Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

My audio upgrade path went like this:
Kicker/Subaru tweeters and Kicker CS speakers (front and rear doors) paired with factory headunit.
Same speakers but paired with the Kicker Key 200w amp behind the radio.

In the summer, I decided to upgrade to Kicker KS speakers, but only had time to do the front doors before my trip to Colorado and Moab, but the KS's were definitely an improvement (probably because I was driving them with an amp). Unfortunately I've never really liked the speaker brackets Crutchfield sends, they are cheap and the speaker screws strip with anything more than .2ft/lbs LOL.

Last week I finally pulled the trigger, bought the Kicker KS 6.75" rear door speakers, and DS18 tweeters. I also looked around for better speaker mounting brackets but was coming up empty except for Taco Tunes. They have a great option, but pretty pricey for what they are. Unfortunately I didn't want to wait and keep searching so I paid for the Taco Tunes brackets and installed them over the weekend. These things are super stout. And the speaker screws don't strip.

DS18's were a definite improvement, and the rear door speakers sound slightly better as well. Overall, it's a marked improvement over the CS speakers and "Subaru" tweeters. Not sure if the brackets gained me anything except peace of mind and knowing it's done right.

Cliff notes: If you're going to run an amp, get something at least a little better than the Kicker CS, your ears will thank you.

 

Do the DS18's fit without modifying any of the plastic paneling? I've got subaru tweeters rn and they'll rattle when I have volume up and the 6x9's put out some deeper tones. And they're mounted secure, it's as if the tweeter itself has an internal rattle. Granted my door panels also rattle super easy and I've been lazy about not doing sound deadening yet lol

 

Yup the tweeters drop in, same as the kickers. But I wouldn't spend the money to change tweeters again unless you have an amp.

My door speakers rattled too, at least the fronts did. After swapping out the speaker brackets that's all fixed but not 100% sure if that was my rattle or not.

 

I’ve got an alpine 400 w going to all the doors and tweeters. Subaru tweeters just don’t hit that well. And it’s my door panel itself rattling, the plastic part. The speaker is secured just fine with the brackets I used :/ might have to be a case of adding some felt to the door where the plastic meets the metal to stop rattles. But that’s tedious as hell

 

I just ordered the DS18’s and the Kicker KS’s for my Taco. I would like to add a small amp to them as well as a sub, but I should save some money so I can register the Taco next week.

Y’all are a bad influence.

 

Do you really need to remove the pillar covers to replace the dash speakers?

 

Do you have to? No, the grilles that hide then can sneak past. Would it be a lot easier with the pillars removed? Yes, and will reduce the chance of scratching the pillars like I did on the driver side

 

I installed some DS18’s in the dash and some 6x9 Kicker KS’s in the front doors. I ran out of time before I could do the new speakers in the rear doors. They sound much better than the oem ones. The HU doesn’t seem to have enough power to take advantage of the new speakers but that’s, I plan to add an amp later on and possibly a sub. Adding the amp later is one of the main reasons I went with th KS’s over the CS’s.

 

I’m disappointed in the sound from them. They do sound much better than the oem ones, but fall short of the sound of the JBL ones I put in my other pickup. I don’t know if they need an amp to bring out the full potential of the speakers or if kicker just isn’t as good. The JBL’s don’t cost any more than the kickers, but sound better using just the power from the headunit.

 

The title of this thread can be a little misleading. It should read: “Great sounding upgrade for $250 if you have the optional premium audio system”. Only the optional premium audio systems have enough oem watts to make a big enough difference.

That being said, this thread has been popular with the non-premium audio Tacoma users like me. After the tweeter upgrade I was sold on continuing the audio upgrades on my truck. Without a doubt, the single best decision was to go to an aftermarket HU. I’m an audiophile and there’s a saying that holds true: garbage in/garbage out. Sonically speaking, aftermarket units have ‘better everything’. I’m not being hyperbolic.

 

Which DS18s do you have and are they any good?

 

@Sandthemall

Which headunit did you go with?

How long have you had it? Any issues with it?

I'm looking at making my first audio upgrade a headunit swap, although not sure which one to go with.

 

I have the tweeters.

Per my post, they sound a little better than the kickers they replaced.

 

I went with the SonyXAV-9000ES because it does everything the XAV-9500 does but without the big touch screen. I’ve had it for 6 months. 2 issues with it: 1) Biggest issue is that it sometimes takes multiple insertion attempts to use the USB drive. I bought it from Trail Grid Pro and they gave me the option for a full refund/exchange for another brand after a few months but the sound quality from USB is SOOOO good (because it uses a DAC chip found in high-end audio DACs/CD players) that I stuck with it.

Second issue: 2) My blind spot monitor lights on my side mirrors don’t work anymore. At first I was very annoyed about this but I never truly used those anyway. It’s more than likely a Maestro issue. Maestro is a 2nd party module that bridges between an aftermarket head unit and your OEM system that makes all your normal steering wheel/vehicle functions work like they did before. I think there’s a solve for this but I haven’t bothered to spend the time.

With Trailgrid Pro everything comes pre-connected as if a high end installer prepped it for you. The maestro unit and my XM radio module were expertly strapped to the Sony unit…adapter harnesses already connected and Tessa taped in place. Seriously, it was THE easiest part of my install. You literally remove your OEM and plug the aftermarket unit in. Also, it’s not a joke that the folks at Trailgrid Pro are there to support you. It’s like they’re waiting for you on the phone…unusually good service for these times.

Overall, doesn’t matter which brand you go with. But if you want better audio quality, go with the upper end units from established brands (Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwwood, Sony etc). They will have better audio processing. In fact one of my regrets is using the crossovers that came with my Audio Control component speakers. Because there’s a setting in the Sony for full crossover function…with slopes etc.

My system sounds amazing. So happy I did it myself. This thread contributed to a lot of my early knowledge and paradoxically also the reason I didn’t go with the full $250 upgrade path and instead opted for the aftermarket head unit.

 

@Sandthemall
Well, based on your review, it looks like I'll be getting the 9000es.

Just have to wait for the right time as I'm extremely busy for the next few weeks.

Thank you for the honest feedback, it was just what I needed.

 

Just ordered a set of the Subi Tweeters for my Non-JBL Tacoma SR5. Looking forward to testing them out this week. They seem very easy to install based on videos I've watched.

I have barely any experience in messing with wiring or AV, so idk where I'll go from there once they are installed. I figure anything beyond that would require an appt with CarToys or StereoKing

 

They are very easy to install. I knew very little about wiring when I started as well. Having the tweeters installed can be seen as a ‘tipping point’. At the time I felt that it was all I needed. But in a bit of time, the upgrade bug got the best of me. If you don’t plan to get a new HU or amplifier, it’s probably better to spend your money on sound insulation. That helped a lot for me. I didn’t do the full 9 yards on sound insulation…I probably did about a 30%-40% coverage in the doors, back panel and roof and it’s quieter and you can hear some detail. You can still hear the engine, but once up to speed while cruising it’s quieter than our Tesla.

 

2 questions:
I was going to attempt installing these speakers and sound deadening without taking the door panel off. Is that doable? What was the best way to support the door panel? Trying not to mess with the door locking mechanisms, etc.
Is it essential to disconnect the battery while doing this upgrade?

 

It’s probably advisable to disconnect the battery to do the dash speakers but I didn’t. You will not need to remove the door to do the dash speakers. But you will need to remove the door panel to add sound deadening within the door or to add new door speakers. it’s easy. The first time you do any of this, it’s a bit nerve-racking especially to pop the door panel off. But I’ve done it probably a dozen times now just because I changed door speakers a few times…trust me….they are designed to be removed and replaced often. Do not worry.

Still, that’s a lot of opening up the door but I haven’t broken or lost a single grommet. As gentle as I am, I did manage to break a grommet for the rear seat panel but surprisingly, the dealer had one in stock. I don’t have a single squeak or creak when I drive.

No need to support the door panel, just place a blanket in the truck bed and lay it on there so nothing gets scratched. The locking mechanism also ‘clicks’ into place once you get the hang of it.

I watched about a dozen YouTube videos to get a clear idea of what it takes to remove the door. Some videos miss some a detail here or there so it’s best to watch until you feel confident.

 

I did the speaker upgrade.

Sounds great.

To make it "even more better" I'd recommend you wrap the wires with fabric tape (stops them from rattling) and hot glue/epoxy the plug into the adapter at the same place the factory speakers have it located.