Indy2012fx4

Been wondering if I should stay with the 6x8's or go ahead and do the 6.5" switch. What is everyone's recommendations??????

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

It has been said that round speakers sound better than oval. But it up to the owner to choose. You may want to go somewhere you can listen to both.

HushCarAudio

I think most people would agree that round is better than oval. That's why the trend for almost all auto manufactures is to have round as standard in all vehicles now.

Dykstrajl

I think it depends what you are going for. If you are adding an amp and new tweeters then probably 6.5". If you're keeping stock head unit and not adding an amp then 6x8. I just bought these and put them in every door and for the price I am thrilled with the results. http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-TS-A6886R-4-Way-Speaker-Set/dp/B014Z7J6HQ

Feathermerchant

I bought component speakers and put the tweeter up higher in the door. Easy to do and sounds much better. I have no pictures though.

_MacLeod_

Round is not necessarily better than oval. All things being equal, a round driver will be more rigid and be less prone to distortion however a well made oval speaker will be plenty rigid and sound great and have the added benefit of extra cone area which means more output particularly in the low end where it matters.

There are several excellent quality 6x9's out there but almost no 6x8's. Most of those are entry level drop ins. Almost all the high quality stuff is 6.5 round.

So yeah, dont worry about the shape so much as the overall quality of the speaker. Since there are almost no high end 6x8 drivers, round is what youll want to go with. And try to audition as many different brands as you can. Unlike amps and head units, speakers do have their own sound and not just every brand but every model has a different sound. If youve got $1000 to spend on a sound system, spend $900 on the speakers. Thats the most important part of your system by a mile.

boom50cal

Sorry mate, but you're wrong there. If you've got $1000 to spend on a stereo, spend $250 on speakers, $250 on an amp, and put the other $500 into your install itself... quality electrical components, and a lot of sound deadener, nice adapters, open and closed cell foam.

Its not the speaker itself that determines the quality of the stereo, it's the installation 99% of the time. I've got 4 year old sundown mids, and some $15 parts express tweeters. But I promise you on everything, you could sit in my drivers seat blindfolded and think you're listening to a concert at center stage.

Just like these new EFI controlled cars. You can have a new 5.0 Mustang with a pair of Precision ball bearing 66mm's on it, tial blow of valves and waste gates, monsterous intercooler, and a fully forged bottom end... but if you've got a crappy tune in the car, it's not going to run worth a crap.

_MacLeod_

Obviously $1000/$900 is a figure of speech just to make a point of how important speakers are. Of course you need quality parts all around, a quality and sturdy install and a proper tune. But itll only sound as good as the speakers you use.

Its all the components that determine the performance of your system naturally but no component has as big a part in that as the speakers. The speakers are what define the sound of your stereo. Amps are amps for the most part. Their job is to amplify the source without coloration which all but the cheapest flea market amps will do (thats not going to sit well with the golden ears that think they can hear grass grow). Same with cables and same with head units. Speakers however have their own unique characteristics and the cheaper speakers just will not perform as well or sound as good as the higher end drivers. Now Im not saying just because it costs more its better. One of my all time favorite speakers is the Tang Band bamboo full range drivers. Theyre around $50 each. However there are very few gems in the raw home audio driver market like that and pretty much everything else that sounds amazing is gonna cost you like the nothing in the Scan Revelators, Seas Lotus or about anything from Morel. Now there is a point where youre not getting a return on your investment ($5,000 Focal Utopia, Im looking at you) and Im not advocating going out and buying $3,500 Rainbow speakers but concentrate your budget on getting the best quality speakers you can possibly afford.

Actually the comparison would be the speakers are the engine. You can get all the tuning and cool performance gear you want but without a good, solid engine to begin with it aint gonna ever be great. However a good strong engine will still perform well with just basic mods. Kinda the same here. Ideally youd have top tier quality gear all around, Zapco amps, Pioneer P99 head unit, high dollar professional installation, Dynamat Extreme everywhere but without a great set of speakers, youll never have a great sounding car. Mid level speakers, even with a perfect install, competition tune and high dollar amp will still sound mid level. Bottom line is that no matter how good the equipment you have, your system's performance is limited by how good the speakers can sound.