# Best 6x9 midbass for active 3 way front stage?



## RDAUDIOFTP (Oct 1, 2015)

Currently running Focal KRX3 ways active on Arc amps with an Audison bit one, but now I'm building a new front stage in a 2018 Ram truck and would like to run a 6x9 in the factory location (appropriately deadened) for the mid bass. Seen Audio Frog , Image Dynamix and Hertz have 6x9 drivers but have very little experience with them in the dedicated active midbass application. Appreciate your feedback, I prefer heavy midbass and expect to run 150 to 250 to each. Thank you again for your experience


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## TomT (May 19, 2005)

Solely based on reputation, I’d vote AF, ID, Hertz in that order.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Not a lot of options in the 6x9" a la carte category, but there are ones that seem to be worth the penny. Audiofrog appears to offer one of the best current values that offer full parameters for technical viewers. HAT offers the Unity and has it's fans as well. CDT offers several of lower cost, but appears to be hit or miss with users though. Maybe a few more, but most of them aren't a la carte. Have to strip them down from a component set. Probably not a bad option for tight budgets, but if you're spending good, then that's probably beneath your options.


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## robtr8 (Dec 6, 2011)

What drivers are you using for the rest of the system?


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## Holmz (Jul 12, 2017)

RDAUDIOFTP said:


> ... I prefer heavy midbass and expect to run 150 to 250 to each...


$ or Hz?

What frequency is the sub going up to?


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

i think the Gs690 from AF would be a solid choice. Focal makes a lower end 6x9 too, just not sure how much you are looking to spend.


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## criddopher (Apr 3, 2011)

I've been looking for one as well and it seems the hat unity 6x9 put out the most output. Based solely on reviews and comparisons. A guy linked me a tang band 6x9 from parts express. It looks like it would slam if you can fit it. Its quite deep.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

That Tang Band has been out for years. In fact, there were two different models IIRC, but neither appealed to me on paper and modeling as far as excelling in a door. I'd stick with one of the aforementioned brands

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## dcfis (Sep 9, 2016)

If you want to do a little modding a Steven's mb8 would be killer. The mb6 impress the crap of if me


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## mumbles (Jul 26, 2010)

Granted, I've only heard the AF GS690's, but man are they sweet!


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## Gump_Runner (Aug 2, 2014)

If you re-badged a set of Pyle's with AF the same fervent brand worship would ensue.


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## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

I'm a fan of the Hybrid Unity and the AF Gs690.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

Gump_Runner said:


> If you re-badged a set of Pyle's with AF the same fervent brand worship would ensue.


Have you ever heard a well tuned Audiofrog system? Audiofrog speakers aren't worshiped because of who's behind the brand...well maybe a littleBut the real reason people love them so much is because they flat out deliver and in my opinion even the flagship offerings are a good value for what you get. 


As for my suggestion for a midbass only 6x9 woofer the gs690 is an excellent option from 60hz and up. Mine sounded a little bonky crossed at 50hz 24db but might have been the wimpy "pod" FCA uses in the doors causing that. Crossed at 40hz with all the cuts removed...HOLY COW! Mine are crossed 60-2900 right now but am working on a tune to cross them and the tweet at 2500 since I've been told the gb10 can handle 2500 without breaking a sweat.

That Tangband 6x9 is more of a rectangle and the x9 holes would need A LOT of cutting to get them in there. I tried them in the back doors of my 09 Ram (first year of the meat and potatoes of what the Ram is now) and they were just "OK". Was using them for sub duty though and they fell off a cliff at around 40hz just like winisd said they would. Left them in that truck when I got rid of it because the openings were basically destroyed to get them in there. Sounded shockingly good on factory headunit power. When I ran them for sub duty I had a PG x400.1 on them.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

I'm not a fan of any particular brand. I'm a fan of accurate specs, modeling, and measurements. If a brand has the parameters I'm looking for I will consider and examine any available graphs or third party testing including comparative modeling. 

Frogs do seem costly and have an almost cult-like following, but so are several other brands. The main thing is what's being offered isn't something overly exceptional, it's what's missing from a large portion of the market in general. With many brands selling out, going down, or just completely kaput, it's getting harder to find gems that actually suit the needs of car audio enthusiasts, not just regular consumers. With that, if something good comes out, it is expected to become popular at least for a while. I see no harm there. You want better from other sources, request it and hope they listen.

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## jamesjones (Mar 8, 2007)

I have the IDs in my Ram crossed over at 2800hz and people who've heard my truck always comment on the midbass. I'd love to get my hands on a set of the frogs so I can do a back to back comparison.


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

Go AF.


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## RRizz (Sep 4, 2012)

Not a Hater, Just thought this was appropriate for DIYMA. A little tougher to find a Helix, though..lol


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Appropriate? Hardly... but we get the message. Got it some years ago. Meh. Some boners are more than just that. They're good products that happen to be marketed at the right time. Any words/thoughts about the latest 8" midbass craze despite having been out for a couple of years?

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## Gump_Runner (Aug 2, 2014)

Hillbilly SQ said:


> Have you ever heard a well tuned Audiofrog system? Audiofrog speakers aren't worshiped because of who's behind the brand...well maybe a littleBut the real reason people love them so much is because they flat out deliver and in my opinion even the flagship offerings are a good value for what you get.
> 
> 
> As for my suggestion for a midbass only 6x9 woofer the gs690 is an excellent option from 60hz and up. Mine sounded a little bonky crossed at 50hz 24db but might have been the wimpy "pod" FCA uses in the doors causing that. Crossed at 40hz with all the cuts removed...HOLY COW! Mine are crossed 60-2900 right now but am working on a tune to cross them and the tweet at 2500 since I've been told the gb10 can handle 2500 without breaking a sweat.
> ...


"Well Tuned" would be open to interpretation. The ride my girlfriend graces her presence with has AF front - back processed by a Helix DSP and all paid for by yours truly. Been there, still doing that and moderately-satisfied (with receipts).


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## RDAUDIOFTP (Oct 1, 2015)

Holmz said:


> $ or Hz?
> 
> What frequency is the sub going up to?


150 to 250 to each meaning power, they'll all be appropriately crossed and tuned. Sub will be 80 and below. 

General consensus is AF or Unity, read a ton of previous post supporting the same, to be honest the AF version looks a bit anemic and I'm not a brandwagon kinda guy though they seem to back up the train following them right now. 
Don't like the delicate nature of the ID 6x9's experienced by another user here so their out, know one really mentions the Hertz option....anyone use that? Vehicles an 18 Ram 2500 Limited so I'm not cutting doors etc it will be a 6x9 replacement, entire door has a thick one piece hard plastic cover and I'm not modifying or having anyone modify that on a 75K truck, it is actually a well designed door and much better than the previous versions I've seen from many other brands, it will be deadened inside and out as well ad door panel deadened and then covered with a layer of 1/4 mat over the noico 80. Thanks for the input thus far everyone


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

In all honesty, I think you would be fine just by moving up in cone area regardless of what driver you choose. I say that by experience in what I'm currently using. Although my doors are built for a 6x9", I stuffed 8" woofers in there (not the best fit I know, but) and not of the elite type. The drivers that resided in there before are considered such and proved to be winners for the application, but moving up to an even less expensive bigger cone with the addition of an inexpensive small mid owns the combo before it. However, I did my homework to make sure the "el cheapo" drivers would be up to the task handed to them. That said, I don't think any of the suggested 6x9" options would disappoint. Physics over brands. 

Anyways... carry on.


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## Gump_Runner (Aug 2, 2014)

Bayboy said:


> In all honesty, I think you would be fine just by moving up in cone area regardless of what driver you choose. I say that by experience in what I'm currently using. Although my doors are built for a 6x9", I stuffed 8" woofers in there (not the best fit I know, but) and not of the elite type. The drivers that resided in there before are considered such and proved to be winners for the application, but moving up to an even less expensive bigger cone with the addition of an inexpensive small mid owns the combo before it. However, I did my homework to make sure the "el cheapo" drivers would be up to the task handed to them. That said, I don't think any of the suggested 6x9" options would disappoint. Physics over brands.
> 
> Anyways... carry on.


Great point.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

I should have noted that the previous drivers were 6.5".

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## GreatLaBroski (Jan 20, 2018)

Bayboy said:


> I should have noted that the previous drivers were 6.5".
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


What were the new drivers you settled on. I know you test a good amount of equipment so I value your opinion.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

GreatLaBroski said:


> What were the new drivers you settled on. I know you test a good amount of equipment so I value your opinion.


I wouldn't say I've settled on, rather enjoying the company for the moment. Previously I had Satori mids & Kax tweets. Now its Titan 8" (PE buyouts), SB65WBAC(?), & ND20FA-6. 

The reason for the switch was better response below 100hz and help plant the stage up a little higher. It wasn't bad before. In fact, the combo was great, but with the small midrange in the upper doors it's better. I'm also able to dial the midbass in robustly without sacrificing midrange clarity. The Titans obviously do a better job of handling upper bass down to 60hz within reasonable limits if I wanted. I still have them crossed at 80hz but with a shallower slope whereas the Satori stayed at 100hz @-24db. 80hz was pushing it. 

I do have an unused set of ZR800-CW stored up, but so far have felt no need to replace the Titans. During a recent swap with some Beymas (which are back out in favor of the Titans), I noticed no signs of stress on the Titans from previous use. Suspension was still fairly tight, no surround tears, etc. I have some other projects lined up and plan to revisit my own install later on and continue scratching the itch, but that's another story. 

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## GreatLaBroski (Jan 20, 2018)

Thanks for the detailed response!


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

GreatLaBroski said:


> Thanks for the detailed response!


No problem bro. 

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## Holmz (Jul 12, 2017)

RDAUDIOFTP said:


> 150 to 250 to each meaning power, they'll all be appropriately crossed and tuned. Sub will be 80 and below.
> 
> General consensus is AF or Unity, read a ton of previous post supporting the same, to be honest the AF version looks a bit anemic and I'm not a brandwagon kinda guy though they seem to back up the train following them right now.
> Don't like the delicate nature of the ID 6x9's experienced by another user here so their out, know one really mentions the Hertz option....anyone use that? Vehicles an 18 Ram 2500 Limited so I'm not cutting doors etc it will be a 6x9 replacement, entire door has a thick one piece hard plastic cover and I'm not modifying or having anyone modify that on a 75K truck, it is actually a well designed door and much better than the previous versions I've seen from many other brands, it will be deadened inside and out as well ad door panel deadened and then covered with a layer of 1/4 mat over the noico 80. Thanks for the input thus far everyone


If you are able to go 90 or 100 Hz it can take some load off of the mid-base.
Time will tell if you can or not... but if you can it could help squeeze more out of the mid-bass without putting them under extra stress.


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## robtr8 (Dec 6, 2011)

RDAUDIOFTP said:


> 150 to 250 to each meaning power, they'll all be appropriately crossed and tuned. Sub will be 80 and below.
> 
> General consensus is AF or Unity, read a ton of previous post supporting the same, to be honest the AF version looks a bit anemic


Frogs are not anemic.
Accurate, fast, musical - yes. Upper midbass monsters - yes.
Lower midbass monsters - nope (This is why I still run AR6K's, where they fit). Power hungry - yep. Capable of playing loud as heck - Oh Yeah!
They have the added benefit of being able to be mounted in some pretty shallow (tight) installations. The goofy mounting bezels are a head scratch though.

In the TR8 I have the GS62's crossed around 100hz and the two subs I'm sitting on take over from there. I have the GM-D9605 bridged. The Frogs keep up with the convertible V8 with Magnaflow's.


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## WilliamS (Oct 1, 2016)

I have a 2014 with 6.5 morel in there coming from the Fosgate 6x9, although cheap did have some bass. Ive made they up with clarity but Id love to see if you get either the ID or AF 6x9 in the door so I can try to pull more bass forward. I have to crossover the 6.5's to high I can locate my subs location too easily in the mix.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

WilliamS said:


> I have a 2014 with 6.5 morel in there coming from the Fosgate 6x9, although cheap did have some bass. Ive made they up with clarity but Id love to see if you get either the ID or AF 6x9 in the door so I can try to pull more bass forward. I have to crossover the 6.5's to high I can locate my subs location too easily in the mix.


How high do you have them crossed? I would look at improving the tune and relationship between sub & mid around the crossover point before jumping ship 

Not denying that extra cone area has some benefits, but throwing more cone area isn't always the answer. Plenty still do fine with a 6.5" even in a 3-way and I have contemplated going back down since an 8" isn't as good in the 400-600hz area like most 6.5" are. There's always tradeoffs. 

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## WilliamS (Oct 1, 2016)

Bayboy said:


> How high do you have them crossed? I would look at improving the tune and relationship between sub & mid around the crossover point before jumping ship
> 
> Not denying that extra cone area has some benefits, but throwing more cone area isn't always the answer. Plenty still do fine with a 6.5" even in a 3-way and I have contemplated going back down since an 8" isn't as good in the 400-600hz area like most 6.5" are. There's always tradeoffs.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


I dont have a DSP yet, but the lower doors are on their passive crossover but on the amp I have crossed at 85, any lower and at high volume they start to distort. Checked on my handy dandy scope and the signal is clean but the speaker just reaches a point where i have to either have clarity or volume. Im my truck I want volume. I only have the Morel Tempo comps in my front doors, no other speakers other than the subwoofers. They are crossed a bit lower as the subs start to sound a little rough around the edges any higher than 80 at volume. I would like to add back a 6x9 to get some bass more forward to fill the gap, but in the same time I want to add a 3.5 and a DSP to make an active front 3 way.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Without some good EQ work (per driver, not shared) you won't see the full potential of any driver. I'd wait for the DSP first before advancing to adding more drivers. 

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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

I just added AF GS690's to my truck. They replaced NVX XPS 6.5 speakers. WOW, what a difference. Midbass is now sitting on top of my dash instead of being stuck down in the lower door. My bass is so much stronger because it integrates better with my subs. Even my low bass is coming from the front now. I was expecting to give up some midrange and imaging with the 6x9's but boy was I wrong. These things have terrific midrange as well. I thought that I would have to go from 2-way to 3-way but probably don't have to for now


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## WilliamS (Oct 1, 2016)

Stycker said:


> I just added AF GS690's to my truck. They replaced NVX XPS 6.5 speakers. WOW, what a difference. Midbass is now sitting on top of my dash instead of being stuck down in the lower door. My bass is so much stronger because it integrates better with my subs. Even my low bass is coming from the front now. I was expecting to give up some midrange and imaging with the 6x9's but boy was I wrong. These things have terrific midrange as well. I thought that I would have to go from 2-way to 3-way but probably don't have to for now


Is it a Ram? if so what did it take to fit?


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Sorry its not a Ram. It is a 2014 chevy Silverado that originally had 6x9. I used a Metra speaker installation kit. I usually make my own rings but cheaped out his time. I had to modify the Metra rings just a tad.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Here are some before and after photos


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## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

FYI, just a few other brands with 6x9 components, pioneer has a set, JBL has 2 different sets and infinity has a few sets. I actually own the kappa perfect 900. Probably one of the sexiest 6x9 midbass drivers ever. So options are out there.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

The Frogs should drop right into the Ram. They did in my Grand Cherokee and also Lanson's Durango. Pretty sure FCA uses the same exact bolt pattern across the board for their x9's. And yes they do have fantastic midrange as well as great midbass. They're far from anemic and fairly efficient too. If you have the extra power the Unity's might be worth a try. They were on my list as well before I bought but my factory tweeter locations are perfect for the Frog tweets so went with the gs690 to match. So glad I did!


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## Cartersvillealex (Jul 6, 2020)

jamesjones said:


> I have the IDs in my Ram crossed over at 2800hz and people who've heard my truck always comment on the midbass. I'd love to get my hands on a set of the frogs so I can do a back to back comparison.



How much trouble was it getting the ID's in the doors? I have an 08 Ram and cant decide if I should keep the 6x9 or try to fit 8s.


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## JCsAudio (Jun 16, 2014)

For anyone who just thinks AF is all hyped up and not deserving of it probably doesn’t have the right experience with them or they aren’t installed and tuned right. I’ve been slowly converting to all AF GB three way for all my vehicles because these drivers are just so good. I’m on the fence about the GS690 for my Toyota van or something else. Curious to know how they would stack up to my excellent GB60.


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## Junior 123 (Jul 20, 2020)

JCsAudio said:


> For anyone who just thinks AF is all hyped up and not deserving of it probably doesn’t have the right experience with them or they aren’t installed and tuned right. I’ve been slowly converting to all AF GB three way for all my vehicles because these drivers are just so good. I’m on the fence about the GS690 for my Toyota van or something else. Curious to know how they would stack up to my excellent GB60.


For the money, speak to jtrosky he has the graphs comparing them and cdt audio, has the mx series, the es series which are the best and the cl series, but the fact that they are all under 200 dollars a pair, and the least expensive pensive for 99 dollars has deeper and better sound, cdtaudio has been around since the 80's,no company is perfect , but you wont regret it, and you can try them all, once they are tuned you'll swear they are in the same league as hybrid audio or a acoustic elegance , this comes fro. People who also use brax speakers and dynaudio. Hope it works out for you.


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## JCsAudio (Jun 16, 2014)

I saw jtrosky’s review on those and his frequency response graphs and if I remember correctly they all behaved the same or had the same basic response curve. That might be more a function of the cars interior and doors effect on the response, hence the reason they all looked similar. I actually have a decent amount of experience with a lot of different drivers from cheap to expensive over the many years i’ve been an enthusiast. I’ve bought inexpensive drivers based on subjective reviews before but when I tried them for myself I was disappointed in their performance every time to some degree. 

The one thing I don’t like about CDT Audio is how they market their products on their packaging. They have what seems to me like flamboyant claims that comes off to me as low rent and dishonest. I get it’s just marketing and that sells product but I’m now at a point in my life where I’m willing to pay more for a product that is unquestionably great. That doesn’t always mean the most expensive drivers are the best but many times great drivers cost a little more than the mainstream stuff, especially for drivers designed for car audio. 

I also can’t find proper ts parameters for CDT Audio drivers, which to me is not a good thing as an enthusiast who wants to know these things. Now that being said, I believe jtrosky is a credible enthusiast on here and he honestly did have a good experience with their drivers. Those drivers he tested could very well be hidden gems but I’ve been burned too many times now buying on subjective reviews so I’m not willing to take a chance unless a select certain few people on here I know tell me otherwise.


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## Junior 123 (Jul 20, 2020)

JCsAudio said:


> I saw jtrosky’s review on those and his frequency response graphs and if I remember correctly they all behaved the same or had the same basic response curve. That might be more a function of the cars interior and doors effect on the response, hence the reason they all looked similar. I actually have a decent amount of experience with a lot of different drivers from cheap to expensive over the many years i’ve been an enthusiast. I’ve bought inexpensive drivers based on subjective reviews before but when I tried them for myself I was disappointed in their performance every time to some degree.
> 
> The one thing I don’t like about CDT Audio is how they market their products on their packaging. They have what seems to me like flamboyant claims that comes off to me as low rent and dishonest. I get it’s just marketing and that sells product but I’m now at a point in my life where I’m willing to pay more for a product that is unquestionably great. That doesn’t always mean the most expensive drivers are the best but many times great drivers cost a little more than the mainstream stuff, especially for drivers designed for car audio.
> 
> I also can’t find proper ts parameters for CDT Audio drivers, which to me is not a good thing as an enthusiast who wants to know these things. Now that being said, I believe jtrosky is a credible enthusiast on here and he honestly did have a good experience with their drivers. Those drivers he tested could very well be hidden gems but I’ve been burned too many times now buying on subjective reviews so I’m not willing to take a chance unless a select certain few people on here I know tell me otherwise.


I dont blame you, I've had their eo-02 mid/tweeter and the hd6, and their 12 inch sub, so far so good, they sound great, never harsh and a pleasure to listen to. I'm doing a build so I took the plunge and bought the same es 6x9 and some other pieces basically everything for the car. I just finished sound deadening, I hate it but it saves me a lot of money, in New York, they charge two thousand for the labor, I had to save that, and that didnt include the material or the ccf.


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