Polk DB6501 Question

Dubro · 09-15-2010, 10:45 PM

My car is a 2010 Nismo. The stereo really sucks. So for the time being, until I save up enough for a good H.U. I'm going to install some Polk DB6501's which are really for the new H.U. that I get someday. (soon I hope) Hopefully they will help the stock H.U. sound a lot better.
Question is:
1. Should I install new wire to the stock H.U. from the tweeters and door speakers?
2. What size wire for the door speakers?
3. What size wire for the tweeters?
4. Where do I install the wire to on the stock H.U. I mean is it a harness with a plug end or do I splice into the wires behind the stock H.U.?
5. Is there a good known spot to put the cross over unit?
thanks for the help.

kenchan · 09-16-2010, 01:00 AM

imho, the HU should be the first place to start on this car and then work the others.

amazon has a sale going on and you can get the new P4200DVD $321 shipped.
there was another thread on this just this am. get the HU first, place with the EQ...then play with your speakers later.

daimon1313 · 09-16-2010, 01:03 AM

Agreed. There's just no reason to install awesome components if you don't have the HU or amp to fully take advantage of their power.

Same with any audio system. For your home theater, if you purchase some blazing new Paradigm 11's but are hooking them up to a wal-mart receiver, what's the point?

bigaudiofanat · 09-16-2010, 01:42 AM

Start with the head unit and when you get the new speakers, run 16 gauge or 18 gauge from the harness of the head unit to the crossover and from there to the new speakers.

90 ST · 09-16-2010, 03:04 AM

Truth be told, we train our guys to sell speakers first, the HU wont be to bad, but the $3 speakers are crap. Start with the speakers. You know the speakers are bose, the HU maybe a Pioneer, or Clarion, or a...you get the idea, most OEM HU are now made by one of the big aftermarket HU companies. This is the BIGGEST reason for so much OEM intergration with the OEM HU.

kenchan · 09-16-2010, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90 ST

Truth be told, we train our guys to sell speakers first, the HU wont be to bad, but the $3 speakers are crap. Start with the speakers. You know the speakers are bose, the HU maybe a Pioneer, or Clarion, or a...you get the idea, most OEM HU are now made by one of the big aftermarket HU companies. This is the BIGGEST reason for so much OEM intergration with the OEM HU.

you should probably train your guys by first sitting in the actual car and listening and getting familiar where the first shortcoming is.

yes the speakers are not good but the HU is crappier. it's not the pre-1990's where cars came with fullrange paper cones and whizzers.

the speakers have wider bandwidth now.

and the OEMs are manufacturing these headunits at the lowest possible price at manufacturing facilities that make other low/mid grade HU's. the key here for OEM is durability and reliabilty, not quality of actual sound.

ROC1ROB · 09-16-2010, 05:24 PM

Hey, like I always say..... Garbage in, Garbage out. Source would be my first fix. A good signal can make even carppy speakers sound not so bad. But to each his own. Speakers would probably be easier to install and on the wallet. GL

BTW Paradigm????

daimon1313 · 09-16-2010, 05:45 PM

Ahh ha ha.

Yeah, I know. When I got my new receiver I wanted to upgrade my speakers. Found a guy on CL who was going over seas, selling a set of Paradigms (5 speakers + sub) for $500. Not the ideal choice, but a good deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROC1ROB

Hey, like I always say..... Garbage in, Garbage out. Source would be my first fix. A good signal can make even carppy speakers sound not so bad. But to each his own. Speakers would probably be easier to install and on the wallet. GL

BTW Paradigm????

bigaudiofanat · 09-16-2010, 08:06 PM

Yes start with a head unit and go from there the head unit will provide more power to the stock speakers, and actually make them sound better. Than do the speakers.

Dubro · 09-16-2010, 09:43 PM

thanks

90 ST · 09-16-2010, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

you should probably train your guys by first sitting in the actual car and listening and getting familiar where the first shortcoming is.

yes the speakers are not good but the HU is crappier. it's not the pre-1990's where cars came with fullrange paper cones and whizzers.

the speakers have wider bandwidth now.

and the OEMs are manufacturing these headunits at the lowest possible price at manufacturing facilities that make other low/mid grade HU's. the key here for OEM is durability and reliabilty, not quality of actual sound.

I work for one of the largest audio companies/manufactures in NA, so i think there may be some research it what we train. Not to mention i have sat in numerous cars and heard many a demo cars/display boards at CES where this can be heard and proven.
Just what i've learned from real world experiance.

90 ST · 09-16-2010, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROC1ROB

Hey, like I always say..... Garbage in, Garbage out. Source would be my first fix. A good signal can make even carppy speakers sound not so bad. But to each his own. Speakers would probably be easier to install and on the wallet. GL

BTW Paradigm????

This must be why so many companies, including high end once make converters to KEEP the OEM HU...

DeEePiDDy · 09-16-2010, 10:19 PM

The reason you guys recommend replacing speakers first instead of the headunit is simple common sense business practice and has NOTHING to do with sound improvement like you claim. Its much EASIER to attract and close a customer on a $100-200 speaker set over a $500-$1500 head unit. After doing the install the customer is more likely to return to a business they have already worked with and then can be up-sold to the more expensive headunit later. And THAT my friend comes to "real world business experience!"

90 ST · 09-16-2010, 10:25 PM

i'm just sayin take a listen to a stock HU with good speakers, and then stock speaker with a aftermarket HU a hear what makes the bigger improvment in sound qualitiy.

bigaudiofanat · 09-16-2010, 10:28 PM

The improvement would be with the stock speakers with new head unit. They give more power to the speakers rather than a stock unit only putting out around 5-10 watts.

09-15-2010, 10:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
Dubro Base Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alpharetta, GA Posts: 62 Drives: 2010 Nismo Rep Power: 16	Polk DB6501 Question My car is a 2010 Nismo. The stereo really sucks. So for the time being, until I save up enough for a good H.U. I'm going to install some Polk DB6501's which are really for the new H.U. that I get someday. (soon I hope) Hopefully they will help the stock H.U. sound a lot better. Question is: 1. Should I install new wire to the stock H.U. from the tweeters and door speakers? 2. What size wire for the door speakers? 3. What size wire for the tweeters? 4. Where do I install the wire to on the stock H.U. I mean is it a harness with a plug end or do I splice into the wires behind the stock H.U.? 5. Is there a good known spot to put the cross over unit? thanks for the help.

09-16-2010, 01:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
daimon1313 Base Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 56 Drives: '10 Hyundai Rep Power: 15	Agreed. There's just no reason to install awesome components if you don't have the HU or amp to fully take advantage of their power. Same with any audio system. For your home theater, if you purchase some blazing new Paradigm 11's but are hooking them up to a wal-mart receiver, what's the point? __________________ Saving up now for a NISMO 40th Anniversary. Hopefully. Maybe. We'll see. Definitely a Z though.

09-16-2010, 01:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	Start with the head unit and when you get the new speakers, run 16 gauge or 18 gauge from the harness of the head unit to the crossover and from there to the new speakers. __________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/

09-16-2010, 05:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
ROC1ROB Base Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: AZ Posts: 201 Drives: 09 MT BS Base/Sports Rep Power: 15	Hey, like I always say..... Garbage in, Garbage out. Source would be my first fix. A good signal can make even carppy speakers sound not so bad. But to each his own. Speakers would probably be easier to install and on the wallet. GL BTW Paradigm???? Last edited by ROC1ROB; 09-16-2010 at 05:27 PM.

09-16-2010, 08:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	Yes start with a head unit and go from there the head unit will provide more power to the stock speakers, and actually make them sound better. Than do the speakers. __________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/

09-16-2010, 01:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	imho, the HU should be the first place to start on this car and then work the others. amazon has a sale going on and you can get the new P4200DVD $321 shipped. there was another thread on this just this am. get the HU first, place with the EQ...then play with your speakers later.

09-16-2010, 03:04 AM	#5 (permalink)
90 ST A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2010 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,861 Drives: 90 and 15 GMC Sierra Rep Power: 421	Truth be told, we train our guys to sell speakers first, the HU wont be to bad, but the $3 speakers are crap. Start with the speakers. You know the speakers are bose, the HU maybe a Pioneer, or Clarion, or a...you get the idea, most OEM HU are now made by one of the big aftermarket HU companies. This is the BIGGEST reason for so much OEM intergration with the OEM HU.

09-16-2010, 09:43 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dubro Base Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alpharetta, GA Posts: 62 Drives: 2010 Nismo Rep Power: 16	thanks

09-16-2010, 10:19 PM	#13 (permalink)
DeEePiDDy Track Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Horsham, PA Posts: 548 Drives: 09 Nissan 370z CY MT Rep Power: 16	The reason you guys recommend replacing speakers first instead of the headunit is simple common sense business practice and has NOTHING to do with sound improvement like you claim. Its much EASIER to attract and close a customer on a $100-200 speaker set over a $500-$1500 head unit. After doing the install the customer is more likely to return to a business they have already worked with and then can be up-sold to the more expensive headunit later. And THAT my friend comes to "real world business experience!" __________________ 2009 Nissan 370Z Chicane Yellow Base Manual Transmission

09-16-2010, 10:25 PM	#14 (permalink)
90 ST A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2010 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,861 Drives: 90 and 15 GMC Sierra Rep Power: 421	i'm just sayin take a listen to a stock HU with good speakers, and then stock speaker with a aftermarket HU a hear what makes the bigger improvment in sound qualitiy.

09-16-2010, 10:28 PM	#15 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	The improvement would be with the stock speakers with new head unit. They give more power to the speakers rather than a stock unit only putting out around 5-10 watts. __________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Polk db6501 and spacers?	F1loco	Audio & Video	24	07-24-2010 11:51 PM
Polk MM6501 or Kenwood KFCP708 6 3/4 Component Speakers?	DarkZ	Audio & Video	6	05-12-2010 07:52 PM