OEM Audio Plus vs Kicker

I see the oemaudioplus speaker kit retails for $700 and looks really good but I look on say Crutchfield and pick the best Kicker speakers they offer with adapter brackets and pigtails to go from spade lugs to connector and comes to $255.

Are the Oemadioplus over 2.5X better? I don't mind paying if there is value or performance in it.

Anyone hear the two setups side by side in 3'rd gen double cab?

 

Some people say yes. I say no, its just a tax of convenience.

The kit is selling a plug&play package that any yahoo with a screwdriver can install. If you can handle even a rudimentary ability to splice wires and/or google the correct connectors, you can save a bucket of money without diminishing quality.

 

I can do wiring and connections so I am that yahoo with a screw driver and a crimping tool. Trying not to permanently modify the stock but splicing in speaker wires seems pretty trivial and if it saves me hundreds of dollars with no performance hit seems like a no-brainer. Money for other bling...

 

For any model between years 2020-2023 they sell the HU harness on Amazon for a few bucks. No cutting of factory wires required, you can do all of your amp-input splicing into the harness then plug it directly to the HU. From there its dealer's choice on whether to use the factory speaker wire or run new. General unofficial guideline - if your amp is 50W/ch or less, factory is okay. >50W/ch, run new wire with appropriate gauge. I also recommend picking up a self-soldering kit while you are at it. Its just as fast as crimping and much more robust. (If you are splicing wires in a trail vehicle, you want robust.)

 

KSS69 on sale for $200
KSC67 on sale for $104
parts are free on crutchfield

That gets you all 6 speakers and install parts for $304 + tax.
add a kicker key 200.4 in for $224 and you get a pretty good little system for $528+tax.

toss in the Key 500.1 and a 12" CompRT loaded enclosure and amp wiring and you're at $1075 for a system most people would be incredibly happy with. I've installed this exact setup about 2 dozen times.

 

There's adapter harnesses for all aftermarket options, so even the kicker speaker route is entirely reversible to factory.

The main benefit of the OEM plus is that there's zero adapters, every speaker is pre-molded with the correct connector on it, and supposedly is more tuned for the vehicle.


It's sort of the difference between a take-n-bake pizza and going to pick up a pizza an hour away, from a 5 star reviewed place. Some people are going to say one is far better than the other, or the hassle for one outweighs the hassle of the other.

OEM plus will have a slightly different tone than kicker-- all major brands do. It's how they exist. Everyone has a different preference that the brands can fit into. Really best to try to evaluate as many reviews as you can about the tone of the brands and decide for yourself which aligns best for you.