Door speaker upgrade

[FarmerRick]

~2008 Vibe with standard audio package~

I have been out of the car audio scene for about 20 years, so I could use a little bit of help here.
I've replaced the stock HU with a Pyle PLDNV78I that is a Double-Din with 7" screen, DVD/GPS all in one. Works nice so far(2 days)... Supposed to have about 20 watts per channel RMS, 80 per channel peak.


Now it's time to replace the stock door speakers, and these are the 4 I've narrowed it down to:

JBL GTO628 6.5 http://www.jbl.com/estore/jbl/us/produc ... roductOnly

MB QUART OKC116 Onyx 6.5 http://www.mbquart.com/mbquart_onyx_speakers.html

Infinity Reference 6032cf 6.5 http://infinitysystems.com/product-deta ... 032cf.html

Polk Audio DB651 6.5 http://www.polkaudio.com/products/db651

They are all in the $50-70 range on Amazon and seem to have pretty similar specs.

I am probably older than most here(mid-late 40's ) so I don't listen to hip-hop or rap, though I DO thoroughly enjoy some OLD Metallica or Iron Maiden every now and then(mixed in with some Johnny Cash too). I am realistic in my expectations with these being driven just by the HU, but amps/woofers are just not an option at this time. I'd like to get the ones that have the cleanest overall sound, with the ability to not have bass distortion with it cranked up a bit with that type of music playing.

I'm looking for opinions from those that have these speakers, or have heard them.

[Derf]

Can compare two:
-Infinity Reference 6032cf 6.5 (This has components from several counties) solid, a bit brighter, best for classical or where you want definition
Does not include mounting clips, which you will need to retrofit to the Vibes door. Has lower impedance, which can cause issues with some head units.

-Polk Audio DB651 6.5 (Made in China) also solid, not as bright seemed to be a better match for classic rock
Includes mounting rings and stainless hardware. Make sure to get the db651 and not the db651s version. the S version can not go as low. These are marine rated, to resist water damage. I had issues with water in the door due to bad window trim, this model took the water.
Link: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=40945" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Both JBL and Infinity are part of Harmon Kardon, so I would imagine they would share some design elements. I rated the JBL on what I read from the website, and what I had observed from a similar model. I omitted MB Quart since I have not had any exposure to that line.

In the Vibes case, I would rank:
1 Polk
2 JBL
3 Infinity

Two other notes, having installed several vehicle types cars, sedans, station wagons, trucks, the Vibes stock acoustics are but terrible, their is no sound deadening and speaker placement seemed off ( being over 6' tall the speakers were at my ankles). Its very hard to get good mid bass at road speed with tire and engine noise. Investing some time in getting basic sound deadening in the doors and other easy access locations will make your speaker selection much more enjoyable. Also if you find the speakers don't sound right, it may be a simple EQ setting. I ended up playing with the EQ on my head unit several days to get it just right, again due to road noise.

Some facts I found while upgrading: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=40421" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cptnsolo77]

I have the Polks & I can tell you that they are some great speakers. However I found them to be VERY bright & piercing at times, until I brought down the treble LOL. They were fine after that. These speakers have some really good imaging as well. After the install I thought to myself...."wow it sounds like I put some $$$ into my audio"....but when I sound deadened all the doors the speakers REALLY came to life. I got some bass that I didnt expect from a 6.5" speaker. Im really impressed ! I also have the Moon & Tunes system with the factory HU still. I cant wait to upgrade, im looking to get a Kenwood their units seem to have lots of audio controls. Good luck !

Oh & yes the DB651-S model doesnt produce as much bass as the DB651. I have the shallow DB651 ( S ) in the front & I can tell a big difference from the rears. I used the shallow mounts in the front because I didnt want to tinker, I just wanted to drop them in. I read here that the non-shallow mounts would fit in the fronts with a lil modification. If I would have known how much more bass they produce, I would have took the time to put them in. Oh well, im happy overall & they sound great!