Duranike --

Whether you need tweeters or not depends on two things: what speakers are already in the car; and what you'll settle for quality wise.

Speakers come in different sizes not because bigger speakers are better, but because different sizes play different frequency ranges. You need small speakers ("tweeters") for high end response. You need big speakers ("sub-woofers") for low end response. And you need medium size speakers (usually 5"--6") for your mid-range. You probably knew this already, but I like to hear myself talk, so put up with it! ;-)

If you are happy with the sound from the system you currently have in your Explorer, then don't change anything in the speakers. The empeg isn't likely to sound any better than your current CD or tape player. But do yourself a favor before you make the decision to upgrade (or not) your speakers: play your favorite CD a few times in your Explorer and get really familiar with all the nuances of sound, then take that CD and listen to it in another car (or a good home stereo system) and see if you are missing out on anything.

If I understand you correctly about the two channel vs multi-channel amplifiers, two channel would be left/right only; multi-channel would have a separate sub-woofer channel and/or front-rear fade capability? I guess a lot would depend on whether your explorer has (or will have?) any subwoofers or rear speakers and whether you feel the need to control them separately. Your decision.

I don't feel qualified to recommend any particular brand of amplifier over another. As a general rule, you get what you pay for. Better quality takes better money. But you're going to be paying somewhere around $1200--$1500 (or more) for your empeg plus installation - don't wimp out on me now and try to save $50 by getting a cheap amp you'll be unhappy with later -- or worse yet, a cheap amp you won't be unhappy with because you won't know what you're missing.

I do feel qualified to recommend at least one brand of speaker, however: MB Quart. Their 4" co-axials are nothing short of miraculous. Something like 80% of the cars that competed at the IASCA world finals were MB Quart equipped.

Total wattage required depends on how many and how big your speakers are. As an example, if I were running a pair of 10" subs, a couple of 6" mids, and maybe a pair of 4" co-axials (combination high-midrange with built in tweeters) I would be looking for about 150-200 watts. Even 300 wouldn't be excessive. The quality gains with higher wattage are subtle, audible mostly in the "transients", that is how quickly the stereo responds, particularly in the lower frequencies. You want "punchy" bass response, "pom pom pom", not "boooommm boooommm boooommm", and that takes enough power to drive all the speakers you have. Unless you have a really unusual system, I think anything over 300 watts is overkill. The quality differences between a 300 watt system and, say, a 600 watt system, are so subtle as to be undetectable by the average person. Speaker location and vehicle acoustics are much more important than what brand names and what wattages of amplifier you have.

As a final word, don't go cheap. You don't have to do everything at once - I built the stereo in my car over a two year period, adding one thing at a time, staying pretty high quality but not the absolute top of the line gold plated mega-dollar stuff. I have a total of $1350 in it now, and I have only heard a few systems that I think sound better than mine.

tanstaafl.







"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"