I truly respect your opinion, Glasswolf, so, if you had $2000 with which to buy speakers and an amp, what would you buy?
Currently in my '86 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa I have a JVC KD-AR3000 Arsenal HU with Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 6 1/2" Componants up front powered by a JL Audio 300/4 Channel Amp. I have a pair of Jensen 6 1/2" in the back for rear fill that came with the car. (I've just never gotten around to swapping them out). Trouble is, it's not quite loud enough for me! I like it really, really loud!!! I turn it down before I pull into our neighborhood... I've taken into account what Erik said about Dynaudio. What do their speakers *sound* like? I really love that crisp, clear sound of Infinity. Some people think they are tinny, but I like the way they sound. It all depends on what you like! But would 200 watts be enough for me? For less money I could get Boston Acoustics ProSeries 6.5 3-way Componants, which are 400 watts RMS. And how do *they* differ from the more expensive 2-way Z6 series???? (Which are lower watts RMS, BTW) I thought 3-ways sounded better than 2-ways, but the 2-way Z6's are a couple hundred dollars more expensive. Do you know what I'm getting for my money?
Thank you, in advance, for answering all my questions. As I said, I really value your opinion and I know you won't steer me wrong. I'm not sure about everyone else's opinions, but I feel confindent I can trust you. I've read enough of your posts over the months...
1) First option is to make the system louder in other ways. Sound deadening and driver placement make a HUGE difference in overall loudness and SQ. It is what I recommend first as it gives a solid foundation for any future audio upgrades.
2) Dynaudios are fantastic for SQ, but not what you're looking for. The Dynaudios are very warm, neutral, and balanced. No part of them really sticks out and they really don't have as much of a "signature sound" to them as the Perfects other than being very neutral. Since you love the Perfects crisp sound, you probably won't like the Dynaudios. Also, Dynaudios don't get as loud as the Perfects do, although the 3 way system is pretty close.
3) The Boston Pros can get loud, louder than the Z6's as well. The Pros are more of what you call a "power" set, punchier midbass and stronger tweeter. The Z's are for all around sound quality, timbre, and accuracy, and also great imaging and soundstage. The Zs are also built with better materials than the Pros are and have more research put into them, which explains the cost increase. 3 ways aren't really better than 2 ways, it's all in the installation. Both can give great results, it's all in what your car can accomodate. Yes, 3 ways will typically get louder than 2 ways due to driver displacement. But if you can barely fit 3 ways, or don't have a lot of room to install them correctly, they aren't going to give the best results. 2 ways generally give better imaging in most vehicles and are easier to install, and if well designed, the SQ that is just as good or better than 3 ways.
4) The Infinity Perfects are a pretty loud component system, there aren't many 2 ways that get much louder. You could consider doubling up components up front and using 2 pairs of Perfects, adding around 6db. That could be driven well by that JL 300/4. The reason the Pros, Zs, and Dynaudios handle more power is that they don't get as loud as sets such as the Perfects, they're less efficient. Power won't always mean louder, remember twice the power is a 3db increase, and if the speakers are less efficient, you really see no benefit from having a system with double the power, at least not from a loudness standpoint. You could also look into other power sets such as the MB Quart Q series and the Focal Polykevlar series. One set isn't really going to be much louder than the Infinities, and will be a much more expensive alternative. Two sets of Infinities would be much louder than one set of Qs, Focals, etc.
thats a sweet ride! do you have a sub in it? if you dont putting in a small sealed w7 8 or something might be perfect -- takes up only a bit of room and sounds very good and clean