2 way or 3 way speakers?

[Clyde Frog]

I swear this question is less confusing!

I'm just curious as to whether I should get 2 way or 3 way speakers to replace all of my door speakers?

I bought a new headunit that's already installed (Sony Xplod CDX-GT240 - 52 Watts x 4) and I have a 600W amp that's going to be powering just a 10 inch sub.

So, I'm looking into speakers to get installed next week but I'm not sure if I should go with 2 or 3 ways. The sub isn't going to be installed right away, I'm going to be just running the 4 speakers for a little while.

 

[kj924]

A 3 way speaker is going to give you the best sound.

 

[ptsb5a]

Derick is right, a three way speaker will afford the best sound quality. But, consider the speakers 6.5" footprint. There isn't much room to do it right. I would suggest a two way in the rear doors and a component speaker system for the fronts. Put a good mid range driver in the front doors and a tweeter on the dash. The mid range sounds you will "feel" but the high freq stuff you have to "hear". Considering where the speaker is in the door and where your knee is when you drive, you may loose the higher freqs from the left channel and your system, without a passenger will sound right biased. Put a decent crossover network in and a tweet in the dash. Sound is supposed to come from the front. You don't go to a concert and listen with your back to the stage do you? Essentially, it's all about creating a soundstage within your KJ. But hey, do what best suits your budget and your tastes.

 

[kj924]

I installed a set of Alpine SPS-600C components in the front doors, and the tweets, I put them up on the top of the door panel in the triangular plastic where the door mirrors are(if you understand that ) and the tweets sound great up there. But, the drivers in the doors, sound like crap. The Alpine 6.5's are not a great speaker in my opinion. My Infinity's sounded better than those Alpines.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

ThunderbirdJunkie is going to go against the grain and say that the coaxial and triaxial speakers do NOT sound as good, when properly powered, as a good component setup.
coax/triax speakers have a large open center that doesn't allow for the structural rigidity that a monaxial woofer enjoys, and distortion comes up quite easily at higher volumes. Also, component systems normally come with crossovers and tweeters, so no sound range is lost.
But, this really only applies if you're running 100w/channel, so, if you're not, anything is an improvement over the crap OE speakers.

I installed a set of Alpine SPS-600C components in the front doors, and the tweets, I put them up on the top of the door panel in the triangular plastic where the door mirrors are(if you understand that ) and the tweets sound great up there. But, the drivers in the doors, sound like crap. The Alpine 6.5's are not a great speaker in my opinion. My Infinity's sounded better than those Alpines.

If you run more power to the speakers they will sound better

 

[Clyde Frog]

So what is the difference between a component speaker and say a 2-way or 3-way?

I mean, I don't need it to sound like Paramore has a full set up and is jamming out live in my car, but I do want a nice sound that will give me a decent range of highs, and mids as I'm counting on my sub to give me the deep bass that I can't really achieve with a speaker. To my understanding, a 2-way will give me mids and highs but won't give any (read: very much) bass, which is OK because I have the sub. However, I don't want those mids and highs to sound like a tin can, which is why I posed the question about 3-ways. It seems like with the 3-ways having the option for a low, it makes for a more full and truer sound. That's how I understand it anyways.

For 2-ways, I've been looking at the Infinity Reference 6022si and for 3-ways Eclipse SE6500.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

2 and 3 way speakers are speakers that have a woofer and a tweeter already mounted inside the unit. a Component speaker is just the woofer, adn component kits normally come with crossovers and separate tweeters. The crossover is key in this situation, because everybody that says they don't like the way their component setup sounds don't install them.

 

[sharpy]

So what is the difference between a component speaker and say a 2-way or 3-way?

I mean, I don't need it to sound like Paramore has a full set up and is jamming out live in my car, but I do want a nice sound that will give me a decent range of highs, and mids as I'm counting on my sub to give me the deep bass that I can't really achieve with a speaker. To my understanding, a 2-way will give me mids and highs but won't give any (read: very much) bass, which is OK because I have the sub. However, I don't want those mids and highs to sound like a tin can, which is why I posed the question about 3-ways. It seems like with the 3-ways having the option for a low, it makes for a more full and truer sound. That's how I understand it anyways.

For 2-ways, I've been looking at the Infinity Reference 6022si and for 3-ways Eclipse SE6500.

actually all yu really need are 2 drivers. a tweeter and a midrange.
if yu dont like the TIN CAN effect lol ....i also would suggest a set of components instead. and choose a set with a soft dome tweeter.
infinity hase a nice set at a very good price at crutchfield.com

the great thing about components is the much better quality of the crossover and the fact that you can mount the tweeter anywhere yu like.
that improves the sound dramatically.
instead of having all the music directed at yure feet .

 

[kj924]

For 2-ways, I've been looking at the Infinity Reference 6022si and for 3-ways Eclipse SE6500.

I have the Infinity Reference 6022i's, these are the speakers I ran in the front doors for awhile, then I bought the Alpine's. The Infinity's are a better sounding speaker IMO than the Alpine.

6.5" speakers are also limited by their size, a good 6x9 will sound way better. I have had lots of stereo gear through the years, and the best sound ever was a set of 4 way 6x9 Kenwood speakers powered by a 90x90 Alpine(old school stereo gear) amp, and Alpine EQ. This setup would pound as hard as a present day sub. Believe it or not, my old school stereo would move the hair on my head....and no sub.

 

[Clyde Frog]

Alright so it sounds like the general consensus is I should go the component route. This means 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, I'm assuming.

I'll just search for component on crutchfield

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Crutchfield is a good shopping tool, but overpriced.

 

[kj924]

Alright so it sounds like the general consensus is I should go the component route. This means 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, I'm assuming.

I'll just search for component on crutchfield

With a set of 6.5" component speakers, you will have a 6.5" driver and a 1.5" tweeter per channel....meaning 2 speakers per side/per door.

I was going to get a set of components for the front doors, and a set for the rear doors...that would sound sweet.

Like I said earlier, 6.5 speakers will not handle bass that well. I have a 200 watt amp running to my front doors now, and the bass is at 0...otherwise they distort and sound like crappola.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Did you use crossovers for those components?

 

[kj924]

Did you use crossovers for those components?

yERP! They came with a crossover in-line with the main speaker. Alpine SPS-600C All I can say was they was on sale, that's why I bought them.I wanted the Infinity components, but they no longer carried them at our Future Shop here in Canada.

I was never a big fan of 6.5" speakers....bigger is better!!

 

[Clyde Frog]

With a set of 6.5" component speakers, you will have a 6.5" driver and a 1.5" tweeter per channel....meaning 2 speakers per side/per door.

I was going to get a set of components for the front doors, and a set for the rear doors...that would sound sweet.

Like I said earlier, 6.5 speakers will not handle bass that well. I have a 200 watt amp running to my front doors now, and the bass is at 0...otherwise they distort and sound like crappola.

Looking at these "Component systems" on crutchfiled leaves a hole: 2 rear speakers.

They come with 2 6.5 woofers and 2 tweets with the crossovers but for the other two doors speakers, would I just use 2 ways?

 

[sharpy]

Looking at these "Component systems" on crutchfiled leaves a hole: 2 rear speakers.

They come with 2 6.5 woofers and 2 tweets with the crossovers but for the other two doors speakers, would I just use 2 ways?

yep thats what i would do.

 

[sharpy]

yERP! They came with a crossover in-line with the main speaker. Alpine SPS-600C All I can say was they was on sale, that's why I bought them.I wanted the Infinity components, but they no longer carried them at our Future Shop here in Canada.

I was never a big fan of 6.5" speakers....bigger is better!!

the crossovers that come with components will not cover the low frequency high pass for the midbass driver.....but, yu could use the built in x over on the amp if yu have one and set it at 100 or 125 htz high pass. that would keep them from getting bass notes they cant handle.

 

[kj924]

Looking at these "Component systems" on crutchfiled leaves a hole: 2 rear speakers.

They come with 2 6.5 woofers and 2 tweets with the crossovers but for the other two doors speakers, would I just use 2 ways?

That's what I would do...components in the front doors, and 2 ways in the rear doors. It should sound great.

the crossovers that come with components will not cover the low frequency high pass for the midbass driver.....but, yu could use the built in x over on the amp if yu have one and set it at 100 or 125 htz high pass. that would keep them from getting bass notes they cant handle.

I have a input gain, but nothing that works as a cross over that is built into the amp. My front amp is a Kenwood KAC 200...rear is KAC 300. I can get more power/less power but no x-over control.. I need to get a good powered 4 channel amp, then I will do what Clyde is thinking about.

 

[sharpy]

That's what I would do...components in the front doors, and 2 ways in the rear doors. It should sound great.



I have a input gain, but nothing that works as a cross over that is built into the amp. My front amp is a Kenwood KAC 200...rear is KAC 300. I can get more power/less power but no x-over control.. I need to get a good powered 4 channel amp, then I will do what Clyde is thinking about.

you can get a cheap inline 6 db x over and wire it in the positive lead of each speaker. a 300 -350 mf 100 volt non polarised capacitor should do the trick.

very cheap and would get ya by til ya change setups.

 

[kj924]

you can get a cheap inline 6 db x over and wire it in the positive lead of each speaker. a 300 -350 mf 100 volt non polarised capacitor should do the trick.

very cheap and would get ya by til ya change setups.

Thanks sharpy

Can I use that with my front Alpine components I have right now?