I have looked through this forum for weeks now and I still haven't found the answer to this question:

What is a good set of 6.5 components to put up front without having to spend $100s of dollars on pods/kick panels?

So far the only option I have heard are the Focal 165 Slims which are around $400. I'm hoping to find something cheaper, maybe in the $200-$300 range.

Rear speakers I am just going to disconnect.

I'd like sufficient bass so that I don't need to mess with a subwoofer, so the 6.5 need to be able to be punchy enough that I won't miss having a sub.

Any recommendations? I'm looking at some Polk, Boston Accoustic, and CDT offerings in that price range but I'm open to anything.

 

If you are not wanting to use Kicks or pods,,,you can buy or make the door spacers for the stock location. If you go the door spacer/stock location, I am not sure what kind of bass response you will achieve.

 

It probably will not be optimal, but I had some Focal 165 K2's in my Supra doors and they were not much more open than the Z's doors. It sounded amazing.

 

you are talking about a world of difference here...a supra's lower door location is a MUCH better stock location than the Zs, its about as good as the G35's stock location, whcih is a lot better...

but anyway, back to your question, if you mean minimal fuss as in something without a spacer...the DLS UP6 set can go in without a spacer due to its small neodymium motor. and the tweeter it comes with can fit in the stock location...

do i thin its a waste of a $400 dollar speaker? somehwat...but it is your call

basically ou need a speaker that has a very small structure behind it to fit int he door with no spacer...
b

 

^^^
Bing talked me into getting the UP6's... I think they sound awesome

 

I don't mind using a spacer, I don't mind cutting the doors and using the speaker grilles either.

I just can't believe that there isn't a decent medium between

1) crap non-Bose stock stereo
2) $3000 stereo upgrade that involves buying pods, fabricating crap to fit speakers in a door.

I'm really trying to find a ~$250 set of front components that will blow away the stock speakers that don't require buying some pod that costs as much as the speaker itself.

 

+1

 

My setup minus the HU was about $1k. I think it sounds pretty good for what it is... No pods or anything, just couldn't afford it at the time and now I have other things I need to spend money on.

 

Just reread your original post, and I really think you should consider spending the $400 on Focal 165 V Slim speakers (or an equivalent speaker). Since you don’t want to install a SubW (and I didn’t either), you want a door speaker that delivers punchy bass. The Focals do that. And, the Focals deliver great highs as well.

As Bing points out...
…the concave door grille that is the Z’s stock setup for front door speaker mounting is less than an optimum arrangement; so you need all the help you can get, and a really good speaker when using the stock position is a wise choice.

Something else to consider: High end speakers survive the temperature extremes that happen inside your car. Cheap speakers (like those that come as stock with your Z) are susceptible to degeneration. Here in Frostbite Falls we get ambient temperatures ranging from -30 degrees Fahrenheit to over 100 degrees (and that’s probably like 120+ degrees inside a closed car). The inside car temperatures would be even higher in a parked car in a location such as Palm Springs, CA in the summer. It was surprising to see how this affected the cheap stock component speakers delivered in the Z. The Focals don’t suffer from this. There’s reasons past sound quality that high-end speakers cost what they do.

--Spike

 

Infinity Reference components, fit wonderful, the tweeter fits right in the stock location... the lower speaker of course you have to hack up your factory one like pretty much every install says to do, or buy spacers... but they weren't too tough to put in.

 

So... you put the tweeters into the Sail Panels?

--Spike