what way?

[VL-187]

im looking at what 6x9s to buy and im jsut wondering wot does it mean by 2-way, 3-way, 4-way etc.....?
like what is the difference between say a 3-way set and 5-way set?
and which is usually better?

thanx

[azzfox]

hey, 6x9's are coax speakers (more than one speaker in one unit). eg. a 3-way speaker consists of a woofer (always of course), a mid-range and a tweeter. a 5-way would consist of eg. a woofer, 2 mids and 2 tweeters. i have never really heard of 5-way before though.

[dephilile]

I believe pioneer make a set of 5way 6x9’s, or maybe it is just 4way. I don’t remember. All I remember is they sounded terrible. Too much treble.

I think the number of “ways” a speaker is, is often just a sales gimmick that could be likened to the power handling of a speaker (never terribly accurate). If memory serves me correctly the pair of 6x9’s I mentioned above were rated at some ridiculous rating (400W??) which says to me that increasing the number of ways a speaker is also allows manufacturers to fudge the power handling of the results even more.

IMO, for 4” don’t get any more than 2 way. For 6” I’d probably go for a 2way speaker again, maybe a 3 way (depending on the brand and how much treble it put out). For 6x9’s I’d go for 3way.

[Phreddy]

Damn straight Deph! The more "ways", the more gimmicky!

Although I reckon a 6x9 2 way sounds excellent, as long as it has a decent crossover. (that's the main problem with these 4 way/5 way and so on - the crossover is so cheap and nasty, even if the drivers were reasonable they'd not be given a chance. The crossover network is critical in multi-way speaker systems, and gets more complex as the number of crossover points increases)

The gorgeous Pioneer kevlar 6x9s (and indeed the new Jaycar Response ones) are two way, and they sound great. I even like my old Response 7x10s, although 12VoltKing will rouse on me for saying that!! (hey King, I did modify the crossovers on those puppies....)

Anyhow, that's just my two-bob!

Cheerz.

[VL-187]

ok thaks alot for clearin that up guys! yeh i was looking at the pioneer 5-ways and wasnt to sure about them, i just thought they might of been good just coz they were 5-ways (shows how much i know huh lol) so youz recon for 6x9s 3-way would be the best to go?

cheers

[StoneX]

2-way from a good brand, like Boston, Focal, etc...

Although i'd steer away from 6x9's unless you are not getting a sub in future.

[VL-187]

well so far i got 2 x 15" sony xplod subs, a pair of 6" xplod speakers for the rear doors and focal v2 splits for the front..... recon i'd need 6x9s?

[Boonz]

hell no u dont need 6x9's lol u need 7x10's

[Phreddy]

Right on boona!!

In all seriousness VL-187, if you're going with subs the 6x9s (or indeed 7x10s) are a bit redundant - you'll have your sub taking over from above what the 6x9s are capable of anyway, frequency wise. I'd use 'em if I had 'em sitting around, but if I had to buy in I'd just go 6.5" round for the rears, let the sub take over from about 90-100 Hz down.

Just my own humble opinion, btw!

Cheerz!

[VL-187]

yehh....i havnt heard much positive feedback for 7x10s around here and ive had no experience with them lol

yeh i got 6.5" speakers 4 the back already (my bad i said 6" in my last post) and yeh was just wondering is it worth investin in 6x9s

thanx

[Phreddy]

I run a pair of 7x10s myself ATM, but I'm thinking of moving them on and going 6.5" rears once I install my sub. I like the 7x10s myself, but there are others who disagree.

It's just that with either 7x10s or 6x9s, if you're gonna be running a sub, the extra bottom end you can get out of the oval cone is wasted, because your subwoofer is actually looking after those low frequencies anyway. If 6" or 6.5" are easier to mount, then that's your best bet.

I guess it's kinda like carrying a second (or third) spare tyre - do you REALLY need it, or is it just a little redundant?


Cheerz.

EDIT: Oh, by the way - my opinion only, but if you're half way fair-dinkum about your setup, then eBay the Sony speakers and go for something else. Check Jaycar out - remarkably good value for money. (the "Precision Response" range, that is) You can get slightly better pricing than retail if you look around too - or if you can't be bothered looking, PM me and I'll see what I can work out for ya! Oh, and do you REALLY need a 15" sub? Don't forget the effects of "cabin gain" in car systems - makes a lot of difference! Of course, it doesn't hurt to get a massage while you're driving, either!

(DEFINITELY hang on to the Focals for the front though!!!!!!)

[StoneX]

You already have enough speakers, there's no need for 6x9's. If you have spare money upgrade the speakers you already have.

[VL-187]

thanx guys...

yeh i guess i dont really need a 15" phreddy.....but i went n bought 2 lol thanx 4 the help...
yeh im deffinetly hangin on to the focals, they sound awsome...... i was thinkin bout puttin them in the rear doors and gettin the focal k3's for the front.....i wana get a pretty good sound system happening, so any suggestions on what else to do is welcome