Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

Bought all the speakers the OP posted when he started the thread .Installed the tweeters right away and the were a big difference . Finally got around to installing the door speakers today . Nothing crazy better , but definitely better .

 

Sure, although they do have a weird 3 ohm impedence, but seem to be designed that way as an OEM replacement to draw a bit more power. No amp required, but I think all aftermarket speakers benefit from a little extra power.

 

Same here, can’t wait to install everything. So it’s not that much better? Is it even worth doing?

 

Yes, it's better, and yes, it's worth doing.

 

Guys..... you're wasting hundreds of dollars..

Alls you gotta do is hang one of these bad boys from your rearview and its Go Time.. 37% more enjoyment (scientifically proven) for $15.

https://www.amazon.ca/Vangoa-Metal-Handle-Drumset-Percussion/dp/B077M7MSXH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=cowbell&qid=1565799150&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFHT0kxRDRQUDJNS0wmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzMTcxNjUyS0tQTk1FVDhZQk9BJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTEwMjk4OTgySllVRlBIN1NERTUyJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

Yes ... worth it

 

Does anyone know the part number for this fastener?

 

$13 GOOACC - GRC-33 240PCS Bumper Retainer Clips Car Plastic Rivets Fasteners Push Retainer Kit Most Popular Sizes Auto Push Pin Rivets Set -Door Trim Panel Fender Clips for GM Ford Toyota Honda Chrysler

I bought this generic variety pack. It should cover every clip you run into.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L6FJGR4

 

I believe you're looking for part
90467A0016C3

 

Thanks! I broke a couple of these in the rear door when I replaced my speakers. Never got around to finding a replacement.

 

Any issues with these? The reason I ask is that I have a Bose sytem in my Corvette and you just cannot replace them one for one as they run an odd impedance. It's like they just did it so you can't mess around and replace speakers without gutting the whole system. Another reason I'm enjoying the Taco...I can replace things like this and get a big bang for the buck on it.

 

No issues. Took a bit of fine soldering to connect the tweeters but that's it. I had them in my pile of audio equipment and they just happen to be the right size to fit in the OEM frame with a length a weather stripping around the Bose tweeter to secure it.

 

I should've just handed over my CC when I joined the forum. I've always been fairly conscious of the lack of quality in OEM stereo components and speakers, but have been relatively happy with the Taco. In the past the first 'mod' to just about any vehicle has been a new head unit and speakers, but I've been happy with the stock system in this truck. I did however just drop the $$ on two pairs of Kicker CS 6-3/4" speakers (

$77 46CSC674 6.75" 6-3/4" 600w 4-Ohm Car Audio Coaxial Speakers CSC674

46CSC674) for the front and rear doors as well as a set of the Subaru tweeters. I'm going to stick with the stock head unit for now since most of my listening is Sirius/XM radio though. I'd really like to find an Android head unit with a built-in S/XM tuner, but that doesn't seem to exist yet.

 

Pictures of it in your truck?

 

nailed it

 

This was definitely one of the best purchases I made, I started with the $90 tweeter upgrade in the front. After hearing it for about 5 seconds the smile on my face so was so big I instantly ordered 4 for the doors off crutchfield and installed them the second they were dropped at my door. Though now I hear a slight rattle in what I assume is the metal so I've gone ahead and ordered 36sq ft of the Noico sound deadening which drops tomorrow

Has anyone ordered MAT66 80mil off Amazon before? It seems to be 40% cheaper than Noico, no reviews yet but I went ahead and ordered a pack for comparing to noico which seems to be the staple minimum.

Also anyone with the 7" entune headunit have you found any sweet spots for the EQ? I remember seeing a post where someone posted there favorite numbers for treble, mids, bass but cant' find it anymore now that I need it haha.

 

Use your ears, there is no "good spot" on a 3 way EQ tuner. If anyone says they know the sweet spot its simply what sounds best to them. There is no way to accurately tune the sound output on the stock 3 band EQ.

 

What sounds good is very subjective. Also, the source media has a lot to do with sound quality. A CD will sound much better than Bluetooth for example. Digital input(USB) with sound better than analog(1/8" line in cable). Another variable is how well the cabin is insulated by the owner.

 

Did the tweeters and a rear door this morning, and stopped for midday heat.

Wow. The Kicker/Subaru tweeters make a huge difference. It's shockingly better.

The Amazon adapters for the rear speakers... Wow, they suck. Wrong screw thread for the material, wrong length, and the screw holes (speaker AND door) line up with nothing on this planet. If I ever meet the person who designed those, face to face, they will file charges against me and I won't mind.

I did add a bit of GE Silicone II to the mating surfaces of the rear door adapter, just to seal the front from the back, effectively increasing the length of the backside baffle a wee bit. That, plus some strips of closed-cell acoustic foam and the Noico damping material should maximize what that 6.5" Kicker can do.

My brief test yielded a solid "HOLY CRAP!!", and I'm an audiophile whose first employer was Altec Lansing, when they were good. (I am not easily impressed)

I wish it would cool off... I can't wait to finish the other 3 doors. Then, I have just enough DynaMat for the back wall.

Update:
Finished up this morning. I'm happy with the results.

I lost a bit of deep bass with the kickers, but the kickers have more accurate response overall. Polypropylene cones will have a higher resonant frequency than the, what, toilet paper used in the OEM drivers.

Rating of the steps, 1-5 w/ 3 = same as OEM:

Tweeters: 5
Front Kickers: 4
Rear Kickers: 3 (seriously, the rear gains little from upgrade)
All Metra adapters: -11ty jeez
Noico damping: 5
Dynamat back wall: 4

Overall: 4

Unless you're going to add an amp, I wouldn't bother replacing the rear speakers, or I'd find drivers that better match the efficiency of the front 6x9s.

The Entune head has plenty of power. You can deafen yourself in a few months with what this upgrade does.

You can add an amp e.g., the Kicker Key and get some better EQ and more from the rear speakers, but your returns won't match your investments.

I'll update once more when I know how well the Noico/Dynamat have reduced road noise.