Please help me find a set of 4x6's and 5.25's to match...

[SHMaRiM]

Looking for suggestions for a set of 4x6's and 5.25's to go in my Mk1 Cabriolet.

Currently I have some Phoenix Gold RSd460's (4x6, 5-40w RMS, 80w Peak, sens. 87dB) and RSd5's (5", 5-50w RMS, 100w Peak, sens. 88dB)

The mounting style for the 4x6 is known as 4x6m. It had 4 sheet metal tabs off each corner rather than a plate. I'd rather stick with this style to make a easy transition without too much custom fab. A mix between top and bottom mount since the grill sandwiches the speaker between the door card.

The mounting style for the 5.25 is similar with 4 sheet metal tabs off each corner. However, this speaker is not sandwiched between the door card, so there is a little room for thicker tabs.

I'm looking for a set of speakers that would be an upgrade from what I have. I'll worry about matching to amps later on. However, I'd like to get speakers from the same company. I listen to everything from hip hop, to dupstep, to indie, to rock... Not much of a country fan. So I'll need good high's and mids. I have a sub for lows, but speakers capable of playing some lower tones (clearly) would be good.

Honestly, I have no idea what would be an upgrade from what I have, but I know there are better speakers out there. Most important, IMO, is finding a decent set of 4x6's since better 5.25's to pair them with are easier to come by.

Any suggestions/help would be much appreciated.

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[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Car Selector

 

[SHMaRiM]

I'm looking at my rear speaker location and I think I can fit a 5.25" in the rear as well with a little modification. So... I have a few questions.

1. Would it be better to put a coaxial in the rear and component in the front? Or use components on both and drill a hole for a tweeter. There should be plenty of room for either option.

2. I've been looking at mb quart speakers but would like to get some reviews before biting the bullet. I like the onyx series since it has a 1" tweeter that would fit perfect in the stock location up front. Its also a silk speaker which I've been told sounds better than the bright aluminum ones... The other option is the reference series, but if the onyx sounds great, Idk if I'll bother spending the extra. Either way, its pretty cheap but I'd love to hear from anyone with mb quart speakers.

3. If you have any other suggestions that would be great. I've searched through sonicelectronix and crutchfield, as well as many other sites, but reviews are scarce. Preferably, I'd like to just upgrade to something better than my current Phoenix Golds. They are fairly old and the crossover on the fronts is laughable. Its an old sony that the previous owner must have found at RadioShack or something...

4. Also, if possible, I'd like to stick with one company for the speakers, 10" sub, and amps. I can't necessarily build a system with too much power given its a mk1 VW with a 90a alternator. I'm thinking roughly 75-80w per channel for speakers, and about 200-250w for the sub.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

Just make adapters and get components

 

[SHMaRiM]

If I get new door cards like I was already planning on doing, they come without holes for speakers. I can easily cut a 5.25" hole in the rear instead of a 4x6. There is about a 5.1" tall open section in the back panel that I would need to trim in order to fit some 5.25". Given the amount of room I could mount the tweeter in front or behind that and attach it to the door card.

Here's a reference picture to the speaker area I am referring to where some guy mounted 5x7's. I think I'd rather have round speakers though...

I'm more interested in anyone's take on the mb quart speakers... I've heard good things about their older stuff but it's hard to find anything about their current lineup.

 

[SHMaRiM]

Bump... Anyone with info on MB Quart? From what I've heard their old stuff is excellent, but there is very little information on their newer product lineup.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Generally, it's better to use a component speaker in the front and keep it simple with coaxials in the rear. Some people skip the rear speakers, especially if they're small. On MB Quart specifically, there aren't many people on here using those speakers. Plus if you get a reply about them you have to remember we all have our own preferences, and some people do prefer an aluminum tweeter to a silk tweeter, like I do.

For a different brand suggestion, I strongly recommend you consider JBL. It will cost you more than going with MB Quart, but they're a really strong option for a good value, especially the GTO EZ amplifiers and GTO speakers and subs.

I can't necessarily build a system with too much power given its a mk1 VW with a 90a alternator. I'm thinking roughly 75-80w per channel for speakers, and about 200-250w for the sub.

If you use efficient amplifiers, optimize all parts of your electrical connections(Big 3 is a necessity), and don't try to go big on the subwoofer amplifier you can run more than 1,000W RMS on a healthy 90a alternator. My car has a 90a alternator and if I add up all my amplifier channels, taking the different impedances into consideration, I'm at 1350W RMS. This is ignoring the load presented by my MS-8 processor with 2 of the 8 amplifier channels put to use for my rear speakers. Half of this is dedicated to the speakers, the other half is for a single subwoofer. It's all in the way you set it up, the music you listen to and how much you want the bass to overpower the rest.

I'm not trying to convince you to buy more power, I'm just telling you what can be done with a small alternator.

 

[SHMaRiM]

Generally, it's better to use a component speaker in the front and keep it simple with coaxials in the rear. Some people skip the rear speakers, especially if they're small. On MB Quart specifically, there aren't many people on here using those speakers. Plus if you get a reply about them you have to remember we all have our own preferences, and some people do prefer an aluminum tweeter to a silk tweeter, like I do.
For a different brand suggestion, I strongly recommend you consider JBL. It will cost you more than going with MB Quart, but they're a really strong option for a good value, especially the GTO EZ amplifiers and GTO speakers and subs.

If you use efficient amplifiers, optimize all parts of your electrical connections(Big 3 is a necessity), and don't try to go big on the subwoofer amplifier you can run more than 1,000W RMS on a healthy 90a alternator. My car has a 90a alternator and if I add up all my amplifier channels, taking the different impedances into consideration, I'm at 1350W RMS. This is ignoring the load presented by my MS-8 processor with 2 of the 8 amplifier channels put to use for my rear speakers. Half of this is dedicated to the speakers, the other half is for a single subwoofer. It's all in the way you set it up, the music you listen to and how much you want the bass to overpower the rest.

I'm not trying to convince you to buy more power, I'm just telling you what can be done with a small alternator.

Good post and thank you for the reply.

I currently have a 10" JBL sub and at the time, for the price, it was a steal. It's not anything from their higher end section, but works for my application. I was always skeptical of JBL because of other things I had heard in the past. I don't really know what brands to look for these days because older brands that were amazing have since gone down the drain, and anything else seems to be hit and miss depending on what product year/version the electronics are.

I'm thinking 75-80w RMS (x4) and about a single 250-300w RMS 10" sub should be plenty given how small the car is. I listen to all kinds of music (indie, rock, hip-hop, dubstep, 90's) but I love clear lows/bass. Overall, I'd like something that will bug out the least with lower frequencies at higher volume... and of course an upgrade from my jensen amps and old phoenix gold speakers. Preferably, just a solid system but I'm not worry about competing or anything.

I'm interested in the speakers you have in your signature... Any info?

MB is definitely not my price range. I just saw they were cheaper and the older MB stuff has awesome reviews. Mid-line Focal stuff, on the otherhand, is more than I'm willing to spend.

I figure $100-150/pair isn't that bad... $200/pair is cutting it...

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Good post and thank you for the reply.
I currently have a 10" JBL sub and at the time, for the price, it was a steal. It's not anything from their higher end section, but works for my application. I was always skeptical of JBL because of other things I had heard in the past. I don't really know what brands to look for these days because older brands that were amazing have since gone down the drain, and anything else seems to be hit and miss depending on what product year/version the electronics are.

JBL is still owned by the same company as always, Harman International. They have really solid products on the market. The R&D backed by Harman scientists and engineers has helped the industry as a whole rise up to be better informed of acoustics in the car.

I'm interested in the speakers you have in your signature... Any info?

My front speakers are a 3-way for left, right, and center. 6.5" midbass, 2" mid/tweeter, and 1.1" wide dispersion tweeters on the doors, with nearly the same setup in the dash except it's a 6.25" shallow midrange. It's a hand-picked setup for my tastes and performance requirements.

I figure $100-150/pair isn't that bad... $200/pair is cutting it...

$200/pr is a decent budget. If you're still thinking JBL, the GTO line has speakers for your budget. They're 2 ohms, so it will draw more power from your amplifier. A 10" GTO sub will work really well on 250W-300W.