Speaker Upgrade Dillema

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

So I had 6.5" speakers all around the car: JVC 6.5" 4ways

JVC CS-HX646 (cshx646) - 6-1/2" Speakers - Sonic Electronix

I bought a set of Infinity Kappa 6.5", and a Kappa Perfect 6.5" component and after replacing the speakers... they sound like total, complete crap. Why the heck would I got from $180 worth of speakers to $400 something worth and it got worse?

Is there a chance that they're bad? Both sets? Lately, I've been hearing worse and worse about Infinity... but I couldn't have imagined this bad since my girlfriend has 4 6x8" Infinitys in her F150 and they sound great. What's going on? PLEASE help... I need to get some new speakers I think?

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[jgruberman 10+ year member]

bump - anyone?

 

[Serpent710 10+ year member]

what amp are you running?

 

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

It's a power acoustik gothic series.

I was told by a local audio shop that those amps run badly, but that shop also hadn't heard of Image Dynamics.

Even if that was the case, why would my JVC ones sound better than the comp set? I listen to a lot of rock so part of me wondered if it was going from a 4way speaker, to a 2way comp set that I was losing a lot of the guitars, etc.

 

[Serpent710 10+ year member]

few factors come in play. amp gains set correctly? speakers wired right? crossovers set? h/u set right/possibly clipping signal?

 

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

The amp gains have been set. Speakers are wired correctly. I have the amp crossovers Full, and only using the passives with the comp set. H/U set the same on the new as the old ones.

I havent changed ANY settings between switching out speakers.... they just sound crappier. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Do you think I should stick with regular 3/4ways and ditch the comp set since I listen to rock?

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

I think the amplifier is the weak link. What's the exact model #?

Are your doors sealed & deadened?

 

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

Model #: OVN4-840

Sealed and deadened, no. I haven't done any sound deadening to the door just because I haven't explored that yet... all the pulling of the door, etc.

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

In my opinion, you have two problems.

(1.) The amplifier. It's rated for 80 x4 @ 4 ohms and that's not enough power to fully realize the potential of the Kappa Perfects. Secondly, the amplifier's quality is suspect and it may not even do rated power.

(2.) Install. Proper use of sound deadening materials will greatly increase the performance of your speakers. In the very least, all holes should be sealed.

 

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

I think I'm going to upgrade that amp to a MBQ DSC4125.

And for sound deadening, do you mean INSIDE the door where the window rolls down into, or the outside panel that the speaker mounts to?

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

I think I'm going to upgrade that amp to a MBQ DSC4125.

Nice amp. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

And for sound deadening, do you mean INSIDE the door where the window rolls down into, or the outside panel that the speaker mounts to?

both

 

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

When you say both... How exactly do I deaden the inside of the door when I can't get to the inside of the door, much less put anything in there when the window is in there?

Also, what about the sound from the tweeter? It sounds painfully high pitched(I think this is called bright nowadays)

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

When you say both... How exactly do I deaden the inside of the door when I can't get to the inside of the door, much less put anything in there when the window is in there?Also, what about the sound from the tweeter? It sounds painfully high pitched(I think this is called bright nowadays)

I can't tell you how to deaden your doors without seeing them. The way it's usually done is pretty simple. You leave the window rolled up, remove the door panel, cut away the stock plastic under the door panel and then feed the deadener through one of the holes in the door. If your doors don't have a hole big enough to feed deadener through, I guess they'll have no internal deadening material applied. Simple as that.

Lots of people complain about tweeter "brightness" with Infinity components. Take a look at your crossovers, maybe they have a few different options for the tweets. If it has the option, it should say something like (-2, -1, etc).

 

[jgruberman 10+ year member]

The only thing on the physical crossovers themselves is a jumper setting for -4,0, and +5. Even then, on -4, it seems pretty **** bright. Just how they're going to be? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

The only thing on the physical crossovers themselves is a jumper setting for -4,0, and +5. Even then, on -4, it seems pretty **** bright. Just how they're going to be? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Use the lowest setting and try to adjust things accordingly on the head unit. Other than that I have no tips to give you...