I have an 05 35th anniversary Z with Bose speakers. I just had a double din Kenwood ddx-812 installed and next i want to replace all of the stock speakers and I want your opinions on what I should get. Cost is not an issue I just want the best speakers I can get. What should I get for speakers and amps?

 

look up RE audio, beyma, focal, mb quart... research some of those brands

 

Go with FOCAL. I have the Kenwood DDX514, with a Kenwood 8404 amp and Focal components in the doors and Focal full range in the rear. No sub needed. Sounds are excellent.

 

I prefer Focals as well, but of course the key word here is “preference.” Different people will prefer different sound-treatment from various brands of speakers. If cost is not an obstacle (”Cost is not an issue I just want the best speakers I can get.”), Focals (which are expensive) are probably a good choice.

Like arsey51 states, you can get by without a SubW, but there is a caveat. Many modern recordings expect a SubW. If you direct these extreme lows to your Focals, you can get some distortion even with this very high quality speaker.

I am only cautioning that not all sound recording can be delivered accurately to a component speaker. You can always add the SubW if you don’t like the sound of lows sent to your components.

--Spike

 

Are you going to be adding an amp? What is your long term goal?

 

^^ Good point... There's no sense installing expensive component speakers without also adding a good external amp.

And... as you mention, there should be a plan for the final setup, even if you build it "piecemeal."

--Spike

 

thanks for the suggestions. Yes im going to get an amp for the speakers too. I already have 2 12 inch boston acoustic subs that im gonna be installing. thats my next step. I just want to plan ahead and figure out what I should get for front and rear speakers and what I will need for amps. Im doing everything piece by piece and I just want to do it right.

 

^^ Sounds good... you are doing it right.

--Spike

 

Planning is one of the best ways to achieve the sound you want.

A couple thoughts on my mind.......
1. I would start off NOT installing new rears. Disconnect the OE rears altogether and install a good set up front. If you REALLY miss the rears, they are easy enough to add on to the system and run them off the headunit.

2. You are using a Kenwood DDX-812. Will there be any further external processors? If not, I wouldn't say "cost is not an issue" for front speakers. You could install $3000 components, but without adequate processing/tuning ability, you'd be wasting your money. If you are using the Kenwood as your head-end and no further processing, I would say (IMHO) you could set a good budget at $350 or less for front components.

3. The best way for YOU to be satisfied with YOUR audio system is to listen to as many component sets as you can to formulate an opinion of what kind of sound YOU like (i.e. tight or boomy bass, soft or sharp highs, etc). If you can't listen to any sets, do you have a favorite pair of home speakers? If so, that could help deduce what type of sound you like.

If after listening to some components and you say "I like tight bass with soft treble", then maybe some of us here could better steer you towards component sets that fit you.

 

Another thing to consider is if the speakers are going into a set of pods or mounted in the stock speaker location in the doors. Pods will take almost any brand of speaker you want to install but the stock locations in the doors have limits on clearance even after using spacers. If your using the stock location in the doors you might want to follow Mustgofastr's diy writeup cutting out the speaker grills and covering them in a speaker grill mesh fabric, this will let a lot more sound out of the stock locations. (IN NO WAY AM I TRYING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS MOD, ALL CREDIT GOES TO MUSTGOFASTR'S DIY) As far as speakers go I'm using a set of focal k2p's right now in the stock locations and they are amazing. I ordered a set of pods and once they come in I might switch up to a set of a/d/s 346ci I have in the shop but I'm not sure. For my ears I think the a/d/s sound a little better but thats just me. Best bet is to go to your local shop and listen to different brands within your budget and running on the same power you want to throw at them and then make a decision. Keep in mind that different speaker brands will be better performing with different types of music too so make sure you take a cd with you with some of your favorite tunes.

On a side note if price really is not a consideration then buy a set of Focal Utopia components. But they run around $5000.

 

Running DLS Iridium two way components in pods and they sounds awesome. I'll be running three way full active later this year.

Read up about speakers through audio sites and read some reviews and if possible, listen to high end speakers if you have access to it. If you ask around here, all you will here is JL or Focal.

 

^^ Great post!!

--Spike

 

Look into thr Rainbow kick series or Hertz speaker line, you wont be disappointed!

 

FROM: STREETOC:

A couple thoughts on my mind.......
1. I would start off NOT installing new rears. Disconnect the OE rears altogether and install a good set up front. If you REALLY miss the rears, they are easy enough to add on to the system and run them off the headunit.

I'm about to the point to start upgrading my sound as well ( currently base '07 model ) by just replacing the head unit and components. Always wondered about power going to the rears. This sounds like the way to go. Anyone else doing this?

 

I would say to run pods in your doors for the components, get a good mid-range 2 way speaker for the rears, and have enough power from your amp to run the mid/highs.

Also the brands that I have dealt with that I prefer are boston acoustics, focals, and Infinity Kappa series arent to bad either. Im planning on doing a full infinity setup in my Z next couple of months. But everyone has their own personal preference

 

skip the rears altogether...they cant be heard and they won't be missed

as far as what to do, cost is a factor for everyone, so you really need to set that as a starting point, otherwise it becomes impossible to make a suggestion.

 

Can you set the rears to just get mid-bass only in you don't want a sub? I overheard someone at a meet talking about doing this as I know nothing of a proper system yet.

 

Lee, I vote against this since setup “mid-bass only” is not a substitute for a SubW, and decent front components deliver all the “mid-bass” you need in the Z’s small passenger compartment.

If you really want rears, I advise replacing the very cheap OEM rear speakers with some mid-priced coaxials, and adjusting the sound to what you like.

As Z1 Performance advises, the rears are not significant if you install good front speakers. And, you won't get the best sound without a SubW since many modern recordings "expect" a sub.

--Spike

 

Thanks Spike!

 

I would suggest the Alpine Type R speakers...Great price and sound great in my opinion...