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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
- Finally upgrading the rear subwoofer in the GX470. The stock speaker was so destroyed and was long overdue for replacement. This video walks through some of the impedance questions many have conversed about in forums and finally puts the questions to bed.
As always, reach out to me via Instagram, Email, or in the comments section with any questions!
SKAR Subwoofer:
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Instagram:
/ awesomoto
Music Provided By: Max Keeley
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For some reason I’m getting 6.8 ohms.. not sure why
This is a great question! 6.8 ohms is actually good enough. You'd be surprised how much variance in the impedance you'll find when measuring various speakers. Most resisters are a 10% tolerance on the nominal impedance. So for the two 4 ohms coils in this example, 10% of error would equate to 0.4 ohms, making your speaker roughly 3.8 ohms. So when you put them in series you would get 3.8+3.8=6.8 ohms. Now this is assuming the 10% error went on the low end and it sounds like it was roughly the case, but it could also go in the other direction and have a worst case impedance of 4.4 ohms. Additionally, add some measurement error from the multimeter and it adds up to why you may not measure exactly 8 ohms. Sorry for the long winded response, but at the end of the day it sounds like you have everything wired up properly. Thanks for the great questions and thank you for watching/supporting the channel!
Just did this on my 2007 GX470. My fingers hurt but couldn't have done it without this video, thank you.
Haha! Hey Joe! I can definitely sympathize as this one can be rough on the hands. The RRW seat cover install beat up mine the worst of all my videos. Glad this video was able to help you out!
Joe ramirez did your skar sub match up with your holes? I'm doing mine and they aren't lining up with whats on the box
Just did the subwoofer replacement on my 03. Like your original, it literally crumbled and wasn't connected. At first I didn't notice much difference as I sat next to it following installation, but once in the driver seat, wow! Thanks again for the post and keep them coming.
Hey Supitown6013! Thank you for the comment. I'm glad you are happy with the upgrade! I'm still enjoying the upgraded speaker setup all these years later!
Just did my DS 18 6x9 and 6.5 as well as skar sub install. I had zero experience and now feel like I know just enough to fool someone. Especially after wiring the sub in sequence like that. Good video! My GX now sounds way way better. Thanks for the content
lol thats awesome to hear! I'm glad this video made you confident in tackling the install yourself. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Love the video. One suggestion, when grinding the speaker for placement, I would cover the magnets with tape and plastic. All the small ground down pieces of metal otherwise will fall and collect inside and around the magnet. Other that that small detail, good job.
Great suggestion John! It would have been awful if I had a ton of metal shavings rattling in the box. Thanks for reaching out!
I rewatched the section with the jumper wire. For some reason, another video had two jumper wires, and when I tested ohm resistance, it obviously wasn't going into the 8 range. You nailed it. Cheers!
Thanks Clint! I appreciate your feedback and sharing. Glad you found your issue and got things connected properly!
So i posted back a while ago after doing this Skar sub upgrade and it went well but output was minimal due to the beefiness of the lil sub, so i just got around to installing a smallish 300 watt mono amp to it and it REALLY came alive. Totally filled the cabin with nice rich bass that it needed. I just tapped into the front door woofer outputs from the stock amp fed into the hi inputs on sub amp and then sent back to the sub wires from stock amp. Also a KEY note was i had to rewire the Dual voice coils on the Skar sub to go from 8ohms like i had for stock to 2 ohms, it now sounds great and uses every bit of what that lil 6" monster can put out. No xtra boxes or anything and cant even see the xtra amp under the front seat sitting behind the stock amp. It did take a bit to figure out what wires did what on the amp plug, but got it.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Excellent sounding solution to get some more gain to that speaker and show it's full potential!
Hi-- I did the Skar replacement and wired as recommended to 4 ohms. Did the front door lower speaker replacements by Awesomoto and I found the sub woofer output very low as well. Did you do any upgrade to the stock Levinson amp too or just added the mono for the sub? Also, can you please tell me which wires you tapped into the front door woofer outputs to do so? Thanks!
Thanks, could not have changed out my subwoofer without this video!!! Used a Dremel to cut the speaker which is part metal. Took time and patience but the Dremel did the job. Thought of going with an external subwoofer but did not want to give up the space in the GX470. Sounds great and with bass also coming from the two front door speakers which I also changed out, it sounds amazing and superior upgrade. The old subwoofer had basically fallen apart.
Thanks for reaching out and letting me know about this! It makes me happy hearing stories of others having success doing the same mods. Glad you like the sound of the new setup…I’m thoroughly impressed with this and my other new door speakers. Feels like a new car again!
Echoing what others have said - thank you for this and your other video on the door speakers... Super valuable to have details on the specific speakers as well as a few pointers. Really appreciate you taking the time!!
Thank you for the feedback. It’s nice to know others benefit from these videos!
I just watched the head unit replacement and before I start this one I just wanted to say thanks. I just traded my ML430 on 35s for my 05 GX470 that is completely stock. Only gripe is the sound system is terrible. Looks like you have a ton of videos that I'll be watching. You have one new subscriber! Keep the good content coming. I'm going to refrain from looking at your off road mods so that I don't get any crazy ideas. this one is supposed to stay stock!
Thanks for subscribing! I don’t know the answer to everything, but I document everything I do on the GX to help others.
lol I originally wanted this to be a somewhat stock daily driver. Now it’s a slightly modified daily.
Good video. A couple things. As it turned out my factory sub was still alive. So I was able to pull the panel and run it before I replaced it. The final answer is, under-driving the Skar leads to 'safe' but pretty dismal performance. The factory sub is lively compared to the Skar, with more throw and quicker following even on lower intensity bass lines. In the end the Skar ends up in about a tie, but it is no real improvement. It does fit. It's a good choice for a blown sub. It is not actually "better" than a working ML sub. And I'm not a fan boy. I replaced the front stuff with infinity components and it wipes the floor with ML speakers. But this is kind of a wash. Worth it because my sub was right on the edge of splitting. But overall sound output was not a dramatic change. Feels more 1 to 1.25.
Asmo, thanks for reaching out and giving a great write up. I agree with your statement and would say it’s likely an equivalent replacement. In my instance with a blown speaker, this was exactly what I was looking for. I recently made a video of replacing the door speakers with Skar and DS18 speakers and they are much nicer than the ML’s. People looking for a big improvement should probably go the full after market amp route and get rid of the 8 ohm impedance system. Thanks again for the write up! 🙏🏻
@@Awesomoto Just to be clear, I think you made the best choice possible in this situation, and I think it will be valuable to people who are stuck. Mine was very close to being tits up, so it made sense to replace it regardless. I appreciate the video. And I didn't want that to get lost in my comment.
I used an Infinity component set up front and they are ridiculous. It was a 4ohm set, wired into the factory wiring without their cross over. The bass is probably 3x that of the factory/Skar sub. Doors are matted. Added airflow top and bottom. Bass turned down and they are still insane.
@@Asmo6 Definitely wasn’t lost and I appreciate your feedback! 🙏🏻
I just installed mine the other day. And I agree. My original wasn't in too bad of condition and this replacement wasn't much of an upgrade. But good thing it wasn't too pricey. It's a good option if your original sub is blown.
@@Asmo6 I’m confused I though the speakers need to be 8ohm?
Hey, Just want you to know that you helped so damn much.about a month ago i picked up a GX and I got the tesla radio ( nightmare install , aliexpress 0 instructions ) and then found out my sub is blown. Followed exactly what you did . The angle grinder was a little off putting on a brand new speaker . But I did it and it all worked out. Thanks a ton .
Hey Broken 8WT! Sorry for the delayed response, but I'm so happy to hear your story and it put a smile on my face reading. Making these videos is a fun process for me, but hearing how they helped others makes it worth all the effort. Thank you so much for sharing and watching the video!
I think you should think about adding sound deadening material to keep road and exterior noise out and contain the music inside. Music ALWAYS sounds better when the car is off and at night when sitting in the garage or driveway, because exterior noise is at its lowest. I have an 03 GX470 and started doing a sound system upgrade, but also thinking about deadening material, but would like to see somone more serious than me try upgrades to show other GX470 enthusiasts see the potential. I would be cool if we lived near eachother! I would be willing to include my GX for upgrading, testing and comparing results. Keep up the vids bro!
This is a great idea! I've watched many videos that use decimeters and show there isnt much improvement with the sound deadening material and I was slightly bummed there was barely a change in noise power from the before and after measurements. I also considered doing this and additionally buying all new rubber door and window seals to see if the source of the noise was from that rubber degrading.
You did a nice job. To break this down further, impedance is the resistance to electron(energy) flow. Think about a water hose. The smaller more restricted hose is going to have more pressure, i.e. less flow. A less restricted hose or larger conductor will more flow. By not wiring the sub for an 8 ohm load, it would be less stress on the sub and wires, however it would "overdrive" the amp. Eventually causing it to overheat and fail. It is important to have a balanced load and power source. Thanks for the video
Thanks Mike! Great explanation!
Thanks for the video. I just buttoned up my install. I followed your steps and it went smoothly.
Hey CF! So glad to here this was helpful for you and the install process went well. Thanks for reaching out and providing the kind feedback!
@@Awesomoto
You motivated me to start down a rabbit hole. I saw your 6.5" rear door speaker video and ordered up the parts and swapped those out last night. The front 6x9's are back ordered, but I got the wiring adapters and mounting plates. Good content man, thanks!
Solid tutorial, just got done doing mine. It sounds pretty decent for such a small sub and stock amp!
Hey Taylor, thanks for the response. 🙏🏻
I agree, it sounds decent for a stock setup. It’s definitely not going to be as good as a 10” sub with after market amp. I think it’s a solid replacement for those who need to replace the old sub.
I've relocated the ML labeled (Pioneer actually) head unit to the back of the glovebox and am in the process of swapping out the remaining ML system for an all new 4ohm system, speaker wiring included.. Kenwood digital only deck and 5 channel amp. Components in the front doors, coaxial rear doors, center and cargo speakers will be deleted. I will be doing this swap for the sub as I'm looking for a net neutral replacement to the ML.. Sub will be the 2ohm version wired in series to get me 4ohms total.
This sounds like a nice sound system overhaul! Let me know how it turns out!
All done.. Skar 6.5" sub, 2 ohm wired in series to get 4ohms. Kicker KS 6x9 2 way Components in the front (tweeters mounted in original location using a backstrap to hold them in, KS 6.5" Coaxials in the rear doors, Kenwood KMM-X704 Deck, Kenwood X802-5 5 channel amp, 4ga power and ground to the amp, all new speaker wiring and RCA twisted pairs from the deck to the amp. Delete ML amp, Delete Center speaker, Delete Cargo door speakers, Delete CD Changer, OEM Pioneer HU moved to back of glove box glovebox.. After some tuning of the new decks settings, the new system sounds great.. Note, you do lose voice navigation and OEM bluetooth with the removal of the ML amp, but its a terrible Nav anyway.. Bluetooth will run from the new deck for phone and streaming. If needed I will use Waze from my mobile device and bluetooth sound over the new audio system.. I also did lose steering wheel controls as I'm not sure how to tap into those with this specific setup.
Great vid man. I'll be making the update to mine very soon and am going to upgrade the front speakers as well. Mine are raspy AF.
Awesome! Let me know if you have questions when you do the install.
I’m doing my door speakers this Friday. I’ll post a video of that install.
Just did this on my 04GX. Sounds amazing! Thanks!
Hey Anthony! Glad this video helped!
Thanks for reaching out and providing feedback. It’s been a few months and I still love the sound of this speaker!
Excellent video. I’m absolutely doing this as well, looking forward to see what you do with the rest of the speakers cause my ML is trashed too.
Thank you Michael! 🙏🏻
I finished filming the install for the rest of the speakers last weekend and love the sound pumping out of the GX now! I’m editing that video in the evenings after work this week and will release it soon!
Thank you so so much for doing this video. I would love to see if you do end up replacing other speakers in the GX.
I will definitely be replacing the other speakers as they're shot as well. I didn't realize how bad they rattled until I fixed the rear sub, which rattled the most. I still haven't made a final decision on the remaining speakers, but will be doing more research and making a selection soon. I will post a video documenting the rest of the speakers. Thanks for reaching out!
@@Awesomoto I will definitely be on the lookout. Love your channel! I appreciate all the GX documentation you provide us.
Nice! Just ordered my woofer replacement. Looking forward to your door speaker replacement vid! Mine are rattling too, sounds terrible!
The door speakers just arrived today. I'll be filming the video this coming Friday!
@@Awesomoto nice. Did you order all of them or just the 6x9s?
@@limonc77 I ordered the 6x9s for up front and the 6.5” ones for the rear doors.
Thanks for some of the tips. This was a pain in the butt to remove. I ended up cutting the box with a Dremel tool instead of cutting the speaker itself. It worked out great
That’s great to hear a Dremel to the box worked out! I think I prefer that route because it feels wrong cutting a speaker lol. 😂
@@Awesomoto I just replaced my sub with the same Skar but as this reader did, I cut the box instead of the speaker with a dremel. Just didn’t feel right cutting a brand new speaker. Haha. Tedious work but it came out great. 👍
I know this post is a bit dated, but just thought id share my thoughts, just did this replacement sub with the same skar sub, output is dismal at best, possibly bcuz of ohm difference and the new sub being much heavier duty than stock. My thought is to maybe add a small mono sub amp to the sub to give it some more driving force, especially at lower volumes. Also when i did my installation of the new woofer i put a couple of pieces of dynamatt on backside of subwoofer housing/box, i dont get Any vibrations. Also put a line of dynamatt as a gasket for the sub itself. Hopefully i can make this nice little sub put in some work here soon so i can actually here it. Thanks for the Great write up on the install. Hope my tips helps out some others for vibration fix.
Thanks for the tips Pete! Yes, Dynamatt is a great way to dampen and vibrations and get a good tight seal on the box. I probably should add some to mine. I like your idea with adding a small amp…some extra power would really help this speaker shine as I think it has more potential than what it’s being driven by the stock amp.
@@MJ-ex8dl
Just buy a small sheet and cut to your liking
Hey Eric, nicely done video as always. I'd really like to see you do an auxiliary fuel tank install for your gx. You're definitely capable.
Thanks for the kind words! I never thought of that mod to be honest. Are you running and auxiliary fuel tank? Is that just to get more miles for long distance trail riding?
Yes, not on a gx tho but once I settle on a gx or lx that I like, I'll be installing one. There's an Australian company that builds them and I've researched a bit the install process. Longer range is definitely worth it
Awesome video! Sounds great, except for the rattle. I recently just picked up an 06 GX with ML system but front passenger tweeter blown (sounds horrible) so was planning to replace that, speakers and might as well do the sub now. Can’t wait for your speaker replacement video. 👍🏽
Yeah, that rattle is the sound of the panels that aren't fully attached when I filmed that section. I'm currently getting everything I need for the door speakers.
Just replaced mine, sounds great. Thank you for the video!!
Hey Hunter! Of course and sorry I missed your comment about cable/wire size. You can go with any small gauge speaker wire (18g or 16g). Sounds like you found a solution and I'm glad to hear you finished the install successfully. I hear comments from others about sealing around the speaker with epoxy getting them better bass, so I may try this out.
@@Awesomoto it’s already 100x better than the stock sub which was beyond saving. Do you feel like the scar speakers for the rear door are an upgrade from stock or about the same? Price wise seems like an easy upgrade, but my stock speakers are still good. Thanks for the videos, tons of help!
@@Cutthroatish That’s great to hear! I didn’t notice much of an improvement from the rear door speakers from Skar. The DS18s I put in the front doors are amazing though. They definitely improved the sound quality.
@@Awesomoto yeah I did the front with DS18s, those hit hard.
Well done fella....project time
Thanks Fritz Duval! I appreciate the positive feedback! 🙏🏻
First thank for the instructions on fixing a blown subwoofer. Curious is there supposed to be a slight fluttering sound when the volume is turned up ?
Of course! No, you should not have a fluttering sound. I’d check to make sure everything is tightened down and not rattling.
I just did this in my lx470, sounds amazing, makes the rest of the cars speakers sound like crap lol
Awesome!! This definitely was a nice replacement speaker. I just uploaded a new video 2 days ago replacing the rest. I agree...this made the rest of the stock speakers sound like crap lol!!
What gauge wire did you use for the small jumper wire?
Ryan, I’d go with 14g wire for the jumper.
I couldn't fully tell from the video, which was fantastic BTW, but did you place the little spacer ring that was underneath/behind the stock speaker when you put the SKAR speaker in or did you just leave it out altogether? Thanks so much for this very helpful and high quality video.
Great question! I left it out all together. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
I really appreciate how well you edit and perform during all your GX vids, thank you. I've been subscribed since we bought our 1st GX an 04' last October, now we own two also an 04' and I've been upgrading both on a regular basis. I installed front and passenger speakers last week and today I began my sub woofer install. I'm ready to wire up with the series wiring but wonder if I do this on both sides (pos to Neg) as their are 4 terminals per side and I'm confused?
Thank you Robby! I'm so sorry for the delayed response. Thank you for being a subscriber and wow a two GX household...that is awesome!
Yes there are four terminal. If you look at the diagram I sketched up, you connected a jumper from positive on one of the sides to the negative on the other side. The two remaining connections will act like your OEM speaker and plug in the same way. Essentially you can pretend the jumper isnt there once you install it. Hope this helps!
Hey man hope you see this - had a question for ya. First of all, love your videos. You make this job seem easy!
I have an 06 without the factory nav and without ML. Is that 4ohm? Also, you mentioned that you “think it sound better than the factory sub”. I was just wondering if it’s that noticeable of an improvement to go through the trouble of trimming the speaker and making it fit. I’m torn between following your video and replacing the sub with the skar or just adding a sub and amp separately. Thanks!
would adding polyfill in the enclosure box help? what about porting a hole in the box?
I'm an electrical engineer, but not as great with acoustics and wave propagation. I've heard of some adding a port hole, but the size of the port hole and the amount of polyfill is an acoustic problems I don't quite know all the right variables (hole diameter, air volume, etc) to confidently say it will sound "better". I guess you could always experiment and see if it makes an improvement.
Does the type of wire you use matter? , I used single strand, wire and I feel like it’s not that loud.
You'll want to you stranded copper wire and aim for 14-16g wire
I have a 2004 GX 470. My sub box actually has four wires as opposed to yours too. What should I do
Oh interesting. Is your GX470 by chance a non-navigation version? If you have the Mark Levinson sound system, this mod applies to you since this is an 8 ohm speaker. If not, then you can use any traditional 6.5" speaker that is 4 ohm impedance.
Considering this upgrade... would it have worked to let the new speaker (round) sit on top of the square-ish opening without needing to cut? Basically would the front of the speaker face clear the panel cover when you put it all back together? I'm guessing this would require some longer screws and a good seal between the speaker and the box.
I contemplated that route, but the speaker doesn't clear the plastic grill with that mounting option. And like you mentioned it felt like it would be hard to get a good seal on the box.
Intro thumping 👀
I just did this today. I started out trimming out the box but it just wasn't enough so I did cut the sub with the grinder, and it worked well. Just go slow and be patient and it will work out. Sounds much better but I need the DVD unit working before I can determine how good it really sounds. The radio just doesn't cut it. The two front door speakers don't work at all. Makes me wonder why the stop working all together. Any insight on that?
Thanks for the video. It did help this go faster.
Hey Mike. I recommend checking the connections to the speakers to make sure they didn’t come unplugged or blow. Hopefully it’s not your amp channel blown that’s driving them.
@@Awesomoto Thanks for the reply. When the weather gets better, I will do that.
Is the sub really vibrating live in real life or is just the recording? Is the motor at least decent silent?
Love your videos, hate the sound output of my 05 and waiting on your speaker change video so I can do it all at once!
Thanks for reaching out! It’s definitely higher on my priority list. I have one or two videos I’ll post before, but I’ll do it soon!
Any reason why we don't cut the box for it to fit and not the sub? I assume it because the box is harder to replace than a $70 sub?
Rumor has it that the ML NAV infotainment system amp output is 16 OHMs. 8 OHMs will work in the short run.
Awesome video!! Have you researched what speakers are best used for replacing them remaining speakers? Or what you plan on using?
I have done a little research, but haven’t made a final decision on which speakers to go with.
I do not have the old sub and I am trying to replace it with the Skar sub. Can you help me to figure the best approach to cut the skar sub without a template ?
Apologies for the delay. I think the best way you could do this is to cut a piece of cardboard to the hole in the speaker box. This gives you the ability to trial and error fit with cardboard before cutting. Hopefully this helps.
@@AwesomotoI will do thank you!
Thanks for the great vid! Just installed my skar last night and it sounds great. I also have the phoenix headunit. One question..what are your EQ settings? I seem to have a pretty weak bass feedback and I have never tweaked with my settings. Curious what you have yours set to. Thanks!!
Thanks for reaching out! I'm glad to hear you like the Skar speaker. I'm still very happy with mine after all these years. I actually need to redo my EQ settings because on a road trip in December I accidentally reset my EQ. I'm planning to do a new video on the Phoenix Unit and plan to show those EQ settings and some other tips and tricks.
Oh nice! A ton of us run that set up and we’d appreciate the info on that video!!
What size jumper cable/wire should I use?
Worked out great! Thanks!!
Hey Corey! Glad to hear these worked out for you! 🥳
Sounds like it is buzzing real bad.
No buzzing from the speaker, but could be crappy microphone on my old camera rig back when I made this video.
Where can I get the plug and play harness for the skar speaker to plug into my 03
In this video I just cut the factory connectors off the speaker and soldered them on. BUT, here is the Toyota/Lexus speaker harness you're looking for.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BBP7Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Great vid, but the black background and black components make things hard to see. The speaker box and speaker disappear against the background.
Thanks for the feedback! I no longer have that black backdrop up for videos for that reason. It seemed cool at first because each scene had less background distractions, but it caused a lighting issue.
@@Awesomoto no worries, you're doing a great job on the GX. I'm looking to buy one soon and your vids are going to come in handy.
@@derrickdacanay1210 Thanks Derrick! 🙏🏻
need to replace the speakers up front, do they all need to be 8 ohms speakers?
Yes, the whole system is 8 ohms.
Nice video but with the backdrop wasn't black. Kinda make it hard to see what your doing and the subwoofer. Blend right in with the backdrop.
I agree, in hindsight the backdrop was not a good choice lol. I’m not using it for future videos. Thanks for the feedback though, I appreciate any tips to make these videos better!
Hey man I've been going through your GX content and I absolutely love your work. Thanks so much man!
I've gotta 2004 GX470 with stock speakers and subwoofer which were cracking. Decided to get the foam repair kit from online. So currently my ride has the stock ML stereo system with nav. I gotta Attoto P8 to use my phone for music. It's all pretty decent but I want to get better audio quality so I'm planning on upgrading to a Tesla style screen and a whole new stereo system including the amp. Any recommendations for a new amp, speakers and sub?
Of course MFA116! I'm glad you like the content and I appreciate you reaching out!
Congrats on the upgrades and for recommendations for new amp I say you really can't go wrong with JBL, Kicker, Focal, Polk, etc. I just recommend switching to a 4 ohm system so you have more speaker options.
@@Awesomoto Thanks for getting back to me! I'm definitely going to look into the 4 watt amps you recommended. So far the foam repair kit works pretty good and should hold me over while I save up for the upgrades.
My next little project is headlight restoration. I'm going to follow your video on that this weekend. Can't wait!
Are the tabs under speaker in contact with the original speaker? The SKAR?
No they thankfully don’t contact.
Nice video🤙🏽 my ‘04 GX says it has the Mark Levinson’s sound system but I can’t seem to find the amplifier, it should be below the passengers seat, right?... another thing, my car doesn’t have navigation, and the previous owner installed an aftermarket stereo (very basic one, just touchscreen + Bluetooth), I installed an aftermarket double din stereo with apple carplay... but I’m only getting sound to the front driver/passenger sides lower speakers (the middle and the top “tweeters” don’t sound at all), neither the speaker that’s alone on the dash and the subwoofer doesn’t sound at all... the only ones that work are the front lower ones, the middle row speakers, and the two tweeters that are on the trunk door... do you think that the problem was because the previous owner connected wrong the wires, as it looks like he stripped-cut-connect the original stereo wires with the aftermarket stereo ones?... in that case how can I solve this issue?
Should i find an original wiring harness of an junkyard GX, and Connect that to the original wiring harness and then buy an adapter wiring harness for aftermarket stereos?... or should I buy an aftermarket amplifier and then connect the speakers that aren’t currently working and the subwoofer to that amplifier?🥵... is there any way to test if my subwoofer works before doing any these options? @andys.gx thanks for your help, all the way from Panamá 🇵🇦
Hey Andres! Sorry for the delayed response. I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with these audio problems as they can be a real nightmare. The amp is under the driver side seat. It sounds like the previous owner really messed up the wiring and I think your suggestion of getting a non spliced original wire harness could help get things back to normal. This would also be the most affordable route and could help get the system at least running to assess if the speakers are still functional.
@@Awesomoto Thanks bro🤙🏽 I’ll try to fix it that way😄
My GX came with a pioneer dual 4ohm sub. I guess I don't need to bridge the connections for an 8 ohm.
Totally up to you. If you have the ML system, I recommend staying with 8 ohm speakers. If you’re a non ML GX, then 4 ohms will be fine. Sounds like the precious owner of your GX modified the sound system.
@@Awesomoto Yeah. Idk. On the Sub box it says Pioneer made in Japan with a Lot number. Speaker looks stock like the one u have,, just with dual 4ohm hookups. Wish I could post a pic. Looks factory. The plug has 4 wires, 2 for each 4 ohm side of the speaker. Last owner looks to have updated the head unit to one of the nice Chinese, hard to say nice and Chinese, Android powered units. I'll just hook it up like it was and see what happens
@@7sunsetmaro7 Oh okay, now I know what you’re saying. Yes, this will still work for you to hook up both voice coils like you said. Follow the same wiring as factory and you should be set!
gonna try this on mine soon but couple questions: what type of jumper wire did you use? Is there a specific gauge or something? (I’m a complete novice at electrical stuff) was just wondering. Thank u
Sorry for the delay. Great question! I suggest a 14-16 gauge wire for the jumper.
@@Awesomotothanks! Did you buy the buy the wire or already had it? I can essentially use any 14 g wire right?
@@ibbyseed Yes any stranded copper 14-16g will do. I had some scrap lying around that I used.
What if your GX doesn’t have the mark lev system could you still run this sub and speaker upgrades from your other videos?
Unfortunately this is for an 8 ohm configuration. I recommend finding a 4 ohm sub and speaker. The good thing is there are way more options for 4 ohm speakers. Hope this helps!
What gauge jumper wire did you use? Thanks!
16g will work fine for this since it's not drawing much power.
that Was Sweet . thanks
I dig it duh most..
What Size Sub was that??
Thanks Oscar! It was a 6.5" sub. All the product links are in the description section of the video if you are interested.
Do you have to make those cuts to the subwoofer? What could happen if you don’t? Will the cover still fit without the cuts to the subwoofer?
Thanks!
If you don’t cut the speaker it won’t fit in the box correctly and there will be air gaps. The goal is to have it sealed for better sound. The cover also won’t fit if you don’t cut. It’s an unfortunate situation, but the cuts were very simple to make and I think with patience you will have no issues making it work. If you need help, let me know!
Hey man. I just got done doing this swap and the sub definitely seems under powered. It’s not moving nearly as much as in your video and there hasn’t been any noticeable difference in bass throughout the cabin. Is it possible the ML amp is crapped out only on the sub channel?
I plan on checking voltage at the leads with my multimeter while playing a 80hz note tomorrow
I guess there is a chance it is degrading, but one thing I suggest checking is making sure the amp is enabled in the head unit menu. I had it disabled at one point and everything sounded flat and underpowered until I found that menu setting. Are you running stock head unit or using the Phoenix one?
@@Awesomoto stock for now. I plan to tackle the non-nav conversion and go with an android HU.
Thanks for the heads up on the menu. Going to check that tonight.
@@Awesomoto how do you check the setting for the amp?
What kind of cable do you all use as your jumper cable ?
Just subscribed like what you do, very informative and easy to understand. Did you need to add a amplifier for the sub ???
Hey David. Thanks for subscribing, I appreciate the kind words too. For the sub, I did not have to install and after market amplifier. These speakers still utilize the factory Mark Levinson amp.
@@Awesomoto grey to hear just ordered the sub like three days ago and just had my door speakers 🔊 redone with JL audio
@@dchaparro23 I’m ordering my door speakers today. Spent some time researching the 8 ohm options (not many) and selected a set of 6x9’s for the front doors and a set of 6.5’s for the backseat doors. Can’t wait to get the speaker situation under control!
@@Awesomoto night and day difference
Thanks for the how to video!! I’m gonna give this a shot but I have a noob question since I’ve never done any car speaker work. Is the jumper wire a standard shielded piece of copper wire you could get from Lowe’s or Home Depot? Is there a particular gauge of wire needed? Thanks for all your GX videos too!!
Hey Mark, sorry for the late reply. You will want something maybe 14-16 gauge for this and you'll want to order stranded copper wire.
Completed the job already, but thanks!!! Sounds sooooo much better now!!!! 🎉🎉. I found that my Dremel worked better than my grinder for the delicate cuts.
@@markjoy6860 It’s awesome to hear you completed the install!! A Dremel sounds like a much better path. I actually just bought my first Dremel a few months ago. Had to send it with the grinder back then lol
I also did your grill swap for my GX but used four grill lights instead of three🎉🎉🎉🎉. Appreciate all your videos. Also want to try the Phoenix audio upgrade you did a few winters ago but is this android unit reliable? I’ve heard mixed reviews.
@@markjoy6860 That’s awesome! I love that grill and the raptor lights really complete the look. It’s an okay unit and I’d still recommend it. It has its flaws and so do the others. I love the wireless Apple CarPlay and I definitely prefer this over the factory unit. There is a guy who makes a software update for this which is much nicer, so I’m thinking of going that route and documenting it.
I wonder if the Memphis Audio MJM644 Mojo Series 6-1/2" component subwoofer (Dual 4-ohm voice coils) will work?
Yeah I think that’ll work!
Question, haven't pulled my box yet. But would it be easier to cut the box to shape than the speaker?
You might be able to go that route, but you would have to completely reshape the box and potentially get a larger speaker as the walls of the box are thin. If you went this route with success, let me know.
What is the name for the kind of pliers that you used to remove the inner ribs from the subwoofer box?
I’m not quite sure the name for them, but I found them at good old Harbor Freight!
Have you thought about doing this fir gx470 owners? I send you the box. You send back ready to plug and play. I am willing to pay . I don't have time and you have experience. Thank you John
I honestly wish I had the time myself to do this, but unfortunately I’m in the same situation with little free time lol.
Dude...how did you get that sub box out? I can not figure out home to get the box out without taking off the whole side headliner
Hey Nathan! I removed the speaker by slightly pulling on the side headliner to get it out. If you look in the video at 4:49 you can see that part. Let me know if you have any more questions about it.
What kind of jumper wire did you use? I bought some wire and can only get 6.3 ohms.
I believe I used some 16g wire I had laying around. I didn’t measure exactly 8 ohms, but was in the 7.3-7.5 ohm range.
@@Awesomoto Thanks, man. I’ve tried several wires and keep reading 6.3-6.9. Might just send it 😂
@@alexdelgadillo3398 Lmao! Just send it! 😂
But seriously, I’m not sure what the variance on impedance for those speakers could be from unit to unit.
Thanks bro much appreciated
Of course Roman! Thank you for reaching out and supporting!
Can i use a reagular midrange speaker instead of a subwoofer?? In my 04 gx470
Yes, you can and I've considered going this route. The only thing you need to make sure is that whatever replacement speaker you choose is an 8 ohm impedance speaker.
I have an 04 gx470 with the mark Levinson, I'm planning on basically just copying the same setup. The 8ohm is limiting, anyways I don't know if I need an aftermarket amp I was able to find the stock wattage speck I found said it was 330w. Looking at the specks for sub/other speakers I think I need an aftermarket amp with a higher wattage but I can find anything definite. If I do would I need an amp with a higher wattage than all the speakers combined or individually. Help would be greatly appreciated?👍
Hey Dale, Sorry for the delayed response. The good thing with the setup I have is that you don't need an aftermarket amp. You can always go aftermarket and replace all speakers with 4 ohm if you'd like to have more speaker options. With your wattage question...the markings on speakers are the max wattage they can handle being driven by, so if you connect a speaker to an amp and it gets less power than 330watts....then you'll be okay. So the goal in car audio is to make sure the amp isn't over driving your speakers...driving them with less power than their max is what you want. Hope this makes sense.
@@Awesomoto it did and it helped alot, i typically overthink a problem so this video was somewhat a godsend. Thank you for the response, I know it's an older video and the fact you still do respond even delayed deserves major props.
Hey please help me with complete speakers size for gx 470 wants to replace every speaker from my gx thanks a lot
This link from Crutchfield helps identify all the speaker sizes you’ll need. Let me know if you have questions.
www.crutchfield.com/ymm/2003-Lexus-Gx470-Speakers-Stereos.html
Great video!
Thank you! 🙏🏻
@@Awesomoto What size wire did you use to bridge it?
@@shaunbarrett5284 I used 16g wire. I had some laying around the garage. It was a little thicker than the stock speaker wires, so slightly overkill, but it was quick to just use what I had.
@@Awesomoto Thanks!
Hey buddy, I have an 06' but not with Mark Levinson sound package. Will this 8 ohm not be a good option? Any suggestions?
No you will need 4 ohm speakers. The good thing is you have way more options with 4 ohm speakers.
@@Awesomoto I am having a hard time finding out if the stock GX without ML system have the same speaker sizes or different? Do you happen to know of any plug and pkay replacement options for stock GX. Let me know what you know, appreciate it sir!
was the oem speaker hard to remove from the housing? mine seems to be stuck
You might need to get a flat head under there to break it free.
How is it holding up? The ML Amp outputs at around 14ohms and the speaker is 8. I'm concerned about longevity but maybe I shouldn't be...
Edit: Disregard the 14ohm comment I made
It's holding up strong, but a larger amp would be nice to drive it harder as it's not being driven nearly to it's capability. I'm curious on where you found this info on the ML amp. I measured the stock speakers with an ohm meter to verify what I had heard on forums about 8 ohm speakers in this vehicle.
Great info!
Thanks for the upload! I recently installed a skar sub in my gx and it rattles pretty bad. Is yours rattling the sub compartment?
Hey Z4drummer, thank you! I’m sorry to hear you’re having rattling issues. Mine is still going strong after 10 months with no rattling. I recommend checking all the plastic panels around the area to make sure it’s not the panels. If you can isolate where the sound is coming from, I think you can get rid of it by tightening a panel or adding some acoustic padding so no rattling occurs.
@@Awesomoto Yeah I'm going to tear back into it probably tonight. I suspect that I have some bad air leaks too so I'm going to use some dynamat and weather strip caulk to try and seal it up better. Thanks for the quick response!
@@Gretschdude1412 No problem! Thanks for reaching out!
Ummmm; great video but speaker model please
Check the video description. All the links are there.
I’m wondering if my non- nav, non ML audio GX has a standard subwoofer back there cause I have the vent cover in that same spot? And my front door speakers or the small tweeters are rattling so thanks for the vids!
Hey Nicholas! Yes, you should have a standard subwoofer back there and it should be a 4 ohm speaker. Hopefully you can still use this video to reference.
@keltycoyote17 can you give an update on what you found out about stock gx470? Thanks
Is there any other subwoofer you could recommend? I am personally a little short on ways to fit the sub into my car.
Hi Eric
For us that are not good at understanding electrical concepts I think the video is great with one suggestion. The jumper wiring was clear but the original wiring needs to follow the same path. If you hook it like stock speaker you will not achieve the 8 ohm goal. You must wire it like the jumper and in your video you show this but don’t explain it. Just doing negative and positive without matching the jumper position is wrong. I now have to take one wire off and place it on other side of speaker
Hey Dennis. I feel your pain with that one and I’m sorry for the lack of clarity on that last part.
Bummer
So Explain what happened.. For Idiots like me
Hey Awesomoto I had a quick question and I was just asking what type of subwoofer do you recommend for the Lexus gx 470 non mark levinson because mine doesn't have it.
Hey Zantetsuken! Thanks for reaching out. You're in luck because you have a 4 ohm system and have many options. I'd recommend something from Focal or JBL. The main thing you want to look for is 6.5" diameter and double check the depth so that it will fit in the speaker box properly.
Thanks much appreciated 😀👍
@@zantetsuken1595 did you find a good plug and play option for the stock 470 subwoofer replacement? I need to do mine asap :) let me know, thanks
What is jumper cable
Jumper cable is a simple piece of stranded 16-18g wire.
I’m getting a consistent 6.4/6.5 when I’m checking with multimeter.
I jumped it like you showed, think it’ll be ok?
I’m so sorry for the delayed response. Yes, you’ll be fine with that impedance measurement.
@@Awesomoto cool, did this on my LX470. It works great. The old one would rattle even after I replaced the foam.
Thanks!
Do you think that an 8” subwoofer Pioneer TS-SW8441D 4 ohms will fit my 2008 GX470?
8” is starting to push the limit on that factory box. I’m not so sure that would work. If you want to go with a larger sub, you might want to consider and external box for it.
Where did you buy the jumper wire?
I had some stranded speaker wire laying around my garage.
Wiring novice here. Where can I find this “jumper” wire. Amazon is showing too many options.
Hey WK, Sorry for the delayed response. I used an 18g wire, which might be a little overkill and it was just some wire I had around the house. Amazon has many spools of 18g wire you can buy...just make sure you by stranded and not solid core wire.
Thanks for the reply and helping me learn.
@@wk5156 did you find a good plug and play option for the stock 470 subwoofer replacement? I need to do mine asap :) let me know, thanks
Did you run into any issues with the extended excursion of that woofer cone on the Skar speaker? I bought the same Skar subwoofer and my audio tech didn't want to install it because he thought the cone excursion (Throw) would have it impacting the grill of the interior panel.
Hey Shawn, that’s a great question. I personally installed it and it wasn’t touching the grill of the speaker, but I hadn’t thought about the full throw of the speaker cone, especially when the volume is loud. There is a chance mine hits the grill, so I’ll keep an eye on it next time I’m out at the vehicle and see if I can notice that happening. I will admit that my speaker was completely blown, so having clean sound without rattles made me so excited I forgot to check for contact on the grill surface at full volume.
@@Awesomoto I told my audio tech that I wasn't worried about it as I don't normally have my music cranked to 11. If I was really worried about it, I would just cut out the grill part of the interior panel and fashion a bumped out grill or cage to accommodate the extended throw. I don't use the third row seating at all. I just use that area for cargo
@@shawncartwright338 I agree, I would just cut out the grille and make something to cover it. I too don't use the third row seats.
@@Awesomoto I finally got around to ordering a basic angle grinder from amazon and giving the Skar subwoofer a good trimming to fit it into the Lexus OEM subwoofer enclosure. My grinding skills were rusty at best, so it was definitely a hack job, but the results have been great! That Skar woofer is really nice. It seems like a shame to run it in the 8ohm configuration and not really take advantage of the dual 4ohm voice coils, but it sounds great none-the-less. I've not reinstalled the grill yet. Removed the grill to remove and clean the speaker grill cloth. It was filthy. It looks much better after cleaning, and now it has been reattached to the plastic grill. Just need to put it back in to the cargo sail panel. Seems like just enough clearance for the Skar. I cranked the system up a bit to watch the skar subwoofer in an effort to gauge the excursion. It doesn't seem to be an issue in the 8ohm configuration. Completing this project gave me a bit of momentum to tackle the other speakers…
I replaced the front tweeters with the Dayton Audio AMT Mini-8 Air Motion Transformer Tweeter(s) - minor mods and soldering required for these (Easy to medium difficulty if you're a soldering novice). The existing tweeter crossover capacitors (3.3uF) are tiny and the leads are short. I unsoldered & reused them, but they sound kinda 'muted'(?) with the new AMT 8ohm tweeters. I have Dayton AMT tweeters in a bunch of home audio speakers throughout my house, and I love them. In this application they sound just a tiny bit weaker than I expected. I'm hoping it's the old OEM caps, so I've ordered some arguably better caps of similar specs: Audyn Cap Plus 3.3uF 800V Double Layer MKP Metalized Polypropylene Foil Crossover Capacitor from Parts Express. These should be an improvement over the stock caps, especially when factoring in their age. They are probably much bigger in physical size than the originals. I don't think that placement will be a problem as there seems to be plenty of room in that area. We'll see how it goes when I get them installed. If it is a vast improvement (Parity with the performance of my home audio AMT tweeters), then I will replace the rear passenger door tweets/x-over caps as well.
I replaced the mids with the Kenwood KFC-835C 3-1/2" Dual Cone Speaker Pair - these are a bit more difficult. Front door mounts require thoughtful enlargement of the plastic mounting plate. Managed to slice the hell out of my finger when doing this (Don't rush it and don't attempt it late in the evening).
Replaced the 6x9s drivers in the front doors with the
DS18 PRO-X698 BM Loudspeaker - 6x9, Midrange, Red Aluminum Bullet, 550W Max, 275W RMS, 8 Ohms. Used the metra speaker adapter mount kit and metra wire harness connector leads that everyone else uses for this part.
Rear passenger doors: replaced the primary drivers with the Skar Audio FSX65-8 300-Watt 6.5-Inch 8 Ohm MID-Range Loudspeakers (FSX65-8). These drop in to the existing mounts. Minor mods required to retain the tweeter basket that mounts over top the replacement drivers. Still have the stock tweets in the stock baskets. I may order two more AMT tweets to replace these, but the stock ones still sound good with the new 6.5" Skar speakers, so I'm not in any hurry to swap these.
The mids in the rear door (Barn door) - going from the 2.75" ML mid drivers to the same Kenwood 3.5" mid drivers used in the front doors here is challenging at best. I started to take the angle grinder to the alloy speaker mounts to strategically slice them in half in a way that saves the original anchor/fastener points. As I got one halved and then played around with the halves to see how I might fit the 3.5" mid driver to it, I realized it would be a time-suck in regards to the amount of grinding/trimming needed to make the two halves work with the new speaker. I've got some materials on order from Parts Express. PVC sheets, fasteners, back-straps, and some other odds & ends. Probably going to wind up with some PVC sheet rings on bent to fit back-straps in order to create a solid-ish mount for these. I may even be able to incorporate pieces of the original mount (E.g. now halved). When I figure out the best way to modify the first one, I'll rinse and repeat for the other one.
I've been adding sound damping mat (Amazon's brand) in a limited/strategic manner to both the door cards and door sheet metal as I go. I've gone back into some sections to add more after listening tests. Seems to help. I've not had enough break-in run time on most of the new speakers yet, but it does sound much better already. One caveat though, it sounds a lot better in regards to the clapped out 2007 ML speakers I replaced. I will say that a GX470 ML Audio Package sounds fantastic when new or in good condition. My previous 2009 GX (I've owned two of this gen GX) sounded phenomenal. Sounded better than my wife's new Mercedes GLE Burmeister premium audio package (Which is just 'meh' by comparison).
I still need to replace the front center channel speaker with another one of the Kenwood 3.5" drivers (They are really full range drivers). I'm planning on ordering a replacement dash, so I will do all of that together when I get the new part(s) in. I'm also tempted to do the tesla style tablet radio swap. I may go ahead and pull the trigger on that order.
Really helpful video. Thank you!
Glad it helped!
@@Awesomoto Yeah, my 6x9" subs are rattling as well. Haven't started the project, but I'm going to order both before getting to work.
@@DentistDC Sounds like your speakers were in the same condition as mine. Just to be clear, this speaker is a great replacement speaker, but won’t provide an upgrade in sound as the amp driving it is still running the same power to the speaker. I was just looking for an equivalent replacement and this speaker is a great for that.
@@Awesomoto Understood. That's what I'm looking for. I'm no audiophile, but the rattling of the sub is driving me nuts. Cheers!
@@DentistDC That’s exactly how I felt. Rattling was annoying and was just wanting a good replacement.
I'm debating doing this vs getting a bigger 10" 1200 watt sub (I have an aftermarket amp). My current set up really is just missing that deep bass, worried this one just wont get deep enough. Honest thoughts?
Do both and get the SMD Neo magnet terminal so you can take your 10in box out when you don't want it in there
@@briandoss8552 This sounds like an awesome idea and would give you flexibility!
@@briandoss8552 thats what my buddy whose consulting me on this said to do. Beyond my return date for Skar so going to throw the 6.5 in and then probably add the bigger one and terminal later on. Thanks for confirming!
Any idea what size is the subwoofer you have in the video?
It's a 6.5" subwoofer. Here is a link to the skar one I used in the video.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019WYPLIA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@@Awesomoto Thanks bro I appreciate it.
Schweet videeyo!!
Is it a dramatic change in bass?
Hey hmongwild. No, this is about the same bass you would get from the factory sub. Mine was just blown so bad I needed a replacement.
If i go with this I might try to run a small amp to it to give it more thump and a sub controller
What's your plan for the door speakers?
I’ve since released a video installing door speakers. Here’s the link or you can find under the video section on my channel. Thanks for reaching out! 🙏🏻
th-cam.com/video/ibrA2YFI6vM/w-d-xo.html
Great vid!
A really high value DIY is treating doors with sound deadening materials.
6.5 size?
Yes, 6.5" size. Links to the speaker are in the video description if you need. Apologies for the delay in responding.