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Pioneer TS-G1042R Coaxial Car Speaker

Pioneer TS-G1042R Coaxial Car Speaker
Overall Rating: Product Rating: 5.0
Lowest Price: $28.05

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A True Classic Lil' Gem ... Still Pioneering The Way For The Poor Man!

Written: Aug 14 '09 (Updated Aug 15 '09)

Product Rating: Product Rating: 5.0
Sound Quality:  
Ease of Use:  
Durability:  
Pros: Well built! More efficient than most! Great sound from such a small driver! Price!

Cons: Can't reach deep into the lows.

The Bottom Line: With an abundance of car speaker manufacturers offering small replacement speakers that drop right into your dash, it's nice to know that Pioneer still leads the pack with price/performance!
Compare Prices ($28 - $51 from 9 stores)
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at Crutchfield
sam-pro's Full Review: Pioneer TS-G1042R Coaxial Car Speaker
Anyone owning a classic Buick these days knows that such a reliable beautifully crafted solid vehicle deserves a proper stereo system.  And if that particular model happens to be a 1991 Blessed Mother Blue Skylark that the angels sent to you from heaven {more on that in yet another review!} for a mere $500...well, sir...er ahhh, maam...then one needs to replace the so-called clunker's weather beaten sound system regardless "whether" it is still functioning...or not.

Take it from an unprofessional backyard expert in the field...a car this old may be absolutely first rate mechanically but the stock system...as good as it sounds can and should be improved upon.  In my case the so so stock fronts retained and suffered way too much humidity causing a short at the speaker terminals just as I was about to change the system anyway.

Besides installing stereos in cars and homes has been a fun thing-a-ma-bob for me for 34 years! Keep in mind that a given o.e.m. system after fifteen to twenty years must be considered as weather beaten as such was the case with mine.  The funny thing is that as I was about to replace the stock system with a JVC 340 radio and a pair of NT Power 6 x 9 multi-tweetered set of rear drivers...the front cloth covered stock 4" drivers developed a short due to the extreme weather we've been experiencing here in the East.

Enter the Pioneer TS-G1042R 4-Inch Coaxial Speaker Kit which is designed perfectly to drop right in the '91 Skylark's front dash!  The little gems are available from reputable retailers Like Crutchfield and Best Buy for $50 but can be purchased for under $35 from various online discounters.  Mine were purchased at the local Best Buy fromsales person Jeff who let me have them for forty bucks as an open box item.

The Specs:

Frequncy Response: 35Hz-30KHz @ -20 db points
Efficiency: 87 db @ 1 watt...1 meter
Power Handling: 120 watts max
Driver: 4" Poly/composite woofer coaxial mounted dome tweeter
Warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Installation

The kit comes complete with 18 Ga. wide and narrow...plus and minus leads for proper phasing and for more than adequate connectivity.  Yay!  Pioneer deserves great praise for this as so many other manufacturers like NT Power and Pyramid offer only 22 Ga. leads with their better car speakers.  Such thin wire is adequate only if you tin the leads with solder and don't hookup a high powered external amp.
No grills are included with this model as it is intended to replace your factory model.  Pioneer designed these to drop right in the dash...so to speak!

Installing the shallow depth 1042's in a '91 Skylark is a snap! Simply pry the two top grills/vents with a flathead screwdriver and the stock speakers with two mounting screws each are immediately revealed.  Total installation time should be less than a half hour for most backyard enthusiasts but no...not me....like lovemaking...I like to enjoy the experience with frequent breaks.  My total time for the relatively easy project was 75 minutes!  It wasn't exactly a knockdown draggout 15-round bout with Muhammed Ali but then again care and caution must be the rules as you are dealing with somewhat limited working space around the front window.

Use a small ratchet with 1/4 drive 7mm socket and no extension for R & R and you'll do fine.  The less than a foot long supplied gray and white leads are perfect for this job.  The two pairs of leads have a striped side that should be attached to the Buick's corresponding striped wire for proper phasing.  The speakers must be in phase otherwise sound will be less focussed and bass will be lost on playback.

It's not absolutely necessary but you can opt not to cut the stock speaker connector plugs by supplying your own special terminal clips but I chose to cut the fangled contraptions right off and splice into the Pioneer wires by stripping an inch of insulation off on the vehicle's end.  .

It is not necessary to use wire strippers on the Pioneer end as the benevolent manufacturer supplies their leads ready to be peeled with simple persuasion from your finger nails.  Wire nuts can be used but are not supplied.  I like to use good ole black electrical tape when splicing the leads together while using a generous amount of wrap around each wire.  Electrical tape tends to unwravel with time and temperature just a wee bit.

The Pioneer's frame allows for four mounting screws on each driver but only two per speakere are required for the Buick.  Pioneer does supply plenty of their own mounting screws and nuts should you feel a great urge to use them.  No necessito in most cases.
  When tightening the screws, the little Pios seat themselves quite nicely with a good gasket-like seal.

The Sound Itself!

The coaxial design provides a full range dynamic crystal clear sound that is non fatiguing for the most part so long as you don't pump up your EQ too much.  I chose the JVC's "Jazz" setting for my purposes although I certainly love all types of music with ROCK being in the forefront!  Bass is surprisingly good and detailed with low distortion and no buzzing {unless it is in the recording itself!} but noticeably lacking below 100 hertz.  Given the the physical size of the driver...this certainly is not surprising.  If your looking for the little Pioneer to defy the laws of physics...forget it!   This ain't no Bose!  Just use good 6 x 9 drivers in the rear or a good subwoofer and the bass will improve dramatically.

On the other hand...the efficiency is much better than the spec would suggest and this is what attracts me to Pioneer when installing car speakers anyway.  That classic Pioneer ability to bring out the best in a small radio is in full effect here.  This is not to say that the Pio can't handle great amounts of power...it can so long as it is not overdriven with ungodly EQ.  Listen to the really cool guitar pickin' on The Lovin' Sponnful's "Nashville Cats"and your spine will tingle with great pleasure!  Percussion is also a real forte' along with absolutely first rate mids {where most of the action is anyway} on all types of music. 

The stereo image is wonderful and generous with the performers spread out before you whilst left and right details thrust themselves in front of you.  Check out Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 25th Anniversary Collection on Rhino and you'll get the idea!

In Conclusion:

This is a well thought out kit/pair of drivers by Pioneer
that when installed properly will give endless listening pleasure and given their rubber surrounds and composite build will simply resist the elements for a lifetime.  Although better drivers are offered by Polk and Boston Acoustics...the Pioneers perform very near the same level for half the price!  The coaxial design not only provides great range but gives a cool looking appearance to your Buick's dash...especially when the sun  hits it just right.  Please do not be concerned about clearance of the coaxial tweeters.  The Buick's grills snap back into place with plenty of clearance. 

Pioneer's fit guide on their website is a wonderfully easy tool for the consumer to use when replacing stock speakers...
http://pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/FitGuide.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/FitGuide
  It simply eliminates guesswork and is quite up-to-date while boasting incredible accuracy.  Once again...at its price point...Pioneer leads the pack!  Bona petite!...PJS II

Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 40
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sam-pro

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sam-pro
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Member: Peter J Sammon II
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Every once in awhile something great arrives at relatively low cost to you...Priceless!

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1-4 of 9 stores Store Rating Price
(In stock)
fastxturtle Store HTML clipboard Brand new Ready to ship out today! NEW PIONEER 4" 2-WAY SPEAKERS TS-G1042R 1 PAIR Pioneer's TS-G Series speakers can ... More at eBay
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Free Install kit with purchase... (Stock status: N/A)
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