I thought id upgrade the front speakers in my TJ, i have just got the stock cd h/u at the moment, anyway i got some 6.5" Kenwood 3 ways cost just under $100, anyway they suck!!!!! why!!!!! yes they are installed and wired up correctly, but compared to the 20w stockies they have much less bass and distort at a lower volume.... why???

when i get a new h/u will it improve things a little? or should i place them neatly back in the box and ramm it in the bin, then fit the stockies back in....

It's Kenwood - I expect nothing less.


official aussie magna Drift club member number #00002....
bahahahahaha We've been drifting Magna's in South Australia for years. You'd be lucky to be #00015. :bowrofl: :bowrofl: :bowrofl:

.... kenwood ....

lol thought id say it before anyone else does.

Firstly i wouldnt have got 3 ways... 2 ways would have been better.

But yes a Headunit will make a big diff.

With car audio though, it is definately you get what you pay for.

Adit: DAMN someone beat me too it! LOL

I've found any kenwood speaker (even subs) to be lacking the bass department. And yes i have found they distort quite easily. Will probably sound better with a new headunit, but i wouldn't hold my breath.

.... kenwood ....

lol thought id say it before anyone else does.

Firstly i wouldnt have got 3 ways... 2 ways would have been better.

But yes a Headunit will make a big diff.

With car audio though, it is definately you get what you pay for.

Adit: DAMN someone beat me too it! LOL
lol.
There are plenty of brands much better than kenwood under $100. I'd have gone with a nice pair of pioneer blue cone 2-ways or even sony xplode.

Not suprising, I found this quite a bit when people 'upgrade' they immediatly assume that everything factory is crap. Not so. New car sound systems are pretty good, I ended up fitting the eclipse 6.5" and 6X9"s from a Ralliart - nice improvement, not much spent.

I have found that it is hard to get a headunit with as much bass as the stocker - I tried an alpine unit in there and wasn't that impressed... (This is using the stock amplifer in the headunit)

Cheers
Heath Young

I thought id upgrade the front speakers in my TJ, i have just got the stock cd h/u at the moment, anyway i got some 6.5" Kenwood 3 ways cost just under $100, anyway they suck!!!!! why!!!!! yes they are installed and wired up correctly, but compared to the 20w stockies they have much less bass and distort at a lower volume.... why???

when i get a new h/u will it improve things a little? or should i place them neatly back in the box and ramm it in the bin, then fit the stockies back in....

I've been so impressed with what you've done with your car so far... you've basically spared no expense from what I've seen. Please don't let the car down by getting a cheap crap stereo system. It really deserves something more classy.

The fact that you bought 3-way triaxial Kenwoods for a front stage gives me the impression you're fairly new in the way of car audio? Triaxials in the front stage are fairly useless. Higher tones which are played through the tweeter will be aimed at your feet are wasted, since that noise is very directional and you will not hear it unless it is pretty much pointed at your head.

Go into a car audio store that is not JB Hifi or Strathfield or anything else that doesn't sell products that aren't to do with car audio/security. Listen to a split system set of speakers, in which there is a seperate woofer (usually 6.5") and a seperate tweeter, that are fed from a crossover, and see what you think. Leave coaxial/triaxial speakers for your rear fill in the 6"x9"s.

What state you in?

I guess the reason the new speakers sound crap is because they need more power to drive them properly, which the stock headunit cannot supply. Hence they would sound crap. There is nothing wrong with kenwood. Just like sony or any other brand, when buying something in the lower spec range, they all sound **** compared to the better models...

Anyways, i would have bought a new headunit first in your case. It would have made a bigger difference. Just keep the kenwoods and upgrade your headunit.

Am I the only one who thinks the new speakers are being underpowered?

I guess the reason the new speakers sound crap is because they need more power to drive them properly, which the stock headunit cannot supply. Hence they would sound crap. There is nothing wrong with kenwood. Just like sony or any other brand, when buying something in the lower spec range, they all sound **** compared to the better models...

Anyways, i would have bought a new headunit first in your case. It would have made a bigger difference. Just keep the kenwoods and upgrade your headunit.


Absolutely. I was reading through the first few posts wondering when someone would give the REAL information to the problem.

Yes its to do with the driver that needs more power to get it going, especially when you're moving a plastic cone instead of a paper cone. The stock head unit unfortunately can't provide enough power to those Kenwoods.

You will need to upgrade to a aftermarket head unit or get an amplifier.

Am I the only one who thinks the new speakers are being underpowered?
lol.. what makes you think you are the only one? I posted 20min before you? ;) not reading all the post, hey? hehehe

$100... crazy, Response 6" Splits are $150 and I have read so many good reviews about them, and how they are high quality etc etc... decent silver cone pioneer splits are $250 a pair, and they are like dual cones compared to good mb quartz =P

Absolutely. I was reading through the first few posts wondering when someone would give the REAL information to the problem.

You obviously didnt read very far:


But yes a Headunit will make a big diff.

:P But yeah you have stated why the HU will make a diff where I just said that it would!

i know the guys who own one of the best car audio shops in aus.... but i was being a tight ****!!! it was a quick idea which popped into my head as i was driving past crapfield.... and i said to the dude, just gimmie the best 6.5" speakers u have for that kinda money.... i know kenwood stuff is a bit sucky but..... i said if you reckon that they are good i'll take them....

i used to have some really nice old clarion splits, but i put a scerwdriver through the cone :nuts:

i was going to but some 2 way MTX jiggers from somewhere else but they were about $180 and as i said i was being tight.... ohh well...

when i get either my h/u fixed or a new one, i'll shell out for something good, what can be reccomended, just for reasonable sound quality and that will go in the factory location..... dont want splits....


i understand that the speakers may be underpowered, but the rears i have (thrashed kicker 6x9's) pump hard, my neighbour thought it had a small sub!




ps... i work at the airport (it's loud!!!) and i dont hear so good anymore! so, just as long as it goes loud and sounds ok will do me fine..


Also what would the rms of the factory cd headunit be 12-15w rms??? max 25w maybe?

bahahahahaha We've been drifting Magna's in South Australia for years. You'd be lucky to be #00015. :bowrofl: :bowrofl: :bowrofl:

ok maybe melb #2 then.... although i did a 500m long x 3 snakey on a gravel road and destroyed 2 tyres on a company car..... who said you cant have fun in a fwd......

although today..... full on drift battle drift around the roundabout on the way to work..... kept it going for 2/3rds of the roundabout then the otherway off it..... im loving the AWD :badgrin:



soo anyone interested in some cheap kenwood front speakers lol

Also what would the rms of the factory cd headunit be 12-15w rms??? max 25w maybe?

Probably Definately not 15wrms... my Eclipse 5425 would be in the 15-18wrms range and it's "50x4". "Top of the range" 50x4's are putting out 18wrms so I doubt Mitsubishi's would crank that much.

no way, my ex's old h/u was 22w rms... should have gotten her a cheap one and kept it for myself

stock hu will be around 10wrms give or take.
Which strathfield did you go to? When i went ot the one in dande i said i had about $90 to spend and it was between a pair of pioneers or a per of kenwoods, he strongly suggested the pioneers and i'm thankful for it!

sunshine, see what happens when you stumble into the westside.... you get robbed!! im not going back..... i'll get all my advice from GL from now on.... theyr going to do my install...

6.5" Kenwood 3 ways cost just under $100
There is your reason.
You get what you pay for. I'd almost say your stock speakers would be better (i know the stock verada ones are - but they're the mitsubishi "premium" sound)

Edit:
on that ntoe, a small peice of advice from what I've found..
Put money into front splits, think of the following
-Where are you when driving the car?
-When going to a concert where does the music come from?
Answer - Front.
You don't need to spend a huge amount, the jaycar stuff seems to get good wraps for value for money, new HU, amp and some decent front splits and you'll notice alot of improvments :)

-When going to a concert where does the music come from?
Answer - Front.


i always get that! but the best seats at the opera face the audience!! not that i've ever been:redface:

i do also think it's personal peferance, and maybe it's just me.... but i prefer more sound biased to the rear...

i keep hearing about jaycar, im going to go check it out! still dont really want splits, but maybe who knows...

add another member to the Strathfield Must Die division? ;)

OK Just a quick post but i gotta say your problem is BOTH the HU and the speakers...

Firstly the speakers probably aren't that underpowered.

FWIW it takes twice the power to get a 3db increase in volume (which is only just noticeable really) this means to double your volume (and in a general way without getting too scientific the bass extension) of your speakers you will need 10 TIMES its power... so if your stock HU is 'only' 10wrms then to double your spl you need a 100w per channell amp....

No head unit will fix this.

The fact that the speakers are kenwwod triaxials has been covered so ill move right along...

But it sounds like they aren't very efficient and i would guess have hardly any excursion and a terrible generic choke (ahem 'crossover').

A big step up from these will be something like the Jaycar Splits which are awesome value. I run a set of the 6inchers in my work van and they are mind blowingly good (for the money esp)... i got em for $120 at my local store (although i do buy a bit there - i dunno what rrp is at the moment for em).

Im not a Jaycar slaesman but the splits are such good value... Kevlar cones, quality rubber surrounds (and damn these things MOVE!!!), sweet sounding silk tweeters (waay better than the older metal ones from last series jaycar speakers) and a decent proper 2 way crossover (both Cap and Inductor).

Still it would be cruel to run any nice speakers off a stock HU - decent aftermarket would be a bare minimum for sweet tunes with a nice lil 2 channel the preferred method. (That said in my van i run the Jaycars off a Clarion HU (decent quality HU at least tho!) - because its a van and not an audiophile environment!)

Have Fun

i have a good headunit, but some chinaman is loking at it with soldering iron in hand :cry: and im going to get the damn Jacycar splits, about 10 other people tell me they are the go!!! so i've sucked in.....


lastly the strathfield guy said that the kenwood made to most bass out the others he had there... liar!! the magnet on the stockies is margianly bigger too... ahh well i'll give the to a mate or something!!

If you want some really cheap speakers, these off Ebay are really good:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-ROCKWOOD-XPLORE-6x9-CAR-SPEAKER-4-WAY-COAXIAL-1000W_W0QQitemZ120023691530QQihZ002QQcategoryZ1494 2QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I got them from the same seller when it was auction style, so got it for less that that again! One good thing about Strathfield, here anyway, was they allowed be to take the speakers back!

I have a Pioneer 3850MPH headunit, and none of the speakers I tried sounded any good with it. I acually sat in the parking lot at Strathfield and tried out 3 different sets of speakers. All of them were 6x9's, the first being a Pioneer 6x9 for around $160 or something a pair, the next was Boss then some other brand. I thought if thats all that its going to sound like I'm not spending that much on it and got the Rockwood's! Now they're far superior to the others I tried, I reckon they're equivalent to probably a $250 price range speaker...

I know yours are 6.5's, just thought I'd mention the above! The second thing you have to think of is the headunit, if it is the original one the frequency range would prob be down to 80Hz or something. Most of the bass controls on standard radios are at 100Hz, which is why sometimes the bass can sound 'muddy'.

Having the speakers sealed properly is a must, otherwise you won't get the compression needed for sound. If not sealed correctly, as the speaker diaphragm moves forward, the air pushed forward rushes around the back of the speaker to fill the gap made by the diaphragm moving forward. Bass porting works differently, they're tuned to ensure that you don't lose compression.

Even having the speakers raised by .5cm can make a BIG difference! Another point is that the speakers can only be as good as the headunit driving them, and vice versa, so in this case your headunit could be the weakest link. Putting in better speakers alone won't guarantee much improvement in sound quality if your headunit isn't good enough.

-When going to a concert where does the music come from?
Answer - Front.
Where does the music come from at a club? What about watching movies with surround sound? :P.
To be honest i think it's a personal preferrence. I've run my system with just the fronts and it sounds like something is missing. I like having rear speakers :).

As for Rockwood, good luck trying to get it repaired when it fails...

Well its not as if Rockwood isn't an unknown brand, and those speakers are exceptional value in my opinion. There's not much that can go wrong with a speaker, and at around $50 a pair for 1000W (500W per speaker, 200w RMS per speaker) including postage as it was at the time I find its exceptional value. Even now that its what, $70 with postage?! The main reason why I thought I'd go out and buy these is that the much more expensive speakers from Pioneer, Boss etc. that I tried didn't live up to expectation. Of course I wouldn't expect them to be as good as speakers that are $350 a pair, but for a good Medium range 6x9 at a very low range price it can't be beat!

Well its not as if Rockwood isn't an unknown brand, and those speakers are exceptional value in my opinion. There's not much that can go wrong with a speaker, and at around $50 a pair for 1000W (500W per speaker, 200w RMS per speaker) including postage as it was at the time I find its exceptional value. Even now that its what, $70 with postage?! The main reason why I thought I'd go out and buy these is that the much more expensive speakers from Pioneer, Boss etc. that I tried didn't live up to expectation. Of course I wouldn't expect them to be as good as speakers that are $350 a pair, but for a good Medium range 6x9 at a very low range price it can't be beat!
Mate they are an unknown brand! They're a cross between sony xplode (hence the "xplore" and the obvious stolen design), ROCKford and kenWOOD. I guarrentee if you put 200wrms into it, it will destroy itself.
Mate of mine had the exact same pair, attached it to the head unit, yeh sounded ok for a replacement and the price. Hooked it up to a 4x100wrms and the speakers literally fell apart.

look around, i picked up my JVC splits for $120 at JB hifi.. they are punchy and clear. and i do enjoy my 6x9 kickers in the back, they are bassy and all around wonderful :P i dont think i could listen to music without them. i like the even sound