Colorful receiver displays, shiny amplifiers, monster subwoofers and motorized LCD screens. These are the kinds of things that catch people's attention when they see a mobile entertainment system. But the flash of a multimedia system wears off as quickly as the attraction of a new toy to a four year old. Once the system is turned on, it had better perform, or it will be just another toy.

Seldom seen are the real workhorses of an audio system -- component and coaxial speakers. They can usually be found hidden behind door panels, dashboards or in kick panels. They're the voice of a sound system. Speakers convert electrical energy into acoustical energy. This function may appear to be straightforward, but developing a speaker to work in an odd-shaped, rolling box that accurately reproduces music, voices and sound effects can be tricky. Some companies can miss the mark completely.

JL Audio is on the leading edge of technological design with award-winning mobile electronics products. Most notably known for their competition subwoofers, JL Audio has been making inroads into the mobile component speaker market for several years, and never seems to falter. Excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail are traits the company is known for. Their evolution in designs is reflected in the JL Audio XR650-Csi two-way component speaker set. The XR650-Csi is comprised of two 6.5-inch woofers, two one-inch tweeters and a pair of crossover networks that fit many vehicle applications.

Unique Features - JL Audio developed their new line of Evolution speaker sets for those who appreciate real sound quality. Three distinct lines of Evolution speakers are available to fit popular factory speaker sizes and meet each consumer's budget needs. For the flagship line of component speakers (the XR line), JL Audio started with the best ingredients they could find. The cones and suspensions are from world-renowned manufacturer Dr. Kurt Muller and company, representing an expensive but integral part of a high-end sonic product with an affinity for pure performance. The long throw component woofers feature a mineral filled polypropylene cone body with a butyl rubber surround and an optimized motor system. The one-inch aluminum dome tweeters use neodymium magnets, are ferrofluid cooled and have a synthetic rubber surround that damps unwanted ringing. The tweeters feature a special mounting system JL Audio calls RSR, which provides a variable swivel rotation to properly aim the tweeters after they have been installed.

The two-way crossover network included in the XR650-Csi set has a first order low-pass and second order high pass circuit. JL Audio built in plenty of adjustability into the crossovers to compensate for different mounting locations, vehicle interiors or personal taste. Selectable pins under the attractive smoked acrylic crossover cases are easy to fine-tune and experiment with while the system plays. The tweeters have five setting levels and the midrange presence controls have three settings. The continuous power rating for the XR650-Csi set is 70 watts with power amplifiers rated up to 150 watts recommended.

Installation/Setup/Ease of Use - The XR650-Csi comes with a long list of included components and parts for a variety of installation options. Flush mount and surface mount fixtures for the tweeters allow them to be mounted in either a factory or custom location. The parts list is so complete, every screw, crimpable connector, wire tie, and even adhesive putty is in the package.

A component speaker system employs two or more speakers so the woofer and tweeter can be separated for optimal performance. JL Audio recommends the tweeter be located relatively close to the woofer in the lower front door for best tonal balance and correct imaging. I chose to stay with a more stealthy installation in my 2002 Volkswagen Passat and replaced the factory speakers with the XR650-Csi set. This meant installing the woofer low in the door and the tweeter somewhat higher behind the side view mirror. The separation was still within the eight-inch tolerance guideline spelled out by JL. By adjusting the RSR tweeter mounting system and fine tuning the crossover, shortcomings can be compensated for.

Located beneath the driver's floor was a hollow area large enough to mount the crossovers. The crossovers have inputs for both a standard or bi-wire installation. One amplifier powers the speakers in a standard installation, while the bi-wire install allows the tweeters and woofers to be powered by separate amps. My crossovers were fed by a JL Audio 450/4 amplifier (4 x 50 watts) high passed at 120 Hz to power XR650-Csi speakers in each of the four doors. Bass was augmented by a pair of 10W3v2 ten-inch subwoofers powered by a JL Audio 250/1 amp low passed at 120 Hz.

Final Take - I've had the XR650-Csi speakers in my car during the review process for quite a while. I use the car as daily transportation, have taken a few long day trips and even had the editor and managing editor of the best technology magazine in the world as passengers to take a listen. During this time I've been able to evaluate the speakers with a variety of music, movie and dialogue sources, from DVD and CD discs to satellite radio and television broadcasts. It became apparent early on that these speakers are good. Really good. They carry the expectation of being a reference speaker set, so they should certainly perform better than a run-of-the-mill product.

My goal in testing the XR650-Csi set was to hear subtle nuances in every genre of music available through the use of a Pioneer AVH-P6500DVD multimedia receiver. The component speakers took off with the live unplugged version of Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven". The strumming of the guitar was detailed enough to hear Clapton's fingers sliding up and down the strings while his vocals displayed good character and resonance. Listening to the title track of the funky eclectic rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication, I was captivated by the hard-driving bass playing of Flea and guitar tiffs of John Frusciante. Percussion on the track "Otherside" was punchy without being too forceful. The midbass had a stunning presence without overshadowing highs even at higher volume levels. Smooth jazz man Dave Koz plays a mean horn and on his newest release, Saxophonic, he teams up with Brian McKnight on the track "Love Changes Everything", which is mesmerizing with its warm tones and silky transitions. For the most part, the dramatic sounds weren't focused in any one part of the car, they seemed to surround me as they should. However, I did detect a near-side soundstage bias from time to time and a lack of definition between instruments occasionally. The result was a more muddied effect.

After a long time behind the wheel, the JL Audio XR650-Csi component speakers were always refreshing. Their avant-garde design with quality materials really hit the mark of a reference standard for mobile speakers. They sound great in all conditions with detail, clarity, image, and a three-dimensional feel, as if you are at a live performance. The price is reasonable for such a performance-oriented set of drivers which should give great results for many years. In fact they sound so good, it seems a pity to hide them behind a door panel.

JL Audio XR650-Csi Component Speakers
1" aluminum dome tweeters
6.5' woofers
Two-way crossover network
70 watt continuous power handling
Recommended amplifier power 25 -- 150 watts
Efficiency: 89.5 db @ 1 watt/1 meter
Frequency response: 48Hz -- 25kHz
One year warranty (authorized dealer installation)
90 day warranty (personal installation)
MSRP: $399/pair