Best speaker brand for a TJ?

Rubirob

Rubirob

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 11, 2017
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Sacramento, CA, United States
I am looking to upgrade my stock speakers, I see Chris’s build had Polk, as did many others. Now I was looking at some JBL speakers before I saw that, and am now wondering..

Why Polk?

and if you could buy any speaker set up what would you be getting? I’m looking to spend around 200$ on the 4 speakers and another 150-200 on a new head. Any suggestions? I got a 04 rubi so I have the pods not the sound bar. Also tried to search this and I didn’t find anything, so if this thread exists I apologize
 
The Polk DB522 and DB652 are probably what you will see recommended the most. They are marine certified which is nice in TJ, high sensitivity (91/92 dB) which means require less power to sound decent if I understood the discussion correctly, should fit with little modification, and are reasonably priced.

I recently bought Polk DB522, DB652, and refurbished Pioneer DMH-1500NEX head unit from eBay for $425 including all brackets and double DIN dash bezel. You can get this on Crutchfield right now for about $460 if are ok with open box or scratch/dent items.
 
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Perfect answer ^^^

I would only add that if you are going to have the top off, you might want a marine certified head unit too. Beyond being water resistant, the screens are easier to read in direct sunlight.
 
sourbluff said:
The Polk DB522 and DB652 are probably what you will see recommended the most. They are marine certified which is nice in TJ, high sensitivity (91/92 dB) which means require less power to sound decent if I understood the discussion correctly, should fit with little modification, and are reasonably priced.

I recently bought Polk DB522, DB652, and refurbished Pioneer DMH-1500NEX head unit from eBay for $425 including all brackets and double DIN dash bezel. You can get this on Crutchfield right now for about $460 if are ok with open box or scratch/dent items.
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Awesome! Yea I was just curious as to why I kept seeing these in like every install. So it seems like they are just all around good units, I have seen a lot about marine grade being a big bonus, I don’t anticipate being caught in rain with my top down lol but knowing if it happened you are protected is nice.

I ordered the dash pod conversion to go from 4 x 6 to 5.25. So I will look and find a comparable speaker for that.

I also found out my rubi had a sub lol I never knew that. So now I’m looking at subs. This “simple” audio upgrade has turned into quite the money gobbler haha almost like I’m working on a jeep😂😂
 
Since it's a jeep & everything can be easily stolen or exposed to water, I'm recommend whatever's 40/pair + a cheap headunit. I'm running mid-end Kickers & a JVC stereo
 
CryptoYeets said:
Since it's a jeep & everything can be easily stolen or exposed to water, I'm recommend whatever's 40/pair + a cheap headunit. I'm running mid-end Kickers & a JVC stereo
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That's exactly why I just keep in the stock head unit. I will upgrade the speakers, but that's about it. Plus, not a daily driver so I can probably live anything for 500-1000 miles a year.
 
CryptoYeets said:
Since it's a jeep & everything can be easily stolen or exposed to water, I'm recommend whatever's 40/pair + a cheap headunit. I'm running mid-end Kickers & a JVC stereo
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This is a super good point, I got kinda caught up in trying to do the best set up I could. I currently have a soft top as well, so yea very easy to break into and steal stuff. Thanks for reminding me about this!
 
duncanator said:
That's exactly why I just keep in the stock head unit. I will upgrade the speakers, but that's about it. Plus, not a daily driver so I can probably live anything for 500-1000 miles a year.
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Yea I also don’t use mine as a dd, so the 2-3k miles a year I drive it puts me in a similar position lol. I think maybe a 100$ head unit, and 150$ for speakers and another 100 or so for a good sub would be more than enough. I might just copy Chris’s set up, it’s a bit more than that. But he seems very happy with it
 
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Automotive speaker cones are usually made from either mylar or polyurethane and neither material is going to be harmed by moisture/water. While head unit theft is not uncommon, I personally wouldn't be worried about speakers mounted inside the factory enclosures.

And X2 to the Pok DB speaker recommendations, they are a great choice for a Jeep. That they don't require much power to push to loud listening levels makes them a good choice for head units without an external aux amplifier.
 
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Mine are Kicker...not necessarily because I've done any comparison or research, just that Kicker is designed and manufactured about 50 miles from where I grew up in central Oklahoma.
 
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I just don't hear about anyone getting their stereos stolen anymore like they used to. I think if I found out someone stole my radio first thing I would do is start laughing.
 
I remember in like 2000 someone cut my soft top window to get into previous TJ. Dash was covered in blood, I guess they cut themselves trying to yank stereo or get into glove box. Annoying part was Jeep was unlocked. At time I started just leaving windows out and change in center console. Seemed to satisfy as change was often gone but no more damage.
 
sourbluff said:
I remember in like 2000 someone cut my soft top window to get into previous TJ. Dash was covered in blood, I guess they cut themselves trying to yank stereo or get into glove box. Annoying part was Jeep was unlocked. At time I started just leaving windows out and change in center console. Seemed to satisfy as change was often gone but no more damage.
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I had a hard lesson about locking doors with a soft top vehicle, I had my beloved Triumph TR-6's soft top slashed to steal my company tools and company oscilloscope that were behind the seats. The really nice Long Beach CA cop who took the theft report advised me to never leave anything inside of value in plain sight inside a vehicle with a soft top, and to never lock the doors either. I took that advice to heart.
 
All solid advice, I do appreciate it! I ended up just copying Chris’s set up. Cost wise I think it’s the most bang for buck!

I am torn on what head unit to get, I’m not really concerned about water, and love the idea of the double din head. They look clean, but now I’m paranoid about someone stealing it haha

I already ordered the double din kit, but I could always return it 🤷‍♂️ Why do people gotta steal things!
 
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