and the ability to tell next to disappear the lower it gets. with your head unit, you should be able to lower the Low Pass Filter to cut out enough high range to keep from hearing too much bass in the back.
the other side of that is why separate tweeters is such a good idea!
your concern is also why I don't recommend 5.25 speakers when 6.5 (or 6x8 but few companies make 6x8 components any more) speakers fit in with the same amount of work (either will need a simple speaker adapter). the larger and better your front woofers are, the lower you can set the subs LPF and the lower you can set the speakers High Pass Filter without the speaker distorting at higher levels.
I ordered a replacement from FordParts.com - $25.86, shipped to the dealer for free. Better than Pick-N-Pull, better than EBay.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Yes, I wouldn't bother with speakers from a junkyard either.