What to upgrade first? Stock amp, or speakers?

[sandm]

Understand that unlike amplifier power, which is easy to physically measure with test equipment, there is no real way to meaure a speakers power handling. Power handling is largely a "safe guess" put out there by the manufacturer, and you can usually exceed it.

Phil
Kicker

interesting note. I think that a lot of folks, like myself figured that there's a reason that they place the numbers on them, but it is interesting to note that basic 6.5's from any manuf. have similar ratings, and as the "technology" of the speaker increases, so does the power handling from most companies, and it seems that they are all relatively close in ratings.
would this be a "gentleman's agreement" amongst different manufacturers to keep ratings somewhat similar as some people shop rms ratings when buying speakers thinking that speaker "a" handles 50wpc and speaker "b" handles 75wpc so speaker "b" must be better?

[philwsailz]

interesting note. I think that a lot of folks, like myself figured that there's a reason that they place the numbers on them, but it is interesting to note that basic 6.5's from any manuf. have similar ratings, and as the "technology" of the speaker increases, so does the power handling from most companies, and it seems that they are all relatively close in ratings.
would this be a "gentleman's agreement" amongst different manufacturers to keep ratings somewhat similar as some people shop rms ratings when buying speakers thinking that speaker "a" handles 50wpc and speaker "b" handles 75wpc so speaker "b" must be better?

Not really. There is no subterfuge, or any sort of annual meeting where the manufacturers get together and agree to power handling numbers... Funny, easy to assume, but untrue. Power handling by itself really isn't too important without being considered in context, inclusive of efficiency, frequency response, the frequency response window, Thiele-Small numbers, etc...

While power handling is one of many criteria one must consider power handling alone is not indicative of quality. Choosing to purchase a speaker based solely on power handlign is like buying a cake because it is brown. That decision tells you nothing abot the cake, how it tastes, how mosit it is, what it is made from, how it is iced, shaped etc.

There is WAY more to it than that. I just make the simple point that you can't meaure power handling, but you can use it as a guide when selecting an amp that goes with it.

I should add, know for sure that PEAK POWER HANDLING is a virtually worhless number. It is there for the marketing folks and that is about it. Oh, and flea markets; they like PEAK POWER numbers....

Phil
Kicker

[you da man]

Is a class D going to work for cabins?

I agree. Upgrade the amp first and make sure you buy one big enough to push whatever you upgrade to. I'd find something that is pushing 70 to 100 watts rms.

I know you have the 770s up top. FWIW, I love my Bullet coaxials in boat. I am pushing them with a JL G4500 because I couldn't justify springing for the JL G6600. Not sure if those are current models, though.

I agree..The Bullet cabin speakers are the cat's pajamas. Almost sounds like you have a woofer even if you don't.

[EarmarkMarine]

Adding to the power handling specifications discussion...there is no governing body in mobile electronics to keep specifications honest relating to speaker power handling or amplifier power output. The authenticity of the specs are pretty much up to the integrity of the brand. The better brands are typically more conservative.
Many speaker companies use power handling rated for thermal capacity or the maximum amount of continuous power that can be maintained for a prolonged period where the speaker can still effectively dissipate the heat without suffering damage.
You can have two different brands of coaxials side by side with a 100 percent difference in rated power handling. Both have 1-inch voice coils with the same plastic former and the same gauge of voice coil winding. Neither has any method of special cooling other than a porous spider to exchange air as the speaker moves. Both copper windings and both enamel coil coatings melt and burn at the same temperature so there is no justification for the huge disparity in ratings. Its just a brand thing.
For a coaxial you can usually exceed an honest rating by a 15 to 20 percent margin based on the fact that you are usually running the speaker highpass and at least are reducing a good amount of the mechanical stress. You just have to stay away from hard clipping for the tweeter's sake. Certainly system set-up and tuning has as much to do with the power handling as the specs.
Like Phil mentioned, power handling is only a fraction of the story relating to the actual quality of any speaker. And, its often misunderstood. I'll take a speaker with 3 dB more sensitivity and half the power handling every time, particularly in an open boat.

David
Earmark Marine

[sandm]

While power handling is one of many criteria one must consider power handling alone is not indicative of quality. Choosing to purchase a speaker based solely on power handlign is like buying a cake because it is brown. That decision tells you nothing abot the cake, how it tastes, how mosit it is, what it is made from, how it is iced, shaped etc.

I was once told that you should buy speakers first(in a home audio scenario) as most will spend all the cash on tv/surround processor and when faced with the looming end of the budget, will skimp on speakers, and rms rated power will drive some decisions.

I should add, know for sure that PEAK POWER HANDLING is a virtually worhless number. It is there for the marketing folks and that is about it. Oh, and flea markets; they like PEAK POWER numbers....

Phil
Kicker

so true and for whatever reason, still see 6x9 4 and 5-way's as the end all in speaker design...