Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

Well my adapter doesn’t look like yours...
And you you have the nut plates installed....not the bent angles....just for clarification for others.
Called Crutchfield and he said drill the 4th hole.
The nut plates don’t work for mine....used the right angle pieces, bent them flat and even then the bent angle pieces only screws down about 2/3rds of the way because the screw is too close to the inside wall of the adapter.
I spent way more time getting the speakers into the adapters than undoing and re-installing the door panels....hell thats the easy part!

Since it’s a truck and I will be doing just a few times a year off-roading....Big Bend National Park area.....I hope these POS adapters with their POS screw in thru slotted non-threaded plastic holes actually holds.....for years for that matter.


Nowhere did I see on this install the issue with the adapters not really fitting much less any info from Crutchfield in their instructions. Breaking the plastic tabs off to fit the 6”’s speakers too? Again nowhere in instructions from Crutchfield.
Sucks!

One other item that has been mentioned before....when installing the door panels you have to hang the top of the door panel into the window track.....then pop in the door panel starting from the top.

Regardless....thanks for trying to help!

 

In addition, I have found the adapters are junk and the small prong won't stay on the terminal. So splicing the adapters to the Kicker pigtails. Little irritated.

 

I have an 09 with the JBL premium system - you guys know if this speaker setup is much better than the jbl system ? - I know it is better than the reg but who in here can compare it to their JBL oem setup ?

 

I had an 11 with JBL. My JBL was light years better than my current system UNTIL I put the Kicker tweeters in. Then I would say the systems were very close. I have not done the remaining 4 speakers but if they difference is anything like what I noticed with the tweeters then I have no doubt it would be better than the JBL. I think this head unit we have is sneaky good though.

 

Exactly ... i had trouble with getting the small ones on to, they were crimped too tight to go on terminal .. had to pry them open just a little bit

 

On second thought, I think I will pick up a soldering iron tomorrow and make sure they don't come loose.

 

I’m sure the sound will be great.
Just pissed I have to worry a little about the POS 6x9 adapter on my $36,517.00 TRD THAT I ONLY PUT quality chit on.
Crutchfield leaves a bad taste in my mouth....
Also when I did call Crudfield a recording comes on saying you will be recorded....ok no biggie in today’s world.....the funny part was when talking to the technician he acknowledged this was a common problem....his exact words were, yeah we get calls on this all the time......seems someone should be listening to those recordings and maybe make an effort to fix it.

 

Same issue for me as well. I was afraid the speaker terminal was going to break trying to seat the small connector. I had to apply some counter-pressure. The larger one snapped on much easier.

 

That is the best way to make the connections

 

Are none of you guys running new speaker wire? I know it's an additional cost, but if running it yourself, should help sound quality for cheap.

 

I used the speaker wire adapters that Crutchfield included with speakers that plug directly in to factory harness .. i think thats what the majority did that bought the speakers through Crutchfield

 

I stressed over it before the install. It's no big deal once u do one. All you have to do is reattach it and listen for it to click back into it's slot. As a precaution, I made sure i heard the assembly working before closing the door after i put it back together. If you put your ear near the door jamb latch, you will hear it clicking when you pull the door handle. Do this and you should have no problems.

 

^^^ exactly what he said above, it really is simple

 

From personal experience, it's not worth the effort unless you install an amp. Even then the difference isn't noticeable for the average listener with less than high end equipment.

 

Three things. The speaker upgrade is killer! Makes the sound system leagues better over the stock speakers (if you can actually call those speakers).
2. I did the entire install but didn't find the OEM supplied speaker connectors hiding at the bottom of the crutchfield box. It would of been easier with instructions or a packing list saying what came in the box. Either way it wasn't a big deal to just solder in new speaker wires.
3. I did the Alpine power pack before this speaker upgrade and just so everyone knows, you can probably get away with just the speaker upgrade. The amp obviously adds more power but i don't feel like its crucial to a good sounding system.

 

I finished mine today.
Yesterday I installed one 6x9 in the left front door panel. Interesting, the right side stock speaker was almost twice as loud as the left at lower volumes....maybe because it’s the right channel?
Today I can say it’s an improvement over stock.....can’t say it’s like huge.
The tweeters though....are huge improvement.
Anyone who has stock....the Subaru tweeters are a must.
I would guess a amp would push the speakers more for better sound....might do that later.
My two cents.

 

Put on a good song via blutooth or HD radio and crank it up to volume 45 or 50 and then you will say "WOW it's a huge improvement"

 

I only listen to Pandora.....a few songs it’s noticeably way better.

 

This system at 49-52 on the power really is loud (No Amp - Stock Head unit) What volume / tuning levels are you all sitting at?

And With the Jl audio Microsub this is really a great sounding system.

 

Cranked up it rocks!