Speaker question

[DropTopDon]

Currently, I have a 10 inch rockford fosgate sub powered by a kicker amp. The bass is fantastic but my sound is still lacking with windows open or doors off. I am planning on getting the soundbar speakers and dash speakers Chris mentioned in this thread. I have an aftermarket pioneer head unit, but I have no idea what the specs on it are. Will it be okay or will I have to get a new head unit that can support these speakers? Also is the price listed for the pair or for a single speaker?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Currently, I have a 10 inch rockford fosgate sub powered by a kicker amp. The bass is fantastic but my sound is still lacking with windows open or doors off. I am planning on getting the soundbar speakers and dash speakers Chris mentioned in this thread. I have an aftermarket pioneer head unit, but I have no idea what the specs on it are. Will it be okay or will I have to get a new head unit that can support these speakers? Also is the price listed for the pair or for a single speaker?

The Polk DB speakers Chris recommended do very well with both the factory and aftermarket head units, they don't require a lot of power to make them sound good. That's what I installed into my previous TJ and I loved them. Just make sure you get the wires connected to the speakers with the correct polarity. Reversing the polarity of speaker wiring, which puts them out of phase with the the other speakers, REALLY causes a very noticeable reduction in sound quality, bass, and 'centering' of the sound.

 

[DropTopDon]

The Polk DB speakers Chris recommended do very well with both the factory and aftermarket head units, they don't require a lot of power to make them sound good. That's what I installed into my previous TJ and I loved them. Just make sure you get the wires connected to the speakers with the correct polarity. Reversing the polarity of speaker wiring, which puts them out of phase with the the other speakers, REALLY causes a very noticeable reduction in sound quality, bass, and 'centering' of the sound.

For the dash speakers, did you have to get a new mount?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

For the dash speakers, did you have to get a new mount?

Yes, you need a metal adapter to convert the factory 4x6 opening to a round 5.25" opening. They're all over the internet, Crutchfield, and Amazon.

 

[skrelnik]

Currently, I have a 10 inch rockford fosgate sub powered by a kicker amp. The bass is fantastic but my sound is still lacking with windows open or doors off. I am planning on getting the soundbar speakers and dash speakers Chris mentioned in this thread. I have an aftermarket pioneer head unit, but I have no idea what the specs on it are. Will it be okay or will I have to get a new head unit that can support these speakers? Also is the price listed for the pair or for a single speaker?

Does that head unit have a model number on the face plate, like the picture below?

also, Chris' thread is almost 4 years old, and I would recommend to stay away from those Polks and go with the Kicker C or D series. Better speaker for a similar price. There are also better options at a slightly higher price point, but you can't beat these Kickers.

The Polks were very hollow sounding, and I now have Helix and Focal speakers in there, but years ago I had the Polks, upgraded to Kickers, and then went all out.

if you purchase 5.25" from Crutchfield they will supply, for free, the Metra adapter bracket. If you buy from another place you can hop onto Metras website and look for your part number.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

If your Polks were "hollow sounding" that's a symptom of being out of phase with each other from being miswired.

Reverse the wiring to one speaker in a pair and "hollow sounding" is the exact symptom that is produced.

 

[skrelnik]

If your Polks were "hollow sounding" that's a symptom of being out of phase with each other from being miswired.

Reverse the wiring to one speaker in a pair and "hollow sounding" is the exact symptom that is produced.

It was not the case, the speakers just lack soul, that's the best way I can explain it.

My digital sound processor has the ability to toggle the phase - sort of a neat feature. This is not my set-up, just a generic picture of the main page.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

As a long term audio guy who even used to build my own speakers and amplifiers, both vacuum tube and solid state, I really liked the sound of my previous TJ's four Polk speakers.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Does that head unit have a model number on the face plate, like the picture below?

also, Chris' thread is almost 4 years old, and I would recommend to stay away from those Polks and go with the Kicker C or D series. Better speaker for a similar price. There are also better options at a slightly higher price point, but you can't beat these Kickers.

The Polks were very hollow sounding, and I now have Helix and Focal speakers in there, but years ago I had the Polks, upgraded to Kickers, and then went all out.

if you purchase 5.25" from Crutchfield they will supply, for free, the Metra adapter bracket. If you buy from another place you can hop onto Metras website and look for your part number.

View attachment 310418

Which Helix and Focal speakers are you running?

 

[skrelnik]

As a long term audio guy who even used to build my own speakers and amplifiers, both vacuum tube and solid state, I really liked the sound of my previous TJ's four Polk speakers.

I think your technical audio skills are as good as it gets. When we compare apples to apples, green vs red is an individual preference, and I am not a fan of these specific Polks in our specific TJ application relative to the new wave of speakers that have come out over the last 5-7 years.

Which Helix and Focal speakers are you running?

I have the Helix E6X speakers: 6.5 coaxials in the overheads pods. They are now discontinued but you can find them on Ebay. These are the specs:

Power RMS / max.	60 / 180 Watts
Frequency response	55 Hz - 22,000 Hz
Impedance	4 Ω
Efficiency 1 W / 1 m	91 dB
Cone material	TW: Silk dome M: - W: Woven fiberglass
Crossover	Separate inline crossover with 6 dB slope and integrated tweeter protection
Outer diameter	165,5 mm / 6.50"
Installation diameter	143 mm / 5.63"
Installation depth	65 mm / 2.56”

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1248226487...d=link&campid=5337789113&toolid=20001&mkevt=1
For the Focal speakers I have the 5.25" Polyglass - 130 VB model...but I only use the 5.25" mid, and not their tweeter nor their crossover. I have a Micro Precision tweeter.

https://www.woofersetc.com/p-9066-130-vb-focal-polyglass-525-component-speaker-system.html
I usually buy my audio stuff from a shop called Unexpected Creations, so he can split up speakers and also find some niche brands that you and I cannot find on the internet. This guy Don is awesome, just a good person and knows his car audio - just an honest guy.

https://unexpectedcreations.com/
https://www.facebook.com/unexpectedcreationsnj/

 

[NashvilleTJ]

I think your technical audio skills are as good as it gets. When we compare apples to apples, green vs red is an individual preference, and I am not a fan of these specific Polks in our specific TJ application relative to the new wave of speakers that have come out over the last 5-7 years.



I have the Helix E6X speakers: 6.5 components in the overheads pods. They are now discontinued but you can find them on Ebay. These are the specs:

Power RMS / max.	60 / 180 Watts
Frequency response	55 Hz - 22,000 Hz
Impedance	4 Ω
Efficiency 1 W / 1 m	91 dB
Cone material	TW: Silk dome M: - W: Woven fiberglass
Crossover	Separate inline crossover with 6 dB slope and integrated tweeter protection
Outer diameter	165,5 mm / 6.50"
Installation diameter	143 mm / 5.63"
Installation depth	65 mm / 2.56”

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1248226487...d=link&campid=5337789113&toolid=20001&mkevt=1
For the Focal speakers I have the 5.25" Polyglass - 130 VB model...but I only use the 5.25" mid, and not their tweeter nor their crossover. I have a Micro Precision tweeter.

https://www.woofersetc.com/p-9066-130-vb-focal-polyglass-525-component-speaker-system.html
I usually buy my audio stuff from a shop called Unexpected Creations, so he can split up speakers and also find some niche brands that you and I cannot find on the internet. This guy Don is awesome, just a good person and knows his car audio - just an honest guy.

https://unexpectedcreations.com/
https://www.facebook.com/unexpectedcreationsnj/

Thanks Skrelnik. Appreciate the info.

 

[TheBoogieman]

For the dash speakers, did you have to get a new mount?

If you order speakers from Crutchfield, all the adapters are usually free.

 

[Dunkut88TJ]

I have been trying to decide on front speakers as well. Too many options

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I have been trying to decide on front speakers as well. Too many options

Whatever you choose make sure you verify it's Sensitivity rating is 90 dB or higher. Speakers with lower sensitivity ratings like 83-87 dB will require more power than any head unit can provide.

For example... a speaker with an 87 dB Sensitivity rating requires exactly double the wattage power to produce a specific sound level that a speaker with a 90 dB Sensitivity rating requires. Every 3dB decrease in Sensitivity means it requires twice the amplifier wattage to produce a specific sound level. And visa-versa.

You may have to dig a bit into the speaker's specifications to find its Sensitivity rating but if it's a good quality speaker it will have a Sensitivity rating.

Pay no attention the the big wattage rating in bold print used when advertising a speaker, that is only its maximum power it can take without burning out.

 

[skrelnik]

I have been trying to decide on front speakers as well. Too many options

There are so many good options out there these days, so you just need to back into your budget and overall system, once you know that the fun begins on selecting the best speaker for your personal build. Also depends on how you used your TJ, or LJ, and your personal taste.

 

[skrelnik]

Whatever you choose make sure you verify it's Sensitivity rating is 90 dB or higher. Speakers with lower sensitivity ratings like 83-87 dB will require more power than any head unit can provide.

For example... a speaker with an 87 dB Sensitivity rating requires exactly double the wattage power to produce a specific sound level that a speaker with a 90 dB Sensitivity rating requires. Every 3dB decrease in Sensitivity means it requires twice the amplifier wattage to produce a specific sound level. And visa-versa.

You may have to dig a bit into the speaker's specifications to find its Sensitivity rating but if it's a good quality speaker it will have a Sensitivity rating.

Pay no attention the the big wattage rating in bold print used when advertising a speaker, that is only its maximum power it can take without burning out.

To build off Jerry's comments, name brand company's generally do not fabricate their numbers, like Kenwood, Alpine or my favorite Audiotec Fischer.

The the lesser-known brands that spew out crazy wattage numbers are generally fabricating their numbers to get the results they want so they can market accordingly and trick the Buyer. Rockville Audio is one of these vendors. Just Google them and you see stuff like this:

A class action lawsuit was filed last month against a NY-based distributor for advertising inflated RMS power ratings on its private brand of car audio equipment.

The suit claims that E-Distributors, Inc (also known as Rockville Audio, Rockville Pro Sound and Audiosavings) deceptively advertised RMS ratings, sometimes doubling the true rating, so that a speaker advertised as handling 600 watts RMS, had a true rating of only 300 watts.

https://www.ceoutlook.com/2020/10/15/distributor-sued-for-false-rms-ratings/

 

[Dunkut88TJ]

all good info, below are the specs on my amp, there is also a kicker “truck sub” in the trunk. I have a kenwood head unit, everything sounds fantastic, but bad audio from the front. I was thinking about doing the Kickers 46csc54’s with the dash pods. I am audio ignorant when it comes to all this fun stuff . Just want a better chance to hear my tunes when the Jeep is naked. The roll bar speakers have been upgraded, not sure what brand.

 

[skrelnik]

all good info, below are the specs on my amp, there is also a kicker “truck sub” in the trunk. I have a kenwood head unit, everything sounds fantastic, but bad audio from the front. I was thinking about doing the Kickers 46csc54’s with the dash pods. I am audio ignorant when it comes to all this fun stuff . Just want a better chance to hear my tunes when the Jeep is naked. The roll bar speakers have been upgraded, not sure what brand.

@NashvilleTJ is local to you and just beefed up his system, so he can share some thoughts as well - actually I have no idea if Knoxville is close to Nashville as I live in New England and I can basically walk to the other states.

My absolute favorite audio mod, and pound for pound the most bang for the buck, are relocating the tweeters to the dash or a-pillar, and Kicker finally came out with with a set of 5.25" components with three different tweeter mounts, one being a dash mount.

But, I think you want Kicker model 47KSS504 that comes with this mount:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-KdMp3megM3u/p_20647KSS50/Kicker-47KSS504.html

 

[Dunkut88TJ]

@NashvilleTJ is local to you and just beefed up his system, so he can share some thoughts as well - actually I have no idea if Knoxville is close to Nashville as I live in New England and I can basically walk to the other states.

My absolute favorite audio mod, and pound for pound the most bang for the buck, are relocating the tweeters to the dash or a-pillar, and Kicker finally came out with with a set of 5.25" components with three different tweeter mounts, one being a dash mount.

But, I think you want Kicker model 47KSS504 that comes with this mount:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-KdMp3megM3u/p_20647KSS50/Kicker-47KSS504.html
View attachment 310543

Ha it’s not quite walking distance, about 2.5 hours. Would that speaker set up require running another wire to the head unit? Or does it tie in with the front speakers connection? I’m asking this all before I open the link lol

 

[skrelnik]

Ha it’s not quite walking distance, about 2.5 hours. Would that speaker set up require running another wire to the head unit? Or does it tie in with the front speakers connection? I’m asking this all before I open the link lol

There is an included crossover that bridges the signal to the Tweeter and Woofer". I am not the best drawer but this is how it would be wired: