Ok I'm curious plan on putting these upfront of course. Is 3 way going to be over kill or really noticable? could anyone fill me in on whats different between the two?

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Fiero Formula | MI Street Scene | AudioFreeze | CarDomain

I have upgraded to 3 way Kenwoods. I am about to add 2 satallite tweeters because I don't
think the 3 ways did the job. Only my opinion. I'm pretty fussy about the quality of sound. Put ~$150 in upgraded speakers that don't meet my specks. Your never gonna impress anybody with Fiero sound. I think the cabin is too small. I'm giving up after this. I'd rather hear the V-6 anyway....

hmm not sure I know I've impressed my friend with the subwoofer, planned on upgrading to infinity's all the way around just debating 2 or 3 way I know with it directly bouncing off the windshield it may sound different so I wanted to get an opinion.

In the simplest terms, the fewer drivers you use, the better.

The problem is that no single driver (woofer, midrange or tweeter) can produce the full spectrum of human hearing, so multi driver systems were created. The balance here is to match the properties of the drivers so that they complement each other. Even with the best of talents and manufacturing, one cannot guarantee that a tweeter's low end rolloff (the point in which its Sound Pressure Level, or SPL, fades off) is in direct proportion to the woofer's high end rolloff. With a midrange, you have two rolloff points to contend with.

Enter the crossover. The Crossover is the electronics of the speaker, as simple as a capacitor or as complex as all getout. The crossover's job is to tailor the rolloff of each driver to complement the other's. Problem is, crossovers induce all kinds of distortion issues. Electronics by nature heat up when power is run through them. They color the music by virtue of the quality of components and construction (just like the speaker drivers themselves) and, if not properly put together, induce all kinds of phase variances (The drivers produce sound which reach your ears at different points in time - already an issue in car stereo), such as a kick drum's thud might be followed unnaturally by the harmonics of said thud.

Also, a speaker's job is to move air. If your speaker is coaxial, then the tweeter is covering part of the woofer's airspace. If your speaker is triaxial, then the tweeter and midrange are covering probably more of your woofer's airspace.

Many companies have many ways to combat the issues that I have brought up, from separating the drivers to producing high quality components (I've seen some crossovers that rival the high end home speaker market).

Pay attention to your amplification, as well. A good amp can make OK speakers sound good, and a crappy amp can make the best speakers sound horrible. Overpowering speakers (within reason) is better than underpowering them. I've never had a speaker blow running clean power. My home system runs Paradigm Monitor 7 (2way) speakers off an Adcom 200WPC amp. I plan on getting another amp to bridge each to 500W mono, slightly out of the Paradigm's power capabilities. I am not worried, as long as I don't clip the amps.

The most important instrument is your ear. A real good coaxial may, in fact, sound better than a mediocre set of component speakers. Don't cheap out if you spend a lot of time in your car. I like MbQuart, myself, though, when the time comes, I'll be open to audition whatever I can find.

Hope this helps.

I have never tried 3 way speakers but I do have 2 way Infinity 4x6 speakers in the front on one of my cars. http://www.geocities.com/yellow101/infinity.html The seperate speaker and tweeter when amped sound so much cleaner than the unamped pioneer 4x9's with tweeter. As they should. Don't really have a comparison beyween 3 way vs 2 way though. Either way the Infinity's will sound good as long as you have some power running to them. Mark

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NIFE
silver 88GT - bone stock
blue 87GT - 3.4 roller cam, coilovers, 88 cradle swap, many other mods
www.comcast.net/~mark3340/default.htm

Additionally, more drivers do not automatically equate to better sound. High quality components will trump inferior multiple drivers 99% of the time. I'm using 5 1/4 Cerwin Vegas upfront with my setup. BTW what size speakers are you installing?

Infinity Kappa 693.5i 6x9 front

Infinity Kappa 462.5cfp 4x6 rear

hehe, perhaps a pair of mbquarts powered by a good ole darling tube amplifier?--jk


when it comes to music, its really tought for solid state transistors to beat vaccum tube in quality.

one more thing, the best speakers, sound processor, & amplifiers in the world will sound like crap with cheap speaker wires & rca cable connectors.

-adcom sound processor
-adcom amp
-Dbx amp
-speakers--i keep blowing them :/

Holy sh!t birdpoo! That looks like something from Back To The Future!
But very unique though, I like it.

Back to the question, I've yet to hear a coaxial that sounded as good as a set of components.I had pioneer 5-ways in the back of my old camaro but it was just a waste of money. Go with a really good 2-way, or some components.

about the pics above: the car isnt a fiero nor are mine.

quote 2 way vs 3 way speakers?

this depends on the shape & size of the cone.
e.g. the stock fiero front dash speakers are 4x10" i believe. its hard to say a 2 way speaker will ever beat a 3 way version of that parabolic woofer shape.
but when it comes to circular non-parabolic shaped speakers, then i would go with 2 way speakers.

hands down component i will choose component over coaxial speakers.
component speakers such as a 6" set (usually comes with is tweeter seperated along with a crossover module.
mid range(6" woofer) & high range(tweeter) are directional in sound these are usually pointed to the listener.
the low range(bass) is omni-directional which means it pointed away from listener.(stowed away).

removing the door map pockets i came up with this 6" components(the tweeter is fully movable too.)

these side door speakers are solely for mid & high range purposes. i get the low range bass from my center console sub
which is a 10" infinity kappa.

I say go to a store, listen and pick what sounds best to you for the kind of music you listen to.

If you have a Tweeter near you, they carry good stuff and their staff hasn't let me down.

quote Originally posted by Patrick's Dad: In the simplest terms, the fewer drivers you use, the better. The most important instrument is your ear.

quote Originally posted by Howard_Sacks: I say go to a store, listen and pick what sounds best to you for the kind of music you listen to.

The mass market manufacturers seem to have a "more is better" attitude. "If a 2-way is good, then a 3-way is even better!" As Patrick's dad pointed out, that's the exact opposite of what's true.

Both he and Howard have the best advice. Listen and judge for yourself. Bring a couple of your favorite CDs to the speaker store and listen to them on a variety of speakers. Don't be afraid to make a pest of yourself and listen for as long as it takes. You're going to live with these speakers a long time, you shouldn't have to pick them from only 30 second of listening. A good stereo store will understand this and will be accomodating.

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Doug Chase
Chase Race
Custom roll cage and exhaust fabrication

Personally, I believe that a M-T pair (mid and tweeter) for each channel, with a seperate subwoofer, will yield the best all-around results. I believe that if you use the right components, you can build a very nice 2.1 setup in the Fiero. In larger cars where rear speakers are actually a concern, then I would go with a 4.1 setup. Yes, I know that in car stereo, the rears are just duplicates of the fronts, but you get the point.

Also, keep in mind that the crossovers built into coaxial speakers are generally pretty crappy. Component speakers usually have better crossovers, which yield better sound quality. This is just a general rule of thumb. There are exceptions.

Also, the materials used in the speaker's construction affect its sound quality. For example, it's said that paper cones sound more natural, whereas plastic cones sound more artificial, and aluminum cones sound tinny. Vented poles also help to keep the voice coils cool, so they don't heat up and distort the sound. Solid rubber surrounds (usually butyl rubber) are considered superior to foam rubber.

Taking all these things into consideration can help you to narrow down your choices. But as Howard put it, the best way of finding what sounds best to you is to listen to it.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 10-12-2004).]

Judging speakers inside a store environment isn't all that effective. Your car, the install and sound staging in general is just as important if not more important then the quality of the speaker itself. The only true way to judge the sound is to actually install them and listen to them. The Fiero dash is limited in options and requires modifcation to the ventilation system if choosing Kappa series 6x9's (great speakers I might add) as they are too deep. I've had mine installed for over a year and they sound phenonimal. Kappas can be extremely harsh on the ears and 3-ways in my opinion would be overkill considering the small interior of the Fiero and the fact that the windshield is directly above them and all of that clear Kappa sound will bounce right off.

Good luck with the install!!

quote Originally posted by Danno88GT5Spd: Judging speakers inside a store environment isn't all that effective. Your car, the install and sound staging in general is just as important if not more important then the quality of the speaker itself. The only true way to judge the sound is to actually install them and listen to them. The Fiero dash is limited in options and requires modifcation to the ventilation system if choosing Kappa series 6x9's (great speakers I might add) as they are too deep. I've had mine installed for over a year and they sound phenonimal. Kappas can be extremely harsh on the ears and 3-ways in my opinion would be overkill considering the small interior of the Fiero and the fact that the windshield is directly above them and all of that clear Kappa sound will bounce right off. Good luck with the install!!

+'s all around so the Kappa's are too deep? losing the vent space? I'm half tempted to buy a set but I want to find out before hand if they'll work

[This message has been edited by LoW_KeY (edited 10-12-2004).]

quote Originally posted by Danno88GT5Spd: Judging speakers inside a store environment isn't all that effective. Your car, the install and sound staging in general is just as important if not more important then the quality of the speaker itself. The only true way to judge the sound is to actually install them and listen to them. The Fiero dash is limited in options and requires modifcation to the ventilation system if choosing Kappa series 6x9's (great speakers I might add) as they are too deep. I've had mine installed for over a year and they sound phenonimal. Kappas can be extremely harsh on the ears and 3-ways in my opinion would be overkill considering the small interior of the Fiero and the fact that the windshield is directly above them and all of that clear Kappa sound will bounce right off. Good luck with the install!!

I'm running 3 way 5 1/4 magnums by Cerwin Vega. You can compensate for harshness if necessary with judicial use of your tone controls. Unless you believe that all tone controls should be set at neutral.

[This message has been edited by Mastermind (edited 10-12-2004).]

ive been reading these postings about speakers and i have a question.

first of all im running a 99 factory cd player from a grand am and would like to upgrade the speakers.
i currently have after market speakers and im not real happy with the results.
has anybody had good success with after market speakers with or without adding external amps and of course installing a high to low input cross over before adding amps.
i also have the factory sub with a new speaker from dickman

thanks in advance for your suggestions

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How after market speakers perform, depends on the brand of the equipment you're using. If you have a cheap head unit, with cheap speakers, it probably won't sound the greatest. Head units, amps, wiring, speakers, etc. all play a role in sound quality, and you can't really pinch out on any if you want decent sound.

Ohio86Se - if you're disappointed in your aftermarket speakers, you could try adjusting the equalizers on your head unit. Or you might be under powering your speakers. If this is the case, adding a 2 channel amp would solve this problem. Sometimes adding an amp makes a HUGE difference in the sound of a speaker. Also, if you have noise, or 'static' coming from your speakers at low volumes, upgrading the speaker wire will solve this issue.

Hope I helped somewhat

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quote Originally posted by LoW_KeY: +'s all around so the Kappa's are too deep? losing the vent space? I'm half tempted to buy a set but I want to find out before hand if they'll work

To install the Kappa 6x9's means you need to modify/frabricate a few areas. Adapter to bolt/screw the speaker to the dash. The ventilation system needs to be modified since these speakers are pretty deep. The area you modify is not visible once you reinstall the dash. You can use plastic flex hose to replace the area you remove to make room for the speaker. I had help from a forum member last year on the fall color cruise I attended and his method has worked great. He also is running the same setup and believe he is happy with it also. I wish I had pictures to show you but I didn't save them.

alright, just wanted to double check my friend said he was going to help, he stuck 6x9's infront I can only imagine how the kappa's will sound the 4x6's amazed me as I'm sure the 6x9's will