5" JBL car/truck speakers?

[Doc Mark]

Hello, Friends,

I got a call from a good friend of mine, who is a long-haul truck driver. He knows that I am "into" speakers, and asked if I could recommend a good pair of 5" speakers to replace some Panasonics that he has been using mounted in his truck. I know nothing about such things, and so, if any of you can suggest a decent JBL car speaker for my friend, I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks, in advance, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[rdgrimes]

Is he using an amp? Most decent car speakers need power.

[grumpy]

crutchfield.com
find what fits.
go from there (including checking prices at local shops).

[Rusnzha]

In that catagory of speaker, I had better luck with Alpine.

[Doc Mark]

Evening, Guys,

Thanks, very much, for the suggestions. I talked to my friend tonight, and he says he's got a Panasonic receiver/CD player/MP3 player, which has 50 x 4 watts of power, into either 4 or 8 ohms. I'll check Crutchfield and see what they might offer. He's a good man, retired Chief Warrant Officer, and I would really like to help him, if possible. Thanks, again, Gentlemen! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[jhal]

That "50 watt x 4" power rating is more like 12 watts x 4 of undistorted RMS power. You can only get so much from a straight 12 volt power supply. All outboard car amps use a switching power supply to boost the 12 volts coming in to higher voltages that are then fed to the output transistors.

In other words, he needs a small external amp to make use of some good speakers. Feed the around 40-50 watts/channel of real, clean power and he will be amazed.

[Doc Mark]

That "50 watt x 4" power rating is more like 12 watts x 4 of undistorted RMS power. You can only get so much from a straight 12 volt power supply. All outboard car amps use a switching power supply to boost the 12 volts coming in to higher voltages that are then fed to the output transistors.

In other words, he needs a small external amp to make use of some good speakers. Feed the around 40-50 watts/channel of real, clean power and he will be amazed.

Hey, Jhal,

Thanks, very much, for your suggestion. However, my friend is dealing with a fairly fixed, and somewhat tight, budget. I don't think he will have the wherewithal to spring for another amp for his truck. His old speakers have tears and holes in their original paper cones, and he has been putting up with them for years!! I think that just replacing the worn out speakers he already has will make a world of difference to him. His original speakers are just cones, with no tweeters at all. So, getting him into a nice set of coax speakers, of a better brand, should make him a happy camper. I've been checking around on the 'net, and find that JBL does offer some 4" and 5" coax speakers, however all of them are rated at only 2 ohms. Is this the going thing these days, and if so, how do such speakers match up to older receivers which are rated to deliever their goods into 4-8 ohm loads? Hummmmm...... Any thoughts? Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[Titanium Dome]

a good pair of 5" speakers

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Assuming we're talking standard-sized 5.25" speakers, coaxial (not component), and a budget under $100 for a pair, here are two choices that should work well for him.

JBL GTO527 (good, available for under $50 a pair)

JBL P562 (better, available for under $90 a pair)

Those would be street prices, not full retail, and should be easy to match or beat. The P562 is really very good, but its quality might be lost being driven by a low-end head unit in a typically noisy truck.

[Doc Mark]

Assuming we're talking standard-sized 5.25" speakers, coaxial (not component), and a budget under $100 for a pair, here are two choices that should work well for him.

JBL GTO527 (good, available for under $50 a pair)

JBL P562 (better, available for under $90 a pair)

Those would be street prices, not full retail, and should be easy to match or beat. The P562 is really very good, but its quality might be lost being driven by a low-end head unit in a typically noisy truck.

Evening, TiDome,

Thanks for that bit of info! That's sort of what I was seeking, and I will check around for him, and see what kind of prices we can find. He actually needs a pair of 4 1/2", for his fronts, and a pair of 5" for his rears. I think that the price point you've suggested is just about perfect for him. Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[John]

Do they gotta be JBL's ???

From the sound of what he was using the last few years ,even Sparkamatic's should be a improvement!!!

[Doc Mark]

Do they gotta be JBL's ???

From the sound of what he was using the last few years ,even Sparkamatic's should be a improvement!!!

Hey, John,

Don't you know it!!!! He even asked me if I thought spraying the old cones down with hair spray, as one of his sons recommended, would make them go a few more miles!!! I thought that JBL would be a good thing for him, and why not? JBL is a good thing for anyone, right??!! But, you're right. Very probably ANYTHING that was actually whole, and worked as it should, would satisfy him. He's a good guy, and a good friend, though, and I'd like to get him something that he can afford, but which will also work very well for him. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[Titanium Dome]

The P462 coaxial sells for under $70 a pair. The GTO427 is under $40 a pair. These are JBL's 4" models.

[Doc Mark]

Morning, TiDome,

Thanks, a bunch! I'll pass along that info to my friend, and see what he does with it. Much appreciated! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc