bB_Widow

I want new speakers (all 6) and was wondering what others have used in conjunction with the stock HU. They are 3 years old and sound like it from all the hard use.
Thanks for any input I can get to help me make my choice on speakers.

parkw06tc

Id go with Pioneer, but thats my preference. I just hope ur speakers are not riveted in. The tC's are and it sucks.

bB_Widow

They are riveted in but the rivets can be drilled out. Chrutchfields makes an adapter to mount the new ones in. I'm hoping I can run 6 1/2s in doors and rear but don't know what size will fit up front in the dash.
I hope I can find the right speakers to sound better than the stock ones do and also last longer.

JasonReynoldsXXX

i went with memphis door speakers just since i no a guy but they sound great to me i also have an amp powering them to give them that little extra push

DaToaster

what ever u do dont get rockford i got my rockford w/ an aftermarket radio and they sounf ok then i put my stock unit back and they sound like butt

aalbertson3

Alot of aftermarket speakers sound terrible with the stock headunit. You should really think about changing that out also. Even is its just a base model pioneer or alpine.

stonecoldnimrod

agreed. i have some new 4 way pioneers for my xa, but i haven't switched them yet. i replaced the head unit and my stocks sound so much better than with the factory hu. rather than spending $150-250 on new speakers just get you a descent head unit.

UV7

I wholeheartedly agree with ditching the stock HU before you go through the hassle of getting new speakers. The stock HU is weakly powered and attempts to make up for it with useless DSP features. This weakness is what causes the stereo image to sound "hollow" or to lack midrange. Most decent aftermarket HUs will provide ample RMS power to the stock speakers, making a dramatic improvement in sound quality. You can also use one of the steering wheel interfaces from PAC if you have an '06 and are wanting to keep your steering wheel control functionality.
http://www.pac-audio.com/products/pr...el%20Interface
Just FYI, the stock speaker sizes in the xB are as follows:
Dash: 2"
Front Doors: 6.5"
Rear: 5.25"
Many people have fit up to a 4" in the dash locations with a little modification. It will be necessary to attenuate the dash speakers with a resistor in order to keep them from dominating the stage and drowning out your other speakers.
The front door and rear area speakers are a one-piece design that is riveted in place, but they are easily drilled out. Adapter plates are available from several manufacturers online, or you could just make your own very easily.
Speaker choices are more of a personal preference, similar to personal preferences of favorite sodas..... which we all know Coke is really the best!
Your best bet would be to go to several different car audio stores and listen to several options, then pick the one that you feel suits your needs best.

bdmcleod

Memphis componenets and coaxials arent worth the money. They make amazing amps and subs, but their speakers arent on par with brands such as Boston, Morel, Arc etc..
I used to have Alpine's all around but didnt like the sound, so i went with Arc and i couldnt be happier.
And if you do end up going with a higher end set of speakers then you should really invest in an amp. I may be wrong but i believe the stock hu only puts out 12.5 peak watts to 4 channels. So you are really only looking at 7 watts rms per.
Oh and i have 4's in dash and 6.5's in front.

TheShortBus

For me, I wanted to retain the stock HU but improve speaker quality. So I chose simple replacement of all three speaker-pairs. My setup:

DASH / replaced the OEM 1" tweets with Infinity Reference 4002i (4", 2-way, 85-21k, 92db)

DOOR / replaced OEM 6-1/2" mid-bass in door with Pioneer TS-A1781R (6-3/4", 4-way, 28-30k, 91db)

DECK / replaced crap OEM 5-1/4" in trunk side panels with Kenwood KFC-1679ie (6-1/2", 2-way, 35-25k, 92db)

I found the sound stage to be about 60/40 favoring dash over door--that seems a little "high" just sitting there, but works out fine for most highway driving. Also, my preferred setup for the HU are to use the "xA" profile with the "Feel" processor setting--and all bass/treble/balance/fader settings at 'flat' or zero. For me, this sounds pretty sweet overall with most kinds of music.

I know, there are much better setups out there--mostly involving component speaker sets and subs--but without spending a lot of money and time for dedicated amps, enclosures, etc. the above replacement speakers work pretty nicely. Anyway, hope this info helps--good luck hunting!

mijos87

cool thread, lots o info

dougalast

I would also suggest looking into a replacement for the stock headunit first of all. You may be surprised how good the stock speakers sound with a little power behind them.

As far as speaker recommendations, I'm on my third set.

Went with the pioneers first as they were in stock at local Best Buy. Not too bad but kinda lacking in sound quality.

Swapped out for all kenwoods and was satisfied for awhile until I heard what I was missing when I sat in a friends car who had a true component set.

Am now running eDi 6000s and could not be happier. Have the tweeters in the dash and the mids in the doors. Another set in the rear minus the tweeters. Rich full sound and very good build quality. Didn't hurt that they are a site sponser either.