Component Help

[jdowney 10+ year member]

Ok here's the deal, i have no knowledge on component speakers, i am considering getting the cdt cl-61 but had a few questions.

1. can anyone tell me a good site for learning some of the basics on component and coaxial speakers?

2. I plan on getting the cdt cl-61 for the front and boston acoustic coaxial's for the rear not sure the model though. can anyone suggest a good amp to get to power all four? i wont be getting the rear speakers for awhile after the cdt's.

3. do component speakers have to be installed by a proffesional? if so can anyone suggest which would be better to get installed by, best buy, circuit city, or good guys. my local shop will not install items unless you purchase from them, if you have read any other previous post by me you can get the idea that my local shop is a joke.

thanks again in advance.

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[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

1. can anyone tell me a good site for learning some of the basics on component and coaxial speakers?

We could probably answer most questions that you have. Ask away, that's why we are here.

2. I plan on getting the cdt cl-61 for the front and boston acoustic coaxial's for the rear not sure the model though. can anyone suggest a good amp to get to power all four? i wont be getting the rear speakers for awhile after the cdt's.

Well, your best bet is to get a 4 channel amp. But, to make good suggestions we will need to know your budget.

3. do component speakers have to be installed by a proffesional? if so can anyone suggest which would be better to get installed by, best buy, circuit city, or good guys. my local shop will not install items unless you purchase from them, if you have read any other previous post by me you can get the idea that my local shop is a joke.

They don't have to be installed by a professional. But, if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, then it is recommended that you let a shop or an experienced friend do it.

And I don't think it makes them a joke because they won't install gear not bought from them. What they are trying to avoid is spending all morning with a customer helping them pick out gear, then having that customer run home and buy it off of the net instead of from them, then having the customer come back a week later asking for more help (on a product not purchased from them, that they received no income off of). While labor charges for the installation will be some income, it isn't going to be enough to keep them afloat. They need to sell products.

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

Here's the deal,

The local shop is right to only want to install things bought buy them, however they charge a flat 50 for install and then additional charges per item, like if i get an amp and subs, it would be 50 for the amp then like 25 for the subs. They charge retail and have never given me a discount, now that could come off as whining, but i spent over $2000.00 there during my high school days over 2 and a half years and i really thought they would have tried to work with me on systems i wanted to do with them. I asked them strait up, why is it they charge full price on their equipment when another shop not only charges less but does free installs when you buy the equipment from them. See as a consumer you would think a place of business would try to welcome their customers but i guess over time or whatever its really come to a point where once you go in its like your expected to know what you want, displays **** as well, they usually have about 3 diffrent subs hooked up, so to me its sorta a joke.

but anyways, they dont carry cdt in the first place, so i can not have them install it. my point exactly, they only install their products and yet they only carry certain brands like kicker and jl, as well as name brands on the H/u's pioneer,alpine,ect.

LOL as for answering my questions, since i know very little about components, what are the basics? ie. whats the diffrence between a comp and coax other than the tweeter.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

A 2-way comp set consists of a tweeter, a mid and a crossover. Comp sets usually use higher quality drivers, much better crossover networks and have a higher power handling. Component sets will generally have better sound quality and be able to get louder than a co-axial.

Co-axials have the tweeter positioned on a fixed axis, usually in the center of the mid. The quality of the drivers and the crossover won't be as good as what comes in a comp set, and it will have much lower power handling.

Also, since the shop doesn't carry CDT, how do you know you will like them??

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

by the fine reviews here, actually ive heard them in a buddies car, he bought them online and had them installed at one of the best buys or cc , or so he told me, he said he didnt like the way they did it, but did not specify, i dislike best buy and CC installs from personal experience. I have thought of infinty, i know that my make, jeep had a infinty option on some models so i looked at them at the local shop and liked them, but was leaning more towards the cdt. the local shop i mention charges $299.99 for the infinity kappa 6.5 and like $399.99 for the perfect 6.5 and dont forget the 50 bucks to install them. i have nothing against them as they do quality work, but being a small local shop they are not exactly doing great as far as customer service goes, because there is a new best buy adn circuit city, but taking it out on loyal customers like i used to be wasnt the way to go.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

the local shop i mention charges $299.99 for the infinity kappa 6.5 and like $399.99 for the perfect 6.5 and dont forget the 50 bucks to install them.

That's what the on-line authorized dealer sells them for:

http://www.cardomain.com/item/INFKAPPA605CS

http://www.cardomain.com/item/INFPERFECT61

So it's not like they are trying to rip you off, that is the going aurthorized rate for them.

And BB and CC are fine for deck and co-axials....but I don't think I would trust them with my component speakers. Sounds like your best bet is too install them yourself.

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

well which would you do?

If i buy online at say onlinecarstereo.com

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=12488

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=12200

i save nearly 100 bucks on the kappa and about 70 on the perfect, now the tough part finding the shop that will install them. I know for a fact best buy and CC will install just about anything, but as far as the well part i am not sure. I would think speaker install would be pretty easy, but a component install i know nothing of, thing is it might be worth it to drive out of town, there are a couple shots that will do it, but they are shops i am not familiar with, but they are authorized dealers for such brands as JL, i dont know if that means their installs are quality though. I have no problem paying the 50 bucks for the install but to pay the msrp just doesnt seem right, been 3 years since i was into the car audio stuff, 3 years and 1 child later, much seems to have changed, but the prices seem to have stayed the same. Will i just have to bite the bullet and pay full price? oh yeah budget.

My budget is sort of no limit, with limits, i can save as much as i want, but wont spend over 500 for component speakers, but since i like the cdt and infinity i see no reason to spend my own limit.

the system i want is the sytem i want to have for as long as i have the car which could be another 200,000 miles god willing. so i want to get it right, but at the same time not go overboard, and since i have the kind i want a good SQ, its my car for work but i do use it for the weekend trip to the beach and what not.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

You don't have to pay full retail. You can order from an unathorized dealer such as onlinecarstereo, but remember those speakers come with no warranty. If they blow a month after you install them, you are up shits creek without a paddle. I never advise buying unathorized.....if you choose to though, then that is your decision.

Another thing you can do is walk into the dealer and tell them that you can find them for $XXX online, and that you understand that they can not afford to go that low in price. But, they need to come down from the MSRP or you will take your chances on-line. Majority of the time, they will meet your request and drop the price. If they don't, and you don't want to pay what they are asking, then walk out and don't buy it from them. But having a warranty is worth something, and I am willing to pay a little more for that warranty (not full MSRP prices, but I'm willing to pay higher than internet prices to get a warranty).

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

i see what your saying, and i want the warranty, ill give it a shot seeing as how i dont see an alternative really, but one of the reasons i have gone away from buying from the local shop is that they rarely give deals like what your saying, that was 3 years ago though.last time i went in i just looked at the prices a week ago. I mean i spent over 2000 there and all i got was a a 15 dollar off a sub box i bought and a t-shirt, to me i dont require a discount, but for me to spend as much money as i did there over time and not get a discount other than the 15 bucks once just turned me off, when i went back about a week ago i first off never got approached by anyone, in fact its a small store and the guy there at the time wasnt even in it, he was in the back i guess, there was another person there, so thats a total of two and he never said a word to me, gave me the head nod. oh well seems like im gonna have to pay msrp for the warranty, ill have to find a authorized shop within a couple cities that at least does the install for free or something.

btw about 3 years ago when i was last in there i asked about installing a component jl pair and got an answer that i couldnt because of my door panels or something, it was along time ago and there may have been a communication breakdown, but can anyone tell me if there are any kind of things that would prevent me from installing component speakers?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

You can fit component speakers into any vehicle.......the question is; How much modification will it require //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

A few things that prevent "drop-in" installation of component speakers: If you don't have door speakers, and only have speakers in your dash (where most component speakers won't fit). If you do have door speakers, then rear mounting depth is a concern. You need to have enough rear clearance that the speaker will fit in your door (not all speakers are the same depth). To gain some rear clearance, a speaker baffle can be made.....but then you need to worry about forward clearance (the distance from the front of the driver to the door panel). There may not be enough clearance there to allow for a speaker baffle.

But like I said, you can always custom mount speakers. Will be a lot more work though, and would be super expensive to pay a shop to do.

What kind of vehicle do you have, and where are the factory speakers?

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

funny thing is i have a 1998 jeep grand cherokee laredo, and i supposedly have infinity component speakers, but i dont think my car has them, not sure.

 

[CP400M 10+ year member]

[you have read any other previous post by me you can get the idea that my local shop is a joke.

Where in cali do you live?

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

concord,ca

 

[VTEC11 10+ year member]

Goto a different shop. There must be plenty of shops around in cali. Why are you so set on this one? And the stock infinity system dosn't come with components, i believe they are coaxes. Either way, there lower grade than the infinity's u can buy in the store.

 

[jdowney 10+ year member]

im not set on this one, but anyway i was told by a store about 25 miles away that my jeep has the comp speakers, and i think i might, ill have to wait to check it out, rear differential needed new bearings.