Sony XS-V1621

Price Paid:  $57.00 from Wal-Mart

Year / Model Reviewed:
 1991 Nissan Sentra

Summary:
I am using a pair of these as midrange in a three-way system. Tested out some basss guitar notes in the 350Hz range for clarity and think that there is good response. I have them crossed over from 120Hz to 4000Hz and they can handle this range very well. I think that the tweeter would be loud on this model sue to the X-over range on the speaker. I built custom MDF boxes which sit slanted underneath the front of the seats. Using a LA Sound 500 amp for mids only. I designed the boxes to match the Qts and Qes for these speakers and put lots of fiber fill inside. They are currently handling about 75W each. I tend to play some Heavy Metal and Industrial which the poly woofer cones handle well. The midrange speaker does a decent job of handling guitar solos and heavy synth lines for the price. I recommend sealing any enclosure that you put these in very well with caulk because there is a lot of travel in the red woofer cone starting at 75W a speaker.

Strengths:
Decent Mid-bass down to 200Hz, then between 200-120, there is a sudden drop, but what do you expect for $60?. I like the blended cone material for being rigid enough for accurate responce but not too stiff like fiber. Nice Appearence, interesting grills get noticed, sure to impress most teens on a budget.

Weaknesses:
poly tweeter, but not using it anyways. Grills may allow objects to damage cone from side entry

Similar Products Used:
Clarion Pro series Midrange speakers 4" 30W, door mounted

Price Paid:  $79.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 XS-V1621

Summary:
First of all, let me mention that I do not claim to be an expert in the area of car stereos, so most of the people reading this probably know a lot more than I do. However, having said that, I feel that this speaker is exactly what I was looking for and well worth the money.

I simply wanted a descent speaker to replace the factory ones in my RAV4. I had already replaced the head unit, and have no intention of adding an external amp, crossover, EQ, or subwoofer. I wanted something "adequate", not the KILLER system. Listening to and comparing the various speakers, I thought that the Sonys definitely produced the best sound by themselves. Although the Panasonic speakers sounded "warmer" in the midrange, and the Polks sounded "clearer" in the high range, both lacked any real bass. Despite everyone raving about the Polk speakers, I actually liked them the least because I felt that they were too bright (maybe they just needed to be broken in). The Sonys were the only speaker (among the selection) that was rated to reproduce sound in the 30-25000 Hz range, the low end being in the subwoofer range.

True audophiles who would want to spend more money on a premium system would not be happy with these speakers and would probably be better off with other brands for their front speakers (which they'd probably use a crossover to eliminate the subwoofer frequencies anyway). However, if you're like me and you would like to have descent bass without having to buy a subwoofer, these speakers are pretty darn good. With my limited knowledge and experience, I feel that this is the best speaker for a simple replacement of a stock stereo system.

Strengths:
Nice bass response compared to other similarly priced speakers.

Weaknesses:
Bass can be a little "muddy" at times--not all that crisp.

Similar Products Used:
Compared against factory speakers, Panasonic, and Polk.