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dogmelissa
08-25-2005, 09:36 AM
Well... I have to get new speakers for my car to replace the ones that were water damaged. I am going to get the same ones I had before; Alpine SPS-171, 6 1/2". I'm not sure if these will be in the Soundsaround Sale in September, but if they are, I'm sure their price will be good again (last year I got these for $122). If they're not, the lowest price I could find in town (currently) for these was at Auto Temp, for $240. A&B had them for $279, and I'm not sure what they're going for at Soundsaround right now. Haven't really looked anywhere else, so they might be available.

However... I found a place online (etronics.com), where I can get them shipped from the US (everything included) for $181 American. That works out to about $212 at today's exchange rate. So if I can't find them at the Big 4 Sale, what's your opinion on buying speakers online? Any places you'd recommend (or NOT recommend)? Or is there a possibility that I can get someplace local to match an online price (even if I pay $212 + tax I'll be happy)?

Thanks much!!
Melissa

Weapon_R
08-25-2005, 09:43 AM
Buying online is fine if you buy brand new. You should look for a better speaker if you are spending $200 on an online product. Might I suggest these:


http://cgi.ebay.com/INFINITY-KAPPA-PERFECT6-1-6-5-COMPONENT-SPEAKERS-NEW_W0QQitemZ5800777513QQcategoryZ32819QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/INFINITY-KAPPA-60-7CS-6-5-COMPONENT-SPEAKERS-270W_W0QQitemZ5801076232QQcategoryZ58025QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-SPR-17LS-TYPE-R-6-1-2-6-5-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ5800438836QQcategoryZ32819QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

All are much better than your current setup.

GTS Jeff
08-25-2005, 10:41 AM
Alpine "S" speakers are pretty shitty and not worth the money at all.

Browse the marketplace. THis is a good deal:

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80647&

I'm sure you can bargain the fucker down to $250.

canadian_hustla
08-25-2005, 10:50 AM
Keep in mind when you are ordering online, you also have to factor in brokerage/shipping/federal taxes on your package. Anything declared over 80USD is to be sent to a different brokerage house, and charged 25 dollars in brokerage + ~20 in taxes, and other small fees for shipping taxes and what not.

I bought a pair of foglights off ebay for 60USD, shipping was 20USD. A good deal at first, however for purolator to release the package to me i had to pay $56 and change in brokerage fees/taxes/taxes on the taxes

fuck the feds :thumbsdow

just something to think about, you wouldn't expect the canadian government to rape its own citizens on importing goods.

and about the "gift" option, this isn't fullproof either. I have sent stuff back and forth to a friend in the USA... no money exchanged, no goods exchanged, and have been taxed each time.

SWX
08-27-2005, 09:33 AM
like my opinion or not but i would look for speakers with out a paper cone, not sure if the Alpine's still have paper or not i haven't looked at them in a while. AGAIN just my opinion.

rahim
08-27-2005, 07:08 PM
Originally posted by canadian_hustla


I bought a pair of foglights off ebay for 60USD, shipping was 20USD. A good deal at first, however for purolator to release the package to me i had to pay $56 and change in brokerage fees/taxes/taxes on the taxes

fuck the feds :thumbsdow



Duty and tax wouldn't come to more then 15% of the value of the item, the biggest chunk of your money went to the brokerage fees, which go to the shipping company, not the feds. There is a post on beyond somewhere that tells you how to declare your own items, you still have to pay tax and duty, but you can avoid the brokerage fees completely

geestring
08-28-2005, 12:05 AM
k wheres this post... i would like to know... because it sucks

nm i read the post....

you have to be in the port of entry to do that self clearing thing...

_wrx_
08-28-2005, 07:15 AM
get them of this site! www.techronics.com great deals!

dogmelissa
08-29-2005, 09:42 AM
Wow... obviously forgot to subscribe to this thread, cause I didn't know there were any responses.

To respond to all of them:

Weapon: I would be very careful selecting speakers, making sure they're new. As such, I wouldn't be buying anything from eBay. Your links refuse to work for me, so I can't look at them. If you have the Brand & Model names for the Infinitys, I'll look them up on their site. The Alpine ones sound good, but I'm not sure how much they'll cost here.

GTS Jeff: The last post in this thread was end of July. And again, I don't want to spend a ton of money on speakers. And if these are being shipped by an individual, I'd have no guarantee on them. If they fail, I'm out my $250+shipping. Plus it sounds like the install is more complicated than my car can even really handle--I have very limited speaker space because I don't want to cut into the door panels. I've already had to make the sacrifice to have rear speakers, so if I sell my car, they have to go with it. :(

Canadian Hustla: I understand about the duty, charges & taxes. I looked into this place (etronics) in detail. Because they don't ship to a Purolator place, and the package goes directly to my house (or work) all the fees are included. Duty, taxes, shipping, etc. It's all in there. I also know of some people who have been stung by this, but the only way to get stung by "extra" fees on e-tronics is to select "economy" shipping, which isn't an option if I buy only these speakers.

SWX: Thank you, but I'm happy with my choice. Anything with a fibre cone (or anything else) is out of my price range.

WRX: The prices on that site APPEAR to be good, but they don't have the SPS-171 I'm looking for. Plus they ship via UPS, which likely means that I'll end up paying the same amount (or more) for duties and taxes and brokerage fees at the point of pick-up as I would if I shipped through e-tronics. I'm very hesitant about UPS as I've heard (and had a few) many problems with things getting lost, broken or extremely delayed, plus they always seem to have tons of extra fees at the pick-up point.

Anyways... I'm yet undecided about where and when I'm getting speakers, so keep the info coming!

SWX
08-29-2005, 11:29 AM
You can get speakers localy with a poly cone for about $100 so there sould be something in your price range, on line for sure. Hell even the Pioneers start at about $95 Can. for poly cones.

R U just doing coaxial speakers?not components.

The reason i ask is the paper though treated will not last as long in an automotive enviroment as long, it might be worth the look.

dogmelissa
08-29-2005, 11:41 AM
I'm not fond of the Pioneer brand for speakers. I really liked the sound the Alpine SPS-171s put out in my car, and I'd like either the same speakers or something comparable. These are technically component speakers, but because of space limitations, they were mounted as if they were coaxial (tweeter mounted directly over the centre of the main speaker).

Also, since my rear speakers & subwoofer are by Alpine, I'd prefer to stay with the same brands. I know it won't *really* make a big difference, but it's just what I'm comfortable with. I wouldn't really want to put a GM engine in my Honda car (or the other way around) and I feel the same way about speakers. My head unit is a different brand, but I prefer having all the speakers the same brand.

If you know of any Alpine speakers that are a fibre cone coax or component for around $200, I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks,
Melissa

SWX
08-29-2005, 01:02 PM
well if your staying with Alpine then your looking at a paper cone for that money. But if not you could look at Hertz, Boston, Focal, MTX, Diamond Audio, and a few others.

dogmelissa
08-30-2005, 10:28 AM
SWX: Specific model recommendations?? That's a crap load of brands to go through to find the non-paper cones in my price range and then find out if they're available in Calgary.

Thanks,
Melissa

SWX
08-30-2005, 11:13 AM
the Hertz ones i'm not to sure of the model yet i've heard them but didn't bother to look at model numbers, but they sound very good and are avaliable at Audio concepts as are the Focal's which would be Model #165CA.
Diamond audio i'm not sure if any one in the city has them but F/X Audio in Edmonton does and the model would be 361i.
Boston, not sure if anyone in Alberta does them buit they would be the S65's.
MTX you can get at Car Salon there model is TDX6502.
Hope this helps.

dogmelissa
08-30-2005, 01:05 PM
SWX:
Doing my research...
Focal 165 CA speakers: I don't like the look of them, but that's fine as they're hidden behind speaker grills in my car. What concerns me (despite glowing reviews from a lot of places) is the frequency response: 60Hz-18kHz where my Alpines have a range from 35Hz - 30kHz . Of course, I know that the majority of the sounds that I want to hear are going to fall within the range that the Focal speakers do, but in the rare cases where it's above or below that, my Alpine speakers will still handle it. What exactly happens to a speaker if you give it sounds that it can't output? If a bunch of my music has sounds in the 40-50Hz range, would that actually damage the speaker, or would I just not hear it?
Secondly, the Focals have a lower max power handling level than do my Alpines. The amp I currently have in the car pushes 75W at 4ohms, and 120 at 2. I'm not sure that the Focal speakers would perform as well.

The Diamond Audio ones... to start with are only 6", so I'm not sure if they'd fit in my car. Secondly, their frequency range is not much better than the Focals (54-20), and I don't want to drive all the way to Edmonton to get speakers. I think I'll pass on these ones.

Boston: RMS Power handling: 35W. Frequency 58Hz-20kHz. Um, pass.

MTX: We're getting better. 48-20 Frequency, 60W RMS & 120W max power. They're listed as being 6 3/4" so again, not sure if they'll fit in my car.

Generally, having not heard any of these speakers, I can't really make an informed decision. But when comparing the specs, I just can't see any reason, other than the non-paper cones, to buy them. I liked the sound out of the Alpines, and I think that there's no real reason to buy anything else at the moment.

Thanks though, you did make me do my homework.
Melissa

rahim
08-30-2005, 01:34 PM
I doubt you can hear over 18kHz, and i guarantee you that your alpines couldn't reproduce 35hz with any real volume, just so you know

Weapon_R
08-30-2005, 02:23 PM
Melissa,

The speakers I suggested can be found here or many places online, and there are hundreds of reputable buyers on ebay that offer these speakers at excellent prices.

The links I provided featured 2 different speakers: A set of Alpine Type R speakers (much nicer than the Type S) and a couple of auctions for a component set of Infinity Kappas. The kappas are awesome speakers and you'll be very happy with them if you decide to go for them. The Type S are okay, but for the price you have found i'd much rather opt for something a lot better. Most of the suggestions in this thread feature speakers that are far superior to the entry level Type S speaker, and can be had for about the same price or just a little more.

I don't know why you say your car 'can't handle a set' like the Cantons. The end result is your listening pleasure, and if you opt for a good set of speakers and get them installed by a competant installer, you will learn to enjoy your sound system regardless of the vehicle they are placed in. What's even better is that you can keep your stock speakers and throw them in if and when you decide to sell the car and transfer these guys into another vehicle. I just upgraded every speaker in my lowly civic, and the sound quality is world's apart from what I was using previously (the stock system).

dogmelissa
08-30-2005, 03:54 PM
Originally posted by rahim
I doubt you can hear over 18kHz, and i guarantee you that your alpines couldn't reproduce 35hz with any real volume, just so you know

Nope, I don't think I can hear anything over 18kHz, and that wasn't the end of the spectrum I was worried about. The kind of bass that I really enjoy runs in the 50Hz range, and neither of those speakers can output that kind of sound. Granted, I have a sub, so most of the sound of that frequency is going there, but if I ever take the sub out or it fails, then it'd be nice to know that the speakers could still handle that sound.

rahim
08-30-2005, 04:06 PM
if alpine rated their speakers like focal, diamond, or boston that 35hz number would definatly be higher

dogmelissa
08-30-2005, 04:07 PM
Weapon: I don't trust eBay. I know too many people who have been burned either by lack of warranty on damaged goods, or who ended up having to pay twice what the item was worth in shipping. If you have any other suggestions for places online to buy them I'd be happy to hear. Generally I have also found that auctions don't yield as good a deal as was expected, once hidden costs, shipping, etc are factored in. I'd prefer an online retailer.

As I said originally, the Alpines you suggested seemed nice and I was going to look for a local supplier to determine price. The Infinity links didn't work, and I was hoping you could provide model names/numbers so I could look them up outside eBay.

As for the other speakers being superior, having never tried any of the others in my car, I can't speak for them. I did look up the specs on everything that had a specified model and didn't think they were worth the price--the Focals suggested by SWX will run me $270 + tax + install--and I have no idea how they will sound in my car.

I never said that I didn't think my car could handle Cantons. In fact, this is the first mention of Canton I've heard in this thread. What I did say is that there were a couple of models I was worried about them fitting in the openings in my doors. Two were specified as being 6 3/4" in diameter, another which a review stated that a car installer had a heck of a time with them and ended up having to remove metal to install them. I know the Alpines fit, is all I'm saying.

I have already upgraded my stereo system; I spent a TON of money on it last year, updating every piece of it from a stock system to a system which completely blows the stock one away. I am simply looking at replacing my front speakers now, as they were water-damaged (there's another thread regarding this) and were blown completely. I'm not saying that other speakers won't sound better than my stock system, but what I want is one that sounds as good (or better) than it did before my front speakers blew, and won't cost me a ton of money. What you have to remember is that a set of speakers that costs $250 now is added to the $150 I spent at the Soundsaround sale on my Alpine speakers last year, making the total cost of front speakers $400... and that number makes me choke. If I can keep it below $300, I'd feel better, $350 is only marginally better.

Melissa

dogmelissa
08-30-2005, 04:10 PM
Originally posted by rahim
if alpine rated their speakers like focal, diamond, or boston that 35hz number would definatly be higher

I'd be very interested in hearing how Focal, Diamond, Boston and all other manufacturers measure their frequency ratings, and how Alpine's methods differ. Can you provide this information?

rahim
08-30-2005, 04:16 PM
i believe alpines marketing team decides what their frequency response and peak power ratings should be, while higher end companies like the ones mentioned actually measuere them with a mic and a tone generator

SWX
08-30-2005, 05:50 PM
The MTX you can hear at Car Salon and the Focal, Hertz you can hear at Audio Concepts. While they may be a bit more money than your Alpines they are worth every penny, once you've heard them you'll understand. Alpines are an OK speaker, but are nothing next to the other brands mentioned.