Okay everyone, let me shed a little light on things. While I'm not some of the seasoned people on this forum I do have a bit of knowledge when it comes to audio installation. Every other post I hear people saying they blew their speakers or the system doesn't sound the same as it did when it was first installed. Let's shed a little light on some things.

No one ever seems to take into account how critical tuning your system to the right frequencies is. When looking at the average 6.5 speaker you should never have anything less then a 100hz going to them. Yes the specs on many speakers may say they can go down to 50, 60, 70 you name it but this is RARELY the case.* I mean really, they're* 6.5 speakers how much bass do you really think you're going to get from them. At most you should be looking for good sounding midbass and that's it. Bass puts stress on coaxial speakers. A properly tuned system with the right frequencies selected will outlast a poorly tuned system any day of the week.*

Now let's talk about the longevity of these systems. Even from my car audio installation days it was my experience that time will always take its toll on electronic components. Of course after 3 to 4 years things are going to start a break. It's not rocket science. When we make the conscious effort to upgrade electric components on our motorcycles we also make the un spoken commitment to replace said components however often it may be needed. It's just the nature of the beast and there's no way around it. We ride our bikes through amazing amounts of humidity, rain, scorching heat and in some cases even snow. You show me electrical components that can withstand those types of environments for more than 3 years and you have literally found a unicorn. Corrosion is a son of a bitch and loves to munch on electrical components. I'm sure there are some electrical technicians on this forum and I'm really surprised they haven't chimed in by now.

And lastly, just in case no one has really thought about this in theory. Unless you are building a competition bike when it comes to stereo systems..... The real volume test is on the road at 80 miles per hour or better. Any system can sound good in an installation bay or in a garage.* So many people make the mistake of believing they have their system sweet spot by listening to their system in an enclosed area with no other ambient noise around. This is yet another culprit of blown speakers. After finding said sweet spot we take our bikes out for a ride in realize, hey I can't hear ****.* So what do we do, turn the volume up so we can hear. Without any thought of us going to pass the threshold of the settings of the system we just continue to just crank away and listen to our systems past the recommended volume for our settings. And we wonder why we have issues with our sound systems.*

Just a few things to think about.* Everyone have a safe 4th of July.

 

Disclaimer: Please for give the "Talk to Text" errors in grammer and spelling. But you get the point. Lol

 

Lol.... Crank that thing down to 60hz/80hz and let her rip!! I've never had a problem at 80 hz with Biketronics , Arc or JL. Those speaker specs are there for a reason. If the low on the 7.1's is 49 hz 60hz is not gonna hurt em!! As a rule of thumb I run all my stuff at 80hz. Gets plenty loud and the "mid bass" hits hard enough to feel it in your chest.

Don't get me wrong I understand your point. But always leave yourself some headroom for the highway and you won't have a problem.

 

I get what you're saying but in doing so.........you proved my point *** well.

You say you set your stuff at 80hz as a rule of thumb to leave a little head room. Ok.......would you agree these speakers, if played at nominal volume would handle their bosted frequencies aaaaaall day. BUT, as soon as you step out of the parkinglot pimp arena where high volume play only last briefly the dynamics change. In a stationary/indoor setting we would rarely listen to our sound system past the half way mark on the dial. On the road our systems go well past half way so we can here them comfortably. On a volume dial that goes from 0-50, 50-80hz is a great deal different at a setting of 20 than at 35/40. The specs given to us by these companies are set in nominal conditions not highway conditions. Hence, setting your 6.5's at 100hz HP is a great suggestion. The one thing all these blown speaker threads have in common is.........ALL THE SPEAKERS ARE BLOWN ON TRIPS. Prior to coming to this conclusion I blew speakers all the time. Since then I've gone on trips for up to 13hrs and beat the hell out of my sound system and no problems what so ever. This day an age there are a great deal of speakers that can get loud. However, for OUR application we need to be looking for those that can get loud AND take a beating(power, volume and elements wise). The less stress you put on speaker the louder it can get and the longer it will last. The lower end of the frequecy spectrum is where the most stress comes from. <100hz is just to risky in my opinion my friend.

Now don't get me wrong, I have my pakinglot pimpin setting in my eq as well that covers the full spectrum of frequencies. Hell.....what's the point of having these systems if you're not gonna show them off every once in a while. But on the regular I keep anything below 100hz away from my 6.5's. I let my 6x9's take that beating.

 

I guess I don't blow speakers because I don't leave my speakers in long enough to blow em. LOL!!! The only speakers I ever had a problem with is the Polk MM651's and we all know the story on those. The Biketronics speakers and the Arc Moto 602's are high quality speakers. With the proper set up you can crank those speakers at 80 Hz all day long in 90 degree heat. Just rode to DC for Rollin Thunder (13 hours from INDY) and those speakers performed like champs and trust me I had them cranked the whole time out there and back.

The guys who have issues have introduced distortion into their systems and that's what kills the speakers. I used to dabble in real estate a few years back and it was all about Location, Location, Location. With the Bike it's all about setup, setup, setup !!

Set the dam thing up right the first time and you won't have a problem at loud volumes.

 

AAAABSOLUTELY!!! I'll be in your neck of the woods for MotoGP. Hope I get a chance to chop it up with ya over a beer or two, three, four, five............you get the message. Lol

 

Huge Motorcycle event!!! Call me when you get here. I got some new speakers and amps. Hopefully they won't be sold by then. My ADD doesn't permit me to keep stuff too long. I get bored really fast. . . lol