Best Thump-Bump for the money. I'm a bit of an audiophile but won't spend $$$ for extreme sound when these are affordable and sound amazing. Clear highs sound truly separated from the underlying bass line in a way that I've actually never heard in any of my friend's cars and is even hard to reproduce in a home surround system. You have to hear it to fully understand but you can have more bass and still hear the lyrics clearer and crisper than ever before.
I actually turned my treble down a little at first because the tweeter and mid range was really standing out. Once I got them equalized on my aftermarket 16w RMS stereo it sounds great (Cheap Dual 5" screen stereo, I wouldn't recommend it unless you keep the WallyWord receipt to swap it out when it breaks early). After turning the bass up and mids down a few dB, the treble can be turned up just fine. I always turn mids down some, it's not the speakers. The cymbal hits were so crisp I could hear the cymbals resonating as they faded away over a strong bass line, like in real life. Yep, I was saying wow.
I only have the front speakers installed so far and even with poor quality original rears the 2 front 6x8" Fosgates seem to put out as much bass as my factory 8" amplified sub, and they are punchier, more accurate sounding with a very satisfying rumble. However, for balanced sound I would recommend having an 8 or 10" sub. No reason to overdo the sub but it does add depth. This doesn't mean the speakers are weak and require a sub, in fact most people would be satisfied with the bass provided by 4 Fosgate Punches - at least using the 6x8 size.
The cone is concave and exterior build quality is outstanding. I expect them to last. I did extensive research on all types of door speakers and spent a little more for these, glad I did.
Further Review and Thoughts:
My factory speakers are molded into a small box and these are just installed freely inside the door frame, I can definitely feel the sound resonating inside that un-tuned door. They would sound better with a small enclosure, maybe ported, but buidling / installing that would be tricky unless you use something like a Boom Mat speaker baffle (never tried them but probably helpful if it fits properly - see reviews). If anyone has used them with these speakers please comment, I suspect porting would do best since they are moving some air.
I'm really excited to install the rears! Very easy to install and in the 05 Explorer the door panels couldn't be easier to remove. Cost wise you might be surprised what your factory speakers are selling for used on eBay. I can hopefully get enough to offset half my cost.
These aren't designed to be turned way up to 11, you need something with higher RMS wattage for that but they are loud. Trust me, I doubt you'll return these for audio reasons nor want to upgrade after you get them equalized properly. If your stereo is factory, upgrade that first for best sound. I'm telling everyone to come sit and listen to at least 30 seconds of music.
I used dielectric grease on the connectors but check to see if your car's wires have oxidized, mine had a black coating on the copper wire even tho it was stripped 3" back from the connector. This could affect transmission so I used a pocket knife to quickly scrape that off and make it shiny before attaching my blade connectors. Crimp them tight and check polarity!
I needed small washers on the factory screw heads so they wouldn't dig into the mounting holes but hardware and clips are provided. I took the install opportunity to clean and spray my door hinges with white lithium grease and clean the door seams and window track. A window motor can last inevitably longer if dust and grit aren't causing resistance.
Real-World Technical Aspects:
Prices can't be beaten, pick up a couple sets, generally for best sound use the same speakers in all 4 doors. The magnet was strong in these by the way, that's a very good sign. I wouldn't worry about the mediocre sensitivity specs, it's not quite 90 dB or higher but the volume loudness was fine even with a relatively underpowered head unit.
The frequency range also sounded full to me, I could hear and feel the low frequency lows very well and obviously they are producing the highs in blissful abundance. The crossover works beautifully to separate the frequencies and send them to the proper component. I assume this is one aspect where Rockford Fosgate's engineering is superior to lesser brands. My car came with premium sound, 2-way door speakers and a factory 8" sub but this fills the car with sound, blowing the old speakers out of the water and onto an eBay listing!
| Recommended Uses For Product | For Music Players |
|---|---|
| Compatible Devices | Laptop, Personal Computer, Smartphone |
| Subwoofer Diameter | 6.5 Inches |
| Mounting Type | Coaxial |
| Surround Sound Channel Configuration | 2.0 |
| Material | Polypropylene |
| Color | BLACK |
| Included Components | speakers |
| Product Dimensions | 4"D x 6"W x 5"H |
| Audio Output Mode | Stereo |
| Speaker Maximum Output Power | 110 Watts |
| Item Weight | 5 Pounds |
| Impedance | 4 Ohm |
| Is Waterproof | FALSE |
| Maximum Range | 10 Meters |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Speaker Size | 6.5 Inches |
| Package Type | Standard Packaging |
| Subwoofer Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Connectivity Protocol | Coaxial |
| Includes MP3 player? | No |
| Manufacturer | Rockford Fosgate |
| Item Weight | 5 pounds |
| Item model number | P1650 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Wireless Remote | No |
| Warranty | Famous Rockford Fosgate build quality with a full 1-year warranty when purchased from an authorized Rockford Fosgate reseller |
