Polk Audio db6500 - any good?

[Gary S 10+ year member]

I like the SR series, but the Polk's you are talking about are not good for the money. Heard them next to MB Quart in the same price range, the difference was night and day, with the Quart's being much better.

If you know that's the depth you need, I may have a great recommendation for you... Cerwin Vega V-max 65 - $160 on sale at onlinecarstereo.com, shipped... you have to search for them... they are in the wrong category, listed under speakers, not comps. One of the best comp sets available today under about $300... mounting depth is 2.25" They will walk all over Polk DB and RSD's... more clarity, midbass potential (depends on install, as always), better off-axis dispersion.

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

I just replaced my DB's with the JBL power series components and the depth on them is 2 1/8 inches. They will fit like a glove in your car. And let me just say they will put those polks to shame.

- I agree with this also... very good speakers for the dollar... they remind me of the RSD's. The Cerwin's are better but cost more.

 

[ls2poweredgoat 5,000+ posts]

So the Cerwin Vega's are for sure components? I might pick up a set if that's true...

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

I like the SR series, but the Polk's you are talking about are not good for the money. Heard them next to MB Quart in the same price range, the difference was night and day, with the Quart's being much better.
If you know that's the depth you need, I may have a great recommendation for you... Cerwin Vega V-max 65 - $160 on sale at onlinecarstereo.com, shipped... you have to search for them... they are in the wrong category, listed under speakers, not comps. One of the best comp sets available today under about $300... mounting depth is 2.25" They will walk all over Polk DB and RSD's... more clarity, midbass potential (depends on install, as always), better off-axis dispersion.

The CV vmax's are listed as two ways, not comps. Also their mounting depth is listed as 2.5" which is too deep for my doors. I've looked at them on several sites and as far as I can tell, they sure look like two way speakers to me.

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

Yes sir, they are a true component set, separate tweeter, crossover, and midbass driver... they are convertible comps (other convertibles include Polk SR, Image Dynamics XS series, PPI, and one of the ADS models. All but one of these is designed by the same speaker engineer, despite them being different brands! For every 20 car audio brands you see, there is one factory making all of them!), meaning the tweeter can be mounted on top of the mid like a coax, this is an option... or they can function as conventional comps with the drivers mounted separatly... maybe that's where onlinecarstereo got confused and put them in the wrong category.

How the optional coax mounting works... you unscrew the metal phase plug and screw in another (included with the comps) that is custom made to hold the tweeter.

The 5.25 version, the V-Max 5, is in the right category, under "components". Same thing, just different sizes. Also, the pictures are mixed up... the pic of the 6.5" is actually the 5.25".

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

V-max-5:

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=16879

V-max 65:

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=18508

- The Car Audio Directory I have lists the mounting depth as follows:

V-max-5:

1.96"

V-max 65:

2.25

- looks like someone might be rounding up... easy way to find out... call the manufacturer... I know they have a new number for the car division on Cerwin-vega.com

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

Gary

Look at the tech specs. It says they are two ways. No way I'd consider two ways.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

I just read your next to last post. I didn't realize these were convertables. That is way cool! That would mean I could have totally stock looking door panels because I wouldn't need to surface mount the tweets. If they truely do have a mounting depth of only 2.25", these could be the comps for me!

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

I'm gonna have to call them because the specs on their web site have the mounting depth as 2.5". 2.5" is a no go, 2.25" is a go.

 

[07ramjam 10+ year member]

No, I actually haven't heard any MB's in a while, but to be honest, I doubt I'll be able to find an MB comp set for a price I'm willing to pay. They've always been expensive.

Here check these out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270190257998&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=017

I dont know if these will fit your application,but I personally loved the sound of these.

 

[cam5860 10+ year member]

Really I would only consider polks sr line also. I had the momo's once before also and while they sound pretty good there not near as good as the jbl power series components I just put in. You should consider the jbl's also. Trust me you won't be disappointed.

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

The only problem you could have with mounting them coaxed behind the factory grill... the tweeter might stick out beyond the rim of the mid, that I don't know. From the pic, the tweeter looks pretty flush on the 6.5"? But it's hard to tell from that angle.

http://www.cerwinvegamobile.com/vmax.php

- Look at the pics on the bottom of the page.... they are mislabeled, the top ones are actually the 6.5", V-max 65, bottom two drivers are the 5.25"

Pics show both mounting options... drivers on the left have the tweeter coaxed, drivers on the right have the conventional phase plug. Yes, these are positively convertible comp sets... there are no "V-max" coaxes.

But this is as close as you will ever get to what you want to do, that's for sure.

However... If the cerwin's won't fit, I might have one more great bang for the buck option you could consider... go look at Orion HCCA 6.2 -

http://www.orioncaraudio.com/Products/Products.aspx?ProductID=534

These are another Dei/Directed product (Dei owns Orion, PPI, ADS, Polk, among others) designed by the same engineer as the cerwin's and other DEi products... these are shallow also, 2.2" depth, have a neo magnet... I have seen them listed on ebay as low as $129.00... ikesound.com also has them at a nice price... same tweet and sophisticated crossover as the top of the line ADS and PPI sets (without the bells and whistles on the crossover, such as phase switch), but with a conventional paper cone... not quite the detail in the midrange as ADS/PPI/Cerwin, but a lower price than some of those. They are not convertible. I just wanted to give you a heads up on these, cover all bases, because these are shallow mount also and a great bang for the buck in their own right.

These companies should be sending me some free speakers for all this leg work, LOL!

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

Gary

If the CV's end up being too deep, of these two (the Orions or the JBL P650C) which is the best?