Upgrading sound system question

There’s some ok advice here but a lot of bad advice.

Given that the only type of music any of us listen to is taken down in quality from either Bluetooth or compression or both, and always digital, you really should do a dsp. It will give you a lot more control to fix the clarity and timing. Get a dsp with a built in amp and new speakers and you are set.

 

A DSP is always the way to go. But he set a budget, and we followed it. He said $600. Put together a system for $600 with a DSP.

 

I take that back. $400-$500.

 

I'm planning on a slim powered sub under the seat (already have it, just waiting to wire it up). Soundlabs 8". Already installed one in my GF's car, it sounds perfect for what I want.

I would also like to set up an amp to my kicker speakers. Will I be ok running 100 watts RMS to front and rear speakers through the stock wiring? I really don't want to fart around with running wires into the doors. I'm looking at 4 channel amps like the pioneer gm-d1004.

I've already got a

$5 Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness For Toyota 87-Up Power 4 Speaker

Metra 70-1761 and 70-1760 so I can rig up my own harness and not cut into the factory one. Anyway, all I really need to know is if I can run that much power thru the stock wiring.

 

No. 85 rms is Max for 18 gauge wire. I have to find that chart again. That's why I went with the Arc Audio.

 

Arc Audio. Amp?

Linky?

 

XDi 850.5 - Arc Audio 5-Channel 850W RMS XDi V2 Amplifier

$720 XDi 850.5 - Arc Audio 5-Channel 850W RMS XDi V2 Amplifier

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O2BZY1S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XAFgBbMB569B6

 

Thanks!

 

Dont forget sound deadening material. Noico or dynamat. I just ordered the kickers for doors. Tweeters made a big difference

 

Glad I came across this thread. I also ordered the Subaru kicker tweeters because of the eBay discount. Then I bought a full set of matching Kicker speakers for the doors. Everything I've read is that I should also get an amp to drive these to get the most of them. Question is, if each set of speakers is 150W RMS, I should probably get an amp that can get close to matching that right? Where do I start?

How many channels am I looking at. Mono, stereo?

Where does the amp go? Between headunit and speakers?

How much wiring is involved, and do I need to hack up the factory harness?

 

What do we think about these speakers for the front doors?

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206KS...pl1nIFRSYJjJFXERZdVTNVLUnRtplDCYaAkviEALw_wcB

Walmart has them on sale for $80 today. Seems like a step up from the CSC Kickers recommended in the other thread.

I don't know anything about audio and was going to take them to an installer. Is there anything about these speakers that would make them a BAD fit for 2018 OR, or are they going to be better than the cheaper Kicker CSC models?

 

The KSCs sounded better to me than the CS series when I heard them in person at the audio shop. $80 is a good deal.

 

How complicated of a job was the rewiring of the speakers to the amp? I have my new system all put in except I just need to wire the speakers to the amp this weekend.

 

Those are a good step up from the C series -- rubber surrounds instead of foam and silk tweeters. Good sensitivity, too, and basically the same specs.

Crutchfield sends you everything you need, it's an easy install with the harnesses. Unless you add an amp or DSP, you should be fine.

 

I would suggest sound deadening noico. After install, the bass is clear and thumping. No amp needed

 

There are some good install write ups in the audio forum section that are worth looking over. I installed my amp behind the rear seat and ran all the wiring along the door sills on both sides. You'll need a Speedwire type cable to go from the HU (metra adapters) to your amp then speaker wire from the amp to the door speakers and tweeter. The most difficult part was getting the speaker wire through the existing cable grommet to both of the front door speakers. Getting speaker wire to the tweeters and rear door speakers was fairly easy.

 

I was planning to just run new wires from the amp to all 4 speakers, i shouldn't need speedwire then, correct? I also was wondering if I need to run TWO sets of RCA cables from the HU to the amp?

 

The speedwire cable just makes it easier since all the wires you need are in one cable but running individual RCA cables should work. Depending if your amp uses a remote turn on you may need to send another wire from the HU to the amp. If I recall correctly I tied into the two red wires on each harness and tied that wire to the remote turn on connection on the amp.

 

First: Are you running the stock head unit? If so, there are no RCA outputs from the stock head unit, and you will need speedwire to go from the head unit to the line level inputs of the amp.
Second: You will need toyota wiring harnesses to solder to said speedwire going from the head unit to the amp. This is how mine came out, but I used the OEM wiring throughout the truck, so I have speed wire from the head unit, and speaker wire going back to the harness for the speakers:



If you are not using the trucks existing wiring (which you can up to 85w RMS), then you just need to go from the head unit with one set of speed wire, and then from the amp direct to the speakers.

 

No, it is aftermarket, and i'm going to be running 100w RMS. As of right now, I have one set of RCA cables ran from the amp to the HU as well as the remote wire. My plan was to just run wires directly from the amp to each of the four speakers. Will this not work? I know it will be a pain going through the door gromets but in the end I think it'll be the best way to do it.

Do the RCA and speedwire hookups accomplish the same thing? Sorry if i'm over complicating this, I just want to avoid taking out the HU again if possible.