Tyrone
New Member
Why are these speakers so expensive? I just removed my fuse because mine blew but it sounded like I was listening to a jukebox from the 60s. Horrible.
How to upgrade & replace your factory Jeep Wrangler TJ console subwoofer
- Thread starter RangerRick
- Start date
They aren't expensive, trust me. The Kicker subwoofer was $89 (which is what I paid for it), but believe me when I say if you want to get into really crazy audio systems, you can spend 5 times more on a subwoofer if you want!
KMarks
New Member
I bought the subwoofer speaker that Quadratec sells for $89. It works really well. Sounds very good as far as I'm concerned. Certainly nothing crazy in terms of high tech audio. But it's got good bass response.
I also found the source of my problem with my factory subwoofer assembly that I had posted earlier in this thread. I found a loose ground wire just behind the cover plate under the steering column. It was only byby comple stupid luck too. I was moving the steering column up and down and at the same time, the subwoofer was cutting in and out.
So, I'm just going to hang on to that Kicker subwoofer amp I bought off Amazon.
I'm sure the subwoofer assembly amplifier under the center console will die before too long.
Hey guys, new to the forum. Need some help. I have a 2006 Golden Eagle with 7 speaker sound system. Doing an audio overhaul. NOT CUTTING ANY WIRING HARNESSES! I wanted to put the Kicker Sub mentioned in the previous post but I think I got the wrong one to keep the factory amp. got the 43CWRT671. I believe the 43CWRT672 works better, Correct? Also, replaced the head unit with a Kenwood KMM-BT322U. I had two factory plugs in the back but Crutchfield sent only one wiring harness adapter. Is the other plug for the sub-woofer? It there another wiring harness adapter that I need for this plug? Thanks.
I can't help you with this one. I ditched that piece of garbage factory amp (it really is) for a mono channel Kicker amp. This bypasses the factory amp wiring harness altogether. You'll have to call Crutchfield and ask them about reusing the factory amp (or maybe @RangerRick will chime in) and whether or not a plug-and-play harness exists for what you're trying to accomplish.
Still, you're wasting your money by putting in that Kicker sub with the factory amp, I can promise you that. The way that factory amp is wired, it simply won't power that Kicker sub to anywhere near it's potential. I highly suggest replacing the factory amp with a mono-channel amp. I did that and my Kicker sub sounds amazing!
So would I just leave the factory amp wire harness disconnected in the sub console? Just have the kicker sub speaker wire coming out of the console to the kicker amp?
Also, what other options are there as far as amp placement other than under the passenger or driver seat?
Also, what other options are there as far as amp placement other than under the passenger or driver seat?
First time here and new to Jeeps!
Great info! Much appreciate your write-ups. The how-tos have been spot on.
Running 04' Sahara. The PO had put in an after market Pioneer Premier so have decided to hit the speakers first.
Went with Polk DB522 for the Dash and the Pods. So far so good!
Went with the KICKER CompRT 43CWRT672 and currently running off the stock amp......I know, I know. The sub was rotted and I needed to get it replaced, and on the budget I figured it was a better deal with the Kicker than the Quadratec replacement. An amp is DEFINITELY coming soon. (PXA200.1 I think)
I did run into a hiccup after trimming out the ribbing at the back. The storage in my 04' console dropped down enough that the sub was pressing against it. I wasn't sure who else ran into this. Here was my solution after trimming:
I used a heat gun slowly and a yeti cup to mold/press the ABS enough to create clearance for the sub. It essentially left an arced impression.
After that, the Kicker dropped in and centered up perfectly!
Fortunately, there is a slight gap (1/2" or so) between top of the Sub enclosure and the bottom of the storage in the console to allow for the modification. All secured back together easily. I was afraid of compromising the enclosure.....I will say, impressed with the ABS response to heat gun and resiliency to be solid and stable once cooled.
It is amazing in the difference is having some resemblance of a lower frequency. It actually sounds really good.
I do have a question....Did I do right by getting the 672 vs 671 since I am looking to add the PXA 200.1?
Also, any recs on head unit?
Great info! Much appreciate your write-ups. The how-tos have been spot on.
Running 04' Sahara. The PO had put in an after market Pioneer Premier so have decided to hit the speakers first.
Went with Polk DB522 for the Dash and the Pods. So far so good!
Went with the KICKER CompRT 43CWRT672 and currently running off the stock amp......I know, I know. The sub was rotted and I needed to get it replaced, and on the budget I figured it was a better deal with the Kicker than the Quadratec replacement. An amp is DEFINITELY coming soon. (PXA200.1 I think)
I did run into a hiccup after trimming out the ribbing at the back. The storage in my 04' console dropped down enough that the sub was pressing against it. I wasn't sure who else ran into this. Here was my solution after trimming:
I used a heat gun slowly and a yeti cup to mold/press the ABS enough to create clearance for the sub. It essentially left an arced impression.
After that, the Kicker dropped in and centered up perfectly!
Fortunately, there is a slight gap (1/2" or so) between top of the Sub enclosure and the bottom of the storage in the console to allow for the modification. All secured back together easily. I was afraid of compromising the enclosure.....I will say, impressed with the ABS response to heat gun and resiliency to be solid and stable once cooled.
It is amazing in the difference is having some resemblance of a lower frequency. It actually sounds really good.
I do have a question....Did I do right by getting the 672 vs 671 since I am looking to add the PXA 200.1?
Also, any recs on head unit?
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This is the Kicker sub you want:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BLVEZG6/?tag=wranglerorg-20
I am running that sub, with this amp:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UG7AK66/?tag=wranglerorg-20
That setup absolutely will blow your mind. That amp packs some serious power for being as small as it is. I had to turn the bass level down to half on the amp, otherwise it's so friggin' loud it just rattles everything.
With that sub, I didn't run into any of the issues you did with the ABS enclosure. I still had to cut the ribbing out, but that was it. I ended up packing it full of Polyfil as well.
Thanks!
So, it looks like I would need to run my 672 in parallel to get the same output as yours. Is my thinking correct there?
That sounds right to me. I can't recall how I wired mine, but I believe it was in series. There was a wiring diagram I had found somewhere, but I can't find it.
OP
If you look farther up in my post, I think I mentioned the Kicker amplifier I used. It has multiple channels so I could drive some wake board tower pods on the roll bar and really pump up the volume on everything. The head unit I chose has higher power than stock so it all sounds really balanced. I ran one channel to each winding on the DVC Kicker. All Kickers seem real stable down at 1 or 2 Ohms so I don't think anyone will have troubles with their stuff. If you bridge two 1 Ohm windings together in parallel, you will end up with .5 Ohms which is a bit low, almost a short so the Kicker amplifier will really put out but will also run really hot because of the very low impedance. In the case of having the 1 Ohm Kicker, I would run both windings in Parallel to increase overall resistance to 2 Ohms for a cooler running amplifier that will be better long term.
If you tie both voice coils together, it halves the Ohm rating so get the 2 Ohm version if you do that. If you are using both coils separated and on different channels of a stereo amplifier, then if it is a Kicker, it is stable to get the 1 Ohm version of the DVC speaker. I used a 4 channel amplifier and two of the channels drive one each voice coil on the sub. The other two drive the wake board pods in back. Separate level controls in the amplifier and in the head unit permit crossover frequencies to be adjusted properly with a knee response curve of better than 18 Db! I can select 6, 12 or 18 Db crossover points in the head unit for both the sub and the speakers.
All in all, it gets louder than I care to listen to it at if I really crank it but doesn't really distort even at highway speeds with just the bikini top on. Much nicer than the factory equipment for sure.
Next I will be upgrading the wife's JKUR to Kicker sub and amplifiers but I will be leaving the NAV head unit factory stock since it works well and she likes the maps for GPS with traffic.
I may do a double DIN head unit conversion eventually on the TJ, just waiting till the Pioneer Premiere high end head unit single DIN wears out first.
If you tie both voice coils together, it halves the Ohm rating so get the 2 Ohm version if you do that. If you are using both coils separated and on different channels of a stereo amplifier, then if it is a Kicker, it is stable to get the 1 Ohm version of the DVC speaker. I used a 4 channel amplifier and two of the channels drive one each voice coil on the sub. The other two drive the wake board pods in back. Separate level controls in the amplifier and in the head unit permit crossover frequencies to be adjusted properly with a knee response curve of better than 18 Db! I can select 6, 12 or 18 Db crossover points in the head unit for both the sub and the speakers.
All in all, it gets louder than I care to listen to it at if I really crank it but doesn't really distort even at highway speeds with just the bikini top on. Much nicer than the factory equipment for sure.
Next I will be upgrading the wife's JKUR to Kicker sub and amplifiers but I will be leaving the NAV head unit factory stock since it works well and she likes the maps for GPS with traffic.
I may do a double DIN head unit conversion eventually on the TJ, just waiting till the Pioneer Premiere high end head unit single DIN wears out first.
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For those with audio upgrades, have you noticed the music is clearer and louder when you run direct to USB from your phone, vs. Bluetooth?
Jay P
TJ Enthusiast
Yes, my Bluetooth is much less enjoyable. I still have CDs and the are the best imo
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Jay P
TJ Enthusiast
Not enough room in the TJ for them so I listen to 1 at a time for 3 months or so. It’s annoying! My cover muffles it enough without Bluetooth weakness.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So I'm looking to fix my console sub problem in my '04 TJ, and I understand everything where physical installation of the sub is involved. Where things get fuzzy for me is the amp. Currently, all of my speakers in the Jeep have been changed over to appropriate Kicker replacements with the exception of the console sub. A couple of years ago I added a self-contained sub (amp built-in) in the back, and connected that the to RCA Sub outs in back of the aftermarket HU. That was pretty straight forward and no mysteries there.
- My first question is that if I take the old factory amp out of the console, I should be able to leave the factory harness for it disconnected, and laying loose, correct? The reason I ask this is that I would have a cable run from the new aftermarket amp to the new aftermarket sub in the console.
- This leads to my second question, from my aftermarket HU I've already attached the self contained Fosgate sub/amp combo, would I just be able to run an RCA Y adapter cable off of the HU sub out so that I can control both subs independently of the HU controlled speakers in the dash and soundbar? This seems right, since I'd think it'd be a mono signal coming out of the RCA sub outs in the HU.
Yes, leave it disconnected. That's what I did with mine when I put the Kicker sub and Kicker amp in it.
Not entirely sure about this one. It seems like it would work, but I'm also not an audio expert by any means, so I'm not 100% sure.
Ok, thanks!. I had seen a couple of pictures of the harness, and noticed quite a number of wires, and didn't know if maybe the factory amp was doing something else I wasn't aware of.
Appreciate it, man! Maybe one of the resident audiophiles will chime in for and answer.