Will be upgrading the factory stereo in my 380 shortly.

I have been doing some online review reading regarding different 6.5" splits for the front doors. Looking specifically for comparisons between Alpine Type R, JBL GTO, Fusion PP and Pioneer TSD sets for budget reasons. General feedback seems to be that all suffer from a lack of bottom end (not a biggie as I will be installing a sub) and harsh highs. I have read a couple of reviews where swapping to x-overs with a lower frequency cut off (2500hz instead of the 3500-4500hz that seems to be common in these sets) resulted in much clearer sound.

This got me thinking, I had been intending to run a 2x 100w+ RMS amp into the fronts. If instead I used a 4 channel amp running a channel into each woofer and tweeter and used the HP/LP adjustment on the amp could I then control the frequency cut off point....and as a result end up with better SQ. Likely to be a 50-60w RMS amp due to space restrictions under the front seat (some 4 channel amps are seriously long!).

There seems to be a lot of advice to go out and listen to each set you intend to buy, but I would think there is only so much comparison you can make between a store display and a car install.

I listen to alot of rock/metal so a harsh tweeter will be really annoying, even if it is muffled in the factory position.

I don't want to invest much more than the price of these speakers...got to draw a line somewhere :)

Running your tweeters and mids directly to an amplifier, thus by passing the crossover, is referred to as running your speakers 'active'.

I have been under the impression that for a car audio novice, it can be quite difficult to run speakers active and get them to sound as good/better as if you were running the factory crossover.

You need to replace the passive cross over with an electric one. Found in advanced head decks or dsp's digital signal processors. Like a audison bit ten or the bit one to name a couple.

Thanks for the replys.
I am not a complete noob at car stereo installs and have a dozen or so under my belt of varying complexity. Just never bothered to go with an 'active' set up before. (And have always needed to adjust the HU eq to compensate for shrill tweeters).
Without using a dedicated electric crossover, could I use the filter on the amp to block lower freq for the tweeters using the "front" channels and the higher freq for the mid/woofer using the "rear" channels. If the HU has freq filters I could then set a highfreq cut off from the HU and a low freq cut off from the amp filters to ensure the woofer is only getting mid-mid low freq.
Would this work?

No, you wont have much luck there... Most of the speakers systems have frequency crosses at about 2500 - 3000 Hz. (around a high histle using your lips)
Amp cutoffs are usually above and below 250Hz (or there abouts).

So you'll end up with mid speaker signal 250-300 Hz and above being forced to a tweeter that can play them, and only 250 below to the mids... So lots of holes for male and low female voices, strings (guitar etc) Drums above a kick drum...

If you want get rid of the apparently high shreeking tweeter, try knocking off 2500-4000 Hz out of the system with the EQ, the human ear can handle high levels of volume, except those frequencies are annoying as hell at higher volumes...

Like this but without drop in the lower end...(630Hz)
https://www.avid.com/static/resources/common/images/products/cw_m700xm700_raneGraphics.jpg

if you have an Android, the Frequensee app is pretty cool to look for peaks and lows in your sound system, and Speedy Spectrum analyzer is great too.
Search for real time analyzer in your phone market...

but seeing as you looking for a Head unit, and you like to tune it up a bit, there is deck out there that will manage 2 way front end active setups with/without a sub. Of course you'll need a four channel for the front end, but well worth it.. Its not difficult to setup, just more involved, depending on the skill you have, but I sense an interest, (the force is strong with this one).
If you dont go active, look for an 8 Band EQ or better, it will help you acheive a lot more tunability.

But I wouldnt put cheap splits in a 380, they might only sound as good as what you have, and they where designed for that interior and placement, Do the woofer, then spend a bit more on the splits....

Any opinions about the Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty.1? I realise this is a 2010 model but I can get my hands on a used example for $40. Apparenlty is working just missing the dash mounted volume knob. If these are any good I might throw $40 to the wind and give it a go.

Also SHOOT, what do you class as 'cheap' speakers? I am currently looking at the following which I can get for between 190-250 NZD which seems to be pretty reasonable.
Alpine SPR-17S
JBL GTO 608C
Pioneer TSD 1720C
Fusion PP CM650
Soundstream SST6.5 PRO

Would you reccomend/warn against any of the above?

Any opinions about the Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty.1? I realise this is a 2010 model but I can get my hands on a used example for $40. Apparenlty is working just missing the dash mounted volume knob. If these are any good I might throw $40 to the wind and give it a go.

Thats pretty cheap, as long as it works, and it does what you ask of it.



Also SHOOT, what do you class as 'cheap' speakers? I am currently looking at the following which I can get for between 190-250 NZD which seems to be pretty reasonable.
Alpine SPR-17S
JBL GTO 608C
Pioneer TSD 1720C
Fusion PP CM650
Soundstream SST6.5 PRO

Would you reccomend/warn against any of the above?

You can get a feel for speakers are really worth by looking at the US market, some of the importers/agencies mark the price well up for the local market.
As a recommendation, I've always stood by my rules of an adjustble -6Db drop in the crossover as an option, (if you are not going active) and a silk dome/soft dome tweeter. These tweeters are not as harsh as a metal tweeter in this price bracket, and are easy too listen to loud, and for extended periods.

Sorry should add the reason for the adjustable Db drop options in a cross over.
The tweeter in the 380 and the magna are very close to the front seat head positions. And the Woofer sits real low in the door. The -6 DB drop applies to the tweeter to reduce its volume so it wont drown out/out perform the woofer.
I think mine has about a -8 and -7 over my mids. But its at least -6.

If you are replacing the headunit with an after market option one of the best value decks at the moment is the Clarion cz702a. For $200 brand new you can get a deck that has 24 bit DACs, 3-way active crossovers, digital time alignment as well as bluetooth. This will allow you to start playing with different active filters on your speakers.

A few budget component speakers that I could recommend based on my experiences and public opinions include:

- morel maximo 6
- Crescendo opus 1 or 3
- DLS B6a

If you plan to install the tweeters where the standard dash speakers are you may find some speakers will sound terrible (very shrill) reflecting off the glass, you may also find that it works perfectly but it really is a matter of trial and error.

Nice..

Ok I am officially a Noob. Never even heard of those brands.

I had been considering the Clarion HU until I actually saw/used one in the flesh, not really to my taste as far as looks and build quality.
I have a HU to go into the car. It's an oldie but has the basic functionality I am after (BT audio, rear USB, 2-way iPod control+charge, F/R/Sub 4v pre outs as well as Hi/Mid/Low/Sub freq filters) and doesn't look like a neon circus spewed on my dash.

I think I will give going active a miss initially, might look at it as an upgrade. I'd rather keep it simple and spend money where it counts for now than make a mess of a more complex system with an unrealistic (low) budget.
So my sytem so far will include:

Pioneer DEH-P5050UB
Pioneer TS-W308D4 12" DVC sub in a sealed box. (TBC exact size as I'll make some thing to fit the boot).
JVC KS-AX3300 2 channel amp wired 1 65W RMS channel per VC to sub. I don't think this will be enough power to get the most out of the sub but I have the amp already so will give it a go.
Panasonic CJ-DA6943N 6x9 choosen for a different car but never installed. Thought I'd give them a try seeing as I have them. Their efficiency is supposed to be 93dB so should run ok off HU. Don't have much faith in the SQ but they may suprise...or get faded out!

As you can see not an expensive or top of the line build. It may end up sounding horrible but so far hasn't cost me anything recently as all of this is lying around home.
All of these parts I am happy to upgrade overtime, however I'd rather get some decent comps now that will not need replacing unless I win lotto.
I also think I'll look for a 4 channel amp to enable me to go active at a later date and just bridge it to the passive x-over for the moment.

Thanks for the hint to check out prices in USA, even in Aus there seems to be far more choice outside the entry level mass marketed sony/jvc/fusion stuff available here in NZ. (Non of which get much in the way of favourable reviews.

Going to need to work out a short list and keep my eye out for deals.

Will update when I make a decision and get it all in.

Thanks for the help.