Coaxials louder than Comps
 

i just got some Alpine types S comps and coaxials installed in my tC at a local shop. they charged me $120 to put them in. when they were finished the coaxials in the rear were way louder than the front comps. Can anyone tell me if this is normal or did they mess something up? the guy told me that the comps were underpowered since they are running off my head unit. secondly instead of making a bracket to hold the speakers into place, they just screwed the speaker straight into the door...is this normal and will it affect the sound? please reply

no they didn't mess anything up.. components sometimes have lower sensitivity ratings.. i've seen some comp's that are 89 db/w/m where some coaxials are 92 db in their sensitivity ratings.. a 3 db increase in sensitivity on a speaker is equal to the same effect as doubling the amplifier power. So you just have some very efficient speakers now and they are "louder" because they are more sensitive..

also the guy telling you the components (if they are aftermarket and not the stock ones) are underpowered is true.. it's what I was saying with the sensitivity ratings, you'd need a lot more amplifier power to make those as loud as a more sensitive (higher dB rating) speaker. hope that helps..

hmmm the part about the bracket, not sure, someone else wil have to answer that, i haven't taken the door panel off yet..

hey scion mich so what should i do... get a 2 channel or 4 channel amp? i care more about the front than the back speakers but if i get a 2 channel amp for the comps, will the back speakers distort and damage? and 1 last thing, since the back speakers are drilled into the car, when i turn up the bass on the music, the metal rattles like crazy....is this normal and what can i do about it. thanks a lot

I suggest a 4 channel amp. Having more power available for all the speakers should give you better overall sound and more control.

If you have speakers rattling metal, somethings not secure. I have an XB but no metal rattles other than the license plate when the subs are jumping.

i agree with the other post that you should get a 4 channel amp.. but the only way you could really balance the sound is by tweaking the gains on the amp for the rear speakers by turning it down a little since it will still be louder. To answer your other question of distortion, no.. If the gains are set properly on the amp, the rears wouldn't distort. i would say 50-60 watts rms (not peak) X 4 would do fine. Depends on what your speakers are rated for. Other question was about the 2 channel amp.. it could work but I am thinking that you'll end up saying the fronts sound so good you might turn it up too high and cause distortion on the rears since the headunit's amp can't keep up.. besides a 4 channel would be good, that way you can have control over the gains of the rear.. until it's balanced..

i didn't check if you have a tC.. but in mine the rears also rattle.. I discovered it wasn't the metal, even though it sounded like it. . It was the plastic panel rattling. I barely touched it with my finger and it stopped.. Looks like some dynmat (or similar) on the backside of the plastic panel should weigh it down enough to get rid of that resonance (or rattle).. hope that helps..

i'd probably recommend an alpine amp.. but if money is tight then maybe a profile brand from crutchfield.com.. friend of mine was looking for a subwoofer amp.. they had a great price on some.. not to do a commercial from crutchfield but i just like them :)

I'd recommend a 2 channel amp for your components.....all you want your rear coax's for is rear fill....similar to a surround speaker....other wise your soundstage will be behind you and in front of you.....alot of people even fade their stereo to the front to attenuate the rear speakers......

I have those same Alpine components and they are great when powered by a nice amp. I have the Alpine MRP-F240 4-channel amp, and I got some cheap Infinity 6002si 6.5" speakers for the back. The Infinitys cost about $60 and sound very good.