Sweet Tweet of the Week!!! Soundstream TWS.3

So after searching many different threads on many different forums, I thought I would share with TW my install of aftermarket tweeters in my '03 doublecab.

Not wanting to break the bank and doing some in-depth searches for budget tweeters to replace my stock tweeters in my 1st gen Tacoma, I ended up going with the Soundstream TWS.3 1-inch tweeters. I must admit that it was a bit of a leap of faith to purchase these with virtually no reviews on the web. But for only ~$20, it was worth the risk.

Before I get into my review of the tweeters and more importantly the install, many will simply say "Why didn't you just get components?". First, I am on a budget and wanted to replace all four stock speakers in my Tacoma as opposed to going "6.5 components" and "5x7/6x8" in the rear (I have a double cab). I found a great deal on KICKER DS680 6x8 coaxes AND for only $20 more, I could swap out the factory tweeter with the Soundstream tweets. With that said, if I had more disposable income, I would purchase the 6.5" baffle adapters and hit up some components. That's a no brainer.

I did, however, take the risk and went for some "seemingly" cheap tweeters that was rewarded tenfold with some sweet tweets for $20! (PROS: Uber-cheap, decent quality construction, multiple adapters for mounting preferences, and spiders on the grills?! CONS: Very little instructions on installation, speaker wire gauge is quite small, and crossovers are hockey pucks with spiders on the (aesthetically), and spiders on grills(hehe)

The install itself was quite simple. Since the speakers from the wire harness to the tweeters is run in a series, you will need to clip the wires that are directly attached to the factory tweeters. Do not cut the wires on the harness (Thus, do not cut off the harness!!!). If you don't want to make jumper wires, you will lose power to your door speakers. Thus, leave the harness wires along, and just snip the red and red/black wires directly where they are soldered on the factory tweet. This is where I wired the new tweets with crossovers and then mounted the Soundstream tweets in the factory location.

Up to this point is where mounting the tweets back into the factory location is a bit tricky. I ended up bending back the two metals brackets that attached to the factory tweet. I then inserted the aftermarket tweeter into where the old one was located. To get a snug fit, I bent back the two metal arms holding the factory tweeter snug up against the new aftermarket tweeter. With some tape, it made for a nice snug fit. It is a bit a pinch, but they DO fit without removing the factory tweeter grill covers on the door.

Once I had them wired and screwed back on, I taped the crossovers inside the door panel and then put the door panel back on. Flipped the CD player on, and heard some tweeter gloriousness!

For $20, they really do sound quite good! After taking out the factory tweets, you could tell a marked difference. Granted it isn't "earth shattering" difference, but well worth the price. I have a JVC head unit 50x4 providing the juice, but they still sound crisp, not too harsh, and fill out the upper "hz" quite nicely. My buddy who heard the new kickers coaxes with the factory tweets was impressed with the $20 tweeter swap with the Soundstreams. And yes, I have been around car audio garb for quite sometime, so it's not just the placebo affect of going from something "factory" to something "new". So for any of those on the fence, burn the $20 in your pocket and pick up some nice tweeters on a budget.

But more importantly, the stereo upgrade was more simple than I anticipated and the results were better than expected. Like I mentioned before, components are a no-brainer, but if you don't want to go the component route, you can always try new aftermarket tweets!

(My apologies for no pictures. I am adding some more deadening material next week, so I will take some pics for a tutorial) If anyone has any questions, feel free to inquire.