I'm not really big into aftermarket speakers. I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for good sound quality 6.5" speakers that aren't too bulky for the Evo8 doors and what work well in the back. I'm not looking to spend hundreds, but I definetly dont want the cheap crap. Thanks in advance.

 

I am a pretty big fan of MB Quart mid range speakers. Right now I am running all Infinity Reference speakers that I had from a previous car. I am planning to upgrade my door speakers to a set of 6.5 MB Quarts and custom fit some 6X9 MB Quarts in the rear dash. Just keep in mind, you always need to have at least the RMS power rated going to each speaker. It's always better to over power them a little than it is to under power them. Here is a link to a site I like. They have some pretty good deals on good products. Here is the MB Quart mid-range speaker page:

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu..._Speakers.aspx

 

What is the rest of the system? Total budget?

 

+1, my stock 8 setup sucks *****

 

Completely stock right now. Not trying to win sound competitions, just gonna change out the head unit for a modern piece and upgrade the stock 6.5 inchers. Anyone else like the mb quarts? I figure i'm willing to shell out about 150-200 for 4 speakers.

 

Regardless of the speakers, you'll need an amp to power them By the time you figure in $200 for speakers, $200 for a head unit, $150-200 for an amp plus wiring and installation, you're up around $800. Keep all that in mind too!

 

In that case, make it easy on yourself. If you're going to use the stock HU, go for pair of lower line Boston Acoustics. Just the fronts. No rear speakers. They can be driven by the stock HU. FWIW, MBQ hasn't offered a half-way decent affordable speaker in about a decade. Really, you're best off going to a local car audio store and seeing which speakers you like. Once you get an idea as to your preference, I'd be happy to suggest comparability options.

 

look online prices are way better to order on discount sites then to go to a local shop or best buy....look into Alpine Type R series should be able to find fronts and backs for 200...dont worry about an amp right away either dont need it for just some interior speakers to be upgraded

 

<grin> He can do a lot better.

That's not exactly true. Though many aftermarket speakers will need an amp, there are models sensitive enough to run with a HU. It depends on the speaker.

 

I will agree that a lot of their older model stuff was better. For the price, I think the MB Quart still offers a nice speaker!

He also said he is running completely stock but is planning to upgrade the HU!

 

Doesn't really matter. It's perhaps ~3dB of headroom.

 

The head unit i've been eyeing is the pioneer deh-p5100ub, seems to be pretty much what I need as far as HU goes. It has 14 watts RMS CEA-2006/50 peak x 4 channels.

I don't think I'm gonna run a dedicated amp. I don't want a "loud system". Just looking for some really good "sound quality" if that makes sense anymore.

My daily so far had been a G35 with BOSE sound. It was kinda hard on the ears when I started dailying the Evo after I sold the G. The Evo speakers just sounds plain cheap in comparison. So that's what prompted me with these questions. Thanks again for the input.

 

In car audio, especially, don't ever look at anything designated as "peak." It's just a marketing tool.

Sure, that makes a lot of sense. Keep in mind that an Evo is loud, really loud. In order to overcome the noise floor and deliver some semblance of sound quality, two things needs to happen: amplitude (ie. volume) and clarity. This means no rear speakers, and very carefully chosen fronts, along with good amplification.

You'd be amazed what the stock speakers sound like with a good front end. Really, you need to make a decision, given your preference. Either, replace the front speakers with an aftermarket pair, seal and deaden the doors, get an HU with better tuning options and a good amp. Or, stick with the stock speakers and put your money into a better DSP-driven HU like an Alpine 9887 or Pioneer 880/800. I've had both and I'd suggest the Alpine. With a better HU, you can tune the system much more effectively and actually experience a stable soundstage, not to mention altering the tonal balance per your preference and extracting more detail from the recording. The stock speakers are sensitive enough to be driven by HU power.

 

^Thanks for the concise and coherent reply, I'll look into these options then.

 

Why do you keep saying no rear speakers? Do you mean don't even run rear deck speakers?