Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

that's good to know. I think I'll go with those and possibly look into a small amp. Is it a lot of work wiring up the amplifier?
btw, In my 4runner I had JBL components front and back and they sounded amazing.

 

I had a place wire the highs amp. I did the sub amp. Didn’t have time at the time. Definitely doable though. The kicker key amp is nice because you just put it behind the dashboard. No finding a place to mount it

 

So this is what I decided to after weighing my options.
I'm going to install a 3 way component system.
6.5inch speakers will go in the doors with a bracket, 3 inch speakers in the dash and the tweeters in the A pillar. Since the wires from the head unit go to the dash location first that should make for an easy wiring job. The crossover will be placed under the dash. Doors will be properly dampened as well. For now I'll use the stock head unit so I'm not expecting wonders but eventually I'll upgrade to a head unit with a proper amp in it.

$182 Massive Audio FC6.3 – 6" / 6.5" 3-Way, 150w/300 Watts Max, 6.5" Mid-Bass, 3" Mid-Range, 25mm Tweeter, 4 Ohm, 12db X-Over, Component Kit Speakers. Pair

Massive Audio FC6.3 – 6 Inch / 6.5 Inch 3-Way, 150w/300 Watts Max, 6.5 Inch Mid-Bass, 3 Inch Mid-Range, 25mm Tweeter, 4 Ohm, 12db X-Over, Component Kit Speakers. Pair
I chose to go with this option because I listen to heavy metal and a well balanced and clear sound is a must. Coaxial speakers won't cut it.
I realized the main fault in the factory sound system is the tweeter's capacitor that's way too high and the lack of crossover or dampening in the woofer. You basically get the worst of it, harsh highs produced by a speaker that's too large for its high pass signal and a woofer that's noisy because it's getting bogged down with signal it can't reproduce. Not to mention the boomy loose bass because of the lack of dampening and a 6x9 speaker that's very inconsistent.

The 3 way crossover system should fix it all.

 

I removed the factory JBL speakers for 6x9 in the front and 61/2 in the rear. Im not too concerned on wattage to the speakers or loss of volume as I’m in the process to add a 5 channel DSP JL audio amp and after the amp is in place I’m planning upgrading all the speakers and sub woofer until it turns into a full JL audio system. I think any other option I would always be wondering about changing and swapping all the components so I’ll take my time until I can make all the changes!

 

Are you done with your install? How was the install of the 3 way component are you happy with the sound?
Lmk

 

I agree I have the JBL system as well and the few options for this upgrade are expensive did you end up upgrading your system? I see you posted over a year ago just wondering thanks

 

I have yet to do it. Seems pretty straightforward. I'll definitely post a step by step of the install.

 

I didn’t do anything to it at all. I get the itch and then spend money on new suspension or new wheels and tires, you know. Haha

 

I just did this and I was woefully disappointed. Like others mentioned, you can probably just do the kickers and get as much or 85% of the sound upgrade from those alone. I even replaced the subaru kickers with the DS18, which are better, but not by much.

This isn't a bad upgrade, but... and I'm sure this has already been mentioned, I dont think it compares to the JBL OEM setup, and it most certainly doesn't compare to the stock system in my GMC Denali. You will get better sound, but if are you used to playing your music loud, may want to do more research and pick some better options.

It's been a LONG time since I did audio in my vehicle, so maybe if you use an amp, it will drive these upgraded speakers better, or even a better head unit? Not sure, but Id love to know if that would help.

Edit: This post, by dolbytone, pretty much answers all of my questions.

 

You need to really read this thread to determine what configuration this $250 upgrade corresponds to.

If you have a base non-JBL head unit, the only thing worth doing is the tweeters. The amp in this unit doesn't have enough power to drive better speakers.

If you have a Premium non-JBL unit, then you can upgrade the 6x9's in the front doors. The premium head unit has a better amp in it and will drive better front-door speakers.

Neither non-JBL unit delivers any power to the rear doors. You must add an amp if you want more sound from the rear doors.

There is a way, if you don't know which head unit you have, to put the head unit in diagnostic mode. The method is in this thread.

I have a premium non-JBL head unit. I sound deadened the front doors, did the tweeters, and put Kickers in the front doors and am very pleased how it turned out compared to the factory setup. I didn't even touch the rear door speakers.. It's taken me a while to get un-used to sound not coming from the rear... All my other rides pumped our of the rear.

 

just bench tested this massive audio 3way component system. It already sounds amazing even in a box. The mid speakers really fill in the missing frequencies and the crossover is doing its job very well. All the sounds come through very nicely, vocals, guitar, bass drums it's all there and clear. Could really use a subwoofer though to fill in the low end but we'll see. I'm expecting the bass to sound a lot better once the doors are deadened and sealed.
So with the deadening mats and 6.5 inch speaker adapters the whole thing comes out to about $250. Can't wait to install it.
I'm assuming the stock head unit will be very underpowered for this setup so eventually I'll have to upgrade that once more options come out. Ideally I'd get something with an actual eq and a built in crossover to blend the speakers with the soobwoofer. I really don't want to amp the stock headunit. In my 4runner I had a 4x50w head unit and it had more than enough power.

 

I did this speaker upgrade, but also added the Kicker Key Amp. That made a lot of difference. The system as a whole is still a bit under powered; I'm still using the stock head unit and the Key is powered through that. So you could go with a more powerful amplifier or a better head unit to bring it to its full potential. However, I'm happy with my setup: it's plenty loud and the sound is much better than the stock speakers.

 

I just got my 23 Taco TRD OR MT with Premium Package (today!). Since it's MT, I did not get the JBL and there is no subwoofer. My question is this: Does the wiring harness have a subwoofer jack behind the rear passenger seat and does the head unit have output for it?

 

The non-JBL headunits do not have a subwoofer output, and there are no wires for it in the rear passenger seats.

 

Thank you!

 

I’ve had the kicker Subaru tweeters and kicker front and rear speakers for close to five years now. I think the quality is starting to seriously degrade. I’ve lost some mid range bass and clarity. Has anybody else noticed this? Loved the setup up when it was new. Debating getting the same setup again or moving to something better.

 

Next month will be 5 years for me, still going strong.

 

I guess I’ve put about 130k on the truck in those years since I installed the speakers. A lot of long distance road trips listening to music for 6+ hours, I guess that did them in.

 

Unless they're torn or disintegrating, I can't imagine why speakers that are only 5 years don't sound good any more. Could it be a wiring issue or something loose?