# What the HE**? Clif Designs QX6500C



## Genxx (Mar 18, 2007)

Just throwing this out there as it has me trying to disect them for no reason. Ok I know CLif has been metioned in the same sentence as some other low end brands we will not name. So when the HEL* did they start making comp set of speakers that where worthy of a list price of $799.99. Have they gone mad or am I going crazy. Now they can be had for $199.99 on close out with free shipping but even at that seems the 720PRS would have them beat. Anyone now who designed these or manufactured them. This confuses me to see a list price like $799.99 from Clif that is in the range of SR6500. Are these a diamond in the ruff or another try at over priced set of comps.

Figured you guys might have fun with this one and be able figure this one out.


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## Infinity (Jun 28, 2005)

15-20 years ago Clif Designs were VERY high end speakers, and worthy of their cost. Maybe their getting back to their roots?


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## Rbsarve (Aug 26, 2005)

The Clif Designs of ten years ago is now CDT...


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## Genxx (Mar 18, 2007)

Yes they made stuff in the past that was really good. This is current newer speakers. I would almost pick up a set just to run them through the paces but even at $199.99 I have hard time justifying it, no use for them. This is like that curiosity thing. They could be a great and no one ever new. The cossovers look nice, well put together and the speakers do to. I just keep wondering looking at them if I haven't seen the look of that mid before.


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## Phreaxer (Oct 8, 2005)

Rbsarve said:


> The Clif Designs of ten years ago is now CDT...


literately? or just in terms of comparison? 
I am very pleased with my CDT comps and they are the 'cheap' ones too.


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## phatredpt (Feb 22, 2006)

Caraudio mag tested one of their high end comp sets a year or 2 ago (may have been the same ones) and the conclusion was that they were "ok..."
Nice appearance..but only average sound for the price


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## Fast Hot Rod (Apr 19, 2007)

Let me tell you something about the QX6500C's.

Run. Away. Quickly.

I am familiar with the 'old' Clif Designs from years past. I actually met the president out in California when I was stationed there. (USAF) He was a great guy and answered a lot of questions I had about his Dodge Stealth install.

Years later, I figured I would check them out at CES. Once again, the company was solid, had great speakers, and super installs. That was maybe 7 years ago or so. (Same vehicles can be seen on CDT's website... coincidence?)

So recently I went out and looked for a new set of front speakers. I saw the Clif Designs QX6500C's and thought "Man... I loved my old Clif's. I'll give them a try."

The box they came in was pretty impressive. That's about it.

The wiring was terminated with all 'male' connectors. It's really hard to hook up the speakers if the wiring doesn't connect right. Minor issue, but still... for $800 they better be perfect.

The crossovers didn't come with screws to mount them, and the crossover PCB was loose from the rest of the frame. Maybe some really large screws with some fender washers would work?!?!  

The 6.5 drivers have mounting rings and grills that look pretty cheap. They came with screws to mount the rings... but no screws to mount the driver to the rings. Doopt! Once again a minor issue, but...

The tweeters have three mounting options. Surface, flush, and flush angle mount. Instead of a clamp/screw type retaining system, they use a big azz knurled ring to clamp the tweeter ring in place. Kinda like those toy wagon clamp style nuts that hold the wheel on the axle, only bigger. Oh yea... it doesn't work with the flush angle mount. You're out of luck if you want to use that mounting option. By the way: no additional screws are provided for the tweeters, either. Too bad if you want to use the angle mount... unless you decide to hit Home Depot for some custom mounting hardware.

I sent two e-mails to Clif Designs looking for answers. I got NOTHING in return. Nada. Zip. (Yes, I checked my spam folder.)

I ended up returning them to Sonic Electronix. I told them I wanted to exchange them and get the Pioneers instead. Last night, I got another set of Clif Designs.  

Guess what?

Wiring is the same, the screws are not there, crossover PCB's are not held in place, ad naseum. Clif Designs has poor quality control if you ask me. 

I will be returning these again... but now I am $25 down for return shipping.  

Mark

p.s. CDT is the "old" Clif Designs. I looked at some old crossovers I had, along with some older drivers. They look the same as the CDT's... but how the name change happened I really don't know.


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## Rbsarve (Aug 26, 2005)

Story time.

Once upon a time in a land far far away there where three men who founded a little companly that made speakers. They dubbed the company MDS after some of their initials. 

They made some of the worlds first component speakers. (I do belive a/d/s was first though).

After a while their ideas on how to go further was too apart frome eachothers and they decided to go their separate ways. Two of the men travelled to a town on the coast where they started a buisness doing police scanners and importing other car electronics.

The remaining man had bigger ideas and moved across the sea to Californa and founded Clif Designs. After some succsesfull years there came some not so good ones and in the end the company went belly up and some asian scalwengers bought the name. Our hero returned and re-born his company under the CDT name.

Meanwhile across the sea the company that bought the MDS name became the leading player in flogging cheap asian stuff at a premium. 

And the two other men? They also imported cheap asian stuff. Aswell as nice amplifiers from England and good speakers from Israel. After a while they figured that their asian manufacturers could make stuff that was "inspired" by their good stuff at a lower price. So they did, and put their company name on it. DLS.


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## Fast Hot Rod (Apr 19, 2007)

Rbsarve said:


> Story time.
> 
> The remaining man had bigger ideas and moved across the sea to Californa and founded Clif Designs. After some succsesfull years there came some not so good ones and in the end the company went belly up and some asian scalwengers bought the name. Our hero returned and re-born his company under the CDT name.


That would explain a lot... nice story there, my friend. Thanks!  

"Our Hero" was probably the man I met. He was one hell of a guy. I think his name was Ken... but I could be mistaken. I have his business card stashed away somewhere... I'll have to find it.

I also had the chance to meet the founding guys from Orion years ago. I visited their factory in Tempe and had a sub repaired. They did it for free... and gave me a tour of the factory while I was there.  

Damn shame that some of these companies end up selling out... but that's business I suppose.

Mark


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## WLDock (Sep 27, 2005)

Fast Hot Rod said:


> I am familiar with the 'old' Clif Designs from years past. I actually met the president out in California when I was stationed there. (USAF) He was a great guy and answered a lot of questions I had about his Dodge Stealth install.


Man, I listened to that car....how long ago was that? I don't remember...early, mid 90's? Anyway, that was the car with the two soundstages right? He had a door mounted soundstage and a kickpanel mounted stage. He had a switcher and could demo both stages...That was the first time I heard a kick panel install and it was great to hear the differences.


Moving on....
As far as the new Clif Designs...I reall found these CD78MT Tweets interesting:









50mm Super Glass Fiber Dome Tweeters/Midrange 
V.C. Size: 50mm 
Peak Power Handling: 200 Watts 
RMS Power Handling: 80 Watts 
Frequency Response: 800 Hz - 18 kHz 
Sensitivity: 90 dB 
4 Ohm Impedance 
Neodymium Magnet Structure

But after researching ...like others have said this is an old name with low cost Asian made products that none seem to have anything positives to say about them. And at $150 I was not going to take a chance. Also, looks like their web site is down now?


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## Fast Hot Rod (Apr 19, 2007)

I saw the car back in 1992/1993. He was driving down the coast and I just ended up beside him in traffic. I recognized the car from the CA&E mag, so I rolled down the window and asked if it was the car.

He said it was, and we pulled into a parking lot. He had both sound stages setup in the car and it sounded abso-freeking-lutely awesome! I was blown away at the clarity and depth of the sound. He explained why the system was installed the way it was, and how to get better sound from some simple steps during the design/install process.

We talked for quite a while about where I bought my speakers (in Japan) and why I decided to go with Clif Designs. He was very interested in getting a 'normal guys' perspective... which was quite refreshing. 

It wasn't until we were parting ways that he gave me his card and introduced himself as the company president. He told me to stop by if I was in the area and he would show me around the company. Very cool! 

I see that the "Clif Designs" website is down now... wonder why?!?!  

Mark


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