I am basically completely redoing my whole sound system this christmas besides my deck and sub.

My USA-1000 amplifier that was supposedly "the best of its class" SUCKED and blew in about 2 weeks of use not even being pushed. There was no fuse on the amp and somehow it just "blew."

I am putting new coax speakers in the rear (infiniti's or phoenix golds, i bought both and im going to try both to see which i like best) and now im going to buy some components for the fronts, but i know nothing about speakers except that Focal, MB Quart, and infiniti seem to be popular with the my350z community. What about brands like JL and image dynamics?

The amp i bought is a JL 300/4, so keep that in mind, i dont really want component speakers that run at 150 watts rms when i only have 75 watts rms per channel available.

So please list brand and model numbers, and the pros and cons of your favorite speaker(s) that are in the 75 watt rms range.
Edit: please also mention whether the tweeters that come with the component speakers fit in the OEM spot or what is needed to properly install the tweeters to the front speaker locations.

Thanks,
Alex

 

I've always been an MB Quart fan, but their tweeters can be brutal. I have never heard the Focals, but a buddy that used to sell audio still swears by them.

 

Focal or JL Audio

 

Good question. I'd like to know too. I was thinking of using JL through out the car.

 

If you listen to my music, in my car, with my ears, at my volumes you've got to get Infinity Kappa Perfect components. Keep in mind that most people do not have the training or seeming even the interest in listening to music accurately in their cars from what I've seen and heard. Mostly people seem to be interested in the maximum possible SPL with no concern at all about the actual sound of the any of the other 9 octaves of music other than the bass. That's just an observation.

Grab a couple of your favorite CD's and find a place that sells the brands you're looking at and do a side-by-side comparison using the same amplifer and headend that you plan on using. In the city I live in there are like ten custom audio stores alone, the second one I walked into had all the speakers I was looking at and I auditioned them against each other. Once I picked the front componets I matched the subwoofers to them.

Good luck and use your ears not your eyes to buy your sound system.

 

Focal 165k2p's. Awesome sound!!

 

Boston Z6

 

Focals are excellent!

 

LOL....I think someone tested a hiphop song once and nothing registered above 750k htz or something...

 

i did a lot of research last night and looked at a lot of reviews online and i really liked the reviews i read about the infinity kappa perfect 6.1s. But again, i couldnt find any reviews for the JLs and only 1 decent focal review. I'm really leaning toward the kappa perfects because i read that one of their best characteristics is that their highs dont get too sharp to the ears, they stay smooth throughout the range of sound, never irritating the ears. They may have slightly less bass than others, but im going to be running 1000watts rms to a sub in the rear, i dont exactly need that much more bass up front.

I wish i could find reviews for both JL audio's components and Elemental Design's components. On JL's website they mention they use the same technology in their new component speakers as in their w6v2s and w7s which sound promising. Elemental Designs has been one of those underground companies like image dynamics (which i love) that a few people know about and swear by.

 

I actually found a review on the elemental designs website from PAS magazine (performance auto and sound) and i just happen to own that specific issue so i read the whole review. It reviewed ED's eDi 6500s, which is their flagship set, got good reviews, sounds like they are a really smooth set of speakers possibly similar to the kappa perfect 6.1s. They can also be bought right now on the website for $250 shipped, not too bad of a price brand new and shipped to your door.

Also, i'm not trying to spend $500 on speakers, there are a lot of good component sets that can be purchased for around $100 on ebay brand new, thats what im shooting for, probably $100-$200 at around 70-100watts rms.

 

In that price range I'd seriously check out the BA's. I had them in one of my other Z's and they were great. Actually they were the RM6 coax speakers, not component. They kicked some serious a$$ at under $300.00 a pair. I was driving them with a PPI 300x4 amp.

 

I already went ahead and purchased some Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1s, i just felt they were the right match for what sound i wanted. Of course, i change my sound system up about once a year so who knows how long i will keep them lol.

I started with a JL 10w6ae running from a JL 250/1 that i had mounted in a Q Logic box that definately was not deep enough for the sub or gave enough air space. This was before the Z-enclosures. Sold it after about a month cuz it sounded horrible.

Bought 2 Nitrous Oxide looking 8" subwoofer enclosures that i was planning on running in the trunk and then decided it'd be kinda stupid. Those are just laying around the garage now.

Bought an infinity Basslink T, it's like the regular basslink but has 2 passive radiators and a bigger built in amp. It was great, fit perfect in the Z trunk and even matches the interior, but for some reason the sub malfunctioned or something and it doesnt work right anymore. Just laying in the garage now.

Bought an Image Dynamics IDMAX 10" sub and US amps USA-1000 last christmas. The amp blew after like 1 month of use, but when it worked it sounded better than any sub i'd ever heard.

And now i'm onto a full set up with all new speakers 2 new amps and a new box and amp rack.