[ProverbialFunk]

Hello Gents, after educating myself on the various Audio Upgrade options, i've decided that i DO want to splurge on the JBL MS8. My 1.5" Front Tweeters sound like they might be F'd in that there's static or hiss sometimes, and Im pretty sure its coming from the Tweeters and not the front door 6.5s. That being said, I've only done one audio install myself but that was 10 years ago. Looking at:

JBL MS8 for all the audio magic / Amp requirements
Replace the 6.5s with Alpine Type - S
Replace the Front 1.5 tweeters with something?

I don't need thundering bass, Unless replacing the rear 6.9s and having them powered by the MS8 will definitely give me more boom. I really don't want a 12" sub in the trunk or anything like that, just crisper, clearer, non-factory sound.

Does this setup make sense, or am I missing something critical? Replacing the Tweeters in the dash sounds like a nightmare, and since I'm not an audiophile / electronically inclined, I'd be happy to pay someone to do it... What might that setup run?

Thanks Guys!

 

[Southpawskater]

Well what your looking to do is actually very simple, the hardest part is going to be installing the MS-8 not the speaker replacement.

If you plan on replacing both the front door speakers and the tweeters you would do better to get yourself a components set that is matched to each other and includes the 6.5" and the tweeter.

You can either hook these up active (using the MS-8 for a crossover and each driver (mid and tweet) having its own channel from the MS-8) or passive using the crossovers included in the component set (one channel drives both the mid and tweeter).

Also if you plan on using the stock tweeter location on the dash I would shy away from Alpine as their tweeters are very bright and the windshield reflection would make that even worse.

Try to find your self something with a soft dome or silk dome tweeter as opposed to the aluminum domes.

Your best bet would be to get out and listen to some quality speakers and see what fits your taste and budget the best and get a few shops to quote you the install and equipment.

As far as shop pricing rough estimate:
Decent 6.5" components set $125.00-$250.00
Install $200.00-$350.00
MS-8 $400.00-600.00 amazon has refurbished units under warranty for $499.00 with warranty.
Install $200.00-$350.00


or

Do a little reading, spend a few bucks on tools and do it yourself. It really pretty easy.

 

[jvillefinest]

Well what your looking to do is actually very simple, the hardest part is going to be installing the MS-8 not the speaker replacement.

If you plan on replacing both the front door speakers and the tweeters you would do better to get yourself a components set that is matched to each other and includes the 6.5" and the tweeter.

You can either hook these up active (using the MS-8 for a crossover and each driver (mid and tweet) having its own channel from the MS-8) or passive using the crossovers included in the component set (one channel drives both the mid and tweeter).

Also if you plan on using the stock tweeter location on the dash I would shy away from Alpine as their tweeters are very bright and the windshield reflection would make that even worse.

Try to find your self something with a soft dome or silk dome tweeter as opposed to the aluminum domes.

Your best bet would be to get out and listen to some quality speakers and see what fits your taste and budget the best and get a few shops to quote you the install and equipment.

As far as shop pricing rough estimate:
Decent 6.5" components set $125.00-$250.00
Install $200.00-$350.00
MS-8 $400.00-600.00 amazon has refurbished units under warranty for $499.00 with warranty.
Install $200.00-$350.00


or

Do a little reading, spend a few bucks on tools and do it yourself. It really pretty easy.

2nded. One more suggestion, look into a component setup for the front and save $$ on going coaxal in the rear. The component setup in the front will give more tuning ability later. Goodluck!

 

[ProverbialFunk]

Thanks Guys!

Im going with these

's per everyone's recommendations.

I have to root around but im sure there's an Audio Install Guide on this forum somewhere... Someone told me the Tweeters might just 'pop out' - but I was wondering how much of the pain the door installs would be?

Is the MS8 the end all be all for Amps/Digital Processing, or is there another slightly cheaper solution some folks recommend?

 

[Southpawskater]

The MS-8 is by no means the end all for processing and definitely not for amplification, but it is a really good start and very user friendly. It is pretty much the only option for something you can drop in by itself and improve your sound as well as offer expandability in the future.

As far as a less expensive option there are cheaper processors available but they would need amplification in order to drive your speakers so it would actually end up costing more. Or you could go the other route and get amps that accept balanced signals but then you have all of the problems of the factory crossovers and equalization to deal with.

The tweeters do pretty much just pop out there is just a small compression tab holding them in.

As for the door speakers you would probably need a speaker adaptor as at least on my car the speakers had 2 small feet that slid into cutouts on the bottom and a compression tab at the top. There are a few places online that actually make vehicle specific speaker adaptors or if you have the tools to do it they are really easy to make yourself. A lot of people make them out of MDF, but if you do this make sure to coat them in something to make them water proof, or get some plastic from a place like TAP plastics online or even buy a couple cheap plastic cutting boards to cut into adaptors.

 

[ProverbialFunk]

Thanks for the tips guys. Regarding the MS8 for amplification, I'm using that to power the new 6.5 Alpine Type R s which list 110W RMS at 4 Ohms. The Type S are only 80 watts , not sure if thats at 2 ohms or 4 tho.

However, the MS8 (which would serve as my main/only amp) only has a Maximum Output Power: 30 watts x 8-channels @ 2-ohms.
Would this be under powering the S slightly, and an improper match for the Rs?

I would also consider adding a simple 10" Sub in the trunk in the near future... Which Might be best done at the same time I pay someone to install all this other stuff. Its 8 channels, but at 30 watts per - would that be enough juice to power a 10" Alpine Sub?

Thanks again guys!

 

[yungwunn911]

Hey , I'm currently looking ton upgrade my system. Insee you have a five channel amp now, but did you try powering the alpines from just the ms8? If so, how did it work out?