TtamNedlog

Firstly, howdy. I've got a '99 Camaro (sadly, V6). Stock everything except the head unit, which is a five year old Alpine CDA 7863 which was installed by Circuit City. The front door speakers rattle and the HU skips on all burnt CDs now. Initially I was going to replace the speakers and the HU, but now that I've started looking into it I'm interested in replacing everything. Which brings me to some questions:

1. Since there are six speakers, would I need to buy six new speakers. Or is it conventional to just get four?

2. Should I order offline or buy from a local stereo dealer or possibly Best Buy? (I have no clue how to install so I'd have to take it to get it installed anyway)

3. I know there are many different opinions on which brands are good, but are there any brands that are widely agreed upon to AVOID?

4. How important are 4 volt preouts compared to 2 volt preouts?

5. What are some key features I should be looking for?

All that in mind, my general ballpark of a budget is about $1,000, give or take a bit I guess depending on how much difference can be made. I don't like blasting my music by any means, but I do like a full range of sound and crisp quality audio. My parents would consider it loud, but my friends wouldn't, if that's any indication as to how loud I listen to my music. Or if any of you are familiar with that HU, I listen to the radio with the volume at about 12-14, and to CDs with the volume at about 8-10 (CDs are louder for some reason). I think the HU can go up to 40. So I'm not much for ear-hurting music. But I want the quality. =)

Also, I'd say 60% of the music I listen to is rock, and 40% rap/pop. Features I'm definately looking for: an auxilary input for my Nomad Zen mp3 player, and
mp3/wma playabilty (although I'm sure most HU's have those these days). Motorized face plate or other bits of flash on the HU would be nice.

I hope I've described what I'm looking for well enough. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And if possible, factor into the budget one of those rear driver side stealth boxes for a 10-12" sub. Those are sweet.

Thanks. =)

unredeemed

iTrader: (2)

I wouldn't touch this question with a 10' pole. Too much emotions will come up..

But brands like Image Dynamics, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, Infinity, JL Audio, MTX, eD, Adire, and more are just the tip of iceberg in regards to good brands.

Daley

That's a good point, and you will get varied opinions - some of which are even valid. $1000 sounds like a great starting point, considering the fact that you're not interested in shattering windows or records. My best advice is the same advice I've given customers for years - listen to as much as you can, and figure out what you like the sound of. Play with a few decks, and select one based on features and price. Then, come in here and ask what the general consensus is regarding what you've selected prior to shelling out money. There are a few good online places to get stuff, but the advantage to going to your local installer is that you'll have someone to take care of you if something goes wrong (yes, I was thinking of you 2FAST).. The downside to that is you've got to find one that's reputable and honest. My first question is where in the country are you? Chances are good that if you're near one of the major metro areas, someone in here can point you in a better direction.

TtamNedlog

Well I'm currently in Auburn, Alabama. But I'm heading home to Mobile, Alabama in a few weeks for the first week of summer. There seem to be slim pickings here, but I'll be passing through Montgomery on the way home. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Mobile has a greater selection of stereo shops.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try and listen to as much as I can if I can find good places.

Dal1as

If you are not going to install the equipment yourself make sure you buy from an authorized dealer or use a shop. Alot of places will not install equipment bought from an unauthorized dealer. In fact I would reccomend going to a local shop if you aren't going to do it yourself.

Daley

yeah, definately go to someone local - that way, if you do have a question/problem, you've got someone to go to

Richiec77

iTrader: (3)

A quick question is do you consider Imagining at all?

Q.1) Yes you can use 2, 4, or 6. I would sugest pending more money on the Fronts and then just a cheaper pair for the Sails/Side panels or Run the ones in there if they are still OK. Using the Excisting ones Frees up Cash top spent in better places like Amps or Better Fronts.


Q.2) I'll caulk up another one for the Local installer if you are not going to do it yourself. This will almost always extend the Warranties way beyond what you get by someone locally doing the install. This is worth the extra money.
(I.E. Pioneer usually goes from 90 days to 2-3 years warranty)

I don't like Best Buy for installs. Circuit City or a Local Guy.

This is Very Sound Advice:

Q.3) For Head unit and YOUR Price range; I'd say Pioneer all the Way. Specifically the DEH-P670MP or DEH-6700MP (difference is ones Premier and the other is regular Main advantage is 8 volt Preouts vs 4 Volts) I'm a hugh fan of this Specific radio due to the features and Performance that really can't be touched by any other Radio in it's Price Range. http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...6_4039,00.html

Speakers, This can vary alot, but I recommend Bringing a CD you listen to the Most and Hear what it sounds Best on. I'll say to stay away from stuff like Pyle or Jensen. They are really about the same quality as Stock OEM.

This is hard so I'll say to follow Daleys advice and to pick something and see what people think, and we can then guage you interest and help you out.

A good Shop should Put a system and Components together for you that compliment each other. But come on here with Pricing to see if it is a good deal.

Q.4) Can be a Big step up for a S.Q. person. It allows an amplifiers Gains to be lowered there for less noise is amplified before the Amplifier gets to amplify the music.

Q.5) This varies by component. You seem to care about S.Q. the Most so I'll concentrate on that the Most.

Head-Unit: High SN ratio, 4 or better Pre-out, More than just Bass and Treble controls.

Speakers: Need to listen, but: good Power Handleing, good Frequency Response, Smooths Tweeters, Something along the lines as Infinity, Focal, Dyna, Crystal, MB. Quarts.

Amplifiers: Good S/N ratio, Decint output around 50w-75w for the Fronts. THD of less than 0.05%.
(If they have these Specs....Most AMps Don't)
Slew rate if listed should be around >50micrSec. , Dampening around >50, Stereo Seperation >80-90dB.

Subs: A good 10" in the Driver side Well will work fine.




I would say to get a Good H.U. like the DEH-670MP or DEH-6700MP, A good 3 or 4 Ch. amp, a nice 10" in the Well. A Good Set of 6 1/2" components for the Doors.

Amp the Front Components and bridge the Other 2 channels (or not if a 3 ch) for the Sub. Power the Back speakers off the rear Speaker Leads from the H.U.


It's hard to suggest Products if you are going to go with a Local Shop. I'm an avid person of Learning to DIY. If you have a Knowledgeable friend, you could mount all this fairly easily. In that Case It's hard to argue the Price saving from Online stores because sometimes you get help from a local shop, and sometimes you don't if you DIY.

Richiec77

iTrader: (3)

Or if you don't have the Money now for it all; Do the rest of the Systems minus the Sub. You can add 1 with a decint sub for about $250-300 new or less used.

Then you can Spend the $1000 for a new H.U, Amp, and Good Front Components installed.

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

first of all, sorry for the book....but i'm bored at work and don't really have much of anything better to do....

Head Unit (1.5 DIN):....Pioneer DEH-P77DH $299.99 -OR-
Head Unit (DIN):........Alpine CDA-9825 $149.99

for a perfect fit in the dash, get the Pioneer, or to save $50, get the Alpine. both units have 3 preamp outputs (front, rear, & non-fading for a subwoofer), both are auxiliary input-ready for connecting your MP3 player (most likely will have to purchase an adapter), and both have 4v on the pre-outs. i believe Crutchfield will give you any wiring harnesses and mounting kits needed to mount the H/U in the car. obviously, for the wiring harness, you would not use the speaker-wire connections, since the speakers will be powered by the external amp.

Speakers (Components):..Polk Audio db6500 $199.99 -OR-
Speakers (Coaxials):....Infinity Reference 6002si $59.99

the coax speakers will be a lot easier to install, but the component speakers will sound better. if you go with the components, the passive crossovers can be mounted either in the glovebox or under the dash or seats, and the tweeter mounted either over the woofer inside the door, bolted to the dash or A-Pillars, or even mounted on the kick-panel trim.

Subwoofer enclosure:....Driver's Side Boxes (10") $112 -PLUS-
Subwoofer:..............Polk Audio db104 $69.99

Amplifier:..............Profile AP1040 $149.99 -PLUS-
Amp wiring kit:.........StreetWires 8-gauge Amp Wiring Kit $34.99

don't worry about purchasing RCA patch cables, you can just as easily use Cat-5 ethernet cable with RCA ends soldered on, they'll work just as good or better. it is not as thick as patch cables, so the bumps under the carpet won't be as big where the wires are run, and it will be a HELL of a lot less expensive. i have an ex-installer co-worker that used to use Cat-5 on his own stuff, and it works great for him. and the great part about using Cat-5 is that there's 4 twisted pairs in the wire, so you would only have to run 2 lengths of the cable in order to bring all 3 of the preamp outputs to the back of the car, plus you'll have 2 twisted pairs left over, and one of them can be used for your remote turn-on lead for your amp.

Speaker wire:...........50ft. of StreetWires 16-gauge Speaker Wire for front speakers $15.00 -PLUS-
Speaker wire:...........6ft of StreetWires 12-gauge Speaker Wire for front speakers $4.80

================================================== ===================

with the components shown above, you're looking at a range between $600 - $890, plus some more little odds & ends (and shipping, if purchased online). naturally, if you have a shop install the stuff, you're looking at a little more money. your best bet is to have a friend who knows car audio pretty well help you do it yourself, just take your time & do it right....don't rush it. figure up how long you think it should take to do it, then make sure you have at least double that amount of time available, in case you run into any problems....and it's always helpful to have another means of transportation, in case you need to run to the store for supplies.

keep in mind, these components are just examples to show you what's possible within the $1000 price range you specified in your first post, definitely take a look around on both Crutchfield and other places to see what else is available. you may find some better components for the same price, or even lower. i simply chose Crutchfield and these components for illustration purposes. however, i have ordered from them before, and they are a top-notch company that will bend over backwards to help you. you may be able to find the stuff cheaper elsewhere (E-Bay & such), but if you're like me, you prefer to buy brand new stuff that has a warranty. and also, if you do buy all your stuff from one place, you can save a lot of money on shipping costs (if you decide to buy online, that is....).

now, on to the reasons why i chose the components that i did.....

head units: 3 pairs of 4v preamp outs, auxiliary input-ready (i always find it best to think ahead, better to get them now than worrying about changing them out later...)
speakers: i just basically chose the least expensive of what i personally consider an acceptable brand of speaker from what was available on Crutchfield, it's your choice of either coax or components
sub & box: enclosure is small & stealth, and does not require assembly. the subwoofer is about the best match to that enclosure from what was available from Crutchfield
amplifier: some people consider a Profile amp to not be the best brand of amps (and i'm one of them), but for your needs it fits in nicely, and it has a very good signal-to-noise ratio (103 dB), plus a regulated power supply

basically, you would run the front speakers off the front 2 channels of the amp, and the subwoofer off the rear 2 channels in bridged mode. this will push the fronts with 80 watts RMS each, and the sub with 225 watts RMS. i wouldn't worry about putting any speakers in the rear, as it will just pull the "sound image" away from where it's supposed to be (in the front). as for the patch cables, i would go ahead and run all 3 pairs to the rear of the car, that way if you ever decide to add some rear speakers and another amp, the connections are already there in the back of the car. be sure to run the power cable apart from the patch cables, and if they do have to cross it's best to cross them at a 90° angle to each other. i would personally run the power cable on one side of the "hump" in the middle of the car, and the patch cables on the other side. if you get a component speaker set, i'd run both speaker wires down the passenger side to where you mount the passive crossovers, then run a couple shorter lengths (one for the woofer, one for the tweeter) from the driver-side crossover across the bottom of the firewall to the driver-side door. if you get the coaxials, you could just run one speaker wire down each side of the car to the front doors.

a nice trick to use is to connect the front-channel preamp outputs of the H/U to the front two channels of the amp, and use the rear set of preamps for the sub instead of the non-fading preamps. this way, you can adjust the bass level easily by just using the front/rear fader. this is especially handy if you like to listen to different types of music. later, if you decide to get some rear speakers (or another set of speakers for up front, say in the kick panels), you can just switch the sub to the non-fading and use the rear preamps for the new speakers, since you will have approximately twice the mid/high-range output.

i personally wouldn't worry about getting a head unit with more than 4v on the preamps, if you need more than that, you need to make sure you have good ground on all components, make sure the battery's fluid is full, etc. if you've done all that and noise remains, get a line driver that steps up the voltage on the preamps (something like the N-332V on This Page and/or one of These alternator noise suppressors.

i didn't include the price of it above, but if you're willing to spend the extra time/money, i'd highly recommend sound-deadening the whole car...doing so is just about as good as having a more powerful amp with more speakers. Sound-deadening material.

TtamNedlog

Wow that is a book. =p

Very helpful though. All this makes me want to learn how to do it msyelf. I don't think it would be that hard, I just have no idea how to even get "in" there. I don't know how to get my door panels off, how to get under the carpet, etc.

Are there tutorials on how to wire these things and stuff on the net? What's the risk of doing it yourself? Could I potentially ruin components or my car? How hard can it be? =\


Also, if I got a HU with 60x4 output, would that mean I would need a less powerful amp? Or how does that work?

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

basically, if you're gonna do this yourself, and gonna do everything at once, your best bet is to just "gut" the interior. take the seats out, take off all the trim pieces, door panels, pull out the carpet, etc. just as a rule of thumb, everwhere that you can put the screws back into the spot they came from after pulling a part out will make it a lot easier to remember where they go later when putting it all back in.

this sounds like a lot of work, but believe me, it will make installing everything a WHOLE lot easier, and you will get better results than if you just "cram" all your wires under the edge & whatnot. and if you are going to sound deaden the car (HIGHLY recommended), it will be required anyway. just don't get intimidated by it....it's not that hard if you just pay attention to what you're doing and where everything goes.

as for tutorials, there are TONS of resources to be had on the net, just do a google search for what specifically you are interested in.

and about the power output listed for the head unit, don't even bother with reading the specs on that, and don't waste extra money on a more powerful head unit.....you're gonna want to run an external amp anyway, so those power listings are useless. you will just be running the preamp outputs to your own amp to power the speakers, and won't use the built-in "amp" (if you wanna really call it that....). i can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

later on when i have time at work, i'll draw up a rough system diagram of the system i outlined below, to kinda give you a visual reference to how everything will work together as a unit.

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

oh, and one thing that will definitely help you out.....don't wait until the day that you're planning to install everything to figure out how everything on your car's interior comes apart. go ahead and take a few things apart now and put it back together. you can focus on smaller areas at a time this way, and it will make it a lot easier on install day, since you will already have experience with taking the stuff out and putting it back together.

most likely, the most "difficult" part is going to be the door panels and the dash. just take your time and don't force anything, if it doesn't come apart with a reasonable amount of force, you most likely missed a screw or something. generally, stuff is held on with a combination of screws and "pressure tabs" that poke into holes in the door/dash/etc., that just require a bit of pulling to dislodge. just do the pulling carefully so you don't break those (usually plastic) tabs, and you should be ok.

unredeemed

iTrader: (2)

No profile amplifiers. If you must, buy a used Hifonic's amp off of ebay, or look for brandsthat were mentioned above

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

in general, i agree with this statement. but for the OP's purposes, it will work just fine....he said he does not need to set any SPL records. the amp's 103db signal-to-noise ratio is very good for the price range.

as far as what's on Crutchfield, i would personally go with this Blaupunkt THA475 (or something even better), but it is $100 more than the Profile amp, and i was leaving a little room i the budget for the little odds-and-ends stuff that will be needed when installing a stereo system.

as i said, the stuff i listed was just what i could find easily/quickly within his price range, from an extremely reputable retailer. not everyone (myself included) likes to purchase stuff second-hand. you buy second-hand, and you get no warranty, no tech support, and you really don't know if what you're getting actually works the way the seller says it does....you have to take their word for it. even if you have some recourse in the case of you getting something other than what you're expecting, you have the hassle of "going through the motions" to get it all taken care of, which takes up a lot of time that could have been used installing/enjoying a brand-new product.

everyone has their own preference, their own opinion, and the right to voice them. that's what makes this country great. but sometimes, you have to make compromises when you are working within the constraint of a budget. given more time and a bigger budget, i would not think twice about recommending components that are a LOT better than what i posted. i personally feel in this case that placing more emphasis on getting good speakers and keeping the signal coming to the amp clean is more important than the amp itself.

i personally have an old USAcoustics 50w x 4 amp that i ran in my last car for 6 years, and it was still going strong (and sounding good as well) until the day i pulled my stereo out of that car so that it could be put in my Z28. i haven't had a chance to hook it all up in my Z yet, but i will be very soon, and i'd be willing to bet it still sounds as good as it did the day i bought it. it will work fine for my purposes until i can afford to "go all out". i will be running my 7-year-old Infinity Reference 5¼" component set (that still sounds great), a new $30 "Dual" brand 10" sub, my 3-year-old Kenwood KDC-x815 Excelon CD head unit, and that USAcoustics amp.

it will be about 1000% better than the **** Monsoon system. i've had the car less than a year, and the speakers are already about worn out and rattling like they're about to fall apart, and the bass at higher volumes (or lack thereof) is really pathetic. it will get me by.

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

here's that system diagram that i promised:

TtamNedlog

(long post, sorry! hehe, I gotta be confident in my upcoming purchase though)

I believe I've mustered up these things so far, with a few tough decisions/questions still remaining (of course heh):

Head Unit
Pioneer DEH-P80MP ($290 from www.shopharmony.com) <-- trustworthy site? That seems dirt cheap for an MSRP $400


Amp
JL Audio 300/4 ($???)
-or-
Phoenix Gold Octane-R 8.0:4 ($230 from www.cardomain.com)
-or-
Blaupunkt THA475 ($250)
-or-
MB Quart Reference RAA4200 ($300)


Sub & Enclosure
10" Driver Side Box ($130 from www.subthump.com)

Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1d ($150)
-or-
JL Audio 10w3v2 ($218 from local store)


Speakers
Polk Audio db6500 6-1/2" Component ($200)


Misc.
Amp Wiring Kit (will the one you listed above work for any amp, or was that specific to the Profile?)
Sound Deadening (how much of this do I need)
Any other odds and ends?


First and foremost, how does that list look? Does that all match pretty well, or did I end up picking some things that are way over/under-powered compared to the rest of the setup? Enough watts and whatnot to power everything? I knew the least about amps, which is why I ended up with the most choices for them. Phoenix Gold any good (I've never heard of it, but that might not be saying much)? And I think my local retailer carries that JL amp for a whopping $550. Why the crap is it so much? I also heard Infinity amps aren't that good, so I didn't list one. And I also heard that RF amps produce "dirty noise," whatever that means, and that RF has bought out MBQ. Is MBQ still quality? As for the subs. I've heard nothing but good about both of those, but is the JL better enough to warrant $70+? I steared away from that Polk sub mentioned, because it got a bad customer review which doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I've never heard much about Polk and subs (which also doesn't mean anything lol).

Now onto some random questions:

1. What's clipping?

2. If I don't ever plan to add rear speakers, or intend to power them off my HU, would I be better off with a 2ch amp? I don't understand how a 2ch amp could power a front left speaker, front right, AND a sub though. That's three unless I don't understand amps or math. =p

3. Under my hood is 100% stock. Is all this stressing on the alternator or battery or anything? (Capacitors? What are they?)

4. I noticed you compared $60 coax speakers to $200 component speakers, 02Z28LS1. If I paid $200 for some coax speakers, would they blow components outta the water?


Thanks a ton so far guys. I've been quite the busy researcher these past few days, time to find out if I've learned much. =p Hope I'm not asking too many questions and making these harder than they should be heh.

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

out of the stuff you mentioned, here's what i would go with:

Pioneer DEH-P80MP
MB Quart Reference RAA4200
10" Driver Side Box
Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1d
Polk Audio db6500 6-1/2" Component

the MB Quart amp is what i call a no-brainer....it's normally sold for ~$600, but only $300 now, and it puts out the most power of those you listed.

i think the amp wiring kit i mentioned before should work ok with the above setup, as you will be pushing ~400 watts. if you want to play it safe tho, i'd go with This one, which handles up to 800 watts.

you will DEFINITELY need to be careful how you wire the subwoofer, since it is a dual 4-ohm voicecoil sub. if you wire the two coils in parallel, and also bridge channels 3 & 4 of the amp, you will be presenting the amp with a 1-ohm load to each channel, which will most likely either put the amp into protection mode, or burn it out. be sure to use the first option on This Page to prevent this from happening. if you do it this way, the amp will see 4 ohms per channel, which is not optimal, but will not burn the amp up, and you will still be feeding a healthy 200 watts to the sub.

another alternative on the sub (if you are willing to spend the extra money) is to get the JL Audio 10w3v2 with the dual 2-ohm voicecoils, and use that exact same wiring setup. this will present each channel of the amp with a 2-ohm load instead (which is optimal), and you will be getting 400 watts to the sub instead of only 200. if you do go this route, you will definitely want to upgrade the amp wiring kit, as you will be pushing ~600 watts total.

for sound deadening, it all depends on how far you wanna go. for the front doors, you could either get one of those small door kits that just puts a little around the speaker opening itself, or (for best results) get enough to line the whole door. for the hatch area, i would recommend coating the whole thing, as that's where you vibration engine (a.k.a., subwoofer) will reside. you'll want to strip out all the carpet/paneling/etc. out of the whole rear end, and lay the stuff down over the entire rear deck area, behind the rear seats, the side walls, and the storage well. it's up to you if you want to lay more down on the floor of the cabin area or not, but the more you deaden exposed sheetmetal, the less noise/vibration you are gonna hear. to figure out how much you'll need, just figure up what all you want to cover, then find out the square footage and order that much.

to answer your other questions:

1) clipping is what happens when an amp is requested to produce more output voltage than it is capable of. this usually happens when people use the gain **** on their amp as a "volume" ****, which it is NOT supposed to be used for. that MB Quart amp can handle an Input Signal of between 150mV - 8V RMS, and that Pioneer head unit pushes 4V, so you should be ok as long as you match the levels. read the last section of This Page to see how to match the levels and why it's important to do so (and there are links at the bottom to other tech articles as well).

2) no, you want a 4-ch amp (or two 2-channel amps, but that increases installation complexity, not to mention cost). you want to stay away from "Tri-Mode", which is described at the link above.

3) well, any new load you put on the electrical system (even turning on the dome lights) puts extra stress on it. you could play it safe from the start and get a capacitor which takes the load off the electrical system by providing the quick current draw the amp needs (it acts as a buffer between your amp and the electrical system), or you could wait to install one to see if the amp puts enough load that it causes headlight dimming & such. general rule of thumb with caps is that a 1 farad cap is good for about 1000 watts (½ farad cap is good for about 500 watts). a bigger cap than what is needed won't hurt anything, but a smaller one than you need is useless.

4) the only way a coaxial speaker will outperform a component set (when properly installed, powered, and crossed-over) is if you compare the absolute lowest-on-the-foodchain component set with the highest-level coax speaker. for one thing, the crossover in a component set is seperate from the speakers, so the manufacturer can use a lot higher-quality components in it to distribute the frequencies to the appropriate speaker. you will want to go component set unless you REALLY want the install to be as easy as possible. that Polk component set looks like you can mount the tweeter in the center of the grille, so it should be pretty easy to install it in the doors, and just mount the crossovers in the glovebox or under the seats, or anywhere else out of the way that is protected from the elements (don't mount them inside the door behind the speaker....). one thing to be aware of, is that if the included speaker grille does not fit behind the stock grille, you may either need to remove the stock grille, or find an alternative mounting location for the tweeter.

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

also, for good information regarding dual voicecoil speakers, check This Page

TtamNedlog

Thanks for clarifying all that. I'm sure I won't even need to worry about clipping. If I ever crank it up, it probably wouldn't be often anyway.

How impractical would it be to sound deaden AFTER installing all this? I.E., after I figure out how badly I think I need it?

If I did go for the $70 more JL sub over the Ifinity, would it be worth the extra money?

And if I could get Diamond Audio or Focal components for $200, would they be a better choice over the Polks. They have alluminum tweets which from what I've gathered means they have harsher highs. I'm not sure if I would like that. I'd also be worried that if I got such high quality components that I would drown out my single 10".

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

it would not be hard at all to sound deaden the rear area after the installation, you would just need to remove the sub box, the amp, and get the wiring out of the way. for the front doors, i'd go ahead and sound deaden them while you're in there....that's closer to where you'll be sitting, and the fewer times you can take off those door panels, the less likely you'll damage them.

Infinity and JL Audio both make awesome speakers....i am still using a pair of Infinity 5¼" components that are over 7 years old, and they still sound great. and they are just the Reference series, which is the entry-level stuff. let your own ear be the judge, find some place(s) that sell(s) JL & Infinity stuff, and listen to them yourself, as your ear will be the best judge as to what sounds good to you.

the same with the front speakers, listen to them all, and get what sounds good to you. aluminum tweeters don't necessarily mean harsh, it's all in how you set it up. if the head unit has an EQ built in, you can use that to adjust it to your liking....also, some component sets have different tweeter levels built in to the crossover. for instance, my Infinities have two places where i could connect my tweets, either on "Flat" or "Soft". not sure if those Polks do or not, so you may want to check their site for an owner's manual in PDF format that you can look through.