If I take out the front components and put in 3 way coaxials as part of an aftermarket setup, will I be sorry?

How does a good coaxial stack up to the stock layout? Should I keep the tweeters up top and go with a component system or should I keep a simple package and go with a coax setup? Thanks!

 

coaxial (even 3way) will not sound better than decent components! I dunno about stock comps but from what I read stock comps don't even have crossover circuits!

Of course, it depends on how deep you want to get into your setup. But I would junk the stock and go with decent aftermarket comps like JL or Infinity w/ crossover and match them with nice amps. And don't forget the sub!!!

I myself have JL 6.5" XR comps with 12" Alpine Type R sub with two amps all controlled by Eclipse headunit. It blows away that so called factory stereo upgrade!

Mine is clean and loud and it also bump. Boom boom!!

 

The problem is, I don't want to run amps at all. I want to run speakers of a Alpine 9835 and I am limited to JBL and Infinity speakers. I want something easliy removable and I don't consider amps, wires strung through the car, etc. easily removable. What should I do?

 

QUALITY aftermarket coax's are better the the paper low budget factory components that are being driven by a LOW wattage head unit.

 

That's what I figure, a set of quality infiniti kappa coax's with the alpine 26w x 4 RMS head unit should blow away the factory system and not add unnecessary complexity, wires, and weight to the car.

- Steve

 

I agree. Now a nice aftermarket deck with a 4-8 V preout and a decent amp on a set of components is KICK ***!.

 

just an FYI, but the stock wiring SUCKS. really cheap, really thin wire. and while i'll agree that, nothing else considered, components sound better than coaxials. HOWEVER, i think there is too much seperation between the stock tweeter and midrange in the evo/lancer. of course, the midrange location absolutely BLOWS (you and your passengers leg will fantasically block most of the highs).

i guess what i'm saying is if you are going to the trouble to replace the stock system, you want something that sounds good. and if you want something that sounds good in an evo, you're kinda gonna have to either:
1. do some type of modifications (wires, new tweeter location, amp, etc)
or
2. throw in some coaxials and deal with the lack of a proper soundstage
or
3. throw in some better comps and amp with new wires (good comps need power and more power means better wires)

wish you had some better options, but this is one of the small downsides of upgrading the evo/lancer sound system.

 

See, the thing is I'm not trying to build a competition system here, just something that is a good improvement over stock. So if the coax's with the alpine head unit will sound good, which I figured it would, the stock stuff sucks. Then that's what I'll go with and be happy.

 

I agree. Just using the word "soundstage" whether proper or improper, is way past my goals for the audio of this car. It's an Evolution not a Bimmer. Sound is secondary in my mind. However, I want something better than stock. I think ANYTHING will be in reality but I want to be able to push the speakers with the headunit (9835) and if I can do that better with coaxials than components then that is the market I am in.

BTW, can I install coaxials and leave the stock tweeters attached or are they dedicated to the stock midrange speakers?

 

if soundstage doesn't matter the most affordable, easiest to install and most lightweight option will be a basic HU and coaxial upgrade. and from what you've picked out (alpine/infinity) should sound pretty darn nice.

 

It is difficult to make any change that won't improve the sound over the stock set up. It is pretty poor. However, coaxial units in the doors will put the hi freq.s in a poor listening position.. high and mid range waves tend to beam unlike bass which is very omni. Given the close proximity of driver (transducer, not the person behind the wheel of the car) to listener, a good sound distribution patern is nearly impossible in car, so pursuing one is problamatic at best. There simply isn't room to develop a good listening area. Multiple drivers will help if you take care where you place them.. I use a spectrum analyzer and a mic. when I do sound set ups.

 

I wouldn't put $300+ components on a stock deck. sure, it'll sound a lot better than the crap paper speakers but it's leaving a lot of potential on the table. components should be amplified.

good comments by WildRice-- but even with components there is no free lunch. the stock window pillar tweeter location does help raise the soundstage, but you can get a lot of hiss from the reflections of the dash. usually this is most easily heard when someone sings an "S".

I use a pair of Memphis MClass coaxials up front. they have an aimable tweeter, but it's still very obvious whether a passenger is next to you or not-- if not, the straight shot from that door speaker overpowers the driver's side quite badly. but they were less than $150 and sound great otherwise.

in the back, I use a similar pair of coaxials --although with my amplication & system setup they can't be heard up front. it's a pair of old (say '97 era) JBL GTO coincident source coaxials. they have a fixed tweeter but it's angled at 45 degrees.