t_in_maine

Ok, so now that we've agreed to disagree on my replacement strategy, and I've got the 6x9s ordered and on the way, now I'm moving onto the tweeters. In all my notes I've taken, I've written a few 'notes to self': JL XR perfect fit; Polk DB6500 didn't quite fit, needed some tweaking; Infinity also didn't fit exactly, needed some Dremeling of the hole. So, based on those notes, and suggestions from Crutchfield, it looks like I'm on the JL line again. This is what Crutchfield suggests:

LINK I can get them for around $80 shipped on ebay.

I've also read a lot about the stock tweeters not being in an ideal location, because the sound bounces off the windshield, etc. However, I have absolutely no desire to change the location. So, given that I'm determined to replace the stock tweeters, keeping the stock location, I want pretty high-end, I'm not an audiophile and will absolutely NOT be able to detect the subtle naunces that some of you would (reach, that means you, hehehe), and it's very important to me that I not have to do a lot of finagling to get them to fit, and I absolutely want them to be flush with the dash... suggestions?

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

I had phoenix gold RSD's before (probably the best bang for the buck component set, can be had for ~90$ shipped on ebay), the tweeter cups that it came with fit perfectly.

Furthermore, I now have the Hertz HSK165 component set (~400$ retail, probably not what you're looking for) and the tweeter cups that it came with did NOT fit with my stock location. I just grabbed a glue gun and hot glued the tweeter to the stock tweeter cover. It's been 3 months now, and I havn't had any problems with it; Hot glue ftw

Also, if you're looking to get some Polk db650's, I have a pair of 3/4 spacers for those, I had those for my rear doors for a week or two, in which I ended up disconnecting, and giving all the power to my fronts, and ended up selling the polks. If you want you can have them for 5 bucks + shipping. They fit the polk db650's

michep21

I have the kicker RS series and compared to my infinity ref's these sound/fit amazing!

Reach

Theresa baby, please please do not replace the tweets alone, but in conjunction with the doors as a matching set of component speakers. Even if you choose to do it your way like Burger King, get component speakers, install the tweeters yourself, and save the door speakers and crossovers for a later date when you are ready to hire out the job to finish it off.

If you're ever considering getting all the speakers replaced, it just makes sense to get components, not potentially mismatched speakers!

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

..unless she goes active! but that should be for later down the road, if you ever decide to go active, which doesn't seem likely!

t_in_maine

What is the reason to not mix-n-match brands if they're all good quality speakers that fit and work with our car? And if not, suggest a good component set?

dizzy1

I have the JL XR components up front and the tweeters in the stock location. I think it sounds really good, just set the crossover to about -6db down since they are very loud near the glass. I consider myself to always be a high end car stereo guy and this is the cheapest and basic setup I have every had, but I still think it sounds really good. Not as good as my old accord with Boston pro 3 ways and PPI amps, those were killer but that was back in the day before every company sold out. I would recommend the JL XR components, you can ebay them for about 225 and you thank yourself later. Now letter all the JL Audio haters begin the bashing.

daicacharco

how do you take out the stock tweeters?

jlukja

pry up the edge with a small flathead screwdriver (wrap it with electircal tape to prevent scarring). Once pried it pops right out. Just unplug the connector and, voila, its out. Be careful not to drop the leads back in the hole after unplugging unless you feel like fishing around for them in that awkward location.

daicacharco

stock tweeter sizes are 1'' correct? how would I be able to wire them without un cutting the harness?

Jottle

How do you set the crossover on the tweeters -6db down? I thought that the stock amp controls all frequency crossovers to the tweeters, decibel level etc...

Reach

Different brands of speakers will utilize different materials for the woofer cone and tweeter dome. When you get a "set", they have been paired with a crossover that effectively changes the frequency at a point that maximizes the harmony between the two components.

Likewise, if you went with a metalic tweeter (which is harsher in sound than a silk / poly, but some people like it) and a poly woofer, the sound isn't going to give the same presence, since the two components are taking a different approach.

If I were in the market for a set (and it turns out, I am looking for some 3 ways for my new car) I'd be looking at the DLS UP series. There are probably a bit more dough than you want to spend right now, but maybe not.

t_in_maine

Link/price?

shakol88

Here's a link to the DLS Speakers, costing from $102.00 all the up to $1,000.00
for their top of the line. http://www.mobilesq.com/shop/index

If you go to this website, you can learn a lot on what speakers to use w/o spending a ton of money.http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/

You don't have to spend a lot to get very good sounding speakers on your car and
buying high end speakers does not gurantee you its gonna sound good.

jlukja

This presumes that the crossover that comes with the "set" will be used. If you connect the "set" to the existing wiring in the existing locations (without the accompanying crossover) then you'll be using the crossover that is built into the OEM amp. If you only use the front door speaker signal and apply the "set" crossover to that then there is more wiring needed to be done and you need to remember that the front door speaker signals "roll off" in the higher frequencies (per our TSX FAQ) which is a poor signal to use for the tweeters.

t_in_maine

Well that's what I thought (well, without all the tech-speak). That I wouldn't even be using the crossovers from a set of components, as the stock amp has it built in.

To reiterate for those who haven't caught on yet, I merely want a GOOD/BETTER set of speakers (front doors & tweeters) to replace the stock. I will not be replacing the amp, so please take that out of the equation when suggesting replacements. I will be attempting as much of the install that I can by myself, and want a stock appearance, so no cutting/splitting/running of wires that isn't absolutely necessary. Right now, I'm at the "tweeters" section of my purchase. If someone can tell me why it's absolutely positively necessary, not just recommended, to purchase an entire set of components at once, then I'm looking for a very good set of tweeters to drop into the stock location. Brands, models, and links are very much appreciated.

jlukja

I'm aware of 2 tweeters that are fairly well thought of that should fit the tweeter location in the dash. They are:
Seas 1" textile dome tweeter and
LPG 1" aluminum dome tweeter

^^I'm reposting the above info from the PM I sent to t_in_maine in the hopes that folks can chime in with their opinions on these tweeters.

shakol88

I have the LPG 25nfa, but they are mounted in the sail panels though. They are played active from my DRZ 9255 powered by a pdx 4.100. The LPG 25 are textile
dome tweeters w/c are supposed to be less harsher than the aluminum domes
of the LPG 26. They are mounted off axis and I loved them! They replaced my cdt
silk tweets w/c actually hurt my ears. I don't think you'd want to mount LPG 26s
on the stock location bouncing off the windshield, might sound too bright and they might not work w/ the stock x-overs. The SEAS tweets are supposed to be good, too, but I love my LPGs though!

t_in_maine

So if I went with those Seas, they'd presumably drop right into the stock location, however, wouldn't be exactly flush with the dash, as they appear to "dome" a little. Correct assumption? And if that is correct, are they any that would sit completely flush so that to the untrained eye, they would appear stock?

jlukja

I didn't give it a close look when I swapped mine, but you might be able to remove the OEM tweeter from its dash mounting adaptor and mount the replacement tweeter in its place. It may take a little elbow grease and a hot glue gun but that would be the route to take if you want complete stealth (or, as stealth as you can get).

t_in_maine

I may try that route; or at least give it a look-see and determine if it looks at all possible. Thanks a million.

Jottle

Do keep us updated if you do. I'm also interested in doing an easy drop-in tweeter replacement.

Castles_Saloon

I have the seas tweeter in my car. They do sound good and better imo than stock. very clear sounding as long as they're crossed over properly. I crossed them at 2.2kHz which is a bit low. They would likely sound better if crossed at 2.5 or 3.0 kHz. I think the stock amp crosses at 5kHz so that's an easy swap. Just watch out that you don't expect great performance from the door speaks above 3kHz. That's a typical area where their frequency response starts to become non-linear. should check the drivers frequency response for ideal xover points.

SEAS FIT
They do fit snugly into the cavity of the missing tweet, but there is a gap visible between the surface of the dash and the sub surface of the tweeter holder. The tweeter hole is off center hole relative to the circular seat where the tweeter edges would rest upon. The gap I think could be filled easily/nicely with some speaker grill cloth and present a clean look.

Presently, I raised the tweeters vertically so they project towards the listener and not the windshield. I prefer that sound much more, but that is personal preference.

SOME BACKGROUND
When i looked at the LPG, it appeared to need a higher xover point, but I don't remember how high. The lower the your tweet can play in frequency, the fewer line of sight blockages you'll have with your door speaker at its upper frequencies.

Hope that helps a bit. I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you replace stock with as long as its crossed over properly.