[MarcusLGunn]

Okay, I have been unable to locate a new set of Alpine Spx-17Pro's So I have decided to go with my original plan of a 3' mid 3 way.

The most important aspect of this inquiry is vocal clarity @ moderate to high volumes on RATED power. Im not looking to throw 200-500RMS at a speaker and have it scream. I want it to perform as intended in a full range from around 55-22k

I have narrowed it down to the following:

CDT ES 632i- 899

Hertz HSK163- $559

Now an outside option is that i have the ability to obtain the CDT ES 62i/540 for $499

They both fit my application but I have no way to hear these live unless one of you lives in Arizona and currently owns a set of these.

My questions are as follows:

1) Is the ES Series of CDT going to be Significantly better than the HSK Series from Hertz? (Yes I know hertz makes a Mille 3 way but i dont have $1500 for comps at the moment and i'm not sure id send it on that anyway.)

2) Which woofer provides a better midbass? (This is not an end all as i will most likely be running 2 JL zr800 mids in my rear deck.

3) Would I be benefited from having a 3in mid or is the ES 2 way the best buy out of all of them?

4) What are your opinions on the JL ZR650-csi compared to the speakers mentioned above? Same class?

5) and the the curve ball. If i am running a 2 way stage if there is no real benefit to the 3' mid, Would the Dynaudio Esotec 262GT Be a better buy at 899 than the CD es 62i @ 499?

Not expecting an answer to all of these from 1 person but anyone with any insight on these please let me know what you think so i can get this system slapped together.

 

[trumpet]

Now an outside option is that i have the ability to obtain the CDT ES 62i/540 for $499

You better verify the dealer/seller actually has this set, as CDT no longer has the EX-540i crossovers to build that set. ES-62i/540 was a short term clearance set. The regular ES-62i system is better because of the EX-550i crossovers, which cross the mid and tweeter at 2.5 kHz. The DRT-26 tweeter has smaller mounting hardware and you can get aluminum or titanium inserts, not just silk.

 

[MarcusLGunn]

You better verify the dealer/seller actually has this set, as CDT no longer has the EX-540i crossovers to build that set. ES-62i/540 was a short term clearance set. The regular ES-62i system is better because of the EX-550i crossovers, which cross the mid and tweeter at 2.5 kHz. The DRT-26 tweeter has smaller mounting hardware and you can get aluminum or titanium inserts, not just silk.

I was talking directly with the dealer, they had more than they have been currently able to sell on.

The 540 crosses at around 4000 right? Isn't that a more traditional crossover point. 2500 seems kind of low for the mid and tweet. It doesn't cause distortion the the tweeter at higher volumes?

do you have any insight as far as 3way vs 2way?

 

[trumpet]

The 540 crosses at around 4000 right? Isn't that a more traditional crossover point. 2500 seems kind of low for the mid and tweet. It doesn't cause distortion the the tweeter at higher volumes?

I'm not certain, but I think the crossover frequency is 4.8 kHz. 2.5 kHz gives better midrange dispersion from a 6.5" woofer, and the tweeters will handle that perfectly. It's a very steep slope for both the mid low pass and the tweeter high pass.

do you have any insight as far as 3way vs 2way?

A properly designed and installed 3-way component system has potential to sound better than a 2-way, very generally speaking. This goes back to the topic of dispersion, which is how the sound radiates away from the speaker cones and tweeter domes. We want a 6.5" woofer crossed at roughly 1.5 kHz or lower to get the maximum spread of sound. Very few 1" tweeters can handle that, and I don't suggest putting a gap between crossovers. This is where a small midrange comes in to fill that gap.

If you don't have room for a 2" or 3" midrange or you don't want to modify your interior, you can still get good sound from a 2-way system.