Review: Pioneer TS-D1720c 6.75" Components

[Walt]

If anyone is in the market for a nice set of components for around $110, take a look.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-TS-D1720C ... B0015NRQ5S

Pro's: Will fit openings designed for 6.5" speakers (drill your own screw holes).
Nice 1-1/8" silk done tweeter
Good construction on the woofer
Overall build quality is above par for the cost
Included X-over allows for a -3db tweeter output cut if needed
They like alot of power

Con's: A decent EQ is a must have to get the best possible sound
X-over is pretty basic, and the x-over points are a little off
They like alot of power

Having owned quite a few sets of components over the years, I wasn't expecting much, but this set has surprised me. I purchased a $110 budget set of components, expecting to get what I paid for. I could see these competing with a $200-250 set of components. I few points of interest:

I disconnected the rear speakers in my silverado (single cab 4x6...eww...). Since my Alpine CDA-9833 goes absolutely crazy with tuning options, I opted to bi-amp the set with the tweeters on the front channels and the woofers on the rear channel. I didn't use the included X-over at all. I also ran new speaker wire, and a 12ga power wire for the Alpine deck (required for the V-drive HU amp). I mounted the tweeters off-axis, which seems to be the preferred method to get the best sound. As I noted above, they like alot of power. You'll get the best performance by using a 4-channel amp--4x80-125 watts. My head unit has a slightly higher output amp than the average, which helps a little, but a dedicated 4-channel amp might be on the horizon...

When I first started listening to them (duplicating the X-over points of the included X-overs) , they sounded a bit shrill. Very bright. Before any EQ adjustments, I was able to drastically improve the sound by moving the high frequency cutoff for the woofer from 3khz down to 2khz @ 12db. Low cut off is @ 63hz @ 18db for the moment. ( no subs yet) For the tweeter, I increased the low frequency cut off from 2.5k to 3k @ 12db, and lowered the overall tweeter volume by -2db.

The sound was much better, but still a bit off in some areas. I moved on to the EQ, dropping 2k and 6k a bit, upping 63hz, 125hz, and 12k . This brought me to the point of being mostly satisfied with the set. I have more tweaking to do before I'll be completely satisfied, but that would be the same with any set of speakers. Adding my two 8" subs will also change the game a bit.

I haven't said much about the X-over that comes with the set, except that I didn't use it. It's not a bad X-over, but the crossover point is a bit too high for the woofer, and too low for the tweeter. This can be overcome with the help of a decent EQ, so don't let that dissuade you from buying the set and using the included X-over if you have to.

I use several tracks to tune my stuff. None are probably on the top ten list for musically fantastic tuning tracks, but I've used them for a long time, and know what they should sound like, and what instruments and frequencies I should be hearing. Most were popular songs that were overplayed on radio stations at some point, which is probably how I picked them up.

Higher - Creed
Arms Wide Open - Creed
Kiss This - Aaron Tippin
Butter - Mariah Carey
Future Generations - 4Him
Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson
Shadowless - Toni Braxton

To sum it up, I wouldn't buy this set to use with a stock, or even a really cheap aftermarket head unit. To reach this set's full potential, you'll need a deck that has a few tuning options. If you do, I think you'll be more than pleased with the performance given cost.

[ApproachMedium]

Nice review. I have been debating since I got the CC to install my Polk MOMO components in the front doors but I just haven't With 150W RMS power per side, they really shine the best with a seperate power amp. Trying to run them off the stock head unit might not give me the results that I currently get with the Pioneer coaxials I have in the door and the two silk dome tweeters in my dash i borrowed from the back of the GTI when it got new speakers.

If I could find a place to comfortably bury an Alpine PDX amp in one of these trucks I would be set. Damn you GM for never giving us any space under the front or back seats. That is where I hid the PDX for my sub in the GTI.