My advice...go for the CDT. Better product and not overpriced like JL.
Will you notice a significant difference between the 2 with all else being equal?
Depends on install and what the rest of your system consists of.
Anonymous
Posted on
Install in 97 Burb factory locations up front. Have a Alpine deck, JL amp and sub in it already. Want to trash the rears and get a good/above average component set and another amp for $600 Max.
"My advice...go for the CDT. Better product and not overpriced like JL."
Bandwagon bashing idiots. CDT pulls Vifa drivers off of a shelf, designs their intended crossover and charge $350-400 for the system. JL has their components made in Germany with soft parts built by Kurt Mueller, who is renowned for surrounds, spiders, and cones with superior damping characteristics, and has a great record of quality control. JL uses equivalent quality crossovers with numerous programming options for the system, the system MSRP is under $400, and the XRs outperform sets twice that. And JL is overpriced? In comparison to CDT, you'd have to get at LEAST the HDs to match the XRs in quality, Eurosports or 07 series to outperform them, but by the time you get to the Eurosports you're into Dynaudio/Rainbow/SEAS price range. There are very few component systems that can match the XRs in the $300-400 price range.
CDT is quite good in their designs, but they're more inclined to those that can't/won't go far with the install. Go to a competition and see if competitors are using their front component/front fill/rear fill/upstage/centerstage image "solution". Doubtful.
97 Burb.....? Cant say that I am familiar with that.
Based on the above listed system, as briefly described as it is, it is difficult to tell the caliber of the system. But, I get the impression that we are not dealing with a competition level SQ set up.
The higher the caliber of the system, the more critical each component of the system becomes. With your system, as far as I can tell, which isn't much due to your brief description, you won't notice a significant difference between the 2.
I would still encourage you to opt for the CDT. Especially if the prices are close. You get so much more for your money with a company like CDT than JL.
Anonymous
Posted on
Jonathan: I appreciate the detailed opinion you presented. Finding a pair of JL Xr in a car has been hard. But JL people told me you find anything equvilant for under $300 or most up to $450 let us know. They feel these things run with or well beyond anything in its price range. But I don't like to fall for sales hype all the time either. My other JL stuff I'm very comfortable with. I just like to keep a open mind to others out there. Someday I'll have some Dyn or Rainbow but I need a good set until that year (lol)
Anonymous
Posted on
Clownass: Burb is a Suburban I saw the CDT set on sale for $200 which appears to be about $150 off normal pricing. The JL set I've heard and can get for $270. I'm familiar with their products as the family has various JL items and I've never felt unsatisfied with Jl on product or price. I just don't like to devlope tunnel vision so I "always" look at all others. But I appreciate your input as well.
I've had my component sets which also pull drivers off the shelf (for now)... however turn up some very nice results... They have been reviewed against the JL XR, Diamond Hex, EDi6500s (effectively CDT HD) and come up the clear winner if anyone wants some more info just drop me an email.
-- still need to have them compared against rainbow, DLS, and boston acoustics pro/z6 directly (by someone other than myself) -- Squeak from caraudio forums will be checking them out after Mike from Soundsplinter (if he doesn't decide to keep them for his own car that is lol)
"I've had my component sets which also pull drivers off the shelf (for now)... however turn up some very nice results..."
I didn't mean you can't get get good quality from someone like Vifa, Peerless, Morel, and many others. It's that if I want a Vifa fiberglass mid, I'd rather just go buy one on madisound and put my own crossover together than buy a component system with the same drivers for 3x as much (sometimes more).
yep -- markups are kinda a pain on component sets for the poor people that don't know how to design a component set for themselves -- same goes for everything I guess... What rly gets me are things like alpine F#1 -- rainbow plat and higher -- that type of thing that are marked up way beyond reason... That's what I'm trying to battle
Rainbow can justify it more than Alpine can. At least Rainbows drivers are handmade in Germany, and materials and labor over there are very expensive right now.
ECON
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I don't know where Jon is coming from, but I surely feel that JL is overpriced (more so than CDT and just about everybody else). With a company like JL you pay more for the name. You don't have to be a "bandwagon bashing idiot" to see/think that.
In addition, I would take CDT components (EF or otherwise) over JL components in a heartbeat. Much better sounding equipment. Either that or my ears and my friends and families ears are different!
Anonymous
Posted on
Either that or my ears and my friends and families ears are different!
Thats correct ECON, sound is so subjective as well as price. What one or a few perceive as quality and reasonable there is always equal or more thinking the opposite. JL certainly doesn't appear to be hurting or worried about customer base. Overall quality of their products builds the name they have. The price is a personal choice which doesn't seem to stop repeated sales or new sales. The overpriced position doesnt demean a good product in any company. One comes with the other and you pay a little more.
"I don't know where Jon is coming from, but I surely feel that JL is overpriced (more so than CDT and just about everybody else). With a company like JL you pay more for the name"
And with a company like CDT you're paying for common raw drivers with their name stamped on it, for multiple times what they would normally cost. If you feel comfortable paying hundreds for a passive crossover, feel free. There are literally millions of Vifa drivers made every year, more than enough out there for me to make the decision not to pay 4x as much for a CDT labeled one. That screams "I'm overpriced!!!" more than what JL is doing. That's audio for you, though.
JLs aren't designed for average installations. Shallow slope x-overs and a rather high x-over freq. for a 6.5" mid. Needs a kick panel install or angled door to get best results. If you don't, they won't sound good because the drivers won't mesh well. The majority of people that are dissatisfied with any component system are the ones that didn't take the time to install them correctly. Install= 70%+ of the end result.
I saw the CDT set on sale for $200 which appears to be about $150 off normal pricing. The JL set I've heard and can get for $270. I'm familiar with their products as the family has various JL items and I've never felt unsatisfied with Jl on product or price. 
-- same goes for everything I guess... What rly gets me are things like alpine F#1 -- rainbow plat and higher -- that type of thing that are marked up way beyond reason... That's what I'm trying to battle