Infinity Reference 6012i 6.5" Coaxial Car Speaker

After doing A-B comparisons between 6.5" speakers in my area car audio stores, I settled on these. Everyone has their own preferences on tonal quality, bass, etc, but these to me sounded hands down better than anything in the sub $100/pair range. In fact, I liked them better than the 6.5" Infinity Kappa series (the next step up in the Infinity lineup).

After installing 4 of them into my Chevy Venture hooked up to an Alpine 9843 head unit (16 watts rms, 45 watt peak per channel), it took couple of minutes to dial them in for my sound preference. Once I did, however, the sound was amazing. They get loud very easily due to their 92db sensitivity and just sound better and better till they distort out due to the limit of the head unit's power. The point they distort is past what I would actually listen at anyway. Give them some more juice (up to 60 watt rms or 180 watt peak), and I'm sure they will sound clear into ear bleed territory. Granted, I am comparing them to the stock Delco paper cone speakers they replaced, but even so they sound great.

I have seen other reviews that bemoan the lack of bass they produce, but I am quite happy with what they put out, after turning the bass level up a bit on my head unit. The bass they produce is a very tight, non boomy bass, but it is there. A bass drum sounds like thup thup thup, not thuwoomp thuwoomp thuwoomp, if you know what I mean. If are a basshead or like heavy bass, you are going to want a sub, no matter what. You can't expect too much thundering bass from a 6.5" coaxial speaker.

Where these shine, however, (as others have noted) is in their midrange/highs. The edge firing silk dome tweeters (not usually found in this price range speaker)can be tilted toward the listener's ear, suposedly increasing their effectiveness. Whatever... female singers and other high notes sound better and clearer than they do from my quality home speakers. You will hear things in the music you weren't able to with lesser speakers.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the material quality and sound these produce for the $52/pair clearance price I spent on them. Even at their retail, I would think they are a bargain. The installation instructions are kind of confusing until you figure out what you are looking at, and they did not come with all the screws I required. You will also probably need to buy terminal clips.