New speakers WOW

For those with the Kicker Key Amp - How involved is the install?

I already have the Subaru tweeters, and Kicker speakers installed, and while the stereo sounds much better than stock, it still is lacking. It's a lease so I don't necessarily want to add a sub, and feel with a little more power these upgraded speakers could sound much better.

 

Not bad. There is a write up in the audio section including making a plug and play harness.

 

Anybody making a harness? I just viewed some posts of people making a harness, while I'm more than capable, as my truck is a lease I definitely don't want to go cutting up the factory harness.

 

I was hoping to find someone to make the harness for me as well, so far I haven't found one.

 

I have the JBL system in my 19 so the subaru tweeter thing doesn't apply to me. Can I simply replace the stock door speakers with something or do I have to re-do my entire setup, incl headunit?

 

I'm kind of a noob at this stuff, once you get the door panels off, is this a simple plug and play swap, or will some additional wiring have to be done?

 

You will have to plug the Crutchfield supplied connectors onto the speaker, and they will allow you to plug directly into your factory harness. You will need to mount the speakers (they come with the necessary screws) to the Crutchfield supplied speaker adapter plates. Then use the factory hardware to mount the speaker to the doors. It's easy. You will have to drill new holes to mount the 4th screw on the front speakers to the adapter plates. You will also have to trim some of the adapter plate (easy with a dremel).

All in all, it probably took me 3 hours beginning to end. I had some trouble figuring out the door panels, mainly how they go back on.

Real easy overall. I could do it again in 30 minutes.

 

Installed the speakers this afternoon. I would say the hardest part is removing the cable plug. But as others noted, take your time, push the clip part and it pops off. I would say they are an improvement but I am not sure these speakers are a $100 improvement if that makes any sense at all. I tested the first install vs. the original in the other side and there is definitely improvement, the replacements sound more like real speakers rather than buzzers. One note on my '17 TRD Off Road, on the passenger side there is , I guess a light sensor of some sort. I was not sure how to unclip its wire so I left it in place and worked around the speaker grill still connected to that wire. Just made it a bit tighter to get at the windshield side bolt but not too bad. Oh yeah, one thing I did was stuff some shop towels into the crevasses around the speaker once the grill was off. If I didn't do that I am convinced I would have dropped a bolt into the abyss of the dash, never to be seen again. Maybe next I will go for the doors. Appreciate the helpful comments.

 

Give the speakers some time to break in, I felt the same way initially. They are sounding much better now imo.

 

From what I have read, there is nothing at this time compatible with JBL system.

 

I don't get why everyone is doing the kicker upgrade, Kicker speakers are usually crap, are they better than stock? Yes, but they're so cheaply made too

 

Yeah, most haven’t had a lot of experience with different speakers and brands. Once one thing pops up everyone gets on it. From the thousands of people upgrading and having longevity of good use over the years, I can see the hype and choice for these especially from most running through stock HU

 

Had the dash speakers installed for a while now. Definite improvement over stock. One observation that a 12 year old might have known : working an Amazon playlist off my wife's phone was Ok, not great. But then it occurred to me that I had to push the HU volume to way past half, maybe 3/4+ just to get moderate loudness. So upped the phone volume and made a world of difference lowering the HU volume. Full disclosure, I do not own a cell phone but I thought a bluetooth connection would not rely on the phone's volume as it is sent to the receiving unit. I guess I learned something there. Anyway, with the phone volume up and the HU volume down, much, much better reproduction with the new tweeters. Worth the effort especially with my midrange listening preferences.

A question that is probably answered elsewhere. Can you have a bluetooth connection, say to play music and plug the phone into the USB to charge at the same time? If you can, I sure as hell can not figure out how. I am able to play a music playlist while charging using Apple Carplay in my wife's Mercedes, but that's not an option in the TACO. Is my observation right about the blue tooth OR charge, but not both simultaneously?

 

Hey GreyBald, Semper Fi. I just noticed the EGA. Those are Marine Phantoms in my pic

 

i think this is worth doing... how hard is it to do the install yourself?

 

Better than stock is a gross understatement.

 

This should be a sticky that is the top topic in the audio section.

 

Was the 1st mod I did to my truck. Kicker speakers (the better ones) Subaru tweeters and kicker amp with the PnP harness. Was the easiest stereo install I've ever done. The only thing that went wrong is that I did the install on a windy day and the stock speakers I took out all blew away into the woods and I can't find them

 

What brand/type and if you don't mind me asking how much did the lot cost ya?

 

This was my entire order




The subaru tweeters are here

$102 Subaru Genuine Tweeter Kit Kicker WRX STi Forester Crosstrek Impreza H631SFJ101

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PV6F8I2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The 2 harnesses for the amp install

$8 Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness Fits Select 1987-UP Toyota Vehicles Power + 4 Speaker (Packaging May Vary)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BEQJ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$12 Metra Electronics Metra 71-1761 87-94 Toyota Vehicle Harness

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029X1KA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And some Kilmat sound deadening

$75 KILMAT 80 mil 36 sqft Car Sound Deadening Mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener, Audio Noise Insulation and dampening

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0751CBXBT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Guess I spent near $500.
Didn't have to cut anything. ALL the brackets lined up using original mounting hardware.
It took me about an hour to put in all 4 speakers. Probably would have been less if those stupid little plastic clips on the rear door pillars weren't falling out.


Hardest part was finding a good picture of the harness to go by. Once I started soldering it up though I realized that almost all the color wires matched up and just tie the blues together. I had a little trouble disengaging the one blue loop wire though. There's a tool for it that I don't have. I'm sure that there'e a McGyver way but it was late so I just cut that little section of the plug up as it was not being used anyway. You'll see what I mean if you get into this. This thread has the right info for the harness and Destin Meeks knows his stuff

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/kickercs-upgrade-with-kicker-key-amp-install-assistance.568985/