speaker upgrades for Chim

[ptholt]

Amongst some other work planned, am intending to upgrade the speakers in my chim (i do like to hear the odd ipod track and the footie results).

To that end I have had a dig around at the raft of posts on the subject, but the post age and some conflicting posts on speaker size have stumped me.

So I have decided on getting some German Maestro speakers after getting some good reviews and posts, but not sure where in the range and exactly which size to get..

my thoughts so far are along these items from there epic product lines -

German Maestro EV 6508 16cm 2 way for the doors, with a tweeter than be mounted integrally or separately for the doors (hoping to have the tweeters mounted integrally) - http://www.german-maestro.de/EN/ev6508.htm
and
German Maestro ES 8009 20cm 2 way for rear bulkhead (although this model has a tweeter listed, but does appear to be integrally fitted like the above does..) http://www.german-maestro.de/EN/es8009.htm

just wondering if am barking up the wrong tree with these woofers (crap joke - i apologize) or if it should be a different size for doors and bulkhead, or what to do with the rear tweeters - which i would think are at the risk of getting completely and utterly lost...?

thanks

[Tri2Tri]

I have been informed that the below link fit perfect and have a decent sound. I have not looked in to them too much but it is on my to do list.
Worth double checking the size though.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160893780159?ssPageName=...

[ptholt]

that's a different size to the one i was quoted at 6.5 rear and 5.25 fronts lol..

hence the confusion originally.

[sgrimshaw]

There are speakers in the Chimaera ???

[900T-R]

ptholt said:

that's a different size to the one i was quoted at 6.5 rear and 5.25 fronts lol..

hence the confusion originally.

You will need 6" speakers, not the vastly more popular 6.5" size. Ask me how I know.

[loud430]

mine seems to have 6" fitted front & rear, have just fitted a pair of those jl audio speakers in the front of mine.

[ptholt]

900T-R said:

You will need 6" speakers, not the vastly more popular 6.5" size. Ask me how I know.

ok curiosity has got the better of me, how do you know?

[MPoxon]

Good choice on German Maestro. TVR alarm guru Carl Baker used to install German Maestro systems in TVRs. I have listened to a couple of his systems and they sounded bloody fantastic.

[900T-R]

ptholt said:

900T-R said:

You will need 6" speakers, not the vastly more popular 6.5" size. Ask me how I know.

ok curiosity has got the better of me, how do you know?

'Cause I got myself a pair of 6.5"sat one point that didn't fit?

[IainG]

The JL Audio TR600CXI on ebay above are a perfect fit and sound great in the doors. Much better than the original Pioneers. Not many 6" speakers around.

[ptholt]

Admittedly I did wonder how i would fit 16cm in the front doors when my existing speakers appear to be quite tight and flush with the leather surrounds, if they are smaller than 6.5cm (and they do appear to be) how on earth would anything bigger fit :s

[jamienshelly]

sgrimshaw said:

There are speakers in the Chimaera ???

Of course there are, if you look at the back of the car, you can see them both poking out from underneath..

[zed4]

Tri2Tri said:

I have been informed that the below link fit perfect and have a decent sound. I have not looked in to them too much but it is on my to do list.
Worth double checking the size though.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160893780159?ssPageName=...

They look good. Is it worth fitting an amplifier, like this, to drive 4 of these?

http://www.jlaudio.co.uk/jx360-4-car-audio-jx-ampl...

I can't help but think the amplifier in the head unit is a bit feeble!

[900T-R]

Th rears don't really need a separate amp, the fronts do. Personally I'd go for something like the XD-series from JL Audio, small and light enough to fit in one of the cubby holes behind the seats...

In fact, I would concentrate on the front speakers and leave whatever is in there at the rear, or if there's nowt even do without. My car came with a very nice, professional install of a 10" sub and two 6 x 9 speakers behind a cloth grille that is seamed with the original piping material... totally unobtrusive and OEM-looking... but TBH sometimes I'd rather have had the cabin vents that were there before.

[ptholt]

interestingly steve heath book also says 6.5 inch units for doors, although does say thats based on a griff 500 as a donor car to test...

just know im gonna have to try and get the speakers out and have a look /sigh

[900T-R]

Thing is, '6.5" ' aftermarket speakers have grown to the extent that their ooutside grill diameter can be anything from 170 to 185 mm - anything larger than 165 mm and they wont't fit. I took a tape measure to loads of '6.5"/ 16.5 cm speakers in shops over the years and I haven found anything recently that will fit, the OE Pioneers for instance were 16 cm units and had model numbers in the 'TS-X 16XX' range, for the past decade or so they've been upsized to 17 cm with model designations 'TS-X 17XX' and physically way too large to fit in the TVR door panels. I reverted to 5 1/4" units but frankly these are not a great substitute in a car as noisy as this.

[ptholt]

Kind of makes me think i stick to the carl baker recommended sizes, with his rep i can't see them not fitting..

just not sure if im looking at the right versions of speaker from the range

[TV8]

ptholt said:

Kind of makes me think i stick to the carl baker recommended sizes, with his rep i can't see them not fitting..

just not sure if im looking at the right versions of speaker from the range

The old ones were ok from memory...have you changed the head unit?

[ptholt]

Hi Graham,

No, was going to do that as well as the current head unit is not very good, hardly any radio of any description on the move and needs almost full volume to hear anything from iphone playback which only appears to be door playback.

Just about to attempt to find out what oil was in there so i can buy some top up before its annual service in April/may as have a long old drive to central tvr coming up shortly

[TV8]

I fitted the new head unit in a rush so, check it is all connected up properly. With a decent head unit, the speakers sounded good before. I bought them from my local specialist (Motique in Hayes sells mostly ICE and detailing stuff) and he thought they were the best for the size and the actual environment they are fitted in - its not the quietest of cars...

I may have a pair of the ones that Carl Baker fits that I bought from ebay but the holes needed enlarging in the back, so I didnt bother and went and saw Richard at Motique. If I can find them happy to swap with the ones in there at the moment.

The oil was VR1 at the last oil change.