Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

It’s such a great upgrade! Listen to The Crystal Method’s song High Roller and Massive Attacks song Angel. Prepare to be amazed.

 

I'm really looking in to this as a future mod for my truck. The one thing I want to do is also install a powered compact sub I have. It's currently under the seat in my Jeep but will be pulled before it's sold.
It's a sound Ordnance B-8ptd.
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MItGmYXn7g6/p_777B8PTD/Sound-Ordnance-B-8PTD.html
Where is the best location to mount that in my double cab and what is the best way to wire the sound up to the factory head unit?
I'm fairly familiar with installing after market stereo system and speakers but not sure how to integrate with factory stuff.

 

I have mine under my drivers seat.

 

I'm not sure about that in the gen 3 2020 has the power seat and it doesn't look like much room under it. I was thinking maybe the Passinger seat or behind the back seats some how.

 

2 questions for anyone:

1. How optional are the rear speakers ? I'm in Canada and on a budget, so this whole thing is about $430 CAD for the whole thing. About to go on a big rockies trip and looking to here some good sound while on the road. Is there a big sound difference between replacing tweeters/fronts vs tweeters/fronts/rears?

2. Looks like Crutchfield is out of stock with the front kicker speakers, instead there's this Rockford Fosgate R169X2 - anyone know how this compares with the kicker ? looks like it has decent reviews.

Thanks !

 

There's absolutely nothing special about Kicker, it just got picked because it was on sale once at a decent price. There are much better options for the same price or less.

I have the RFs and I think they're a much better choice. Single on axis silk dome tweeter, better rms power match for the OEM headunit and better sensitivity.

The rears are just fill, if you want to wait to replace those you certainly could.

Or...buy the RF components for the rear and use the tweeters from that set in the dash. Saves money and sounds much better.

https://www.crutchfield.ca/p_575R1675S/Rockford-Fosgate-R1675-S.html

Worked great for me.

 

If you’re keeping the factory radio and not adding anymore power, the rear speakers may as well not exist

 

+1 on the High Roller recommendation. Just one of many killer TCM songs. Here is another good one to test the speakers: deadmau5 feat. Grabbitz - Let Go (extended edit)

 

Still waiting for a 2020 JBL recommendation

 

We must be kindred spirits! LOL!

 

Just did the tweeter swap w/ the kickers - what a difference between them and OEM. Took about an hour...OCD at its finest. Well worth it. Just may do the doors soon too. I can't decide between the CS or the DS series. I am thinking of doing the same series for both the front (6x9) and rear (6.5). Anyone have an opinion? TIA

 

CS series over DS... Components up front. Coaxial in rear.

 

I did the Kicker CS and Subaru tweeter upgrade and am installing the Kicker Key amp tonight....
I have already set up the Metra Harnesses...

My question is what I set the DIP Switches to on the Kicker Key...

Do I need to enable Radio Detect.

 

I just ordered Subaru/Kicker tweeters, Kicker CS 6.9 (front), and Kicker CS 6.5 (rear). Can't wait to hear the difference!
I ordered the speakers from Crutchfield and unfortunately the free harness for the rear speakers (Metra 72-8109) is backordered. Anyone have experience with a different brand or where else I can order this? I would really like to install everything on one shot. Thanks!

 

UPDATE....Watched the Crutchfields website and the 6x9 CS series were on B/O...Then I kept an eye on them. Saw them in stock on Sunday and Ordered them right away...Got them 3 days later and will be installing them this weekend.... Came with mounting adaptor plates and wiring harness. The magnets are huge on these things and are heavy. Will report back after the install and sound testing. They are well within my budget as the option of replacing the head unit is not possible (for now). Will hold off on rear speakers since I never sit back there. Thanks everyone!

Installed the 6x9 CS Kickers tonight after work tonight, took about an hour for both doors....What POS garbage the OEMs are. I'm surprised they didn't blow out on me. The difference in sound quality is well worth the swap. I'll sell the OEMs if anyone is interested

 

I also went ahead and upgraded the Tweeters with Front & Read Doors and did the Kicker Key 180.4 as well. Overall, the improvement is phenomenal, thanks to the original poster "bshermann" and to the other Pros and enthusiasts of Toyota Tacomas, which without their postings, sweat and frustrations, I would not be typing here.

But I have a dilemma at this point and I'm stuck thinking that I might have a bad

$350 Rockford Fosgate P300-12 Single 12" 300-Watt Amplified Subwoofer in Enclosure - Black

Rockford Fosgate P300-12 Powered Subwoofer that I paid around $270 plus tax and which I cannot return because of Amazon policies.

I bought the Rockford Fosgate P300-12 from Amazon because Crutchfield was out of stock and for some reason, I cannot get the Sub to sound like a true Sub, it sounds very weak with hardly any volume, "Destin" (Pro Guy ex Best Buy Installer) Hey Destin... had mentioned a while back and correct me if I'm wrong in this Chat/Thread, to splice into the front speakers because the front speakers and tweeters get more power from the Head Unit.

So my question is, what is the use of having a Powered Subwoofer then, doesn't the Sub only need the audio signal to take the base frequency and build it up with it's built-in amplifier..?

Is the reason why my sub is not sounding as strong is because I am tapping into the rear speaker wires, instead of the front, which the rears don't get much power from the head unit and hence the signal is weak going to the Powered Subwoofer..?

Newbie Guy Harry
Phoenix Metropolitan Area, Arizona
AKA: Valley of the Sun

 

You want to check the install in a few specific areas to ensure everything is set up correctly.

1) make sure the sub is getting it’s signal from the FRONT speakers, not the rear. The head unit limits the bass signals sent to the rear speakers, and it’s hard to amplify a signal that isn’t there.
2) make sure you are getting the signal BEFORE the Key. The audio signal goes from the radio into the key, then out of the key back into the vehicle’s wiring. If you built the t-harness, you want to ensure the sub is tapped in on the INPUT side of the harness, not the OUTPUT side. Hopefully that makes sense.
3) you want to make sure the settings on the sub are correct. If the crossover is set too high or low, it can affect the sound negatively. If the gain is not set correctly it can sound too weak or too distorted. There are only a few settings, but they’re important.

 

Thanks for the quick response Destin;

So let me ask as I put the harness here as a screenshot, can you pin point or circle on the harness, on which set of wires I need to splice into to run the left & right wires that will run back to the Subwoofer Input..?
Thanks
Harry

 

right here

 

Hey Destin, that's great
I will go take it out now and start working on it.

Much Obliged..!
Harry