Response Sound Gear

[ScorpR32]

The Response amps are certainly excellent value for money in the bang-for-buck stakes. I ran 2 4x100 amps in my previous car (a Corolla hatch). Never had any problems with them. Entered my car in an SPL comp using 2 Jaycar Venom 12" subs in a 4th order bandpass box running off 1 of these amps (bridged 2 ch each) and got a reading of 143.5 dB. However this was with an upgraded battery, and some heavy-duty cables.

Quality-wise, the Jaycar speakers ain't too shabby, but there are many better brands. You can't go past the amps though, they are pretty much indestructible if set up correctly. The thing I like about them is that on the box they quote power figures in RMS, rather than the airy-fairy claims of certain other brands that quote MAX power.

Paul

[cowie165]

I use the 4ohm 6.5 kevlar speakers for home audio (from the JC30? kit) and they are brilliant. Great clarity and on paper the low frequency response is very good, although they really need a subwoofer.

Hey if you're going to fit them into the car, which crossover and which tweeter are you planning on using? I have Alpine 2-ways at the moment and I'm wishing I had had the dollars for splits....

Mark

[krzysiu]

did they blow because of a quality issue? usually u blow a speaker because of too little or much power, or wrong frequencies, i doubt it would be the speakers fault.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took them back and they took it for testing and it was a manufacturing problem. Got full refund.

[siksII]

I took them back and they took it for testing and it was a manufacturing problem. Got full refund.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah ok its good that they sorted it our for you. I have not heard of any problems from anyone else, so i guess you got unlucky!

in relation to cowie165, if you think they kevlars are good, you REALLY need to hear some other speakers. Go into a hifi store, and have a listen. U wont get anything for the price of the jaycars, but then again, you wont hear anything as bad either

I would say their sound matches their money (cheap), although this may be improved with a different crossover (cut down the tweeters more than u can with the standard xover)

personally i think they top end kills the sound, u wont get much midbass out of any cheapish splits, as with the jaycars, but u can at least hope for decent treble which they dont have..

[djhatton]

in relation to cowie165, if you think they kevlars are good, you REALLY need to hear some other speakers. Go into a hifi store, and have a listen. U wont get anything for the price of the jaycars, but then again, you wont hear anything as bad either

i will dissagree with you here. while there are plenty of brand-name speakers that will, of course, outperform jaycar components, you AREN'T comparing apples with apples. i will tell you now, you get a pair of soft domes and some decent mids (the carbon fibre-coned 6.5 responses they used to sell for example) and tie them together with a good xover and cabinet and you'll stand up to some VERY stiff competition in a hi-fi store. even the kevlars, placed in the right enclosure and driven from the right sources and amplification will be better than some of the stuff out there. with all due respect, i should know because i've done these comparisons and there is a LOT of crap that, simply, doesnt rate. the second point here is that some people will love the sound the kevlars produce. everyones ears are different and its a sweeping statement to say that one speaker sounds "better" than another.

I would say their sound matches their money (cheap), although this may be improved with a  different crossover (cut down the tweeters more than u can with the standard xover)

again thats your personal opinion. they aren't a bad speaker because you don't like them! a lot of people like a bright, top-heavy sound. for example, a really forward treble makes some people say "wow how crisp/clean"!

personally i think they top end kills the sound, u wont get much midbass out of any cheapish splits, as with the jaycars,  but u can at least hope for decent treble which they dont have..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i can name plenty of "cheap" splits that perform admirably in the midbass dept. the accoustics of your car or the way in which your speakers have been installed can (and probably has) had a huge effect on the sound they produce. sound deadening and proper mounting (kick pannel mounting for example or angled door buildouts etc etc) will change the sound of the speaker dramatically, esp in midbass reproduction. there are so many other factors to the final sound than the drivers alone.

many years ago there was a gent in america (who some people might know ) who was competing in the IASCA sound-off championship (sound quality). his set-up was incredible to say the least - flagship gear and exotic/boutique brands. he took out 1st place. the next year he returned with a VERY basic setup - all kenwood gear - and took out 1st place again just to prove a point with the importance of installation.

siksII do you have any pics of your kevlar splits installed?

cheers

david

[siksII]

djhatton, i understand what your saying, and i disagree with most of it, so we will leave it at that

mine are installed in the stock position but not onto the flimsy plastic mounts, they are installed onto 12mm mdf which is installed onto the door. i was going to sound deaden but ran out of money.

if u think the jaycars perform admirably in the midbass department compared to more expensive speakers u need to have a close listen to some other gear.

the treble is not just bright, it is reasonably HARSH and no one likes that.

[djhatton]

djhatton, i understand what your saying, and i disagree with most of it, so we will leave it at that

sounds good

mine are installed in the stock position but not onto the flimsy plastic mounts, they are installed onto 12mm mdf which is installed onto the door. i was going to sound deaden but ran out of money.

so, really, you haven't heard the kevlars in their optimum environment then, yes?

if u think the jaycars perform admirably in the midbass department compared to more expensive speakers u need to have a close listen to some other gear.

i'll agree to disagree here. i don't need to listen to anything because i'm familiar with the sound of MANY speakers and the nature of sound from many many brands. i would've listened to over 1000 different speakers by now methinks. now, comparing a speaker with response drivers to dynaudio/epos/sonus fabre/martin logan bla bla etc etc is going to be pure folly. thats a clear division between a TRUE high end speaker and a DIY design, but compare it to db dynamics or accusound or any of the entry-level b&w/jbl/wharfedale/off-shore manufactured stuff (as good as it may be- bang-for-buck) and it'll be very clear what they can stack-up to. i'm sorry, but do the abx tests yourself and ye shall see.

i'll give an example, i did a blind ABX test (do a google search to find out what this is) at a previous place of employment with a since discontinued jaycar bookshelf kit based on a response carbon fibre 6.5" and soft dome tweet (the ones in the unfinished jarrah box). a customer built these with his own crossover design. i put them up against a $1400 set of paradigm "studio reference 20's" and the response walked all over its ass. no competition. we compared them to mirage, more paradigm, redgum, sonique and more i cant remember off the top of my head and they held their head up high. these were all speakers in the $800-$2000 bookshelf market. they didn't stack up to the dynaudio audience 42 or 52, nor the epos bookies we had and there were plenty of speakers that WERE better, but we were damn impressed. this speaker cost the customer less than $500 complete.

the treble is not just bright, it is reasonably HARSH and no one likes that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

so did you have the tweeters on-axis? off-axis? in the kicks? in the sails? a-pillars? top of the doortrim? what amplifier were you running, or was it from a headunit? what EQ settings did you have, if any? all these factors make a big difference to the final sound. a friend of mine has the kevlars installed in his S13 and i found them to be bright yes, and harsh when pushed HARD, but certainly very listenable at sane listening levels! now, i'd never own a pair myself, but plenty of people will get enjoyment out of those speakers, so i'll agree to disagree again there. and plenty of people like a really disgusting, shrill, harsh, ear-piercing pain-inducing top end. you need to work in a hi-fi store!!!

cheers

david

[djhatton]

oops! 2x post

Edited October 18, 2005 by djhatton

[siksII]

i run them off a 2*80 jaycar amp, from line level outputs from the headunit, i have fiddled with settings on the amp and although i prefer not to i have ended up turning the treble down from the headunit.

the tweeters are installed above the doortrim, on the plastic triangle that sits begind the mirror mounting.

and in case u are confused they are in my car at the moment, not in the past, and i installed them only about 3 or 4 months ago, they are the updated model.

mate i know what blind abx tests are and i will bet you i could differentiate between a set of jaycar kevlars in a home bookshelf enclosure and low end bookshelf.

Its funny you mention paradigm, as i actually have a set of paradigm titans, which is all u need to compare with the jaycars, no need for higher models.

I have also heard the jaycars in their home bookshelf enclosure kit.

if u lent me a set of the jaycar bookshelf speakers, i or anyone could do a blind abx test and i am SURE nearly everyone who can hear would pick the paradigms as better sounding, both using the standard crossover as to compare apples with apples.

i believe in low cost stuff if it is good, which is why i bought the paradigms. i would have got a set of jaycar bookshelves if they were anywhere near as good.

im am starting to think there is part of your ears missing, maybe u are one of those who likes

"a really disgusting, shrill, harsh, ear-piercing pain-inducing top end. you need to work in a hi-fi store!!! "

[iceman]

You 2 need to forget the stores and acctually listen to these speakers in a CAR!. If u 2 have forgotten, This is a CAR forum and there's no point comparing speakers installed in a car and ones in a shop.

HiFi shops are QUIET.

Cars are anything BUT.

HiFi stores have speakers in (close to) optimal enclosures.

Cars have SHIT enclosures, unless u go 2 great lengths to make a box in the door, and even still will not come close to the manufacture's enclosure.

HiFi stores have great amps with an almost perfect power supply.

Cars have different amps and batteries in every one. With the motor running there will be more noise in the power lines than ANY power-point.

HiFi stores have great stuff for the house. Some things may be taken and used in the car (eg: paradigm titans) but WILL NOT sound the same once installed.

Cars may have great sounding speakers for small spaces but when put in a lounge room will, once again, sound DIFFERENT.

So stop pointless arguing and compare apples with apples or go sit in some1's car and compare oranges and oranges.

My 2cents.

PS:

Arup, I'm taking the TITANS...... U don't use them, u won't notice.

[djhatton]

i run them off a 2*80 jaycar amp, from line level outputs from the headunit, i have fiddled with settings on the amp and although i prefer not to i have ended up turning the treble down from the headunit.

yeah this is pointless. you're not driving the kevlars to their optimum. you have not set them up to give off their best. i'm not going to argue with you here. you have not listened to them properly based on what you've said.

for the benefit of all who might be reading about this, if you're considering the kevlars listen to them yourself. you may find them just waht you're after. i wouldn't place too much emphasis on siksII's experiences. trust your own ears!

the tweeters are installed above the doortrim, on the plastic triangle that sits begind the mirror mounting.

tweeters in your sails. try putting them in the kickpannels. have you experimented with your tweet positioning??? can you 100% say the jaycar tweets are no good when you HAVE NOT HEARD THEM AT THEIR BEST?????

mate i know what blind abx tests are and i will bet you i could differentiate between a set of jaycar kevlars in a home bookshelf enclosure and low end bookshelf.

congrats man! pat yourself on the back. thats a truly unique skill you have there how, from my posts you dreampt up the concept that i WOULDN'T be able to pick this, i'll never know.

Its funny you mention paradigm, as i actually have a set of paradigm titans, which is all u need to compare with the jaycars, no need for higher models.

aaach. man seriously get over yourself. i used to work for the AUSTRALIAN IMPORTERS OF PARADIGM.

I have also heard the jaycars in their home bookshelf enclosure kit.

were you reading my post close enough to say that i was NOT listening to the kevlars (i.e. the speakers you own) but other RESPONSE drivers in a box. i was stating that the kevlars, given a chance, would perform well compared to OTHER CHEAP SPEAKERS!!! read man read!

if u lent me a set of the jaycar bookshelf speakers, i or anyone could do a blind abx test and i am SURE nearly everyone who can hear would pick the paradigms as better sounding, both using the standard crossover as to compare apples with apples.

im am starting to think there is part of your ears missing, maybe u are one of those who likes

"a really disgusting, shrill, harsh, ear-piercing pain-inducing top end. you need to work in a hi-fi store!!! "

let me assure you there's nothing wrong with my ears. i can and have picked differences in $100,000 speakers so you just sit back and listen to your titans. nowhere did i state that the kevlars were better than the paradigms. i'll be entirely frank i reckon the titans are pretty average anyway, but i was comparing them to jarrah-box, response driver'd speakers jaycar USED to sell.

now don't get me wrong. i don't personally like the kevlars. i own dynaudio system240esotar 2ways so thats to be expected. but i will defend them. they are, like much of the response range, very good for the doh. isn't that what this thread is about anyway????

i refuse to waste any more time in this thread. take whatever you want from it. i'll follow the old adage of "never argue with an idiot. they drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience".

many thanks ;)

d

Edited October 19, 2005 by djhatton

[siksII]

I have had a previous setup with tweeters in the kickpanels and it was no good when anyone sat in the passenger seat(all the time)

I would like to point out that your comprehension of the whole topic is incorrect. I said you get what you pay for, and therefore the sound is not good, in relation to other spits, (unless u go find some cheaper ones). You say the point is that the kevlars are good for the money. I disagree, and as metioned above, think they are right for the money.

Especially seeing that you have limited experience of them, whereas i listen to a pair all the time in my own car with a range of material, i dont even think you are qualified to make a good judgement.

mate, you obivously like arguing, like myself, but have now made some nasty comments, im not a keyboard warrior, so none of them from me. You obviously know it all, and are an audio expert, and i obviously have no idea.

Edited October 20, 2005 by siksII

[djhatton]

well i think we've both made our points clear. i'll consider this thread done then?? and man, its a forum. the whole idea is for people to dispute and share opinions and learn from what is typed, so don't take it to heart. tis just words.

peace

david

[iceman]

i'll follow the old adage of "never argue with an idiot. they drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience".

OMFG......

Arup, does this guy think he's talking about you?....

Sounds like he's saying whatever is needed to "win" a "pointless" argument his "not" having..... Y did he reply when he wasn't gonna waste time with your ignorance? :lol: