Phoenix Gold Phorum

Hi Guys (and gals?):

I just joined the forum yesterday. I thought I should probably introduce myself and tell you about my system.

My name is Jason and I live in Edmonton, AB (Canada). I'm in my early 30s, married, no kids, home owner and Engineer. I currently only have a "system" in one of our vehicles, my 93 Nissan 300ZXTT.

Here's my system (most of which was done back in '98 by my preferred local installer):

Alpine CDA-9885 w/ ipod cable (just installed last week)
Alpine 12-disc changer (in rear hatch/trunk)
Phoenix Gold PLD-1 pro-line driver
MB Quart Separates in custom enclosure in doors (mids are 5-1/4", I forget the model #)
Custom amp rack in rear hatch area
Phoenix Gold ZX200 (powers the fronts)
Phoenix Gold ZX350 v2 (powers sub) w/ LPL
JL Audio 10W3 in custom sealed box

I'm not currently running anything for rears.

The 9885 was a recent purchase replacing my ~10 year old alpine cassette head. I also picked up another ZX350 amp on the used market, which I haven't installed yet. My intent for that is to replace the ZX200 in my system with the 2nd ZX350, to run more power to the fronts and be able to take advantage of more x-over flexibility (which the ZX200 didn't have).

Now the root of my question. I've been thinking for a while of possibly upgrading my front components. I'd like a 6.5" mid driver for more punch, provided I can find something suitable that can fit in a 300ZX's door. But I also want something that's an "upgrade" SQ wise above my current MB Quarts.

My installer is recommending Dynaudio 242 GTs, but they are very expensive at $1100 CDN for the set. I've also heard good things about Hertz (Mille and/or HSK165).

What would you guys suggest?

Thanks,
Jason

welcome to the phorum!

the hertz set just got AMAZING reviews in CA&E mag, but i don't think they would go for much under the dyn's.

you can find TI Elites on ebay (and sometimes this forum) for ~$350 and they are pretty install versatile because of how shallow they are.


I'm sure some others will chime in with some more ideas

No kids? You can afford the Dyn's.

Welcome to the Phorum.
I'll leave these technical issues to the in-house experts.
Got pix? Space must be tight.

HH

Hi Jason. I'm Tom, I live in Calgary, and I like long walks on the beach and romantic sunsets.

If you're on a budget, we always recommend the new PG RSD components to people. They sound fantastic for such a cheap component set... gobs of midbass and silky tweeter will set them worlds apart from the Quarts you are used to.

The Elites are a step up from the RSD's in terms of midrange, though they have more laid back midbass as well. Treble is very similar, though I give the edge to the Elites as well. The Elites are built by Morel, so they have a very similar look and sound to the Dynaudios.

Dynaudios are a very respectable set, but as you stated, they have a hefty price tag. I have compared the Elites with numerous Dynaudio sets. I feel that the Dyns had better midrange, but they can lack a bit of bottom end. For the money, I'll take the Elites (though they did sell for $1500 in stores... Canadian audio prices are ridiculous).

Alternatively you could also run a set of speakers actively. That is, bypass the passive crossover, and run the tweeters and midranges amplified seperately. You could do this by hooking up BOTH your new ZX350 and ZX200. Unfortunately because the ZX350 doesn't have an "X10" button to allow it to have a crossover point above 600Hz, you would need a separate active crossover (like an AX406, AX204 MX2, etc). Doing this lets you fine tune the tweeter and midrange to your liking, and it also lets you run assorted drivers.

Here's an example active setup:
http://phoenixphorum.com/seas-vt1495.html