Amazon.com HERTZ HCX 165 6.5 2-Way Hi-Energy Coaxial Speakers HCX165 Vehicle Speakers Car Electronics

 

i agree with Hertz HCX 165. Just be careful about who you get them from. They are very popular speakers and highly subjective to fakes, buy from a local dealer....and yes that's how good they are.

 

Want better sound than stock but also don't want to pay $300 for a set of these & actually PREFER the stock size. Does Hertz make a smaller, less expensive version that can be "plug & play" with little/no mods other than adding an amp?

Yep, I bought a pair of Hertz HCX 165's for less than $200 from an authorized dealer so the odds were good & they appears to be legit so now it's time to pick the amp

 

Want better sound than stock but also don't want to pay $300 for a set of these & actually PREFER the stock size. Does Hertz make a smaller, less expensive version that can be "plug & play" with little/no mods other than adding an amp?

Hertz ECX 130 which is the stock speaker size up front (5.25 inches)

 

And if you do decide to buy the hertz speakers then upgrade to the JL Audio 400 amp.

 

Imagine I61-2V2c 6.5 Coaxial Speaker Set - 12v Electronics

By far you're best option. Good luck selecting.

 

I found a killer deal so picked up the Hertz HCX 165's and am now on the hunt for the amp. I could drop $400 on the JL but 4-channel Piccasso Nano @ $99 ($205 retail) seems like a bargain..to me. Any experience here with this lower-cost amp?
Soundstream PN4.320D Picasso Nano 320W 4-Channel Class-D Amplifier

 

I run a memphis audio amp. Nice unit with a better reputation than the RF PB 300x4. Be sure to use the line output converters and RCA wiring to clean up the sound.

 

Run the new Picasso Nano PN4.1000 It's 130x4 @ 4 ohm compared to the PN 4.520 which is 100x4 @ 4 ohms. I just swapped one out and it really pushes the speakers. Way better and it was only $160.. I had a set of Hertz which I just blew after 5 yrs. and changed over to a set of MB Quarts. I actually like the Hertz better. If you do run that 4.320, do it in bridge mode so you can get 160X2. The Hertz can handle the power. It will really wake those speakers up. I would not run it non bridged because you will only get 60x2 with is not enough power for those speakers.

 

Just installed the new JL Audio HX280/4 with my Hertz 165 XL components and the system absolutely ROCKS! Amp is completely waterproof, is extremely versatile and can be mounted to make adjustments through headlight cavity (headlight removed). Polyfoam the back of the speakers to gain some mid bass. Let me know if you need some pics!

 

Sound stream makes a quality amp. JL Audio is just plain better. Look around. I paid 320 for mine on the bay. Very happy.

You WILL play hell fitting in the fairing, especially on a magnum. Magnums radio is bigger for some odd reason. There is a write up on this mod. I forget if it's on here or the other Vic forum. I omitted my stock mount, fabbed a new one from some Simpson strong tie joist brackets and even managed to squeeze my xm in around the outside portion of the fairing mount brackets. Sounds absolutely awesome. I won't win any stereo contests cause those guys spend $$$$$$$$$$ but I can hear my tunes at FULL VOLUME WITH CLARITY. Blows the X1 away.

 

DirtyDan what are you using for lights in your bag fillers and how did you make the tail light look right without the signal bracket. I live about 100 mi SW of ChiTown. We ride up to Randy's and other suburban locations sometimes.

 

Run the new Picasso Nano PN4.1000 It's 130x4 @ 4 ohm compared to the PN 4.520 which is 100x4 @ 4 ohms. I just swapped one out and it really pushes the speakers. Way better and it was only $160.. I had a set of Hertz which I just blew after 5 yrs. and changed over to a set of MB Quarts. I actually like the Hertz better. If you do run that 4.320, do it in bridge mode so you can get 160X2. The Hertz can handle the power. It will really wake those speakers up. I would not run it non bridged because you will only get 60x2 with is not enough power for those speakers.

Hmm, I don't think that running bridged is a viable option as I do have a trunk that I use every once in a while & I want to retain the same quick connect as I do today. I did find a SoundStream PN4 5.20D that appears to have 100Wx4 for $109.95 so that's a better fit at a great price

 

DirtyDan what are you using for lights in your bag fillers and how did you make the tail light look right without the signal bracket. I live about 100 mi SW of ChiTown. We ride up to Randy's and other suburban locations sometimes.

Those are Yaffe signals in the bag fillers. For the tail light i just had my painter fill all the mounting holes for the trim and signals. The plate filler up top I ordered paint matched from Witchdoctors.

 

The larger Picasso is 9 inches long instead of the 6 inches for the 320. Not certain if this would create any problems fitting it under the fairing. Can anyone who has mounted an amp on an XC give me an idea if the extra 3 inches would be a problem? I would ask my wife help...LOL

Found the reason everyone buys the Class D...
"Class D amplifiers are a relatively new development in the audio world that now allows us to get a whole lot more power with a lot less heat and strain on our electrical system (battery & alternator) than was ever possible before" (Source: americanhardbag)

 

I just mounted the new PN4.1000 which is 10.5 inches long in my XC with the Vtwin plate wit no problems. Hope this helps.

 

Just installed the new JL Audio HX280/4 with my Hertz 165 XL components and the system absolutely ROCKS! Amp is completely waterproof, is extremely versatile and can be mounted to make adjustments through headlight cavity (headlight removed). Polyfoam the back of the speakers to gain some mid bass. Let me know if you need some pics!

Shlim - Thanks for the recommendation. I am researching these now. Since these are new it doesn't look like anyone is discounting them but their size & capabilities look good for a 2-speaker system. The HX/280/4 is only 50w in the 4-channel configuration so may be a bit underpowered for 4 100RMS speakers but could work well in a 2-channel design. Did you bridge yours to get the 140w output on those two channels as stated in this article?
JL Audio releases new compact motorcycle audio amps TechnologyTell

 

Just installed the new JL Audio HX280/4 with my Hertz 165 XL components and the system absolutely ROCKS! Amp is completely waterproof, is extremely versatile and can be mounted to make adjustments through headlight cavity (headlight removed). Polyfoam the back of the speakers to gain some mid bass. Let me know if you need some pics!

Due to price and features I have gravitated back to your HX280/4 recommendation & I could benefit from your experience if you could answer a few questions:
1) The only AMP inputs appear to be RCA connectors. Reading the HX280 manual, it appears that you have to splice and solder the radio's speaker-level wires into an RCA plugs. That would not be my preferred method as I still have nightmares from doing that with about 24 cables for my while house audio system a few years back. I have PLENTY of RCA cables still lying around including some really high-end cables so I could always simply cut the cables a foot from the RCA jacks and then solder those onto the radio's speaker line level outputs. Is that how you handled the RCA-only input issue. I saw the nine-step procedure in the manual for balancing the input signal so hopefully that is as easy as it looks.
2) In a picture I captured from another site, I noticed that there appears to be an existing 35 amp MaxiFuse already "inline" so I expect that I would simply run a 8 gauge wire directly from that to the positive battery terminal. That means I would not need to spend additional $s on one of the Amplifier Connection Kits (some running as much as $90!). What did you use for the power connections?
3) I read a review that stated that this device does not have an "autosense" on the line inputs. The manual seemed to back that up in that it shows that a remote power connection would also need to be connected to this particular Amp. Where did you "pick up" that switched power source from on your bike?

 

nda, you need to get a line converter from an audio store. Very simple. It's a box that you connect your speaker wire to. left and right positive and negative you can't do it wrong. You don't need to solder, use butt connectors. The other end of the box had RCA inputs. You will then connect the box to the amp via RCA, now your set.

Seem your right about the power. All you need to do is extend that cable to the battery and your all set. Make sure you get a good ground somewhere under the fairing . You need to get a test light and poke around behind the fairing for a switched source of power for the remote turn on. I'm on the road all day but will check back tonight if you have any more questions. Hope this helps.

 

Others stated that using a line converter compromised the audio quality in other solutions (like in using the original M400/4 v1 from JL Audio) that also did not have speaker level inputs. However, the MX280/4 does look like it has some additional tuning functionality by adjusting the input levels to compensated for unbalanced signals.

 

I have been using converters for a long time even when I had my HD. Never had a problem. I'm currently running one right now. There seems to be no other solution with that amp you are running.

 

Thank you all for your contributions and guidance. A few minutes ago I went ahead and ordered the JL Audio HX280/4 marine version and will report on the results once it arrives. Here is my logic:

1. Compact - They don't get much smaller
2. Lowest Power Drain - It's a Class D with power tech based on it's big brother
3. Economical - I bought it for around the same price as the RF PBR300x4 so should I discover that I need more power in the future, I can actually a second HX280's and will have paid UNDER $400. Less than the price of a single RF TM400x4ad, JL M400/4, Arc 600.4 or pretty much ANY other 4-channel amp (PM for details).
4. Versatility AND powerful - I can run this as a 4-channel 50w RMS amp or bridge it to support a 2 channel set up. When run in that mode, the amp will provide a WHOPPING 140w RMS/channel to each of the front 2 speakers!
5. Coolest running - Most RF owners state that they like their RFs but pretty much EVERY owner also states that the "get hot QUICK!" and numerous people reported failures that were likely due to the temperature issues.
6. ZERO FM interference - None yet reported likely due to it's genetics
7. Weatherproof - This one TRULY defines the classification as they had water literally running over and around a LIVE unit @ CES (Videos online).
8. Fewer Parts - The external MaxiFuse is already in the package so I won't have to spend an additional $70 on a power kit.

CONs

• Have to use a line converter (similar to most others)
• There is no "auto-sense" so I will have to find a switched power to tap
• Only a few have put these in so I will be on the "bleeding edge"
• No existing mounts yet developed for the XC (maybe I will create one!)

 

just curious, you ever look at the tune tata's? highway bar mounted speakers that can be bluetooth or hardwired

 

Handlebar speakers would be a completely different thread

 

...There seems to be no other solution with that amp you have on order (sic) are running.

Hmm, not certain about that statement. The JL Audio website states...

"...features include independent front and rear crossovers with selectable full-range, high-pass or low-pass filter controls and a dual-range input section that accepts a wide range of input voltage levels, from line-level all the way to high-power speaker level signals."

I may need to give a JL technician a call when it gets here to see how to get the speaker level inputs into the amp if there are only RCA inputs. Perhaps the package comes with some type of adapters like RCA-to-Spade to make the high-power speaker level connections.

 

Just found the part (XB-CLRAIC2-SW selling for $9.99) and the good news (for me) is that no additional (potentially cheap) transistors will get in the signal line
XD-CLRAIC2-SW - Car Audio - Connection Systems - Audio Connections - RCA to Speaker Wire - JL Audio

Here's a better picture of the bare wire side of this from a similar product from a competitor.
Amazon.com Kicker KISL 2-Channel K-Series Speaker Cable to RCA Adapter MP3 Players Accessories

 

Ndabunka Do yourself a favor stop being cheap and use input line convertors. I tried unsuccessfully for way to long not knowing what I was doing. I finally got together with a audio store that knew what they were doing and hooked up PAC input line converters. Huge difference in clearity. With line level speaker input your just making bad sound louder.

 

I think you are confused. What I want to prevent is the introduction of "artificial" audio that is often caused by the cheap electronics used in line converters. The HX280 is DESIGNED to accept speaker level inputs which means that I am not being forced to add those suspect electronics inline. Rather, the audio will therefore be "cleaner" than if I was forced to add the line converter.

Did the amp that you were using in your learning process have the ability to accept "high signal speaker inputs"? Most older amps do not so it's no surprise that you may have run into problems trying to do it without a line converter.

 

I can't tell you the model number off the top of my head but I am using the latest Memphis audio amp. It is capabable of taking the high power speaker input. That was why I thought i could get away without as well. I tried 3 different speakers and still a a sound level lod enough to hear at highway speeds (80) MPH it sounded like crap. With the input convertors it's clear tell your ears can't take it. Do as you please I'm just trying to save you the same frustration I had by passing along what worked for me. Maybe it will help someone.

 

Appreciate the additional details and I will let this forum know should I run into the same issues. It appears that the only Memphis Audio four channel amp that could accept high-level speaker input would be the 16-SRX4.300 so perhaps that is what you have in your bike.

 

Like I said I'm not a audio guy all I can tell you is that's what it took to make mine sound right. I just got back from the Lake Superior loop ride over 2400 miles and good sound the whole time.