speakers

Systems

I've seen MB Quart mentioned on here before, I just don't remember if it was good or bad. What do you guys think? I could get a pair of 6.5" Reference series components for $180ish, is that good?

MacLeod

If theyre brand new then thats a smoking deal!! Those are $300+ speakers.

MB Quart are some of the best sounding speakers in the world in my opinion.

The Discus series is their entry level sereis and sound almost as good as Polk/Momo.

The Reference series is their sophomore offering and they sound a smidge better than the Momo to me. The Momos are warmer but the Reference offer a good bit more deatil but they cost a tad more than the Momos by starting around $330.

Now the Premium series is head and shoulders above Polk but also in the price tag as well. They also offer the Music Comp crossover which just rules!

The Q series is in league with the best speakers in the world but again are priced at $1200+!

Systems

theyre brandy new, im friends with the owners of a local shop. im gonna do a new system this summer, so ill probably do tose speakers, rockford amps, dont know which subs yet, and im looking to do the 7 inch pioneer dvd player/screen.

sntnsupermen131

pbd put some MBQuarts in a caddy and said they sounded like ****...
but i think they were only 3.5" speakers though...so you cant ask a lot
ive heard em and liked em a lot...but the cars they were in had AWESOME installs
and awesome installs means awesome music...no matter what speakers you have in it
ive never actually heard em in a vehicle as just "replacement" speakers where theyve been put into the factory locations
-Cody

Systems

well if all goes well, it will be full custom job in a truck. any other brand speakers you would recomend, or while your at it, amps and subs? im looking for quality and volume, but dont want to go broke while doing it. but most things i can get cheaper then normal, so...

sntnsupermen131

cdt speakers and tru technology amps
that with some ID Max subs...
-Cody

Systems

about how much do they go for though? price is an issue as well.

MacLeod

Put most of your ephasis on the speakers. Those are the most important component in your syetem and you should make it the area you spend the most on.

I myself am a speaker junkie. To me an amp is an amp for the most part and Im not much of a bass freak. I just love an awesome set of speakers and Ive listened to a bunch although a lot have been in a shops sound room. Here is my opinion about Quart as compared to other speakers.

All speakers have their own unique "flavor" of sound. JLs are mid bass heavy, Polk is very warm, Focal is very sweet and thick sounding, Infinity is bright and tinny, Diamond Audio is a little glassy and hard edged. MB Quarts offer virtually no coloration of the music. You get out exactly what you put into it. Their strength is that the are probably the most detailed speaker on the market right now. You will hear every single little nuance and guitar pluck, snare ghost note and singers breath on the CD. The downside is that because they have no coloration they dont put out a lot of midbass so they wont blend well with a sub without a dedicated mid bass speaker.

I guess my point is that it depends on you personal taste in music and what you think sounds good. For instance, jazz and R&B sound real good on the very bright Infinitys. Metal and rcok are best on Focal or Polk because their warmth and softness takes off the edge of screaming guitars.

Jstas

Take a set of Rainbow components and strap them up to a Jensen amp and head unit and you'll see how "good" they will sound.

Speakers are no more important than any other component in your setup. You certainly don't want junk but if you have a $2,000 budget and blow 1500 of it on speakers, you won't have any money left for any decent components.

The REAL rule is, you system will only sound as good as its weakest component. So budget well and choose wisely and you will end up with something you really enjoy for a price you can afford.

sntnsupermen131

Originally posted by Jstas
The REAL rule is, you system will only sound as good as its weakest component.

Couldn't have said it better. If you have great speakers and a crappy amp, its going to sound like crap. But then again, I would venture to say that installation is probably the most important part of your install. Placement of speakers etc. SPL competitors often move their subs around just a few inches and can get as much as a 1dB gain, and when you're hitting in the mid 150s, 1dB is amazing just because you moved your speakers and put the mic in a different place
Your amp and your speakers need to match, unles you're planning to upgrade later
-Cody

MacLeod

Well hell yeah a Rainbow/Jensen combo would suck, however a Rainbow/Rockford Fosgate combo would sound pretty damn good. Dont you think Rainbow speakers with a Rockford Fosgate amp would sound tons better than Rockford Fosgate speakers and a Brax amp?

When I said an amp is an amp I meant that a name brand amp (RF, JL, Kenwod, Alpine, Kicker--not a **** box like Jensen or Pyle) will all sound pretty much the same. The main difference is in the features. Sure the specs are a little different but its minimal. Now the $1000 amps will have ultra low distortion and super SNR's but the difference probably wont be enough to warrant the $700 extra.

On the other hand, speaker SQ differs dramatically from model to model. Its not that hard to make great amps. Its real difficult to make great speakers. Think about it. When you think of great speakers how many manufactuers come to mind? 5? Maybe 6? Now think of great amps. 100? More?

Just go to your local Circuit City and listen to a CD thru a set of speakers and bounce around from amp to amp and other than volume, there wont be a substantial difference in overall SQ. Now pick an amp and listen to the CD thru a bunch of different speakers. The SQ changes quite a bit with each model.

Yes its crucial to choose a good amp and good wires and cables but its not that hard to do as there are an **** load out there. Really good speakers are different. Theyre few and far between.

Also, since a speakers SQ differs from model to model you need to pick the one that goes best with your taste and music. You need'nt be that picky with the amp as they all will sound pretty much the same.

Systems

I think im gonna need some gas money...lol

PoweredByDodge

mbquart discus speakers suck a fat dick.

the 3.5's sound liek ****... the 6x9's sounded just a goddamn bad.... if not worse -- and then the fin things blew up after like 3 days of playing them at HALF THEIR RATED RMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mbquart discus speakers = dog ****. dont waste your money or more importantly your time.

i am INFINITELY happier with the Polk EXIII 6x9's that i put in replacement of the DOA quart discus's. i only wish polk made a 3.5" to replace the ghetto sounding quarts up front. hell nobody makes a good 3.5 anymore... then again, why would they -- 3.5" is just a weak design of a speaker to begin with... but i was stuck... and i'm not cutting the cadillac.

so anyway -- in short -- quart discus sucks. -- ya... and it sucks.... --- uh huh.

MacLeod

Im sensing some anger. LOL

Ive never used the Discus 3 inchers but I have used the Discus 6.5's in my last (2000) Ram and had them running off a Precision Power 50x2 amp and they sounded great and I never had any problems from them. However you are right in saying the high end Polks blow the Discus out of the water but the Premium and Q line of Quart are pretty damn awesome sounding. And its not just me. I put a lot of stock in components that win competitions, SQ comps specifically, and Quart wins.....a lot! Im not saying that Quart are the best in the world, I believe Focal holds that honor, but they are in the top 1%.

TrappedUnder Ice

Personally for the price....I'd do somthing other then MBq myself... never geen a big fan!

I actually agree with Jstas on what he said (dont fall out of chair guys!) system is only as good as the weekest link. Personally...why would you spend a good amount of money on speakers...and skimp on the amp? BTW...I'm not fond of RF either

CDT offers good bang for the buck and Image dyanmics and Adire have sets that are great none the less... shop around..and keep aksing questions!

MacLeod

You wouldnt skimp on the amp. You need good quality components all around. Its just that the speakers are the most important component so you need to take more care when choosing them.

If you buy an amp from any name brand quality manufactuer (JL, PPI, Orion, Alpine, Kicker, RF, Hifonics, Xtant, Phoenix Gold, Polk, US Amps, Eclipse, Kenwood, Planet Audio, Crossfire, Diamond Audio and on and on) youll have a good clean signal and it wont differ that much from any of the others with only a few exceptions. Now do you think you can pick any old speaker from a name brand? Would you use RF speakers or Precision Power speakers? Probably not because most speakers out there are just ho-hum. Its is really difficult to make really great speakers. Thats why there are so few top of the line speaker manufacterers (MB Quart, Focal, Polk, CDT, a/d/s and thats about it) and tons of top of the line amp makers (as listed above).

Allow me to quote Eric Holdaway of Speaker Works. "If youre going to spend $1000 on a stereo, spend $900 on the speakers because thats where the biggest margin of error is."

C'mon, somebody out there has got to agree with me. I feel so alone!

sntnsupermen131

i agree with you to an extent...I'm not going to buy CDT braxials and run them off a RF amp
the RF amp wouldnt do it justice
but Polk/MOMO and RF's power series match up pretty well
both are about mid-grade
you can get away with more with subs, b/c its harder to hear the difference
you can buy a great quality sub, put it on a medium quality amp(as long as the power is good) and not hear THAT much of a difference with the same sub and a better quality amp
but components are a difft. story
Allow me to quote Cody Stewart of Sinton, TX, "If you're going to spend $1000 on speakers, make it 50/50 and anyone who says different is retarded"
i need to put that as my signature...
a great install can make good speakers sound better
how do you think JL wins SQ comps?
-Cody

MacLeod

So not only does MB Quart suck but now JL Audio sucks too?

I guess you guys dont like Ferraris either huh?

PolkMomoRam

I hate MB Quart Speakers. They use a metalic dome, seem a little bright and tinny unless attenuated and too damned expensive to boot :-)

sntnsupermen131

If you take into account price, not only does JL suck, theyre like an industrialized vacuum cleaner
but they do offer good products
the w7 is an awesome sub, but i can find much better for a lot lower price
-Cody

Systems

can someone give an idea of what amp and subs would mix well with the mb quarts?

Jstas

Originally posted by MacLeod
I guess you guys dont like Ferraris either huh?

Actually, I don't. I mean, there is no way anyone in thier right mind can deny Ferrari's heritage. It is certainly the richest of all marques. But my favorites are from across the pond in jolly 'ole England! The likes of MG, Lotus, Jaguar, Austin Healey, Triumph and Aston Martin are what I really like! That and the classic Fords that kicked Ferrari **** like the the GT-40's and the Shelby AC Cobra. Then there is the Corvette Grand Sports. But seriously, I'll take the raw sport of a vintage Jaguar with the 6 cylinder growl over the Ferrari V12 scream any day! Nothing beats a Triumph Spitfire or Jaguar XKE on a cold fall morning tearing down a mountain road growling and snarling at every shift of the gears! Watch Victory by Design some time on the Speed Channel, try to catch the Jaguar episode and you'll see what I mean. The raw, visceral experience that is a British sports car.

neomagus00

ooh... the scream at 17k rpm as you fly down a straight, then the pops as you downshift into the chicane, then the explosion out into the next straight... yeah, driving a Ferrari is fun (i got the chance once, i'll never forget it - that sound gives me the chills like the rumble of a porsche or jag never will)

Jstas

Originally posted by neomagus00
ooh... the scream at 17k rpm as you fly down a straight, then the pops as you downshift into the chicane, then the explosion out into the next straight... yeah, driving a Ferrari is fun (i got the chance once, i'll never forget it - that sound gives me the chills like the rumble of a porsche or jag never will)

17K RPM? Good luck getting a ride in an F1 car. I don't think any road going Ferrari will go past 10K RPM unless you are talking about the exotics like the Enzo or F50. I think the F50 spins the highest but I don't think it goes too much past 12K RPMs. Then again, you are talking about only the most very modern of Ferraris. The thrill of the drive is not just in the machine but in the task of driving itself. If you ever had a ride in a Jag D-Type or a Porsche 356, I promise you would not forget it.

jamas33

Frankly I would prefer driving a 1988 Hyundai Excel w/ Bling Bling Rims.. going 85 mph on a snowy winding mountain road... Oh the thrill of a death defying drive like that.

sntnsupermen131

Personally, give me a GMC on 38s with differential lockers and a good trail and id be just as happy, probably happier
-Cody

MacLeod

Mmmmmmmmmmmm......Jaguar....

I only have 4 words to say about Jaguar:

God's
Own
Tourque
Curve

I have always loved Jaguars. I only hope they dont start showing up in rap videos. Thats why I dont like Escalades! LOL

neomagus00

eew, yeah, with the 22s and spinners - aren't suv's supposed to be able to drive off-road (at least a little)? now, id have to agree with cody, a little mudding now and then is cool too, but for me, the thrill of a well-executed lap will always beat out just sheer power - i will agree with you there, jstas. and my bad for 17k, i dunno what happened there.