Auto Audio? Which speakers

[soundsfine]

Are there any unsung bargains for car speakers like BIC and others are for home audio?

 

[annunaki]

Total Mobile Audio, and Memphis stick out if one is looking for inexpensive high perfoming coaxials/amps/subs. Otherwise, JL Audio's TR series coaxial/component speakers, W1v2 subwoofers and E-series amplifiers are great for the money. There are many others too I am sure. Go do some listening at some local shops if you can.

http//:www.jlaudio.com
http//:www.totalmobileaudio.com
http//:www.memphiscaraudio.com

 

[j_garcia]

Pyle also makes inexpensive but half decent stuff too. They can be found here, as well as a number of other budget brands. Just do a search on "car audio".

 

[Pyrrho]

Are there any unsung bargains for car speakers like BIC and others are for home audio?

It has been a few years since I was looking for speakers for my car. However, what I did was visit every local shop I could find, and listened to as many different speakers as I could that were not outrageously expensive. I thought about the materials used in a car, as it must be able to handle heat and humidity. I ended up buying Polk speakers, which I thought were the best in my relatively low budget for car speakers (I wasn't going to spend nearly as much on car speakers as for my home because of road noise, etc., that makes car listening far inferior to home listening, no matter what speakers one uses). The materials used were also such that they should hold up well in a car (e.g., rubber surrounds instead of that cheap foam, etc.).

My advice is to do what I did; go and listen to as many different speakers as you can (not bothering with speakers too far out of your budget, as it does not matter what something sounds like if you can't afford it), and pick the ones you like the best. Only remember that they are going to sound different in your car than they did in the shop (most likely worse, particularly if they are aimed at your feet like in so many cars).

 

[Brandst]

Alot is going to depend on your car as well. Different cars have different positions for the speakers and aim them differently, as well as having different volume interiors. That said, one of the best that my car club has found for our cars, Mazda Miatas, is Lightning Audio 6.5" coaxials that go for next to nothing at Wally World.

The biggest problem with car audio is you can never judge the way a speaker sounds in the showroom and alot of places don't have good return policies if you don't like them. Shop around at large reputable shops that deal exclusively with car audio and ask them about systems they've heard in similar cars. Don't be afraid to ask them about lines they don't carry, just ask questions you know the answer to already to guage how honest they are being.

Steve

 

[soundsfine]

That said, one of the best that my car club has found for our cars, Mazda Miatas, is Lightning Audio 6.5" coaxials that go for next to nothing at Wally World.

Wow. They really are next to nothing: $39.53US on the site.

 

[annunaki]

I am not trying to be a mean here, but those lightning audio speakers sounded like "next to nothing" when compared with a speaker at around $70-$80 a pair (Total Mobile Audio).

 

[Brandst]

Your right, the sound of the speakers will vary greatly from one vehicle to another. I had heard Lightning speakers in other cars and thought they sounded like crap. I have Infinity 6x8 seperates in my Miata but our sound guru on Miata.net swears by the Lightning for Miatas. Without knowing what car they may be going in it is hard to give a reccomendation, so I just threw out what has worked for some club members. I had a pair of Eclipse Point Source 6.5" in my Sentra years ago when they first came out, they went great in that car, some of the best sounding car speakers I've heard without EQ. I heard things in my music I had never heard before with the Eclipse and would reccomend them to anyone, however, they are not cheap.

Also, need to think about whether you will power them off the head unit or a seperate amp. That small choice can have a large impact on sound quality and quantity from alot of speakers


Steve

 

[annunaki]

An external amplifer can work wonders. Most head units will do 12-18 watts of continuous power (even though they claim 50 watts x 4). However, that is usually at 1% thd, or where the amplifier begins to clip, and usually with 1 channel driven. An external amplifier, even one that does a measly 30 watts per channel rms, will make the system sound much better. It will improve bass response, dynamics, imaging and more. Installation is just as important as the product itself. Using some sound dampening material on the doors or rear deck can help out a lot. If, you are not comfortable installing, find a good, reputable, install shop to help you out.