Front Door Panels

With your test on the 6x9 speakers the component speakers did not have as much low end as the reference series ? Or was it just the type of music that was the lack of low end frequency ? I am thinking about getting the JBL version of the infinity’s.

 

Good questions. The component 6x9s didn’t have as much volume or range. Frankly they didn’t even sound as good as the OE speakers (which had more bass).

Tried several different songs, old, new, lots of bass, not a lot of bass. The component speakers just didn’t sound as good as the Infinity Reference two-way speakers.

FWIW, a number of folks here have also recommended various Kicker speakers too. The only Kickers I tried were the “Subaru” PNP tweeters. They were better than the OE tweeters but not by much, IMO. The DS18 tweeters are remarkably better. So I like the Infinity door speakers but there may be as good or better options.

Hope that helps!

 

Thanks for the info. I am looking at this kit from kicker https://trailgridpro.com/products/kicker-plug-play-6-speaker-bundle-upgrade-16-23-tacoma
Or going with the DS18 dash tweeters and either kicker or JBL two-way speaker down in the doors. With either option I will add sound deadening in the doors.

 

I've installed JBL Club speakers in a couple of cars previously and they sounded good. I looked at that set of Kickers. Since I had already tried their tweeters and replaced them with the DS18s I went another direction, but that doesn't mean that those aren't going to work out great. The tweeters in that set are different than the "Subaru" Kicker tweeters, plus they have an adjustable crossover, so I don't see any reason not to give them a shot. The only thing I'd check is to see if they have them on Crutchfield for a better price. But if not, or even if Crutchfield's close, a "matched set" is generally a good option. I've heard that TrailGridPro is a good company to deal with.

Sound deadening will really help, especially with bass - even with the OE speakers.

BTW, unless you add an amp, don't expect too much out of the rear speakers. I was able to push the fade to the back a little more and the Infinitys were better than the OE speakers. However I was looking at adding an amp at some point. If I wasn't, I would probably have just left the rear speakers alone.

Whatever you end up with, let us know how it goes!

EDIT: Forgot, you have a JBL system so I don't think an auxiliary amp is an option for you, apologies. I know the JBL speakers are 2 ohm (as opposed to 4 ohm in the non-JBL stereos), but I don't know if the rear speakers receive less power from the JBL amp like they do with the non-JBL systems. Would be interesting to know though.

 

@TRDRed

Kind of curious about something. I looked at tons of speakers for the Tacoma and came to the same conclusion you did on the infinity speakers. I'll be ordering them at some point. As installed, are they along with the DS-18's giving too much high end? I'm curious if you installed the speakers upside down (so the tweeters were angled down instead of up) it would help?

 

After adjusting the equalizer to taste I'm not getting too much high-end overall, but then I like a clean and crisp sound so it's kind of subjective I guess. I tried using the built-in tweeter level control (tiny button on the front of the tweeter) which allows you to boost the tweeter output to +3dB. That made it too "bright" for me so I left it off.

From the Infinity Reference REF-9632ix description: "Plus One+ Woofer Cones: Each speaker uses a cone larger than other speakers of the same size. This is accomplished by using a unique basket design and hi-roll surround. The Plus One+ design offers greater bass output and an increase in efficiency." Might be marketing hype, but it definitely had more bass than the component speakers with the separate tweeter and crossover.

So I was happy with the sound and hadn't thought about flipping them over so the tweeter is aimed slightly down instead of up. Worth a try!

Again, not saying they're the be-all, end-all replacements for an OE system, but I'm pretty happy with them (and the DS18 tweeters).

 

ya'll know there's a car audio section that would've answered all these questions in hours instead of nearly a month, right?

i know i'm late to this party, but i have all the answers to all of this from when i tore apart my truck a few years ago for entertainment.

1. the head units in these trucks do use a custom eq curve to make the speakers sound 'better'. 'better' is subjective. i felt it made everything sound worse.

2. there is no crossover within the factory head unit. it outputs a full range signal to the front speakers, and an eq-limited-bandwidth signal to the rear speakers, the rear speakers are also at a lower output wattage.

3.the crossovers in use within the factory tweeters are known as '6db/oct' crossovers, otherwise known as a simple high pass crossover. there is no filtering to the signal that goes to the door speakers, but the audio signal from the head unit goes to the tweeter via a 4-pin plug. 2 pins are from the head unit, the other 2 pins continue the audio signal to the front door speakers. the 4 pin connector itself has internal shorting jumpers to connect the appropriate pins to pass the audio signal through. the tweeter taps into the jumpers for it's signal, and the capacitor is part of the audio 'tap' to minimize bass frequencies going into the tweeter.

 

Thanks for that, good info.

Just scrolled through the sticky posts for the 3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023) and didn't find it, but I believe this is link to the thread you're referring to for the rest of us great unwashed :

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/audio-video.12/

Correct me if I'm wrong though. Wouldn't be the first time. Ask my wife.

 

Realized I never replied, I appreciate it. I was just checking for shits and giggles- crutchfield had the infinity ref on sale, made the 125$ pay button easy to press for all 4 doors. I do plan on a headunit down the road but will take it in steps

 

Good plan.