Rcu and tweeters
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Joined
·
93 Posts
everything is plug and play interchangeable with eachother. tweeters are tweeters, they are the same. Tweeters may not be plug and play in certain gen IV cars that were fleet cars not prewired for tweeters. Sound quality will definitely improve just by plugging in the new mach amp, It will improve even further if you get those junk ford 6x8s out of the rear deck and doors and put in some good aftermarkets.
Joined
·
2,407 Posts
Well, the stock RCU is 3 watts x 4 channels, the Mach is 20 x 4, whadda ya think? The JBL is the same wattage as the Mach, but the low frequencies are bandpassed to the JBL powered sub, and a JBL system doesn't sound right without the sub. All of the sail pane tweeters sound pretty much the same, and don't come with the stock base system. The JBL system has a bit more low end punch than the Mach due to it's design, and is a nice alternative to an aftermarket "box in the trunk" type sub setup, it won't rattle your trim loose or piss off the neighbors when you drive by their house, but adds some nice low end bump. I think the JBL sub amp is rated at 70 watts mono, IIRC.
(edit: and no, JBL doesn't stand for Junk But Loud)
(edit: and no, JBL doesn't stand for Junk But Loud)
Joined
·
93 Posts
"All of the sail pane tweeters sound pretty much the same, and don't come with the stock base system"
In ALOT of Gen 3's they had tweeters with unmarked grilles and base RCU. Thats where ive got alot that ive resold on ebay.
In ALOT of Gen 3's they had tweeters with unmarked grilles and base RCU. Thats where ive got alot that ive resold on ebay.
Joined
·
2,407 Posts
All Plug 'N Play, and definitely worth the swap Sheila.
Joined
·
2,407 Posts
You are correct my friend, Rosie had them too. I was thinking about all the fleet/base models after G3, not too many out there with them, including my Daughter's '02. When we first got the car she asked me why the system in her car doesn't sound as good as mine. I foolishly explained the Mach upgrade to her, and now guess what I have to come up with this year. She also asked me if her rear drums can be upgraded to discs!, I think she's been secretly lurking around the TCCA lately, now that she has her own Bull! LOL!
I installed a set of new components speakers and they sound so much better than my old coaxial speakers, even though I think my old coaxial Infinity Reference speakers were pretty good ones. The problem with coaxial speakers, however good they may be, is that it's really hard to escape the feeling that the sound is coming from where your feet are. This is a somewhat unnatural feeling. You want to be able to close your eyes and be able to imagine that the stage is sorta kinda in front of you. Separate tweeters really help with this. However, most component speakers just don't sound well when running off the head unit power. They have passive crossovers that result in some efficiency loss. When there are coaxial and component versions of the same speakers, the component version is rated to handle about 20 watts more power, but I doubt they get louder, due to crossovers. However, you can expect to get cleaner sound out of them. Most aftermarket head unit amps are rated at around 20watts RMS and that is most likely highly overrated. If the factory Mach or JBL RCUs are rated for 20 watts RMS (honesly) then perhaps 40-60watt speakers or components will sound fine out of them, but I would not buy super duper high-end 100watt components to run off an old factory RCU.
Joined
·
93 Posts
OR, if you're really serious about having a good stereo you could just do what i did... Since i have EATC, and there is no dash kit for a CD player, i used a LOC and ran 2 two-channel 300W jensen amps and new pioneer component speakers all around... 3 way in the deck and 4-way in the doors, along with OEM Mach tweeters, and believe it or not the mach tweeters hold up to the power. All wired up with 4 gauge power wire. Looks and sounds great, and has stood up to the test of time thus far, been in for almost two years with no problems. Tweaking of the gain adjustment on the LOC is everything, if adjusted properly, you can make it sound as good as the RCA outs on a CD player.
You probably refer to 3 and 4-way coaxial speakers. When all components sit on the speaker's axis, they're called coaxial. Component speakers usually come in two way form and more rarely in 3-way form. It would have been probably better, but more expensive, just to get new component speakers and replace the old tweeters. I got Alpine Type R components and their tweeter fit into the factory location pretty nicely with some foam to bridge the gaps.
1998 model bulls have the easily swappable tweeters for 98-07 cars. All Gen 3s are pre wired for tweeters. 96/7 style does not fit, as the tweeter grille bracket is riveted to the door panel. But the same tweeter is used across. Swap that MACH in sheila 
Same tweeter, just a different tweeter cover.
Same tweeter, just a different tweeter cover.
Joined
·
93 Posts
Theyre pioneers.. not too terribly expensive so probably are coaxial, but not sure. I am glad i amped it, It has ten times more potential for total volume and bass response. Factory stereos just don't do it for me. Then again, you're talking to someone who never goes easy on stereo equipment, with 8 MTX DJ speakers and two pro amps for my home/studio stereo.
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
