About six issues back we looked at "budget" head units, evaluating the various makes and features one can get for around $300 or less. So after trying to figure out a good deal on an affordable CD player, you've probably saved another $300 for some component speakers, right? And for those of you who spent a little more on your source unit, and don't have as much money left, we also reviewed a pair of entry level components that retail for just $200.
Both of these are great price points; and in our testing, we found that you actually get a lot of speaker and technology for the money. The best news is there's decidedly a difference between $300 speakers and $200 speakers. Moreover, we found both of the $200 speakers have better sound quality than most of the coaxials in the same price category. But before we jump into things, we need to note that though we had four speakers to review, they came in two different sizes. It turns out that the 6.5-inch speaker has evolved over the last few years into a slightly larger creature.
The test vehicle I used this time was a 1999 Toyota Tacoma Extra Cab truck. Its doors have openings for a 6.5-inch speaker in the bottom. Because of the window track, one needs a kit in order to use a speaker when involving anything more than a 1.25-inch mounting depth. Metra has just such a kit and it makes up to 2.5-inches of depth available.
In talking with the manufacturers of these speakers, I discovered there are actually two sizes of 6.5-inch speakers. One is called a 6.5S, or sometimes a 6.75-inch; and the other is just 6.5-inch. As might be expected the distinction becomes clearer when we use the metric system. The 6.5 of old is a 160 or 165 mm speaker while the newer 6.5S or 6.75 is a 170mm.
The guys at DEI really had some great knowledge of things and here's some of their suggestions. The new 170 mm spec is mostly European, so a good number of newer European cars use it. Newer General Motors cars use it quite a bit as well. The Japanese car makers, however, tend to use the older, smaller hole.
A great place to look is in a Crutchfield catalog. They have an applications chart for a huge number of cars. A word of advice, though: Crutchfield's catalog says the 6.75 or 170 mm will fit in my Tacoma. And unfortunately, it doesn't (at least not without the Metra kit or with a custom spacer).
Your local car audio shop will know as well. Be sure to ask about it first because if you have the smaller hole and you choose a 6.75 or 170 mm component set, your installation bill could be higher or might require a special kit.
With that said, on to the contenders!
Bazooka Rx-6sThe tube folks have branched into amps and component speakers in the last few years and the Rx6s is their top of the line; it features a number of innovative performance features. First off is the aluminum cone. Aluminum is lightweight and rigid, just what you want in a speaker cone. They have also employed a phase plug instead of a dust cap.
The phase plug is there to help control high frequency response. In this case, that's where the cone rolls off and the tweeter starts to roll in. Generally it's better to have a dust cap because it makes the cone stiffer, but with an aluminum cone the stiffness could already be there. The plug likely helps to reduce any ringing the aluminum might cause.
The Rx6 also scores points for its small and versatile crossover. In 99% of installations, the crossover won't be put on display; it will have to be hidden. For hiding, smaller is better. But Bazooka didn't scrimp on parts or design to make it small. It has an adjustable tweeter control and tweeter protection.
The woofer in the set is a 170 mm or 6.75-inch type, so make sure your application can work with it. The tweeter is also aluminum and .75-inches. It can be mounted flush, swivel or on the door with an eyeball-type mount.