Car audio install question

[SoulAssassin]

Picked up a beater '99 Wrangler as a 2nd ride last week and I was installing a pair of 5 1/4 MB Quart's I had laying around in the overhead soundbar. Fired everything up and I'm getting sound out of them but the volume is really low. It's clear on the new speakers but when I balance it between the front and the back it's 10x louder on the front POS 4x6's.

Two thing I was thinking it could be. #1 I'm wondering if I reversed the postive/negative wires. It's a PITA to get them out and put 'em back in so I'm avoiding that if possible. #2 There's a 12db crossover (or was it -12db?) before the speaker. Obviously one pair of wires coming from the headunit per speaker but two pairs coming out of the crossover box. I assume it's one for the tweeter and one for the woofer but I didn't know if this is something the audio shop had put it from my old car when I had an amp w subs.

Thoughts? Many thanks in advance.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Your POS 4x6s are probably a LOT more efficient than the Quarts. Those babies usually need some power to make them sing.

 

[SoulAssassin]

I was thinking that as well. Got a new head unit going in tomorrow. Is there any chance that it's the wires being reversed? Haven't done a car install in a long long time but last thing I remember it didn't really matter that much.

http://kenwoodusa.com/products/ListProduct.aspx?k1=2&k2=46&k3=172&pr=2357

22watt RMS...50 peak. USB input.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

I suppose you could have the Quarts wired up out of phase but it wouldn't affect the volume much. That and they'd sound very strange. (Like you're in the middle of a cloud of sound)

Nah... The 4x6s in your dash are built to run off deck power so they tend to be very efficient. The MB Quarts are designed to run off an amp. They need more power.

Geeve it all she's got captain!

 

[Aimster]

you need an amp

your deck is probably pushing 100watts rms if lucky