Here it is, CDT EF 61 Cfi vs. Rainbow SLC

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

So through dealers, the CDT EF CFi is 150 shipped, and the rainbows i can pick up from a local store for 230. I have a Nine.2 for an amp. Are the rainbows really worth 100 dollars more, or should I go for the ef's? I had the EF's in my old car, and while they were nice, they weren't great at very loud volumes. The tweeters tended to distort on some songs which was very annoying, and at loud volumes they started to distort. Other than that, they ruled. So should i go for the rainbows, or CDT's?

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[Boulderguy 10+ year member]

As I understand it - I don't have personal experience with these - but the CDT's don't like a lot of power & the mid likes to cook when pushed.

But really you're gonna have to listen to both to decide what you like.

 

[dinty01 10+ year member]

id go with the rainbows, i have a set of rainbow 3 ways and i wish be installing them, if i was going to keep my truck id be installing them but i thought they would be the best . . . but its up to you, id advide to find a store that has both sets on display and listen to them each, i havent heard anything bad about the CDT's thought too, so i think either choice would be good

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

As I understand it - I don't have personal experience with these - but the CDT's don't like a lot of power & the mid likes to cook when pushed.
But really you're gonna have to listen to both to decide what you like.

****, thats not for me then. Maybe that's why they always sounded a little distorted at high volumes? On some songs they sounded amazing at high volumes, but other ones with a lot of midbass, they just didn't sound too healthy. Plus the tweeter distortion was annoying. Also, the fact that the speakers kept breaking was kind of irrating as well. Although CDT's customer service was top notch and they fixed them everytime i sent them, it was very annoying having to constantly take them out and sent them in to be fixed. Hopefully the SLC's can take more punishment, and won't break all the time? I think all 3 times i sent my CDT's in, the spiders just broke on it.

 

[Boulderguy 10+ year member]

Maybe. That's second hand info from a very experienced installer who's replaced quite a few CDT's under warranty. Don't know which model tho.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

Maybe. That's second hand info from a very experienced installer who's replaced quite a few CDT's under warranty. Don't know which model tho.

hmm. mike from CDT was great though, even when the speaker's ran out of warranty, he still replaced them for me. But it would have been better if they wouldn't have broke though at all.

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

I ran the CDT ef-63 braxials with the aluminum tweets in my s10 and thought they sounded incredible. I had my doors completely deadened/sealed and was giving the cdt's ~180 watts per side and they rocked. Kickdrums out of them amazed me. The highs were nice without being over-bearing or fatiguing.

Never heard the rainbows so can't comment there.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

I ran the CDT ef-63 braxials with the aluminum tweets in my s10 and thought they sounded incredible. I had my doors completely deadened/sealed and was giving the cdt's ~180 watts per side and they rocked. Kickdrums out of them amazed me. The highs were nice without being over-bearing or fatiguing.
Never heard the rainbows so can't comment there.

honestly, i would buy the exact same CDT set I used to have without question, if they didn't break on me multiple times and have tweeter distortion. That was kind of a turn off for me. But when they weren't distorting, they sounded great, i can't even listen to stock radio's anymore because amped speakers have spoiled me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif Im living in hell right now with the factory bose system in my acura until i get my stuff put back in.

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

honestly, i would buy the exact same CDT set I used to have without question, if they didn't break on me multiple times and have tweeter distortion. That was kind of a turn off for me. But when they weren't distorting, they sounded great, i can't even listen to stock radio's anymore because amped speakers have spoiled me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif Im living in hell right now with the factory bose system in my acura until i get my stuff put back in.

Maybe you were giving them more power than I was. Mine never distorted and got more than loud enough for me. I woulda been more concerned with overdriving the mid before the tweeter in my install.

Only one way to see if you like the rainbows better and that is to try them out //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

And yes, after having a properly deadened front stage with good speakers and good power it almost hurts to listen to a stock setup.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

Maybe you were giving them more power than I was. Mine never distorted and got more than loud enough for me. I woulda been more concerned with overdriving the mid before the tweeter in my install.
Only one way to see if you like the rainbows better and that is to try them out //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

And yes, after having a properly deadened front stage with good speakers and good power it almost hurts to listen to a stock setup.

mine was only giving it 100 watts per speaker, and i thought they were rated for 150? Oh well though, doesn't really matter anymore.

 

[slick rick 10+ year member]

I would take the rainbows...I used to have the CL's and the detail is amazing from the bows compared to the CL's. And IIRC, the Ef's are not substantially different from the CL's.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

I would take the rainbows...I used to have the CL's and the detail is amazing from the bows compared to the CL's. And IIRC, the Ef's are not substantially different from the CL's.

are the rainbow's harsh at all in their highs? I liked that the CDT's were very mellow in the highs, and didn't hurt my ears with shrill highs.

 

[kublkmax 10+ year member]

Rainbow are by no means harsh at all. very natural sound

 

[slick rick 10+ year member]

The 'Bows I have heard (Contour, SLC, and my germs) have no harshness like my cdt's, but they have MUCH more detail.

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

Having never heard the Rainbows, and knowing they enjoy a good reputation, I really would not vote one over the other.

Having said that, I have had no problems with my CDT EF's at all. No distortion. Never really had the impression that they could not handle power I was sending and then some. In fact, the one reason I am not currently considering a set of HD's is that I have heard they need marginally more power than I really care to devote to my front stage. (that and I like to try new things)

Not saying anyone else is wrong - just that some of the opinions differ from my own experience and what I have heard others say.