Just installed a new headunit now I need a speaker opinion?

[reelop19]

I just installed a JVC KD-R300
Peak: 50 watts x 4 channels
RMS: 20 watts x 4 channels

Now I enjoy a little bit of bass but in a smaller car like this I was wondering if I could get enough bass from some good 5 1/4" component speakers front and rear? I don't need enough bass so that the car next to me can hear it but I need it to sound good in my car. Let me hear some opinions please. Thanks

[Jean]

Can't get any bass out of 5 1/4, the front e30 stock location just majorly sucks for any midbass. The rear will sound actually better, even with stock premium speakers.

Add one small sq sub and it will make a big difference

[StereoInstaller1]

I have tried and tried, E30s just suck for sound on the cheap.

If you really wanna try, grab a set of decent aftermarket crossovers and all 4 corners of good condition stock premium sound speakers. Maybe even mod up a rear deck for a set of 6X9s to try and get a little bottom.

Add a decent small 4 channel amp and see what you get. Personally, I would not tolerate that crap for even a minute, but I might be a bit picky, y'know?

The way I see it, a 4 channel amp running the front and a small sub is best "bang for the buck" you will ever hear. Of course, I think my boxes sound better than anything else I have ever heard in an E30, but I might be a bit biased...

GL!
Luke

[Jean]

Luke - you think the glovebox is big enough for a single down firing 10" ? :) Would be stealthy and keep everything at the front stage!

[StereoInstaller1]

I think a 10 generally wants to see 1.5 cubic feet, and that is not gonna happen in a glove box!

Jean, you know I hate sealed boxes...but a nice 8" in there would kick ass, wouldn't it?

[Jean]

I think so... hmm sounds like another item to add to the list haha.

[reelop19]

I assumed as much because of the front speaker location. Sub box it is then

[5ickride]

Im on the same boat, just got myself a sony cdx gt440u and would like to upgrade speakers. sub sounds like a good idea, would a 8" or a 10" be good? also, Luke, what amp do you recommend? thanks

[z31maniac]

I think a 10 generally wants to see 1.5 cubic feet, and that is not gonna happen in a glove box!

Jean, you know I hate sealed boxes...but a nice 8" in there would kick ass, wouldn't it?

Seems as though the high end ID and JL stuff will take really, really small sealed boxes.

I think the IDQ has a min sealed box of .35 cubic ft.

[Jean]

When I had IDQ v2 12s, even though they IIRC had a minimum spec of 0.6cu.ft, they sounded much much better in 1-1.5 cu.ft of space. But, I haven't tried their 8-10 subs, something in the 0.3-0.6 would probably work fine though

[StereoInstaller1]

Whenever you get into the tiny little boxes like that, the woofer operates entirely below its resonant frequency...so they sound like ass and they require a ton of power to play anywhere near loud...so if you are OK needed 800 watts RMS to get your singe 10 to play at 100db, have at it.

[Jean]

^ yep, low.freq extension improved a lot when I switched from the recommended small sealed box to a bigger one (idq gives you specs on multiple sizes iirc). I was using about 150wrms per sub (each one was wired for 2ohms, and I was using rear two channels of my old pg 475ti amp, front channels were used with 2ohm idq components at also 150wrms) and it would get stupid loud in integra hatch. But sounded sooo good.

As we all know, when it comes to bass or lower freq. it all comes down simply to moving more air...smaller speakers have to work much harder to move the same amount of air vs. bigger cone.

[StereoInstaller1]

True true, but if you have a 12" woofer working at 85db/w/m vs a 10" woofer working at 92db/w/m, no amount of power will make it keep up with the 10".

Guys, simple as anything: bass takes space. Clean, detailed, articulate deep bass takes even more. Clean, detailed, articulate deep bass that gets loud with only a little power takes even more space, but even at that, 1.5 cubic feet is plenty.