I will never trust kijiji again.

I went back to that audio store, and checked the crossover, and they had it on +2db for the tweeter. I asked them to put it on -2db, and even the sales guy thought it sounded better. But talking to shaneckc, it sounds like that shop won't be getting my business, as they are asking too much for the set of components. I found another small shop with a better price, so I'm just mulling things over. I went and listened to my truck again, comparing the midbass I remember from the Hertz set, and my JL's, and the JL's are definitely lacking in that regard. I'll probably jump on the Hertz set, I just need my money back from paypal. Usually takes 3 days to get it deposited in my account.

 

Hey, you're in luck. I'm going to save your day, and you don't have to spend a dime.

this is common misconception. You can have the world's biggest amp and never blow a set of cheap speakers. You are in complete control of how much power the amp is sending to that speaker, so the trick is to set the gain at an appropriate level.
It's actually even better to have a larger amp than what you need. You have extra reserve power and headroom so the amp isn't straining to provide clean signal.

But, don't take my word for it... read what Alan Shaw, designer of Harbeth Audio, has to say. He goes on to describe the dangers of too little power as well.

So, what do you have to do?

Keep your existing stuff!


Read through a guide on how to properly set your gains. The best way would be to use an oscilloscope, but most of us don't have that equipment.
Instead, this guide for JL Audio does a pretty good job of explaining how to perform setup using a digital multi-meter.

If their audio test tones are missing, you can get copies here

 

This is all great information when given under the assumption that the OP doesn't already know how to set his gains and his existing equipment already matches his expresses desires for quality standard. And without an oscilloscope, perfectly fine tuning a gain structure is almost impossible.

But in this case, I would still recommend a better sounding pair of speakers since the OP clearly desires a higher volume and SQ from what, in my experience, the JL speakers have to offer.

Sources; the past two years of powering a pair of Hertz ML1600.2's with 320w per speaker and a pair of Hertz ML28's with 180w per tweeter. Gain structure set from source unit to audio processor, to line driver, to amplifier outputs all with an oscilloscope.

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention, all if my amps are operating at zero gain. And I still manage to blow up speakers from thermal overload. So, there goes your 'biggest amp < cheap speakers' theory (ML1600.2's are about $400-$500 per pair).

 

Thanks for the info. It's really great stuff. But I was kind of leaning towards getting something with a little more midbass anyways. Ever since I put the Shok Industries subs in my truck, I've felt the midbass was lacking. On my EQ, I've got the 250Hz level boosted to +4 out of 6 with a Q of 3. The JL's are great speakers, and for a lower powered system, they would handle fantastically, but I need to upgrade. Hence the start of the search on Kijiji. I found a deal on those HAT speakers, and found out the deal was too good to be true, but in the end, everything worked out. I just called the dealer, and he ordered the HSK165XL set for me. He says his orders go out Monday, so it won't be until the following Wed. or Thurs. that I'll have my speakers, but I can't wait for the upgrade.

You know, that's the thing about car audio, it's always moving forward, and I have a penchant for trying new things all the time, like the Shok Industries subs. There are some things I stick with, like amps and mids/highs, those will be around for years, but I'm always changing subs, boxes, playing with gains, adjusting T/A, etc., trying to find the best performance I can. Is it worth it? Probably not. Is it fun? Hell yes! I love this kind of thing, and sometimes I can go to fast and create a problem that I have to troubleshoot, but that's what makes it fun, I'm not a set and forget kind of guy.

 

So I called the dealer for the Hertz system the HSK165XL's, and he said he'll get his warehouse to drop ship them to my house. SWEET! I just have to pay an extra $10 for that. So I'm going in today to pay, and then just sit back and wait. Should be awesome.