invaliduser's Full Review: Jl Audio XR650-CS Car Component System
These have been and still are my favorite set of components. I've used a couple of different sets after selling these, but none of them add up to the overall sound quality that I enjoyed from my XR components. That is not to say they are not without faults. But, overall, they are an incredible speaker package.
Why did I decide to purchase the XR components from JL Audio? Well, I had used a couple of different component sets including the CDT Classics and JL VR, and I was looking to upgrade. Plus, I had purchased an Alpine V12 series 2 channel amp that I was very pleased with, and I wanted to see if I could extract its full sound quality potential with a better pair of speakers.
While the JL Audio reputation certainly had an effect on my decision, I was primarily interested in hearing what the aluminum dome tweeter had to offer. I had done a little bit of research and discovered that the tweeter for the XR components had a reputation for being "laid back" for a metal dome tweeter. And, according to the product website, the tweeter is surrounded by rubber to control unwanted resonance.
Installation was a breeze. The only problem I had was that the midwoofers did not fit into my stock Honda speaker brackets, which were meant to hold undersize 6" speakers. These puppies are an oversized 6.5", so I had to use some MDF brackets that I had made by Mr Marv, who can be found at elitecaraudio.com. Mr Marv is an excellent wood craftsman who can make just about anything for car audio applications as long as it's made from wood. Once I had those in, it was just a matter of installing the tweeters and the crossovers.
I think it's safe to say that the crossovers have serious aesthetic appeal. The covers are made from smoked acrylic according to the product website, and they blend nicely with the rich red color of the crossover circuit panel. They are definitely meant to be visible and not tucked away somewhere where they can't be seen. Of course, if you don't have an adequate security system for your ride, I highly suggest you don't make them visible.
The tweeters come with all of the mounting hardware you could possible ask for, so installation did not pose any significant problems. There is of course an option to go with either a surface or flush mount, with both mounts offering swivel capability.
One thing I noticed after finally giving them a listen is that the tweeters are bright. Whether they are brighter than your average metal dome tweeters is something I am unaware of. But, they are certainly much brighter than the silk tweeters I had been using. I set the tweeter presence setting on the crossovers to a -6 db, and that helped somewhat. But, even after doing that, they just seemed to have an overbearing presence. I was not satisfied until I swiveled the tweeters slightly off-axis within their flush mounts. My advice is that you mount them as close to the midwoofers as possible. If you are using kickpanels, try to mount them slightly behind the midwoofers.
Of course, circumstances change if you purchase an equalizer, which I did. After hooking up an audiocontrol EQL, things starting looking a lot better. I should also mention here that I do believe that my ears are a bit more sensitive to bright tweeters than are the average person's.
The positive flip-side to screaming tweeters is the astonishing clarity and realism. Cymbals were no longer splashy; they instead were that metallic crashing sound that you'd expect to hear at a concert. To this day, I have not heard a more accurate and precise tweeter in my car.
The midrange is just as breathtaking. Every instrument sounded as it should without any coloration or poor imaging. Again, the term "life-like" easily comes to mind when I try to describe the ability of these components to reproduce sound.
In terms of sound quality, the midbass left some to be desired. Given that my installation was up to par, these mids produce midbass that is, well, somewhat distorted. It was noticeably lacking in smoothness and accuracy. The midbasses I was using prior to and after these had markedly smoother and more accurate midbass reproduction. Again, that may have just been my install. They were crossed at 75hz with a 18db slope.
That is not to say that they didn't have presence. These mids pound like the best of them - if not moreso. If you want midbass and you have enough power, these are definitely what you're looking for.
All in all, this is a superb set of speakers that I regret having sold. If you want audiophile grade sound quality coupled with superior craftsmanship, then these are definitely the way to go.
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