Another important thing that can impact your speaker upgrade performance is the INSTALL! I have a full video focused on best installation practices for speakers here: th-cam.com/video/jPNy_Adb2vU/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and being in our community!
Thank you very much for replying. I really didn't expect you to, but thank you! I watched that video as a link from the original, and I just watched it again. I am going to schedule some time to take my 2 front door covers off and fix what I'm sure I missed when installing them. If that doesn't fix it, then I'll probably save up and get some speakers that are less shrill, unless adding an inline resistor and/or crossover might help. I really don't know enough to shake a stick at, but would really like my purchase to be worth the money.
Hey, What would you recommend for someone who wants to find out the frequency response wave form chart graph signature thingy of their current car audio system? Is there a specific meter and frequency or tone generator app to play through that system to find this stuff out?
@@9fiveb180 i’m no expert-and I’m getting old-er-ha! What comes to mind is something like a white noise or pink noise generator, and a frequency analyzer. Things like this used to be made for home stereo and I think just listening environments in general. There’s probably an app made for telephones?
@@LTJR. yeah. That's more or less the very device or program or app thingy I was hoping to get the name of. Maybe it's a spectral frequency analyzer or spectrometer or snarffblat? I dunno. A whoziewhatsitnow-pro perhaps?
Most of OEM manufacturers uses woofers (do not confuse with subs) as regular speakers, using a wider range of the sound frequency starting from the lows to the middle, and most of aftermarket speakers, are manufactured as mid-range speakers, so the sound frequency is limited in the middle, leaving lows for the subs and highs for the tweeters. that´s why swapping this different kind of sepakers results in different sound.
my car ran woofers only, with small paper cones in the middle, so when i swapped over to a 2 way system with a tweeter, highs was so saturated and loud it just sounded loud and screechy, so i had to run a filter to go -6db on the tweeter to make it sound alright, not perfect, but enough untill i swapped to a full active system with new headunit.
I made the mistake of swapping my 4 stock door woofers for 2-ways when the car had dash tweeters. no amount of EQ could not get rid of the harsh and muddy highs and mids. ended up just snipping the tweeters from the front 2-ways and upgraded the dash tweeters separately as I didn't want to deal with returning the speakers and essentially buying the same speakers again. I'm pretty sure Infinity uses the same woofer for both their 2-way and component variants of a product line anyway. kept the two rears as 2-ways for any passengers in the back
Don't the "woofers" and "mid-range" drivers only play at whatever the crossover dictates? So long as the frequency range is within the capabilities of the woofer/driver, it will play it.
@@DescartesRenegade yes you would be correct. if you use a crossover then any speaker you put in will be cut off at the crossover point as long as it's capable. the issue is that most factory systems do not use crossovers and instead take advantage of the fact that woofers naturally roll off as the frequency gets higher. if you drop in a 2-way speaker it can actually play the full-range signal it's getting
Not to mention, aftermarket speakers are vastly superior in materials, voice coil etc. Some of them need much more power than a head unit alone provides. The most "premium" stock systems are mediocre at best compared to even "average" aftermarket stuff. I replaced my Camaro's "premium" sound system with Boston acoustics pro separates, amp and JL audio sub. There was no comparison.
It's hard to explain to most people that "Dropping in a set of 250 watt 6x9s" isn't gonna put out traffic lights from 2 blocks away. You're likely to find OE 15 watt paper speakers that work great with the underpowered head unit in the dash. Everything in a vehicle is built by the lowest bidder. If they can save $3 on every car - they will.
Except on older Lexus cars. The original speakers + subwoofer combo is actually pretty good. Wanted to upgrade my setup, but my car hifi specialist advised me against it, as he saw the overall quality of the speakers. Needed some EQ-ing to be perfect, but a parametric equalizer can fix the bassy tendency out of the overall sound, that tend to be very rich with excellent dynamic.
I had to search for 2 ohm 6.5 and 6x9s to replace my stock speakers. JBL Stadiums fit the bill. The stock definitely had more bass but it's much clearer and cleaner now. Tech tip, I connected a Topping Dac to the system a boy it really came alive!!
Factory speakers tend to have more bass since they’re designed to have lower FS than after market speakers and are much more efficient than aftermarket speakers
Another thing to consider is the "stock impedance" of the OEM system. Car manufactures commonly use ODD impedance (2 or 6 OHM) to force you to use OEM speakers especially in "premium" (bose/JBL/Alpine etc) factory upgrades.
@CFSlayer23Studios50423 all aftermarket car audio speakers are 4 ohm. Which means either they get half the power (if stock is 2 ohm) or they burn out the headunit or amp (if they are 2 ohm)
@@peterhermina656 Well that's not true. I'm right now looking at 2 ohm Audison AP's for my door mid bass upgrade, there's also at least DLS, Helix and CDT Audio speakers at 2 ohm...
I agree with you. I have a 2015 Mustang GT and I changed the rear speakers because the magnet was very small. I replaced them with Polk coax the same size as the oem and honestly, I don't think they sound any better than the stock speakers.
This was a lesson I learned in the late 90's when I first got into car audio. Installed a $300 set of component speakers on the stock stereo, and pretty much made every mistake mentioned here. Thankfully I was working for a sister company to that brand of speakers and got them at a 75% company discount, so the sting wasn't quite so bad.
@@wongchai807 in my case, the biggest issue was a sub-optimal install, but also yes those speakers should have been powered by an amp instead of off the head unit.
@@Nareimooncatt okay because I want to upgrade some speakers on my new vehicle. I want it to sound good, sound quality and bass nothing crazy. So speakers and an amp is what I should? do?
Reason #5- sometimes OEM premium systems will use lower impedance speakers, so swapping a 2ohm to a 4ohm will draw significantly less power from the factory amplifier. Big problem. Recommend finding lower impedance aftermarket replacement speakers with high sensitivity for these applications. Specifically thinking in Toyota JBL systems, I always revert to suggesting either getting factory speakers from eBay, or using what I have my hands on which are 3ohm gladen alphas or the Audiofrog GS series, which are rated “4ohm” but actually are 2.2ohm speakers that can be dropped right into any JBL system.
I did my wife's car with 2 sets of 4 ohm on the factory amp . Wanted to see 2 ohms had a hard time looking for speakers too . Kick panal old school front, cut in 2 rear speakers back deck . Kenwood had 2 ohm speakers back in the day , vacant find them anymore 😢
Your right about adding an amplifier really helps to make your speakers louder. I have a $75 Sundown speaker that has a high sensitivity rating and is on 50rms watts and sounds amazing.
when replacing speakers in my corolla, I picked specifically a hertz K170 since it had high sensitivity and I was only going to get the 14-16w or so the stock system outputs. it does at least output that much power, and it ended up being plenty for my listening habits.
I amplified my stock speakers with the Alpine power brick (Alpine KTP-445U) and it made a huge difference! I can play my music at a significantly lower volume while getting great sound. There’s better clarity, the stock speakers are not distorting. It’s only rated at 45rms at 4 channels. I don’t think I’ll need to be upgrading my stock speakers now. Maybe if the stock speakers blow lol
Another reason aftermarket speakers sometimes sound worse is in some premium factory systems, the amplifier used is running at half an ohm per speaker. So when replacing with aftermarket 4 ohm speakers, you are also reducing your power output in the factory amp because the resistance is increased.
I don't know how many customers brought car into my shop for second opinion after putting aftermarket speakers into their car with factory Bose system and it didn't sound as good...lol...
@@bobjiorno9046 lol...I said second opinion...I didn't do original install...customer was just wondering why it wasn't as loud as it was before. Most of the cars I worked on were 80s and 90s cars so early Bose ...like amps on each speaker era...So I gave them the Bose speach...leave the entire Bose system factory and expect to replace an amp every year or 2 or pull it all out run new wires to all 4 speakers and have no more issues and better sound
Audio quality is all about the source! I always used to tell customers that upgrading their factory stereo will make even the stock speakers sound 50x better! Also FIRST!
The source is the main element, I agree. If you have a poor quality source, everything will be negatively affected. But I disagree in one point: the speakers are ALWAYS the weak point in ANY original sound. 100% of the times. The speakers ALWAYS sould be replaced first. If the results are not the expected, then you add a DSP and amps. The main source (if it is the OEM factory stereo) is the LAST thing to change. If it was already replaced when you buy the car, then it doesn't really matter...
@guilhermev3545 All depends on the vehicle. When I was a kid, the cars all came with paper single cone speaker with something like 8 or 10 ohms of resistance. They were junk on day one. The factory deck would sound better and louder with a good 4ohm speaker.
@@scootypuffjr. yes. That is my point. The stereo unit is always the last thing to change... Usually the OEM are pretty decent. Sony, Clarion, JVC Kenwood nowadays...
@@guilhermev3545 Thanks for the info. I have to keep my factory radio. Can't change 13 Acura ILX factory head-unit. So, I'm upgrading the speakers. Until reading your comments, I thought I was going to be in trouble not being able to upgrade the factory head-unit. Found some high sensitivity component/co-axle speakers. Planning to get a 5 channel amp and one 12. Aiming for decent SQ, not so much SPL. Maybe like 85% SQ or something like that. Not trying to spend a ton cause I still wanna buy some decent wheels/tires.
I upgraded my BASE 2022 WRX speakers with Infinity speakers, and even without an aftermarket amplifier the sound is FAR better. Why? Because the speakers I chose were specifically chosen based on their efficiency. This was my paramount consideration.
I love Infinity speakers purely for that reason. no loss in volume without an amp compared to regular 4 ohm speakers I've tried. I added an amp later on and the extra power made the mid-bass tighter and less muddy. sounds great without an amp and even better with one
Well i installed new speakers, high end sql ones and for now they are still on my radio connected and they sound crazy good. Cant wait to get the amp for them!
One thing to note. Anytime you're adjusting your EQ, use a song that fits the style of music you listen to. Sound guys do this at concerts after setting the PA. They play a track and use it as a reference for balancing (EQ ing) the PA. Also, try to use music with modern production rather than some classic rock song where you hardly hear any low end like the bass drum. I have always used the song "If I ever lose my faith in you" by Sting, to EQ a stereo. It has modern production that uses a well balanced mix of bass, mids and treble.
Crutchfield is a great place to buy your audio equipment. They will match the correct speakers with the head unit so that you have maximum performance with any aftermarket audio system. Their customer service is excellent as well.
I always upgrade the audio system, just like I upgrade the engine and horsepower, etc. I my not turn it on every time I'm in the car. (sometimes the only music I want to hear is the exhaust) But when I do I want the best sound as possible.
I just got done installing 2 new front door 2 way rockford fosgate speakers last week on my 99 ford ranger that has really small front cabin room even though its a xlt. Imade sure when i picked them out to use smaller 5-1/4 instead of the 6x8s and went up 15-20 watts from factory specs with decent midrange and power handling while making sure they were kept rated for a 4 ohm system. radio Sounds way more crisp clear loud while losing the distorted boominess coming from my weathered corred seperated blown front speakers.
Something is incredibly wrong with car audio. Its as if its thirty years behind home audio in terms of size. Sonos sound bar sonos one, sonos sub. That can absolutely fill a twenty by twenty room with sound. Even projecting sound upwards to bounce of ceiling. Some of these tiny little speaker pods produce more sound than a whole front stage in a car. There is no excuse for having massive power draws and huge encolsures in a vehicle just to get good sound.,.
You would want to look for a higher sensitivity, which would mean the speakers are more efficient and will produce more sound per watt of power they receive.
It's slightly off-topic, but another issue for quite a few applications is installing aftermarket component speaker-tweeter combo sets on the front channels. Most automakers have the speaker and tweeter in parallel, creating a 2 ohm load. Most DIY installers will just plug into the factory wires leaving out the included crossover since many consider it too tedious to run the extra wiring...especially if the tweeters mount either to the pillars or to the dash. Thus, the aftermarket speaker/tweeter sets will try to draw too much off the stereo, resulting in hideous high pitch clipping from the tweeters if the volume is too high.
I have always thought 6x9 would be a bit more "punchy" but the 6.5 just has a better sound quality. I have a set of both with a 10" sealed subwoofer. Sounds nice.
Thanks for The Info I was wondering why my new speakers wasn't loud anymore. After I made a purchase on my new aftermarket 6X9. I had my radio on in the car testing my new speakers comparing the sound with my Factory ones i said to myself my factory speaker sounds much louder
If possible, a quality aftermarket radio would help with this situation. If the factory radio cannot be replaced, than I recommend an external DSP and amplifier. You don't have to go crazy on cost, unless you really are trying to get maximum capacity from those speakers.
Power is a special issue when people ask me about this. Some factory speakers play at a low ohm than aftermarket ones. Thats one of the reason why factory speakers, although less quality, play louder at about 3 ohms instead of a typical 4 ohm from aftermarket speakers. And like you said Mark, most of these factory systems are EQ'd from the factory to play at its best.
I noticed Bose likes to use VERY low impedance drivers in their systems. In some of GMC's trucks that do have a Bose system they use a dual coil subwoofer but each coil is like 0.5 ohms. I think Bose wires both of them to make 1 ohm since the amp they use outputs 100 watts at 1 ohm.
I've seen people do this. A factory head unit doesn't have much power at all. Aftermarket speakers with a lower efficiency and ohm rating just won't work.
In my 98 Chevy all I did was swap out all the stock speakers with the cheapest Kicker's I could find........way better. Using a inexpensive Kenwood deck. Works great with my 2x12" sealed Kicker sub w 300 W amp.
My vehicle had a center channel speaker in the dash, I’ve looked online but can’t find much information about how to navigate this when it comes to amps. How do you setup an aftermarket system with a center speaker?
A quality sound system doesn't need the center speaker. When I had the entire stereo system in my 2020 F150 upgraded, I just eliminated the center speaker from the mix. Stereo sounds great without the center speaker. It's not really necessary with quality components.
If ur not gonna add an amplifier, just make sure the speakers ur installing are the same watt power range, which usually most car speakers are around 50 watts
@@BrianWaller-qe7gr On the stock headunit? doing that is a waste from my experience as the headunit will be working too hard to drive them. An amplifier with extra headroom above the speakers rms rating is useful.
I've seen several times where people have installed aftermarket coaxial speakers when the stock system had component speakers. It never sounded better - the soundstage always suffered.. I never understood why that was a thing.
on a budget you can snip the 2-way speaker's tweeter wire to disable it and turn it into a woofer and then continue using the stock tweeters if the car has them. I did that to mine and later upgraded the tweeters separately and it sounds much better. if I had known that it would sound so harsh and muddy I would've gotten a set of component speakers from the start. not making that mistake again haha
Hi, please I need you help, I have huge space problem with my front door speaker..I try to mount 3 different type of speaker(hertz and two type of coral prf and Evo) in my front door for replace the original one but all the speakers touch the glass, what kind of speaker can I use to have a good quality sound and a decent pressure?..no amplifier..straight to headunit..please help me..give me a suggest..thx a lot.Dario from south Italy.
the actual real reason from it usually is not all about power distribution, it is usually from tye speaker cone that was used. generally speaking from my experience, a lighter paper cone and spider as well as foam surround results in better excursion of speakers thus leading to a more accurate sound reproduction, these plastic cones really sound sharp and can like. as compared to paper speakers. compared to stock for example.
For aftermarket speakers to sound their best, you need an amplifier. If you're just doing speakers because you cannot afford the amps, just get an aftermarket radio and tweak the EQ curves to make it sound good as a good start then later get a 4-channel amplifier and some speakers, retune it. It's pretty easy to do on a 2017 or older Toyota and most 00s and older cars. There are some cars come that come with a good sound system such as polypropylene cone woofers with decent-sized voice coils and magnets, dome tweeters, and external amplifier(s), such as the Harman Kardon Logic 7. There are some aftermarket SQ systems that bypass the head unit altogether and send the digital audio signal from a portable audiophile music player to the DSP.
or just buy a pair of aftermarket 2 ohm speakers (or 3 ohm) with a high impedence, that way u will be surprised how good a standard head unit can sound... just the 30 dollar aftermarket 200+ watt speakers dont do great.. they are all about the wattage.. wich noone needs. Also a second hand amp is like 50 bucks but the install time is like a day.. thats why most people just get a new one..
Haha, I remember back in 1993 when I fist got into audio, bought a brand new pair of 6x9’s to put in the rear deck of my Honda Accord. All of a sudden, I had hardly any bass at all, took me weeks of listening and regrets, to finally find out I got the polarity wrong on one side!
I replaced the door speakers on my '17 Ford Focus with decent quality coaxial units, and also the door bass speakers and dash tweeters on my '24 Ford Maverick with very high quality Focal speakers. Both upgrades definitely improved the quality of the sound, but not up to the standard I was expecting. In general, factory speakers are really terrible as was the case with both of these swaps, and any set of decent aftermarket units will definitely improve the sound quality. But I have discovered that the factory radios in these two vehicles are very poor in quality. I don't have any confidence that replacing the amplifier will help, but I have no experience to back this up. To replace the radio on the Focus requires a kit with new dash panel that costs more than the new unit, and to date, no one is making a replacement radio for the Maverick. My solution with the Focus was to build a pair of 8" two way active speakers driven by a four channel amp, using an Audiocontrol electronic crossover that I would highly recommend (this is one case where the sponsor for this video really does make great quality products, and have been doing so for many decades now). I then drive these with a small portable music player that I mounted to the console with silicone, I plan to do the same in the truck, and I will spend the money and buy the Sony music player for this application.
I replaced my 09 Camry’s radio with an android head unit and then replaced all of the stock speakers and added a subwoofer (with a built-in amp). The difference was day and night lol
good tips. I swapped to alpine type r 6x9s and type r 6.5s and put a Rockford punch 400.4 on them and they do not sound as loud as I thought. and I upgraded my electrical system big time. my factory bose system sounds better
Very accurate. Many times when replacing speakers (even if you do after market headunit and speakers) the low end out put of the aftermarket does not come close to the factory speakers. It usually requires more power and some other work to get that sound back.
It's physics: cheap paper cone=light. It's equal to a small light car with small motor going as fast as a big heavy car with big motor. The small light car will handle better in turns, heavy one will be slow in turns ;)
I have a Lexus is350 2015 with the mark Levinson. I didn't look at the efficiency values. I was focusing on making sure the power draw was similar or the same. I have 17 speakers in my car so I don't know what amp to get for that but for the sub I got a monoblock amp n will tap into the stock sub outputs because nothing on the market matches the stock amps sub power draw. My amp has a sub output controller and I will mount it where the stock sub is. It's a huge undertaking but I'm no stranger to DIY projects
I would worry less about sensitivity, and more about RMS power. Stock speakers are around 15w, after market usually start at 50w and up. So that stock head unit is designed for 15w of power per channel, not 50w. Making your new speakers seem quieter.
My 2014 forester w a premium Harmon Kardon system sounded great. The 6x9’s in the front doors sounded great but it was an old system so I had kicker 6x9’s put in w 2 3/4s in the dash and 6.5 in the rear. A diamond 5 channel amp and sub, with a new pioneer stereo. Now……it sounds horrible…..pingy and miss are completely gone in the front which is where the old system shined. I just wanted more low end and some new highs from the older system….idk what went wrong and now I’m not sure if it’s possible to get everything back the way it was bc of the factory tuning
This is exactly the information I need. I just had that experience of upgrading speakers because they were rated so highly for my 2005 Nissan Xterra. The (JVC) six by nines that I bought sounded much worse than the stock speakers. I don’t understand it completely, I just know not matching new speakers for the factory-installed radio is not going to help. So many questions. What OHM and wattage are the stock speakers? The present ones are simply woofers. A 2-way, according to a review I read today is going to sound better than a 4-OHM. So confusing. And, in order to get the sound that I am looking for, I realize I would have to replace the entire sound system and speakers. Thanks for your information.
So I’m looking to replace the old speakers that I have in my K1500, but I like my music loud and crisp. I know after a certain point speaker start to crackle and sound funky and I’d like to avoid that if I can. Does anyone have any advice on setups or anything? (Current system is just an aftermarket head unit and aftermarket speakers from awhile ago)
2:28 It’s all about saving weight, and secondarily, cost. A more efficient speaker runs at lower amplifier power, which weighs less. If a carmaker can save 3 grams on a part, they will redesign that part. Weight savings (called “lightweighting” in the car business) is driven by federally mandated CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) ratings.
Hi, but perhaps there is also another reason for the dissapointing performance after a swap to aftermarket speakers. I believe that the "trick" the car manufacturers use, in addition to what you mentioned, is that the OEM systems might the 2 ohms. So when you replace them with 4 ohms speakers, they are receiving (drawing) half the wattage of the 2 ohm OEM speakers. Perhaps you can you conect a 4 ohm resistor in parallel to the 4 ohm speaker to drop it down to 2 ohms??? Would this work? Thank you. Just subscribed!
I have a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport, that has the 11inch tablet that cannot be replaced (it has a built in equalizer that can be adjusted, but I am not sure if that is what you were talking about in the video). I would like to replace the speakers to a better quality than what the stock speakers do. Not looking for loud, just a richer sound.
Even with a good amp, my JL c2-650x coaxial speakers didn’t really satisfy me. No matter what kind of music is playing through them they sound odd. I really like the sound of a paper speaker versus a polypropylene speaker.
You mentioned a DSP. Adding one would be a significant improvement unless the car has one built in. I did not know any car would use a 2 ohm speaker. Before buying one should listen and compare speakers as there is a difference in sound.
What do you recommend be added or upgraded on a 2023 chevrolet suburban with the Bose speakers? Should I change out all the speakers or just add one of those small amplifiers? I was thinking just changing out the speakers to maybe Memphis or Hertz whats your thoughts or recommendations thanks.
hi my car is chevrolet captiva i want to upgrade the speakers without the need for sub woofer. My doubt is that if I put 2 way speakers other than coaxial speaker and rear door to get low end, what will be the result?. Door damping has also been done. Please clarify me as soon as possible😊….
I had a question. I put in 4 6.5" DS-18 speakers in my Silverado. I connected all the speakers pos to pos and neg to neg using female spade connectors. I put in all 4 speakers and the voice sounds loud but they have absolutely NO BASS. Is that how these speakers are or do you think I may have connected them wrong? I used a diagram I found online for wiring. I do in fact have the factory head unit in still.
question : im a complete beginner in a small nissan micra.... i would like to upgrade the sound that im listening (via bluetooth fm, phone to speakers of car) ... all im looking for is three times the sound depth that my current speakers give out. would upgrading speakers be enough or do i have to do something else ? thanks in advance.
my new Mack truck has dual input speakers... one input is for the stereo and the other is for the sound warnings..... HOW DO I REPLACE THESE SPEAKERS WITH AFTERMARKET?? If I only connect the stereo side to the new speakers then i dont get warning tones and also get a speaker error on the dash.... ANY WAY AROUND THIS OR DOES SOMEONE SELL SPEAKERS WITHH THE DUAL INPUTS?? BESIDES THE FACTORY
Can I keep the original car speakers in my 2013 Ford edge but just buy an amplifier? I don’t know what’s going on, but when I turn on the volume really loud, the car automatically low the volume a little bit, especially if the artist is talking then after they stop talking and it’s just instrumental the volume goes up again
I added Rockford Fosgate Punch 6x9s(doors) and 3.5"(dash) speakers to my 2010 Dodge Ram with stock head unit and they sound amazing. I have added Alpine S series speakers to a 2000 Camry and didn't like their sound.
Thanks so much for this video. Yes I swapped out one standard phillips bmw speaker with a same size logic 7 speaker. The main difference in appearance is the size of the magnet but there is a big difference in sound! It feels like it would punch harder but it's so distorted at the same level as the stock one and that sounds acceptable. Can I add an aftermarket radio with 4x45 Watts? Or should I just amp up the stock radio with one of those amps you mention in the video?
Bro. After installing a after market stereo on my acura tl 04 the sound is not loud. It's look like a buy my speakers on dollar tree... What is the issue
I can definitly relate to that I have an old Smart fortwo ED first thing I did was to change the head unit because it was rebooting and the dealer could not find the problem, they did everything beside changing the head unit Then I change the speakers and I found that that the base was lacking, I should have expect that because the volume inside the doors is not enough. I don't want to add a sub because I need the trunk, so I will have a better sound system in my next car
My factory stock speakers are wore out and staticy and I was looking to replace them, and eventually add in a new sound system so I can have bluetooth, as well as a subwoofer for base in my F-150.
I have a 2009 charger it doesnt have a stock radio amp but i wanted to upgrade the door speakers already have a double din radio would the door speakers be a good upgrade?
Hello!! My Nissan Altima came with BOSE sound system. I want to replace all speakers. What kind of speakers do you recommend ? Size and specs Thanks!!!
My 1999 BMW Z3 2.8 has two kick panel speakers, two tweeters on the upper doors. One of the kick panel speaker has amplifier piggy backed. I have a feeling that this kick panel speakers are mid range or may be a woofer. Does anyone know what this exactly is? When I replaced it with the aftermarket coaxials, the piggy backed amplifier was detached. Hence the sound deteriorated. I think the original stock speaker system was Harman Kardon system. So perhaps the piggy backed amplifier was pre-set to balance out the optimum sound for this vehicle. I'm thinking about putting the original kick panel speakers back for now. BTW, my car did not have the central rear woofer nor the rear speakers behind the seats, nor external amplifier in the trunk.
I've recently picked up a 2015 Model S with the standard sound package & have been disappointed with how shallow the sound is. It's quite remarkably bad. I was hoping I could drop in some aftermarket speakers to the front & rear to help improve it from bad to decent, but your insight in this video now gives me pause. I'm not looking for anything extraordinary and was curious if there is any specific speaker that you'd recommend for my use case, or would I just be throwing money away? Thanks!
not sure if its a similar problem but the oem factory radio stopped working on my 2008 tucson so i got a new double din pioneer stereo and installed it but even after adjusting the eq settings it sounds worse than the factory stereo and the bass is a bit muddy. can anyone tell me why that is?
After buying 2 12s running at 600rms, I need to buy some new component speakers. What rms would you recommend for a set of component speakers for a more balanced sound?
ok so im here because my cars stock woofer busted a cone and i replaced the 2 back door speakers with he same sixe 6.5 inch speakers, but obviously because i know nothing about car stereo, I made the classic mistake (not enough power to drive them) and they sound shit compared to the front speakers, my question is what do i do now? the OEM speakers i took out say 4ohm and 35W max should i try and find speakers like that and just take the L on 200$ speakers, or try and install an amp? im not removing the stock stereo/head unit its intergrated into the car. but will an amp overdrive the 2 front oem speakers that are still there?
I have a stock 2014 tundra crewmax No JBL system . I would like to upgrade all 4 door speakers/ plug n play. Can I use jbl 2 way speakers and get a better sound ? I have no interest in loud music, just a clear, clean, full sound. Thank you for any help and info. Great video 🇺🇲
Are you running class D for power? Class a/b power amps are much cleaner and more clear, less distortion. Door speakers are a challenge because our Ears are not on our Ankles. Find a way to mount speakers that produce treble and mids closer to ear level if there aren't any there already.
@MichaelDespairs No amps. Trucks a 2014 tundra with left right and center speakers in the dash . Only the rear doors have tweeters but not the front doors . There is a factory box or amp under the front passenger seat, but no JBL emblems anywhere. I think toyota had 3 systems in the 2014 tundra. The base system the mid system and the high-end JBL system in the limited and 1794 edition. I would like to replace the front 6x9 and the rear 6.5 door speakers with Kicker .Polk .Jbl . Infinity.ect speakers for a better sound. Some people say it's a waste of money. Others say it makes a huge difference. I do know all factory speakers in the 2014 tundras are horrible, cheap junk. Was just wondering if you knew anyone who upgraded their speakers on their tundra and what difference it made, and what speakers they used . Thank you . 🇺🇲
Well I don’t really have a choice sense the outer foam ring of my front speakers have literally disintegrated lol, any recommendation for speakers that aren’t the stock ones I have a scion Xa 2006 I think the stock speakers are RMS 60w peak 120w
I have a 2013 Kia optima. I replaced the two front corner dash speakers. The stock speakers have 4 cables. I only connected two. But I think I am losing some frequency sound. Can I wire all four cables and connect them to the two speaker audio? The new speakers are JBL stadium.
Amazing video! I’ve been so stumped with my car’s audio issues. In total, how many different audio components should I replace/add to have good quality sound?
I tried to refrain from mentioning this but I couldn't. People will probably argue. That's fine just google it. Paper or pulp in general is actually a much better material for a speaker between 200~5khz (approximately) because of the refraction and changes in the waves speed. Almost all polypropylene cones are pretty crap in terms of frequency response because of the reason above. Even with the phase cap. Polypropylene is heavier than paper for the same thickness. So paper usually has a better transient response. In other words, paper cone speakers are "usually" more efficient, have a better transient response and a flatter frequency response overall. But... They're just not bling.
What are some of the best speaker systems for a 2013 Mazda 3 sedan? I’ve been lookin around a lot and still haven’t really found much info/installation help
Is it possible to get deep bass at low volume through components without an amplifier? Which component can solve my problem.. I have a Sony xav 5000 as a head unit
Yes I did big mistake when I replaced stockspeaker with pioneer 6.5inch and sound is sucks, so plz I need your advice what speaker you can suggest I can install to give good sound like stock or it's better to buy original car speaker from Nissan dealer? Thbank you
If I wanted to use aftermarket speakers and amplifiers with DSP would i still improve sound quality if I use the factory head unit? I would think the amplifier would improve the signal through the DSP.
Yes it would greatly improve sound quality, with aftermarket speakers, external amplifier, and a DSP. Most external amplifiers are pretty limited in frequency tuning, so a DSP is usually a good idea to get. There are quality amplifiers that have more tuning capacity for quality sound, and even ones that have built in DSP. These will generally set you back more in the pocket book, if you know what I mean, as they're generally costly. You can get decent sound quality from aftermarket speakers and an external amplifier alone, but nowhere near the quality when adding a DSP also.
I just wanted to upgrade my speakers on my VW passat 2020.. but it seems like that's not gonna happen. I can't even access apline's website to figure it out...
Another important thing that can impact your speaker upgrade performance is the INSTALL!
I have a full video focused on best installation practices for speakers here: th-cam.com/video/jPNy_Adb2vU/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching and being in our community!
Thank you very much for replying. I really didn't expect you to, but thank you! I watched that video as a link from the original, and I just watched it again. I am going to schedule some time to take my 2 front door covers off and fix what I'm sure I missed when installing them.
If that doesn't fix it, then I'll probably save up and get some speakers that are less shrill, unless adding an inline resistor and/or crossover might help.
I really don't know enough to shake a stick at, but would really like my purchase to be worth the money.
Hey,
What would you recommend for someone who wants to find out the frequency response wave form chart graph signature thingy of their current car audio system?
Is there a specific meter and frequency or tone generator app to play through that system to find this stuff out?
@@9fiveb180 i’m no expert-and I’m getting old-er-ha! What comes to mind is something like a white noise or pink noise generator, and a frequency analyzer. Things like this used to be made for home stereo and I think just listening environments in general. There’s probably an app made for telephones?
@@LTJR. yeah. That's more or less the very device or program or app thingy I was hoping to get the name of.
Maybe it's a spectral frequency analyzer or spectrometer or snarffblat? I dunno.
A whoziewhatsitnow-pro perhaps?
Most of OEM manufacturers uses woofers (do not confuse with subs) as regular speakers, using a wider range of the sound frequency starting from the lows to the middle, and most of aftermarket speakers, are manufactured as mid-range speakers, so the sound frequency is limited in the middle, leaving lows for the subs and highs for the tweeters. that´s why swapping this different kind of sepakers results in different sound.
my car ran woofers only, with small paper cones in the middle, so when i swapped over to a 2 way system with a tweeter, highs was so saturated and loud it just sounded loud and screechy, so i had to run a filter to go -6db on the tweeter to make it sound alright, not perfect, but enough untill i swapped to a full active system with new headunit.
I made the mistake of swapping my 4 stock door woofers for 2-ways when the car had dash tweeters. no amount of EQ could not get rid of the harsh and muddy highs and mids. ended up just snipping the tweeters from the front 2-ways and upgraded the dash tweeters separately as I didn't want to deal with returning the speakers and essentially buying the same speakers again. I'm pretty sure Infinity uses the same woofer for both their 2-way and component variants of a product line anyway. kept the two rears as 2-ways for any passengers in the back
Don't the "woofers" and "mid-range" drivers only play at whatever the crossover dictates? So long as the frequency range is within the capabilities of the woofer/driver, it will play it.
@@DescartesRenegade yes you would be correct. if you use a crossover then any speaker you put in will be cut off at the crossover point as long as it's capable. the issue is that most factory systems do not use crossovers and instead take advantage of the fact that woofers naturally roll off as the frequency gets higher. if you drop in a 2-way speaker it can actually play the full-range signal it's getting
Not to mention, aftermarket speakers are vastly superior in materials, voice coil etc. Some of them need much more power than a head unit alone provides. The most "premium" stock systems are mediocre at best compared to even "average" aftermarket stuff. I replaced my Camaro's "premium" sound system with Boston acoustics pro separates, amp and JL audio sub. There was no comparison.
It's hard to explain to most people that "Dropping in a set of 250 watt 6x9s" isn't gonna put out traffic lights from 2 blocks away. You're likely to find OE 15 watt paper speakers that work great with the underpowered head unit in the dash. Everything in a vehicle is built by the lowest bidder. If they can save $3 on every car - they will.
and those factory speakers have high efficiency ratings as they usually have small magnets, so the electrical field is easier to push through...
Not all cars buddy… lol
The ones YOU BUY
Except on older Lexus cars.
The original speakers + subwoofer combo is actually pretty good. Wanted to upgrade my setup, but my car hifi specialist advised me against it, as he saw the overall quality of the speakers.
Needed some EQ-ing to be perfect, but a parametric equalizer can fix the bassy tendency out of the overall sound, that tend to be very rich with excellent dynamic.
@@exceptionallife4768 hell yea 😂. Newer cars have decent amps to push aftermarket speakers these days
I’m thinking ur comment is what the guy is saying…. Exactly
I've literally been wondering this exact thing the last couple days and doing research on y, and then this video pops up?!? Amazing!
I had to search for 2 ohm 6.5 and 6x9s to replace my stock speakers. JBL Stadiums fit the bill. The stock definitely had more bass but it's much clearer and cleaner now. Tech tip, I connected a Topping Dac to the system a boy it really came alive!!
Factory speakers tend to have more bass since they’re designed to have lower FS than after market speakers and are much more efficient than aftermarket speakers
Did you use an amp.or.does your car come with a component amp?
@Contact Info My car has a 360 watt amp.
Another thing to consider is the "stock impedance" of the OEM system. Car manufactures commonly use ODD impedance (2 or 6 OHM) to force you to use OEM speakers especially in "premium" (bose/JBL/Alpine etc) factory upgrades.
Surprised the video didn't cover this.
How does this affect aftermarket speakers?
@CFSlayer23Studios50423 all aftermarket car audio speakers are 4 ohm. Which means either they get half the power (if stock is 2 ohm) or they burn out the headunit or amp (if they are 2 ohm)
@@peterhermina656 Well that's not true. I'm right now looking at 2 ohm Audison AP's for my door mid bass upgrade, there's also at least DLS, Helix and CDT Audio speakers at 2 ohm...
@@iLoveTheseRemoras cdt are great. I have them. Also 2 ohm version
I agree with you. I have a 2015 Mustang GT and I changed the rear speakers because the magnet was very small. I replaced them with Polk coax the same size as the oem and honestly, I don't think they sound any better than the stock speakers.
Well, it's a Polk...
I changed out my factory radio with an aftermarket head unit and left the stock speakers. Sounds amazing and the bass hits hard.
What brand did you use? Im looking for a brand with good bass.
Exactly, that's where the processing happens. Speakers are secondary
Sameeee
This was a lesson I learned in the late 90's when I first got into car audio. Installed a $300 set of component speakers on the stock stereo, and pretty much made every mistake mentioned here. Thankfully I was working for a sister company to that brand of speakers and got them at a 75% company discount, so the sting wasn't quite so bad.
I spent almost $1,000 on new speakers and fell to the same mistake
@@hadenfrench1561 I spent about $100 on RF's and have this dilemma atm. Not sure if it would be any different if I went anything more expensive.
So what do you do? Get an amp?
@@wongchai807 in my case, the biggest issue was a sub-optimal install, but also yes those speakers should have been powered by an amp instead of off the head unit.
@@Nareimooncatt okay because I want to upgrade some speakers on my new vehicle. I want it to sound good, sound quality and bass nothing crazy. So speakers and an amp is what I should? do?
Reason #5- sometimes OEM premium systems will use lower impedance speakers, so swapping a 2ohm to a 4ohm will draw significantly less power from the factory amplifier. Big problem. Recommend finding lower impedance aftermarket replacement speakers with high sensitivity for these applications. Specifically thinking in Toyota JBL systems, I always revert to suggesting either getting factory speakers from eBay, or using what I have my hands on which are 3ohm gladen alphas or the Audiofrog GS series, which are rated “4ohm” but actually are 2.2ohm speakers that can be dropped right into any JBL system.
I did my wife's car with 2 sets of 4 ohm on the factory amp . Wanted to see 2 ohms had a hard time looking for speakers too . Kick panal old school front, cut in 2 rear speakers back deck . Kenwood had 2 ohm speakers back in the day , vacant find them anymore 😢
How did he not mention this? Lol
What do you recommend for a stock bose system? The new pilot is okay..I just want more clarity and bass obviously but nothing crazy.
Interesting
@@wongchai807 jbl bass pro nano. or other under seat sub. or Bazooka bta6100.
Your right about adding an amplifier really helps to make your speakers louder. I have a $75 Sundown speaker that has a high sensitivity rating and is on 50rms watts and sounds amazing.
Adding an amplifier without changing a head unit or dsp still clip at same volume as stock speakers
Can you add an amplifier while keeping the original speakers?
@@covector4787 so basically if you change the amplifier, you have to change the speakers and the head unit screen?
when replacing speakers in my corolla, I picked specifically a hertz K170 since it had high sensitivity and I was only going to get the 14-16w or so the stock system outputs. it does at least output that much power, and it ended up being plenty for my listening habits.
I amplified my stock speakers with the Alpine power brick (Alpine KTP-445U) and it made a huge difference! I can play my music at a significantly lower volume while getting great sound. There’s better clarity, the stock speakers are not distorting. It’s only rated at 45rms at 4 channels. I don’t think I’ll need to be upgrading my stock speakers now. Maybe if the stock speakers blow lol
did you have to cut any harness to install amp
@@whodat3723 I had it done by a professional installer/car audio shop. They said it was an easy install.
Another reason aftermarket speakers sometimes sound worse is in some premium factory systems, the amplifier used is running at half an ohm per speaker. So when replacing with aftermarket 4 ohm speakers, you are also reducing your power output in the factory amp because the resistance is increased.
I don't know how many customers brought car into my shop for second opinion after putting aftermarket speakers into their car with factory Bose system and it didn't sound as good...lol...
@@loudelvis610 how did you bypass bose amp ???
@@bobjiorno9046 lol...I said second opinion...I didn't do original install...customer was just wondering why it wasn't as loud as it was before. Most of the cars I worked on were 80s and 90s cars so early Bose ...like amps on each speaker era...So I gave them the Bose speach...leave the entire Bose system factory and expect to replace an amp every year or 2 or pull it all out run new wires to all 4 speakers and have no more issues and better sound
Audio quality is all about the source! I always used to tell customers that upgrading their factory stereo will make even the stock speakers sound 50x better!
Also FIRST!
Clean power will make stock speakers come alive. In the old days they had really high impedance though and didn't let the amps run at their potential.
The source is the main element, I agree. If you have a poor quality source, everything will be negatively affected. But I disagree in one point: the speakers are ALWAYS the weak point in ANY original sound. 100% of the times. The speakers ALWAYS sould be replaced first. If the results are not the expected, then you add a DSP and amps. The main source (if it is the OEM factory stereo) is the LAST thing to change. If it was already replaced when you buy the car, then it doesn't really matter...
@guilhermev3545 All depends on the vehicle. When I was a kid, the cars all came with paper single cone speaker with something like 8 or 10 ohms of resistance. They were junk on day one. The factory deck would sound better and louder with a good 4ohm speaker.
@@scootypuffjr. yes. That is my point. The stereo unit is always the last thing to change... Usually the OEM are pretty decent. Sony, Clarion, JVC Kenwood nowadays...
@@guilhermev3545 Thanks for the info. I have to keep my factory radio. Can't change 13 Acura ILX factory head-unit. So, I'm upgrading the speakers. Until reading your comments, I thought I was going to be in trouble not being able to upgrade the factory head-unit. Found some high sensitivity component/co-axle speakers. Planning to get a 5 channel amp and one 12. Aiming for decent SQ, not so much SPL. Maybe like 85% SQ or something like that. Not trying to spend a ton cause I still wanna buy some decent wheels/tires.
I upgraded my BASE 2022 WRX speakers with Infinity speakers, and even without an aftermarket amplifier the sound is FAR better. Why? Because the speakers I chose were specifically chosen based on their efficiency. This was my paramount consideration.
I love Infinity speakers purely for that reason. no loss in volume without an amp compared to regular 4 ohm speakers I've tried. I added an amp later on and the extra power made the mid-bass tighter and less muddy. sounds great without an amp and even better with one
Is it because of the ohms?
which speakers did you go with? i want to change out the ones in my 2023 wrx premium.
Well i installed new speakers, high end sql ones and for now they are still on my radio connected and they sound crazy good. Cant wait to get the amp for them!
One thing to note. Anytime you're adjusting your EQ, use a song that fits the style of music you listen to. Sound guys do this at concerts after setting the PA. They play a track and use it as a reference for balancing (EQ ing) the PA. Also, try to use music with modern production rather than some classic rock song where you hardly hear any low end like the bass drum. I have always used the song "If I ever lose my faith in you" by Sting, to EQ a stereo. It has modern production that uses a well balanced mix of bass, mids and treble.
Crutchfield is a great place to buy your audio equipment. They will match the correct speakers with the head unit so that you have maximum performance with any aftermarket audio system. Their customer service is excellent as well.
You can say that again
I always upgrade the audio system, just like I upgrade the engine and horsepower, etc. I my not turn it on every time I'm in the car. (sometimes the only music I want to hear is the exhaust) But when I do I want the best sound as possible.
I just got done installing 2 new front door 2 way rockford fosgate speakers last week on my 99 ford ranger that has really small front cabin room even though its a xlt. Imade sure when i picked them out to use smaller 5-1/4 instead of the 6x8s and went up 15-20 watts from factory specs with decent midrange and power handling while making sure they were kept rated for a 4 ohm system. radio Sounds way more crisp clear loud while losing the distorted boominess coming from my weathered corred seperated blown front speakers.
The main reason is that most people who change their speakers have no idea what they are doing.
@ekimandersom4478 lol i am that people.🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@gcoutdoors904 Me too!😁😁
Something is incredibly wrong with car audio. Its as if its thirty years behind home audio in terms of size. Sonos sound bar sonos one, sonos sub. That can absolutely fill a twenty by twenty room with sound. Even projecting sound upwards to bounce of ceiling. Some of these tiny little speaker pods produce more sound than a whole front stage in a car. There is no excuse for having massive power draws and huge encolsures in a vehicle just to get good sound.,.
I totally agree with you.
I have a Polk magnifi mini that I wish I had connected in a 2012 vw polo.
What should I be looking for in those sensitivity numbers if I want to select aftermarket speakers for my factory head unit?
You would want to look for a higher sensitivity, which would mean the speakers are more efficient and will produce more sound per watt of power they receive.
Sensitivity of 90db or HIGHER, is best.
I put Sony 6.5” 4 way speakers in the dash and sound bar and I am very pleased with them. Got them on sale too.
It's slightly off-topic, but another issue for quite a few applications is installing aftermarket component speaker-tweeter combo sets on the front channels. Most automakers have the speaker and tweeter in parallel, creating a 2 ohm load. Most DIY installers will just plug into the factory wires leaving out the included crossover since many consider it too tedious to run the extra wiring...especially if the tweeters mount either to the pillars or to the dash. Thus, the aftermarket speaker/tweeter sets will try to draw too much off the stereo, resulting in hideous high pitch clipping from the tweeters if the volume is too high.
You also need to pay attention to ohm load. Most factory speakers are lower ohm rated.
I have always thought 6x9 would be a bit more "punchy" but the 6.5 just has a better sound quality. I have a set of both with a 10" sealed subwoofer. Sounds nice.
Thanks for The Info I was wondering why my new speakers wasn't loud anymore. After I made a purchase on my new aftermarket 6X9. I had my radio on in the car testing my new speakers comparing the sound with my Factory ones i said to myself my factory speaker sounds much louder
If possible, a quality aftermarket radio would help with this situation. If the factory radio cannot be replaced, than I recommend an external DSP and amplifier. You don't have to go crazy on cost, unless you really are trying to get maximum capacity from those speakers.
If you think louder sounds better, then you go for it. LOL
best SQ upgrade I have is a really good DAP
what if i got lower RMS aftermarket speakers? will that bring the sound in better?
Power is a special issue when people ask me about this. Some factory speakers play at a low ohm than aftermarket ones. Thats one of the reason why factory speakers, although less quality, play louder at about 3 ohms instead of a typical 4 ohm from aftermarket speakers. And like you said Mark, most of these factory systems are EQ'd from the factory to play at its best.
I noticed Bose likes to use VERY low impedance drivers in their systems. In some of GMC's trucks that do have a Bose system they use a dual coil subwoofer but each coil is like 0.5 ohms. I think Bose wires both of them to make 1 ohm since the amp they use outputs 100 watts at 1 ohm.
I've seen people do this. A factory head unit doesn't have much power at all. Aftermarket speakers with a lower efficiency and ohm rating just won't work.
In my 98 Chevy all I did was swap out all the stock speakers with the cheapest Kicker's I could find........way better. Using a inexpensive Kenwood deck. Works great with my 2x12" sealed Kicker sub w 300 W amp.
My vehicle had a center channel speaker in the dash, I’ve looked online but can’t find much information about how to navigate this when it comes to amps.
How do you setup an aftermarket system with a center speaker?
A quality sound system doesn't need the center speaker. When I had the entire stereo system in my 2020 F150 upgraded, I just eliminated the center speaker from the mix. Stereo sounds great without the center speaker. It's not really necessary with quality components.
@@Sagittarius-88 probably not but with CarPlay some apps like google maps or Apple Maps play the voice commands through this speaker
If ur not gonna add an amplifier, just make sure the speakers ur installing are the same watt power range, which usually most car speakers are around 50 watts
is that peak power or RMS
@@tholo86 rms
My rear speakers are 25 watt. I said f that got 150 rms speakers
@@BrianWaller-qe7gr On the stock headunit? doing that is a waste from my experience as the headunit will be working too hard to drive them. An amplifier with extra headroom above the speakers rms rating is useful.
I've seen several times where people have installed aftermarket coaxial speakers when the stock system had component speakers. It never sounded better - the soundstage always suffered.. I never understood why that was a thing.
on a budget you can snip the 2-way speaker's tweeter wire to disable it and turn it into a woofer and then continue using the stock tweeters if the car has them. I did that to mine and later upgraded the tweeters separately and it sounds much better. if I had known that it would sound so harsh and muddy I would've gotten a set of component speakers from the start. not making that mistake again haha
Hi, please I need you help, I have huge space problem with my front door speaker..I try to mount 3 different type of speaker(hertz and two type of coral prf and Evo) in my front door for replace the original one but all the speakers touch the glass, what kind of speaker can I use to have a good quality sound and a decent pressure?..no amplifier..straight to headunit..please help me..give me a suggest..thx a lot.Dario from south Italy.
What about jvc car speakers in a 16.5 cm and a depth of 43 mm with a 35hz to20,000HZ and a 92 DB for £20 I am from 🇬🇧 UK
the actual real reason from it usually is not all about power distribution, it is usually from tye speaker cone that was used. generally speaking from my experience, a lighter paper cone and spider as well as foam surround results in better excursion of speakers thus leading to a more accurate sound reproduction, these plastic cones really sound sharp and can like. as compared to paper speakers. compared to stock for example.
"The actual real reason..."? Lol
Then make your own video if you think you know the truth
@@MrTactical45 You don't understand
For aftermarket speakers to sound their best, you need an amplifier. If you're just doing speakers because you cannot afford the amps, just get an aftermarket radio and tweak the EQ curves to make it sound good as a good start then later get a 4-channel amplifier and some speakers, retune it. It's pretty easy to do on a 2017 or older Toyota and most 00s and older cars. There are some cars come that come with a good sound system such as polypropylene cone woofers with decent-sized voice coils and magnets, dome tweeters, and external amplifier(s), such as the Harman Kardon Logic 7. There are some aftermarket SQ systems that bypass the head unit altogether and send the digital audio signal from a portable audiophile music player to the DSP.
or just buy a pair of aftermarket 2 ohm speakers (or 3 ohm) with a high impedence, that way u will be surprised how good a standard head unit can sound... just the 30 dollar aftermarket 200+ watt speakers dont do great.. they are all about the wattage.. wich noone needs. Also a second hand amp is like 50 bucks but the install time is like a day.. thats why most people just get a new one..
Haha, I remember back in 1993 when I fist got into audio, bought a brand new pair of 6x9’s to put in the rear deck of my Honda Accord. All of a sudden, I had hardly any bass at all, took me weeks of listening and regrets, to finally find out I got the polarity wrong on one side!
This video is very helpful 😊😊😊😊😊
As a 1st upgrade would you reccomend the stock amp or the stock speakers?
I replaced the door speakers on my '17 Ford Focus with decent quality coaxial units, and also the door bass speakers and dash tweeters on my '24 Ford Maverick with very high quality Focal speakers. Both upgrades definitely improved the quality of the sound, but not up to the standard I was expecting. In general, factory speakers are really terrible as was the case with both of these swaps, and any set of decent aftermarket units will definitely improve the sound quality. But I have discovered that the factory radios in these two vehicles are very poor in quality. I don't have any confidence that replacing the amplifier will help, but I have no experience to back this up. To replace the radio on the Focus requires a kit with new dash panel that costs more than the new unit, and to date, no one is making a replacement radio for the Maverick. My solution with the Focus was to build a pair of 8" two way active speakers driven by a four channel amp, using an Audiocontrol electronic crossover that I would highly recommend (this is one case where the sponsor for this video really does make great quality products, and have been doing so for many decades now). I then drive these with a small portable music player that I mounted to the console with silicone, I plan to do the same in the truck, and I will spend the money and buy the Sony music player for this application.
I replaced my 09 Camry’s radio with an android head unit and then replaced all of the stock speakers and added a subwoofer (with a built-in amp).
The difference was day and night lol
@@ccarazay which brand speakers do u use. I was searching for a Camry owners comment as I own camry 2008 and planning to upgrade entire music system
good tips. I swapped to alpine type r 6x9s and type r 6.5s and put a Rockford punch 400.4 on them and they do not sound as loud as I thought. and I upgraded my electrical system big time. my factory bose system sounds better
Very accurate. Many times when replacing speakers (even if you do after market headunit and speakers) the low end out put of the aftermarket does not come close to the factory speakers. It usually requires more power and some other work to get that sound back.
It's physics: cheap paper cone=light. It's equal to a small light car with small motor going as fast as a big heavy car with big motor. The small light car will handle better in turns, heavy one will be slow in turns ;)
But why is that
I just wish all stock systems sounded loud and full with good sq
I have a Lexus is350 2015 with the mark Levinson. I didn't look at the efficiency values. I was focusing on making sure the power draw was similar or the same. I have 17 speakers in my car so I don't know what amp to get for that but for the sub I got a monoblock amp n will tap into the stock sub outputs because nothing on the market matches the stock amps sub power draw. My amp has a sub output controller and I will mount it where the stock sub is. It's a huge undertaking but I'm no stranger to DIY projects
I would worry less about sensitivity, and more about RMS power. Stock speakers are around 15w, after market usually start at 50w and up. So that stock head unit is designed for 15w of power per channel, not 50w. Making your new speakers seem quieter.
My 2014 forester w a premium Harmon Kardon system sounded great. The 6x9’s in the front doors sounded great but it was an old system so I had kicker 6x9’s put in w 2 3/4s in the dash and 6.5 in the rear. A diamond 5 channel amp and sub, with a new pioneer stereo. Now……it sounds horrible…..pingy and miss are completely gone in the front which is where the old system shined. I just wanted more low end and some new highs from the older system….idk what went wrong and now I’m not sure if it’s possible to get everything back the way it was bc of the factory tuning
This is exactly the information I need. I just had that experience of upgrading speakers because they were rated so highly for my 2005 Nissan Xterra. The (JVC) six by nines that I bought sounded much worse than the stock speakers. I don’t understand it completely, I just know not matching new speakers for the factory-installed radio is not going to help. So many questions. What OHM and wattage are the stock speakers? The present ones are simply woofers. A 2-way, according to a review I read today is going to sound better than a 4-OHM. So confusing. And, in order to get the sound that I am looking for, I realize I would have to replace the entire sound system and speakers. Thanks for your information.
Great Video!!! What would you recommend to utilize for upgrading all the speakers on a 2014 Lexus IS350 using factory Pioneer Amp?
Critical mass components. Worth every penny.
Simply the best. Thanks bro.
You're welcome! Thanks for being a part of the community!
So I’m looking to replace the old speakers that I have in my K1500, but I like my music loud and crisp. I know after a certain point speaker start to crackle and sound funky and I’d like to avoid that if I can. Does anyone have any advice on setups or anything? (Current system is just an aftermarket head unit and aftermarket speakers from awhile ago)
Solid info, thank you. 💯🫵
So will getting an amp help with the distortion?
2:28 It’s all about saving weight, and secondarily, cost. A more efficient speaker runs at lower amplifier power, which weighs less. If a carmaker can save 3 grams on a part, they will redesign that part. Weight savings (called “lightweighting” in the car business) is driven by federally mandated CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) ratings.
Hi, but perhaps there is also another reason for the dissapointing performance after a swap to aftermarket speakers. I believe that the "trick" the car manufacturers use, in addition to what you mentioned, is that the OEM systems might the 2 ohms. So when you replace them with 4 ohms speakers, they are receiving (drawing) half the wattage of the 2 ohm OEM speakers. Perhaps you can you conect a 4 ohm resistor in parallel to the 4 ohm speaker to drop it down to 2 ohms??? Would this work? Thank you. Just subscribed!
I have a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport, that has the 11inch tablet that cannot be replaced (it has a built in equalizer that can be adjusted, but I am not sure if that is what you were talking about in the video). I would like to replace the speakers to a better quality than what the stock speakers do. Not looking for loud, just a richer sound.
Even with a good amp, my JL c2-650x coaxial speakers didn’t really satisfy me. No matter what kind of music is playing through them they sound odd. I really like the sound of a paper speaker versus a polypropylene speaker.
You mentioned a DSP. Adding one would be a significant improvement unless the car has one built in. I did not know any car would use a 2 ohm speaker. Before buying one should listen and compare speakers as there is a difference in sound.
A lot of cars with BOSE factory stereos were about 2 ohm spec. This also dates back to 15+ years ago. Its actually quite common.
My 2013 sentra has two ohms, it says right on the back of them
What do you recommend be added or upgraded on a 2023 chevrolet suburban with the Bose speakers? Should I change out all the speakers or just add one of those small amplifiers?
I was thinking just changing out the speakers to maybe Memphis or Hertz whats your thoughts or recommendations thanks.
@@PeteyPablo408 what did you end up doing? I have a Buick with the Bose set up and was wondering the same thing
@@landonbrown4223 So far i ended up leaving it stock for now. I still haven't found a good set up or the answers im seeking.
hi my car is chevrolet captiva i want to upgrade the speakers without the need for sub woofer. My doubt is that if I put 2 way speakers other than coaxial speaker and rear door to get low end, what will be the result?. Door damping has also been done. Please clarify me as soon as possible😊….
will the audiocontrol ACM-4.300 power a subwoofer as well?
I had a question. I put in 4 6.5" DS-18 speakers in my Silverado. I connected all the speakers pos to pos and neg to neg using female spade connectors. I put in all 4 speakers and the voice sounds loud but they have absolutely NO BASS. Is that how these speakers are or do you think I may have connected them wrong? I used a diagram I found online for wiring. I do in fact have the factory head unit in still.
question : im a complete beginner in a small nissan micra.... i would like to upgrade the sound that im listening (via bluetooth fm, phone to speakers of car) ... all im looking for is three times the sound depth that my current speakers give out. would upgrading speakers be enough or do i have to do something else ? thanks in advance.
my new Mack truck has dual input speakers... one input is for the stereo and the other is for the sound warnings..... HOW DO I REPLACE THESE SPEAKERS WITH AFTERMARKET?? If I only connect the stereo side to the new speakers then i dont get warning tones and also get a speaker error on the dash.... ANY WAY AROUND THIS OR DOES SOMEONE SELL SPEAKERS WITHH THE DUAL INPUTS?? BESIDES THE FACTORY
Can I keep the original car speakers in my 2013 Ford edge but just buy an amplifier? I don’t know what’s going on, but when I turn on the volume really loud, the car automatically low the volume a little bit, especially if the artist is talking then after they stop talking and it’s just instrumental the volume goes up again
I added Rockford Fosgate Punch 6x9s(doors) and 3.5"(dash) speakers to my 2010 Dodge Ram with stock head unit and they sound amazing. I have added Alpine S series speakers to a 2000 Camry and didn't like their sound.
Thanks so much for this video. Yes I swapped out one standard phillips bmw speaker with a same size logic 7 speaker. The main difference in appearance is the size of the magnet but there is a big difference in sound! It feels like it would punch harder but it's so distorted at the same level as the stock one and that sounds acceptable.
Can I add an aftermarket radio with 4x45 Watts? Or should I just amp up the stock radio with one of those amps you mention in the video?
What if I am OK with the volume of the music with factory audio and what I need is clarity, shouldn't I upgrade the speakers first?
Bro. After installing a after market stereo on my acura tl 04 the sound is not loud. It's look like a buy my speakers on dollar tree... What is the issue
so do u buy an aftermarket EQ?
I can definitly relate to that
I have an old Smart fortwo ED
first thing I did was to change the head unit because it was rebooting and the dealer could not find the problem, they did everything beside changing the head unit
Then I change the speakers and I found that that the base was lacking, I should have expect that because the volume inside the doors is not enough.
I don't want to add a sub because I need the trunk, so I will have a better sound system in my next car
I would love to know if a new Camry can be upgraded - I have no idea if it has an amp in addition to the head unit or not.
My factory stock speakers are wore out and staticy and I was looking to replace them, and eventually add in a new sound system so I can have bluetooth, as well as a subwoofer for base in my F-150.
I have a 2009 charger it doesnt have a stock radio amp but i wanted to upgrade the door speakers already have a double din radio would the door speakers be a good upgrade?
Hello!! My Nissan Altima came with BOSE sound system. I want to replace all speakers. What kind of speakers do you recommend ? Size and specs Thanks!!!
My 1999 BMW Z3 2.8 has two kick panel speakers, two tweeters on the upper doors. One of the kick panel speaker has amplifier piggy backed. I have a feeling that this kick panel speakers are mid range or may be a woofer. Does anyone know what this exactly is? When I replaced it with the aftermarket coaxials, the piggy backed amplifier was detached. Hence the sound deteriorated. I think the original stock speaker system was Harman Kardon system. So perhaps the piggy backed amplifier was pre-set to balance out the optimum sound for this vehicle. I'm thinking about putting the original kick panel speakers back for now. BTW, my car did not have the central rear woofer nor the rear speakers behind the seats, nor external amplifier in the trunk.
I've recently picked up a 2015 Model S with the standard sound package & have been disappointed with how shallow the sound is. It's quite remarkably bad. I was hoping I could drop in some aftermarket speakers to the front & rear to help improve it from bad to decent, but your insight in this video now gives me pause. I'm not looking for anything extraordinary and was curious if there is any specific speaker that you'd recommend for my use case, or would I just be throwing money away? Thanks!
Mark I just got a set of those C3 650's, How do they sound? What would you compare them too?
Hi Sir , I have a Hyundai Verna 2023. Rear speakers output isn't as good as front. Please guide to boost rear speakers performance. Thanks
not sure if its a similar problem but the oem factory radio stopped working on my 2008 tucson so i got a new double din pioneer stereo and installed it but even after adjusting the eq settings it sounds worse than the factory stereo and the bass is a bit muddy. can anyone tell me why that is?
Can I use 4 ohm speaker and 8 ohm tweeter together?
After buying 2 12s running at 600rms, I need to buy some new component speakers. What rms would you recommend for a set of component speakers for a more balanced sound?
ok so im here because my cars stock woofer busted a cone and i replaced the 2 back door speakers with he same sixe 6.5 inch speakers, but obviously because i know nothing about car stereo, I made the classic mistake (not enough power to drive them) and they sound shit compared to the front speakers, my question is what do i do now? the OEM speakers i took out say 4ohm and 35W max should i try and find speakers like that and just take the L on 200$ speakers, or try and install an amp? im not removing the stock stereo/head unit its intergrated into the car. but will an amp overdrive the 2 front oem speakers that are still there?
I have a stock 2014 tundra crewmax No JBL system . I would like to upgrade all 4 door speakers/ plug n play. Can I use jbl 2 way speakers and get a better sound ? I have no interest in loud music, just a clear, clean, full sound. Thank you for any help and info. Great video 🇺🇲
Are you running class D for power? Class a/b power amps are much cleaner and more clear, less distortion. Door speakers are a challenge because our Ears are not on our Ankles. Find a way to mount speakers that produce treble and mids closer to ear level if there aren't any there already.
@MichaelDespairs No amps. Trucks a 2014 tundra with left right and center speakers in the dash . Only the rear doors have tweeters but not the front doors . There is a factory box or amp under the front passenger seat, but no JBL emblems anywhere. I think toyota had 3 systems in the 2014 tundra. The base system the mid system and the high-end JBL system in the limited and 1794 edition. I would like to replace the front 6x9 and the rear 6.5 door speakers with Kicker .Polk .Jbl . Infinity.ect speakers for a better sound. Some people say it's a waste of money. Others say it makes a huge difference. I do know all factory speakers in the 2014 tundras are horrible, cheap junk. Was just wondering if you knew anyone who upgraded their speakers on their tundra and what difference it made, and what speakers they used . Thank you . 🇺🇲
Well I don’t really have a choice sense the outer foam ring of my front speakers have literally disintegrated lol, any recommendation for speakers that aren’t the stock ones I have a scion Xa 2006 I think the stock speakers are RMS 60w peak 120w
Hey Mark, I have an 07 jag xtype I would like to add aftermarket Amp, is there a kit that I can use with oem harness
I have a 2013 Kia optima. I replaced the two front corner dash speakers. The stock speakers have 4 cables. I only connected two. But I think I am losing some frequency sound. Can I wire all four cables and connect them to the two speaker audio? The new speakers are JBL stadium.
@@Swen-bk3kz yes I have the infinity logo
Amazing video! I’ve been so stumped with my car’s audio issues. In total, how many different audio components should I replace/add to have good quality sound?
1 head unit
2 speakers
I tried to refrain from mentioning this but I couldn't. People will probably argue. That's fine just google it.
Paper or pulp in general is actually a much better material for a speaker between 200~5khz (approximately) because of the refraction and changes in the waves speed.
Almost all polypropylene cones are pretty crap in terms of frequency response because of the reason above. Even with the phase cap.
Polypropylene is heavier than paper for the same thickness. So paper usually has a better transient response.
In other words, paper cone speakers are "usually" more efficient, have a better transient response and a flatter frequency response overall.
But... They're just not bling.
Unpopular opinion
@@kensmechanicalaffair I knew it would be.
What are some of the best speaker systems for a 2013 Mazda 3 sedan? I’ve been lookin around a lot and still haven’t really found much info/installation help
Depends on your application, budget etc. I can definitely help you get what's perfect for YOU here: www.caraudiofabrication.com/consultations
Is it possible to get deep bass at low volume through components without an amplifier? Which component can solve my problem.. I have a Sony xav 5000 as a head unit
Deep bass without an amp? Heck no!!! Install a 20K DC AUDIO PITBULL amp, eight DC AUDIO 18s,, then you'll have deep bass.
What about when you upgrade just the head unit and no matter what the settings are it’s not the same .. maybe a connection?
Yes I did big mistake when I replaced stockspeaker with pioneer 6.5inch and sound is sucks, so plz I need your advice what speaker you can suggest I can install to give good sound like stock or it's better to buy original car speaker from Nissan dealer? Thbank you
@Swen-bk3kz I went to the junkyard and bought 2 original Nissan speakers and replaced them with the aftermarket and this solve the problem 👍👍👍👍👍
If I wanted to use aftermarket speakers and amplifiers with DSP would i still improve sound quality if I use the factory head unit? I would think the amplifier would improve the signal through the DSP.
Yes it would greatly improve sound quality, with aftermarket speakers, external amplifier, and a DSP. Most external amplifiers are pretty limited in frequency tuning, so a DSP is usually a good idea to get. There are quality amplifiers that have more tuning capacity for quality sound, and even ones that have built in DSP. These will generally set you back more in the pocket book, if you know what I mean, as they're generally costly. You can get decent sound quality from aftermarket speakers and an external amplifier alone, but nowhere near the quality when adding a DSP also.
I just wanted to upgrade my speakers on my VW passat 2020.. but it seems like that's not gonna happen. I can't even access apline's website to figure it out...
So i have a 2022 Honda Accord sport Hybrid and i want to add an amp is it possible?