alpine REF 411i 4" Full-Range Car Speaker

Year / Model Reviewed:
 '89 Corolla

Summary:
After buying my car used back in '97, the first item on the agenda was to replace the factory speakers in front. The factory openings hold roughly a 4.3" speaker, which makes the install interesting. I chose to Dremel one of the mounting holes on the speaker basket into a groove instead of a hole so I could use the factory mounts. Slipped right in without a hitch. There is a slight buzz during some passages, which is probably my fault for not mounting them as securely as I should have, so I will not hold it against them.

Tweeters are very efficient, as with most Infinity products. I recommend them to the old folks who are losing their high frequency hearing, but for my 27 year old ears they are decidedly bright.

Bass, as one would expect from a 4" driver, is pretty weak. The buzz I hear is partially from the mounts, but also can be heard if the speakers are loose on the carpet. It's a 4" driver though, and I've got about 30W RMS going through it, so I think that's to be expected.

The rest of my system:
Alpine 7531 CD deck
Kenwood 744 4x40W amp
Infinity 52.1i in rear deck
Kenwood 618? 2x50W bridged to 1x150 for sub
Infinity Reference 12" sub in sealed box in trunk.

Strengths:
Good power handling, efficient tweeters

Weaknesses:
Bass distorts easily, even with HPF. Tweeters are TOO bright.

Similar Products Used:
Factory speakers