2021 audio Upgrade, Thoughts?

Had a 2018, did the Kicker upgrade with the Subaru tweeters and a hideaway. Much better than stock for sure.
Just got a 2021 and want to do an even better upgrade. Looking at doing JL Audio c1 6x9 component up front. Can anyone suggest anything better for the rear? only thing that JL offers that "fits" per crutchfield would be 6.5 components and all of them have tweeters and cross overs. Can I put another brand speaker in the back? would that make a huge difference? also, can I put in a crossover without an amp?


Thanks,

 

The rear speakers do so little that you could put a roast turkey leg in there and it would sound the same. Ignore the rears and focus that money into something else.

 

Agreed. To elaborate on your questions, you don’t need 6.5 components in the back. Any 6.5 will work. Or 6.75 for that matter. Just need the adapters (Crutchfield gives them for free if you order speakers from them).

As far as putting in a crossover without an amp, I’m sure it could be done, but idk how much it would help anything.

Your best bet is, if you’re going to upgrade your speakers, get an amp to push them. Then, the component speakers (front and rear if that’s what you chose) would be a HUGE improvement.

 

Kicker . I just went through this. Stock non jbl headunit doesn't have enough powa to push the rears. Added a 400watt rockford fosgate amp. Sounds great! Def the way to go man

 

Same here. Did it on my 2020...then got a 2021 with JBL...in the process of getting rid of the JBL crap (literally, crap. Lol)

 

Really? I heard it with my ears once sounded good. But maybe I was drunk?

 

Lol. I mean, it’s not horrible. It actually sounds pretty good when the truck is not driving. But, you have to turn it up 3/4 of the way to hear the mids and highs at a decent level, and the bass is pretty much nonexistent when driving.

 

Def not worth the 2k upgrade form yota direct

 

Should the Amp be for Both front and rear? Like the Kicker Key?

 

I would do both front and rear (4 channel). You can also just use it for the front of you wanted to. But yes, the kicker key will do both of those.

 

So I struggle to wrap my head around the install. i know there are several guides, but I am a kenetic learner, so i need to get it all in front of me and touch it before I can really understand it. I take the speakers out from the back of the head unit. plug into the AMP, then back into the harness that would lead to the speakers right?

 

Kind of. You get the harness I was talking about about and it will have two “pieces”. Each piece will have a connector on one end and bare speaker wires on the other end. One connector is male and one is female. The male connector plugs into the back of your headunit and the bare ends on that plug into the input of your amp (have to cut the RCAs off of the amp and connect it that way). Then, on the output side of the amp you will connect the speaker wires tot he speaker wires of the female connector. Then that female connector gets connnected to the male factory harness (the one you unplugged form your headunit).

Other than that it’s just power ran to the batter and ground.

 

PERFECT! That seems easy enough did you get the one from the takoTunex? or make your own? Was thinking of putting it in the glove box instead of trying to put it behind the head unit.
EDIT: and if i wanted to add a powered sub, i would just T splice the L/R +/- to the sub wiring harness BEFORE the amp right?

 

You can put it above the glove box behind the textured panel too. Takes a bit of taking apart, but its a wide open behind that panel.

 

Yeah, I got the one from the company you listed (won’t let us post it in here). I got the add an amp one and the leads on each “piece” are like 10’ long or something crazy. I could have put it in the bed of the truck if I wanted to. Lol.

A couple people have said the add a sub harness is the exact same, just with shorter leads, but I can’t confirm that and have no idea how long the leads are.

 

Anyone know if there is a harness for the tweeter or do I have to cut into the factory harness?

 

Depends if you have JBL or not. If you don’t have JBL then the Subaru tweeters are completely plug and play. Trucks harness plugs directly into them and it fits in the stock spot without modification.

If you have JBL then I’m not sure what the harness is.

 

They changed the plugs on the newer trucks so they are no longer plug and play I think.


OP, you can do like I did when I first installed my system. I popped the plug off the back of the factory tweeter, unsoldered the wires and then attached them to my crossover. You just need to jumper the capacitor thats on the plug so its not doing anything anymore. This is 100% reversible too as you just pop it back onto the factory tweeter and then resolder it.

 

My 2020 was plug and play (non JBL) with the Subaru tweeters.

They also changed the rear speaker harness on the 2020+

 

I just said screw it, and got all the stuff from takoTunz as much as they are expensive. my time is worth more. Ill post pics since there is not alot out there bout the 2021