speaker recommendations

Hey all, I just picked an 09 dub cab, and I want to start upgrading the audio. I'm going to start with the speakers first, cause I dont want to drop a grip for a HU yet.

Can anyone recommend a good set of speakers? I'm not looking for anything crazy, I just want something that sounds nice and clean. I'm going to run them off of the stock HU at first. Eventually I'll add a dvd/nav/bt HU, and modest sub but for now I'm gonna start small.

So what do ya got? And how do ya like it?

 

Harmon/Kardon..... BOSE...... If thats too expensive than just check out the deals at your local stereo shop.

JBL works with the stock Head Unit

 

Speakers are very much a personal taste type of choice. What sounds good to you, might not sound good to others.

Have a go and listen to several types of speakers in a shop and then find them on-line for cheaper.

Sticking with any of the major brands will be fine. Stay away from bottom priced stuff in any brand of speakers.


I plan on installing MB Quart in mine in the near future.
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=20082

 

Yeah, I agree with GoBlueFan. You should buy the speakers that fit your choice of music.
Just go to a respectable audio shop(preferably one thats won sound competitions) and ask their opinion. I have 4 Pioneer Premiers, 2 6" and 2 5x9" hooked up to a 800 Db amp. They sound great! I got my sub a lot later and I was running them off of my stock HU at the time.

 

I am an audiophile and IMHO anything below the pioneer TS-C720 PRS is not really worth getting

 

thanks for the replies. So if I went with a set of components up front (woofer, tweeter, crossover) I could hook that to the stock deck?

 

Yes... as long as the new components fits the wattage and amps


Welcome to TW by the way

 

I put JBL 6x9 in my front and back, they sound awesome, but I also have a Pioneer Nav unit that makes a lot of difference as well. The speakers that come stock in the truck are pretty much trash, they sound ok though for the HU, but they are paper thin literally. I spent about 150 for my speakers and installation but you can for sure do it yourself, try out this website if you do it yourself:

http://www.*********.com/

 

Take my advice, dont get shitty aftermarket speakers!

 

Thanks!!

I'm not gonna cheap out on the speakers, I just wanted to make sure that I can run them off the stock deck for awhile. I went today and checked out a few different ones and found some Infinity Kappa components that seemed pretty good. I had some in my old 4 runner and really liked them.

Anyone know what the stock HU puts out so I'll know if I'll need an amp or not?

thanks for all the suggestions and info!!

 

I agree you get what you pay for...where can you find "audiophile" speakers all I found were marine ones.

 

Also... I have an Alpine Type R 10 inch sub that I pulled out of my 2000 taco when I traded it in for the 09. Any one know if I can pull it out of the box that its in and fit it into a custom box (*********?) that'll fit behind the back seats? Its gotta be 5 years old, and it was already in the box when i bought it but i'm assuming i can take it out.

 

the ohm rating would be much more of a factor here. But stock head unit will have no trouble running a set of aftermarket speakers.

You do have to be careful of cranking it wide open though...it is much easier to trash a set of speakers by underpowering them than it is to blow them from too much power.

 

Just unscrew it, unhook the speaker wires and pull it out of the box. Should be no issue whatsoever. Just be careful not to put your screwdriver through the surround.
If it's still working...use it.

 

I'll back everything GoBlueFan has been talking about here.

Now time to paint a target on me.

Audiophile is a term I am growing to have more and more problems with. There's different levels of being an audiophile, and most of the time it becomes subjective. More than anything else, audiophile = expensive, and not always for any actual gain.
I can sit my mom down in my truck and she says, "this sounds great". I sit down and say, "the rears are muddy, the mids are overaccentuated causing fatigue, and the highs are flat." My friend sits down and starts talking about how this kH range needs adjustment, the crossover point is causing blah blah blah, distortion in the blah blah range, and takes it to a science.
Each of us are now at different purchasing levels. Mom is fine, I buy some spendy speakers and amps, and my friend buys speakers, amps,EQs, so on, and starts the custom fabrication process.

Don't be swayed by "You have to buy these speakers or better", because you may have a different point of diminishing returns, plus you can easily make an expensive speaker sound like crap by installing it poorly.

H/K doesn't do cars, except for some factory jobs. BOSE is the same way, and is generally considered overpriced for a mid-grade sound. But if that's what sounds good, there's no sense buying better. Just don't start waving around that you have the best speakers made on earth.

important part bolded. I guarantee I can make those speakers sound like crap. Additionally, the OP may hate them or not hear the difference between those and his Infinity speakers. As a good example, MB Quarts sound horrible to me if they don't get enough power, so in an un-amplified situation, I would buy Alpines at half the price and end up sounding better.
You need to focus on maximizing the sound in the budget presented.

Not always the case in this department. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors, fluff, subjective opinion, and advertising. It's driven me absolutley crazy. I'm a person who likes to measure things, weigh it out, and be able to say, "this is a bad brand" with definitive proof. I had very long conversations with Mr. Marv and many others, and the consensus is, "Unfortunately, it's subjective and you need to hear things for yourself."
There's a guy on here called "bassmechanic" or something like that who wrote a good thread deconstructing some of the hype. He built his own speakers for $20 and they probably sound just as good as stuff you find in the upper echelons of speaker buying.

You need to determine the mounting depth and the airspace requirements. You need to exceed the mounting depth requirement, but match as closely as possible the airspace. Large differences in airspace will throw off the sound and negatively impact your sound.
These figures should be posted on the manufacturer's respective websites.

 

thank you for making an intelligent and factual response. I get tired of harping the same points and still the "brand X is the best" BS is still so pervasive. I am glad you are here.

Man crush over.

 

I leaned what an "audiophile" was by hanging around www.polkaudio.com/forums. The "system showcase" over there is amazing! Anyway, I think the term is too close to pedophile and I hate it.

I have become a more informed buyer through various forums. You learn what mainstream America is misguided on. For example, we all agree that a stock Hummer is not very off-road capable - probably just as capable as our trucks. My dad thinks they are tanks and can go anywhere you aim it. You may also not realize that most Burton gear is considered junk and not worth the material it's made of. Any well-informed snowboarder will tell you this.

Well, to stay on topic here, I also have heard that Bose = junk, whether it's in the car or in your home. They sell the hype surrounding the name and not the quality. I found this out with a Bose Wave Radio...it sucked big time!


All that said...I am in the same boat as the original poster and was close to starting the exact same thread. I need decent speakers to run off my stock HU. I want something decent that will also work well when I upgrade my HU.

I guess components are the way to go. What size is recommended? What is stock in the DC? Any other popular recommendations for those of us that can't hear quality.

You say to go listen to them but, not being an "audiophile", I imagine they will all sound good to me. I want something that will also sound respectable to an audiophile who gets in my truck. It doesn't have to be the top line and AMAZING...just something recommended as a good starter speaker. I can't make my own and need something plug N play.

 

When buying speakers, the first thing you need to decide is price point. Then search all the speakers in that price range and listen to them. Only you can decide what sounds good to you. Very subjective.

I like the sound quality that MB Quart has...and they just happen to make a 6X9 component set. But again, you have to decide how much you want to spend and then listen to what's out there.

 

I had sony explodes in my old ride. Had just a lilttle 480W amp hooked up to a sub as well. Sounded good. Theres better out there im sure.

 

Ehhh.... let me tweak that slightly. You need to determine price point, but look at big picture too. Look at speakers above your price, then below your price. Look at what else you have to buy. Write it all out and determine what to cut back on and what to inflate. Determine if what you are about to buy fits what you need and what sounds good, or if you need to wait for another few months to bump up the budget for what you truly want (within reason).
Bad speakers that maxed out your budget are going to sound nasty for a long time, especially when you could have waited for an extra month to get what you really were after.

They will sound the best because by design, you can separate the sound better (highs from lows). Also better ability for speaker placement, i.e. "imaging"

Stock sizes are custom mounted, so you will need baffles (basically a mounting plate for the speaker). The fronts are component 6x9 and the rear is 6.5. I tend to like 6.5 speakers, but it's your call.

If you can't hear a difference, stick with the stock speakers and buy a dirtbike to stick in the bed.

Sit and listen until you notice a difference. If you don't hear anything better, or if you don't hear anything better for the price, forget about it... go back and look at the Honda CRF again.

What do you care what other people think? It's your ears. I think you should paint the truck magenta and wear a bunny suit, and that will improve your sound. Maybe I'm wrong?