Bass on Polk DB651's 6 1/2" speakers?

Question

I have a 2006 Honda Civic EX sedan and I read nothing but great reviews on the Polk DB651's that fit my car. I purchased them and had Circuit City install them. The highs are great but now my bass is much less than even the factory speakers. I am using the factory head unit but i thought that the bass should have improved at least a bit with these new speakers. Did Circuit City install them incorrectly or do I really need to install and amp for these speakers?

Answer 1

I also have these speakers in my truck, and while the highs and (upper)mids are super crisp, the bass is definitely lacking. I can't really think of a wrong way to wire a speaker to a head unit, it basically consists of removing the old speaker, putting a wiring harness on the existing speaker, and hooking the harness onto the contacts... so I doubt Circuit City installed them wrongly, and for better peace of mind you probably could have done this yourself. The advantage with these speakers is that they are so strong up high that you don't have to worry about them being overpowered by an amplified sub! Now's your chance to make some audio mods, go for it!

Answer 2

Every once in awhile an aftermarket speaker misses the mark with a particular vehicle.  That might be the case with the db651's and a Honda Civic.  

Even factory speakers at times are designed to work well in the factory location as like a car as refined as a Honda Civic they've had numerous years to get the combination right.  It just might be that the door panel of a Civic just might not be ideal for a db651.

CC is pretty decent about getting it right for their customers.  I'd go back and express your concerns.  Maybe a different aftermarket speaker is the route to take or you can try adding an amp to the mix, but I don't think that would increase the bass response much.