Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

Dropped in a set of the Kicker DS series 6x9 3-Way speakers in front and DS Series 6.5" in the rear doors yesterday. The difference in quality, clarity, crispness....completely blew me away. If you haven't done this, you don't know what you are missing. Not even close to sounding stock.

Not running an AMP at the moment. More than enough volume/kick for me. I have NOT changed out the stock tweeters in the dash yet....have a question on that.
-Running the 3 way in the door, it has a mid and a tweeter in it, and it gives plenty of highs. Would changing out the stock tweeters in the dash provide any true improvement, or would it be mainly a wash?
I do have a set of Memphis Audio Tweeters I was going to drop in it using the original plug (these didn't come with crossovers). Want some opinions before I go through the trouble....

 

After much research, I’ve decided to go with the Hertz K170 (component, 6 3/4) front and rear. They are very sensitive at 93.5 dB ( they play louder at any given volume vs a speaker with a lower dB) I plan on installing the tweeters in the dash with tweeter adapters and just using the the woofers in the rear without tweeters. Currently, Crutchfield has these on sale for $99. The reason being, I don’t want all those tweeters with the coaxials with the kickers (tweeter city), the woofers are made of a treated paper and with foam surrounds versus rubber because I’ll be powering them with the HU (7” Entune). I think these speakers will sound even better than the kickers, with crisp detail because I’m not running an amp ( for now). One thing to consider is that if you run a beefy speaker with stiff cones and rubber surrounds, you would need an amp to match the specs of the intended speakers to get the full range out of them. Just my thoughts. I’m not a audiophile. My last Tacoma was a ‘95.5 that I put a audio system in and I had for 21 yrs. I wish I never would have sold it! What’s great about the Hertz components is that the tweeters has inline capacitors (no external crossovers) to make everything plug and play.

 

Wow, there's a lot of information here! 186 pages is a lot. I just snagged an '18 SR, and I'm starting to have regrets thinking I should've paid extra for a higher trim to avoid the trash speakers. Is there a budget solution for the SRs? The intro summary states mixed reviews on the base entune setup. I know that when I looked on crutchfield and similar sources, the speakers from the original post have been discontinued. I really would like to avoid having to change out the HU or adding an amp, but I realize that may be my only option at this point.

 

Just buy the current kicker CS models. You’re not going to get much more budget than this and you would have wasted money on the factory upgrade. Don’t think you could have gotten that in an SR anyway. Do the kickers, they are worth the low cost for them.

 

For the love of god, this is a GREAT but HUGE THREAD @ 186! With that being said, it goes to prove how we all want to upgrade the sound from the crappy audio equipment that comes in these trucks (note: I opted NOT to go with the overpriced upgraded Entune because I knew for the price I could overhaul the hell out of this truck with amps/speakers/subs/ect.. for what they want to charge for that HU that doesn't have android car play!)

Anyway, I have researched this all over the internet and this thread was great to get me started. I did have one big question on those who use an AMP.. I am looking to go with a class D 5 channel amp so that I can later add a SUB without having to install a second mono amp and yank all the wires back out, etc.. so going to wire it all up the first time so the sub can just plug/play. My question i will I need a crossover for the front dash replacement tweeters (Suburu: AKA Toyota Kicker Plug and Play Tweeters, lol) or will an amp with built in high/low pass filters take care of this without the need to install those? I don't want to blow them up after spending about $100 on them.

All related info is welcome, including adding DSP (or amp with built in DSP) and if it's worth it if I am not trying to win a competition on sound quality when tested by equipment, etc..

 

The Subaru/kicker tweeters have a capacitor built in, so no need for adding a crossover.
As for DSP's, they're never a bad idea. But I will say, I didn't use one when I had my factory radio and it was still a great-sounding system. I would put the money towards a new radio with a 9-13 band EQ, as well as all the other new bells and whistles.

 

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear and I wondered why just replacing those sounded so damn good! For those who still keep up with this thread, that was the first item I ordered that was delivered and the install was so easy and took less than 20 min! I will say that JUST switching to those tweeters alone made a HUGE sound difference.. My first thought was I didn't think I was going to hear that much of a noticeable difference with those and more so with the door speakers (which I have ordered along with the pioneer AVIC-8500NEX!) but I was dead WRONG! 90% of the louder volume distortion was coming from those factory POS speakers in the dash (damn you Toyota, WHY! LOL)

With that said.. I am replacing door speakers with the kickers (not just because of this thread but if you google and compare for the price all comments for many different vehicle replacements rated these very high) 6x9 in front door and 6.75 in back doors. I plan to add an amp at this phase because I prefer not to wire then pull out (I hate pulling out, LOL ) and do rework (hate rework about as much as pulling out! ) also adding the roadkill fast ring kits to all speakers (google it and crutchfield has them ) along with sound deadening the doors.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-PudvE...m-D9XW36JMCV8-pNXCugUFT7ir313-EYaAvOrEALw_wcB

Still deciding on which 5 channel class D amp and woofer is down the road so not really concerned there.. plenty of options to go with for behind the seat boxes.

 

So I just got my Subaru Kicker tweeters and installed them in about 15 minutes. Super easy.
There is definitely an improvement, but I would not say it is an earth shattering improvement. Definitely worth it, but I still feel like this thing needs more help in the SQ department all around.

I ordered the DS series Kicker 6x9's for the front and 6-3/4 for the back, and will install those next week when they get here from Crutchfield.

What I would like to know is what amp and sub enclosure is the smart choice for an upgrade where I do not want to add an amp to the front channels? If all I need is say a 10" sub behind the rear seat, and to utilize the HU power for the other 6 speakers, what is the best way to go? A Kicker Key bridged to just run the sub or a dedicated small mono block ?

Also, what is the best choice for 10" sub enclosures that do not require me to remove seat backings or remove behind the seat pocket/plastic etc.?

Looking for affordable, but clean. All I know is that I am not going to be satisfied unless there is a sub involved.

 

IMO, the Kicker Key makes the door speakers & tweeters sound MUCH better. It's not really designed to be a designated sub amp. I have the CS series in the doors & Subaru(KS) tweeters. I will probably change out the CS series in the doors for the KS series in the very near future. Instead of taking up any storage space in the rear, I elected to go with a Kicker Hideaway powered sub that fits perfectly under the front seat. Excellent all around sound & 271 times better sound than stock.

 

for the taco i dont think youd need a 10in, I think an 8in would b more den enough bump.

 

OK, I realize the answer is probably somewhere in the prior 3721 threads, but ain’t nobody got time for that.

I want a cheap, easy upgrade. My plan is to upgrade the speakers, then down the road if not pretty pleased with the sound improvement to add an amp and sub.

Here’s the deal: Crutchfield recommends 2 3/4” midrange speakers in the dash position—Memphis or Kenwood in my price range, but they don’t recommend tweeters specifically.

As far as door speakers, I was looking at doing the 6x9 door speakers in the front to start off with. There are a couple of Kicker options: DS/CS/KS—KS is a hair more expensive, seems like it would be the best option?

For price comparison I can get from BestBuy locally—they have the Kicker KS tweeter as well as Alpine and Pioneer for $60-80, also the Kicker KS 6x9–CS for $80, KS for $120. They also say that the tweeter is not compatible with Tacoma.

So here are the questions:

1) Is it necessary to upgrade the dash speakers, or will I get a significant enough improvement from the 6x9 3-way speakers that it won’t be necessary?

2) If I add dash speaker, should I go with the Kicker tweeter or a Memphis or Kenwood midrange? If I use a tweeter, will this mean my treble will need to be adjusted way down on the HU?

3) Is KS enough of a difference over the CS Kicker series to justify the increased price?

4) I understand the dash speaker installation is super simple. The door installation seems more complicated. I’m a pretty DIY guy and have done a couple of car stereo HU installs in the past, but I don’t have a garage to work in, and winter is here. Therefore I am thinking of having BestBuy or someone locally do the install. Time is money you know. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Hey Destin thanks!

The BestBuy guy I talked to yesterday was super nice but not the most knowledgeable about the components.

I really want to upgrade to a system like I had in my WRX...JL with an OEM DSP. But I don’t want to spend $1500-2000 for the privilege of great sound.

The Kickers sound like a decent upgrade, so I’ll probably give them a try.

 

Definitely talk to the installer next time you’re there (although if you’re in a colder area, he’s probably slammed with remote starts)
This time of year we have lots of new people (as most retail stores do) and car audio is a pretty difficult area to train when you can’t catch a break in the shop to actually train them. So many options, brands, sizes, ohms, wattage, parts, etc.

 

I went ahead and ordered the Kicker KS’s from BB. 6x9’s more expensive than Crutchfield, but tweeters cheaper, so it’s about a wash. I’ll support the local economy by having them install in a couple of weeks. I’m in no hurry.

 

Thanks for the replies!

So, I did a full sound deadening (Raamat) of the front doors, along with adhesive backed closed cell foam (Ensolite) on top of the sound deadening. I have long been a proponent of the sound deadener showdown philosophy, where you only really need to cover 25-30% of the panel in deadener, and then cover the entire panel in closed cell foam. Of the 5 or 6 cars I have done now, that yields the best results and is most cost effective. It results in a completely dead door every time. That is what I did on the Tacoma yesterday. The rear doors will happen tomorrow.

I also installed the Kicker DS 6x9's in the front doors, and I installed the Subaru tweets a few days ago. Stock HU. After a day of playing my favorite "Chill Out" EDM channel through bluetooth, the 6x9's are already starting to come alive and loosen up a bit.

I learned long ago not to be swayed by what your new speakers sound like when you first fire them up because you will ALWAYS be disappointed with them. That very thing happened with this upgrade yesterday. After hours of dealing with Raamat and Ensolite and dealing with the bullshit Metra speaker spacer/install kits that came with the Kicker 6x9's, I tried listening to satellite radio and was less than impressed. The fact that the DS series 6x9's are 3 way speakers coupled with the tweeter in the dash makes for a poorly thought out system, no matter which way you slice it. But the thought of dealing with components was not something I wanted to tackle on this go round. I may in fact end up sealing off the face of the tweeter on the 6x9 to take it out of the equation.

That being said, after about an hour of satellite radio, and being WAY less than impressed with the money and time I just spent, I decided to listen to my phone as the source (bluetooth) and dial in my chill out station and the system started to come to life and just continued to get better as I continued to listen. To my surprise, the tweets in the 6x9's no longer overwhelmed or screwed with the dash tweets and the entire system sounds fairly well balanced, although the sound stage DEFINITELY appears lower and the image was not at the vanishing point of the center of my windshield like I would expect it to be with dash mounted tweeters.

Today my Cerwin Vega VPAS10 powered 10" under seat sub arrived and I test fit it under the drivers seat. It fits nicely and should work out just fine. I will tackle that install tomorrow, along with the Metra harness plug mod that will allow me to wire in an amp next as well as get the front speakers tapped for the Cerwin Vega sub/amp combo.

I went with the Cerwin Vega because my years of experience with them in studio speakers as well as home audio from back in the day. I have never been unimpressed with CV speakers ever. They are durable and hit hard and generally sound really clean. I am hoping this VPAS10 under seat powered sub delivers. If not, I will swap it out for something else, but for less than the 8" Kicker hideaway (referenced in the addendum to this thread by @Exracer2), the CV has 200 watts of power, and it's a 10" driver, which in my experience does a little better job down low than most 8's do. It is also only $160.00 on Amazon. So, 50 more watts and 2 more inches on the driver for the same money was a no brainer with a company I have had decades of experience with.

Anyway, I will add my thoughts after I get the sub and rear speakers installed and see how it all pans out, but so far, the front speakers and tweets are definitely a nice upgrade. Hopefully the sub will round it all out and make it just right for me. The days of trying to impress people who are more often annoyed at the loud hard hitting car in the next lane with his license plate frame bouncing off the tailgate are long behind me. All I care about is full bodied sound with decent clarity, and loud enough to enjoy with the windows down. Anything more than that, is me pretending to be in my 20's again, which I am most certainly not.

 

anyone have any issues with the 2020 rear speaker harness crutchfield sent? the harness coming out of the rear door is very small and black and does not fit the harness they sent. I spoke to technical support and sent them pictures but just waiting to hear back.

 

I have a 2018 and did the fronts on Saturday, was going to jump into the rears today but did my grill surround first. I have not pulled the rear door panels yet, so I can't confirm that the harnesses Crutchfield sent are right or not, but the part # of the harness they sent me is "

$15 72-8104 Speaker Wire Adapters for Select Toyota Vehicles - 4 Total Adapters

72-8104" if that helps.

I am heading out there to pull a door panel right now and check because I don't want to end up in the same boat.

The front speaker spacers they sent are a total joke.

 

i watched Jesse Rizo install video and his tacoma rear door has a white harness coming out of the truck that looks to fit....i'm guessing they updated it this year for some reason. I'm just trying to figure out if there is an adapter out there that fits!

 

So yeah, sorry for the delay, but while doing my rear speakers, I cut the shit out of myself on the door panel sheet metal and had to superglue myself back together...literally. It was a deep enough cut that it wouldn't stop bleeding, but not bad enough to go get stitches.....So I got the bleeding to stop just enough to squirt some super glue into the cut and got myself glued shut...ugh..

Anyway, the plug/harness that I listed in my last post, is the correct one for my 2018 rear doors, so yeah, they may have changed something in the 2020 that makes that harness no good for you. Sorry..no pics, but bleeding like a stuck pig sort of put an end to my process for the day... Got one rear door sound deadened and the speaker installed, but had to stop there. Pics tomorrow if you need them.