Car Component Audio System Help! Blown Mids?

Question

I recently purchased a 2002 Mini Cooper with the current setup: 2 - 5 1/4" Mids in each door with 2 tweeters powered by a 600W amp in each door. Rear has 4 - 1600W Subs powered by 2 1600 W Amps. Currently, 3 of the 4 Mids are blown in the doors. I semi-understand component systems but need to know what to replace these blown speakers with. I don't necessarily want to buy new component systems and have them installed b/c they typically come with only 2 mids and I need 4(plus that's mass expensive). I just want to replace these Mids with something that works. Can I just buy 4 - 2way or 3way speakers and plug them in. I understand with my given wattage of the door amps, I will probably need something with at least 55 RMS or more. Honestly, I don't care so much about distinctively hearing mids and highs, I just want speakers that work and be able to hear the bass from the rear. Does anyone know if my thinking will work?

Thanks!!

Answer 1

If you are blowing speakers you are pushing too much power to them.  

With out knowing details of your setup I am guessing, but I would first get speakers capable of handling 50% more power than your amps can deliver.  That sounds like a lot but with multiple speakers [4 mids] per amp they wont be in perfect balance [just the nature of things] and you want the weakest speaker strong enough to do its' job.  so nothing less than a speaker capable of 200 wats 300 wats would be better. so the total array could handle 800 wats or 1200 wats.  You loose a bit of efficiency that way but at these power ranges no big deal. This way if one fails the remaining 3 can handle the power.

Second make sure your crossovers are working and protecting your mids from base.   Excessive base energy to a speaker is often what will blow the speaker.  With the powers you describe the crossovers may be to the input of the amps.

Third check the out put from the amps.  excessive clipping can be very hard on speakers.  If the signal to the amp is too strong it overdrives the front end of the amp and cases a distortion of the signal that wen amplified can damage speakers.  some one with good hearing will often hear this as excessively harsh sound.  When bad it will sound like blown speakers, and will blow the speakers over time.  Most amps have a means of adjusting the input signal.  BTW the difinative test for this is to look at the output with an "O" scope but most people do not have one.

Answer 2

You could go with coaxials, but the sound and imaging will suffer. Go with new components that way your sound and imaging will still be there. You do not need to get speakers that can handle 50% of the power your amp can give, just turn the gain down so that you are not sending too much power to the speakers. When you turn the volume up and you hear distortion coming from the components woofers your gain is set to high. I would look for some component sets in a 2 way from a reputable company that does not want an arm and a leg for some speakers. Look into 150 watt RMS components. I will give you to manufacturer of such speakers that do not want an arm and a leg for. CDT Audio and Elemental Designs Audio. I know right now Elemental Designs has a set of 6.5" comps for less than $100. Elemental Designs components only come in 6.5" though. So for a better fit and a drop in replacement would be CDT. Woofers etc carries CDT and they do not want too much money for them either, well at least on most of their sets that is. They do have some that will cost you in excess of $600, but that is not what your looking for. They do have some in the $150 range though that are worth their weight in gold.

Answer 3

You could go with a coaxial set up. If you wanted.