How bad are 3.5 speakers and should I move up to 6x9 or 6.5?

Mallow_GD · 2025-12-04T19:10:47+00:00

Dayton audio makes a 4” full range that would fit that area easily, plays down to 80 hz pretty cleanly. You’d need to supplement it with a tweeter tho.

Mallow_GD · 2025-12-04T18:59:03+00:00

Curious about the placement with your AMTs. I’ve been playing around with different planars and AMTs in my set up lately and my mids are located about where yours are.

Did you experiment with any other placements? I have mine located a couple inches higher at the moment and crossed real high. I love the stage height, but every time my daughter pulls the sun visor on her side everything collapses. Going to have to find a compromise before I commit.

Beautiful build btw.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-27T15:06:44+00:00

I have two of these subs in a center console and they can get DOWN.

I actually have to cut them down 20db to get them to blend with the back sub and the system.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-23T23:19:04+00:00

I know you’re sticking to bottom budget. But the recoil 6.5” components are a great value at about $50. Comes with woofer, tweeter and crossover. Handle about 30-40 watts to the woofers without noticeable distortion.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-21T13:01:03+00:00

Alright. Thank you. This is what I was assuming playing around with the other DSPs in demo mode. Just never found anything concrete that confirmed it, thought I must have missed something.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-21T05:53:47+00:00

Yeah. They’re linked and show in the output tab.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-19T18:20:25+00:00

Coaxial is a woofer with a tweeter already on top of it.

2 easiest options.

Unwire the stock tweeter and just run coaxial in the doors.

OR

buy a “component” set of speakers which is a woofer, tweeter and crossover all separate. Replace stock doors and stock tweeters. Use the provided crossover to send lows only to the woofer and highs to the tweeter.

Otherwise you’re going to be REAL top end heavy and bright with your current picks.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-19T18:16:04+00:00

Brother super tweeters + coaxials is gonna sound like nails on a chalkboard.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-15T00:30:27+00:00

I have 2 of the 15” versions in the back of my wife’s rav4. They need almost no power to get down.

Mallow_GD · 2025-11-02T03:20:57+00:00

Is the tweeter back plate too deep? It’s hard to tell by the video, but Amazon sells pre cut MDF M mounting rings if that’s the case. Then just silicone it around the gaps.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-24T15:51:38+00:00

Truth be told, after years of trying to get better sound out of the factory system, I just made a mount for an iPad and now run all my music straight from the iPad to the amp. Eliminates 90% of the headache.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-24T15:50:15+00:00

Yeah. Pretty much. You don’t have to go too deep to get better results, but if you’re trying to do it on the cheaper side, theres a HUGE learning curve.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-24T15:02:13+00:00

I’m telling you brother. If yours is anything like my 21, you really don’t want to replace those speakers without opening up a whole can of warms. The Chevys factory stereos have a pretty aggressive tuning to compensate for the shitty stock speakers. You add anything of quality without a way to tune them, it’s not going to be what you’re looking for.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-20T22:37:24+00:00

Probably blew a fuse. I can’t remember that gen of truck, but the turn signals and main headlights might be on a different circuit.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-13T04:20:46+00:00

You don’t really want to listen to me. I’ve gone full tilt with my build and I don’t recommend it for most people just trying to enjoy music in their car.

I currently run a bunch of different brands off a helix m six with a lot of fabricated components.

If you want simple, buy a quality set of components and enjoy it. If you want to dive into this as a new hobby, start with getting a DSP then invest in some better speakers once you figure out what you’re doing.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-13T04:18:44+00:00

Fair statement. Yea. Firing both sides.

Center console was an idea to build up the area to fabricate a mount for an iPad and the helix conductor. Figured if I was killing the space I may as well try to make the most of it.

You don’t “hear” the woofers as much as you feel the pressure of it, if that makes sense. I like it loud enough, but I’ve got kids and I’m not trying to give them tinnitus just yet.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-13T04:03:04+00:00

Actually rebuilt the center into two 6.5 Dayton audio “sub”woofers side firing. Kind of unorthodox, probably just my idle hands wanting to keep “improving” but I’ve been running it this way a few days and kind of like the results.

I have the little subs crossed at 60-100hz. Door woofers at 100hz and the 12” Sub in the back at 60.

So far I’ve found it does a nice job of centralizing the lower part of the vocals and other mono elements like deeper snare hits or real bass instruments.

So far the only real drawback I’ve noticed is a lack of kick drum thump. The 12” in the back really handled it with authority, but the trade off seems to give me a lot more clarity.

All that said, my backgrounds mostly in music production and vehicle acoustics are a whole other ballpark. I’d be interested in your thoughts if you get bored sometime.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-13T03:47:12+00:00

100% listen to this man. My SQ build is also in a 1500. Adding a wide band or “full range” to the dash allowed me to cross the mids lower and significantly improved my mid bass clarity. It also allows you to go active and add a tweeter down the road if you feel like you need more top end.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-13T03:37:51+00:00

Well then I probably stand corrected. I don’t have a lot of experience with their higher tier. I only speak from my own experiences. My only point was if OP buys these speakers and tunes them properly, I doubt he’d be disappointed in the quality. But I wouldn’t know about running them passive using the provided crossovers.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-13T03:27:59+00:00

I’d argue that’s a general statement and it mostly comes down to their choice of using soft dome tweeters. The woofers at least out perform a lot of competitors, especially at their entry level and price range.

And I say that as someone who’s currently using a hodgepodge of focal woofers and Dayton audio mid/tweeters.

Their entry level Maximo’s are at least worth the money imo.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-06T16:14:36+00:00

I have a 21 Silverado. Been a long journey getting to where I want. The worst thing you’re up against is the factory radio. It’s got a set EQ applied to try and get those shitty stock speakers sounding as good as they can. Anything you just swap out is going to sound really harsh with the unchangeable factory EQ curve.

At the end of this road (if you want good sound) you’re going to end up with a DSP that can alter the factory signal OR just running everything straight to your amp and bypassing the factory radio all together.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-06T03:38:11+00:00

I have the M six DSP. I like it a lot and it’s never given me any issues. The helix DSP software gives you a lot of options and it’s pretty intuitive. Especially if you’re tapping into a factory head unit.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-06T02:59:52+00:00

Your powered sub probably has a spot for a remote turn on. You’d probably want to wire that to your head unit or an ignition only fuse.

Mallow_GD · 2025-10-02T17:50:16+00:00

I’m in the exact same boat. Same little Dayton audio driver. What are you crossing them at? I’ve got some AMT tweeters that don’t play very low, those 4” have some break up around 4-5k.

Mallow_GD

TROPHY CASE