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UPDATE Nov 5, 2011:
I realize I've been all over the place in this thread, not really having a clear direction and going down several avenues at once. I took a step back, did some research, and came to a decision. I took a look at the CAC's "Good, Bad, and Ugly list" and looked at every single brand in the "Highly Recommended" section for "Main Speakers" with something specific in mind: a good pair of 6x9's and a good pair of 6.5's that can withstand my new HU and sound great doing it too, without anything but the woofer. Preferably with a focus on bass. The only company on that list that had non-coaxial/component 6x9's was CDT Audio, and although I had trouble finding 6.5's that had non-RCA terminals, I found a pair that I'm very satisfied with. As my final decision, I've chosen 6.5" CL-6MSUB (SVC) and 6x9 CL-69SUBCF, both considered subwoofers, but with the former having the frequency response of a normal woofer. Both sets push the limits of the space they take up, but I'm sure will fit considering the mounting depth. I ordered them at just the right time to, since I just blew the left front woofer. I'll edit this post one last time when I've installed them. Can't wait to get 'em!


Original post:
First, sorry if this post is a bit long. I tried keeping it short, so feel free to skip to the bulleted list for the kind of speakers I'm looking for. The rest just kind of explains my train of thought and what I've already looked at.

The stock head unit on my '01 Civic was cutting out (no sound) every now and then, and finally a few weeks ago I heard the most high pitched whine I have ever heard any electrical device make. Granted, that was the tweeters, but the Saturday after, I bought a Kenwood KDC-HD548U HD radio from Best Buy. I did the DIY myself, and I'm impressed with the sound quality of the unit. But I'm weary of turning up the bass too high, since I blew out all four woofers on the family classic car while my Civic was in the shop, and if I did it to my Civic too, it would become suddenly apparent that it was in fact my fault.

I don't want to add any speakers, especially a sub, or amps for the same reason. Maybe somewhere down the road when it's ancient history, but for now I'm looking to replace all four woofers. And possibly the tweeters in the sails too, but only if it's included (i.e. 2-way components).

I'm looking for some speakers that fit this list:
- Capable of handling the 50Wx4 HU (low, I know, but some speakers I looked at didn't meet this criteria)
- 4-8 Ohms (HU specs)
- Pure speaker setup; no amps, subs, or enclosures. Sound deadening and crossovers may be an exception depending on price and overall impact.
- Thumpin' bass that's not overpowering at low volumes, but really kicks *** at high volumes, so I can drive others without worrying about turning the bass alone down.
- Great sound quality and clarity
- Fits in the OEM locations without any modifications. I'll be using some OEM speakers as spacers for the front, but I don't want to drill up my car or anything like that, so 6x9's in the rear and 6.5's in the front, without interfering with the windows or trunk spring bar whatchamacallits (unless the latter are adjustable, which I'll do if it opens the trunk better). Returning to 100% stock needs to be an option for me.
- Fronts should either be woofer only without a tweeter, or be a 2-way component so I can pop the tweeters in the sails, and rears can be either coaxial or components.
- Combined cost well under $500 if possible, but worst case scenario I may go a bit higher.
- *Preferably* sold by a reputable place like Amazon.com or straight from the manufacturer instead of some site like speakerwoofer327.biz.rs, but I'd be willing to take a risk if the price was low enough. Walk-in stores near Sagamore Hills, Ohio would be a bonus for me, as long as they don't jack up the price and I have some specific model numbers to look for.

I know some of you guys have awesome sound systems and are audio gurus, so I was hoping to get some of your opinions on the matter. I've looked everywhere and I can't seem to find a consensus on the subject, so since you guys own 7th gen Civics like I do, I figure some of you would know what sounds best for my scenario.

I looked at some Boss dual-cone speakers, but everywhere I read said that of the few that aren't DOA, they sound horrible, so those are out. I don't remember the model number, but they were advertised as "factory replacement upgrade speakers". I also looked at some Eclipse components, specifically the SC6500 and SC6900, but I only ruled them out because they're discontinued and I read in one or two places that the bass isn't as thumpin' as I'm looking for. Would these in fact be a good choice? They come with a crossover, which I would use in the 6x9's to get only bass out of the rear's. Am I even in the right ballpark for the kind of speaker I'm looking for?

ANY help at this point would be greatly appreciated!

 
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go to onlinecarstereo.com there's a lot of great deals that fit our car. there's a fitment guide so you will be sure that the speakers you buy fit. I got speakers with biiiig magnets on the back of them so i had to remove the torsion bars in the trunk. and the doors required wood rings to go behind the speakers. they sell those on that site too.

look at boston acoustics. i dont think you'll be disappointed with any of those. they've got cheap ones too. i've spent over 2500 bux on that site and only had problems with two products. but they traded it out with no problems. they also offer warranties for all their products.
check out my pix. everything in the car is soundstream except the head unit

 
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I can suggest http://ikesound.com. Bought an amp from them extremely cheap, no problems.

I do not believe the rear speakers in our cars are 6x9s.

 
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Thanks for the replies! I apologize if I wasn't clear, I know various places where I can buy speakers from, but I'm looking for specific model numbers or series of speakers that are biased quite a bit towards bass rather than treble (among other things listed in the first post). I haven't really come across any speakers that fit that bill and come in both 6.5" and 6x9 form except for the Eclipse SC6500/SC6900, but the SC6500 is discontinued and I'm starting to read reviews that say they're not as good in the bass department as I originally thought (but I can still grab both if they're what I'm looking for).


I'd rather not have to remove the torsion bars, as that would require struts to keep the trunk open, which is something that I don't have the capability to do (no welder or adequate adhesive, and bolts look like ***). If possible, I'd like to avoid anything oversized that would have problems fitting, for reasons described previously. I'll take a look at the car fit guide and see if they suggest anything reputable that matches the measurements I took when I'm home (I'm on lunch hour at the moment).

I realize I wasn't clear on how I'm getting the fronts in either, but essentially I'm following this DIY , so I don't need spacers or anything. I have one dead speaker half-apart already, and the other won't be an issue (and yes, I did replace the speaker I tore apart, so I'll have one left over when all is said and done).

For sedans it's 6.5" all the way around, but for coupes it's 6.5" in the front and 6x9 on the rear deck. I actually got underneath the speakers and measured myself just to be sure, and I came up with the same result.



Any model numbers for bass-pounding speakers you guys have in mind that will fit in the factory locations? (6.5" in front with 3/4" spacer and 6x9 in rear with no spacer.) Or perhaps recommendations for other forums that can provide me with that info? My craving for bass is not being satisfied

EDIT:
Actually, I took a very quick look at onlinecarstereo.com (as infiniteblur posted), and I believe I found what I'm looking for: a "Midbass Driver". Now I'm on the right track, so thanks for the link!

So does anyone have any suggestions for midbass drivers that bias towards bass at loud volumes, but don't have any bass/treble bias at quiet volumes, can handle a 50Wx4 HU, and will fit in the factory locations? Or even some that just handle a 50Wx4 HU, biases towards bass, and fits in the factory locations?

 
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My post got long again I swear it wasn't that long at work...

Anyways, I'll keep this short. I came across two speakers on onlinecarstereo.com (suggested by infiniteblur) that on first look seem perfect in terms of fitting, power handling, and a matching set, the O2 OM-6909ND (6x9) and the O2 OM-609ND-4 (6.5"). Their magnet is on the front of the speaker, conserving space. Didn't see specs on mounting depth, but it almost looks like the fronts would fit without a spacer. I do have a few reservations though.

First, I couldn't find what the cone material is. Looks like paper, which usually means lower sound quality IIRC. Second, the cost for me would be $376 all around at current pricing (~$94 per speaker), which begs the question: how reputable is O2? They seem either new or generic, as I couldn't find any reviews of them and they weren't on the CAC's 2010 "good, bad, and ugly" list. For that price (and they're 40% off to boot), I'd like some assurance of quality. Third, since I couldn't find reviews, and I have no idea how to interpret their specs here, so I have no clue what the sound quality and/or bias is like (clear/muffled, treble/bass/even). Does anyone know any of that, or am I on my own? I'd hate having to buy in the dark only to be disappointed.