6.5" component recommendations please!

[alistairolsen]

Non clio question, I'd like to upgrade the speakers in my Jag XJ8. They come with a 6.5 mid in the lower door and a ~40mm tweeter by the doorhandle.

I've looked at Alpine type E which I've used in the past but the tweeters are 25mm. A friend recommended looking at Vibe, but their slick 6 6.5" comes with a 50mm tweeter.

Not looking to spend a fortune, but want new speakers which are likely better than the 20 year old OEM paper ones.

What's the CS recommendation?

 

[Daniel]

I’ve used Focal before and was well impressed with them. No idea if they make them in your size but they seem very well built and sounded ace.

 

[alistairolsen]

Ahhh spec creep

Focal 165 AS 2-Way 6.5" Component Car Speakers With Sound Proofing Deadening Material Sheet

Speakers 165AS + RKXSK Focal 165 AS 2-Way 6.5" Component Car Speakers With Sound Proofing Deadening Material Sheet - Package Included Focal 165 AS Access Series 2-Way 16.6.5 inch (17 cm) 165AS + RKXSK Focal 165 AS 2-Way 6.5" Component Car Speake

www.dynamicsounds.co.uk

Free post and some sound deadening lets me man maths them to only £40 more than the very bottom of the market

Cheers @Daniel

 

[frayz]

Ive got the 5.25 versions of these in the front of my 182 and am very pleased with them for the money

 

[alistairolsen]

Did you both drive them from an amp, or the headunit?

I'm going to connect them to the headunit for now (main driver for buying them is I'm changing the doorcards and want to finish the doors in one go) but I suspect I may go for a micro amp later.

 

[frayz]

Mine are driven from a Focal Impulse 4.320 Amp. The amp is tiny and fits in the palm of your hand yet chucks out a massive 320w RMS!!

 

[alistairolsen]

Mine are driven from a Focal Impulse 4.320 Amp. The amp is tiny and fits in the palm of your hand yet chucks out a massive 320w RMS!!

Yeah I was looking at that, I'd been looking at the Vibe version when I was looking at their speakers

Vibe Optisound Micro 4 Channel Amp | Halfords UK

Shop the latest Vibe Optisound Micro 4 Channel Amp at Halfords UK

www.halfords.com

Some of these small form factor amps are pretty impressive, especially when you dont want to mess about too much.

I suspect I'll go underseat sub too down the line

 

[frayz]

Yeah I was looking at that, I'd been looking at the Vibe version when I was looking at their speakers

Vibe Optisound Micro 4 Channel Amp | Halfords UK

Shop the latest Vibe Optisound Micro 4 Channel Amp at Halfords UK

www.halfords.com

Some of these small form factor amps are pretty impressive, especially when you dont want to mess about too much.

I suspect I'll go underseat sub too down the line

Sounds like ive trodden the exact route youre looking at .

I went for the following:

Alpine CDE 178BT HU
Focal AC130 components front
Focal RCX 130 coaxial rear
Focal Impulse 4.320 driving the speakers
Inphase USW300 under seat sub (Wanted to Focal but it was too big. This was much more powerful and smaller, also has an alloy chassis)

I also added quite a bit of sound deadening and the results are impressive, the audio quality is very good for a little tin box

 

[alistairolsen]

Sounds like ive trodden the exact route youre looking at .

I went for the following:

Alpine CDE 178BT HU
Focal AC130 components front
Focal RCX 130 coaxial rear
Focal Impulse 4.320 driving the speakers
Inphase USW300 under seat sub (Wanted to Focal but it was too big. This was much more powerful and smaller, also has an alloy chassis)

I also added quite a bit of sound deadening and the results are impressive, the audio quality is very good for a little tin box

Sounds very similar indeed. Mine will be a little more simple I think.

The stock headunit is a sculpted thing and single DIN conversions look awful, so it will stay. It's an alpine tape deck with a CD changer, so the idea is to hack a bluetooth receiver over the tape deck input which is pretty common/easy.
The jaguar has a component layout front and rear as stock, need to decide whether upgrading the rears is worthwhile, I might just leave them as they're only really for fill and music only tends to be on when I'm alone.
Amp is definitely on the cards

How do you find the inphase sub? 5x8 is a fairly small driver and I likely have space for something with an 8" sub in it.

I followed your sound deadening thread with interest, I plan to do the same to my 944 when I get to that. The jag (I'm hoping) is largely okay as it, but I'll stick the deadener with the speakers inside the doors.

 

[frayz]

Sounds very similar indeed. Mine will be a little more simple I think.

The stock headunit is a sculpted thing and single DIN conversions look awful, so it will stay. It's an alpine tape deck with a CD changer, so the idea is to hack a bluetooth receiver over the tape deck input which is pretty common/easy.
The jaguar has a component layout front and rear as stock, need to decide whether upgrading the rears is worthwhile, I might just leave them as they're only really for fill and music only tends to be on when I'm alone.
Amp is definitely on the cards

How do you find the inphase sub? 5x8 is a fairly small driver and I likely have space for something with an 8" sub in it.

I followed your sound deadening thread with interest, I plan to do the same to my 944 when I get to that. The jag (I'm hoping) is largely okay as it, but I'll stick the deadener with the speakers inside the doors.

Honestly for the money and size the inphase does more than i could ask of it. Its a pokey little unit and double the power of the other offerings from Alpine and the like. I was constrained by space so had to make use of what i could. However if you have the space for a bigger sub driver id go for it.
I was looking at a JL Audio 6" woofer but just couldnt get it and a suitable box behind the seat.
As you say, maybe run a high pass filter from the amp to the rears and keep them OEM, use the money saved to buy the bigger sub package.

 

[alistairolsen]

Jaguars premium sound package had an amp and a 6x9 driver in the rear shelf which would be an easyish retrofit, but it's off centre and I can't bring myself to do it Speakers of the right spec are also very limited.

I'll see what I can find room for, ideally something like a shallow 8" sub would be nice, even if I have to hide the amp under the other seat. Time will tell.

For now it'll be nice having two front speakers, doorcards and a carpet.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Sounds like ive trodden the exact route youre looking at .

I went for the following:

Alpine CDE 178BT HU
Focal AC130 components front
Focal RCX 130 coaxial rear
Focal Impulse 4.320 driving the speakers
Inphase USW300 under seat sub (Wanted to Focal but it was too big. This was much more powerful and smaller, also has an alloy chassis)

I also added quite a bit of sound deadening and the results are impressive, the audio quality is very good for a little tin box

Do you have to run a live from the battery for the Inphase sub?
Also do you need to run it from an amp or can you run it direct from the head unit?

 

[frayz]

Do you have to run a live from the battery for the Inphase sub?
Also do you need to run it from an amp or can you run it direct from the head unit?

Battery lives for both mate.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Battery lives for both mate.

Whereabouts through the bulkhead did you run the live cables? Was it a pain in the arse?

 

[frayz]

Come through the main grommet under the glovebox. Wasn’t any big deal. Took a single fused live and split it with a fused distribution panel.