1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

JL Audio Upgrade

Discussion in 'Audio & Video' started by Lancejoker, Jul 5, 2024.

  1. Jul 5, 2024 at 12:55 PM
    #1
    Lancejoker

    Lancejoker [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2013
    Member:
    #105849
    Messages:
    379
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Lance
    Williamsburg,Va
    Vehicle:
    2017 TRD Pro
    I'm looking at upgrading the speakers in my 17 Double Cab. Hoping to do this as basic as possible. Just a solid upgrade without upgrading the headunit or adding a sub. Looking at the following:

    JL C3-650 for the fronts and dash
    JL C2-650x for the rear doors
    JL RD400/4 amp

    I know ********* has the wiring harness that will allow me to use the factory speaker wiring. Should I have any concerns about the factory wiring and the 75w RMS?

    And finally, does anyone have a similar setup that can speak to the sound quality?

    Thank guys
     
  2. Jul 5, 2024 at 1:54 PM
    #2
    destin_meeks

    destin_meeks I used to fix people's crappy stereos

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2017
    Member:
    #223997
    Messages:
    3,933
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Destin
    Tuscaloosa, AL
    Vehicle:
    2017 SSM DoubleCab TRD Off-Road 4x4
    I think dropping $750 on front and rear speakers may be overkill without doing a DSP and a sub.

    the factory head unit and a basic amp isn’t going to do them much justice, and you’ll probably still be wanting more low end since they are still 6.5’s.

    I might consider stepping down a bit in the speakers and adding a powered sub, or a 5ch amp and one of the loaded shallow boxes a few companies make
     
  3. Jul 5, 2024 at 2:00 PM
    #3
    destin_meeks

    destin_meeks I used to fix people's crappy stereos

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2017
    Member:
    #223997
    Messages:
    3,933
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Destin
    Tuscaloosa, AL
    Vehicle:
    2017 SSM DoubleCab TRD Off-Road 4x4
    As for the factory wiring, I’ve seen several people use it for up to 100w rms and not have issues. You will likely rarely utilize most of the power that amp is capable of so the wire won’t really matter much most days.

    some people swear by running new wire, and that is certainly the BEST course of action. But I’m 7 years in on factory wiring and have never said “man, I wish I’d run new wire”
     
    Lancejoker[OP] and soundman98 like this.
  4. Jul 5, 2024 at 4:25 PM
    #4
    soundman98

    soundman98 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2021
    Member:
    #367288
    Messages:
    5,684
    Gender:
    Male
    NW Indiana
    Vehicle:
    '18 Taco Sport, '14 Ranger
    for a basic upgrade, i would highly recommend the kicker key amp with kicker ks series speakers front and rear--the key is an extremely potent amp and dsp. i can't build a comparable amp/dsp setup from any other name brand.

    i don't feel there's a drastic difference in quality between jl and kickers higher frequency drivers to justify the increased cost. jl has amazing subwoofers though. and their amps are nice, but after they got away from the variable power rails, they're really just ultra-luxurious CEA-certified amps. plenty of other companies make the same products for far less, only without the case finishes that don't show off as nice.
     
    destin_meeks likes this.
  5. Jul 9, 2024 at 10:55 AM
    #5
    Lancejoker

    Lancejoker [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2013
    Member:
    #105849
    Messages:
    379
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Lance
    Williamsburg,Va
    Vehicle:
    2017 TRD Pro
    This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you.
     
  6. Jul 9, 2024 at 11:00 AM
    #6
    cybrnook

    cybrnook Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2022
    Member:
    #397523
    Messages:
    199
    SE Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2022 TRD Off-Road Manual Transmission
    If you're in the market, I have two sets of lightly used C3-650's I had in a 4 Runner that I owned for about a year, as well as a VX100/5i (built-in DSP) I could give you a killer deal on. Amp is technically used, but I would say less than 100 hours on it.

    I have a somewhat similar setup; I am running new speaks all around in my Taco as well as an 8-channel amp. I have tapped into the factory speaker wiring and have no issues at all pushing 75-100 watts per channel, going on 2 years now.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top