most overrated speakers, subs, brands?

[mochafrap]

what are the most overrated and hyped brands and speakers?

seems like everyone overhypes the infinity kappas and mb quart reference series. they're not gods gift to audiophiles and for the price, there's better to be had.

[JPWheelr]

JL
Rockford Fosgate
Infinity
Whatever Benny Z uses.

[Benny Z]

JL

and anything DEI

[chamber36]

Jl

[JPWheelr]

YMMV legalese on all of this, wholly opinion, not lible or slander or anything like that.

Focal
Audiobahn
PPI (Now)
Orion (Now)
Kicker (Now)
PG (Now)

[Roffle Waffle]

Have you heard Focal Utopias?

[bennyfizzle]

JL? JL makes some sick subs, even the w3's were teh nasty.

[morganbressler]

Everything I Use.

[JPWheelr]

JVC and LAnzar aren't even rated dude.

And focal utopias? sure have. bright and tin-ny. not for me. utopia = not the right word as far as I am concerned.

Peter
Dynaudio System 360 user (and abuser)

[tbreihan]

Alpine (speakers, subs, and amps)
Focal (decent, but not the shit they are made out to be)
JL Audio (decent, but ridiculously overpriced)
MB Quart (see Focal)
Infinity (high-end, in terms of Circuit City gear)
Boston Acoustics (see Focal and JL Audio... $900 for Z-series comps? Please...)
Pioneer (based on my bad experiences; YMMV)
Hifonics (which is just crap, IMHO)

[tbreihan]

JL? JL makes some sick subs, even the w3's were teh nasty.

JL's are good subs, but they are certainly not God's gift to car audio. People think that the W7 is the last word in subwoofers; it's not, and especially not for the price.

You want sick, mind-blowing subs? Try a Dayton RS-HO, Dayton Titanic MkIII, Peerless XXLS, Alumapro anything, Adire Brahma, Soundsplinter, or TC Sounds TC2+.

Of course, this is 100% my opinion, but a 12W7 retails for what, $500-$600? There is no way that that sub is 4-6 times better than any of the subs I mentioned in any way, regardless of the fact that it is 4-6 times the price.

[el.duderino]

Overrated:

Diamond

MB Quart

Infinity

and JL is on the cusp... I'd say overpriced more than overrated.

[sab568]

then what are some good speakers for our cars if focals and mb quartz are out?

[00poop6x]

HK sound system in the BMW is overrated.

[el.duderino]

then what are some good speakers for our cars if focals and mb quartz are out?

First off, I didn't say that they SUCK, I said they are overrated.

But Morel, DLS, Dynaudio, Alpine X type I know to be good. a/d/s/ is a good deal but not what they once were.

I hear good things about CDT but I don't know personally.

Phoenix Gold Titanium Elite mids and highs are really Morel.

Alpine X type are really Vifa.

Alpine F#1 Status are Scan Speak Revelators.

[Sephiroth619]

Isn't anything DEI underrated?

I mean, they're cheap, put out rated power. :dunno

[sparkchaser]

Bose

[Gray Bishop]

Seas Lotus components................................overrate d
Zapco............................overrated
Dynaudio...........................overrated
JL Audio since 1999.........................overrated
Focal...................................overrated
and after talking to el dude
USD & Image Dynamics.............................way overrated

[adamnur]

Alpine (speakers, subs, and amps)
Focal (decent, but not the shit they are made out to be)
JL Audio (decent, but ridiculously overpriced)
MB Quart (see Focal)
Infinity (high-end, in terms of Circuit City gear)
Boston Acoustics (see Focal and JL Audio... $900 for Z-series comps? Please...)
Pioneer (based on my bad experiences; YMMV)
Hifonics (which is just crap, IMHO)

I could not disagree more. My entire system is Alpine, and it sounds way better then any car I've been in. That includes JL, Focal, JBL, PIoneer, and it even sounded better then a car with diamond audio subs.

I've got 2 10" type R, and 5.25 type R components up front and just some 5.25 type S coaxial in the back if i have passengers. All off alpine amps too.

The only thing alpine overrates is the type X line. That shit is terrible.

[morganbressler]

Bose...i love bose...i mean, everything is overrated in someones opinion.

If you like techno, anything that doesnt produce good low end and good high end you are giong to hate and thus think its overrated. Anyone ever see the freq cures to techno? No mids.

If you listen to rock, you are going to think rappy style subs are "overrated". I dont know...just my $.02

[el.duderino]

I could not disagree more. My entire system is Alpine, and it sounds way better then any car I've been in. That includes JL, Focal, JBL, PIoneer, and it even sounded better then a car with diamond audio subs.

I've got 2 10" type R, and 5.25 type R components up front and just some 5.25 type S coaxial in the back if i have passengers. All off alpine amps too.

The only thing alpine overrates is the type X line. That shit is terrible.

Wow... I'm actually kind of amazed. You mentioned Focal and Pioneer in the same sentence.

[Gray Bishop]

:lol

[adamnur]

I could not disagree more. My entire system is Alpine, and it sounds way better then any car I've been in. That includes JL, Focal, JBL, and it even sounded better then a car with diamond audio subs. Also better than Pioneer, but who wouldn't guess that.

I've got 2 10" type R, and 5.25 type R components up front and just some 5.25 type S coaxial in the back if i have passengers. All off alpine amps too.

The only thing alpine overrates is the type X line. That shit is terrible.

fixed

[tbreihan]

fixed

We're all entitled to our own opinions, right? :)

I have just been very underwhelmed with Alpine in general (save for their recievers.)

Alpine's speakers and subs are just okay, to me, and their amps are extremely overpriced, IMO.

And I totally agree with you about the Type-Xs. I auditioned some of those and I was amazed at how mediocre they sounded for $500. A lot of the guys over at diymobileaudio.com RAVE about Type-Xs (Vifa) and I just don't see what the big deal is. I mean, they give new meaning to the term 'laid back,' and not in a good way.

[Stevefazek]

My Memphis Kicks ass any my Kickers allways kicked ass. I think JLs are great. Infinity their basslink for what it is is a great system.

[Stevefazek]

but anything for sale at circuit city or best buy tends to be overated over priced pieces of crap

[Roffle Waffle]

JVC and LAnzar aren't even rated dude.

And focal utopias? sure have. bright and tin-ny. not for me. utopia = not the right word as far as I am concerned.

I do agree that my Focals can be bright sometimes, even with the upgraded TN-52 tweeter.

but the 6.5" mids, powered by a soundstream van gogh 500.4 amp feeding 125 watts to them, don't sound very small, and vocals sound very clear, and can handle high volumes without distortion.

What would YOU suggest I buy to keep the highs clear but not harsh, the mids smooth, and the power handling high? I've been thinking in 8" speakers to replace my sub and mids, but don't know what I could buy and stay in the same league

[jester614]

I still love my old PPI amps, DLS Iridiums, and Brahma 12. I don't care for the highs of the Bostons Pro 6.53 I have laying around.

[el.duderino]

I do agree that my Focals can be bright sometimes, even with the upgraded TN-52 tweeter.

but the 6.5" mids, powered by a soundstream van gogh 500.4 amp feeding 125 watts to them, don't sound very small, and vocals sound very clear, and can handle high volumes without distortion.

What would YOU suggest I buy to keep the highs clear but not harsh, the mids smooth, and the power handling high? I've been thinking in 8" speakers to replace my sub and mids, but don't know what I could buy and stay in the same league

It's the tweeters that I think let down the side.

I sure like Dynaudio myself. I prefer my xovers to theirs, though.

[Benny Z]

I still love my old PPI amps, DLS Iridiums, and Brahma 12. I don't care for the highs of the Bostons Pro 6.53 I have laying around.

sounds like a nice setup. i have the same pcx-4125 amp as you powering my front stage (also dls, but not iridium).

you do realize that the pcx is not an "old" ppi amp, though, and that it is a dei amp (ugh). not that i'm complaining...i got a great deal on mine.

[JPWheelr]

I do agree that my Focals can be bright sometimes, even with the upgraded TN-52 tweeter.

but the 6.5" mids, powered by a soundstream van gogh 500.4 amp feeding 125 watts to them, don't sound very small, and vocals sound very clear, and can handle high volumes without distortion.

What would YOU suggest I buy to keep the highs clear but not harsh, the mids smooth, and the power handling high? I've been thinking in 8" speakers to replace my sub and mids, but don't know what I could buy and stay in the same league

Like the dude said. Dynaudio system 360. you could even buy a set from him iirc.

And as much as they let me down, I'd give the Phoenix Gold Titanium Elite 951 (9" 5.25" and 1") system a shot. I just burned up a 51 set too easily when I was running 100% pg.

[Cochise]

i have a vrx+ 500w sub in my trunk (see trunk pic below) it beats like hell sounds good, sounds excellent at high volumes and it only cost €30 from a sunday market

[el.duderino]

... and it only cost €30 from a sunday market

Really... did it have a cosmetic defect, like a big scratch right over the serial number?

[bmwjuggalo]

.....for life!!
:buttrock

[jester614]

Benny Z, I did not know that, I thought the DCX and beyond was DEI crap. I would still trust my amps down ot 1/2 ohm.

although, I wouldn't do it, I just broke a windshield with 4 ohm bridged.

[soundqdoug]

I've been in car audio for a very long while and have been fairly successful (3rd at Usaci World Finals). Everything in car audio has good and bad, in almost every brand. I use Alpine F#1 Status electronics, MB Quart QSD speakers and Rockford Fosgate amps. This doesn't mean I think this stuff is better than everything else, the store I work at sells the brands! There are a lot of brands I like, like DLS, Denon, Genesis, Dynaudio, & Focal. The problem with car audio is that everything is so subjective. What I think sounds good the next person will hate, and vise versa. For example, I love the off axis response of a QSD tweeter, but I love on the on axis response of a Dynaudio tweeter, my buddy Matt is completely opposite. As far as overrated equipment, you get what you pay for, that's why companys like Alpine have F#1 headunits that cost $3000.