JBL ICE Components?

wez130

wez130

wez130

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Joined
31 Jan 2004
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Matakana New Zealand
How good are these, i'm looking at a 4 channel JBL Amp, 10" JBL Sub, a pair of 6x9's (3 way),both powered of the amp then replacing the door speakers in the front with the JBL Mid/tweeter/x-over set and a pair of 5 1/4's in the rear which will be powered from the HU (Kenwood KDC534UA)

Your opinions / alternatives please :)
 
The amplifiers are very good bits of kit for the price, the subs get a lot of praise too, but please stay away from the 6x9s.

What amp are you looking at?
 
either the GTO 4000 which can be had for £50 now it's discontinued, or the one that's replaced it, the GTO 75.4 which has replaced it.

I've just read another thread where you disapprove of the 6x9's, is this just a general hate of yours or are they genuinly crap?

would i be better with a 2 chanel amp and scrapping the 6x9's?

what would YOU do?

Also, i would go for the 12" sub but they need a bigger box and i have a baby on the way so space is an issue even in my tank (mondeo) :D
 
you're probably best off gettins decent components + a sub, and amping them if you want quality. 6x9's give a more general sound, but the JBL ones tend to lean towards the more bass side, which is great if you want to set car alarms off in a maccy d carpark... ;)
 
Well, in my car I have a pair of 6.5" Infinity components up front running off the headunit (Pioneer DEH-P80MP).

I also used to have a cheapo 10" sub in a sealed box, running off a cheapo Mutant amp. It was a very budget setup (apart from the HU) but the overall sound was very detailed with nice tight bass.

Since I got rid of my sub, I've had the speakers faded 3/4 to the front and honestly, don't miss the rears at all. Of course, I now need to deaden my doors properly to stop all of the rattles and vibrations that the sub covered up.

The reason I don't like 6x9's is because they do nothing for the SQ. Sure, they go loud and have loads of bass, but that's about it. They drag the soundstage backwards and have terrible quality midrange and treble... very harsh on the ears.

What you reall want to do is keep the standard rears, get a nice pair of front components, a few sheets of Dynamat and amp the front speakers. Get a good quality 10 or 12" sub... unless you want LOTS of loud bass.

Seriously though, if you get 6x9's and a cheap sub, people will laugh at you as you come down the road. Whereas with a good quality install that's been setup properly, you won't draw attention to yourself/your car but when people do get in and hear the system, they'll comment on it.
 
you dont need all them speakers for a decent ICE install you just need components in the front preferably amped. some rear fill if you must just keep standard speakers for this and fade it towards the front abit and a sub. JBL are alright they are a decent budget brand But don t expect Home HI FI quality from them. :)
 
I've got a GTO4000 and rate it highly for a cheap amp. I also agree with the anti-6x9 comments above.
Decent components up front, amped appropriately, and a sub in the rear. There's little point in upgrading rear door speakers unless you want to be particularly thoughtful for your passengers.
 
what other brands should i look at?

just had a trip to halfrauds and looked at different makes, got recommended the 'Vibe' components (mid/tweeter) @59.99 but i'm unsure of how they rate and all car speakers sound crap in an open space so you can't even tell how they will sound.

edit, these ones


Other makes i was looking at were audiobahn, kicker, rockford fosgate and infinity, how do these rate? any others i should check out?

sorry for all the noob questions but i'm new to ICE :D
 
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Seriously, what is your budget?
There is no single brand that makes the best amps, comps, subs etc. You need to consider each item on it's own merits.
Give a budget, then people can recommend the best in that price range.
 
i don't have a specific budget as of yet, but i want best bang for buck, lets start at £250 all in?
 
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