What are some good speakers?

[sideswipe29]

Hello everyone. I've owned my 2003 Vibe for a little over a year now and I've been fairly empressed with the stock speakers but they've always left something to be desired.

I installed a JVC KD-HDR52 stereo sortly after I got my Vibe so I would have USB connectivity so I need something more from my speakers.

Ever since school started again I haven't been able to work so my funds are limited so this is really just a means for me to see what my options are once I do have the money.

So I ultimately need some affordable speakers that will provide a good rich sound and have a good strong bass. That's probably the most important factor.

My friends all have stock speakers with really good bass and I'm always jealous of them

So yeah, any suggestions are appreciated.

[sideshowalan]

The stock cones in the vibe are a joke, made from cardboard.

Jump on Crutchfield, narrow it down to what fits and then research your options.

The best sound is going to come from a component speaker set but that takes extra time/$.
Personally I like Polk or Infinity for car speakers.

[sideswipe29]

Found this on Crutchfield

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777P67C/So ... tml?tp=106

Would this be a good set?

[treesleavedents]

Never heard of the brand, but for that price I wouldn't expect great things. Crutchfield is great for buying head units and getting the install kit, but for speakers they tend to run a bit pricey. If you really wanna steer cheap you can find better IMO http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-Kfc-P709P ... R160%2C160_

[sideswipe29]

Would buying a head unit provide better sound? I know nothing about car audio/stereos so I just thought better speakers would be enough but if a head unit would make it sound that much better I'd be willing to spend the money. If I can determine the kit I need I can start saving up my money to afford it.

[vibrologist]

There is another way to improve sound: Apply Peel And Seal to the door skins, add sound insulation in the trunk area and lay a carpet in the cargo area. That way your speakers don't have to fight so many other sound waves.

Do not confuse sound quality with maximum volume.

[cptnsolo77]

I upgraded in parts because I was on a budget. First came the front speakers ( they are closer to your ears ) , then the rears and finally the headunit. I would recommend speakers before the headunit, because even if you buy a great headunit you will still be playing through crappy paper speakers. When both my speakers were replaced, even with the OEM headunit it sounded GREAT Then when I had the $$ to buy the headunit the sound went to AMAZING My system isnt earth shattering but it has a high quality sound. Depending on your listening style if done correctly you will be satisfied without a amp & subwoofer. Pick a headunit with lots of audio options. Thats why I bought the kenwood Ihave. 8 presets, 2 levels of loudness, 3 levels of bass boost, you can set the size of the speakers you have as well. It looks pretty standard but has it where it counts....sound ! Also install some sound insulation on the doors, you will get the most out of your setup and the vibe will be quieter inside. Crutchfeild has lots of articles to teach you how to choose speakers and headunits, so be sure to read them. It will make you more informed of what you purchase and get the most of your $$$. good luck !

I recommend Polks by the way.

[sideswipe29]

I upgraded in parts because I was on a budget. First came the front speakers ( they are closer to your ears ) , then the rears and finally the headunit. I would recommend speakers before the headunit, because even if you buy a great headunit you will still be playing through crappy paper speakers. When both my speakers were replaced, even with the OEM headunit it sounded GREAT Then when I had the $$ to buy the headunit the sound went to AMAZING My system isnt earth shattering but it has a high quality sound. Depending on your listening style if done correctly you will be satisfied without a amp & subwoofer. Pick a headunit with lots of audio options. Thats why I bought the kenwood Ihave. 8 presets, 2 levels of loudness, 3 levels of bass boost, you can set the size of the speakers you have as well. It looks pretty standard but has it where it counts....sound ! Also install some sound insulation on the doors, you will get the most out of your setup and the vibe will be quieter inside. Crutchfeild has lots of articles to teach you how to choose speakers and headunits, so be sure to read them. It will make you more informed of what you purchase and get the most of your $$$. good luck !

I recommend Polks by the way.

Great! I already installed a new head unit into Vibe, so From what you described all, I need is new speakers and sound insulation in the doors.

If I may ask, what speakers did you buy and what insulation did you use?

[cptnsolo77]

I recommend Polks, but they can be a little pricey. I have the DB651 model. They are a couple of years old so im sure they have newer models by now

[sideswipe29]

I recommend Polks, but they can be a little pricey. I have the DB651 model. They are a couple of years old so im sure they have newer models by now

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-DB651- ... B000P0PF9G

These them?

It's actually a good price. At least on Amazon. Having them installed will cost a bit but I'm okay with that.


Here's a question, I primarily use just my rear speakers so should I just upgrade my rears or should I upgrade front and back so I have the best quality sound all the way around my car?

[cptnsolo77]

Yup thats them I think I paid 70 - 80 bucks Just as a side note you may want pick up the shallow mount version of these speakers. SOME Vibe owners have experienced clearance issues with the tweeters touching the door panel. Do yourself a big favor and use sound insulation, I had less bass than the stock speakers when i installed these...after I deadend the door I had more bass that the stock speakers. Lost bass seems to be common with aftermarket speakers, you end up sacrificing bass for sound quality.

[sideswipe29]

Yup thats them I think I paid 70 - 80 bucks Just as a side note you may want pick up the shallow mount version of these speakers. SOME Vibe owners have experienced clearance issues with the tweeters touching the door panel. Do yourself a big favor and use sound insulation, I had less bass than the stock speakers when i installed these...after I deadend the door I had more bass that the stock speakers. Lost bass seems to be common with aftermarket speakers, you end up sacrificing bass for sound quality.

I will definitely have some sound insulation installed once I get new speakers.

Is there a happy medium between having a good strong bass and and having good sound quality or is it really one or other?


Edit: Also, I currently have all the sound going through the rear speakers of my car but whenever I've played around with the settings on my stereo and had the sound going up front it only comes out of the speakers up by my side view mirrors. I can see the speaker cut outs on the driver and front passenger side door but I haven't heard any sound out of them. How can I get sound to play from those speakers too should I decide to upgrade them?

[sideswipe29]

So I've been on the forums at Crutchfield and I'm considering installing a small 8 inch sub instead of new speakers.

My only concern is where to install one. I don't want to install a sub box in the cargo space because I still want to have the functionality of folding the seats down and having everything fold flat. So my next thought is to install it inbetween the two back seats. I got the idea from my girlfriend's dad but I'm not sure how I'd go about doing it. Anyone with any recommendations as to what 8" sub to buy and where to install it would be greatly appreciated.

[sideshowalan]

It must sound horrible with only the rear door speakers working.
There is either a short or a bad connection somewhere going to the fronts. Since the front tweeters are working, it's probably something wrong with the crossover (anyone know where it's located?).

For more bass.
It's not an 8" but I was able to fit an enclosed 6" sub under the drivers seat, don't lose any room that way. JVC CS-BB2 is the model but it requires an aftermarket stereo with subwoofer rca outputs and a power wire going to the battery. Also had to 'flip' the legs on the AC outlet converter under the drivers seat so that it would fit. I still have it if you are interested and don't mind the DIY. Otherwise you can use the dimensions found online as a basis to find something similar.

But......get the front speakers fixed first, that's where 90% of your sound quality comes from.

[sideswipe29]

I have it set up where all of the sound goes to the rear speakers but when I've played around with the settings when I changed the balance and had some going to the front it only sounded like the sound was coming from the speakers by the mirrors. I can't hear any sound coming from the front door speakers.

If I do install a different sub would I have all of the sound coming through the sub or would I still have some music playing through the stock speakers as well as the sub?

[sideshowalan]

I can't hear any sound coming from the front door speakers.

There is sound going to the front speakers (because you can hear the tweeters by the mirrors), but it's not getting to the cones in the door. Either there is a bad connection at the speaker or your crossover (connection point that splits the front sound between the cones/tweeters) is not working correctly. Again, this is severely hurting your sound quality, you should figure out why this is broken before trying to improve anything else with your setup.

If I do install a different sub would I have all of the sound coming through the sub or would I still have some music playing through the stock speakers as well as the sub?

Subs should be wired in a way that they play along with the other speakers but only the lower range.

[sideswipe29]

So I just deduced that my driver side tweeter is not working on my Vibe.

So clearly I'll need to get that replaced and fixed before I I replace anything else.

So considering I'll need to buy a new component system anyways should I buy another set of speakers to put in my rear doors or should I split up the component set by putting the tweeters up front and the other speakers in the back?

[jeffypieguy]

Hey bro, I had these : http://m.visions.ca/#/home-productdetai ... ku=TSD720C in my work van.. just rockin awesome for the money. All reviews at the time placed them in kahoots with much more expensive speakers. I only paid 100 bucks canadian and now they're discontinued I belive so I bet you could find them for a lot less than 229.

I had a small amp connected to them so I dont quite know how they will react to deck power.. probably still good I bet. Just wouldnt go reefing dirty deck power into them, as in cranking the volume.. same goes for whatever speaks you get.

[sideswipe29]

Hey bro, I had these : http://m.visions.ca/#/home-productdetai ... ku=TSD720C in my work van.. just rockin awesome for the money. All reviews at the time placed them in kahoots with much more expensive speakers. I only paid 100 bucks canadian and now they're discontinued I belive so I bet you could find them for a lot less than 229.

I had a small amp connected to them so I dont quite know how they will react to deck power.. probably still good I bet. Just wouldnt go reefing dirty deck power into them, as in cranking the volume.. same goes for whatever speaks you get.

I don't doubt that those are good speakers and I don't mean to say that Amazon is a very reliable source but it claims that those speakers wouldn't fit in my Vibe. Granted I didn't check the exact dimensions but it does have me worried that they wouldn't fit.

And regardless of what component speakers I buy I'm still unsure as to whether or not I should place the cones in the front doors with my tweeters or if I should place them in the rear doors and have the new tweeters up front.

And if I do decide to buy an 8" sub I'm not sure if I should replace all of the speakers anyways so the sub isn't playing in tandem with the stock speakers.

[jeffypieguy]

They would fit the front doors. The rears are smaller openings so thats something else. Rears are much less important

[sideswipe29]

They would fit the front doors. The rears are smaller openings so thats something else. Rears are much less important

If I replace my front tweeters and cones should I go ahead and replace my rear speakers though, that way I don't have better quality sound coming from the front and lesser quality sound coming from the rear?

[jeffypieguy]

My opinion is put the best speakers you can afford in the front and worry about the rear later. You cant hear much from the rear anyways. Just muffly poop. Also, I discovered a Sony head unit that should be able to power good speakers without an amp and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go for that one. I dont feel like ripping everything apart to install an amp this time. Even if it only sounds 90% as good as a proper amp it'll be worth it for the savings in my time and money. http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158XB100BT ... ml?tp=5684
Btw, I did a little research on those pioneer 6.75s I recommended. They wont fit without an adapter but crutchfield includes the adapters aparently. They fit in the 6.5" holes in my old van but this is a different vehicle. Personally, I wouldnt use plastic adapters but would rather buy a sheet of 3/4" MDF and make my own. The sound Q would almost certainly be much much better.. tighter and bassier. Probably necessary anyways because the depth of any decent speaker interferes with the window regulator..supposely.