JL Audio XR650Csi vs Image Dynamics CTX65cs

[Bass911 10+ year member]

Thanks a ton. Very helpful articles. Oh, and I know the XR's are discontinued thats why I was looking at them. They can be found real cheap right now, under $180 shipped. And from my personal listening comparisons I think they sound as good if not better than the C-5's that are replacing them.

I like the Id's. $180 was all the JL's were worth in the first place.

 

[genxx 10+ year member]

You need to give the new Hybrid Audio Imagine 6.5 set a listen. I just got my first listen last week on Friday at Advantage Audio.

Listening impressions.

Midbass/Bottom end very good. I was surprised at how much midbass these had was not expecting them to get down low as well as they did.

Midrange-Very good what you would expect from a HAT product. Clean, accurate, not in your face or to laid back, just right.

Tweeter-Very Smooth with no harshness. Good top end for a set in this price range.

Myself and the guys at the shop A, B, C compared these to everything on the board.

List of everything that I compared the Imagine line in coaxial set-up to.

Hertz DSK165, Energy line ECX165, ESK165. The ECX could almost hang with them on the bottom end, not as good in the midrange and the Imagine highs where on another level. Pretty much same outcome with the ESK but the ESK tweeter is close to the Imagine line but again the midrange was just not as good.

Hertz Hi-Energy line HCX165 (well over $200 for this set)-The HCX did have better bottom end than the Imagine, midrange was pretty equal but to me the tweeter was just a little better on the Imagine.

So I found nothing in the Hertz line-up for $200 that could match the Imagine line.

Diamond Audio-Only thing I am going to say is the Imagine line were on another level even going well above the $200 mark.

JL Audio-XR650xi lacked bottom end compared to the Imagine. XR could just not fill out the bottom end as well. Midrange preferred Imagine, XR just seemed off in some of the vocal regions. Tweeter was very bright on the XR. Imagine again better tweeter.

The C5 is above the price and marketed a lot higher than the Imagine line.

C5650x Midrange was as good as Imagine but just more laid back different sound. Midbass about equal really. Tweeter about equal really. On some songs I preferred the C5 on others the Imagine.

C5650 about the same as above. The component set that was set-up with a little tuning did sound better then the Imagine.

All in all you are going to have to spend more than $200 to bet the Imagine line and in some brands it does not matter if you buy their $400 speakers they still get beat.

IMO These are a winner. After SBN I will be making some switches to the wifes vehicle. Removing the CDT in there now for the Imagine. Can't wait for a 5x7-6x8 version for the Ford rear doors ect.

The guys at Advantage Audio agreed and we all pretty much had the same assessment except some preferred the C5 a little better and some liked certain things about the HCX more. One thing we all agreed on was that there is nothing in the store for $200 that sound better period.

 

[Hoodlum007 10+ year member]

I ran the XR comps years ago and could not stand the tweeters, I am now using the ID's and like them much better overall. Deaden them doors well and the ID's will kick on the midbass.

 

[kevin lu 10+ year member]

never buy JL products again sorry JL, but ID is really that good? 1 of my Polk SR speaker is not play today and i am looking for a set of comp right now, what else is good be side ID in $400 range?

 

[kizz 10+ year member]

I agree about jl xr tweets, pretty hard on the ears, not much midbass. I did like the c5 set on the demo board tho, i wuld still want more midvass

 

[cleansound27 10+ year member]

never buy JL products again sorry JL, but ID is really that good? 1 of my Polk SR speaker is not play today and i am looking for a set of comp right now, what else is good be side ID in $400 range?

Um why no more Jl?

 

[Horsemanwill 10+ year member]

besides ID i'd go Hybrid audio

 

[kevin lu 10+ year member]

Um why no more Jl?

for the money you can get a lot better

 

[kevin lu 10+ year member]

besides ID i'd go Hybrid audio[/QUHybrid Audio doesn't have any thing under $400 and i don't like entry level

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

JL is the best man.

lulz

 

[Hoodlum007 10+ year member]

Find a local shop and try to listen to both the jl and the Id and see what you like better.

 

[turbognx 10+ year member]

Problem is there's not a shop in Michigan that sells both.

Find a local shop and try to listen to both the jl and the Id and see what you like better.

 

[Jeremy M 10+ year member]

I have both brands installed in 2 diff. cars and can say....u aren't gonna go wrong with either with the sets u mentioned (ID and JL)

 

[cam5860 10+ year member]

Take people's word man image dynamics is the shitt! I got 4 of the ID8's and I am sold for life. I have had every brand of 8's there is over the past ten years and I have never heard 8 inch subs sound this good. Jl audio subs and amps are solid. But you want to stay away from there speakers. It's there weak point. To much better sounding stuff out here to be throwing your money away on jl speakers.

 

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