components or 3 way?which is better?

Question

i am having a pioneer 6850mp head unit..i need to buy speakers and amp.i want to make a good system..i'll buy woofer and amp later.but b4 what should i buy ....component spekers or some 6x9 inch speakers...i'll also buy an amp to power these.which is better and louder..i am confused becoz 6x9 r big and components r very small as compared..does this mean 6x9 will be louder...plz give me a detail answer an some brand name i should spend upon

coponents r not available more than 61/2 " but 3 way oval r available in bigger sizes...which will pound more bass and quality

Answer 1

This is a complicated question and depends on your ears. Typically a good component set will be more accurate than a 6 x 9. A component set also typically has a 12db / octave crossover that is both high pass and low pass. A coaxial speaker typically uses a 6db per octave high pass only on the mids and tweeters. That means that the coaxial has more overlap in the crossover regions and the woofer in most cases is producing some amount of output well over the crossover frequency because there is no low pass.

Most laypersons can tell that a component set sounds better than a coaxial, but how much of a difference it makes to you is subjective. In my experience, even a cheap component set sounds better than a high end coaxial. I have installed component sets costing as little as $50 and been more pleased with them than coaxials costing $150+

This is not 100% true, but typically the speaker with more cone area will play deeper. If you are not planning on buying the sub in the near future, I would pay attention to the rated frequency response. Be sure to note if they are listed in terms of -3db or -10db, etc. A speaker rated to play down to 50 or 60 hz will actually produce a lot of bass. No component set or 6x9 will produce true sub bass.

Also, keep in mind that the installation of the speaker will make a huge difference in low frequency extension. If you have any air leaks around the speaker, they will allow cancellation of low frequencies. You want an air tight seal around the speakers. Also, the more you can do to create a true "infinite baffle" around the speaker, the better. for instance, if they speaker is mounted in your door, and you can create a true air tight baffle between the front of the speaker and rear of the speaker, it will give you the best low frequency response possible.

A few other thoughts on speakers. I would recommend buying speakers that fit the stock locations. This will give you the easiest install. Once you install a sub, you will not need your speakers to produce frequencies below a certain point so any speaker 5.25" and up will probably blend nicely with the sub provided you use a high pass crossover on your amp.

I also recommend putting your money into front speakers, not rear. I have seen many folks spend tons of money on their rear speakers and use stock fronts. There is this disillusion that a strong pair of 6x9's on an amp in the back seat will improve your overall system. Yes, it will give you more bass, but it will also make it feel like the sound is coming from behind U. Buy a good set of fronts and an amp to push them, and disconnect the rears. IT will sound very good as long as you do a good job installing the speakers.

Brand names really depend on your budget. If you are on a tight budget, Pioneer (like they sell at wal-mart, etc) is not a bad speaker. Sonly X-plode sounds like garbage. If you amp them, the pioneers will still sound good, and the sony's will sound even worse. I have also had very good luck with Lanzar (also not too expensive). If you are on a higher budget, I have used Infinity speakers and subs with excellent results. Eclipse it every bit as good. Image Dynamics makes excelent speakers and subs, and are a bit cheaper than infinity, etc. Rockford Fosgate are widely available, and they do make a good speaker and subwoofer.

As far as amps go, This will make a lot of people angry, but the truth is that an amp is an amp. The difference between brands is marketing. Some brands tend to be a bit more reliable than others, but the quality of what comes out of the speakers will be pretty much identical from one brand to another. The most important thing to look at with an amplifier is watts RMS. Be sure that you are comparing amps by the RMS rating, not "peak" watts. Peak means nothing. Buy an amp that is at least 50% of the RMS rating of the speakers. I would not recommend buying an amp that is rated for more than the RMS rating. Unless the amp produces at least 50 watts RMS per channel at 4 ohms, I would not bother spending the money. Chances are your head unit will produce a good 20w rms.

When selecting an amp for your speakers, I would recommend buying one that has a high pass crossover. It is possible to buy a sub amp that has a high pass on the line out later, but it will give you the most flexibility to buy one that has a built in crossover. Keep in mind that you may not use this amp to run your interior speakers forever so the more flexibility the better. If you can buy an amp that is more flexible for the same money, I would choose the amp with more options. Options that may come in handy in other applications are: bridgeable, High current (stable below 2 ohms), low pass crossovers, High level inputs, remote control, Line outputs, etc. You shouldn't need any of these for your current application so I wouldn't spend extra to get them.

A good example of this flexibility is the amp my cousin uses to run his subwoofer. I originally bought it to power my mid-bass drivers. I used it for a while. Upgraded to a new amp, and gave it to him. It works great for his sub, and he plans to use it to power his front stage once he has money to buy a bigger sub amp.

I would not buy a rockford fosgate amp. The last 2 I purchased died in less than 2 years. It appears to me that the quality of their products has gone down hill. In the past they had produced very good amplifiers, but it seems the reliability is not as good anymore. Both amps were of the 2 generations before the ones currently in stores now. I have no experience with their current amps. I have used Pioneer amps (like at wal-mart) with very good results. Be careful though, they rate in peak watts, you need to read the fine print to figure out the RMS. I've seen x-plode amps work well. I've used Lanzar with good results. Autotek makes a great amplifier.... Hifonics, Memphis, Power Acoustik, right up the chain. They all worked well. I have even used a jensen amp with good results. Keep in mind that Jensen uses massively exaggerated peak watts. Be sure to check the RMS before you buy.

Keep in mind this is all my opinion. I am sure that there may be differing opinions, especially about what company makes the "best" products. Despite what anyone may tell you, many companies make good equipment. If someone recomends a particular product, always ask: 1. have you ever used it? 2. how long have you used it? 3. what other items have you used? There are tons of online reviews of products that may be helpful too.

I am not a professional. Car Audio has been my hobby for about the past 10 years. I hope this info helps.

Answer 2

Well, a good 6 X 9 will give a broader range of sound. 5 X 7 will have more mids and high, but less bass. But, with a sub, it might work out better. BUT, a more important question is the type of vehicle you are driving. If you have a new Lexus or Infinity, you will buy one type of speaker array; if you have a 1995 Chevrolet or Ford, you will be buying something else. If the inside of your vehicle is QUIET at 40 mph and at 80 mph, you need speakers that take advantage of the quiet soundstage. If the inside of your vehicle is noisy, then it almost doesn't matter; you won't hear the nuances of good sound quality.

However, you want to look at the US made car speakers. They typically have a more balanced sound. Stick with JBL, Bose, Infinity, Polk, Boston Accoustic, and any other speaker than is made here. It is one of the few product types still made in this country that is far superior to any other offering. Do not buy the Kenwood, Sony, Pioneer, Alpine, etc. They are OK, but I think you will end up being far more content with the US products.

Answer 3

as a general rule separates will give better sound quality. a straight 6x9 would be a waste of money. they also make 6x9's that have 1 or two components mounted axially (on top) so they fit the same as a 6x9 (more or less... might have to cut cover, as they are usually higher above the mounting surface, but usually come with grills for this reason.) they also make these to fit about any standard speaker location. these are often chosen for one simple reason.... they are simple. they do not give the greatest sound quality, but they are usually good enough for the average user. the quality of these varies dramatically, even within the same brand name, so listening before you buy is a must.

for the best sound quality, separates are the way to go. my personal favorite is Boston acoustics pro series or the z6. many of these can be mounted axially, if space or ease of install is an issue, but performance typically is better separately. there are also a few lower cost brands that are pretty impressive, but I'll let others give you those names as i have limited experience with them.

as mentioned before, listen to the speakers first. only you can decide which sounds better to you.

added:
size is only part of it.... there are many 6&1/2' speakers that will outperform any 6x9 anyday. they often have mounting adapters that will also let them mount in the same hole.

think of the sound as ripples from a rock thrown in a pond. the most perfect reproduction comes from a round speaker. 6x9's give a slightly more directional element that is well suited to a small enclosed area like a car. but, because they are limited in quality, there are fewer in the high end.... just easier to make round speakers with a bigger stroke.... when you are driving that hard, you are not looking at efficiency as much. the same principle applies to solobarics, but there the directionality can lead to large increases in volume, and the tradeoff in quality is minimal due to the very low frequencies involved.

Answer 4

The amp choices are many and we try to match the amp power output to the speakers used. That said, All quality Component speakers systems use superior grade crossovers between the woofer and tweeters. When using Coaxials, most are a compromise between performance and price. Coaxials tend to use cheaper grade elements and low cost crossover parts. These may be fine in the rear speaker locations in a given vehicle. However, we want the best possible sound up front.

How loud speakers will play, is a function of amping power and efficiency ratings of a given speaker. Most car audio speakers range between 87-92dB of SPL @ 1 watt of input power. Subwoofers are larger and have more mass to move as they creat bass. Typical efficiencies for most subs will range from 85-90dB of SPL @ 1 watt/1meter away.

As for brands, it really depends on the size of your budget and how picky you are about audio accuracy. Some very good brands to consider would be: Infinity, JBL, Polk, CDT, Diamond, Eclipse or Kenwood Excelon. These tend to range between $200 - 300.00 a pair for Comps. Yes, you can get them cheaper off e-bay and careful web shopping via google too.
Hope that helps in such a brief format... Swez

Answer 5

6 x 9's will not be louder when compared to similar separates.

There's A LOT to fine tuning an audio system. For the untrained ear, there's not a huge difference in sound. If I were you, I'd taylor my system to space. Will separates fit better than 6x9's in your car?

Have an audio expert help you with suggestions once you have the sizes figured out. This way you won't end up with a speaker that's blown because it's RMS handling was too low or it's ohm rating is too low.

Answer 6

You shouldn't be worried with getting a bigger speaker to pound more bass. Your sub will do that for you. You should be worried about getting high quality highs and mids. Which is what a component set up with a crossover will do for you. You have a seperate tweeter to produce the highs and a seperate mid range to produce the mid range. Run off of an amp with a crossover they will sound awesome. When you get your sub you will then have bass with clear lyrics. So in my own opinion I would get components if I were you. I changed my speakers in my car out to Alpine Type R components and they sound so good. Well good luck with making your decision.

Answer 7

6x9's are for those who want more bass. Or for those people who don't want a subwoofer. They get 6inch speakers up front, and 6x9s at the back for their bass. You're gonna get a subwoofer later on??
I did the same exact thing. I got headunit, and speakers
Then next time around,I got 4ch amp to power the speakers and my new sub.

Get 6.5" Speakers up front, and a big 4channel amp that can power your subwoofer in the future. Don't waste money on 6x9 speakers..n dont get speakers for the rear. Save that money for your subwoofer in the future.

But for speakers, you can get the amp now or later. You can run the speakers off of your headunit for now. But get a Crossover..which filters out unwanted High Or Low frequencies. If you want to hear the vocals more from our speakers, you cut out the low sounds...basically filtering your sounds so you only get High Sounds such as vocals and instruments..clarity.

I hope that helps. goodluck

Answer 8

From what I've heard and seen, there's really not much difference. The major difference is the size. Otherwise, performance-wise, they're about the same. My roommates have a Slim model and I still have the Fat model and I've not noticed a difference in performance in using them both.

Answer 9

it all depends on your ears. go to a good stereo store and listen to as many different speakers as you can. then decide which one you like.

Answer 10

you sound confused.

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