Audio upgrade advice for 2023 TRD OR

I am about to pull the trigger on a decent upgrade for my 2023 TRD OR (non-JBL Entune 3.0 Plus, not Premium). Where I am at:

1. Kicker 46CSS694 CS series 6x9" mid / .75" tweeter component speakers for front ($160)
Kicker 46CSC674 CS series 6.75" coaxial mid ($72)
Kicker 47KEY200.4 45Wx4 Mini Amp / DSP ($280)
Total: $512
2.
JL Audio C1-690 C1 series 6x9" mid / 1" tweeter component speakers for front ($190)
JL Audio C1-650x C1 series 6.5" coaxial mids for rear ($130)
Kicker 47KEY200.4 45Wx4 Mini Amp / DSP ($280)
Total: $600

Annoying thing is Crutchfield says the JL 6.5s will not fit in rear. However, I have seen in this forum instances of people doing just that. Not sure how that works, if they will give me a hard time ordering/getting adapters, etc. Anyway, absolutely any advice or feedback is welcome, especially if you've experience with these products. I'd ideally like to have a decent bass with this setup. While I am sure the JLs sound better overall at a not-extremely-different price point, I am wondering if the Kickers will have a bit more thump. I am also wondering if it's still possible to somehow add a powered sub given the setup (where would you get the line out since everything is going to the Key, and the Key does not have an out). Soundman recommended LOCs; will probably try the Key first with the speaker inputs and add LOCs if it's necessary. I know this general topic has been talked to death (500 pages for the Kicker speaker upgrade thread), so sorry for the bother.

Also just wanted to say I love this truck. Nicest thing I have ever owned (sixth Toyota so far). Thanks.

 

I did subaru tweeters in dash, kicker ks in front, kicker cs in rear, and I added a kicker amp. I had the premium audio on my other 3rd gen tacoma and my current setup sounds way better.

 

I'm normally a diehard JL fan, but the middling reviews for their c series steered me away. I've not heard them in person, but even the crutchfield reviews implied that they are mediocre.

I did like the kicker CS, though they can be shrill at times. There will be a rare song that can produce a harsh ear piercer, but for the most part they do sound fantastic. The reviews actually like them better than the JLs, and that baffles me.

I'm currently running focal fronts, kicker CS rears, key amp plus underseat sub. I love the focals, they have an excellent, almost warm voice to them. However, their one downside is that they don't quite dig into the low frequencies like the kickers can, so they ideally need to be paired with a sub.


You really can't go wrong with either choice.

 

That's interesting and unfortunate. They are pretty inexpensive for JL though. So maybe the Kickers then. I am airly sold on the Key, but I also am wondering about two Kenwood mini amps now on sale ($135 400W and $175 600W). Obviously no DSP, but I'm still unclear how much that really helps. Rock Lobster, what kind of sub did you go with? Fit okay underneath the seats? I noticed it's very tight space compared to other vehicles I've had.

 

The key is an absolute diamond of an amp.

I'm running the cerwin vega 10" sub. It's surprisingly better sounding than one would expect. It fits fine under the driver's (non-motorized). The passenger would need modifying to fit a sub.

 

Installed these C7s in the last few days, totally worth it! Running a 4 to 6 Mosconi DSP
SR 4.500 Audison pushing the C7 Tweeters And C7 6.5 Mids,
And the RD 500 doing the job with the TW3 12 JL audio Subwoofer

 

I’m using 2 of those Kenwood mini amps , 1 on bottom is running my 10” Rockford shallow sub , 1 on top is what I am using to power the kicker 6x9 front door speakers.

 

That is an amazing setup, probably sounds fantastic, but way past what I am able and willing to drop on car audio.

 

Do you like them? Are you using them from a factory HU or some other arrangement? It’s hard to tell because both the speaker level inputs and normal line in use the RCA connectors.

 

I have a Kenwood head unit, the amps use rca connectors, and the plugs that you see on the other end are for the speaker wires .

 

don't pay too much mind to crutchfields fit guide. my first 2 vehicles, it specifically demanded that only 5-1/4" speakers fit, when the factory speakers were 6.5". and that was 15 years ago. i don't know why it's so consistently off all the time...


the main thing i don't like about the kicker cs series is the foam surround.

i've seen factory foam surrounds rot out, so i'm severely allergic to ever wanting to install new gear with it given so many other alternatives.

in my opinion, the rear speakers are essentially useless for anything but adding some small additional audio to the rear seat. even with added power, and improved speakers. the rear doors just don't lend themselves acoustically to improvement. if saving money is of interest, i would generally recommend just disconnecting the rear speakers altogether, save the money for something else.

given your initial options, i would instead recommend this:

infinity primus 6x9 component set. infinity tends to have a similar acoustical signature to kicker speakers, though their 'plus one' woofer configuration tends to lend their woofers to offer better bass than similarly priced options.

mtx terminator6 6.5 coaxials. i honestly don't know anything about them, but selected them on the grounds that they're some of the cheapest 6.5" coaxial speakers crutchfield offers. they'll still offer an upgrade over the oem speaker, and the poly cone/rubber surround will offer better longevity than the kickers foam surround cs series.

as far as adding a sub later, if it comes to it, and you're not interested in adding an LOC, you can easily just get a line-input-compatible sub amp/kit, and split the front speaker output between the kicker key and the new sub amp.

 

Are you considering adding a subwoofer? If so, I've been nothing but happy with the JL Stealthbox with their 10" woofer. Super clean and crisp bass.

 

Wow, thank you. Soundman, Crutchfield insisted that speaker sets should be paired by brand and series? You think that's bs, or at least not applicable here? And is the Key worth 140 dollars more than Kenwood KAC-M1814 ?

 

Man, I saw that Stealthbox, and it looks amazing but $1000.... ouch. I actually have an old JL 10" sub with a great JL ported box, but the box is not going to fit in my truck. Be nice to repurpose the speaker but something tells me you need specific subs for small (or at least very narrow) enclosures. I have half a mind to getting out a measuring tape and trying to build my own custom enclosure. Or if I'm lazier, maybe just get a small powered sub like the Hideaway or Cerwin Vega VPAS etc. They're relatively cheap.

 

Yea I think most Tacoma fitting Focals cut off at 60Hz...so you're going to need a sub for bass...

 

^that should be free-air response, it will change slightly once it's in the doors. there's also an EQ boost on the oem radio, i think its around 100-120hz, that reinforces the low end...

i need to pick my words carefully!

[gut-impression]!it's absolute crap that speaker selection should all be the same![/gut-impression]

ok, they've got their reasoning-- every speaker brand/speaker model line has a specific 'tone'. this is no different than identifying a fender vs gibson guitar, or discussing the exhaust note difference between a nissan vq series vs. subaru boxer engine.

personally, i won't ever run kicker or infinity speakers in my own vehicles. i can't stand the tone, i find their tweeters way too harsh.

crutchfields reasoning behind the statement is accurate, as it's a simplified formula that ensures that customers get the same 'tone' throughout their vehicles. this really follows the same corporate character as their fitment calculator(i suspect the reason for the sizing discrepancy is due to some 6.5" woofers being deeper than the door panel accepts)-- they distill the components down to a formula they can absolutely guarantee will not only work, but perform acceptably as often as possible. as with any average, it'll work for most people.

that said, in this post i indicated i hated infinity tweeters. but the previous post indicates their midbasses improved bass response. 'mixing and matching' can take a weakness of one model/brand, and by substituting the strength of another model/brand, one can get an overall strength, that either brand/model by itself could never achieve.

most people don't want to deal with this. many just want to get 'da besst!', and be done with the whole ordeal. crutchfields methodology works for that.

but the other reality is to understand the environment, and the expectations of each installation and owner. in this case, i recommended a speaker i know nothing about because, as i indicated, it largely doesn't matter. given the construction characteristics, it HAS to be better than the oem speaker in the rear door, but because of my experience with the rear door acoustics being terrible, i know that tonally matching it to the front speakers is a mostly waste of money-- any audio emitted from the speaker back there is going to sound close enough.

personally, i love mixing and matching speakers to fit the tone characteristics i want--no brand does everything great in my opinion. my car's been through 2 midranges, and 4 tweeters, the truck is still on it's first set of midranges and tweeters. but neither is the same. but it does take more time and research to end up with what's desired. something a lot of people don't want to deal with.


as far as the kicker amp over the kenwood--yes, i think the kicker amp for +$140 is the better value.

the kenwood is a good amp, a few others here are using it. but it's a 'typical' amp. meaning everything is setup and tuned via standard methods. there's also zero tone adjustment to what comes out of it. so you're 'stuck' with the factory eq that was tuned specifically to make the weak oem speakers sound like something they're not. the benefit is that it's got fully adjustable high pass filters, which would help with a sub install.

i highly support having a DSP to better adjust the sound to tune out the factory eq, and/or tune it to individual preferences. the absolute cheapest one could get a DSP outside of the key would be the dayton dsp408, which currently retails for $165, but doesn't offer any auto-eq functionality. it means you're still tuning it yourself, and/or paying someone else to tune it.

the thing i like about the key is that it's dsp is mostly automated, meaning that even if you don't know much about audio, you can just follow their procedure to set it up and it will end up with really good sound. it does still offer high pass crossovers, but they're on/off switches at fixed intervals--fine for most, just less than ideal for a tinkerer like me.

 

I have a 2023 DC OR and just installed the Audio Control 6x9 component set. There weren’t many reviews on them but I liked the huge magnets on their woofers. Well, they sound great! The tweeters are powered by the front channel and the woofers off the rear channel…yes, I blocked off the rear speakers and am running the components off the 4 channels of a 5 channel amp. I can blend the output so the system sounds very natural. I just returned from a long road with the system running every minute and I did not get listener’s fatigue.

I have an aftermarket HU and I also ditched using the OEM wiring. When you add a speaker harness adapter to your new speakers, it’s another cheap, interrupted connection within a system of similar interruptions using small gauge OEM wiring. Getting some good 16-12 AWG OFC wire and running it straight to the amp is the best way.

 

I'll go with it then. Why not. Still somewhat torn on speakers. Went to Best Buy but could only listen to the Kicker CSs, which were surprisingly nice (if a bit less clear than high end). Solid bass with just 6x9s, which is probably why people like them for basic non-amp or non-sub systems. The KS series component 6x9s have rubber woofer surrounds like the Infinitys and others (though sell for a eyebrow-raising $250). That set also has 2.75 inch sorta-tweeters, which I imagine would increase the overall volume with slightly reduced high response. Kenwood Excelon, Infinity Reference, Focals, Alpine, and other speakers (as well as tons of other stuff) are discounted quite a bit on Crutchfield due to Black Friday. Guess I have choices to make...

 

If you go with infinity, the reference are the lower end you want to go with the Kappa. Been using those for years and the need to be amped for the full effect.

 

Sold on the Kicker Key amp. Still torn between JLs, Infinity Reference (on sale for ~200), or Kicker CS for the speakers.
If Soundman sees this, I saw in another very detailed post you said "i've personally 'gone off the reservation' in terms of speakers that i run.... run speakers that i locate via aliexpress, parts express, and madisound" So I am curious if you have recommendations. let's say, under $250, 6x9 component set will be amplified by the Key, good bass response (as I would prefer not to run a sub, the bass response from good amplified 6x9s is plenty for me), warm sounding.