I was hoping someone would offer feedback on your question too as I'm installing a Pioneer Avic-8400 NEX. A lot of people hype the JL speakers, but Alpine and Pioneer get good reviews as well, so it may come down to price.

 

 

For this to be rewarding, quality sound has to go hand-in-hand with loudness. Replacement speakers not only need to be well designed, but they need to be able to extract the maximum possible power from the headunit's amps and also have good sensitivity, otherwise the perceived results tend to be unsatisfying.

Most aftermarket speakers are 4 ohms, which immediately put them at a disadvantage to the 2 ohms impedance of the OEM Bose twiddlers: they just can't extract the same amount of power from the amps.

The other aspect is sensitivity. When your available power is at a premium, having a more sensitive speaker is important. It means it will sound louder at the same power level than a less sensitive speaker.

The OEM Bose twiddlers are plain-cone (paper) speakers and the C5 doesn't have any real tweeter, so the goal is to find a quality 2-way coaxial with good sensitivity and as close to 2 ohms as possible.

Considering all that, the JBL GX Series @ 2.3 ohms and sensitivity between 89db and 92db, is an excellent replacement. These speakers have a soft dome tweeter, which should deliver a smooth sound with a wide dispersion pattern. Add to that the Harman-Proprietary Tweeter Deflector, that according to JBL "acts as a waveguide, allowing for an angled, rotating speaker, which optimizes the off-axis sound performance. Because all cars are designed differently, this allows impeccable sound to travel throughout all locations in the cabin".

JBL GX Series 2-way car speakers:

• GX302 (3½")
• GX502 (5¼")
• GX602 (6½")

 

Thanks for the info. Do you have these installed and, if so, how much better are they than the stock speakers? How would you compare the JL Audio's that are referenced in several threads to these? I also read the post about fitment issues with the JL 6.5" speakers, any input on the fitment of the JBL's. Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to make the best decision when I get my system installed on the 16th. I've been searching and reading as many reviews as I can on the various speakers, but the ratings differ so much from one site to another

I'm surprised by comments that state they couldn't tell the difference between the Bose and the aftermarket speakers or it wasn't worth the money to change them out...Decisions, decisions...

 

I haven't been able to compare them in an audition, but I could venture an educated guess :

• JL Audio Evolution™ C2 Series 2-way car speakers: Silk dome tweeter, mineral-filled polypropylene cone. Impedance: 4 ohms.
  • C2-350X (3½")
    • Sensitivity: 83 db
  • C2-525X (5¼")
    • Sensitivity: 89 db
  • C2-650X (6½")
    • Sensitivity: 91 db
• JBL GX Series 2-way car speakers: Soft Dome Tweeter, Polypropylene Cone Woofer. Impedance: 2.3 ohms.
  • GX302 (3½")
    • Sensitivity: 89 dB
  • GX502 (5¼")
    • Sensitivity: 91dB
  • GX602 (6½")
    • Sensitivity: 92 dB

They're both high quality 2-way coaxials with very similar design and construction, so their sound shouldn't be dramatically different, but because of their lower impedance and higher sensitivity the JBLs should play louder than the JLs.

Regarding installation fitment and feedback of the JLs and the JBLs, check this Post.

Perception is very subjective, but there are certain hard facts that can't be ignored.

The C5 OEM speakers do not include any real tweeter. Bose used 4 plain-cone (paper) speakers to handle high and mid frequencies and called them "twiddlers" . That's why a substantial improvement can be achieved by just replacing them with a 2-way coaxial design.

 

Hello,

I'm just starting the installation of sound deadening and sound insulation in my '99 Vert. Thought that I would replace my stock speakers while the car is apart.

Regarding the better choice of JL vs. JBL ... appears the 2.3 ohm rating of the JBL's are closer to the stock speakers. I am keeping the stock Delco head unit, so would the JBL's not be the better choice? My understanding is that correct ohm rating is important when matching speakers to a system.

Your thoughts / comments please.

Thank you

 

For this upgrade to be rewarding, quality sound has to go hand-in-hand with loudness. Replacement speakers not only need to be well designed, but they need to be able to extract the maximum possible power from the headunit's amps and also have good sensitivity, otherwise the perceived results tend to be unsatisfying.

Most aftermarket speakers are 4 ohms, which immediately put them at a disadvantage to the 2 ohms impedance of the OEM Bose twiddlers: they just can't extract the same amount of power from the amps.

The other aspect is sensitivity. When your available power is at a premium, having a more sensitive speaker is important. It means it will sound louder at the same power level than a less sensitive speaker.

The OEM Bose twiddlers are plain-cone (paper) speakers and the C5 doesn't have any real tweeter, so the goal is to find a quality 2-way coaxial with good sensitivity and as close to 2 ohms as possible.

These JLs and JBLs are both high quality 2-way coaxials with very similar design and construction, so their sound shouldn't be dramatically different, but because of their lower impedance and higher sensitivity the JBLs should play louder than the JLs. The JBLs are the better choice for this application.

 

Cool / Thank You

 

Wups wrong thread.

 

Ordered my JBL speakers and Metra connectors today

 

@run1fsr Please, let us know what you think when you're done. In the meantime, take a look at this independent review so you know what to expect.


NOTE: It is very important to make sure the new speakers are in phase with each other, and more importantly, in phase with the door subwoofers. Otherwise, you might experience sound cancellation, resulting in tinny sound and lack of presence. Take a look at this Post for more details and tips on how to proceed.

The Metra adapters for the rear speakers should take care of that for you, but the factory connectors for the "front" OEM Bose 3½" twiddlers are "spade" ones and they do follow Bose's standard, which is the opposite of what aftermarket manufacturers use.

To properly connect your new front speakers, you will need to cut the factory spade connectors and crimp new ones following the "normal" standard (reversed in relation to Bose), or create your own adapter harnesses if you don't want to cut and crimp the front OEM wires

 

Speakers arrived today. If they sound as good as they look I will be quite happy. Going to be awhile, as I'm chipping away at the sound insulation project, but I will give an honest review once install is complete. Thanks again for the helpful info

 

I am wondering if you got these installed and are you happy with them?? Dave