Hi,
I have a bit of experience with much of Boston's current lineup. I also did some bass frequency response measurements comparing the top end Pioneer 1695 (which is the speaker of choice of many in this forum) to the factory speaks and vs. Boston Acoustics RM6 coaxes.
Here's a link to the 1695 thread..
http://www.odyclub.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000094.html
Here's a link to my review...
http://www.odyclub.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000176.html
There's a wealth of info in this forum on all this stuff, but our search engine doesn't seem to work well (I couldn't find my own posts with it, just had to scan back!)
My 2 cents: if you liked Boston before, I think you will still like them. They are alot more expensive, but sounds like you want a different sound than the Pioneers can deliver.
The Pioneer 1695 is probably one of the best VALUES on the market now. For ~$80 online, hard to beat.
I have the RM6s in my Ody, I think they are better than the 1695, but if you pay close to retail, not sure if they are that much better.
I think for a coax, the RM6 is a good one, but I truly believe in components for best sound quality if you are willing to spend some money. Keep in mind that to truly reap the benefits of components, I think a custom install is required....
Now, I've listened to the Boston Pro series components and am not that impressed. They are harsh in the upper mids (as are the RM6s, a little bit), unless you go to the 3 way 6.53 system which is smoother. I have not really had a chance to critically listen to the new Rally series components, but last generation was pretty decent.
What is your price range, and what type of music do you listen to? That will determine more than anything what you should buy.
Your comment on bass response... well, the ody produces a HECK of a LOT of sub 60Hz noise and therefore you can't hear the bass well. Couple this with an ENORMOUS cabin volume and that's what you get: lack of bass response. Solution is getting a sub. If you look at my resonse plots, there is a surprising amount of bass up front when you look just at the response curve. Perception is a bit different when cruising on the freeway... Also, ultimately SPL is determined by efficiency, power output of head unit, excursion limit of speaker, etc...
Anyhow, I would stay away from Boston FX, I don't think you will not like them.
Personally, I love Boston Pro Subs, I really think they are some of the best, and for full range, I like Dynaudio. If you have money, look at A/D/S, Focal, Dynaudio, and MB Quart Q series, (maybe Diamond Audio) depending on your taste. Morel is pretty good too.
Again, with all this, SQ is very subjective, but that's what makes it fun...
Ask if you have more questions.
-SJ
p.s.- I know what you mean about Boston marketing... very different these days, but I think they still design very good mid to higher end stuff....
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