Hey peoples, I'm just needing some advice on a proposed setup... I'm essentially after a pretty basic upgrade of the current stock speakers, and want MP3-playing capability...

Just want a better sound from my music, and something I can have at a decent volume without distorting or gettin too screechy/trebley. I listen mainly to slow/soft rock (jack johnson, pete murray, etc), and old school rock, like pink floyd, dire straits, etc.

Also, I'm wanting to keep the car as stock as I can, so that's why for the moment I'm avoiding stuff like splits, subs, amps etc etc... Just thinking of being able to get a better sound by upgrading the current speakers in the standard factory holes. My car is a TF, so that means, 6.5" up front, 6x9's up the back (with a bit of cutting maybe) and a head deck.

Here's what I'm thinkin, with a budget of roughly $500-600:

Fronts: Jaycar "Precision Response" Kevlar Coaxials 6.5" 2 ways (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=CS2324&CATID=15&keywords=&SPECIAL=&form=CAT&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=609) , $120
Rears: Jaycar "Precision Response" Kevlar Coaxials 6" x 9" 2 ways (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=CS2328&CATID=15&keywords=&SPECIAL=&form=CAT&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=609) , $140
Head Unit: JVC KD-G515 (http://www.jvc-australia.com/products/_products_sub_group_details.asp?ID=1392) , CD/MP3/WMA Reciever, ~$230

So that totals $490... Which looks good for all that gear... but is it good value for money? I know the deck should be fine, but are the speakers any good? Or are they just rubbish...

I know some of you will say, "go have a listen to em", but I kinda don't believe in listening to em on a soundboard in a shop... Plus, i feel uncomfortable trying to crank them while other customers/staff are trying to chat/work etc. Just need to hear some stories or advice about these products, and some other possibilities, for my style of ugprade/music.

Cheers.

BOZ

Head unit Choice is Perfect, it covers all you want it to do and more...
WHilst the Jaycar speakers will be an Improvement, I am more then sure we can hunt down a Set of Clarion Splits and 6x9's for that sort of money and this will give you a Bit better sound...

I would go with your Plan if you are already happy with the sound firing at your legs


As for not listening to them...... CRANK THEM !! thats what the sound Board is for... if they didn't want you to hear them they would un plug the sound Board !

How the heck are we supposed to reccomend a set of speakers to you when you are the one that has to hear them... Listen to them..

Take a CD of your Own music, Play it in a CD Player thats Un amped and see if you like the way the Music Sounds...
Auditioning is the Key

yeah, i still will probably listen to then on the board, but what I was gettin at is that I don't believe the sound replicated by the speakers in a soundboard reflect the same sound when properly installed in the car...

For example, my old car had a set of splits that sounded crap on the board, but I knew they were decent quality after hearing them in a mate's car, so I bought them anyway and installed em... They sounded completely different in my car. Loud and powerful, although the treble was way too tinny (crappy tweeters).

But yeah, I'll still test em before I buy them... Already made the CD ;)

m8 ive looked around at a few HU's and you WONT and CANT go past that JVC....has everything in it.....EVERYTHING!!!!


and now its xmas, mate you could get as magnat said some beuatiful clarion splits for half price or a decnt percentage off......05 models are on clearnace so get to a JBHIFI or something simlilar and check some of the stuff out..


good luck man....car audio is one huge confusing world

For example, my old car had a set of splits that sounded crap on the board, but I knew they were decent quality after hearing them in a mate's car, so I bought them anyway and installed em... They sounded completely different in my car. Loud and powerful, although the treble was way too tinny (crappy tweeters).



Wouldn't happen to have been JL Audio?

ICU - Nah, they were actually clarions!!

TuffTR - cheers for the advice... i think i'll have a listen to some clarions, but yeah i'm trying to avoid gettin splits, just cause if I ever sell this car, I can take all the new stuff out without leaving drill holes for tweeter mounts.

So, now that I'm sorted with the head unit - anyone here own or heard these Jaycar kevlar coaxials in a car?

Have you considered going one step up on that head unit (to the KD - G615) ?

It may be just that little bit more than the 515 but the BIG payoff is that you will have probably the cheapest HU I have ever seen with the 24bit Burr-Brown digital to analogue processor. This processor will make sure your sound is ULTRA CLEAN!!!

With the Burr-Brown chip (in a clarion) I have noticed the difference on top quality speakers (but I dunno wether it's just my mind playing tricks), as cymbals and female voice tends to sound much clearer, and you really start to notice the difference from top quality recordings to copied music.

*EDIT* OOPS!! I just noticed that the 515 has a 24bit DAC already in it... Um you probably wouldn't notice much difference... I'll shut up now..

I have splits and their are no Holes anywhere...

Correct Wiring and Blu Tac is your Friend..
Surface mount the Tweeter no Holes needed

I would also go the 615 as you get sub out, this will allow for expansion once you get sick of having no Real Bass..

Just letting you know guys, Today I picked up the following and I'm gonna try and install them just after christmas:

Head Unit: JVC KD-G615 (http://www.jvc-australia.com/products/_products_sub_group_details.asp?ID=1393) , $247 from JB Hifi
Fronts: Jaycar Kevlar Splits (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=CS2329&CATID=15&keywords=&SPECIAL=&form=CAT&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=602) , $149 from Jaycar
Rears: Leaving them stock at the moment
Sub: My old JL Audio 12W0, in a sealed box
Amp: Jaycar Response 4x50wrms (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA0422&CATID=24&keywords=&SPECIAL=&form=CAT&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=595) , $199 from Jaycar

Also still need to pick up cabling, will go back to Jaycar probably.

Planning to run the splits off 2 channels @ 50wrms, then the sub bridged off the other 2 @ 160wrms. You reckon that's gonna kill the 12W0?

My brother came up with the idea of hiding the splits inside the aircon vents.... Or I'll just get the blu-tac out and find a decent spot.

I'll let you know how it all sounds...

Cheers for all the help guys

My brother came up with the idea of hiding the splits inside the aircon vents.... Or I'll just get the blu-tac out and find a decent spot.


..i dont think so

why not? i spose it will be a pain trying to get the vents off...

Oh yeah, I meant the tweeters behind the vents, not the splits :P

Treble is Directional , anything stuck in the sound projection path will color the sound..
so whilst sticking them in the Air Vent may be stealth the projection path will be diffused by the Vent covers

Treble is Directional , anything stuck in the sound projection path will color the sound..
so whilst sticking them in the Air Vent may be stealth the projection path will be diffused by the Vent covers

Does that include speaker grills?

ICU - Nah, they were actually clarions!!

TuffTR - cheers for the advice... i think i'll have a listen to some clarions, but yeah i'm trying to avoid gettin splits, just cause if I ever sell this car, I can take all the new stuff out without leaving drill holes for tweeter mounts.

So, now that I'm sorted with the head unit - anyone here own or heard these Jaycar kevlar coaxials in a car?


I was thinking the same thing - but u could just buy some cheapie $10 tweeters from strathfield and put them in... wouldn't even have to hook them up if you didn't want to... no holes and looks okay! :)