Amp advice
 

I'll finally be putting 5-1/4 components up front and 6.5 in the back. Please go on www.futureshop.ca, and tell me what amp would be suited for the speakers and considering I'm more a fan of mids-highs than bass. Also, chances are I'll be getting 4 Infinity or Fosgate speakers. Which ones do you recommend ?

Also, do I need to hook up an amp to the new tweeters ?

Thanks in advance...

Infinity reference series hit the spot for me. Of course kappas are better but you really need to power them for a bomb ass system. A JL 300x4 amp is a good choice if you go that route. Hope this helps.

nearly any decent level/brand name amp will suit your needs just fine. budget is normally an issue as some amps can really dip into your wallet.

based on what you've told us so far, i would go with the infinity's and autotek amps. however, it would seem you are not really a basshead and would want smooth sound from your spkrs? altho the infinity's are good, i would recommend spending a little more and getting something really good. here are some brands that might interest you:

-massive
-jl audio xr
-diamond
-focal
-a/d/s

there are a few other brands out there, but if you get a chance to sample these, give 'em a try. :)

The reason I asked, is because I can have the Rockford amp 500X for 1/2 price, so as Rockgorfd and Infinity speakers.
I need to make a decision for Monday.

Funny - I've got BOTH RF and Infinity speakers - I can give you a run-down pretty well!

Originally, I had a set of Infinity Reference 6.5" components up front, the ones with the I-Mount silk tweeters. Excellent speakers - I amped them with a Rockford amp, right about the RMS level (about 100 watts, give or take).

After *thinking* that my 6.5" woofers were falling apart (really they weren't they were just contacting the inside of the door panel slightly and scraping the rubber surround), I replaced them with a set of Rockford Fanatic Q woofers, keeping the Infinity crossovers and silk tweeters, and using the same amp.

Okay - reviews!

The Infinity's are excellent. First, the tweeters are very smooth, and not very harsh at all - attributable to the silk dome design. The I mount system gives awesome flexibiliy in placement, as well as aiming. I put mine next to the woofers, in the door panel, aimed toward the seats. They really sound nice. Also, the Infinity crossover has a regular and an attenuated output for the tweeters - so you can have them at full power or a slightly lower level depending on which terminal you connect to. It's a nice feature. I have them on the attenuated terminal now, but I'm considering switching back to the full power mode. The Reference woofers are really great - decent mid-bass, with plenty of midrange - they hit those snare drums nice and hard and crisp.

Now the Rockfords are also great speakers, with some different qualities. They have a bit less midrange, and definitely more mid-bass. Frequencies that were in the "gray area" between my sub and the Infinity's before are more detailed now (bass guitar lines, etc.). The midrange is slightly reduced, bu it's not as though vocals and drums get lost - it's just not quite as pronounced or crisp as the Reference speakers. I prefer this setup - the mids are fine for me, and I like having more mid-bass now. This is one of the reasons I might switch my tweeters back to the non-attenuated setting - I feel it might make up for some of the upper midrange "lost" by using the Rockford 6.5"s.

Other factors - the Rockfords have a slightly higher power hadling (by like 10 watts or something), but the magnet structure is positively HUGE, and I feel they could really take power well past the RMS rating of 100 watts each (I feed them just about 100). Here's a comparison pic of both so you can see what I mean (Infinity on left, RF on right):
http://www.wagonsport.com/pics/audio/Untitled-1.jpg

Overall - it depends on what you are looking for. I'd say the RFs for stronger mid-bass, and Infinity for stronger midrange. I have no experince with RF tweeters, unfortunately. And just for the sake of comparison, the prices are about the same - the Reference set cost me about $150, and the RF replacements (just the woofers, no x-over or tweeters) were about $100. (Those prices are approximate, but I know the RF's were about $100 - the Infinity's may have been a few bucks more than $150, but I can't really remember). The full RF set would probably have been pretty close in price to the Reference comps.

Either set is solid, and with a good amp giving them the 90-100 watts RMS they like, they'll both sound excellent, and the prices are pretty good for the performance level.

~HH

RF 6.5 in the back....
 

Do the RF 6.5 fit in the back, given the bigger depth of the magnet ? My cousin told me to also go, with 6.5 components in the back. I would need to drill through door for the tweeter. Is taht a good idea ? Would a 6.5 2 way Infinity Kappa do teh job instead ?

I'm not sure about the depth in the back. I believe it is shallower than the front, and those RF's are pretty BIG. Truth is, I made 1/2" MDF adapter plates to fit these in the front, so that extra 1/2" made the depth just fine. I think I'd have been too deep without them. I would think that those particular RF's would be too deep for the rear - and read on:

IMO (and JUST my opinion), a component set in the rear is a bit of a waste. The vast majority of your sound and your sound quality should be up front, and that's where I'd suggest spending the money. Especially in the Protege5 - the rear door speaker's path to your ears is so blocked by the seats, that even the most expensive set of speakers with tons of power will only sound good - not great. Sit in the car (or better yet, carefully try it while driving) and fade the sound to the rear speakers only, and you'll see what I mean. For the rear, a decent set of coaxials will be just fine, and probably a bit cheaper. Just get a set that matches your power (deck power or amped?). Kenwood and Pioneer make decent coaxial sets that won't break the bank. The Infinity Kappas your'e looking at would be excellent, too - and many people run them off of deck power only with great results.

As far a drilling any door for a tweeter - it's really very easy. For the Infinity's I have, all I needed was a 1-1/4" (I think) hole saw on my drill. I chose the location, making sure there was some clearance behind the panel, drilled out the hole, and the tweeters look like they came from the factory like that. Check the link in my signature for pics if you like.

~HH