Best speakers without adding amp?
Best speakers without adding amp?
Did a search about speakers and every time someone asks about which are the best there are answers like you have to add an amp and do this and that to get the best sounds and don't bother adding just speakers. Well if I want the best sound I would stay home and listen to my home stereo. Going down the road at 50-70 mph nothing will sound perfect.
I just want to upgrade the speakers for about $100 to $150 to get a little better (not perfect) sound. All agree the OEM speakers are not that good and can use a little boost.
Looking for 2ohm Hawg Wired or Hogtunes or whatever you have to recommend and I am not going to add an amp.
Thanks in advance.
I just want to upgrade the speakers for about $100 to $150 to get a little better (not perfect) sound. All agree the OEM speakers are not that good and can use a little boost.
Looking for 2ohm Hawg Wired or Hogtunes or whatever you have to recommend and I am not going to add an amp.
Thanks in advance.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 6,129
Likes: 143
From: Santa Cruz
Get some JBL/Infinity 2ohm 6.5' co-ax speakers and Arc/Scosche speaker adapters. About as good as there is with the stock head unit. Polk mm651s are also popular but 3ohm.
Last edited by 0ldhippie; Mar 16, 2014 at 10:40 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,237
Likes: 61
From: Albany, OR
The reason you hear that is because it's true. Not to get perfect sound, but just to get decent sound. The advice comes from guys that have already spent the money you're about to spend and then turned around and spent it again to get an amp and some nice 6.5" speakers.
If you've got yourself convinced that just replacing the factory speakers with some Hawg Wired ones will satisfy you, I've got some sitting on the shelf and would make you a deal.
Guys aren't trying to be audio elitists, it's just a fact that tooling down the road at 70 mph it's nice to have sound loud and clear vs. loud and distorted. The sound isn't studio perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd consider it the bare minimum and what should have come from the factory in the first place.
I agree, spending money trying to get studio quality sound on a bike is nuts. Just think about the advice given by those that have been where you're at. We all thought the same thing you're thinking right now.
If you've got yourself convinced that just replacing the factory speakers with some Hawg Wired ones will satisfy you, I've got some sitting on the shelf and would make you a deal.
Guys aren't trying to be audio elitists, it's just a fact that tooling down the road at 70 mph it's nice to have sound loud and clear vs. loud and distorted. The sound isn't studio perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd consider it the bare minimum and what should have come from the factory in the first place.
I agree, spending money trying to get studio quality sound on a bike is nuts. Just think about the advice given by those that have been where you're at. We all thought the same thing you're thinking right now.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,114
Likes: 67
From: USA
I went with Hogtune speakers a few years back (no amp). I know it's all subjective, but I crank the chit out of them, and they sound just fine to me 
Yes, nice improvement over stock.
Yes, nice improvement over stock.
Last edited by run1fsr; Mar 17, 2014 at 12:57 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 25
From: Texas
Sound quality is relative. I went with biketronics 6.5" speaker and amp kit, and it is loud and clear, but it's still not great sounding compared to a car audio system of similar equipment. The HK radio is a big part of the problem, it doesn't produce very clean sound, has crappy equalizer options, among other things. and the only good solution is to replace it.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 453
Likes: 3
From: N. Illinois
i put in mm651s in at the end of the season last year and while they sounded tons better. i just bought the pbr300x2 to crank em up this year. nothing wrong with doing it in stages.
hardest part is that if your not amping them you need to stick with closer to a 2 ohm speaker which there is less selection of. if you are amping them immediately your choices open up exponentially as they will get enough power regardless.
hardest part is that if your not amping them you need to stick with closer to a 2 ohm speaker which there is less selection of. if you are amping them immediately your choices open up exponentially as they will get enough power regardless.
Supporter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,133
Likes: 147
From: Grays Creek, NC
Before I added my amp I was running the Harley boom speakers and they sounded great. Sound even better with the amp, but if your looking for an inexpensive speaker to try the classifieds have them all the time. Never tried any other speaker before the amp so I'm just comparing to stock.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,114
Likes: 67
From: USA
Should note that my speakers are 4ohm, as required with the older radios. Not sure if that has much impact or not. Last season I also tied in Sirius XM, as I tired of messing with my MP3 player.
Last edited by run1fsr; Mar 17, 2014 at 12:58 PM.
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
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Did a search about speakers and every time someone asks about which are the best there are answers like you have to add an amp and do this and that to get the best sounds and don't bother adding just speakers. Well if I want the best sound I would stay home and listen to my home stereo. Going down the road at 50-70 mph nothing will sound perfect.
I just want to upgrade the speakers for about $100 to $150 to get a little better (not perfect) sound. All agree the OEM speakers are not that good and can use a little boost.
Looking for 2ohm Hawg Wired or Hogtunes or whatever you have to recommend and I am not going to add an amp.
Thanks in advance.
I just want to upgrade the speakers for about $100 to $150 to get a little better (not perfect) sound. All agree the OEM speakers are not that good and can use a little boost.
Looking for 2ohm Hawg Wired or Hogtunes or whatever you have to recommend and I am not going to add an amp.
Thanks in advance.