I put the J&M 7.25 on at the end of last season. I agree they are weak on bass but all other levels sound decent. I have an elf audio amp and a stock head unit, the latter of which is a very big weak link. I have a Sony head unit I'm going to install so that might help somewhat.

I am mindful that any two speakers in the batwing won't have the high quality sound as a car stereo. I guess if it is important enough you can put a ton of amps and big speakers into the saddlebags, lowers, and tour pack.

The good news is for those who have and don't care for the 7.25's, they can always be sold here on the forum or elsewhere.

 

Great...after reading all the positives of the J&Ms I ordered a set and now I read this post.

 

I'm gonna be pretty pissed off if they knew this all along and didn't speak up.

I called J&M personally and asked about this. I was told the 2-ohm is the recommended speaker.

 

so somebody chime in here....

What is a decent speaker setup for the budget minded people? I was looking last year and about dropped a deuce when I got a $700+ quote from a sponsor here for a simple speaker and amp.

Someone chime in...what can one buy relatively inexpensively for use with their stock HU that is going to give better sound and be able to hear the lyrics at 70-80 mph?

thanks

 

Yes, The speakers are overrated. Definatly, no bass without an amp and not sure how they would be if I had the amp to go with. Very Disappointed!!!!!

 

I'm shocked Dr. V-Twin and/or John from J&M haven't chimed in yet and this thread is on page 7. I just knew they'd defend themselves at some point by now. I purchased the 5.25 speakers a couple of years ago, and was thinking of "upgrading" to the 7.25 and the amp; however, after reading this thread, and them not jumping in (and I seen John and Dr. V-Twin had posted as of yesterday on other threads), I have changed my mind. I will save up for the Hawg Wired set up.

 

Shore,
It's unfortunate your not happy with those J&M speakers. I know John at J&M or the Dudes at Dr. V-Twin are not in the practice of selling crap. Certainly, the vast majority of the Dudes buying the J&M gear report being very satisfied at the improved audio performance they got for their $$$. I suppose it remains to be seen if there is a defect from the factory causing the lack of performance, and I know John at J&M will chime in when he finds the time. However, it would be more appropriate to contact him for tech support.

In the mean time, I think a few things need should be considered before those speakers that so many of us run and know sound so great are deemed as ****. #1... Bike audio is not car audio, so if you are used to big sub boxes and monster pounding bass from a car you will certainly be disappointed in any set-up on a bike. If thats what your gunning for, you need to look-up GlacierPearl's thread on his bike audio. Thats about as close as your going to get to car audio. #2... This ties in with the first point... Expectations. You had no speakers in that bike prior? Had you even heard what a stock stereo sounded like in a bagger? Did you realize that there is basically no bass to begin with. That the system distorts at half volume from the showroom. That you wont hear much of anything over 70, even with a half-helmet and tall windshield? So unless your already familiar with "bike audio", it will be very easy to be disappointed at your first impression. #3... Bike audio gear is engineered for bikes, so guess what... It's going to cost double the price! Just like a boat, you can't go to Pep Boys and buy a starter for that 5.7L inboard motor just because its the same motor as in your Camaro. You have to buy the one from the boat shop for 4-times the money. They are different. See how many "rinse cycles" those car audio amp/speakers/head-units will survive in that Harley season after season. Sure, they make Marine audio, I have it in my boat... it works great. But that Marine amp isn't going to fit in my fairing, and I'm not giving up a saddle bag or Tour-Pak just for an amp.

I got to believe that the aftermarket head-unit your running is a limiting factor in the performance of those J&M speakers. To tell you the truth, I think the cheapest easiest fix for that is to pick up one of those 2-ohm HK head-units from Ebay or Forum Classified section. They might not seem like much to Dudes that have been running high-end head units in cars and trucks for years... but it works great for plugging in an ipod. EQ's and Range Expanders dont mean squat at 70mph with the wind in your face. Of course, IMO the biggest fix is to add that J&M 250w amp. The whole set-up is engineered to enhance the other component for max performance. It's like adding a performance air intake without the exhaust. Or an exhaust without the EFI tuner. They are designed to enhance each other. I haven't heard anyone complain about that combination (that had realistic expectations) on their bikes. I know mine sounds awesome (no, it doesnt have big bass), but it does have a nice full spectrum sound and is 100% better than stock. Sure, it wasn't cheap. I could have bought some pretty nice car audio stuff for that kind of money. But I know from owning boats all my life... car audio wont stand up to the vibrations and water exposure. With my HK head unit/J&M speakers/amp I can ride in the rain and wash my bike every day without worry. My only concern is keeping the ipod dry!

Anyway... Sure hate to hear your disappointed. I think the reality is you need more than just 7.25" J&M speakers to get the tunes your looking for. You need the right head unit, and most likely the amp to get close to what your expecting to hear. I hope you get it sorted out.

 

Rainman, what Hertz speakers are you talking about? Also I think it was you who responded to my post in this thread about getting slammed if you disagree with the flow and not to jump on the band wagon. Either I'm missing something or both our posts have been deleted. I didn't know hdforums did that kind of thing, they were not indecent posts, they were just opinions that did not favor the sponsors.

 

JJ, I am getting the high energy Hertz. I think the model is HCX 165. I have spoken to numerous people on here about them and they said that I should be satisfied. Some of these persons have had the J&M are were not happy and went the Hertz route. The Hertz are more expensive then the J&M's but the sound quality is much better. I am looking for quality not quantity. I like a rich sound in my stereos. I am also running the Arc amp which makes a big difference. I don't like to slam anyone but I do like to tell the truth or my opinion on something. Some people like the J&M set up and some don't. It's all personnel preference. It's also about how deep your pockets are. It just sucks to spend a lot of money and not be happy. I have learn to try to hear the product before buying it.

 

I've put stereo's in everything I've had for many many years. I've also made stereo set-up for my SxS and past ATV's.


I know what to expect and felt like I have been steered in the wrong direction with these. There are no low tones with these right now and I'm not sure a amp is going to change that.

My question now is this:::::::!!!::::

When running a 4-ohm aftermarket Headunit, does this adversly affect the J&M 7.25's?


How hard is this to answer. Dr V-Twin chimed in on the J&M thread last night and said "We have a winner" when I asked that question...and then nothing else from him.

Looks like they already know that aftermarket radios(4-ohm) do not work well with the 7.25's and their amp.

FTR, there is nothing low end about the Sony headunit. It makes more power than the HK but it is 4-ohm Vs the HK 2-ohm. Which essentially cuts the input voltage(sound signal) to the amp in HALF. They use the high level input to the J&M amp. Not the typical RCA input that is commonly used by EVERYONE.

They just don't care to inform those about using the speakers with an aftermarket deck. That sucks.
I'm just not sure that's the case.

Oh and American Classic Motors on Ebay told me to pound sand on my return request. They said they can't be sold as new so sorry. I guess that answers the returning option....I even offered to swap them out with the Titans and got no answer.

Time to let Paypal do their thing.
I bought the amp and it's on it's way. I will try it with the 7.25's and the Sony HU.