speakers... what should I get to replace stock '96 speakers?

[lostatlantis]

alright i've got alpine 7858 CD deck in my '96 firebird, and the stock speakers are pretty sorry... somehow the sound feels not so clear, kinda muffled feel.

What should I get to replace the stock speakers? I don't want a sub, just the speakers. And i most likely will drive the speakers with the alpine deck, 21W RMS/45W peak I think.

I'd love to know what's the best speakers for my situation, and then maybe the best speakers bang-for-the-buck.
thanks for any input!

[ChameleonGreen]

Listen to all the speakers you can and decide what brand sounds best to you. take your favorite cd with your favorite song to many shops and listen to that same song on many different speakers. remember to have the shops set all settings to flat during the trials


RANDOM INFO BELOW


Door speakers cannot produce good bass below 80Hz. you WILL need a sub if you are wanting good bass. you will also need a 80HZ high pass filter for your door speakers so you don't damage them.

almost all decks start to clip about 75% volume, which by cheap deck power alone isn't enough for most people. if you don't know what clipping is, just keep in mind that clipping kills your speakers.

if you buy online you can probably get a good set of front speakers and an amp to power them for about $300. you do not need any speakers in the rear. it messes up your soundstage. its like when you go to a movie or a concert, all the sound is coming from in front of you. it should be the same way in the car.

if you want any kind of good bass you will need at least a 10" sub. sub + box + amp is going to be $400 at the cheapest.

keep in mind, you get what you pay for. DO NOT take the cheap route when buying car audio. do it right the first time or you will end up spending more in the long run.

[ February 24, 2002: Message edited by: ChameleonGreen ]</p>

[StarsCamaro]

Thumbs up to you ChameleonGreen... Great info.! You seem to know what you're talking about. I co-own, install and do sales at our 'lil car audio shop here in N. Ft. Worth. Your info. is right on the money. What's crazy is these people don't want to spend any money but they want big boom and or clarity. Gez, what do they expect? Yes, it's expensive but well worth it! What I suggest is IF you can't afford a great system all at once then buy a little at a time. When you have your system compiled then take it to someone you totally trust and have it properly installed. Stay away from the large stores ( I don't like mentioning names )because they will hack up your cars!!! I know 'cuz I see these cars in my bay every day and believe me, they are a train wrecks. :eek:

[lostatlantis]

hey guys thanks for the advices~! Just to clarify, StarsCamaro, I am not one of your people who "don't want to spend any money but they want big boom and or clarity." [img]smile.gif[/img] I am actually kinda an audiophile, having done fair amount of research on audio technology and set up my dad's home theater system and several computer surround systems (i have a set of Klipsch 4.1 surround for my laptop).

hmm... for my '96 firebird, the front speakers are on the doors ( i believe 5.25 in), while the back speakers are 6.5 in( i think) inside the body of the car. So... what would be a good set of replacement speakers, with the rear handling the "bass"? The emphasis is on clarity, since I know for any amount of true bass i'll need a dedicated sub and amp.

any suggestions anyone? and again, thanks in advance for any inputs! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[96firebird311]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by ChameleonGreen:
keep in mind, you get what you pay for. DO NOT take the cheap route when buying car audio. do it right the first time or you will end up spending more in the long run.<hr></blockquote>

HERE HERE!! [img]smile.gif[/img] 100% correct. Stay away from store brands or the cheapest line of equip. Just cause it says 100Watts doesn't always mean it's a 100 watts. Both the front and rear speakers are 6 3/4" but a lot of 6 1/2" will fit. You really aren't going to get any bass with those speakers. Although I would recommend getting a quality amp. You'll be happy you did.

[Fusion]

ChameleonGreen

So Very True!

My brother had purchased some $100 Jensen speakers about 2 months ago. He already has to replace them. Buy something that maybe is a bit more expensive but you know will last. Just dont by Jensen or AudioVox :( Those are not what ya want. Check out www.crutchfield.com they have a good site and lots of info for you.