Listers:
Here is a question whose answer is probably lost in obscurity.
I have been pretty determined to find a correct vintage radio
for the 6. I have dinked around with several that I have rejected for
one reason or another, and I have landed on one that I think I can live
with. Of course the performance is miserable by today's standards. Weak
volume, non-existent fidelity, primitive features. When I get frustrated
with the lackluster audio, I step on the gas and listen to the siren
song of the in line-six, and I forget my frustration. But I digress....
The speakers that came with the six were little more than tatters,
so I ran down to my local audio store and picked up some inexpensive 4"
speakers. They are 4 ohms, 90W rating with a coaxial tweeter. I have had
these speakers hooked up to 3 different radios that I have tried; 2
Audio Vox and one Bendix sourced radio. The sound is worse than
miserable - verging on a tin can full of rocks.
If I leave the volume very low, the sound is acceptable, but I can't
believe this is the way that these things sounded 30 years ago (or
perhaps nostalgia is coloring my recollections). This leads me to
suspect that these speakers are simply not a good match to the older
radios. As I recall, these older radios needed 8 ohm or higher speakers,
and given the wimpy power output of 70's audio gear the speakers also
needed to be very efficient. A 4" speaker that is rated at 90W is *NOT*
going to be efficient. BTW, these speakers are rated 90db@1W efficiency.
So my question, for all you former and current audiophiles; Are
you running a vintage radio in your Six? If so, what kind of speakers
are you using? What is the impedance and if possible, what is the power
rating and/or efficiency rating? Can you get a decent sound level such
that you can at least hear the radio during top down cruising?
All you young pups running 40Wx4 CD players need not reply as
your gear is all up to date and presumably the speakers are well
matched. I am talking to all the nut jobs out there like me that insist
on the vintage look and feel in their car.
As an aside, my research shows that Bendix and AudioVox were the
2 suppliers to Leyland North America for the TR6; Were there any other
suppliers? I could try to track down another vintage radio if there is
another maker that had a decent product.
Please let me hear from you,
Vance
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