Printable View
71,
Maybe a different way of saying it would be....
An 8" tower speaker will play equally as loud as a 6.5" with one/half the amplifier power. Or, you could say that when comparing the 6.5" to the 8", the 6.5" will require twice the amplifier power to equal the 8" output.
Regardless of the power, there is nothing you can do to make a 6.5" have the same midbass extension as an 8" in a slightly larger pod.
are 6.5 comparable to a traditional PA speaker? is that the kind of sound im going to get for $850 bucks? im ok with it being bright if that's the main difference between the two. the speakers have already shipped so I would have to pay return shipping plus the $250 difference for the 8's. the only reason I ordered the Samson over exile was bc exile no longer offers the xm7. didn't I see somewhere that brian gives forum members a discount? if so that could offset some of the cost difference.
I know the 8's are better, that's probably why they cost so much more, but are the 6.5s really that bad? you guys are making me feel like I just flushed $850 down the drain, lol.
what if I stick with the s7's and next year add the smt65 from Samson with a completely different amp running them than the s7's? will the s7's completely drown out the smt's? will the smt's sdd more mid/bass than the s7's at surf distance?
sorry for all the questions but im already $1500 in to this which is a lot for me. thanks for all the reply's
If you paid $850 ... I know you don't want to hear this ... but you really could do better for one pair of tower speakers.
I think the WS Icon8 is priced at 750 before any forum discounts. The Exile SXQ9 is 900 before forum discount. Both of those will end up cheaper than the $850.
I'm not sure how much difference you will notice at the end of the line on 6.5" HLCD vs 8" coaxial but your nearfield (in boat and surf) will be much more enjoyable. It will also provide you a platform to build from if you plan on adding another pair next year. With the 6.5", you leave yourself scratching your head on how to upgrade next year.
If you are worried about wake distance, the advertised prices on the HLCD's are 1050 Wetsounds and 1100 Exile .... I'd think a forum discount would take care of 100 of the 250'ish difference.
Tough call, especially since you have purchased, but I'd consider it if it were me.
By todays standards, yes. 75% of what I install, are 10" HLCD Rev-10's. I dont even demo 6.5" coaxial tower speakers any more because a single pair of 8" gets us similar output with better mid-bass for about the same price as 2 pair of 6.5".Quote:
but are the 6.5s really that bad?
In reality, not really. The HLCD is still going to be the dominate speaker. Yes, you are adding a 2nd pair of 6.5 drivers, but keep in mind that they come with a 1" tweeter thats also going to be contributing to the output of the higher frequencies. So the mid-bass return on investment, is going to be minimal.Quote:
what if I stick with the s7's and next year add the smt65 from Samson with a completely different amp running them than the s7's? will the s7's completely drown out the smt's? will the smt's sdd more mid/bass than the s7's at surf distance?
is there a discount code or do I just call brian? so a pair of 8" coaxal is better than a pair of 6.5 hlcd? the main reason I looked past the icon 8 was bc I wanted an hlcd plus I think the exile's are better looking.
Sorry, but that is because you did.Quote:
Originally Posted by casmith71
I guess my pockets just aren't as deep as others, nice to hear how to spend my money.Quote:
Originally Posted by jstenger
I know the 8's are better, that has been made VERY clear.
all I really wanted was a good quality hlcd, not coaxal.
all I was concerned about was if 230w was enough, not if I made a good or bad choice in speakers.
I guess we hit a nerve. You have to get used to it. It is all in good fun. Especially when it is about audio. We ALL love spending other people's money on this forum.
Quote (filling in a few blanks), "Are 6.5 HLCDs comparable to a traditional PA speaker? Is that the kind of sound I'm going to get?"
A 6.5" HLCD is not in the ballpark with a good open air speaker. A Mackey or Pevey or JBL PA speaker typically has a 12" or 15" woofer to mate with the horn tweeter. The enclosure is the size of a 50 gallon drum and it's bass-reflex. So there is much better balance with a typical horn speaker.
A horn-only voice-only PA speaker? No. It's not near that bad. But it can be far more piercing on the highs.
But to put this into perspective....the horn tweeter used in a 6.5" HLCD is at least 10 dB more sensitive than the 6.5" cone speaker. What kind of difference is 10 dB? The same as 10 TIMES amplifier power, OR, perceived as at least twice as loud. So could they tame that horn a little? Sure. But usually they don't. It's unbridaled and angry. If they wanted balanced sound they wouldn't use a horn. Just about any off-the-shelf conventional 1" dome tweeter will keep up with a 6.5" cone speaker. But the goal is maximum peak output for maximum distance projection. And sound quality totally takes a back seat. Brand really doesn't matter. The train has already left the station a long time ago on 6.5" HLCDs.
Classifieds are full of 6.5" product. Savings is important but it's far more expensive to do it twice.
Those trying to push you in the direction of an 8" tower speaker, by any brand, are just looking out for you.
I was staying away from the 6.5" HLCD because when I first read, I thought you had them, and assumed you got a great deal on them because, as mentioned, the 6.5" HLCD is mostly a thing of the past. There is a reason Exile doesn't still sell the 6.5"
I only spoke up when you mentioned the $850 and that they were returnable.
ON HLCD vs Coaxial ... This year there might be a little less sound at the end of the rope, MAYBE. Next year, if you plan to go to 4 speakers, you will be way behind output wise with the 4 6.5" HLCD than where you would be with 4 8" coaxials, for the same or less money.
Seems everyone gets defensive over budget but members aren't asking to make you spend all your money or brag about deep pockets .... it's because most of us have went through upgrades where we ended up selling most of what we bought the year before.
Your question ... yes 230w is enough to power anything from coaxials 6.5" to 8" HLCD.
If you are set on Exile HLCD, I'd bet you never think about the extra $150, at most, once you hung the XM9's on your tower.