ASuddenSilence

In a 99 TL? If so, how thick were the spacers/baffles that you made? Any cutting to the door itself? A 4" magnet sure is deep!

Also, I noticed these were bi-ampable. Would I be better off powering these with a 4-channel amp, and power the rear coaxial speakers with the amp from my Alpine HU?

elduderino

I have a hard time thinking about running Utopias in OEM locations, and a worse time with deck-power R fill : ) but I think I can safely say that you're just fine not bi-amping. There is a benfit to bi-amping, but it's usually in a pretty esoteric high-level audio system. WHat is the rest of your gear going to be again?

ASuddenSilence

I guess it all depends on my front components but here goes:

Alpine 7897
Front: Focal 165W or 165KP
Rear: Focal 165CV or maybe something "less" than that for the rears
JL 450/4 (if i get the 165W) or JL 300/4 (if I go with the 165KP)
JL 500/1
JL 12w6v2

I've been hearing 100watts to the Utopias won't do the speakers justice, so I don't know if the 300/4 would be a good match?

optomos

The utopia's should have 150w driving them. Just remember, they lack midbase. I personally would not use them. I thought about it, researched it, talked to focal and decided against using them.

There are so many speakers comps out there to choose from that would be more apropriate for your setup.

ASuddenSilence

Suggestions?

I've heard good things about the Diamond HEX s600's (silk). I know, not comparable to the Utopia's, but half the price.

elduderino

a/d/s/ I like, DLS I like, Morel I like, Alpine X-type is good, Rainbow is good, I believe the SEAS Lotus are good BUT HAVE NOT HEARD THEM : ) .

The DLS UP6 set has a 2" VC and a tweeter that plays mad low into the midrange. The magnet is inside the VC and as such they fit into Acura doors where the Morel and Dynaudio 6" do not. THey also make the Iridium and UR6S sets with 3" VC's...

Check dls.se for the UP6 components and check caraudio.com furm section under Speakers for lots of rave DLS reviews...

optomos

Ive listened to the hex's. They are good but they are not . I would compare them to polk audio momo's.

ASuddenSilence

Ok, I'm going with the DLS Iridium's. Now for the rears (I know i'm going to get a debate on whether I should waste my money) Should I stick with the same brand? Are components in the rear not worth it, or do they cause phasing problems?

elduderino

Cool! Great sounding speaker.

I'll simply offer an observation that you shouldn't - either you shouldn't waste your money on the rear speakers, or you shouldn't waste your money on Iridiums in front and any speakers in the rear. One of the two...: )


I'm pretty confident that since "should" denotes that you are either following a rule properly, or moving toward a goal, and I'm not sure about the R fill "rule" nor what your goal would be, I'm pretty sure that my answer is "no reason to stick with". If you arre only worried about frequency response and NOT about stereo imaging (which is what R fill systems are usually all about), then having the same spekaers F and R does support that goal.

Any time you have the same frequency emanating from two different speakers, but traveling two different path length distances to arrive at the listener's ear, that is a time delay problem, which is another way of saying a phase problem. (It is also a problem with different notes doing so, but it is a slightly different problem not involving the same sort of cancellation).

Might I suggest instead (in your budget range) using the Iridium 3-way set, and making kicks for the 3" dome mid and the dome tweet? It would sound MUCH better from a stereo imaging and freq response point of view than a system with R fill. I've heard this setup in an SQ champion car. THe kicks are much smaller than kicks using cone mids.

If you are asking if R components are not worth the cost difference to R coaxials (I'm not sure what you mean exactly) then it should be noted that R coaxials cause just as many phase issues as components.

ASuddenSilence

As much as i'd like to get the 3 ways, i'm really against kick panels in general. My feet need all the space they can get

As far as the rears go, I like having that "fill". My alpine supports time correction, I dunno if this would eliminate/reduce phasing issues. Also, I will be running a Jl 300/4...how should I power the front/rears with this? Would I be better off with a 300/2 for the fronts and using the HU's amp to power the rears?

elduderino

Same reason I don't have kicks, so I understand.

Two questions:

1) Re rear fill: Have you ever NOT had it? Not a 2-minute fader position, but have you ever gone without it for a good period of time?

2) Why spend the money on Iridiums, and then use deck power on rear speaks? Wouldn't that be the lowest common denominator?

ASuddenSilence

I've had my rear speakers not work before... Man, I couldn't stand it, but maybe just because I wasn't used to it?

If I used the amp on the HU for the rears, it would be at about 1/3 the volume as the fronts...just to give it the fill effect and to give the listeners in the rear something to hear...I have many back seat riders.

Would I better off using the 300/4 for both the front and rear? I just figured that would be a waste of 2 channels if I'm not even going to utilize it's full power.

dark inspire

you could always brigde it for just the fronts

jyang411

I have an alpine 7897 and the Focal Utopias up front and the Kevlars in the back.. I think it sounds great.. you may need to dynamat to get some stronger midbass..but it really bumps as it is..