Need help deciding to buy SR6500

Jack from Indo

Please help, you experienced folks. I am currently using MBQuart Discus DSE 216 (cheapest of their line), driven by 4 channel Venom 60w RMS per channel with a Rockford Sub drawing a bridged 120 RMS from same amp, plus a reasonably good Pioneer head.

I am not happy w/ the MBQuarts. Highs and mids are OK, bass sucks.

I want speakers so good they bring me to tears of ecstacy when listening to: Led Zep, Radio Head, Yes, Blues, Ozric Tentacles, classical music etc. but no rap and no HM.

HERE IS THE QUESTION IF SOMEBODY CAN HELP ME PLEASE:

I want to buy the SR's but some of the reviews I have read from customers on the polk web site say that they love these speakers except the bass lacks a bit and is not that punchy. Is this true? Or, are these guys so audiophilic addicted that they mean this in a relative sense, and in fact I myself would be perfectly happy with the bass?

I lvie in Bali, Indonesia, and there are no showrooms here where I can listen to them. I will have to order them on faith.

Anybody wanna chime in and help me out with an experienced opinion?

MacLeod

Their midbass lacks a tight punch but they still have plenty of energy. In fact they can have too much energy in the midbass dept once they get broken in. This is also being very nitpicky too. While the SR's punch isnt the best in universe it will be head and shoulders better than your Discus'.

The only speakers Ive heard that have better midbass are the more expensive Focals but the SR's tweeters and upper midrange were much smoother and overall the SR's are more natural sounding.

Jack from Indo

Thank's, MacLeod, very much appreciate it. I'm also considering the MMC650's. Have you any experience with these? And, are the SR's that much better? You (or anybody else) think my Venom 60w RMS is good enough to do them justice?

And finally, any other model/brand you would suggest for under $1,000? Hard for me to find good components here in this country (I'm a transplanted US citizen, spoiled on good quality, lol)

MacLeod

The MMC's are great speakers as well and I consider them to be one of the best on the market for under $450. Still the SR's are considerably better. Better midbass inpact and sound, a more natural overall sound, clearer and smoother highs. However I do think the MM's have a little more detail but the SR's are still noticeably better.

1996blackmax

There are quite a few offerings for under a grand....

I am very happy with my Rainbows components and plan on getting some for my wife's car as well. I will probably go with something from their SLC line for her.


Rainbow:
http://car.rainbow-audio.de/home/home.php?lan=2

Jack from Indo

Many thanks for both your replies. I still have 4 questions, possibly for you, McLeod. Sorry to be so tedious, but:

1. Have read in an Automag review that the SR's drop out a low volume. Is this true, or is this a "not yet broken in" problem? I like it loud most times, but not always as sometimes I am sitting in my van at the beach reading or whatnot.

2. Regarding the breaking in problem: You said elsewhere that it takes about 100 horus. Yikes. At an hour a day, that will take um, 3 very long months. Comment?

3. I actually like the tweeters on my Quart's. I know many think they are screechy and too bright, but does not bother me. (Actually, what I really like is the detail I get on them). I'm normally not that impressed with a "warm, mellow" sound, but I listen to a wide variety of music from Joe Satriani, U2, etc., to Bethoven piano concertos, and do have good ears (I'm a musician and worked as piano tuner for a few years). I love detail, presence, clarity.

Given that, can you Comment on how I will like these SR's?

SEMI related general question:

4. I have always felt, even on other systems I have owned, that my bass would always get muddy during fast passages, and can't distinguish individual notes, such as say, a fast U2 number. But, on the slower passages, it sounds OK again. Is this normally an amp problem, speaker problem, or?


REALLY appreciate your time. Where I live there are no audiophile experts like yourself to ask these things, so thanks in advance...

Jack

Greg Peters

Jack from Indo wrote:

1. Have read in an Automag review that the SR's drop out a low volume. Is this true, or is this a "not yet broken in" problem? I like it loud most times, but not always as sometimes I am sitting in my van at the beach reading or whatnot.

Speakers dropping out? That would be a function of the speaker's efficiency and supplied power at a given head unit volume level. At low volumes you may find they do that at the lowest volume settings if you are not giving them sufficient amplifier power, but I have the SR5250s and don't notice that problem with 80 watts going into the passive crossovers. At "2" on the volume dial I mostly hear tweeters, but through the usual range of volume settings everything is well balanced. If you are worried about that, amplify them towards their max. RMS ratings and it shouldn't be a problem. Pretty much every speaker I've owned loses some midbass at lower (barely audible) volume settings, because it takes more power to reproduce midbass than it does the higher frequencies. While the SRs are more of an SQ speaker rather than an SPL type, they can play loud and clear if you give them a proper install with sufficient power.

Jack from Indo wrote:

2. Regarding the breaking in problem: You said elsewhere that it takes about 100 horus. Yikes. At an hour a day, that will take um, 3 very long months. Comment?

The SR line does take a long time to break in, and it would be best to judge their performance only after they've been installed for a while. The midbass gets better over time. These are more along the lines of smooth accurate midbass rather than exaggerated and overly punchy.

Jack from Indo wrote:

3. I actually like the tweeters on my Quart's. I know many think they are screechy and too bright, but does not bother me. (Actually, what I really like is the detail I get on them). I'm normally not that impressed with a "warm, mellow" sound, but I listen to a wide variety of music from Joe Satriani, U2, etc., to Bethoven piano concertos, and do have good ears (I'm a musician and worked as piano tuner for a few years). I love detail, presence, clarity.

Given that, can you Comment on how I will like these SR's?

Piano has always been a tough instrument to get sounding right in the car, and the SRs do a great job reproducing a realistic piano sound. The ring radiator tweeters are wonderful- airy and detailed sounding. Maybe the best I've ever heard for things like piano, violin, steel guitar. They do a convincing job with things like cymbals and bell trees, but they aren't as "in your face" and metallic sounding with these instruments as a metal dome tweeter can be. I like the sound of MB Quarts, too, and the SR tweeters are a lot easier on the ears at higher volume.

Jack from Indo wrote:

SEMI related general question:

4. I have always felt, even on other systems I have owned, that my bass would always get muddy during fast passages, and can't distinguish individual notes, such as say, a fast U2 number. But, on the slower passages, it sounds OK again. Is this normally an amp problem, speaker problem, or?
Jack

It's probably due to all of the above. Mounting a car speaker in a door (infinite baffle) without proper dampening (ala Dynamat, or something like it) isn't ideal for reproducing fast bass passages clearly. The better you can seal off the speaker's back wave from the front, the tighter and more detailed your bass will become. A cheaper amplifier with a low damping factor/slew rate may not allow your speakers to follow fast passages as well as they could with a higher-end amp. It's also a function of the proper crossover setting, to allow your components to do what they do best and work well with your sub(s) for optimum reproduction and blending.

While I understand you'd be hesitant to order the SRs at the going price without the chance to hear them first, you shouldn't be disappointed with them if you give them a first-rate install.

You could also try the Momo series, the MMC6500 and see if they fit your needs (at a lower price). They have a punchier midbass sound and a nice, detailed soft-dome tweeter and can be tuned at the crossover to shape the response for you as well. You may find the Momos do it for you, but if you want better then the SRs are really nice.

Jack from Indo

Thank you Greg, all that makes sense. Thanks for taking all that time. Im about sold on the SR, now trying to find a place to buy them near me.

My last question about the bass notes running together was regarding sub set-ups I have owned, not so much my front speakers. I have tried all different tunings, and I now think I have been using too cheap an amp and that damping/slew problem makes sense. If you have anything to add, thanks once again.

exalted512

running them in sealed boxes? what kind of sub/amp combos have you had?


www.cardomain.com are authorized dealers of polk
-Cody

Greg Peters

Jack from Indo wrote:

My last question about the bass notes running together was regarding sub set-ups I have owned, not so much my front speakers. I have tried all different tunings, and I now think I have been using too cheap an amp and that damping/slew problem makes sense. If you have anything to add, thanks once again.

A sub designed for a sealed box will generally give tighter bass response.

A smaller sealed box will give you punchier transients, while a larger sealed box will play lower frequencies than the smaller box to a degree.

Some ported box designs will also do a pretty good job, play louder with less amplifier power too, but should be used with an amp with a subsonic filter to keep excursion from getting out of hand when playing notes below the tuned frequency of the box.

I'm a "sealed box" kind of guy, but I've heard some very nice ported setups and do appreciate them. I prefer to keep my bass inside the car, hence the small sealed box with only 600 watts.

If you decide to order the Polk SRs, you could use your 60X4 amplifier to biamp the SRs (one 60 watt channel to each mid and tweeter) and get a designated amp to take over the duty of powering your sub.