2way Active Speaker System Suggestions

[jrwalte]

Helix has auto TA and auto EQ. It will not resolve phase issues.

Using the Helix auto TA and EQ, I have the best impact I've ever had (granted I took Justin Zazzi's tuning curves for each speaker and had the auto EQ set to that. I did not use just the overall house curve) and the center is very pin point accurate and narrow. Almost too narrow. I've tried tracerite TA by distance while using the experimental crossover data and it sounds good with promise (stage sounds wider, center is not narrow), but it's on the tune from the auto TA. I need to do another tune on this TA to see if I like it more. But I do not want to lose my impact. I'll pick that over a wider stage

[89grand]

A real narrow stage is exactly why I didn't like the Kicker Key. Tonally it was ok, the center image was good, but it usually sounded too narrow over all like I was listening to mono with just a center speaker, with not enough width. Dirac Live has a great center image, but also sounds wide overall, sometimes slightly wider than my truck. It's weird, I can't understand how it does it.

[itsZiz]

Any one have any suggestions on active 2-way speaker set ups?

[Jdunk54nl]

If doing wideband
peerless sls 6.5 with hybrid audio legatia L3se or audio frog gs25 (I think that is the wideband)

if doing wideband, aiming the wideband as best on axis as you can is crucial! Any wideband will beam heavily at the upper frequencies.

[89grand]

After using wide bands, I'd probably never use a 2 way with a tweeter again. Having the most octaves from a single source (wide band) is way better than a woofer in the door and a tweeter way up high. If you can run them fairly close together, the woofer and tweeter, then it's fine, but many installs don't allow that, and I wouldn't run the tweeter down low to be close to the woofer. Wide bands also work well in the dash firing up towards the windshield. That's how mine are (CDT Unity 8). I just didn't want A pillar pods, plus you're going to have reflections anyway, may as well use some to your advantage. I ran a 2 way with success in my old Crown Victoria, but the stock door locations were high up in the door, and the tweeters were in the sail panels.

It would help to know the car, and where you have mounting options and mounting depth restrictions.

[itsZiz]

@89grand

2021 Toyota Tacoma, stock location is up in the corner firing up at the windshield. I could add a tweeter to the sail panels, but Id rather stay way from a pillar work. I think I fit up to 3" wide and mostly any depth up front, and up to 8" woofers in the door maximum 3.25" deep.

It seems like the CDT Unity 8 can reach the highest frequencies while still being able to play into the 300's among common widebands.

[Jdunk54nl]

Whatever wideband you choose, REALLY tough to beat the peerless sls 6.5 if you can cross it under 500hz. Justin Zazzi and myself both use these. He uses the legatia l3se (IIRC) as a wideband and I use a traditional 3way. The peerless is a monster of a 6.5.

[89grand]

@89grand

2021 Toyota Tacoma, stock location is up in the corner firing up at the windshield. I could add a tweeter to the sail panels, but Id rather stay way from a pillar work. I think I fit up to 3" wide and mostly any depth up front, and up to 8" woofers in the door maximum 3.25" deep.

It seems like the CDT Unity 8 can reach the highest frequencies while still being able to play into the 300's among common widebands.

The top corner of the dash works great, especially if you have a DSP to tune them. I don't even run tweeters and don't miss them at all, the Unity 8's play up to my hearing limit no problem. The Unity 8 is a 2", so you'd probably need a simple adapter to run them in a stock 3.5" or so location. I bought my CDT set specifically for Rams that they offer, 2 CL69-S 6x9 woofers along with the Unity 8's and they came with an adapter, but they should be easy to make. I run mine from 375hz @24db and up. I don't think anyone would notice I don't have actual tweeters.

As far as midbass, if you can fit up to a 8" and have that amount of depth, you have a lot of options. I can guarantee a midbass in the door with a wide band in the dash will sound a lot better than a midbass in the door and a tweeter up high in the dash or sail panels. Mine sounds like all of the sound is above the dash. You can't really do that in a conventional 2 way. I had someone at work listen to mine, and he said "I can't hear the door speakers". I said, if I shut them off it'd be obvious, it just sounds like everything is coming from the dash wide bands, which is what we all want I think.

[89grand]

Whatever wideband you choose, REALLY tough to beat the peerless sls 6.5 if you can cross it under 500hz. Justin Zazzi and myself both use these. He uses the legatia l3se (IIRC) as a wideband and I use a traditional 3way. The peerless is a monster of a 6.5.

I know that Peerless driver has been well liked for years. The QTS at .35 is kind of low on these, do they work well in a door, or do they really need some type of enclosure?

[Jdunk54nl]

I know that Peerless driver has been well liked for years. The QTS at .35 is kind of low on these, do they work well in a door, or do they really need some type of enclosure?

They work really well in Justin and my doors just mounted like "normal" door speakers without any enclosure but the door. We have sealed and done fairly extensive sound deadening and noise reduction on our doors as best as we could. Next meetup you can hear how well they sound