Speaker question
- Thread starter DropTopDon
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My problem was find components that could handle the RMS from my front amp. I miss the old Kicker Resolutions, I sold my K2 6.75" since they were not rated high enough and went with the Polks because they can handle the power.
Not a lot of choices for components in 150+ RWS range, but I'm still looking....
Not a lot of choices for components in 150+ RWS range, but I'm still looking....
What amplifier do you have? My amp spits out 55 watts RMS and I do not need more power than that. I go as high as 30 out of 35 on the Head Unit, and I can go all the way but that is just too loud. Speakers are crystal clear at 35.
You don't want to use all the RMS from an amp, in fact that shouldn't be the goal unless, perhaps, you're competing in car audio contests. Better to have reserve power available than be pushing the amp 100%. That's just not the way to do audio. Some speakers also require more power to produce the desired SPL (sound pressure level) but other speakers don't. Turn up the gain control until it is to the loudness you like/can stand and don't worry about it not using all the amp's available power.
Not to mention the closer you get to the amplifier's wattage limit the more distortion it adds.
Agreed with Jerry hear. You want a name brand speaker with this amplifier. The more power you have, you need a higher quality speaker that will cost more money.
Those Polks will be fine, and there are a few others that you can look at, like Focal and Kicker, but you are getting into entry level competition speakers with what you are seeking. All you really need is 75 watts RMS with 150 watts peak.
BLAM makes an entry level 5.25" but they do not offer a mid level 5.25". These speakers have really good specs, but they are not as durable as a Polk, which is built to withstand water and the outdoor elements, but like I have said, the Polks are not the best sounding speaker in this price range.
Blam relax 130rc is the model and you buy through eBay or just Google it.
Jerry will like the sensitivity!
OP
Is it required that I get speaker baffle for my dash pods? I read that without them the difference in sound is minimal. I'd rather not buy them though since the recommended ones cost more than the speakers themselves
I personally would not bother installing a baffle in a Wrangler's speaker which is not exactly a prime acoustic environment lol.
Agreed with Jerry - Those pods are like a $100 and as you said cost more than the speakers themselves.
A much cheaper alternative would be the Boom Mat version which are like $8. The other pods are good but the cost makes them not worth it for the average TJ audio build. I wonder if someone could 3D print them for a much lower price...
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_696B0...-Speaker-Baffles-Slim-line-2-11-16-depth.html
Yes, brackets are needed to fit the 5.25" speakers, but those brackets would come free from Crutchfield with your speaker purchase. If you buy speakers from another place you would need to buy the brackets via Amazon/Crutchfield - part number is on Metra's website.
But make sure that the AMP you use is close to the power rating of the speaker. Clipping AMPs is the number one cause of speakers getting damaged. A clipping event is when the AMP gets overloaded and drops DC into the outputs... speakers do not like DC and will self destruct. (a clip is usually heard as a popping sound at high volumes)
Its actually common and a better practice to get an AMP that has a higher rating than your speakers.
At least in our Jeeps, an amplifier doesn't need to have a wattage rating to match the max power rating of speakers. Most speakers have a much higher rating than our ears can take inside an automotive environment. My Polk DB speakers had a 150 RMS watt power rating and my amplifier had a 60 RMS watt per channel rating and that combination could play cleanly far more loudly than I or anyone else in my Jeep could have withstood without punctured ear drums.
After all these years listening to insanely loud audio, don't you need about 200db to hear these days?
Joking around!!!
I was a musician in a former life and it occasionally got pretty loud. It was my time in the military that really did them in though, so I had to live with playing my stereos louder than most liked lol. That's why I wear twin hearing aids now and it sucks.After all these years listening to insanely loud audio, don't you need about 200db to hear these days?
OP
Just found the model number for my head unit (Pioneer DEH-X3910BT) and it only pushes out 14 RMS and 50 peak at 4 channels (according to crutchfield). I know you said it doesn't matter but is buying new speakers with my current head unit worth it? I just don't want to spend money on speakers for it to sound barely any different.
The factory speakers are not good, I'd expect a noticeable improvement with an upgrade to something like Polk's DB series or Kicker speakers. Just make sure to go with the ones with the highest Sensitivity rating, no less than 90 dB which you'll find in the speaker's specifications. If you can find a set with 93 dB Sensitivity, and I've seen a couple like that, that's what I'd go for. The higher the Sensitivity rating, the less power they require from the amplifier. Speakers with a 93 dB sensitivity rating require exactly half of the power of a speaker with a 90 dB rating to produce the same sound level.
I realize the Joking... <Grin>After all these years listening to insanely loud audio, don't you need about 200db to hear these days?
Joking around!!!
I know I have sometimes differing listening habits. It only does about 100 db without the subs, Which is quite loud and allows plenty of headroom. Been into car audio since the late 70's, Pretty abysmal when compared to today's technology.
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What amazes me, is how good class D amps have gotten. They are nearing a class A/B in quality of sound. I doubt that they will ever get the Class A sound though... I'd hate for a lower class amp to sound better than my Dynaco ST80 class A amp...
