Tell me what you know about speakers

[mike58]

I was planning on installing better speakers this year but for the second time i read on forums that the standard radio will not support new speakers with a larger magnet. Has anyone else found this to be true? Has anyone else replaced just their speakers only and had no problem and had an improvement in sound quality.

I'm riding a 2016 voyager and usually keep the sound level between 7 & 9 i don't need an amplifier nor do i want to install one. Replies from those who have performed a speaker swap will be appreciated.

If i do replace the speakers they will be a straight forward replacement that doesn't require cutting the speaker boxes or replacing the top grills, i think they exist with a little searching of past posts.

[mrt]

I installed a pair of Polk DB521 speakers last fall and got 1 or 2 rides in before storing the bike for winter. I would say they are better than stock. i do not have an amp installed and do not plan to do so. I think they were around $60.00 and i would say worth it. Mike

[rozie]

there are two places that I know of that sell better replacement speakers.
Hog Tunes is one of them and Metrix Audio is the other one. both are 5 and a half in. speakers. I can`t vouch for either one as I went with Engineered Adapters and 6 and a half in. Kicker speakers on my vaquero. with no amp I keep my volume at 10 or 11 on the highway and the sound is great with no distortion.

[Lumberjack]

I suggest you search through posts a little more and upgrade your speakers to 6.5" using Randy's adapters.

EngineeredAdapters.com
http://www.vulcanbagger.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=44138

[plumber63]

I put Polk ddb522 in mine this winter. No amp. Just sitting in shop the sound is crisper and can turn it up higher before they distort compared to the stock ones.
I had the speaker out doing some wiring and upgrading the lights to leds, so I just upgraded the speakers.
I didn't have a issue with hearing the stock speaker. I have my stock head unit set to get louder the faster I go. So setting between 8-12 at highway speed is sufficient.
Not sure what most expect running down the road with your head in the wind. I don't think it should be so loud that everyone around you can hear it.

[3w-lonerider]

Originally Posted by mike58

I was planning on installing better speakers this year but for the second time i read on forums that the standard radio will not support new speakers with a larger magnet. Has anyone else found this to be true? Has anyone else replaced just their speakers only and had no problem and had an improvement in sound quality.

I'm riding a 2016 voyager and usually keep the sound level between 7 & 9 i don't need an amplifier nor do i want to install one. Replies from those who have performed a speaker swap will be appreciated.

If i do replace the speakers they will be a straight forward replacement that doesn't require cutting the speaker boxes or replacing the top grills, i think they exist with a little searching of past posts.

i installed the hog tune 5 and 1/2 inch speakers with no amp. sound quality is fine for me. i'm running bluetooth threw the phone with spotify. only problem i have encountered is with the bluetooth. bought a car pro and had nothing but issues with it constantly wanting to disconnect. so i bought a bovee 1000 seems to be working better

[mbarr10]

I know nothing about Speakers.

But I have installed the Polk 5.25s. Never got the sound I expected. I was told that the magnet puts to much of a draw on the head unit and can make it over heat.
Now go back and read sentence #1

I Installed an amp, I am much happier with the sound. But how to set it correctly?
Well back to sentence #1

I have found the bass is better on the stock speakers when combined with the highs, and my polks get fuzzy when adding bass to them.

Now I also keep in mind that many years riding without a helmet has affected my hearing. So I needed more push to the speakers to hear it well.

YMMV

[BrokeAss]

You're going to get conflicting stories on this because of how under-informed the average consumer is on audio equipment, coupled with confirmation bias (i.e. "I want these speakers I just bought to sound better so...yup, I really think they do!").

I installed professionally in the past and have kept up with it over the years as best I can, still building subwoofer boxes and currently replacing a factory 12-speaker Mark Levinson system in my Lexus. If you were to ask me a very general question, "Would you rather run stock speakers off an aftermarket deck or aftermarket speakers off a stock deck", with no other information than that general question, I'd choose an aftermarket deck on stock speakers. Reason being, you're better off with more power pushing existing speakers than you are with the same power pushing more capable speakers.

Since you're wanting to go the less desirable route and forego an amp and use the rather pathetic internal amp in the head unit, your main focus needs to be twofold: 1) Installing the biggest speakers possible (somebody mentioned adapters...if you can upsize from 5-1/4's to 6-1/2s, DO IT! -and- 2) Installing speakers with the highest sensitivity rating you can find. I see people endorsing Polk speakers which, more often than not, only have a sensitivity rating of 89db@1w/1m...this is pathetic, but it's because they're meant to be amplified. What you want is a sensitivity rating of 93db@1w/1m found in such speakers as the Hertz "Energy" lineup. Since decibels are logarithmic in nature, a speaker with a rating of 93 isn't like 4% louder than one with a rating of 89, it's FOUR TIMES as loud with the same wattage, so it's far more efficient. Using deck power and no amplifier, you want the largest and most efficient speaker you can install, and you need to have realistic expectations on what it can do since you're expecting it to produce full range (ideally you'd want an 80hz HPF installed, not something you can do with a stock deck, you'd need a passive crossover of some sort which will soak up precious wattage).

[mike58]

Brokeass, what is an 80hz HPF?

[BrokeAss]

Originally Posted by mike58

Brokeass, what is an 80hz HPF?

It's a High Pass Filter blocking frequencies below 80hz, known to be subwoofer frequencies. Your full-range stock head unit likely has no such filter, so you'll be turning the bass down to try and mitigate distortion, but if you had this filter the speakers could play much much warmer without distorting.

[mbarr10]

SWEET, now I know just enough about speakers to be dangerous. Thanks Brokeass, Looking for a new amp this spring so I will now have a better Idea as to what I should look for. And Suggestions on makes and models? under 200 or better yet 150.00. Maybe the Rockford Fosgate Punch?

[BrokeAss]

Originally Posted by mbarr10

And Suggestions on makes and models? under 200 or better yet 150.00. Maybe the Rockford Fosgate Punch?

Fosgate seems to be a popular and good choice. There's also Kicker, NVX, and MB Quart.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item...02.html#photos

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item...NVX-VADM2.html

https://www.amazon.com/MB-Quart-NA2-...247268&sr=8-18

[JD Hog]

Originally Posted by BrokeAss

You're going to get conflicting stories on this because of how under-informed the average consumer is on audio equipment, coupled with confirmation bias (i.e. "I want these speakers I just bought to sound better so...yup, I really think they do!").

I installed professionally in the past and have kept up with it over the years as best I can, still building subwoofer boxes and currently replacing a factory 12-speaker Mark Levinson system in my Lexus. If you were to ask me a very general question, "Would you rather run stock speakers off an aftermarket deck or aftermarket speakers off a stock deck", with no other information than that general question, I'd choose an aftermarket deck on stock speakers. Reason being, you're better off with more power pushing existing speakers than you are with the same power pushing more capable speakers.

Since you're wanting to go the less desirable route and forego an amp and use the rather pathetic internal amp in the head unit, your main focus needs to be twofold: 1) Installing the biggest speakers possible (somebody mentioned adapters...if you can upsize from 5-1/4's to 6-1/2s, DO IT! -and- 2) Installing speakers with the highest sensitivity rating you can find. I see people endorsing Polk speakers which, more often than not, only have a sensitivity rating of 89db@1w/1m...this is pathetic, but it's because they're meant to be amplified. What you want is a sensitivity rating of 93db@1w/1m found in such speakers as the Hertz "Energy" lineup. Since decibels are logarithmic in nature, a speaker with a rating of 93 isn't like 4% louder than one with a rating of 89, it's FOUR TIMES as loud with the same wattage, so it's far more efficient. Using deck power and no amplifier, you want the largest and most efficient speaker you can install, and you need to have realistic expectations on what it can do since you're expecting it to produce full range (ideally you'd want an 80hz HPF installed, not something you can do with a stock deck, you'd need a passive crossover of some sort which will soak up precious wattage).

BrokeAss
Bringing up an old post.
I would like to go with the 6 1/2" front speakers only, no rear speakers, on my stock Voyager radio. Would the Polk Audio MM 652 speakers work the best with a stock radio? It has a 93db rating like you suggested.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give me.

[BrokeAss]

Originally Posted by JD Hog

BrokeAss
Bringing up an old post.
I would like to go with the 6 1/2" front speakers only, no rear speakers, on my stock Voyager radio. Would the Polk Audio MM 652 speakers work the best with a stock radio? It has a 93db rating like you suggested.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give me.

Will they work "the best"? That's difficult to answer. Polk is an excellent brand and the 93db sensitivity is what you want. I could also recommend the Infinity Kappa 63XF or the JL Audio C1-650x. The Infinity Kappas are 3ohm which will squeeze out just a tad more power out of your stock radio. If you can make any of these fit your fairing I have to believe you'll experience an improvement in sound.

[JD Hog]

Originally Posted by BrokeAss

Will they work "the best"? That's difficult to answer. Polk is an excellent brand and the 93db sensitivity is what you want. I could also recommend the Infinity Kappa 63XF or the JL Audio C1-650x. The Infinity Kappas are 3ohm which will squeeze out just a tad more power out of your stock radio. If you can make any of these fit your fairing I have to believe you'll experience an improvement in sound.

Thanks for the info BrokeAss! I have ordered Randy's 6 1/2" adapter rings and the Polk MM652 speakers since they are the only ones that were marine grade. I will post back when I have installed this setup.