https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_575R1...l?tp=105&avf=Y

looking to upgrade my front speakers. do you folks recommend 2-way or 3-way? my truck is the 16 xlt 7 speakers with lcd big screen. they have that speaker in either 2-way or 3-way. thanks

 

I always per-fer a 3 way !!!! Sorry I'm zero help just had to reply

 

i walked into it

 

It's hard to answer. I recently upgraded my system and went with component up front, 2 ways in the rear and a small sub. If you're planning on adding a subwoofer, I vote 2-way and set the crossover appropriately. If not, get a 3-way. But note that it's more important to get a quality speaker. I'd rather have a good 2 way than a ****e 3 way.

 

I would definitely go 2-way if you have the choice. I never understood the point of a 3-way especially for car audio but to each his own. The supertweeter is unnecessary for the source material you'd be listening to in a car, and would introduce additional complexity and crossover distortion in the transfer region between the two tweeters. A 2-way will have less crossovers to muck up the sound and is probably cheaper too.

Ideally you would have a single driver reproducing all frequencies but since that is not possible, you have to butcher up the signal into respective drivers that are responsible for a particular frequency range. IMO less is more.

 

The opposite of much of what you say is true. Crossovers don't muck up sound. They split the signal and send different frequencies to different drivers and/or speakers. It's BETTER to have a single driver and speaker responsible for a single range. This allows that speaker to be designed to maximize its ability to reproduce that set range. A single driver responsible for the entire frequency range is the worst you can do because it's a jack of all trades and a master of none. Don't believe me? Listen to a component woofer try to reproduce the entire frequency range. Then listen to a woofer with a crossover tweeter. Then listen to a woofer, tweeter, and subwoofer. All of which are crossed over to reproduce a set range. It's exponentially better.

The built in crossovers you get with coaxial and triaxial speakers aren't as good as standalone crossovers. This is why I said it's important to buy a quality speaker rather than worry about 2 way vs. 3 way.

 

I'm pretty sure he knows what a crossover does.. In a perfect world, a single driver capable of producing all frequencies would be ideal because you would not have any coloration or stage changes as the frequency sweeps. Since such a driver does not exist, the best compromise is a split system with multiple drivers dedicated to certain frequency bands, separated by a high quality band-pass crossover.

The OP is asking about 2 or 3 way speakers in an entry-level price tier. At this price point (or just about any in a coaxial/triaxial) the speakers are going to have a high-pass capacitor on the tweeter, MAYBE a second one for the super tweeter, and nothing for the woofer, which does indeed muddy up the sound between not only the woofer and tweeter, but the woofer and super tweeter and tweeter and super tweeter. And we're not talking about subwoofer/woofer/tweeter here, we're talking 6.5 mid-range/tweeter/super tweeter.

To get back to the original question, the best way to pick a speaker is to audition them head-to-head before choosing one, but I can tell you that to my ear, almost every coaxial I've heard sounds better than any triaxial I've heard. So my vote is 2-way as well.

 

In a round speaker location I recommend getting a 2 way - however just to verify something. In your truck doesn't it have a dedicated tweeter up higher on the door or rather on the A pillar?

I believe that's the case. Such that you have a most of the range round 61/2 in the door (knee level ) and you have the seperate tweeter more at eye level. They are connected via a line that has a small capacitor in them - such as to cut the frequencies that make it though to the tweeter. Incidentally most cheaper coaxial speakers do this same thing. What's called a simple crossover.

So what you should use for your front speakers is actually called component sets. They included a simple midrage driver (the 6 1/2 bit) a quality 4th pass or so crossover (more than just a small capacitor) and a quality tweeter. This would replace your entire front stage.

In the back - yes use some coaxial job - I like to stick with the same name brand of speakers in a car - so if you picked say JBL for the fronts - I'd roll JBL on the rears. and again I would do a 2 way if it's a round speaker - if it's an oval job - like a 6x9 I would consider a 3 way job but it would be a bulky 3-way and use something like a 3 inch driver for it's midrange piece and still have a 3/4 to 1 inch tweeter.


ON the component think upfront - it's easier to install than it sounds - most often. You will greatly appreciate the effort - no they don't have to break the bank. I would get either fosgate, JBL, or JL audio for a brand if I was picking something today - not that there aren't other quality names too - those are often the better priced most popular.

PICK out what you think you want - and then shop elsewhere than crutchfield for pricing.

OH and I think you have to disconnect the center speaker for it to sound right - after the speaker install - but someone else will have to chime in on that bit. I've not done a ford system in a long time.

 

I vote 6-way speakers:




Just kidding...

 

I just replaced my front speakers with these a couple of weeks ago. they are loads better than the factory speakers, but I'm still not happy... to me it actually made it seem like I need a sub much more, maybe because the mid / high is so much more powerful. I would buy them again for sure, but I'm looking at a sub set-up, they're 3 ways.

https://smile.amazon.com/Infinity-Ka...nity+kappa+6x9