What are the advantages of component speakers over regular speakers. What brand would you recommend getting. I currently have the kenwood ddx 7015 so I don't if I would have to have an amp or not. I really dont want to have to add one.

Thanks
Nick

 

There are a few advantages.
First and most obvious is the ablity to mound the woofer and tweeter separatley, to get the best imaging you can-and best sound you prefer (some people like the sound of tweeters up in the A pillar, with the woofers down low etc)

Second is the external crossover. Unlike regualr co-axial speakers that usually just have a high pass filter on the tweeter, and let the woofer play its full frequency range, components have an external crossover which has a set crossover point for BOTH the woofer and the tweeter, sending the highs to the tweeter, and the mids to the woofer. Much better and clearer sounding, and unlike coaxials, components dont have a huge 'overlap' where the woofer and tweeter are playing the same frequencies at times, causing those frequencies to stick out more, and usually sound a little harsher and not blend in to well.

And generally, the build quality is a little better than just your regular coaxial speaker.

So, those are your main reasons.
There are many good companys out there. We need a budget to help you pick some out a little better. but-CDT, MB Quart, Diamond, Resonant Engineering, Dynadio,and Rainbow are some of my fav that the average person can afford.
Other brands are Infinity, Polk, and Alpine.

With components your generaly going to want to power them with an amp. Components usually require some power to get them moving and sounding good. With out and amp-most components will sound a little "lacking" and bass will usually be distored at higher volumes. However, with some lower wattage components, you could probably get by with using the HU for power.

 

edit: wow check out post times, im deleting mine since it says the same basic stuff.

 

Haha, dontcha' hate it when that happens.

 

I dont know much about amps and such so what size amp would I need to run a set of componenets? Watts, channels, I don't know.

 

Generally a lot of the commonly used components take about 100 to 150 watts, it just depends on the specs of the speaker. You will need 2 channels for 2 speakers, and 4 channels for 4 speakers, its that simple. But decent 2 channel amps can be found for under 100 bucks alot of the time, and most SQ set ups only use one set of components.

 

Nick, Any recommendations depend on what you want your system to do for you, how serious you are about quality in the sound and the equipment you buy, and what your budget constraints are. For example, some people are more concerned with being LOUD, and not necessarily into "sound quality", which may be just the opposite of others. Some people may think $200 is a huge amount of money to spend on speakers, while others may think more along the lines of $1000 or more. And if amps are not in your future, component speakers are not necessary because simply using your head unit as amplfication will not allow you to take advantage of what components do have to offer over and above coaxials. Head unit amps are not well suited for anything more than low and mid volume use with speakers requiring little power. So, if you like your music loud, clear and clean, amps and subs and components should eventually be in your plans. If you are one of the few who does not listen to their music loud over extended periods, then some really nice coaxials and the head unit may be just what you need. As another example, there are people who think the stock system is good enough. You have to decide what's right for you now. Your tastes and wants may change in the future.