1st post, Components for $250-300
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=59476
Printed Date: July 12, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Topic: 1st post, Components for $250-300
Posted By: daslowmoses
Subject: 1st post, Components for $250-300
Date Posted: July 15, 2005 at 4:01 AM
I'm trying to find a nice component set for around $250-300. I heard some good things about the alpine type X, CDT (not sure which model to go w/), how much/how bout the RE xxx's?, are the PG elites any good, bostons, does adire make anything besides subs? Is there something else I'm not thinking of. WHY would you choose this over that for actual audio performance. Will be running @ 130rms unless I decide to ditch the rears & double the power to the component set. What do you all suggest? Thanks
Replies:
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: July 15, 2005 at 8:25 AM
greetings:
The CDT EuroFrame or HighDefinition series, Boston Acoustics Pros, Pheonix Gold Elites... are all outstanding speakers. I'd be partial to the CDT stuff myself. Never heard anything about RE componets, and Adire, apparently, makes outstanding componets, I think called "Koda's".. but.. I've never even been to an Adire dealer so I don't know much about 'em.
WHY would you choose this over that for actual audio performance.
I only consider speakers with silk tweeters for isntallation into *my* car.... hence my preference for CDT. But the Bostons are very rich and detailed.. and actually quite smooth even with the metal tweeter. Not to sure about the PG's actually, but one of the mods here is a big fan of their stuff... actually relabed Morel speakers.. so I'd be quite confident in their quality. As far as *everything* mentioned, they should all take a nice 150 - 200 watts so I think you'd be quite happy with any of the above mentioned sets.
Alpine*anything* would lay at the bottom on that heap, IMO.
If *I* were you, I would look *very* hard at the CDT HD series or the Boston Pro's. ------------- "I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: daslowmoses
Date Posted: July 15, 2005 at 3:01 PM
Thanks for the informative reply. I didn't know about the PG/ morel deal. I got about a month or two till they need to go in. Wagon is stripped down awaiting some deadening & fiberglass. So I guess need to do more research & try to find some places that sell some of these & do some listening. Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
-------------
Justin
Orlando, FL
'94 Chevy Caprice SS Wagon
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: July 15, 2005 at 9:38 PM
You'll have a heck of time finding CDT's to demo.. but PG's are a *little* easier.
You might do well to listen to JL Audio or MBQuart componets too.. there is a reason so many fanboys line up behind these brands as well. May I recommend JL Audio VR and XR series stuff, as well as MB Quart Premium series componets as excellent reference speakers to checkout as well. I still think the Boston Pros would have all those beat... you should be able to demo those along side the JL or MBQuart stuff eh?
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"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: ds1434
Date Posted: July 16, 2005 at 3:38 PM
if you have a JL Audio dealer close to you I would absolutely recommend going and listening to at the minimum the VR series comp. and if it's in you budget for a little more than 300.00 the XR's are beautiful in my opinion also what kind of car are you putting them in?? nice thing about the VR's are they come in a true 6.0" set which fit nice in a lot of Hondas with that opening and the 6.5" just won't fit sometimes but if you have a 6.5" opening or are willing to mod to make 6.5" fit you won't be dissappointed with the JL Audio XR650Csi component set I know there are a lot of other companies that make good stuff but I just can't get away from JL but that's just me? ------------- TechHead
Posted By: daslowmoses
Date Posted: July 16, 2005 at 11:02 PM
Those are good choices, I've been running the JL 6 VR components for about 5 years now & want something more, those will go in wifes GTI. I have the VR 6x9's in the rear also, are there other options if I decide to not use the rears & put 250rms to just a front set? This is my delimma. I'm liking the new boston pro6, & the CDT stuff just don't know which is the best model for what I can afford (I've found prices all over the place). I wonder what I can get for my JL VR sets & put that towards the boston z6's (HOW MUCH?) or a higher model CDT (which one) instead of the GTI, she already thinks its loud enough. AHHHHHA, I got these brand new kappa component & 6x9 set that I need to sell too.. Damn, so lets say I got another 150-200, deffinetly the Z6's or which CDT model? Good ideas? ------------- Justin
Orlando, FL
'94 Chevy Caprice SS Wagon
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: July 16, 2005 at 11:57 PM
daslowmoses:
CDT stuff with prices all over the place? Huh?
Hmm.. for CDT prices start and stop at thezeb.com... only authorized internet dealer I'm aware of .. and I shop for CDT stuff sometimes too.... very fair prices eh? The HD or Eurosport series will throw your ears to Nirvana!
Boston Z6's.. like I say I think the Pro's are out of this world i couldn't imagine the Z-series.
Seriously daslow, you are talking about componets so high end, I wonder if you really would be happier with one over the other.. With a choice like CDT HD/Eurosport stuff and Boston Pro/Z stuff.. its kinda like choosing the M5 or SL600... there really isn't a quantitative difference, only which one *you* like more..
eh?
------------- "I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: daslowmoses
Date Posted: July 17, 2005 at 1:03 AM
I know, I know..... I think I decided instead of throwing all the cash to like the z6's, I would get the already awesome Pro60's & add the Neo Type M image system. Or get the HD's or ES's & add CDT's upstage system . Also I dont have any headunit electronic controlled xovers (older eclipse 8V), so should I invest in a nice audiocontrol xover to run entire system or are the xovers that come w/ the CDT's or Pro60's really that great to where one isn't needed? I would like to listen to both but I think it's going to be hard enough to find a place to demo the Pro60's let alone ANY CDT. ------------- Justin
Orlando, FL
'94 Chevy Caprice SS Wagon
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: July 17, 2005 at 1:17 AM
Hehe I think you are on the right track.. a few thoughts:
1) Truth be told, I couldn't really tell ya if there is a *performance* difference in speakers like Boston Pro's or CDT HD/ES series speakers.. *but* ... lotsa people have Boston stuff. CDT.. not so much. That and I kid you not CDT stuff is handmade like an hour from where I grew up. So I'm a little partial?
2) Like I say.. lotsa places sell Boston stuff. You could demo the Pro series easily. . . . !
3) Yea.. the guys that 'voice' the crossovers to match the speakers in the above mentioned componet sets *really* do know what they are doing. I'd trust that wayy before dropping money on either an AudioControl unit *or* adding a seperate imaging system.
You voice concern about not having a deck-board eq.. do you have basic treble/bass adjustments or what? I mean... my sense of things would tell me to tell you to wait on stuff like that until you are *unhappy* with the sound that speakers like *that* produce.
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"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: daslowmoses
Date Posted: July 17, 2005 at 1:41 AM
OK, I see what your saying now. They are both really good & thats why most like / have the bostons, but the CDT's are newer (to me anyways), so they are more mmm unique & still gaining popularity. I think I need to find some locals for some in-car demos & decide. Anyone in Cen FL w/ either of these? Thanks for your thoughts
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Justin
Orlando, FL
'94 Chevy Caprice SS Wagon
Posted By: daslowmoses
Date Posted: July 17, 2005 at 1:54 AM
Ohh & yea the 55060 8V Eclipse has bass, mid, & treble eq adjustment. It *was* top of the line way back when, just before they started putting electronic Xover's in the HU. Will just be using the amps and/or the speakers xovers. I really thought about selling the eclipse after I installed my wifes Alpine 9815 w/ all those awesome contols @ your finger tips
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: July 17, 2005 at 10:42 AM
Are you serious?
Hehe that's kinda funny. That is the exact kinda deck I'm really missing...
Man. I dunno. My Alpine CDA-9833 drives me crazy. It is so unintuitive that I never even mess with it. Like you can't just change the treble or bass or anything.. you have to go through this like 10 minute process of creating a new eq, saving it, and then loading into memory. It is the most obnoxious thing. I could cite example after example of this thing pissing me off this way. If I had a deck like urs, I wouldn't get rid of it no way no how.
So use your amp xovers who cares? The only thing with xovers is not to cascade them along the signal chain.
Yea so if I had those basic three adjustment levels and 8v preouts mated to speakers like we are discussing.. I know *I* would be happy with my level of adjustability. But that's just me.
And in the interests of full disclosure, I did just buy an AudioControl EQX, but that is more out of curiousity than any real nessecity eh?
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"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
Posted By: daslowmoses
Date Posted: July 17, 2005 at 11:17 AM
Ohhh yea, So soon I forget about the inconvience of NOT having those BASIC controls. I guess its just cause when I installed her Alpine I took some time setting it up, made it sound pretty good & thats how it's stayed the last 2 years. You installing that EQX shortly?, let me know what it does for you. I'm still deciding on a component set.
Posted By: sedate
Date Posted: July 18, 2005 at 8:22 PM
I'm gonna use the EQX to bi-amp my front componets.
I plan on running my e6450 entirely to my front stage, so as to have 45x2 for my tweeters and 150x2 for my midranges up front.
heamphyst, easily among the most talented of gear-heads hanging out here, actually wired up new frequency modules to change the xover point on AND the subsonic filter to properly run a set of 5.25 componets.
I will be running a set of JL Audio VR series tweeters and CDT Audio Classic series midbasses to start, then upgrade to CDT ES or HD stuff as my $$$ allows.
I really have no idea how it will sound but I'm really excited. I'm waiting on the RCA's and new subwoofers to come in to start the install.
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"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview
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