Polk Audio db6501 6.5" Car Component System

It's no secret that the world of car audio runs a very wide spectrum. There are very simple "upgraded" systems in cars (maybe just a new CD player), to the wild show-quality custom installs full of TVs and huge subwoofers. Aftermarket manufacturers of course sell products to fit almost any need and any vehicle, so making a selection can be tough. Do you go big and buy the best set of speakers? Or do you find something more in the middle and save a few bucks?

Polk Audio has answered that question with the db6501 -- take the middle road but get performance at the high-end. Bear in mind that everyone's ears are different, so I still advise you to go listen and make your own decision.

The db6501 is a component speaker system, meaning you get a 6.5" woofer that replaces your factory speaker. This produces your low- and mid-range sounds. Polk claims they'll go as low as 35Hz...not sure if that's true though. A separate tweeter is provided for the high-frequency sounds -- up to 23Khz, which is outside the range of human hearing. The tweeter and woofer connect into a crossover, which is a small box about the size of a deck of cards. This electronically separates which frequencies go to which speaker. The crossover is specially designed for that specific set of speakers, ensuring that everything sounds right.

Note that if your car didn't come equipped with tweeters from the factory you'll need to do some custom mounting. My car, a Honda S2000, already had tweeters so it was very simple to swap these in. Do not buy the db6501 unless you already have tweeters, or are prepared to do some custom work.

The woofers themselves are very ho-hum in appearance. Mine are a bronze color with the "DB" logo in the center. Most people won't even see these if they're hidden inside your factory doors. The same goes for the tweeters. They're a simple silver casing with black metal mesh. The crossover is a silver box about the size of a deck of cards, again with the "DB" logo.

The crossover is self-explanatory in operation and installation. You have 6 posts: one input pair, one woofer pair, one tweeter pair. Polk supplies wires that you just connect with a screwdriver. I appreciated the wires being pre-stripped and not needing to add any connectors. Polk made the crossovers themselves "universal", meaning I could supply my own speaker wire if I wanted (some audiophiles will want to do this). I opted to use Velcro strips to hold the crossover to the inside of my door panel, which makes later removal easy.

Polk also supplies a very clever adapter bracket for the woofers. There are a variety of mounting designs in car doors, but the brackets they give you have a goofy arrangement of tabs and holes that will allow it to fit almost anything. The trick is to just keep rotating it until you find an arrangement that lines up as many holes as possible. I lucked out in the S2000 and was able to get all four screws in. You also get a rubber gasket to prevent the speaker's metal housing from vibrating against the bracket. Again, audiophiles may opt to use a thicker one.

In the box is instructions, specs, warranty card, and woofer grilles. You only need the woofer grilles for custom installs or maybe some rear deck setups. I think they look kinda cool, like a car wheel.

Again, my ears are different from yours, so this next section on audio performance is subjective.

Performance is very good. I was very impressed with the rich, full sound. This is the benefit of getting a full component setup where everything is balanced and works as a system.

The bass response is quick and deep, but not overwhelming and muddy. I found that the bass drum and hip-hop tracks I have came out clean and accurately, as opposed to the factory system that made the bass too overpowering and obnoxious. When amped properly, these Polks can rumble and shake the car if that's what you need. They're still not the same as dedicated subwoofers, but I think the average listener will find them more than adequate. The woofers were also very accurate with their mid-range performance, as evidenced by the guitar-oriented tracks I played. Mid-range is tricky to get right; too low, and it bleeds into the bass and you lose accuracy. Too high and it bleeds into the vocals and you can't hear the singer. Again, the crossovers made sure that just the right amount of sound went to the woofers.

The tweeters are very bright and sharp -- almost too sharp. Fortunately, there is a switch on each crossover to adjust the tweeters. The default is +0, but you can bump it down to -3dB or up to +3dB. I found 0 to be a bit much, so I clicked the button to -3dB. This sounded much better. I was blown away with the clarity of both male AND female vocals, which is again very difficult to get right. The theory of a component system was again showing itself to be dead-on and very true.

You can run this system off of a car's headunit amplifier without any issues. I cannot advise doing that from your factory amplifier, however -- the low power output could actually lead you to overdrive them and hear some "clipping". Most aftermarket headunits would be fine, just don't max out the volume. A dedicated amplifier will give the absolute best sound, and would let you really stretch their legs (100W RMS, even more for peak).

Another suggestion I would offer is to buy two pairs of this setup -- one in front, one in back. Mixing and matching speakers can give weird sound. If you want to go a bit cheaper in the rear speakers, at least get the Polk db651 standalone woofers. These are timbe-matched and compliment the 6501 nicely.

And for anyone needing very shallow mounting depth, you can find the db6501s online. Just avoid the gray-market sellers on eBay and other no-name websites. Buy from a big retailer so your warranty will be valid.