gardnerme

Hey, all. I just recently picked up a low-mileage 2010 XLT regular cab short wheel base F150 and am looking to upgrade the stereo a little bit. My plan (at least short-term) is to replace the four speakers, but also add a five channel amp and small sub (10"or so). I do plan to keep the factory head unit over replacing it with a new one (yes, I know an aftermarket one would sound better). Do any of you guys and gals have any input on what dollar amount would be a good threshold to stay under for a pair of speakers for the factory head unit? I know that speakers can cost $20 to several thousand for a pair, but I assume there is some price point in there above which you would be just wasting money because of the limitations of the source. My gut tells me that might be in the $300-$400 range for a pair, but if you guys think that number might be closer to the $200 range I will change what speakers I am looking at. Any input you could give would be very appreciated.

I did a quick search but really did not see anything that looked like this question.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

David Young

Search on Crutchfield. They'll have speakers sets for your truck for maybe less than $200. You'll be surprised at the crap quality auto makers put in 'as speakers' on their vehicles.

gardnerme

Thanks, David. I guess my question is not about how little can I spend, but how much should I spend? I am researing some of the "mid-grade" lines from JL, Focal, Morel and Hybrid Audio, but if you feel that money is wasted on those then I will step down to the "entry level" models from them and also look at other brands like Infinity, Polk, Alpine, etc. I have not gone and listened to any of them all yet, but when I do I would like to have some hint of what I need to listen to. I am sure I could tell a real difference between the more expensive ones and the cheaper ones in a store where they can demonstrate them with good source material, but if the factory head unit is not able to exploit what the more expensive speakers can do in my truck then I would rule them out before I go shopping. Does that make sense?

And, no - I am not planning to spend $1000 on a pair of speakers. But I might be in the $300-$500 range, at least for the door ones.

Tallyman89

It just depends on what you want to spend. Like you said, you can go from $20/pair to thousands. I have Polks and really like them, MM6501 in front $200/pair, DB571 in rear, $70/pair. Sounds real good to me. Infinity are good too for mid-level speaker.

nineball

the source, inho, is the most important piece of the puzzle. it sets the tone, literally, for everything else. not only is the stock head unit low powered but it has a per-determined response curve (this can be changed with software). my suggestion is to always start with the head unit in any system but that is not always possible.

in the mid-range of speakers there really won't be a huge difference in sound among manufactures. the main difference will be among the "highs" and how your ear perceives them. some will have a more "tinny" sound than others. it really comes down to what you like in the end, so i suggest hitting up some local places to listen to whatever you can first. bear in mind though that they can sound completely different mounted on a wall in a shop vs in your vehicle but unless you have access to multiple friend's cars with different setups it's usually the best you can do.

something else to keep in mind is the power. if you buy speakers that are rated for 60-75rms and an amp that can do 150rms per channel you will be missing out in the end. adding a cld like dynamat can do wonders to improve the response of your door speakers. that should be on your list no matter what level or brand of speakers you choose.