New speakers all around... first post

[oompah2788]

hi this is my first post here. Sorry if this is a very vague question but how would i go about getting new speakers all around (the front, tweeters, rear) without having to modify the body panels. I would like the speakers to fit in the stock holes and bolt right up. I am going for SQ and want goood quality sounding speakers. I will listen to mostly underground hip hop and want it to sound beautiful!!! I dont really care if it "hits hard" but i want it to sound clear. If i need to i will run an amp for the speakers. I also want to put in a sub in the trunk. I will probably get a single 8" or 10". I dont need to be the loudest sounding guy, just want it to be real lowwwwww. BRRRRRR. I also will get a HU but dont know what brand since there is so many. I dont need much options just plays cd's, radio, and some basic options. For the speakers I would like to go with JL since i hear so much good things about them. Right now there is no budget. Do you think I could install this myself or should i have this done by a store. I am good with mechanics but dont know nothing when it comes to eletronics. I think i could do some basic connections and stuff. Is there any sites that can help me with installations (how to remove panels and whatnot)? Sorry if im asking too much. Im just really new to this and need some help. THANKS ALOOoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[B_Master_Flash]

Ok, first of all there is a lot more to making better sound than replacing the speakers. Speakers are just the part that turn an analog electrical signal into an acoustic signal. The signal needs to be good for anything to sound good, which means an external amp is very important. First I would suggest starting w/ an Eclipse, Pioneer, or Alpine deck. You really can't go wrong w/ any of those brands. External amp is up to you, as long as it can push 40+wrms to each 4ohm speaker, anything should be fine (other than legacy, pyle, roadgear, or other just plain garbage brands). JL makes decent components, but I would suggest a set of CDTs CLs or Focal Polyglass series speakers. If you really have an endless budget try Focal Utopias, DynAudio, Arcaudio, or rainbow. The speakers up front are 6.5" components, and the speakers in back are 6x9s. I would recommend either keeping the stock 6x9s in the back and powering them only a little off of the deck, or removing them completely. Having speakers in the rear doesn't do much for you other than mess up your imaging, but if you're like me and have people riding in the back seat frequently, you need to have some sound back there or it will sound like garbage to them. If you look in the DIY secion of this forum there is a DIY about how to take the door pannels off to get to the speakers. If you are good w/ mechanics it souldn't be too difficult, but for people that don't like working w/ their hands they should probably have it done professionaly (it takes a while). If you have any other questions you can PM me. Welcome to the forum.

[geminimouse]

What he said ^
and u'll most likely have to drill new holes for speakers.

[Jon11582]

I tried to replaced my stock base toyota speakers with the stock Solara JBL speakers from someone with the same car who upgraded thier JBLs to something else. Even these didnt bolt in.

The rear 6x9s dropped in fine, no redrilling, but the front needed to be redrilled to put the stock JBLs in. I never ended up doing the fronts hough...I also had to resolder the rear since the terminals didnt match either (the seller may have cut above the harness so Im not sure about that).

You figured replacing stock with stock would fit in with no modification but that wasnt the case either, so I think you'd be very hard pressed to find speakers thatll fit in without modification.

[oompah2788]

thanks for the replies. I dont really mind drilling new holes, I just dont want to cut the panels or make the holes bigger. As long as the size is the same i probably can manage a way to mount them. To wire new speakers do i just need to resolder them to the stock wires or they have some sort of twerminal or connector?? Am i going to ned new wiring??Where would the amp go for connection and where could i put it? THANKS AGAIN!

[geminimouse]

thanks for the replies. I dont really mind drilling new holes, I just dont want to cut the panels or make the holes bigger. As long as the size is the same i probably can manage a way to mount them. To wire new speakers do i just need to resolder them to the stock wires or they have some sort of twerminal or connector?? Am i going to ned new wiring??Where would the amp go for connection and where could i put it? THANKS AGAIN!

Depends what ur planning to do..Are u gonna power the speakers with the head unit or an amp?

[oompah2788]

If its better i think i will be running it with an amp. If i go with the Focal Polyglass 165 V2's for the front will a 300/4(maybe JL?) amp be enough to power them?? Or would i only need a two channel amp to run only the fronts and like master flash said run the rears off the HU??? thanks!!

[ZXLNT]

I noticed with the stock rear speakers, the "timbre" isn't anything like my Infinitys, the sound is soooo much different. I would suggest if your going to replace speakers stay with same brand all the way around. As far as HU's go I like Clarions, but Alpine and Eclipse are very very good of course...

[B_Master_Flash]

I tried to replaced my stock base toyota speakers with the stock Solara JBL speakers from someone with the same car who upgraded thier JBLs to something else. Even these didnt bolt in.

The rear 6x9s dropped in fine, no redrilling, but the front needed to be redrilled to put the stock JBLs in. I never ended up doing the fronts hough...I also had to resolder the rear since the terminals didnt match either (the seller may have cut above the harness so Im not sure about that).

You figured replacing stock with stock would fit in with no modification but that wasnt the case either, so I think you'd be very hard pressed to find speakers thatll fit in without modification.

Odd, my CDT CL-61s fit in the slot where my stock JBLs were w/o any problems. There was a plastic ring to mount it on which was very easy to screw into.

The JL amp 300/4 is a nice amp and if you plan on powering the rear 6x9s you should probably replace those as the stock speakers prolly cant handle more than about 20wrms for too long. IMO a 2 channel amp powering the front components w/ the deck only lightly (i.e. faded down) powering the rears is a good compromise between good imaging and practicality.

[pro956]

Odd, my CDT CL-61s fit in the slot where my stock JBLs were w/o any problems..

just wondering, what amp do you have powering the cl-61s
and how do they sound?

those are the same separates i'm going to be using-- till i move to kickpanels
w/the image enhancement kit...

thanks

[pro956]

300/4 is more than enough power

who are your fav artists (underground hiphop)?

[B_Master_Flash]

Odd, my CDT CL-61s fit in the slot where my stock JBLs were w/o any problems..

just wondering, what amp do you have powering the cl-61s
and how do they sound?

those are the same separates i'm going to be using-- till i move to kickpanels
w/the image enhancement kit...

thanks

I am powering them w/ a hifonics hawk, 2 x 45 rms @ 4ohms, It sounds great, big improvement over the stock JBL speakers in SQ and w/ the amp they get quite a bit louder. Unfortunately one of the channels already fried in that amp, I am getting a new one under warranty from the ZEB, till then I have both speakers in paralell on one channel. HiFonics makes good amps, I mostly just picked that one b/c it matches the BX1500D in my trunk.

[oompah2788]

Will running an amp improve SQ or does it just let you play them louder??? Could i just have components up front and some focal 6x9's running of the HU??? If i get new 6x9's does it have to have the tweeter built in the middle of the midbass or do i look for the one with no tweeter??? And also, what does a crossover do? Does it filter the higher signal or something to the midbasses and filter the lower signals to the tweeters?? sorry if that doesnt make sense. just trying to learn. My fav. artisests are probably the living legends! so good. g&E (grouch and eligh)

[pro956]

Will running an amp improve SQ or does it just let you play them louder??? Could i just have components up front and some focal 6x9's running of the HU??? If i get new 6x9's does it have to have the tweeter built in the middle of the midbass or do i look for the one with no tweeter??? And also, what does a crossover do? Does it filter the higher signal or something to the midbasses and filter the lower signals to the tweeters?? sorry if that doesnt make sense. just trying to learn. My fav. artisests are probably the living legends! so good. g&E (grouch and eligh)

running an amp will improve sq-- unless it's a POS
get an amp!
throw out the 6x9s and keep em out
use the extra money on a good amp for the front components

havn't had a chance to peep g&e yet

soon enough...